Spartan Endurance: Should You Endure

Last year I focused on doing events that were increasingly challenging as you can’t grow by staying in your comfort zone. Spartan Race have further directions to go after you have completed your first TRIFECTA should you choose to face them. Since completing the Endurance TRIFECTA, I have had many people ask me ‘Is it worth it?’, ‘How hard are the endurance events?’ and ‘Am I ready to take on an endurance event?’. Let me tell you why it is more then worth it and why Spartan endurance events will change you! As there may be a slight change to what encompasses an endurance TRIFECTA from 2019 onwards, this is based around what it took to take one home last year.

How Hard are Spartan Endurance Events?

The honest answer…pretty damn tough. The question is, what does tough look like to you? We are all different yet I do believe there is a level that we can ALL get to and achieve. The Hurricane Heat is an awesome introduction to endurance events. Lasting anywhere from 4-6 hours, this really is like dipping your toe in an unknown pond! It’s hard enough to make you ache, sweat and feel challenged, but the team ethos makes it damn hard to quit! You are not judged on your individuality here, but what you add to the team.

Where we start to really challenge ourselves is with the Spartan Ultra and the Hurricane Heat 12 Hour! They are both hard but for very different reasons. The Spartan Ultra is tough simply because of the amount of time you spend on your feet running. If your lucky enough to have an Ultra like I did, then the double weight carry obstacles and adjusted Ultra obstacles (the obstacles we all know and love…made harder), then that’s where the challenge really sets in. This is still a race just over a really long distance so knowing there is an end in sight really helps. Where it really takes a turn is with the HH12HR! This events sets itself apart entirely. You don’t know when it will end (anywhere from 12-16 hours), you generally don’t know when the time hacks will be sprung on you and you just don’t know much about what you will be doing at all. Fear the unknown? This will terrify you. But saying that the sense of achievement you feel after these events are beyond any you will feel again!

How do I Prepare?

Probably the most asked question regarding Spartan Endurance events. The funny thing there is no particular formula for being ready as a lot of the time you have no idea what you will be doing. A sure thing is get used to being on your feet! You could end up being on your feet for 10+ hours. That goes for the HH12HR and the Ultra so go for long runs and hikes with incline.

Train with added weight! Pack your ruck with anything that will increase your overall weight and go for hikes with that. When it comes to a HH12HR you will constantly have 25lbs on your back for males & 15lbs for females and that’s excluding anything else they make you carry! Increase the weight slowly and get used to how it feels on your body doing all manner of excercises: running, squatting, holding it above your head and of course, doing burpees!

That brings me on to Spartan Endurance currency: the burpee! During the Ultra, how many burpees you do will be determined by obstacle success. This is a variable that no one can control but yourself so…don’t fail. Saying that I was at least 210 deep during my Ultra! The Hurricane Heats are a different story. There is no telling how many you will do. The HH12HR prior to mine ended with around 600! The point is get used to doing burpees and make them comfortable…if that is ever possible!

Am I Ready?

The honest answer is YES! There is that area inside us all that is untapped when it comes to how far we can push ourselves. The only way to find this is by jumping into something uncomfortable head first and seeing how you react. If you are already thinking about trying Spartan Endurance events then you are already halfway there! Stop waiting and do something very few people can say they have done! Will it be hard…yes. Will it be worth it…you tell me at the finish line!

Are you thinking about taking on Spartan Endurance events? Will you be doing the Ultra and the Hurricane Heats? Are you still on the fence about what you think you can achieve? Let’s have a discussion in the comments section below and thanks for reading!