Journey To Spartan . . . regular people doing really cool stuff
I am not an athlete. I have always been that kid picked last for teams, laughed at for being slow and uncoordinated. Thankfully my gym teachers never made us play dodgeball. If they did I would have been the one flat on the floor being nailed in the head. I am not anyone special. I have 3 kids. I am 40. I am an elementary school teacher. Just your basic everyday sort of person.
My friend Michelle and I had been talking to one another for awhile about our lack of motivation at the gym and our general frustration with life. We ended up talking each other into doing a program at the gym run by Scott McDermott, Ironman triathlete, ultraman racer and all round pretty great guy called Smackdown. For 3 times a week we comitted to having our butts kicked and handed to us on a plate. I will always remember our first class where Scott explained the format - you will do 5 hours of cardio a week on your own. Before class you will warm up for 15 minutes and then we will kick the shit out of you for half an hour. And I mean that in the kindest most loving way possible, and then you will stretch on your own. Sounds fun, right? And we were off . . . with our trainers Madison and Dan.
The first week I literally thought I would die. Suicides? Makes Me Pukes? Who does things like this? Apparently us. And hard. Within a couple of weeks we adjusted to the new pace and started to get stronger. How cool is that? Even better, we somehow became a team.
As we continued for a month or two I was starting to feel faster and stronger. At work I could haul my giant rubbermaid of books and papers up and down those stairs like nothing. I started to get actual shoulders (well kind of). I could lift a 50 pound sandbag over my head and smash it to the ground. Me!
We developed a strong support group and never let each other quit. During one of Scott's weekly emails he described an event he had signed up for called a Spartan Race. It sounded interesting. The video of Spartan looked was wild and challenging. Someone I wanted to be like would go in a race like that. Walls, mud, fire, gladiators, and the dreaded running? I don't know how other think, but when you feel that spark of something that lights you up, instead of listening to the sit down and shut up voices, it is pretty great to hold on the the idea voice and see what happens. So now we have a gorup of about 14 signed up to do this thing.
So here is the awesome thing about Scott. We said we want to do the Spatan Race and what should we do? He said let's make this happen. Our trainers did their thing and came up with a new program instead of smackdown which was evil as it was. and called it Spartan Training.
One thing that I have learned when you see where you want to go, find people who are commited to going the same way and join with them.
The first week we had to go on the rock wall and climb to a point. I was 2 feet off the ground clinging on thinking I am up so high I am going to fall and die!
We did a workout this week that invloved suicides (remember running lines in high school) where we had to drop to the floor and get up 5 times at each stop. Sometimes it is easier to laugh than cry and I laughed through that one.
Running was going better than it had before but I was having a lot of pain.
Sue and I sat on the back steps after class and cried. It was so hard. I was hungry, tired, stressed and wondering if I could do this. I was scared that I had gotten myself in over my head. On Friday, Scott helped Sue and I with running some more and we left feeling more confident and determined. I went for a run on Saturday - pain free after the extra help!
This week we flipped 200 pound tires for fun, climbed the rock wall, did miltary crawls, suicides, running, running, more running, stairs, hurdles, skipping, burpees, mountain climbers, the warrior rope, push ups, climbed over 8 foot walls. I climbed right to the top of that cargo net and it was really high! I was so proud of myself for conquering that fear! And with Sue not letting me fail, I climbed over that 8 foot wall. This morning Sue, Michelle, and I went to Jarvis Bay for a trail run. Michelle is telling me that we are doing a triathlon next year. HA! I have been going for extra runs since Scott has been so generous with his time and skill in helping me with my running form. Now I love running! It doesn't hurt and being in the trails is such a rush! I am getting stronger every day and I love it. Sometimes I am working out for up to 3 hours a day with fitting in extra runs, classes plus spartan training.
July 23
This week my hubby is away so I have a babysitter booked for every day this week so I can fit in what I need. Even so I am not running as much as I would like to. Michelle and I are going to do a trail run in Canmore in September and I need to keep moving forward.
