“Hey man, how’s training for that Spartan going?
A few months ago I told one of my accounting clients – a personal trainer – that I registered for a Spartan ‘Beast’ obstacle course race (OCR). It’s two weeks until the event and I thought I’d respond to his question with a blog post. If my experiences can help or inspire someone, then why not – and I wouldn’t mind a written record to use the next time I train.
Overall, my body is destroyed and I plan on spending the next 2 weeks building up for the event.
Event Description:
Vermont Spartan Beast 21K – September 11, 2021 – Killington, VT
Spartan Beast is a half-marathon, 30-obstacle race.
The actual stats:
14 Miles
6,300+ Feet of Elevation
36 Obstacles
9 Water / Aid Stations
FINSH TIME: 6h 9min
I started tracking my macros about 8 weeks away from the event, my usual break-even macros are around 2400-2600 calories per day.
45% Protein
35% Carbs
20% Fat
Since I knew I was carrying too much weight for an endurance event, I aimed to train at a caloric deficit, holding on average 1800 – 2100 calories per day. I never weight myself, but I estimate in the last 6 weeks, I lost about 10 – 15 lbs (approx. 1.5-2lbs/week). I notice it’s been relatively difficult to recover training 7 days a week, but I’ve been making up for it with proper hydration, vitamin and amino supplementation (glutamine, creatine, multi-vitamin, and BCAAs) and good sleep.
As for weight training, I’m in the ‘gym’ lifting, more of a bodybuilding split at least 5 days a week.
Day 1: Legs
Day 2: No Lifting
Day 3: Back, Core
Day 4: Chest, Core
Day 5: Legs
Day 6: Crossfit / Bootcamp Workout
Day 7: Arms / Shoulders, Core
Cardio is 6 days a week, usually I don’t run on one of the ‘Leg’ days, and varies in distance and intensity. I mainly go by feel, but shoot for at least 4 miles if I run and at least 10 miles if I bike. I usually bike no more than 2 days per week, using this sparingly when my knees are sore. Swimming and ‘freediving’ is sprinkled in usually one every other week, as is Rucking with a 20-30lb rucksack.
At about 6 weeks from the competition I attempted a 12 mile run with the rucksack. I ditched the ruck after about 8 miles and finished with bodyweight only. It helped my endurance and run strength a great deal, but completely destroyed my knees for weeks to come.
At about 5 weeks from the competition I did a day of hill runs, at Chestnut Ridge Park, and did 4 sets of 3 sprints up the sledding hill.
Weeks 2, 3 and 4 were the bootcamp workouts, focusing mainly on 2 things:
- Getting used to doing cardio AND lifting movements and higher intensity training for long periods of time – usually 1.5 hours without stopping.
- Focusing on specific movements seen at the event, most notably rope climbs and monkey bars.
WHOOP strain MUST be at least 10.0 every single day, but is usually much higher. My average WHOOP strain over the past 30 days is 17.3. Water intake is at least 1 gallon daily (for the past 2.5 years).
For THE LAST 2 WEEKS before the event, I’m planning:
-Back up to break-even macros.
-No crossfit / bootcamp workouts
-Limiting run length to let my knees heal
-More focus on daily stretching, mobility
-Still going to the gym daily, workouts will be less weight, more volume, low intensity, still maintaining at least 10 WHOOP strain
I’ll also start getting my PACKING LIST ready:
-Multiple changes of clothes, footwear for the event
-First Aid Kit
-Ace bandages
-Benadryl
-Neosporin
-Bandaids
-Tape
-2″ Pads
-24hr Allergy Caps
-Epipen
-Tweezers
-Biofreeze
-Folding chair, umbrella attachment
-Headlamps w/ extra batteries
-Camelback / Rucksack
-High sodium deli meats, protein cookies, No Caffeine Gel Packs (for during race)
-Gloves
-Protein Shakes – 4 boxes of 12 (30gP / 5gC / 3gF)
Here’s the QUESTIONS I ASKED my friends Matt and Dennis, Spartan veterans, who have done this particular race (about 8 – 10 years ago):
- Do you use on-person water, like a camelback? Are there aid stations? Will we have a chance to get to our gear during the race?
