Tom Pritchard – Spartan Race Ambassador – IG Spartangeek27
So, what does a ‘Spartan Super’ mean to me? A Super is a door way, it’s a way to improve your ‘Spartan Sprint’ times, improve your stamina and technical ability. But it is a level progression, so you don’t just jump straight to a Spartan Beast and blowout.
Spartan Race UK ‘Spartan Supers’ being 13km+ is more than a standard 10Km road race. The local ones to me like the Brighton 10km and Worthing 10km have their own difficulties, hills, sea wind etc but not like rolling muddy hills and 25+ obstacles of a Super. I use these road races to help build my stamina running into a season. This is because the Super is designed to push that little bit harder than a standard short distance race, harder than the Spartan Sprint. So, grinding out an extra 3km minimum (remember 13km+) always burns in the legs.
Super also brings in the mental aspect of racing whilst a Sprint is over in 30-60 minutes a Super has been known to gone on for as long as 3 hours. Everyone hopes for good weather but the sun coming out has its draw backs like heat exhaustion and the rain will make the course wet and slippy. All these things play on your mind in a longer race and a Spartan Super gives you a taste for you to learn, feel and train with.
The Super has a whooping 25+ obstacles that litter the distance ranging from 9 foot walls to 50kg Atlas stones, all will allow you to put your hard earn training to the test and with this year with 6 Spartan Supers on offer from Spartan Race UK you have plenty of choice in regards to location.
A Super is the race where you may first need the help and support from your fellow Spartans out on course, whether it’s a helping hand on a wall or a shouted #AROO to drive you on. The extra 5+ obstacle’s and 8+km will play on your body and mind.
Spartan Race do have plenty of information on how to train here are some of my favourites:
Some great body weight exercises from SGX Coach Mark Barroso
This one is a look at some of the more alternative ways to train to just rocking up at the gym
Remember to train like a Spartan, watch out for hints and tips, look at the distances, pick your races and sign up.…#AROO
My Spartan Community
This picture represents what Spartan means to me.
Friendship - Community Fun - Teamwork - Sportsmanship - Athletic Ability - Learning
All of these qualities are in this photo, 4 years ago when I volunteered at my first race I had no idea what to expect. What I found was a group of fun loving normal people, fine you get the elites who are competing to win but I wasn’t there yet.
That day I made friends, followed the Facebook group, signed up for the nutrition email - (try the pancakes amazing (not the carrying ones though ha-ha)) and most of all I booked my first race. I knew what to expect after volunteering and I made friends.
First race out I was awful, I expected us all to stay to together but the starting line soon split up and spread out. I found myself chatting to a commodities trader whose office was a stone’s throw from mine (random I know). We chatted for a while exchanged names, he taught me the rope climb with technique he knew and I ended up helping the person behind me the same way.
New friend number two, a short girl full of energy who was clearly a pro, tech tee and platted hair. We talked for abit and then the wall climbs came. Two 7 foot monsters, volunteers showed us how and some pros ran straight through then, first attempt I smashed it. Running back round to help my new friend.
Now this story is true and this picture is some people/friends I met on my Spartan journey. From the first race I described to the 29 I’ve done since.
Each one I met in different circumstances, (1) friend of a friend I was racing with (2) random person I met on the way round and helped me push myself (3) friend I brought with me (4) person I met in the hotel I was staying at. All from different walks of life, insurance, Crain driver, teacher, it professional but all a community that focuses on pushing yourself round a course, helping, motivating and working towards a goal.
Spartan race is for everyone if you ask for help and support.
Remember to train like a Spartan, watch out for hints and tips, Look at the distances, pick your races and sign up.…#AROO