Spartan Race

MrTolerable
MrTolerable Posts: 1,593 Member
in Chit-Chat
How intense is the Spartan Race?

Like would just about anyone be able to get through it, or would you need to train for it?



Oh.. and go Germany. Go celebrate at Hugo Boss or Mont Blanc :wink:
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Replies

  • Alyssawinter1221
    Alyssawinter1221 Posts: 118
    Uh... It depends! I'll message you some info :)
  • MrTolerable
    MrTolerable Posts: 1,593 Member
    Uh... It depends! I'll message you some info :)

    certainly won't be complaining about that. :wink:
  • siport
    siport Posts: 7,429 Member
    ^ what a good way to get a PM lol
  • siport
    siport Posts: 7,429 Member
    i completed the Rat Race dirty weekend course which was 200 obstacles and 22 miles long in total, i had never run more than ten minutes in my adult life before i signed up so did train for it.

    i lost 3 stone and managed to complete the "worlds hardest Assault Course" in under 5 hours.

    training is a good idea if you havent done a race like it before
  • ew_david
    ew_david Posts: 3,473 Member
    Oh you.
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  • MrTolerable
    MrTolerable Posts: 1,593 Member
    If you run and strength train you should have no problem finishing a sprint. It's not easy and it takes longer than other races, but you should be able to complete it.

    oh!! You look like an authority on this with those medals.

    If you did recommend training - just endurance, strength training and HIIT because there are sprints?
  • MrTolerable
    MrTolerable Posts: 1,593 Member
    i completed the Rat Race dirty weekend course which was 200 obstacles and 22 miles long in total, i had never run more than ten minutes in my adult life before i signed up so did train for it.

    i lost 3 stone and managed to complete the "worlds hardest Assault Course" in under 5 hours.

    training is a good idea if you havent done a race like it before

    congrats on the weight loss!
  • leadslinger17
    leadslinger17 Posts: 297 Member
    I want to try this or a Tough Mudder, I've done a smaller obstacle race and it was a lot of fun.
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  • siport
    siport Posts: 7,429 Member
    check this training plan out, the half mucker plan is for a 13 mile race the full mucker is for the 20 mile course.

    http://www.ratracedirtyweekend.com/training/
  • PRMinx
    PRMinx Posts: 4,585 Member
    I want to try this or a Tough Mudder, I've done a smaller obstacle race and it was a lot of fun.

    Tough Mudder is a blast! Highly recommend :-)
  • redheaddee
    redheaddee Posts: 2,005 Member
    Allow me chime in as one of those less fit people (5'10", 222 lbs). I completed a Superhero Scramble in April: 5.3 miles, 32 obstacles. That thing whipped my @ss and I loved it. The only thing I did not complete was the Leap of Faith (jump 25 feet into a pond...can you say panic attack?). I workout 4 times a week: at least 2 lift days and 2 cardio days, plus I own a farm and have a large yard, so lots of physical labor for me as well. Not everyone could, but I think anyone who is physically active and damn stubborn could. And people were super supportive and helpful of each other, the whole thing was an excellent experience. My next challenge is a Spartan Super in October. Good luck to us all!
  • MrTolerable
    MrTolerable Posts: 1,593 Member
    If you run and strength train you should have no problem finishing a sprint. It's not easy and it takes longer than other races, but you should be able to complete it.

    oh!! You look like an authority on this with those medals.

    If you did recommend training - just endurance, strength training and HIIT because there are sprints?

    I wouldn't say I'm an authority on Spartan, I've only run two sprints, both at the Tuxedo NY location. Damn hard race. Spartan likes to select ski resorts and mountains for their races, to force you to climb up hill.

    I'm signed up for the Super and Beast in October. If I complete those I'll have finally earned my trifecta. So there are different race lengths for whatever level of fitness you're at.

    But even people in great shape find a Sprint to be no joke. You'll crawl uphill under barbwire, carry heavy logs and stones, rope climb, a few balance-type obstacles, and every obstacle you don't complete comes with a 30 burpee penalty.

    There's still plenty of race season left if you wanted to find one. Sadly you just missed PA.

    ETA: When I say "sprint" I'm not talking about running, I'm talking about the length of the race.

    A Spartan Sprint is 3+ miles with about 15 obstacles.
    A Spartan Super is 8+ miles with 20 obstacles.
    A Spartan Beast is 13+ miles with 25+ obstacles.

    Complete all 3 in a calendar year and you've earned a trifecta.

    This is incredible, I didnt realize how involved this was. I'm going to go for the spartan sprint initially.


