28 Days Til Spartan Ultra Beast

March 28, 2017 - April 2, 2017

Some things cannot be planned out.  My body decided to give me a proper fuck you for an entire week.  At first, I thought it was the change in my regimen and eating habits but it turns out my immune system wanted to be an asshole.  I thought I could push myself through my regimen until Friday morning.  For the fourth day in a row, I woke up nauseated, going though dizzy spells and feeling like I couldn't stay awake for more than a few hours.  

Allow me to crush all of your hopes and dreams by announcing the birth of my menstrual cycle. Sorry guys.  I'm not pregnant; just a chunky fit girl.  

Insanely enough, I only took off Friday and Saturday from working out.  Thursday, I modified my routine by taking out the StairClimber and avoided going for a 3 - 5 mile run.  When I deviate from my workouts, I get twitches to order workout clothing or divulge myself into television shows I'd never watch.  I considered going there but took advantage of this time to do research for items that I'll need for the Spartan Ultra Beast.  I cannot believe that I'm 28 days away.  

What Workouts Did You Do While Sick?

Listening to my body is one of the hardest things for my stubborn ass to do.  Constantly pushing your body to limits can have its drawbacks.  This was a time that I did not want to roll the dice.  

On the other hand, if you're interested in seeing a visual of the workouts done before taking a necessary hiatus, check out my Instagram account.  For an actual idea of my workouts, here's a slight rundown of the general stuff:  
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How I Physically Murder Myself 4 to 6 Days a Week & Rise From the Dead to Do It All Over Again

Warmup:

• 500 Rope Jumps
• 30 Squats
• 30 Burpees (Sometimes, I modify them by doing half burpees)
• 30 Lunges

Calisthenics

• Maximum Dips and Pullups
• 50 - 80 Pushups, Typically two variations
• 30 Extra Burpees
• 2 Minutes Suicide Drills
• 50 Mountain Climbers
• 50 Spider Mountain Climbers
• 50 Sit Ups
• 100 Crunches/V-Ups (Typically mixed in with reverse crunches, standard crunches and bicycles)
• Rest for a minute to reevaluate my life
• 100 Cross Jacks or Standard Jumping Jacks
• 30 Heismans
• 1 Minute of Each Plank:  Standard, Forearm, Side Plank and Moving Plank
• 50 Alternate Plyo Lunges
• 80 Heavy Ball Slams
• 3 Minutes Heavy Rope Drills (Typically 3 - 4 Variations)

Cardio

On long run days, I aim for 10 - 13 miles.  Throughout the week, I aim for 2 - 3 easy runs, 1 speed drill day, 1 tempo day  and 1 long run day.  It helps to keep my body acclimated to being on my toes for long periods.  The constant running and walking is not only conditioning the body but the mind.  If you are going to do something this bat shit crazy, you need to learn how to become comfortable being alone.  Sometimes, you may be moving for hours with no form of stimulus.  Try this without headphones or a buddy.  It may drive you crazy initially and negative thoughts may surface.  Push through.
30 - 60 minutes on the Stair Master (insert all sorts of profanity here)

Strength Training

My workout style for strength training has changed.  I chose to use three different weights for each workout.  The lightest weight is for reps.  The second weight is for conditioning.  The heaviest weight is to test my strength.  Typically, I aim for 20 reps for my lightest weight, 12 - 16 reps for my medium weight and a maximum of 8 for my heaviest weight.  

• Deadlifts
• Good Mornings
• Bicep Curls
• Tricep Pullback
• Chest Flys
• Lateral Pulldowns
• Calf Raises (Exceptionally important for inclines)
• Leg Presses
• Wood Choppers (with Dumb Bells)

If you are a busy person, split your workouts into two.  This might be exceptionally helpful because after a draining day, it's going to take a LOT to mentally condition yourself to go back to do another hour of insanity.  Personally, I like getting my stuff done and out of the way.  I'm not the best night person unless I am working in a professional kitchen.  In turn, the best times for me are during the buttcrack of dawn or maybe earlier.  I'll take a 4AM run over 6PM rush any day of the week.  My training takes 2 hours on average but as much as 4 or 5 hours for long run days.  On my long run days, the rest of the workout is either nixed or reduced down to 30 minutes.  I'm crazy; not stupid.  The last thing that I want to do is injure myself before the Ultra Beast.  If you don't have a chill button, find one. If this training does anything for you, it will teach you about your personal strengths and weaknesses.  Try to identify these things well before you think about going onto an obstacle race course, marathon, duathlon or anything of this nature.  Remember:  Your weaknesses can easily become your strengths if you know how to identify and work on them.
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Feelings Thus Far

From torturing myself while bed resting, I read a lot of things about the Ultra Beast, particularly from people who failed the course multiple times.  Apparently, a lot of people DNF (do not finish) the course because either they do not hydrate or fuel enough, get egotistical, under compensate for the timing or lose their shit once they reach the half way point.  If you feel your screen shaking, it's only me.  As the days start to move in closer, I am freaking out.  

Let me be super transparent with you guys:  I adore my weight loss journey, as it has taught me a lot about myself.  Every time I take up a crazy ass adventure, I come across a crossroads where I question my mental state.  This is one of them and this time, I think it's very legitimate.  The success rate percentage scares the shit out of me.  Being a plus size woman going onto the course doesn't work in my favor.  I will feel every pound when moving for 14 hours.  

So what are my motivators for this?

1. I'm a fucking cheapskate!  Don't believe the hype.  I'm broke as shit.  Some weeks, I live paycheck to paycheck and then there's others, I treat it like a bad meme during tax season.  
2. I am in a constant battle with my fears and desire to succeed.  My fears paralyzed so much of my previous career goals and while I'm just a fat girl who happens to love everything about running/obstacle course racing, there's something about the fear that makes me successful.  
3. Adrenaline junkie.  Yeah, I'm nuts.  Perhaps we all need to be a bit bat shit crazy to indulge in some of our wildest dreams.
4. Once upon a time, I was told I would lose my mobility.  Look Ma!  I got legs...that work.  Sometimes, I worry that tomorrow will be my last day of walking around on my own.  Why not enjoy them while they're here?
5. Being plus-size doesn't mean that I cannot do something.  This is not a disability.  My sciatica and herniated disc is a disability.  My undiagnosed ADHD might be a disability.  I haven't been told if I have a thyroid issue as of yet.  My knees are still in good condition.  I love to stuff my face occasionally.  My weight (not everyone else's weight) is NOT a disability.  If I know what works against me, I need to learn how to work around it and make it my strength.  
6. The failure is in not starting or attempting to complete a task.  

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Sleep, Food & Days Ahead

​A part of me wanted to bitch smack my cell phone every time the alarm goes off.  Days ago, I asked myself why does this training make me so exhausted?  Ha, maybe I just need to actually take myself to bed?  Yes, this is the answer.  I am learning that I really have to listen to my body during this insane process.

I have to admit that changing up my eating habits just a bit and journalizing my food intake is severely helping.  I can realistically see where my calories are going and how little or much I'm eating.  It keeps me honest and aware.  Folks like me need that sort of thing.  I have discipline in some areas and moments of 'fuckthatshit' for other things.  

My food intake is inconsistent, as some days, I can eat every ounce of my calories but others, I'm struggling to get past two meals.  I know that my balance will kick in somehow but I don't want my body to go on empty.  

Tomorrow, I'll take you guys through my eating habits and whatever comes to mind.  Sorry I abandoned you guys for a week.  Life happens.
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