Spartan Race Training - Tips For Beginners

[@mhunt3000]

you guys are the best in the game, thanks for the great advice

[@OCRKings]

Thank you so much! And happy to help!

[@cpy]

"Nothing new on race day" has served me well. Train on hills, and on uneven terrain (not treadmills, paved roads, paved sidewalks). Hardest obstacle on a lot of the races is the elevation gain. Also watch a ton of videos to get an idea of what all the obstacles are.

[@OCRKings]

Right on! Totally agree with you on all, especially the elevation. I thought I was in good shape until the first time I ran Killington. The elevation was like nothing I had experienced before, didn't train for it, and it kicked my butt.

[@cpy]

@@OCRKings my first beast was at Killington. I don't think I could walk right for a few days 😆

[@NikolaTeslaEE]

Love your videos. My thoughts: • run, especially hiking trails • build your tolerance for distance, even if it means you have to interleave running and walking • a month or so out, do a mock run. Same clothes, shoes, drinks, nutrition, and distance you are going to use on race day. Get completely wet at some point during your mock run as you will be wet on race day. I say a month so you definitely recover and you have time to make changes if needed. Although, if signed up for an Ultra, you don’t really need to mock run 30 miles. • grip endurance is very important. Hang from a bar for time, do monkey bars back and forth until your grip fails, and build up your hands. • pull-ups. Be able to do at least one. Peace. Poconos PA Tough Mudder 15K for me this Saturday.

[@OCRKings]

Awesome points! Thank your for posting these. Also, good luck at your Tough Mudder tomorrow, have a great run and enjoy!

[@jonathandowney7291]

Great tips! Doing my first ever Spartan race this year in April!!

[@OCRKings]

Excellent! Good luck out there and have a great race in April!

[@andrewdimauro7352]

I always tell people to watch your videos. I tell them you probably have a go pro video of the course from years prior. While the layout may be different it gives them an idea of what the venue will look like.

[@OCRKings]

Thank you my friend!

[@ratunaikatolu6978]

Thank you for this. Hope to see you guys in Fiji for the November Spartan Race😊

[@OCRKings]

Thank you! And we'd love to get to Fiji, that would be awesome! Maybe next year?

[@crowdsource7841]

always great advice

[@OCRKings]

I appreciate that!

[@larryreilly7]

Excellent advice as always. I would just add two things: First, toughen up your hands a bit (pullups help here, but also do some bear crawls on pavement, carry rocks when you take a walk,...). Second, watch lots of OCR Kings videos because they're loaded with good footage and tips - you won't have many surprises when you show up at your first race. My 2 cents.

[@OCRKings]

Great advice! Completely agree on toughening up the hands. Swinging hammers and turning wrenches have helped us, as has lifting weights (with metal bars with the typical file-like grip pattern). And thank you for the plug my friend, you are the BEST!!

[@Flixz_ut]

im 15 and just completed my first ever spartan race did the super, it was great

[@OCRKings]

Excellent, great to hear! Congrats on your first Spartan, and glad it was great!

[@mattsully2238]

Even Olympic athletes can only maintain high output of exercise for an hour, maybe 90 minutes tops. Figure out race day nutrition, especially for the longer events. Every 30-45 minutes you have to put some nutrition back in or you will peter out. My fastest half marathon without gels is markedly slower then my fastest half marathon with gels. And train with gels too so you know how your body responds to midrun nutrition. Not only will you be faster but you'll feel better, have more fun, and complete more obstacles!

[@OCRKings]

Excellent advice!! Wow, great points on nutrition. Very important to think about the timing of fueling your body, as you stated. Damn, wish we had included that in the video. Glad you punched in and added that - thank you!!

[@NikolaTeslaEE]

Good point on nutrition timing. I did 2 mock runs at my local trails, both 13 miles, for my upcoming Tough Mudder, and found out I needed more water and electrolytes. I was good with food, but I got dehydrated. I’m glad I figured this out before race day.

[@jasonXmartin]

Great information and down to earth

[@OCRKings]

Thanks! Hope to see you out there!

[@harrygrimley4352]

Correct. Any run training you can do is helpful. I like to pop on some of our local mnt bike tails for training. That said my cardio is crap of late.

[@OCRKings]

Right on, trails for us are preferred. Trying to up the cardio over here as well, it's been a challenge...

[@NoFate247]

Agree with number 3 eat what you normally eat!!!

[@mattsully2238]

Nothing new on race day. No new foods, gear, gels,etc

[@OCRKings]

YES!

[@shoobies1251]

I love your videos there too funny !!

[@OCRKings]

Thank you!!

[@tomk7777]

Clams casino! Hysterical.

[@OCRKings]

🤣😂🤣 I couldn't imagine running after eating that, making me feel a bit ill just thinking about it.

[@jimbragg8909]

I was there in 2020 and here my thought, what these gents say….1000%. My first Sprint took 1 1/2, my last one just under 1 hr and I also cut 3hrs off my second Beast from my first and increased the number of obstacles I could complete just by doing what is suggested. Thank you both for the advice and motivation. Just go for it and have fun. Spartan is a great community and everyone is helpful and encouraging.

