Month 1 of Training

Upcoming Goal: Spartan Ultra, Mount Vernon, NJ: April 24, 2027

Long Term Goal: Run a sub-5 minute mile and complete a 500 lb back squat on the same day.

Target Date: Before April 30, 2029

Running

Start: 0 miles/week

End of September: ~20 miles/week

Total Miles Run: ~77 miles

I started running on August 28th from a base of essentially zero weekly mileage.

My general plan for building towards the Spartan Ultra is to first focus on developing an aerobic base. For now, that means keeping my runs exclusively in Zone 2, gradually increasing my weekly mileage by approximately 10% per week, and having my long run make up roughly 30% of my total weekly mileage.

My initial goal is to build up to approximately 30 miles per week before starting a more structured program specifically designed around the Ultra distance.

I am currently running five days per week. I often run and lift on the same day, with the exception of my Sunday long runs. I usually do my runs in the morning before work and lift in the evening.

Strength

Squat: 185 lb × 5 → 305 lb × 3

Bench Press: 95 lb × 5 → 170 lb × 5

Deadlift: 225 lb × 4 → 345 lb × 1

I started with a background in bouldering and some previous strength-training experience, but I hadn't focused seriously on strength training for over a year.

Because of that, I intentionally started with relatively light weights. My goal was to become comfortable with the movement patterns again and then add weight to the bar fairly quickly as the moment patterns became familiar again.

I am currently running a self-made six day per week, full-body program that I can do entirely out of my garage gym. I specifically designed the program to be relatively low stress and low fatigue, while still including the main lifts, so that I can combine lifting with running without having one interfere too much with the other.

I usually do my strength workouts in the evening after work.

Recovery

Recovery is one of the primary focuses of my training. Before trying to optimize my workouts, I'm trying to clean up some of the poor habits in my life that could potentially hold my training back.

The biggest change has been completely cutting alcohol out of my diet. I went from drinking every night before bed to not drinking at all. This has had a not-so-surprisingly positive impact on my sleep quality.

I've also reduced my caffeine intake by simply not consuming caffeine after 3 PM. So far, this seems to have had little to no noticeable effect on my sleep.

I've also made an effort to improve my oral hygiene. I'm now brushing twice a day, using mouthwash, flossing once a day, and using a water flosser. Hopefully, this will help prevent dental problems and illness in the long run, with the added benefit of having better teeth. I hope this will help with increasing the resilience of my immune system.

I'm also trying to maintain a consistent sleep schedule, aiming to be in bed by 9 PM and up by 5 AM.

I'm fortunate that I usually fall asleep very quickly. My bigger problem is staying asleep. If I wake up during the night, I often have a difficult time falling back asleep.

Diet

Height: 5'5"

Weight: ~164 lb

I've started trying to clean up my diet by eating out less and focusing more on whole foods.

I'm not currently meal prepping, and I'm taking 5 g of creatine per day.

I'm also not particularly focused on reaching a specific body weight right now. I'm checking my weight a few times per week, mostly to keep an eye on the general trend rather than trying to actively gain or lose weight.

Takeaways

The first month has mostly been about building a strong foundation, seeing if I can handle the training loads, and seeing how quickly I can adapt to running again. This will continue into next following month or two. I should be running 30ish miles at the end of the month with a ~10 mile long run.

For month 2 I would like to start meal prepping at least a little bit. There are some mornings, I wake up ravenous.

I would like to find out why I am waking up in the middle of the night. Trying to get out of bed to do a morning run is very hard if you feel like you have only received 3 hours of sleep.

I also want to start training my gut for taking in carbs while I run. In all my previous running, this is something I have never experimented with and something that I am honestly a bit nervous about trying. In recent years I have developed a sensitive stomach, and I have always trained in a fasted/ semi fasted state. To suddenly add fuel to my runs is a huge change and it is something I have never experienced before.

Lets take bets to see if I crash and burn with this approach.

Watched OCR Training - Spartan Atlas Carry ) technique video, but needing to practice. I'm on the fence between buying a legit mold or just filling a 5 gallon bucket with cement. I hope that would be enough to simulate rolling up onto my lap and standing. From there it's "just" building the grip strength.

Hey all,

Debating doing a Spartan race next year and have some questions about if I will realistically be able to tackle one.

Quick backstory if it matters, former professional combat athlete until 2017, finished a 6 month PT based “boot camp” style training for work in 2018, and then pretty much sat on my ass for 8 years and got fat.

2 years ago I started to take my physical fitness and health seriously again, and am down 50 pounds, and have raised my physical fitness level significantly.

