As many of you know, I’ve long been a fan of the Warrior Dash: a 5k-length run with hills, obstacles, water hazards, mud, and fire (not to mention goofy costumes, best-beard contests, bands, beer, and big-ass turkey legs). It’s a great time and is certainly a step above your typical 3.1 mile run.
Yet despite being a big party with thousands of others, it’s also a personal challenge; a motivation to get off my 9-to-5-desk-jockey keister and do something that’s completely out of the ordinary. Something that pushes me beyond the average run on a treadmill and typical workout at the gym. Anyone can do curls to work the biceps but how does that help you crawl under barbed-wire or keep your balance going over the Great Warrior Wall?
Bottom line: it doesn’t. My times – or better yet my overall ability to do these runs – has gotten worse in the past few years. Injuries and weight gain (a.k.a. ‘getting old’) played a role in that, but so had my training. I had gotten into a rut, doing the same exercises, in probably the same order and on the same days, week-in and week-out. While this may not have hurt my fitness level, it certainly didn’t improve it.
Thus, something had to change.
Spartan WOD
Another mud-run series is the Spartan Race. Although there are certainly some similarities between Warrior Dash and Spartan Race, I think they are truly two different beasts. The former puts a focus on fun, the latter on fitness. So for me, maybe a renewed aim towards fitness, would make the fun just that much better. Capice?
So what I did was sign up for the Spartan Race Workout of the Day and its mission is the following:
To help people workout efficiently and effectively while helping maintain the necessary motivation to do so the rest of their lives.
I know: blah, blah, blah. But here are some examples of the workouts I see in my inbox each morning – at the very least, the variations that I’ve been doing the past few weeks.
| Warm up: 10 min. stationary bike, stretching 100 jumping jacks Three sets each of the following: 1/2 mile run |
Warm up: 10 min. stationary bike, stretching Three sets each of the following: |
| Warm up: 11-min. stationary bike, stretching Three sets each of the following: |
Warm up: 10-min. stationary bike, stretching Three sets each of the following: 1/2 mile run |
Most of those exercises don’t require a gym membership, but I do them at the gym anyway (mostly because I can sit in the hot tub afterwards). And many of those exercises combine both cardio and strength training, which is important for working stiffs like me who need to get-in-and-get-out before going to work or having to head home to the family. Most importantly, they offer variety. Yeah there is some overlap there, but the workouts I receive daily have a lot more to them that I either haven’t figured out how to do or don’t yet have the right equipment in which to do them.
Barring additional injuries, I’m more confident than ever that my next Warrior Dash (currently set for June 7 in Nebraska though I may try to get in the Arizona one on April 12) will be my best effort to date. Maybe not the best time, but certainly I plan to be better prepared.
I strongly encourage others to sign up for the Spartan Race Workout of the Day. Even if you can’t do everything they suggest, it will certainly provide some great ideas to incorporate into your existing workouts to give them (and you) the added kick in the ass you’re probably looking for.
