It is finally Friday! I have been needing to pick up my endurance training lately in order to be ready for the Spartan Super I will be running in May. Running is not my strong suit, nor do I enjoy doing it. I take that back, I can’t stand running indoors on a treadmill or on a track. Get me outside on some wooded trails and I could go forever. This last week was pretty cold and icey so I did my running workouts indoors on a treadmill…. it was pretty awful. This workout wasn’t as bad because I got to get off the treadmill every mile so it kept me a bit more entertained than usual.
Running might not be my biggest strength or favorite type of exercise, but I do it because I am truly passionate about Spartan racing and love the high I get crossing the finish line. When I am sore or unmotivated to do my training, I remember back to my first Spartan race and the feeling of accomplishment I felt when it was done. I remember how much damn fun I had frolicking through the woods and going through the obstacles. I remember the random people I didn’t even know cheering for me. I remember fighting my way up the rope climb and hitting the bell and sprinting to the finish line. All of those memories brings back the flood of excitement and I am able to push that much harder during my workout. If you are feeling unmotivated or like giving up, dig deep and find something to keep you going. I use the excitement I got when I did my first race. You might use the first time you got a pull-up, the look on your kids face when you can run around with them, the feeling you got when you buttoned a pair of jeans you haven’t fit into for years. Whatever it is, don’t forget it and reach for that feeling every workout, every meal and every day.
Endurance Workout
5 – 10 minute warm-up of dynamic stretching
– Run 1 mile
– 30 (total) mountain climbers
– 15 in-out crunches
Repeat for 4 rounds (4 total miles)