Lessons Learned From My First Spartan Race
Last weekend I ran my first Spartan Race!
If you’ve never heard of it before, a Spartan Race is a trail run with obstacles, challenging you mentally and physically. My race in San Diego was a 5K “sprint” with 20 obstacles (from rope climbing to spear throwing, and more). If you can’t complete an obstacle, you must do 30 “penalty” burpees. Needless to say, this was a huge physical challenge!
Participating in this Spartan Race was not only a fun experience, but also quite an achievement. The experience taught me several lessons that can be applied to everyday life that I’m excited to share with y’all. The preparation, planning, mindset, and confidence were all key to achieving success in this race, and the same could be said for other goals in life, too!
Preparation Creates Confidence
One of the top ways you can gain more confidence is to be prepared. In preparation of my Spartan Race, I created a training plan so my body would be ready for race day. Some days I went trail running, other days I did strength training at the gym, and some days I rested. I stuck to my plan and, as a result, was prepared on race day.
I still had some butterflies in my stomach when I showed up on race day, but it was simply nervous excitement. I never once doubted my ability to complete the race, even if it was going to take me 5 hours, I knew I could do it. I was confident in my capability as a runner, and also with the obstacles. After spending so much time in the gym and running trails over the past 6 weeks, I was armed with confidence and preparation, knowing I would succeed.
This concept can easily be applied to other areas of life. If you’re leading a meeting or giving a speech, adequate preparation will create confidence before you take the podium. If you’re going in for a job interview, you’ll feel a lot more self-assured if you’ve done your homework and thoroughly prepared for the interview.
The list goes on, but the idea is simple (but profound): preparation creates confidence.
Show Up For Yourself
To prepare for my Spartan Race, I had to continually show up for myself. There were days I woke up and had ZERO motivation to train. I felt like my motivation was gone.
And in many ways, isn’t “motivation” usually like that? It’s fleeting- it comes and it goes. No one wakes up and is motivated every day of their life. Motivation is a myth. Motivation may initially get you started, but it’s not going to get you big results.
But you know what will get you big results? Showing up for yourself. Staying consistent and disciplined. Remembering that you’ve made a commitment to yourself and that commitment is important enough for you to stick to your plan and stay with it.
Again, I had a training plan leading up to my Spartan Race, outlining exactly what I needed to do in order to be prepared for the race. When I didn’t have the motivation, I simply showed up and tried to stay consistent with the plan. That does NOT mean I was perfect. There were days I skipped or rested when I probably should’ve been training. But all in all, I stayed pretty consistent during training, even when I didn’t feel like it. I continued to SHOW UP for myself.
The same was true on race day. I had several friends who were going to do the race with me, but they ended up dropping out, all for various reasons. So as I drove out to the racecourse by myself, I once again had to make the decision to show up for myself.
When you continue to show up for yourself, good things happen. You gain momentum. You make progress. You start seeing results. Your journey is unique and is not about anyone else’s journey. It’s about making a commitment to yourself and following through on that commitment.
Have FUN Along The Way
I tend to take myself pretty seriously sometimes. I’ve always been competitive, especially when it comes to reaching my goals, and I can be a bit of a (recovering) perfectionist, too. During the Spartan Race, there were times I had to remind myself to have FUN and enjoy the race.
There was one obstacle in particular, the Barbed Wire Crawl, that really challenged me. This obstacle is exactly what it sounds like – you crawl on your stomach underneath barbed wire. As I was doing this, my bare knees and elbows were taking quite the beating. I was bloody, bruised, and dirty, and wondered, “Ummm….why did I decide to do this?”
After coming out from under the barbed wire, I had to have a mental check-in with myself. I told myself, “Kate, you signed up for this Spartan race because it sounded FUN. You wanted to challenge yourself. You knew it would be hard, you knew you might get bruised or bloody, and you’re here. Quit complaining and ENJOY THE RACE! It only lasts so long.”
This mental check-in was exactly what I needed. I decided to slow down, smile more, interact with the other participants, and laugh through the struggle. And it made the experience so much more enjoyable!
We so often get in our own heads and take ourselves so seriously. And our big goals are serious– we can’t take them too lightly. But we’ve got to have fun along the way, too. If we’re not enjoying ourselves, what’s the point anyways? At our core, all we really want is to be happy. And if we’re too wrapped up in achieving goals and being serious, we’re not going to find our joy and happiness. It’s when we start having fun that we can slow down, enjoy things, and marvel at how wonderful life is.
Ask Others For Help
This is a tough one for me. Being fiercely independent, I hate asking for help. But, at the Spartan Race, I was forced to ask for help multiple times. At one point, I came to an obstacle that I had no idea how to do. I tried just running up and starting the obstacle, but it was clear I was going to fail. I was using the completely wrong strategy.
I decided to ask the woman beside me, “Have you done this before? Do you know the best approach?” She took the time to show me the way that works best for her and I immediately caught on and followed her lead. After that, I quickly completed the obstacle myself, something that felt impossible just a few minutes earlier.
And then there was my Lion King moment. I was at the top of a large Slip Wall, which is essentially a very slippery (muddy & wet) rope you have to use to climb an inclined wall. When I was at the top of the wall, I was almost to the top, trying to get over to the other side, when I started to slip and slide. Channeling my inner Mufasa, I looked at a man on the top of the wall and said, “Hey, help me!” Unlike Uncle Scar, he was quick to grab my arm and pull me up on the top, preventing me from sliding down 10 feet into a mud pit. I profusely thanked him and he simply replied, “Of course, that’s what we do out here!”
This is a big life lesson. Ask others for help and they are HAPPY to support you. But our friends and family members aren’t mind-readers. They might not know when we’re struggling, anxious, stressed out, or just feeling lost. We need to be okay with expressing when we’re going through a challenging situation or when we need help. Being vulnerable is scary, but it helps you move through difficult times with so much more support and ease.
All in all, my Spartan race was an incredible experience. After crossing that finish line, I felt a huge sense of empowerment. I channeled my inner badass, tackled some tough obstacles, and achieved a huge physical (and mental) victory.
It’s interesting how when we conquer a new challenge, whether it be physical or mental, it reminds us of the power within us– power that might’ve been dormant for years. It’s important to continue seeking out challenges. It might not be a Spartan Race, but find something that will present you with a challenge. It could be picking up a new hobby or attending a networking event that seems daunting. The point is to get out of your comfort zone and challenge yourself. You’ll be surprised at the Courageous Leader within you!
Just as I discovered newfound strength and confidence through the Spartan Race, you too can unlock your potential and overcome obstacles in your personal and professional life. As a Life & Career Coach, I've helped 500+ women channel their inner badass, tackle challenging career transitions, and achieve remarkable success. Whether you're facing a daunting job search, seeking to level up in your current role, or simply looking to rediscover your confidence, I'm here to guide you through your own "Spartan Race" of your life and career. Together, we can create a personalized strategy, build your resilience, and celebrate your victories – big and small.