We have commited to doing this thing as a team! I would never be able to do this without the support of the girls! They are amazing and they inspire me every day.Find someone who is going the same way you are and join together. Diversity makes us strong and we lift each other up.
Aug 4
I am not an athlete. I have always been that kid picked last for teams, laughed at for being slow and uncoordinated. Thankfully my gym teachers never made us play dodgeball. If they did I would have been the one flat on the floor being nailed in the head. I am not anyone special. I have 3 kids. I am 40. I am an elementary school teacher. Just your basic everyday sort of person.
My friend Michelle and I had been talking to one another for awhile about our lack of motivation at the gym and our general frustration with life. We ended up talking each other into doing a program at the gym run by Scott McDermott, Ironman triathlete, ultraman racer and all round pretty great guy called Smackdown. For 3 times a week we comitted to having our butts kicked and handed to us on a plate. I will always remember our first class where Scott explained the format - you will do 5 hours of cardio a week on your own. Before class you will warm up for 15 minutes and then we will kick the shit out of you for half an hour. And I mean that in the kindest most loving way possible, and then you will stretch on your own. Sounds fun, right? And we were off . . . with our trainers Madison and Dan.
The first week I literally thought I would die. Suicides? Makes Me Pukes? Who does things like this? Apparently us. And hard. Within a couple of weeks we adjusted to the new pace and started to get stronger. How cool is that? Even better, we somehow became a team.
As we continued for a month or two I was starting to feel faster and stronger. At work I could haul my giant rubbermaid of books and papers up and down those stairs like nothing. I started to get actual shoulders (well kind of). I could lift a 50 pound sandbag over my head and smash it to the ground. Me!
We developed a strong support group and never let each other quit. During one of Scott's weekly emails he described an event he had signed up for called a Spartan Race. It sounded interesting. The video of Spartan looked was wild and challenging. Someone I wanted to be like would go in a race like that. Walls, mud, fire, gladiators, and the dreaded running? I don't know how other think, but when you feel that spark of something that lights you up, instead of listening to the sit down and shut up voices, it is pretty great to hold on the the idea voice and see what happens. So now we have a gorup of about 14 signed up to do this thing.
So here is the awesome thing about Scott. We said we want to do the Spatan Race and what should we do? He said let's make this happen. Our trainers did their thing and came up with a new program instead of smackdown which was evil as it was. and called it Spartan Training.
One thing that I have learned when you see where you want to go, find people who are commited to going the same way and join with them.
The first week we had to go on the rock wall and climb to a point. I was 2 feet off the ground clinging on thinking I am up so high I am going to fall and die!
We did a workout this week that invloved suicides (remember running lines in high school) where we had to drop to the floor and get up 5 times at each stop. Sometimes it is easier to laugh than cry and I laughed through that one.
Running was going better than it had before but I was having a lot of pain.
Sue and I sat on the back steps after class and cried. It was so hard. I was hungry, tired, stressed and wondering if I could do this. I was scared that I had gotten myself in over my head. On Friday, Scott helped Sue and I with running some more and we left feeling more confident and determined. I went for a run on Saturday - pain free after the extra help!
This week we flipped 200 pound tires for fun, climbed the rock wall, did miltary crawls, suicides, running, running, more running, stairs, hurdles, skipping, burpees, mountain climbers, the warrior rope, push ups, climbed over 8 foot walls. I climbed right to the top of that cargo net and it was really high! I was so proud of myself for conquering that fear! And with Sue not letting me fail, I climbed over that 8 foot wall. This morning Sue, Michelle, and I went to Jarvis Bay for a trail run. Michelle is telling me that we are doing a triathlon next year. HA! I have been going for extra runs since Scott has been so generous with his time and skill in helping me with my running form. Now I love running! It doesn't hurt and being in the trails is such a rush! I am getting stronger every day and I love it. Sometimes I am working out for up to 3 hours a day with fitting in extra runs, classes plus spartan training.