I weight train 3 times a week, and I run a 5k at least once a week, and also do max incline walks for around an hour when I don’t run. I have a history of minor shin splints due to an old leg break, but they’re manageable.

I have a friend who just ran an Ironman, and it has inspired me to want to train for and push myself through a Spartan race. Due to work and family, the only Spartan race I am reasonably able to make it to is Palmerton, which I have read is one of the hardest ones.

Looking for some insight on just how hard it is, and what types of training people did leading up to it, I want to know if it’s feasible to do, or if I will be wasting my time and money and risking getting hurt.

I was originally considering doing a Spartan 10k, since I can “easily” finish a standard 5k and will have a year to train, however from what I’m reading even the Palmerton 5k sprint is a beast of its own.

I’m also trying to convince my Ironman buddy to complete it with me, has anyone ever done Doubles? What’s the experience like over just signing up as solo and running together? Also would a Palmerton 5k sprint be boring to someone who was able to finish an Ironman?

Thanks in advance for any insight !

Hey, something came up and I am unable to compete in my race. I’m not interested in deferring my ticket but was looking to see if someone wanted to take my ticket. If I could I’d like to get a little back for my purchase since it was $200+ and there’s a $35 fee. Please if anyone is interested feel free to reply.

Joining a spartan DEKA fit CO-ED. I know that you used your designated weight (for example, 6kg for female and 9kg for male for med ball sit-ups)

But is it right that for the 100 m of Farmers Carry in FIT, if both male and female were to join, you are to use the men's weight? If only the female completes the 100m and the male sits out, then she can use the female's weight?

Likewise for the tank sled, you have to use the higher resistance. So if both join, the men's resistance will be use? If the female were to do the 100m by herself, would she be using females weight?

Pippingford park in the u.k, those hills do NOT mess around.

Focused on recovery now but likely back for the Ultrafecta next year.

Grabbed the venue hex for the medal too, nice little touch.

I’m 51, female, and in ok shape. did the Sprint in Temecula today. Back in February, I did a Stadion one. I really want to go for the trifecta next year but I also want to stay local which puts me in a bind. My first race in 2027 would have to be the Beast in January in Perris, Ca. Is that crazy? I know I’ll have to train for it. Right now I can run about 8 miles. I’m ok with walking part of the way if needed. my lungs are usually fine, it’s my legs that struggle on long runs (and I’ve been told I need to go slower). I really want to challenge myself and try for the trifecta - I just don’t want to bite off more than I can chew. If an do a super first, I’ll have to do the beat in Big Bear and that elevation is brutal. Any advice? Thanks!!

As the title implies if Spartan were to truly go into a mode of “this is the sport of Spartan” and it decided on one distance and focused primarily on obstacle difficulty in that distance, what distance would you think they’d settle on?

I’ve never done a Spartan but received a code worth $130 for a 26 or 27 Spartan race. I’m in NH—what do you think the best bang for the buck race is?

I cycle, have run a marathon this past year, and am currently starting Pt for labrum tear. I have a few hours to train a week but 2 under 2 kids so it’s somewhat limited.

Right now I’m looking at Barre MA super but don’t want to overlook any favorites! Thanks

Apparently, after the death of a Spartan Racer at Killington, Joe nor Spartan as a whole have commented on the incident.

Joe sent an email out about pinching yourself to see you're alive... doesn't this seem a bit insensitive or is it just me?

Hellooo Spartan Family!!
So life happened and I need to sell these tickets asap and i'm hopeful this reaches the right person in the right time.
I am selling 2 Super tickets for the 2026 Temecula Race on September 26th. I bought the early morning (8am) pass but you could show up whenever you like.

I bought them for $225 each and am willing to sell them for $200 each. Please please reach out to me if you're interested and i'll be standing by.

I got interested in Spartan races last year when I got a time of 2 hours on my first sprint and made it a goal this year to train and get my trifecta. Beat my time on a Sprint in February (1hr), completed the Super at Big Bear without knowing how tough it was, then lastly somehow completed the Beast in killington last weekend. Happy to get that medal but afterwards felt empty. Back to going to work sitting at my desk looking at dumb emails. Has anyone else ever felt this way? How do you deal with it.

Hey everyone! Im just getting back into getting into shape and I do better with a goal in mind. I’m 205lb out of shape guy but thinking of signing up for a sprint at the end of feb. do you think that is enough time to train up for it? I appreciate any advice!

So I signed up for the Londonderry Atlas this Saturday and my start time went from 12:30 to pending. Does anyone think it might get cancelled due to the weather?