- We won’t be getting to our gear during the race (unless you’re doing the Ultra), so they do wear a camelback or a small backpack filled with water and supplies, and there will most likely be water stations every 2-3 miles.
- It sounds like using liquid containers and filling them at water stations is preferred over using a large water bladder. Dennis in particular doesn’t want to deal with the hose getting hung up on something in an event or springing a leak.
- Matt said it should take me around 5-8 hours to complete and to bring enough calories to get me through, and recommended bringing sandwiches with higher sodium deli meats. He also mentioned electrolyte drinks and some ibuprofen.
- Do you use gloves?
- Matt said he only wears gloves to combat low temps, but not for grip during the event.
- I’ll probably bring some because with the higher elevation, there’s a good chance of lower temps at the peak(s) (as low as 50 degrees). A long sleeved shirt might also be a good idea.
- What’s your footwear like?
- Good trail running sneakers, and as for socks, COTTON = ROTTEN
11 DAYS OUT:
1964 Calories Consumed / 17.6 WHOOP strain
1hr Ninja Workout focusing on hanging movements, grip strength, rope climbs
Legs: 4sets, 12-15 reps:
-Calve Raises
-Leg Extensions
-Leg Curls
-Hip Abductor
-Hip Adductor
8Mile Bike Ride – Med/High Intensity
Recovery –
25min Hot Tub
Stretching
10 DAYS OUT: :
1956 Calories Consumed / 17.2 WHOOP strain
Chest, Core: 4 sets 12-15 reps
-Flat Barbell bench Press
-Push Ups
-Band Sit Ups
1.5hr Softball Game – Low/Med Intensity
Recovery –
25min Hot Tub
Stretching
9 DAYS OUT:
1856 Calories Consumed / 15.1 WHOOP strain
Back: 4 sets 12-15 reps
-Lat Pull Downs
-Hyperextensions (bodyweight)
-Low Row
2Mile Run – Low Intensity
Recovery –
40min Chair / Back Massage
25min Hot Tub
Stretching
8 DAYS OUT:
2780 Calories Consumed / 19.1 WHOOP strain
5.75Mile Run – 10 Bleacher Climbs (~40 stairs) – 1.25Mile Run – High Intensity
Shoulders: 4 sets 12-15 reps
-DB Side Raises
-Machine Military Press
-DB Upright Rows
-DB Reverse Flyes
Recovery:
Stretching
Extra Calories
7 DAYS OUT:
2348 Calories Consumed / 18.3 WHOOP strain
2Mile Trail Run – Low Intensity
Hill Run(s) w/ 30lb Rucksack – High Intensity
3 Sets of 3 Hill Runs, 10 in Total ~1Mile total distance
Recovery:
Stretching
6 DAYS OUT:
2020 Calories Consumed / 19.7 WHOOP strain
Arms, Core: 4 sets 12-15 reps, 10 Burpees between sets for the entire workout
-Tricep Extension Machine
-Preacher Curl Machine
-Hanging Leg Raises
-Hanging Grip Hold – 1 min
Landscaping ‘Job’* ~ 6 hrs
Recovery:
Stretching
*Landscaping jobs vary in intensity (usually Med / High) but have been useful in training to be on my feet for 8-12hrs of continuous activity.
5 DAYS OUT:
3236 Calories Consumed / 18.4 WHOOP strain
1Mile Run – Med / High Intensity
Recovery:
Stretching
Extra Calories*
*Last meal was around 7pm (far later than usual) and was ~1200 calories. That’s too much too late, I didn’t sleep well while I was digesting. The following morning I woke up at 4:30am and was in the gym by 5:30am. Cardio went well as I felt the energy of the higher calories.
For the race, I don’t want to eat later than 6pm. I’ll bring 2 pieces of pizza to eat for that last meal. The morning of the race I’ll get in a light meal around 7:30am, about 1.5hrs before.
