Tag: Workouts

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Miami Spartan Super 2/23/2013

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The second Spartan Super of 2013 arrived in North Miami this weekend. 80+ degree temps, high humidity, ample sunshine, and a powerful  UV index were in abundance.  This event holds unique importance to me because it marks the one year anniversary of my introduction to obstacle course running.  I didn’t participate in Miami Spartan 2012, but some friends did.  Their pictures ignited an obstacle race Google search and I quickly went from beginner to enthusiast.  Now, a year later, I was eager to meet a handful of robust fellow enthusiasts representing the NE Spahtens who made the journey seeking tropical spartan glory.

Oleta River State Park requires a 5-10 minute shuttle from a separate parking location just like Amesbury. The shuttle bus actually drove under a cargo net bridge created by the stacks of two by two cargo containers. Athletes were rolling over the top of the net as shuttles passed through underneath.  The festival area seemed tight and chaotic at times, but any tent/service I needed was utilized in a timely manner. Free samples of coconut water, protein bars/drinks, etc. we’re notably absent or were hidden.

The 8.3 mile course highlighted the South Florida inshore ecosystem of bays, estuaries, mangroves, seagrapes, pine, bamboo, and limestone. Several miles of mountain bike trails meandered through the forest. Here’s the list of obstacles in order thanks to a spectator map:

  • Under over under over walls
  • Water crossing via bay
  • Over under through walls
  • Monkey Bars
  • Water crossing with buoy line
  • 7 foot walls
  • 6 foot walls
  • Rolling mud (trenches)
  • Tractor Pull
  • Sandbag carry
  • Cargo net bridge
  • Atlas lift (lift large chuck of concrete, walk, 5 burpees, lift and return)
  • 8 foot walls
  • Tire flip (three over and three back)
  • Hercules hoist
  • Bucket hoist (repel down embankment, fill three homer buckets, spill H2O, climb back up)
  • Rope climb
  • Traverse wall
  • Mud crawl under barbed-wire
  • Slippery wall
  • Gladiator pit

Spectators had excellent access to the final five obstacles as well as a walking trail to view others.  I was pleased to complete all of the obstacles with zero penalty burpees.  I did complete 30 “team” burpees for the two locals I ran with.  I also learned a valuable lesson:  Don’t make Spartan races any harder than necessary.  For example, I chose the one XL tire because I was impatient.  The body strain nearly left me with a soprano voice and sent me to the OR to repair soft tissue tears.

I found it difficult to  partition my time among several local factions, the traveling Spahtens, and my family.  I look forward to seeing new and familiar Spahtens as we travel around the globe seeking new challenges.  Thank you to Keith (solid man), Nele (Naila-friendly beast), Corrine (sweet soul), Tom (proud dad), Ellen (cat who swallowed canary smile), Betty (saw her for a second), and Yvette (self-proclaimed bag crasher).  I’ll see you at the Ruckus!

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Arizona Spartan Sprint Review 2/9/2013

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The second Spartan race of 2013 was held this weekend at the McDowell Mountain Park in Fountain Hills, AZ.  Spartan HQ changed the venue just a few weeks prior to the event for a “more challenging course”.  As a result, logistics also became more challenging due to a 30 mile ride to parking, a 25 minute bus ride (each way) to the venue, and a 45 minute wait to board a return bus.  It was time to STFU!
The 4.7 miles sprint meandered through single-file trails littered with loose rocks of all sizes. Flat ground was rare and there were two steep hill climbs both up and down. My knee-high socks protected my shins from the desert scrub brush and the brutally sharp gravel I encountered on the crawls. The 47 degree temperature chilled my FL bones once I became water-logged during the last mile.

