Las Vegas Spartan Super | Race Recap

Spartan Races are some of my favorite races ever! I’ve done more Spartan Races than any other race, with a total of 9 races – 2 Beasts, 4 Supers, and 3 Sprints! I love the Spartan Races because although they are challenging and tough, there is a great spirit of camaraderie and fun too! And you can’t beat that feeling of accomplishment when you conquer obstacles you trained so hard for. Plus: free beer at the finish!

I hadn’t planned on running the Las Vegas Spartan Super this year because I’m a wimp. The race was scheduled to be at the same location as last year and the course was super sandy and I remember how much I did not enjoy trying to run 4 miles or so in sand. But, when a friend of a friend found out she couldn’t run it just 2 weeks before race day, I jumped on the opportunity to have her race deferred to me! I couldn’t resist. The 8 + miles wouldn’t be a problem because I’ve been training for the Zion Half Marathon coming up April 1st. The obstacles and sand however, were a whole other story! Although I knew I couldn’t get myself in top shape in just 2 weeks and I knew my upper body strength was nowhere it had been, I didn’t think it would be so hard. But, yikes did I struggle! It was especially sad to struggle on obstacles that I don’t normally struggle with. I had a lot of help from my teammates and fellow racer on course. Like I said, all that help and support from fellow Spartans is what makes me love this race series! My teammates and I finished strong and for 3 of the 5 of us, it was their first Spartan Race ever. Seeing my friend conquer obstacles she didn’t think she could was so awesome and really made that race special for me!

This race was such a wake up call for me. Like I said, I finished the race and I had a ton of fun running it but deep down I know I can perform better. So, what do you do when you don’t run your best race? You literally wash off the mud and sign up for another one! In my case, you sign up for the Spartan Beast + Sprint coming up in October in Big Bear Lake, CA and aim to get that Trifecta one more time. Let the training begin! AROO!

Have you ever ran a Spartan Race or OCR? What’s your favorite race series?

My Thoughts Before Spartan Super Las Vegas…

What did I get myself into!!! I’m really excited to be running the Spartan Super tomorrow in Las Vegas, especially more so since I won the entry via the awesome Confessions of a City Eater blog! With the excitement however, comes major knots in my stomach and feelings of doubt and nervousness. I’ve been training hard, but of course, I could always train harder. There are some obstacles that down right scare me and I really hope my team doesn’t leave me in the dust! Today is not the day for self doubt, however. Today is the day to get pumped up and ready to give it my all tomorrow. I’m putting my big girl panties on, along with my mega cool funky leggings my sister found for me at Khols. OH YEAH! You won’t miss me on the course with those cool things! I’m geared and ready to have a good time. Tonight, I’m gonna carb up with a nice big plate of pasta (not Paleo, it’s ok, I’m not 100% all the time). I’ll also be taking my own advice from my post, 7 Tips for Conquering Your Next Obstacle Course Race, and packing all the essentials! Here’s a bit of what I’ve got to look forward to tomorrow! AROO!!!

7 Tips for Conquering your next Obstacle Course Race

I’m 10 days away from my first Spartan race! I’m doing the Super Spartan on April 5th and I’m super nervous and excited. I’ve also got my second Tough Mudder on April 27th. I’ve been training hard with my trainer twice a week and getting my Pure Intensity Training classes at the gym too. I’ve even taken it up a notch by joining Camp Rhino. This place is pretty cool and I should do a full blog post about it soon, but for now, just know that it’s an obstacle training facility that offers a ton of training classes, drop-ins, and a ton more!! So, do I feel prepared? Of course not! Not sure I will ever feel prepared before any obstacle race. But, they really do push your limits and get you out of your comfort zone. The feeling of accomplishment afterwards is surreal!
Anyhow, today I want to share with you a few tips that will help you be ready come race day.

