1 Mar 2013

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The key to completing the Spartan Race is building the intestinal fortitude and will to excel. The aim is to push us outside our comfort zone to reach for something greater than our current self. The obstacles and mental challenges are designed to force us to be agile and capable in movements that are lateral, or outside the square!

Putting the philosophical foundation of the Spartan Race aside, it will be a tough demonstration of both physical and mental fortitude. 

The Spartan Sprint, is designed for everyone. All sorts of people turn up on the day. The challenge is not letting your mind be defeated by what you see, either in the other competitors or in the obstacles! So, are we ready?

We can expect a mix of natural and man-made obstacles over the 7km course, including:

Balance Beam

Barbed Wire Crawl

Fire Jump

Kettlebell Pull

Over/Under/through

Rope climb

Sand Bag Carry

Gladiator Pit

Traverse Wall

Water Crossing

It may hurt, it may be the most fun you’ve had in a long time, but you will definitely discover a sense of exhilaration and personal achievement just by getting to the finish line!

So, are we ready?

Being a part of the evo community, training outdoors means that we already train the elements of physical fitness needed to complete the race. Cardio-respiratory endurance, muscular strength and endurance and flexibility are all elements of our weekly KLIK training sessions.

Adding a plyometric element to basic exercises will enhance power, for example a clap push-up or jump squat. Lifting, pulling and pushing weights will build muscular strength and endurance, running improves cardio-respiratory capacity and yoga can improve balance, flexibility and core strength. Are any of these activities new to you? Well, unless you’re new to evo then NO!

Cardiovascular Endurance

We build aerobic capacity by running/walking/jogging/swimming/cycling or rowing. We want to be aiming for a cardio session 2-3 times a week.

Ok, so what can I do?

Muscular Strength and Endurance

The Race will include climbing, crawling and jumping exercises and funnily enough the work we do with weights generally works the muscle groups used in these movements. Most of you will have probably been using the same weights for a while so give yourself the challenge of moving up a weight to improve your strength for the Race. The beauty of the obstacle race is that most of the time the only weight you’ll need to carry is yourself. That’s why we focus on body weight exercises in our Spartan sessions. 

Power. Add a clap to your push up or a powerful jump to your squat and burpee. Simple progressions from basic exercises will give you the extra power you need to complete the race. When your head tells you that you don’t want to add a clap to your push up, just add the clap!

Burpees! I know how much everyone loves burpees. Spartan Racers should be taking on a full burpee with a nice strong jump whenever we do it in a session. Break it down to exercises you know you’re good at; squat to high plank to push up to squat jump. Aim for 30 burpees non-stop in under 5 minutes. What? Yes! That’s ONE burpee every 10 seconds... Too easy! Aim for 3 mins.

Core strength and flexibility are also key elements to successfully completing this race. Building strength in your core will make you more stable and able to perform many of the obstacles in the race. Flexibility will help increase the range of tension you can put your muscles under and help you avoid injury.

Make a plan and stick to it.

Aim to get to 2-3 evo sessions a week, or more if you have time. Weights and sprint days are a must for Spartan racers. Boxing is also a great way to build your muscular endurance. Get to as many body weight and core sessions as you can and add yoga as a great compliment to any training, especially Spartan Race training. The evo Trail Run on Feb 9 is essential. Saturdays are a great fit for Spartan racers, especially a Mega Session! Do a long run once a week, either with Dix or in your own time and get to a beach when the sun’s shining for a shorter more intense run on the soft sand. Hills are a great alternative to soft sand.

Obviously life is busy but training does not have to take up too much time. Train smart by making a plan each week, get to the sessions you plan on getting to and add that little bit extra by going for a run at home. 

Rest is essential. Training without rest is like going kayaking and losing your paddle. You can probably move with your arms but how effective is it? Rest is your paddle, use it!

Water! Try to get up to 2L before midday on training days and then try for another 2L before bed. Eat well, rest lots and know that you’re already on your way to completing this race just by being a part of the evo community!!!

Prepare your mind and the rest will follow. At the end of the day most people signed up for the Spartan Race to have a bit of fun... don’t forget that. You’ll need to push yourself but remember you’re not training for the Olympic Games!

Now, are we ready? Yes!