If you want a good chance of succeeding on the hanging obstacles on a Spartan Race, you're going to have to train your grip and learn to swing like a primate!
While being able to do pull-ups is great, it's not really necessary if you have a strong grip and good technique. It's also less important how long you can statically hang than it is to be able to grip HARD and release over and over again.
Combined with that, it is important to learn how to properly move your body in space while hanging to control your momentum and smoothly load / unload your hands. This can help you to be much more confident in transitioning from one grip event to the next as you move through the obstacles.
Put it all together, and you have brachiation.
I Will Endure, I Will Experience, and I Will Learn
With so little time to prepare going into my Spartan Death Race (I fly out in 2 weeks!), I'm not going to be able to do anything to meaningfully alter and train my body for the physical demands of this kind of ultra-endurance event. It's simply not possible. Preparing to take the step up from around where my current conditioning is at to run a multi-day endurance race is usually achieved on the timescale of years (yes, YEARS, plural), not weeks, so I'm just going to have to "run what I brung" to use an old motor-racing phrase.
But I can't help having some real moments of deep self-doubt. Like, literally tears streaming down my face while out on a walk or run, "who the hell do I think I am to attempt this?" and "I am in WAY over my head" kind of moments.
So, knowing that I can't change myself physically, and working through my moments of self-doubt, what CAN I do to prepare?
Is Coach JP Crazy? Maybe A *Little* Bit...LOL
"Recreational Hardship" - Why I Do The Crazy Stuff I Do
In an article from Mountain Tactical Institute's website that was recently featured in their newsletter, the writer used the term "Recreational Hardship" to describe the idea of doing hard stuff when you don't have to (I.E. it's not your job, or a requirement for your life in some way) in order to train your body and mind to be resilient and persistent in the face of the challenges that life brings your way. I really like that, as it clearly and simply defines, for example, participating in Spartan Race events.
Read on for more…
2020 Spartan Race Prep - Run / Mountain Training
In 2020, we have several athletes looking to complete their first Spartan Trifecta, and lots looking to make a return to the Spartan course for a Sprint or Super. I’m really pleased to see so many of you sharing my enthusiasm for the challenge of Spartan races, and I look forward to an even more successful year on the mountains and trails in 2020!
So far, all of you who are part of The BTG Spartan Team for 2020 have run at least one Spartan race before, so you have a good idea of the basics. We’re going to take things up a notch (or three!) in our preparation for the 2020 races to get you all to where you’re not just completing your chosen races, but to where you can feel that you’re actually “competitive” and putting in a performance you’ll be really proud of.
Because most of the races we have on our tentative schedule take place on challenging, mountainous courses, prepping your legs for that challenge will be our main focus. We want to build speed, power and durability so that you can crush those hills and still feel relatively fresh when you get to the obstacles…
It's official - Coach JP is now Spartan SGX Level 2 certified!
Thank you to Dr. Jeff Godin, Head of Fitness Education for Spartan Race, for another great learning experience, and for his kind words in the email sending me my certificate!
Dear Coach J.P.,
Attached you will find your Level 2 Spartan SGX Coach certificate. Your work was exemplary and demonstrates the level of knowledge Spartan expects from our Level 2 coaches.
Congratulations and thank you for your continued support of Spartan and Spartan SGX.
We are honored to have you as part of this elite team of coaches. AROO!
Dr. J
The level 2 certification focused more on endurance training and nutrition, and preparing for racing in extreme environments (altitude, hot / cold environments). I sure learned a lot, and look forward to sharing that knowledge with The BTG Spartan Team and all of The BTG crew. :)
Preparation for the 2020 Spartan Race Season Starts NOW!
Whether your Spartan Race goal for 2020 is to run your first ever Spartan race, complete your first Trifecta, or something in between, the time to start preparing is now. Read more to find out what The BTG Spartan Team is doing to crush it in 2020, with Spartan SGX Level 2 certified coach J.P. Siou.
2019 Spartan Race Whistler Sprint / Super Recap & Photos
On September 14 & 15, 2019, The BTG Spartan Team took to the course at the Spartan Race Whistler Sprint and Super, with a total of 16 athletes competing across three different categories / distances.
(All of our photos from the weekend can be found on our Obstacle Course Racing Gallery page)
Read on for more info on how the team did!
Why We Train - Part 1: My Journey
At The BTG, the majority of our members are not competitive athletes, nor do they have jobs that require them to maintain a high level of fitness year-round (E.G. front-line first responders, active duty military, etc.). As a result, we’ve often had folks ask “what the heck do you guys train so hard for?”
The short version is pretty simple - to just kick ass at life, able to meet any challenges that come our way with a balanced spectrum of physical abilities, and to maintain those abilities for as long as possible. To borrow a phrase from Dr. Peter Attia, our aim is “to be the most kick-ass 100-year olds possible.”
Where that gets a bit more complicated is in the details. What constitutes a “balanced spectrum of physical abilities”? If we have no specific demands from a sport or our work, how do we determine where we need to focus our energies?
To understand that, I need to tell a different story…
Spartan Race Sun Peaks Beast 2015 - The Hardest Thing I've Ever Done
Let's not sugar coat it - nothing I have ever experienced or could even have conceptualized in my mind can compare. This was easily the hardest thing I have ever done in my life.
Having never done anything like this before, we thought a 4-1/2 to 5 hour estimate to complete the 21+ km course with 34 obstacles was feasible. 7-1/2 hours later, the four of us (myself, Coach Julia, and brothers Scott and Dillon) were about as broken as we've ever been.
The obstacles were no big deal, really - but the terrain! Oh, the terrain! Did I mention the terrain?