Day: September 30, 2021

8 THINGS TO DO BEFORE JOINING A SPARTAN RACE

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THIS INFAMOUS RACE IS NOT FOR THE FAINT OF HEART

This 5 minute read is supposed to prepare you and not scare you from what’s to come if you join the Spartan Race. But before anything else, we should not discount the fact that we’re still in the midst of the global pandemic so join the race at your own risk! Be sure to get vaccinated and ISOLATE YOURSELF AFTER the said event. 

Personally, in order to live to the fullest, we must surround ourselves with certain challenges. And this certain challenge will push you to your limits; emotionally, physically, and spiritually. Here’s the 8 things you should do before joining:

 1. EDucate yourself firsT 

 
This is not your typical fun run or 10k race. It’s longest distance is a half marathon race jampacked with lots of obstacles! There are three categories for this race; 1. Sprint (5k, 20 obstacles), 2. Super (10k, 20 obstacles), and 3. Beast (21k, 30 obstacles). 

If you’re a beginner and you still love yourself, please… start with the 5k. 

2. hydrate hydrate hydrate

 
 It’s important to note that you’re gonna be moving and doing something straight for 3 to 5 hours. Stock up on the electrolytes and hydrate at least 3 days before the race. You wouldn’t want to have cramps and soil the whole experience right

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 3. NO NEED FOR FANCY GEAR, dress for comfort

 
 Don’t wear your expensive Under Armour shirt or your limited edition Nike Adidas yadda yadda. Everything will be covered in mud after. Dress for comfort. Wear long socks or breathable leggings (to minimize leg burns from rope climbing obstacles).   

 

 4. Choose your footwear wisely 

 
During my trip, I only brought 2 pairs of shoes. One for working out, and one for walking (sneakers basically). I tried running with the workout shoes but it just gave me foot pain so I had to use my sneakers instead. Little did I know that there would be a mini-hike in the trail. It was so hard for me to climb up because my footwear didn’t have any grip. Invest in good running shoes with decent grip soles. 
 

5. LEARN TO LOVE RUNNING

I wasn’t really a fan of running or jogging. During my regular training, I usually just skipped this one out. But hey! Preparing for the race, I had to run miles and miles so that I wouldn’t die running the 12 mile race. I realized that it’s a good skill to have. Running keeps you lean, gives you the runner’s high, and keeps you from trouble! 

 

6. TRAIN FOR PULL UPS

If you’re not running, you are usually pulling. Most of the obstacles require you to get over tall walls that require you to pull yourself from one side to the other, monkey bars with crazy hard variations, lateral wall climbs, and vertical rope climbs. To make the most out of these obstacles, don’t skip on the pull ups! Do additional grip training and stay lean. If you don’t, prepare to do a lot of burpees! 

 

7. MANAGE YOUR EGO

There are obstacles that are just… impossible. You can try, but you know your body better than I do. So if you’re not doing the race competitively, just do the burpees or the additional penalty loop. It’s okay! It’s not worth getting injured for. Just do your best! 

 

8. DO THE RACE WITH A TEAM 

You can go lone wolf but it’s safer to do it with your friends especially if it’s your first try. There are lots of times wherein it was really hard. There were times that I thought of giving up because my legs were literally shutting down! I don’t know if I would have finished the 21k death march without my team. 

 

 LET US KNOW IF YOU’RE GONNA JOIN THE RACE!

 
We might be able to help you one way or another to prepare for it. That’s it for the 8 things you must do before you take on the challenge. May the Spartan Gods be forever in your favor!

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