Obstacles:

  • Under/Over
  • Over Under Through
  • Concrete carry with 5 burpees (new to me)
  • Walls of 6′, 7′ & 8′
  • Log Hop (obstacle formerly known as Stump Traverse)
  • Monkey Bars
  • Pancake/Sandbag Carry (appeared shorter than expected)
  • Wall Traverse
  • Tractor Pull
  • Spear Throw (my only failed obstacle)
  • Rope Climb
  • Mud Mounds & Water Trenches
  • Cargo Net
  • Mud Crawl under barbed-wire (long on a bed of super sharp gravel)
  • Slippery Wall (no running start due to mud/water trench)
  • Fire Jump
  • Gladiators

I thoroughly enjoyed the desert terrain and panoramic views from the hilltops.  Cloudy skies and the cold temperatures were not ideal, but it’s part of the adventure.  Many obstacles had improved signage with descriptions.  The Reebok name was ubiquitous and omnipresent.  The festival area seemed a little tight and chaotic, but all the usual tents/booths were represented.  Bag check was a total mess.  It was drastically understaffed and many Spartans including me were permitted to retrieve their own.  Growing pains with volunteers at new venues are to be expected.

I’m looking forward to meeting NE Spahtens at the Miami Super, only 13 days away and 30 degrees warmer!

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Superhero Scramble Race Review #Miami January 12, 2013

The Superhero Scramble set up camp at Amelia Earhart Park in Hialeah, FL, which I consider to be the Amesbury of Miami.  It has become the venue of choice for the 3-6 mile obstacle course events.  There’s onsite parking ($10) just off the entrance, which provides a very short walk to the festival area with car access if you need it.  The various lakes, open fields, and extensive mountain bike trails provide the necessary terrain for quality runs.

Registration and bag check ($5) appeared smooth for those who used them.  I took advantage of offsite packet pickup, which always speeds up race day.

The festival area included sponsor tents, merchandise, a live band, and access to the final handful of obstacles.  I did not take advantage of the bevy of local food trucks, but was impressed with their menus.  Grass-fed beef & bison burgers and other gourmet fare were available.  The large shade tents provided for spectators were both smart and effective.

The Superhero Scramble did not disappoint those who came to see costumes.  They were ample.  My kids liked Gumby most and everyone from the Hall of Justice was represented.  There were also a few villains and many teams in non-hero themed matching outfits.

The race kicked off a midst a green smoke grenade.  Here were the obstacles I conquered:

  • Barbed wire crawl
  • Pile of tires to traverse
  • Water crossing via tunnel
  • Leap of Faith jump into lake
  • Water crossing via wire balance
  • Rock climbing walls 10′ or 5′
  • Net climb up a trail hill
  • Pair of 8′ walls
  • Over under through walls
  • 5 gallon bucket of water carry
  • Rope climb with thick rope and generous knots between a pair of double stacked shipping containers
  • US Marines section with 10 burpees, low crawl, baby crawl & 15 reps of ammo box press
  • Cargo net suspended by a pair of double stacked shipping containers
  • “Hell Freezes Over” small fire jump immediately followed by a low crawl through freezing water
  • Steep angled wall climb with knotted and unknotted rope (your choice)
  • Water slide into green slime with questionable viscosity
  • Mud crawl under very low barbed wire
  • Run into a US Marine holding kickboxing pad

I had a wonderful time running with an unofficial team of veteran runners and first timers.  The Superhero Scramble course was not outside the box, but was loads of fun.  I strongly recommend you add the Superhero Scramble to calendar in 2013.  They look like they are gaining traction in the OCR world.  Go experience the scramble for yourself June 8th in Amesbury.

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Harvard Stadium – Stairs, Sprints, Sandbags & Sweat

As the weeks have gone by, 2 to be exact, the training sessions at Harvard Stadium are beginning to take its shape. The trial period has come to its end. The word is out and the group is building. I have taken two and turned it into six. Now before the group training began, I was running Harvard stadium in preparation for the Spartan Race Fenway Time Trial. Knowing that the stadium is no more than 1/4 mile from my apartment, I had to jump on the situation. All the training I put in before Fenway paid off 10 fold. I mean, who wouldn’t love the opportunity to sprint up stairs and run 1/2 mile laps inside an empty stadium? Its a place where a lot of opportunity lies to train in a variety of fashions. The Colosseum gives us Stairs, Sprints, Sandbags and Sweat.

 

The Stairs are long, and by long I mean – getting from row 1 to row 2 involves a little power behind your step. The stadium has short stairs – perfect for some quick agility moves. Luckily I was able to design exercise circuits that would allow the group to utilize all the features Harvard has to offer. Luckily, I was able to put Nele Schulze and Keith Glass through the grind before the group started growing more heads. Unfortunately they’re beasts, so getting them to the breaking point took a little effort. As athletes we’re always looking for a way to push the boundary of what we’re capable of. As Keith Glass, he’s looking for a way to keel over from pure exhaustion.