It is emotionally draining at times. I am having a lot of ups and downs but I am getting to the point where I can tell that I need a day to lie at the beach or read a book. I am bruised literally from my shoulders to my ankles and have blisters on the bottoms of my feet from working on my running form. Life is good and I am headed to the book store and then to the beach to enjoy our one day of sunshine even though I look like I have been in a car accident.
July 23
This week my hubby is away so I have a babysitter booked for every day this week so I can fit in what I need. Even so I am not running as much as I would like to. Michelle and I are going to do a trail run in Canmore in September and I need to keep moving forward.
We have commited to doing this thing as a team! I would never be able to do this without the support of the girls! They are amazing and they inspire me every day.Find someone who is going the same way you are and join together. Diversity makes us strong and we lift each other up.
Aug 4
Last Saturday we did an outdoor spartan workout. It was really tough but the time flew by. Rolling tires up hills, the wall, 50 pound sandbell slam burpees plus a load of running. The past week has been really tough. The eating has been strict and I have been working out anywhere between 2 and 5 hours a day. This morning I tripped over a root on a trail run and was stung by a bee. Sigh. Keep on swimming. Two more weeks until the race and I am really tired. I couldn't do this without our team, thats for sure. This next week coming up is supposed to be a really tough one. I am worrying how I am going to get my work commitments going at a good pace, give my family the attention they deserve, and step up the workouts too. It isn't always the physical aspect of things for me that is hard, it is the emotional. I have never been in any race before and I really don't want to look like a fool.
Scott has been so amazing with this whole thing. He adapted to what was going on so fast we didn't have any choice but to be successful. Here is a guy who doesn't look down on anyone. He only wants to help people be healthy, be strong and fit. We said we wanted to do Spartan, he said lets make it happen. Just like that. He doesn't baby you. He tells you what you need to do to be successful. He tells you you can do it. He troubleshoots. He fixes but he will never tell you it is okay to quit. The last time I attempted to run I ended up in physiotherapy. I was aprehensive about doing that again. Scott spent time coaching running form and then again with Sue and I for an analysis. I am running with no pain. I am not fast (yet) but I feel so free to be able to finally do this successfully!
Dan is our group's trainer. I takes courage for a 22 year old guy to holler at a group of women who talk back. Dan is with us day after day on top of his own spartan training which makes ours look like fun and games. Seriously, this guy is crazy and strong. He tend to be trigger happy witht the timer though and makes us go longer than he says. Wait until he sees what he is going to wear for the race!
Madison
Madison was a smackdown trainer for us and trains another spartan group. She looks cute and sweet but she smiles innocently when she says tabata. It is a ruse.
Failing is not an option!
Am I an athlete yet?
Scott has been so amazing with this whole thing. He adapted to what was going on so fast we didn't have any choice but to be successful. Here is a guy who doesn't look down on anyone. He only wants to help people be healthy, be strong and fit. We said we wanted to do Spartan, he said lets make it happen. Just like that. He doesn't baby you. He tells you what you need to do to be successful. He tells you you can do it. He troubleshoots. He fixes but he will never tell you it is okay to quit. The last time I attempted to run I ended up in physiotherapy. I was aprehensive about doing that again. Scott spent time coaching running form and then again with Sue and I for an analysis. I am running with no pain. I am not fast (yet) but I feel so free to be able to finally do this successfully!
Dan is our group's trainer. I takes courage for a 22 year old guy to holler at a group of women who talk back. Dan is with us day after day on top of his own spartan training which makes ours look like fun and games. Seriously, this guy is crazy and strong. He tend to be trigger happy witht the timer though and makes us go longer than he says. Wait until he sees what he is going to wear for the race!
Madison
Madison was a smackdown trainer for us and trains another spartan group. She looks cute and sweet but she smiles innocently when she says tabata. It is a ruse.
Failing is not an option!
Am I an athlete yet?
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