Spartan Race Recap
Hellooo! It has been a few weeks since I completed the Super Spartan race and I am excited to share pictures and what I learned from the experience.
First of all I’d like to admit that I was not particularly excited to do this race. I’ve mentioned my past issues with athletic competition, and while I felt I was in good enough shape to complete the race the idea of it made me very nervous.
The closer we got to the big day I got increasingly anxious until all I wanted was to get the damn thing over with.
It turns out my nerves probably helped me a little bit because the second we took off I needed to move to get out all my pent up energy and I basically didn’t stop. I quickly went from freaking out to absolutely loving the race. I surprised myself in how well I did and I’m grateful for having known what I did in order to be prepared.
{Thank you to JC for the pictures :) }
I’d say that upon signing up for the race our outfits were the very first thing we started planning.
Race Attire (aside from the hair style, matching socks and other unnecessary things I had a TON of fun coordinating):
- Camelbak
- Elbow Pads
- Good shoes you don’t mind getting dirty
- Comfortable clothing, preferably not cotton (especially in cold weather)
- A bag (which I checked) with a change of clothes, flip flops, trash bag and sunscreen
- Black under eye stickers (I’m not sure if they helped much and I have no business trying to look badass in them)
I also packed my suitcase with several preparatory items without which my performance would have seriously suffered.
Race Supplies:
- Coconut Water - before & after race
- Real Sea Salt & Emergen-C - before & after race
- GF Protein Bars - morning of & after race
- GF Oatmeal - morning of race
- Glucose Gels - during race
- Epsom Salts & other indulgent bath products - after race
Here are some other ways I prepared for the race, aside from training adequately for a few months.
Carb Loading:
You can read a good explanation of it here.
I realize this is a somewhat controversial subject as some people think it’s boohaki (<- term stolen from Friends). I, however, found it extremely helpful although I did set some boundaries. When we think of carbs we tend to think of grains first and most of the carb loading I had witnessed other people do involved a TON of grains. Like cups and cups of brown rice or, like, one thousand pieces of toast. This made me nervous because I generally limit grains and I’m certainly not alone when I say I feel a million times better when I’m not eating much of them (a little brown rice or quinoa here and there is fine).
So after doing some research on paleo carb loading I decided to attempt it using mostly root veggies and fruit, along with a ton of greens and the other veg I try to eat daily. That way I could throw in some brown rice if I had to, but not a disgusting amount. This, in my opinion is a very healthy way to carb load.
Learning from my mistake: I did not completely stick to my plan. I did, admittedly use the big carb days as an excuse to pig out and due to time restraints/poor planning I ate a lot of gluten free bread and bagels. While it’s not a big deal I didn’t feel very well, nor did any of my friends. We all basically felt like sad blobs, complaining constantly of all the chocolate, etc we were stuffing in our faces. You live & you learn, but this is far from what my healthy lifestyle philosophy is all about. :)
Electrolyte Loading:
I am unsure of the details of electrolyte loading, per se, I simply just tried to get in plenty of electrolytes (from healthy sources) a day or two prior to the race. My two sources were:
-Coconut Water
-Electrolyte Elixer:
- 1/2 tsp pink sea salt (it is important to use real sea salt rather than white table salt, which no longer contains valuable trace elements)
- 1 packet Emergen-C
- 16oz water
{I prepared this on the plane and drank the whole bottle during the flight. This was important to me as flying is incredibly dehydrating as it is}
SMR (Self Myofascial Release):
I spent about an hour the night before the race doing SMR. I loved using Triggerpoint Performance Therapy but you could also use a foam roller.
Glucose Gels During the Race:
I used GU Roctane Ultra Endurance gels.
I brought a few in my camelbak and ate one containing 35mg caffeine in the hour before the race and an additional caffeine free one every hour during the race.
Boy did these save my life! I would never do a longer race without them.
Once we were through with the race (it took our group between 2hrs 15mins and 3.5hrs to finish), I focused on having lots of water, some coconut water and, of course, food.
We had a quick lunch in the hotel (which I needed but hardly enjoyed since I had started crashing at that point), and retreated back to our rooms to refresh for a few hours.
This is when my bathing extravaganza began.
It took me FOREVER to get all of the knots out of my hair and when I was finally done showering I hopped straight into a bath of Epsom Salts (the whole carton) and a Lush Bath Bomb.
I sat in the bath for a while, sipping water constantly, and finally started feeling normal again. I was please to hear that I had inspired some of my friends to do the same and I think it played a huge part in bringing our bodies back to life after the race.
…Which we needed because we proceded to get dressed up and go out that night. Something I only suggest if you are somewhere like Vegas and can’t resist ;)
*I absolutely plan on doing another Spartan Race. The confidence it gave me was unreal and unexpected. Finally, I need to thank Katniss whom I channeled the whole time ;)