    "But even people in great shape find a Sprint to be no joke. You'll crawl uphill under barbwire, carry heavy logs and stones, rope climb, a few balance-type obstacles, and every obstacle you don't complete comes with a 30 burpee penalty. "

    -now this sounds like fun!! :smokin:

    so do you need a team or is solo no problemo?
  • GorillaNJ
    GorillaNJ Posts: 4,024 Member
    Well my 2 cents... I am sure you can finish it. Get yourself some teammates, train for it and you will do fine. The hardest part of the entire thing is just the mountain itself. I have only done the one in Tuxedo (twice, with Brett actually) and the up mountain stuff is the hardest. Trail running and hill sprints are the number one training things I am focusing on for my Spartan Super in September
  • MrTolerable
    MrTolerable Posts: 1,593 Member
    Well my 2 cents... I am sure you can finish it. Get yourself some teammates, train for it and you will do fine. The hardest part of the entire thing is just the mountain itself. I have only done the one in Tuxedo (twice, with Brett actually) and the up mountain stuff is the hardest. Trail running and hill sprints are the number one training things I am focusing on for my Spartan Super in September

    So teammates are a requirement?



    And I currently practice my HIIT running uphill, but trail running is something I would love to add to my routine... since I just purchased the new balance mt10 v2 to boot! :wink:
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  • MrTolerable
    MrTolerable Posts: 1,593 Member
    This is incredible, I didnt realize how involved this was. I'm going to go for the spartan sprint initially.


    "But even people in great shape find a Sprint to be no joke. You'll crawl uphill under barbwire, carry heavy logs and stones, rope climb, a few balance-type obstacles, and every obstacle you don't complete comes with a 30 burpee penalty. "

    -now this sounds like fun!! :smokin:

    so do you need a team or is solo no problemo?

    No matter how short the race is, they design it to really test your limits.

    I'll put it to you this way. The Tuxedo NY Spartan sprint, a 4 mile race, took me 2 hours. And that was an improvement over last year.

    ^this is EXACTLY what I've been looking for. getting my limits pushed.

    and with it being a 4 mile race - taking 2 hours - so obviously these obstacles are indeed intense.. any specific strength training lifts aside from the squat and deadlift that should be imperative in my routines?

    I got the PM about wearing gloves, any other gear or input on what to come equipped with?

    sunscreen obviously as well to cover my pale tail :wink:
  • crystal_runs
    crystal_runs Posts: 2
    Burpees....practice your Burpees...

    I have done 3 sprints, 3 supers, and 2 beasts. Earned my trifecta last year and will again this year.

    Most people don't realize that for any obstacle you fail or can't do, you are penalized with 30 burpees. That adds up quick. I almost always miss the stupid spear throw and am usually so tired by the rope climb and traverse wall that I fail those. That is 90 burpees on top of all of the running and other stuff.

    The two worst ones I have done was Virginia Super last year, which was up and down a ski slope. and Texas Beast which was colder than any obstacle course race should be. There was snow on the ground. They still had us walk thigh-deep through creeks. Also carrying buckets full of gravel up a hill twice when your fingers are frozen sucks (no handles on buckets).

    If you really want a break down of what a course looks like, I can probably walk you through one depending on the distance you are looking to conquer. I'd say almost anyone can do a sprint, be in decent shape for a super, and work hard and pray long for a beast.
  • siport
    siport Posts: 7,429 Member
    knee and elbow pads are a good idea, as you will be crawling and pulling your self over under and through loads of stuff, plus some good trail shoes.

    check out the inov-8 range i got the
    Muidclaw 300 shoes and they were amazing for all obstacle and running through mud and over loose ground
  • MrTolerable
    MrTolerable Posts: 1,593 Member
    Burpees....practice your Burpees...

    I have done 3 sprints, 3 supers, and 2 beasts. Earned my trifecta last year and will again this year.

    Most people don't realize that for any obstacle you fail or can't do, you are penalized with 30 burpees. That adds up quick. I almost always miss the stupid spear throw and am usually so tired by the rope climb and traverse wall that I fail those. That is 90 burpees on top of all of the running and other stuff.

    The two worst ones I have done was Virginia Super last year, which was up and down a ski slope. and Texas Beast which was colder than any obstacle course race should be. There was snow on the ground. They still had us walk thigh-deep through creeks. Also carrying buckets full of gravel up a hill twice when your fingers are frozen sucks (no handles on buckets).

    If you really want a break down of what a course looks like, I can probably walk you through one depending on the distance you are looking to conquer. I'd say almost anyone can do a sprint, be in decent shape for a super, and work hard and pray long for a beast.

    Burpees - I was confused by that - so they are just a variant of a squat thrust.

