What Have I Gotten Myself Into?

Why do I do these things to myself?

I have to ask myself this question a bit too often. And I recently did it again. I signed up for my first Spartan race. Why?! 

In case you have not heard of the craze, a Spartan Race is a series of obstacle races of varying distance and difficulty ranging from 3 miles to marathon distances. I will be competing in the three-miler Sprint race at the end of September. Not only did I sign up, but only gave myself five weeks to train.

Well, why did you do it girl?
A Spartan had been on my list of goals, but for the year 2019. I believe our bodies are amazing instruments that can do more than we imagine if we condition and train. I’ve been struggling with picking up a little additional weight this year, but I am the strongest I’ve ever been. I’ve been wanting to really push myself further and go harder. I felt a Spartan would be just the challenge to keep me focused and discipline. However, it was definitely not something I had my eyes right now. 

Who are you going on this crazy adventure with?
Remember me saying in a previous post that I just adore the other instructors I teach with at ZenStudio? Well, one of our badass trainers posted she was ready to sign up for a race and I figured, why not? I’m excited to have someone to tackle this with, and I feel doing it with a friend will help me make it to the finish line. 

How do you get ready for a Spartan?
Before signing up, I was laser focused on primarily strength training. The only cardio in my routine came from the Bounce class I teach. Since signing up, I’ve switched to a bit more cardio by focusing on endurance drills….and a lot of burpees. There is also a great class at Envision Fitness in downtown Memphis that specifically trains attendees for Spartan Races. I’ll be adding it into my routine until race week. If you've been following our Instagram page, you know I just returned from an amazing Italian vacation. Eight days of pizza and pasta will definitely be an added challenge for me to work through, but I was able to get in a couple of workouts on the road. My workouts consisted of a three-mile run on the treadmill and 30-minutes of circuit training. 

Ok, so what’s your goal here?
Honestly, to complete the rope climb. I feel this may be the first of a few Spartan events, and I would still like to give myself more time to train for a race next year. Baby steps are real! This year, if I can make it through the rope climb and really tap into my upper body strength to get through, I’ll be happy.  

I know…I really am #teamtoomuch. Aroo??