Our nights begin with a quick warm up, nothing to exhausting at first. Our chatter picks up as we joke around waiting for the others to arrive. There is a little breathing room in the beginning, but that goes away in a hurry. Starting at Section 36, we travel down 10 sections one after another. I usually decide what exercise will be executed at the top and what will be done at the bottom. Regardless by the time we hit section 6, the burn sets in deep, our legs lock up, and someone is lying down somewhere catching their breath (usually that’s me) . We always tend to joke about how we don’t push it hard enough, but if you were to look around the group you’d see the damage has been done. Now something to keep in mind is that its only the beginning!

The WMDs, Weights of Mass Destruction, come out of duffel bags, rucks, and cars. The bigger the group the more variety i have to use when bringing these items into play. Let the Circuit Begin! Agility laps up and down the entrance to the stadium. The entrance to the stadium has your standard stairs. I don’t like to keep things simple, so bringing one of these sandbags for the journey up and down 6 entrances for 3 or 4 laps will usually do the trick. While someone does that, there are 4 other exercise stations starting up simultaneously. I’d love to reveal all the tricks but you’ll have to show up to learn them. Its a 4 exercise circuit and each station is being done 3 times before the switch.

Now i’m sure you’re thinking.. well what else? BUT WAIT there’s more! The turf is open and extremely nice to run on. 40 yard Sprints with some goodies thrown in the mix before after and during. 10 sprints with little to no rest. For those who can’t do sprints for whatever reason, I had Rob Bonazoli doing laps around the field with burpees and push ups till you feel the need to vomit.
I’m trying to design these training sessions to target the weak spots of all of my participants to build on them and eliminate the problem. Keith wants speed – we work on speed. Nele wants strength – i throw in strength. The possibilities are endless. I’m finally a part of a community where the people are amazing to work with. They’re appreciative and thankful. In my eyes there is no reason to not continue doing these sessions, even through the winter. There has been nothing but positive feedback about it from all of the Elite Athletes involved. I’ve used this quote before and I’m tired of people saying they’re not Elite when they show more heart than most..

“To Be Elite isn’t about racing or placing. Being Elite is about the Heart you have put into being where you are. The Determination that got you there. The Motivation to continue down the road to Reach the Goal you desire.”

Motivation. Determination. Inspiration.

For Today’s Workout of the Day check out my Blog on Reload Fitness’ Facebook page and website.

All Are Welcome.

Monday – Harvard Stadium 7pm. section 36. Bring Headlamps, & any weights you want to incorporate.

Join Spahten Elite Fitness group on facebook for more updates and information on ALL of our training sessions. http://www.facebook.com/groups/329812747125591/

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Team Gear: A review.

First off, it must be said.  The team Jersey:  WOW!!!  I am so freaking impressed by the color blended logo and personalization.   The logo, it goes without saying, is a home run out of any park.  Including Yellowstone.  Mike MacKenzie’s design is so tight, so professional it really just sets the tone and pace for everything to come.

Personally I’m about 5’9″ and about 190 lbs.  I fall more on getting fit than actually fit but still I opted for a medium Jersey.  Its a four way stretch material, supple and very comfortable.  True flat seams and ample neck room add to the comfort of the wear.  For my size I found the medium a little snug but not constricting.  Although I might have opted for a large I don’t know that it would make a huge difference.  The shirts design appears to intend for a snug fit.  The shirt is an interesting and purposeful cut.  Broader at the shoulder, trim through the torso/midsection, and a slight flare at the bottom.  I have read reviews about how the material is a much heavier weave than Under Armor.  This is true however I think much heavier is a bit of a reach.  It is heavier but only because it is intended as outer wear and not “under” wear.  I can’t wait to get a race under my belt in it.  This is a great shirt, and even though it looks like a show piece shirt it certainly begs to get muddy and wet.