[@OCRKings]

Glad to help and it sounds like you are crushing it! Keep it going!

[@ratunaikatolu6978]

Hey guys!!! Just finished my first ever Spartan Race here in Fiji. I did the 5K Sprint. Thank you so much for your advice and tips! It paid off in the end. I came 5th but for some damned reason time wasn't recorded. I don't know why. So vinaka vakalevu guys! I did see some dudes wearing OCR t shirts, but I didn't get a chance to talk to em. But overall it was fun, awesome, and very exciting. Definitely doing it again next year but I want to do a trifecta for this one. Any advice? I'm thinking of doing Beast, 5K and maybe just maybe The Ultra. Any advice I would highly appreciate it😊

[@OCRKings]

Wow great job!!! Congrats on your 5th place finish, sorry to hear your time wasn't recorded. As far as your trifecta next year, you can either do 5k (sprint), 10k (super), and a Beast, or 5k, 10k, and an Ultra. The Ultra or the Beast will help you get the trifecta with the other two. My advice for the first time getting a trifecta might be to do the Sprint, Super, and Beast - at least for the first one. The beast is 21km vs the Ultra which is 50k. If you want an epic adventure and a really hard challenge then go for the Ultra. Either way, good luck my friend! Let us know which you choose and how it goes next season!

[@Lotschi]

Thanks for the good advice! What shoes do you recommend? Are small hiking boots too much? I know I‘ll have to keep my beloved roadracing shoes at home.

[@OCRKings]

Hiking boots will do just fine on the trails and will get you through 99% of any race. They add some ankle roll protection, so thats a pro. A con would be they getting extra heavy they filled with water & mud. Mack wore a hybrid boot for several years and never had an issue so I am sure you would do great. Some of the terrain and obstacles get slick depending on the course and weather conditions and a road shoe would get very slippery. If you are looking for time or to push yourself - you would want a really light shoe with good drainage and great mud traction. The Spartan/Craft OCR shoe has great drainage and we love the Inov-8 brand's mudclaw and x-talons for the huge lugs for epic traction. Hope that helps and good luck!

[@Lotschi]

@@OCRKings Thanks a lot!

[@jerihozey1480]

Can a fit 62 year old succeed in this?

[@OCRKings]

Great question! Short answer, absolutely, yes. If you are in good shape, can run/jog/walk 3 miles, and have no major health issues (heart, knees, back), a Spartan Sprint should be ok if it's your first race. I would choose a location that's flat (not mountainous like Killington) for a first race. Just my two cents. If there is a race near you, check out Spartan's website and take a look at the race results: race.spartan.com/en/race/past-results Here you can sort by age group for both Age Group and Open waves. I just took a peek at a race in CA, and there were dozens of folks 60+ with the oldest participant being 73: race.spartan.com/en/race/past-results/7565

[@AlexLopez-sf6nx]

What if you can't do an obstacle ?

[@OCRKings]

You are supposed to do the penalty burpees for obstacle failure, but you would be starting with an open wave spartan race... so its more about being there and challenging yourself. You will fail obstacles - we all do! We think that if you fail an obstacle and you are not in a competitive wave, try it again if nobody is waiting behind you, maybe do some burpees (up to you bc its an open wave) and watch people doing the obstacle for any pointers next time you are on the course! The Spartan sprint has a mix of obstalces, some are super easy and everyone will have no problem with, some medium, and a fwe that have a good level of difficulty. You will not fail every obstacle and have a good time!

[@wiiolant]

Never trust anyone who says “last hill” on Spartan race in Palmerton, PA

[@OCRKings]

Very true!

[@adamparker2794]

Should I wear any gloves?

[@OCRKings]

We don't prefer to wear gloves. Only on Olympus were they really helpful. I grab the chains and wear a specific type of glove from 3M (which seem to be out of production). Other than that, we don't wear gloves for obstacles. When they get wet and are on wet metal obstacles, they are too slippery.

[@adamparker2794]

Thank you

[@LindaNunis]

I'm a 74 year old woman, former bodybuilder...still lift. I walk, don't run. Am I dreaming the impossible?

[@OCRKings]

As a bodybuilder, you understand strength and what it means to push yourself. I think you'd be ok. You'd have no problem with the stuff to carry/pull down. Just be careful of the drops off some of the dangling type obstacles like the multi-rig and monkey bars. Some of those landings can be hard, esp. if the ground is super dry. Those can be pretty jarring on the ankles. You could always try a race, especially at a nice flat location (mountain races are harder), and if you come to any obstacle that you are not feeling super comfortable with, the hell with it, skip it. Go slow, take your time, and if you can team up with someone, all the better. Good luck, be safe, and enjoy!

[@LindaNunis]

Thank you for the encouragement!!❤

[@wonderballz3]

always great advice

[@OCRKings]

Glad you think so!