Lessons Learned The Hard Way…

On August 25^th I pulled 20^th overall and 4^th for my age in the Spartan Mid-Atlantic Super. To date this has been my best performance on what is being called – by what appears to be the general consensus – one of the most brutal courses Spartan has put on . Two weeks later on September 8^th I competed in the Spartan Tri-State Super, a far easier course by comparison, however I landed in a disappointing 61^st. Reflecting back I know exactly what went right on the 25^th and wrong on the 8^th. 

Going into the Mid-Atlantic I had read a review of the course (from Saturday), it highlighted hydration issues, and relentless hill climbs, basically saying this course wasn’t a run of the mill trail running experience. So I prepared, I made an effort to get in some extra sleep, I made sure I woke up a little earlier, ate a little extra, drank A LOT of water, made sure I had some Cliff Shot blocks stuffed in a baggie, and warmed up properly. With all of that said, I crushed that Mid-Atlantic course. I was focused, prepared, and definitely gave my best performance to-date. I was damn happy.

 Two weeks later it was time for Tri-state, and in my mind, a watered down version of the Super I just conquered. I was lackadaisical to say the least. I arrived Saturday. evening, ate late, watched a lot of TV , was up late, woke up and rushed out the door, no food before the race, no super-hydrating, nothing. When I arrived (after I got lost…) I did a half-ass jogging warm up and went into the pit, I payed dearly for it. By the end of the start-line climb I already had dry mouth… and it just got worse from there out: cramps, dizzy, locked up quad, hunger pains, desperate sprints to try to gain some position. In the end it was all for vain. My lack of preparation had already sealed my fate before the last AROO was shouted out of the pit.

So! Lesson learned and I hope I can save another competitor from suffering from the same foolish mistakes:

• Nutrition: Both pre and during the race is critical, know what sits well with you and know what you need to get through the competition.

• Hydration: Drink! Some like simple water other like drinks that help supplement sodium and potassium, both are lost in great amounts when perspiring. I personally don’t carry water with me, unless the competition exceeds 10 miles. Coming into the race hydrated is also critical, makes no sense to play catch-up during a race if you can avoid it.

• Sleep: Get some Zzz’s! Shut the TV off, as well as the computer, and tell your significant other that play-time can happen tomorrow. Post-Race!

• Focus: I would be lying if I told you I wasn’t over-confident. My performance at Mid-Atlantic got to me and ruined my ability to get serious and focus at the task at hand. No competition is easy if your goal is to continuously do better. Stay focused on your objective leading up to the competition and especially during.   

I hope this helps some of you out! Also, be sure to check out my Official Facebook Athlete page: https://www.facebook.com/R.Josti.OCR and be sure to [Like] https://www.facebook.com/mudandadventure!