As more people become interested in obstacle racing and take the plunge to sign up for their first race inevitably the question that always comes up is “How do I train?”
Training for races will vary from person to person just like the types of shoes people chose to wear. Some people will tell you they rolled off the couch and did a Tough Mudder. While others will tell you about their meticulous diet and extreme exercise regimen.
I tend to fall somewhere in between. I take my training seriously, but I don’t take it so seriously that it gets in the way of life.
From all the races that I have done I must say the the Spartan Races have been the most challenging. One of the distinct differences with a Spartan Race is the 30 penalty burpees you have to do if you cannot complete an obstacle. That is much different than the majority of other races out there. You cannot chose to just walk around if you don’t think you can handle it. Burpees take a lot out of you. After your first set of 30, you will wish you trained harder.
A great way to ensure you are ready to take on Spartan is the great Work Out of the Day they offer. It’s a free email subscription that gets sent out to give you the best preparation for a race. It can be modified depending on your current fitness level, so it will be a challenge no matter where you are in your fitness journey.
Here is an example of a Spartan “Workout of the Day” (WOD)
10-20 Burpees
10-20 Air squats
Run 400 meters
10-20 Lunges
5-10 Box Jumps
Bear Crawl 50 meters
Run 400 meters
Repeat 1-3 times
Intermediate and advanced athletes should run 2-3 miles before doing this routine.
If that still seems intimidating, cut it down some more. This is your workout, and you know when you have reached your limit. But don’t short change yourself either. The only way to keep moving forward is to take yourself out of your comfort zone.
I have decided that I need to step up my training and I am going to begin following the Spartan WOD. I do have a Spartan Beast in a month!
After doing the Spartan Sprint and Spartan Super, I have a good idea of what is in store for me. I need to step up my training unless I want my burpee count to be in the triple digits on race day. Like I said before, these races are challenging, but they are also very rewarding too. There is no better feeling than jumping over the fire and pushing your way past the pugil stick wielding gladiators to claim that medal. Nothing can compare.
So who wants to take the WOD challenge with me? Are you ready for your next Spartan Race?
Spartan WOD Philosophy: Only with a healthy body and mind can one achieve greatness. Spartan workouts are centered around total fitness: flexibility, strength, muscle endurance, and aerobic power, a tactile connection with one’s environment . These five pillars cannot be separated from each other as in combination they create the most effective workouts and best results. The human body should sweat, stretch, push, pull, and carry with varying degrees of intensity and stress. The human body is the only machine that gets better with use, but abuse it, and it will fail you. The human body should be cared for post workout with proper fuel and stretching.
CONTEST!!
The good people at Spartan think you should take the challenge and have given us a free race registration to give away! That’s right – FREE!! You can pick any open Spartan Sprint, Super or Beast in the United States. Now, how’s that for motivation?
Enter below for your chance to earn your bling. Are you ready? You’ll know at the finish line!
Other Spartan Goodies:
Spartan eBook: “You’ll Know at the Finish Line” The Spartan guide to the sport of obstacle racing.
My wife and I enjoy doing CrossFit every morning and have fallen in love with obstacle racing. We do approximately 7-9 a year and love the accomplishments together as we are both a year or 2 from 50! We have not done a Spartan Race and that’s on the agenda for March 2014 in Georgia! Would love to win a free one! Thanks!
Russell
I’m prepping myself nutritionally and physically. Weight Watchers has been a tremendous help in lowering my weight and bmi. I’m also running on trails in minimalist shoes that have really helped me strengthen my lower body. More to be done, but it’s all a process!
I use the following tools to train for my Spartan Races and other OCRs:
WOD Genius app
Obstacle Trainer app
Spartan WODs
Aroo!
I’m training by running in the trails behind my house, as well as training at a local obstacle gym called Camp Rhino. Whoop Whoop! AROO!
Lots of trail running?
I do other OCRs to train for Spartan Race. :-)
I also am building a wall, rope climb and spear throw in my backyard. I live next to an elementary school so I have the monkey bars next door!
Running all those hills has definitely been a challenge so I’ve been trying to sign up for a lot of road races this year to give me a chance to train.
I spend a lot of time working on cardio as I have multiple goals for spartan racing (completing my trifecta) and ultra-marathon running (my first 50K this weekend).
I do a lot of rucking, burpees, slosh pipe work outs, and mix a little of everything into my workouts every week.
I am using a training plan developed for me by the one and only ella anne kociuba.
I am training by completing the Insanity workout and then running other mud races
Lots of trail running, triathlon training, and tires. Gotta switch it up to work the whole body.
Running, but currwently on bike to nurse an injury.
But otherwise burpees, dips, pullups, & squats.
Did my first beast in Utah and now I’m addicted. I can’t wait for my next one.
Thankfully for me my endurance will be locked down for the Texas Beast with several half marathons leading up to the Beast, one just the weekend prior. I keep up with body weight exercises and gym work. As other have said as well, keeping nutrition in check. The Beast is a beast but so awesome! I can’t wait to get back Texas to tackle it again with the goal of an improved time.
was hoping to do a spartan this year, but ran out of money. perhaps I’ll win.
I need to do more strength training. I do okay with running, but anything requiring upper body strength I’m not so good at.
I subscribe to the Spartan Race WOD that I try and do at least 3 times a week. I run about 15-30 miles a week depending on my work schedule. I run this highly technical mountain bike trail every weekend along with running 10Ks over local bridges near town. I try and eat clean about 90 percent of the time and I do other OCRs to train for Spartan Races. I like Spartan Races the most due to their enurance and strength intensity on the obstacles and I LOVE burpees (sarcasm).
I love obstacle course racing no matter the event but Spartan Race is in a class by itself! Nothing else challenges me overall the same way. I ‘only” did the Sprint and I thought it was harder than the Tough Mudder I did last year. I gave it such a glowing review, that my friend who claims to not like the big “name brand” events signed up to do the Super with me in NJ in September!
Trail running and upper body strengthening.
WOD so I can come home WITH my shield and not ON IT
Running my *ss off! Chasing my 5 kids around! Although I know I need more hill work and strength training.
R.I.P.P.E.D. and Body Pump classes weekly, combined with a lot of running …. and HILLS!