Tech shirt, T-shirt, and Hoodie.  I had used someone’s suggestion to go a size down.  I don’t think this was a wise decision.  I typically wear a large.  On some specific Tech and T-shirts I can get away with a medium but not on a sweatshirt. For the Team Gear I would say order your regular size.  The Sweat shirt is nice.  A good weight for post race.  Not terribly heavy.  I have washed everything once.  I dared not dry the cotton sweatshirt and t-shirt for fear of shrinkage.  The embroidery is spot on!  It showcases very well and is very discernible as the team logo.  I might have liked to see it a little larger, or the Akuma logo a bit smaller.  I don’t have any issue with the Akuma logo on it.  I’ve seen enough real Football to understand sponsor saturation on a shirt.

The tech shirt was my only disappointment.  I loved the subtle mock collar instead of a a standard crew neck.  The color panels were excellent.  Again I might have liked blue with red panels instead of gray just to keep with the Team Jersey color scheme.  The shirt is only a two way stretch. So its more snug than I would like for the cut of the shirt. Had I purchased a large instead of a medium this wouldn’t even be an issue. I think the Tech top is an excellent all around athletic shirt and top notch for racing.

The t-shirt is a t-shirt.  I didn’t find the quality excellent but its fair.  The embroidery again, excellent.  And again my poor choice in sizing makes it a little more snug than I would prefer.  In the future I would like to see the Sweatshirt and T-shirt with a silk screened logo as opposed to embroidery but that is a personal style preference and nothing against the products.

I’m very interested to see how these shirts hold up over time, washing, shrinking, and racing.   Im quite confident that the Jersey will stand up.  Im positive the rest will too.  In the future I hope some personalization can be done to the Sweats, Tees and Techs.  Maybe even in time some Polos and trainer pants and racing shorts.

A huge thank you to Jessica for making this happen.  To Mike for the unbelievable designs, in marketing its all visuals and branding these are the strongest images I’ve seen.  If I were at a race and saw this shirt I’d buy one for sure.  To Paul for pushing and pushing.  And to Michael for his input and effort with Akuma.  Great things come from small beginnings.  Heres to great racing, great representing and building the best OCR team in the Northeast.

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A Journey of a Thousand Miles…

Let’s face it, weight loss and fitness are on most people’s plates.  And to most people weight loss is the modern story of Sisyphus.  It’s the never ending boulder being pushed up the hill only to see it roll back down again.  Tell me you don’t know at least five people whose goal is to lose weight and get in shape?  That’s what I thought.

Consider me one of your five.  The difference however is that I finally pushed my boulder up the hill and I completely obliterated it.  It has been a long journey and it is surely not over but I feel I have a handle on it now.

I have struggled most of my life with my weight, even with the multitude of sports I played.  I would manage to lose some weight and then gain it back again.  Last year however, things changed.  I decided that I was sick of constantly struggling with my health and my weight.  I wanted to lose the weight for good but what I believe helped make the difference is that I put more emphasis on being healthy and happy than on the number on the scale.

I started eating healthier, and limited the “treats” that I allowed myself.  It’s okay to have treats now and again, it’s not about limiting yourself, but finding moderation.  I took up running again and slowly worked up my mileage.  Then, I started challenging myself. I wanted to work my way up to at least a half marathon.  First, I ran a 4-mile race on Thanksgiving, then I found myself signed up for the Spartan Sprint in Amesbury, MA.  Now I am signed up for the Spartan Beast and also training for my first marathon. I want to constantly challenge my body and my  mind and I think running the Spartan race really sparked that fire within me.  I want to be my own hero, my own model and my own beast.

I also started adding more weight training into my workouts and eating at least 5 meals a day.  I realized that the way that I used to try and lose weight, was by not eating a lot and doing a lot of cardio.  What makes the difference is trying to lift heavy weights and eating enough food to nourish your body.  You won’t see results if you’re starving yourself. You won’t see changes in your body if you aren’t lifting weights.  Being able to open your own jars without relying on someone is sexy, being able to pull your own body weight over a 7 foot wall is sexier (weight training helps with both).

Once of the most important lessons that I’ve learned is to have the right mindset.  Leading a healthy and active lifestyle is not always easy, but you have to learn to be positive about everything.  Success comes in believing you can do it even when you fail the first time.  This is a lifestyle change and to be successful it takes determination and it takes patience.  Small healthy changes over time help to make them permanent.  There will be failures and face plants, but it’s important to get back up and keep going because that’s where you will find the victories.

Find your limits and push beyond them.