My First Spartan Race

I did it. I bit my fearful bullet and signed up for my first spartan race.

My First Spartan Race

It has been almost a year with very little cardio (and prior to that I did 101 days with no cardio.) I spent time healing myself, my gut, adrenal fatigue, and soul. And even though I know I am not 100%, I also know that:

1. I will never be 100% (will anyone?) and
2. I am not only physically in a much different place, but mentally as well.

If I could run nonstop for 13+ miles, I might give the half marathon a try again. But running that distance is no longer appropriate for me, and I do not enjoy running as I once did.

But I do enjoy a physical and mental challenge. I always have; I always will.

For a long time, people told me to hit the stage for a figure or bikini competition. And while I recognize that that would physically and mentally challenge me, I believe that for me, it would be – by far – the worst competitive competition I could engage in. So I waited for my challenge to come along.

And then in July it did. A group of people from the gym I train at signed up for the San Francisco Spartan Sprint. It was just a 3-miler, and so even with only a few weeks to train I thought I might as well join them, only to realize it was on a Saturday when we would be back home in Minnesota. “But,” they told me, “let’s all do the Sacramento Spartan.”

I signed up for my first Spartan race on Sunday, August 31. There are two races that weekend: the Spartan Sprint and the Spartan Super. We are doing the Spartan Super, which is on Saturday, November 7, giving me a little over two months to train.

The Spartan Super is an 8-10 mile course race with 24-29 obstacles.

The terrain for this event is as follows:

This course is 100% off-road. Since this is a giant cattle ranch, the entire course is extremely rough and littered with cow-tracks and rolling hills. You will be running through natural ponds and man-made pits. If it rains before or during the race, the course will become one of the most slippery courses in Spartan Race.

To say that I’m nervous is an understatement.

But this seems like the right and perfect challenge for me because:

1. Training will include a mix of cardio + weights + non-traditional training (anyways, non-traditional from what I’m used to)
2. I’m doing it with a team, and this is something new to me (running was always solo; I haven’t done a team sport since my days of ice hockey)
3. With my newly-formed relationship of embracing food; high-quality food, food as fuel, no restrictions, I am strong enough to do this.
4. Autoimmune won’t keep me down forever -> there is a time for healing, a time for mending, and a time for being. But we all make choices in life, and to never push the limits physically and mentally just because I am afraid of what my autoimmune disease might trigger is not the way I want to live now or ever.

Training began in Hawaii, even though I didn’t have access to much. Here was Day 1 of Spartan Super training.

Follow along on Instagram and right here where I’ll share how I’m training, fueling and feeling. (Alternatively, you can also just subscribe to my e-newsletter so you never miss a post.)

Tomorrow I’m going to share more about fueling during these next two months, and give you my grocery list!

{If you enjoy my posts on the gut and/or healing + true wellness with food and lifestyle click HERE to subscribe to my e-newsletter.If you enjoy my posts on life, inspiration, passion, entrepreneurship, adoption, love, thoughts, faith and living in a way that gives us purpose, daily click HERE to subscribe to my e-newsletter (a different one). To follow the blog in general, be sure to place it in your feed.}

Xox,
SKH

p.s. Have you ever done a Spartan?