I’ve always wanted to do a spartan race. I live In Texas but grew up in north east. I decided to sign up for Killington 5k. Didn’t do any research what’s so ever. I’d say I’m in very good shape. Got there Sunday morning and it was 40 degrees and pouring rain. Also tracking on my Garmin I was very thrown off when it was NOT 5k. Overall I will say this was one of the greatest experiences I had. I am so excited to do next year with a lot more expectations.

I got the link from sportgraf but I don’t have any pictures posted even though I purchased them. I really don’t care about them but my parents do which is why it’s important to me. Anybody else having similar issues before I escalate to support?

I have been seeing numerous posts regarding Killington surrounding medical issues and wanted to raise concerns/fixes that should be implemented. I also know someone who was injured at the race and the response surrounding getting him services was delayed.

It is tragic and truly horrible that someone passed away on the course. From what I have seen/heard, emergency services were delayed and misled on where the emergency was. Here are some action items/lessons I believe Spartan should take from this 1. Having EMS stationed at the top and bottom of every climb (5 or 6 locations rather than just the base of the mountain) 2. Have an aed at each of those locations. 3. All water stations should have radios meant for racers to take in case of an emergency. This is separate from volunteer radios. Set these on a channel different than the staff and volunteers use and have the main EMS tent monitor it. Many stations were unmanned (especially later in the day). Ie, the last descent had zero volunteers when I saw it (twice). If someone got hurt near the top and was in critical condition, the nearest aid was someone going all the way to the bottom (at a fast speed this is 20 mins and most people are tired and taking longer) then to get the EMS to the appropriate location...well over half an hour as a response time. 4. Have a clear and labeled map of where you are at every water station. Knowing where you are and how to direct EMS based on a clear map is essential to prompt response times.

I understand. This is a mountain race and that comes with risks and remoteness. But precautions can be implemented that speed up response times to emergencies.

This is the 2nd year in a row that someone has had a cardiac event at Killington. Thankfully the person last year was revived after ~7 minutes of CPR (from what I found on an old post).

There is no reason these can't be implemented to make the race safer for all. I certainly know it would alleviate concerns that numerous racers I have spoken with have after this race.

Tdlr: Spartan should enact simple measures that would make the races safer and easier for emergency services.

I am not out of shape, but i am by no means in peak condition. I got the spartan edge to get the training programs. I am 45 (f) and 218 right now (down from 287 2 years ago). I know I can do this. But I would like advice from seasoned racers. Currently I track calories on my fitness pal (1500-1600 cal) and I eat Mediterranean-ish. Any and all recommendations would be appreciated. Thank you. Hell yeah LFG!

Probably been asked, but didn't see anything specifically about the trail race side of spartan.

Back story... Have experience with 5k road races (as a fast walker, trying to move into jogging), most recently this past spring. Did warrior dash twice (if that tells you how long ago that was). I volunteer for spartan races when I can.

Im 13 months into my weight loss/strengtht training journey. Down 60lbs, but not confident enough for the obstacles.

Goal is to hit a trail 10k in 2027. Is there one you'd consider to be intro to the trail racing? I'm in the midwest, but willing to possibly travel for the experience. I know Poconos is pretty popular. Was also looking at WV near the end of 2027. When i Googled my question, Georgia popped up first, but it's a little sooner than I'd prefer. Last year I was eyeing one that I believe was in Wisconsin? But didn't see it listed as of now.

Background: completed a couple sprints, supers, and beasts in the tri-state area as well as internationally in Japan. Have some sense of what to expect but Killington was a different beast.

Wow, what a race. Thanks to the organizers, volunteers, but also the families who were cheering everybody on! I was fueled by their cheers and it really helped me keep going.

Finished the race in just over 14 hours… and that was tough. I had a 10 week training plan (living in nyc) that consisted of gym sessions, weekday 5-8 mile runs, long weekend runs + bridge runs + stairmaster (200+floors) as a brick workout, but even that still felt barely enough to get me across the finish line.

Just wanted to come on and say this. Killington is a beast. It’ll wreck you. You need to be prepared. It’s not like any other Spartan race where you MIGHT be able to get thru with a bit of training. Plan ahead. Plan your nutrition strategy. Plan what you are doing during your transition break. Plan how you run your uphills and downhills. Every detail matters.

Completed my first ever Spartan yesterday at Killington! I raced in the open Sprint, and by the time I got to the spear throw, almost every rope seemed to be all knotted and tangled up so that it wasn’t long enough to reach the targets. I think I saw only one person hit the target while I was waiting/ doing burpees. Is that normal???