1. Don’t wear cotton. I’ve said this before and I will say it again! Don’t wear cotton!! It drags, it stays wet, and drags you down. Stick to dry wicking fabrics. This includes everything from socks and underwear too, not just your shirt and pants! Trust me 😉

2. Ladies, invest in a good maximum support sports bra with light padding. You’ll be wet pretty much the entire time during the race, you don’t want your girls exposed 😉

3. Wear long pants. I made the mistake of wearing compression shorts for the Badass Dash and let me tell ya, never again! My knees and legs were so messed up from crawling under barbed wire and banged up and burned from climbing walls and ropes. Protect your legs and wear long form fitting pants that won’t drag when they’re wet!

4. Tie your sneakers tight. You’ll be running in and out of water and mud and want to make sure you don’t leave your sneakers behind!

5. A change of clothes & deodorant. You’ll be muddy, wet, and gross. The last thing you want is to get in your car back home or to eat afterwards in that. Most races should have a shower and/or changing area so bring a towel. Clean, dry clothes will feel amazing after being in wet cold clothes! Don’t forget a clean pair of shoes too! Flip flops work great 🙂

6. Garbage bag. You’ll need a place to throw in those dirty wet clothes you just got out of 🙂

7. Have fun and take pictures! Obstacle course races are designed to test your physical and mental limits. They’re tough, but also a lot of fun and you’ll want to snap a few before and after shots 🙂

xo,

Jessie

Training for Obstacle Course Races

I will begin this post by clearly stating that I am no expert on obstacle course races (OCR), nor am I a personal trainer! I’m just an average girl who really loves to push her limits and see what she can do. Last year, I did 3 OCR, including Tough Mudder and this year I’m signed up for Tough Mudder again and Super Spartan. I will probably add a few smaller ones too by the end of the year….what can I say, I really do love OCR!

So that being said, I thought I’d share with you a few tips that helped me complete (read: SURVIVE) Tough Mudder last year and what I plan to do in these next 2 months leading to my obstacle course races in April.

Eat Clean! They say a good workout can’t out-exercise a bad diet and I really believe this. I’ve noticed that when I allow myself a lot of “cheat meals” my workouts suffer. I’m more sluggish and slow and of course, I don’t see the results I want. So, eating clean in the month(s) leading up to your OCR will help you get lean & strong!
Focus on Building Upper Body Strength! This was huge for me. Most of us ladies tend to have weaker upper body strength and a lot, if not most, of the obstacles you’ll encounter will require strong arms. Army man crawling, pulling yourself up walls & ropes, monkey bars, etc.. these all require strong upper body strength. Find a workout that is best for you and work on getting those muscles! Push ups, tricep dips, and pull ups (Disclaimer: I have yet to master 1 pull up. It’s on my to-do list!)
Run! You’re not training for a marathon, but you should be able to run at least 3 miles nonstop. Work on sprints and hills to really get those legs ready for the 10 + mile course.
Interval Training! You’ll be doing all sorts of things on an OCR from jumping over fire, crawling under barbed wire, and balancing on boards. You’ll have to build up your endurance and agility. Tabata, HIIT, Boot Camps, these are all great examples of high intensity training. Get lots of lunges, high knees, mountain climbers, and frog hops done!
Burpees! I don’t know anyone who loves a burpee, but everyone agrees they get the job done. And if you’re planning on doing a Spartan race, just know that the penalty for not completing an obstacle is 30 burpees..Yikes!!
Stretch! Don’t forget to stretch after your runs and workouts! This will aid in recovery, flexibility, and help prevent injury!

Also, do some research and check out what you’re up against. Go to YouTube and look for videos of the OCR you’ll be doing, specifically in your city. This will help you visualize what you’re going to be facing and get you pumped up! Tough Mudder has this great Boot Camp Training on their website where you can build your own workout circuit based on your fitness level and it’s designed to get you through their toughest obstacles! I’d also recommend checking out a training facility in your town. We have Camp Rhino here in Las Vegas and it rocks. We went last year and plan to go again this year. They have a beginners class where you can try out the obstacles, plus they give you tips and techniques for conquering the race. Lastly, have fun training 🙂

So, which OCR are you signed up for? I’d love hear about it and how you’re training!