    You stand, get in spidey position, throw your hips back - like you are getting into a pushup position - lurch forward back into spidey position and stand up proud?


    and I gotta run to a meeting, and will be sure to review this all. - if you write out what to expect I will certainly read through it and use your input.

    I think the sprint will be first for me - I am a bit of a perfectionist, which is why I would rather not be on a team - and the sprint will let me assess what I am in for.

    My biggest worry is that to lower my body fat percentage I've killed my legs and gotten them very shredded - but I have in a few ways neglected some area's on the upper body - I still struggle to do like 10+ simple pull ups.

    This is going to be an AWESOME new activity for myself, I can already tell. Certainly my idea of fun. :bigsmile:
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  • crystal_runs
    crystal_runs Posts: 2
    Actually, I remembered that a buddy of mine wrote up a great race report with pictures from the Spartan Sprint in 2012. Obviously each venue will vary with whats available, but it will give you a great idea of what to expect. Here are all of his write ups for the Texas Spartan races. He also has a "What to Pack" on his blog.

    Spartan Sprint - Texas 2012
    http://muddyj.com/2012/05/20/2012txspartansprint/


    Spartan Beast - Texas 2013
    http://muddyj.com/2013/12/30/muddyj-is-a-barefoot-beast/

    Spartan Super - Texas 2014
    http://muddyj.com/2014/05/17/im-super-thanks-for-asking/
  • MrTolerable
    MrTolerable Posts: 1,593 Member
    Actually, I remembered that a buddy of mine wrote up a great race report with pictures from the Spartan Sprint in 2012. Obviously each venue will vary with whats available, but it will give you a great idea of what to expect. Here are all of his write ups for the Texas Spartan races. He also has a "What to Pack" on his blog.

    Spartan Sprint - Texas 2012
    http://muddyj.com/2012/05/20/2012txspartansprint/


    Spartan Beast - Texas 2013
    http://muddyj.com/2013/12/30/muddyj-is-a-barefoot-beast/

    Spartan Super - Texas 2014
    http://muddyj.com/2014/05/17/im-super-thanks-for-asking/

    great shares :flowerforyou: - answered more questions then I thought I even had on the subject.

    Thanks Crystal & Brett!
  • leadslinger17
    leadslinger17 Posts: 297 Member
    Burpees - I was confused by that - so they are just a variant of a squat thrust.

    You stand, get in spidey position, throw your hips back - like you are getting into a pushup position - lurch forward back into spidey position and stand up proud?

    Haha love it "spidey position"
  • FitPhotoGeek
    FitPhotoGeek Posts: 3 Member
    Depending on the course it can be a breeze or it can be rough. The hardest race I have ever done out of 6 was a Spartan Sprint believe it or not simply sue to the terrain. It was tough, held at a ski training facility and it was all rocks/darting through trees. Keep in mind that they keep on changing the obstacles as well. The mainstays will always be there, such as countless walls, barbed wire, rope climb, monkey bars, pancake bag carry, Hercules hoist, etc. If you train for those and those alone, you're bound to have a curve ball thrown your way. Weights were recently increased for men, so enjoy that if you're going to do one. I'm signed up for 2 sprints, a super and a beast this year. I would HIGHLY recommend getting your back, legs, and arms in killer shape before attempting one. Absolutely get reviews on the terrain of years past as well. Preparation is key for this. I've seen a lot of good racers get knees blown out and end up getting a purple heart instead of a medal due to injury.

    I almost forgot, you need shoes that have seriously aggressive tread. Reebok actually makes a shoe specifically for this race and I found that it helped a ton. look into it.
  • lorigem
    lorigem Posts: 446 Member
    Tagging for all the great info.
  • Bostonsoul
    Bostonsoul Posts: 151 Member
    Ah, yes..finally a topic near to my heart. I just ran the Spartan Beast in Utah a few weeks back. The course itself, the obstacles aren't as tough as the Tough Mudder obsitcles (I blacked out twice) but the actual course itself was very rough. This course has us running up and down an entire mountain twice so the vomiting and the people falling breaking limbs was rampant. The Tough Mudder course I did, well that was 13 miles in the middle of winter, 20 mph winds, 2 feet deep mud, freezing rain, up in the mountains of Utah..that was...well just miserable. I've run a few of these. My next Mudder is this November...I'm stoked for it!
  • NotRailMeat
    NotRailMeat Posts: 509 Member
    *** Hijack ***

    I race on a sailboat named Spartan so I keep seeing this thread and thinking "Why is that here?"

    NewportSeen_MOYRACE_018.jpg

    *** End Hijack ***

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