With my 2017 Spartan Race season well and truly over, there are a lot of things I tried for the first time this year that made the experience even better! With the inclusion of camping and the ability to attack TRIFECTA Weekends in the 2018 season, here are a few tips to make sure you are ready to smash a race weekend!
Camping
If you would have asked me about my camping experience last year, I would have told you that I don’t do it. I like a warm bed and pillows as much as the next guy, but when logistics wouldn’t allow me to reach the Spartan Super on time earlier this year, my only option was to arrive the night before and set up camp. My first experience probably wasn’t the best (crap tent, weak sleeping bag and no ground mat…wait, that sounds horrible I hear you say). The second time around I made no mistake. I upgraded my tent (2 person tent for myself), Vango Down sleeping bag (like being in an oven) and something to cover the ground. Not having to travel back and fourth from a hotel to a race venue is a massive plus in my books. Be prepared and it will be a great experience!
Clothing
If you plan on multiple races on separate days then make sure you have adequate clothing for each race! This is a boost especially after wading through mud and water. Compression socks, shorts, tops-anything you run in; bring multiple amounts. Surprisingly a change of footwear is often overlooked. Do not rely on your shoes drying overnight, because they won’t. The only time you want wet shoes is after you’ve started an event. One more thing that people (including myself) always underestimate is the post race clothing. Warm jumpers and jogging bottoms, that you will be thankful for after the adrenaline dies off and you are left shivering like a half frozen sewer rat!
Food
Especially when you are camping it is easy to forget you won’t be close to any shops, so you need to prepare yourself with food that you can eat before and after races. Yes you could rely on the food stalls but if you have an early event and you have just woken up in a camp site, they may not be as ready as you are. Energy bars, fruits, shakes, anything that you don’t need to prepare and can use quickly. I have seen some campers bring on the go cookers which makes great bacon if you got a little bit of time!
Foam Roll/Stretch
With multiple events in the space of a weekend, you will want to boost recovery so that the next race isn’t like a zombie climbing walls. you will want to cool down after each event properly with both stretching and foam rolling. Keeping your muscles ready and rested will help avoid complete soreness and the chance of cramping in your next race.
Back To Back Training Days
Make a habit of training while your muscles are already fatigued. Back to back Spartan races are not the easiest battles to conquer, especially after the toll taken on your body. Working out when you are aching from a past workout may replicate the feeling of running one race after the other.
Will you be taking part in a Spartan Weekend next year? Will you complete a TRIFECTA weekend doing the Sprint, Super and the Beast? How will you prepare for the events? Let me know in the comments below. Thanks for reading!
Antonia says
Greetings! Very helpful advice within this post!