Do You Have What It Takes? {Spartan Giveaway}

Scenario: You've been running for a bit of time and you decide you want to run a marathon. You do your research, select a race and register. Now it's time to train! You do a web search and find more than 3.5 million results, among which are legitimate plans, tips for running your first race and opportunities to hire a coach.

Scenario: You've been running for some time, and you decide that you need to switch things up. Maybe you've been loving your CrossFit workouts or the challenge of the trails, and as such think an off-road, obstacle race would be equal parts hard as hell, fun and rewarding. You do your research, settle on a Spartan race and register. Now it's time to train!

Just one thing: Finding a training plan for an obstacle race isn't always as simple as doing a search on Google or asking your BRF how she trained for her last race. 

Obstacle races require agility, strength, power, endurance and running. Most training plans, though, only address one or two of those things – three at best. Someone who is dipping her toes into the OCR could feel lost and unprepared and without proper training, one risks injury.

And that's why I was so intrigued when Spartan Race Inc. reached out to me about a new book from Joe DeSena, the creator of the Spartan race series. {Preorder HERE}

The book will be released this summer, and it offers training plans, exercises, meal tips and strategiesto get in the right mindset for those who want to not only participate in a Spartan race but dominate it. 

Look, if being fit were as easy as having a list of the right exercises, the Internet would have ended the obesity crisis. There are a gazillion exercise programs out there! The team at Spartan Race posts a new workout every day — it’s all there, it’s all free. We have all this information at our fingertips. Lack of information isn’t your main obstacle. Your main obstacle is you. You are also your greatest opportunity. And that’s as true for me as it is for anyone. The purpose of this book is to help you overcome any physical or mental obstacle — and to achieve the opportunity that lives inside of you. To become Spartan Fit.

Spartan Fit? What does that even mean?

Spartan Fit means you are a well-rounded athlete.

Spartan Fit means that you incorporate functional movements like squats and lunges.

Spartan Fit means that you don't shy away from a burpee or a box jump.

Spartan Fit means that you train for whatever challenge – athletic or otherwise – comes your way.

   

And challenges there are. Spartan offers three distance – the Sprint, 3 miles with 20 obstacles; the Super, 8 miles and 24 obstacles; and the Beast, 12 miles and 30 obstacles. For the even more adventurous, there is also the Ultra Beast, which is 26 miles and 60 obstacles. You know, because a marathon isn't hard enough. The Hurricane Heat is a timed race where teamwork, not an individual finish, is the focus. The Heat is three to four hours but there is a 12-hour endurance version. In June, the most devoted Spartan racers can tackle the Agoge 60: 48-hour (winter) or 60-hour (summer) event that builds physical, tactical, mental, and team-based strength through training, testing, and evaluation  

Do you think you have what it takes? Well, you are in luck. Spartan Race Inc. has generously offered one Healthy Strides a reader an entry into the Spartan Race of his/her choice. To enter, use the widget below. Readers can also save 10 percent on an race entry by using the code SPARTANBLOGGER.

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