4 DAYS OUT:
2244 Calories Consumed / 17.3 WHOOP strain
1Hr / ~6Miles on Elliptical
1 Set – Bar Thrusters
1 Set – Monkey Bars, Wide Grip Pull Ups
Recovery:
Stretching
Chiropractor Appointment
3 DAYS OUT:
2240 Calories Consumed / 15.7 WHOOP strain
40Min on Elliptical – Low Intensity
1Mile Walk – Low Intensity
5x – Basketball Court Sprints – Med / High intensity
1x – 75-Sec Hanging Grip Hold
Recovery:
Stretching
25min Hot Tub
2 DAYS OUT:
2576 Calories Consumed / 15.0 WHOOP Strain
20min Stationary Bike – Low Intensity
2Mile walk – Low Intensity
Recovery:
1Hr Deep Tissue Massage
Stretching
1 DAY OUT:
2520 Calories Consumed / 11.4 WHOOP Strain
7 Hour Drive
1Mile Walk
NIGHT BEFORE THE RACE:
Evening before: 6:30pm
Salad w balsamic
Sweet potatoes
Chicken thigh
Green beans
Non alcoholic beer
BCAAs and nuun tab in water jug
THE MORNING OF THE RACE:
3 hrs before:
Quest Protein cookie
PB & J
water w/ nuun
1.5 hr before:
Quest protein cookie
PB & J
water w/ nuun Bcaas, creatine, glutamine
30-45min before:
Non alcoholic ipa beer
Morning total ~ 1/2 gallon water intake
WHAT I BROUGHT during the race was minimal compared to what I thought I’d be bringing a couple weeks prior. For starters, I ended up getting a Camelback with a couple extra pockets instead of a small Rucksack.
In the Camelback I packed:
4 guu packs (1 with caffeine I never used)
4 protein cookies
1 granola bar
Small Tube of Nuun Electrolyte tabs (6)
Bcaas and nuun tab in camelback water
My plan was to use the camelback as my electrolyte consumption around every 40 min. Around every 60 min, for the first 3-4 hours, I’d eat a protein cookie, and I’d get straight water at the race aid stations (~9 throughout the course).
This worked until mile 7 when I became a cramped disaster. I never cramped up to the point I couldn’t move, but I was always ‘teetering’ – riding a fine line between moving and total paralysis. When I felt the cramping coming on, I quickly ate 2 guu packs and destroyed the timing of my plan, unfortunately, but kept me from ceasing up. From mile 7 until the end of the race it was a bitter cycle:
Cramps coming on –> Chew on a nuun tab for electrolytes (and sip water) –> heart racing (probably too many electrolytes) take controlled breaths –> feel good (for a very short time) but don’t over-do-it –> cramps coming on again –> repeat cycle.
This is how the entire second half of the race went. The race was a total of 14 miles – apparently Spartan likes to lie about total race distance – and I covered the first 6 miles (including the infamous Death Hike) in 2 hours 40 min, which suggests total lack of pacing, BUT I think that whatever the pace might have been, the fact is that my body was not used to (or prepared for) the beating and would have resorted to cramping anyways.
I had never felt that level of intensity before and I don’t think my body knew how to handle it other than by sucking all the electrolytes and glycogen right out of the muscle as fast as it could.
This boils down to training harder next time!
ADVICE / INFO I GOT FROM SPARTAN ‘VETS:
During the athletes dinner the night before the event, I got an opportunity to talk with more Spartan veterans about clothing, training, and nutrition. Here’s some bullet points I scribbled:
- During the length of the race, a good rule of thumb is:
- Every 20min – Drink Water
- Every 40min – Fuel
- Every 60min – Electrolytes
- Read the label of each pack of ‘fuel’ — they should have the same type of simple sugars to avoid gastric discomfort.
- Clothing during the event (even with 50degree lows)
- Wicking t-shirt – long sleeves or a hat wouldn’t be necessary (and they were right!)
- Compression pants
- Light shorts
- A good workout (I forgot the name) would be 1,000 box step ups with a 45lb weight vest
- For obstacle help, Youtube:
- Spartan 101
- Spartan obstacle hack
- Check out ‘Hammer Nutrition’ and ‘Salt Stick’ for nutrition that won’t wreck my stomach during the race.
___________________________
Overall, I’m most proud of my self talk during the race. It was a course designed to mess with your mind, but it was clear that my mind wasn’t going to budge. The things I kept repeating to myself:
Stay tight, stay strong, stay consistent
It’s a war of attrition, they can’t break me, I’ll win in the end
When my body is spent, my mind is just getting started
Anita Hawley
That was fantastic and super helpful! You learned a lot and passed in the information. Thank you!