Spartan Race Prep : Gear Review

“It is good to have an end to journey toward; but it is the journey that matters, in the end.”
― Ernest Hemingway

Spartan Beast is in 3 weeks time, and the last 2-3 months pre-race is my favorite part of the journey. Right now, I am having fun! The excitement. The anticipation. The focus and the last chance workouts! When I look back to what I could do 9-12 months ago to now, esp with the knee, it feels great to see that progress. That progress comes from being disciplined in doing daily workouts, setting myself daily/weekly/monthly plans, and doing it to the best I can... whether it be adapting the program if the kids are sick or changing things up to make it harder or easier. I am enjoying the journey and the race is in sight.

The last part is getting all the details right for game time and testing it all out beforehand! What gear to wear/bring? What fuel/food and hydration?

Everyone has their own race fuel preferences. Back from my half marathon days, I leaned towards the GU brand. Vanilla, Salted Caramel, and Espresso Love. I plan to take a GU every 1-1.5 hour interval during the race. I am estimating a 5-6 hour finish (no more than 8 hours worst case), so 4 GUs. Ryan doesn't like GU, so he has his own.

Next comes the bars. I researched and followed up on various recommendations for taste and protein/carb/sugar/fiber content.

* Stinger Waffles - A HIT! I will be bringing 2 of those along
* Epic Bar - Paleo. Meat. Taste HORRIBLE.
* The Builder's Chocolate Mint - High reviews, but a miss for me.
* Simple Square - Too sweet.
* Picky Bars - Top Contender. Natural ingredients. Good nutritional ratios. Tasty!
* Quest bars - Top Contender. Cookies'n'Creme flavor. Decadently tasty.
* ThinkThin - Nut bars only. Good.
* Chia Bar - Decent taste. ~100 cal.
* Tanka - Mainly protein. Good post-race.
* Marathon Bar - TBD - Meal replacement bar. Recommended to eat 1/2 at a time.
* Luna & Balance Bar - TBD

My race pack will contain 4 GUs, 2 Stinger Waffles, 2 bars, and 5 travel size mustard packets (good for leg cramps).

Next are the SHOES. These are not to be considered lightly. At Alpha Warrior, one of the many mistakes I made was choosing to wear the wrong shoes. It will affect the grip, stability, water drainage, blisters, etc. And hence the search for the right pair began 2 years ago when we first signed up for a Spartan. At that time, we were only signed up for a 3mi Sprint.

* Inov8 X-Talon 212 (top left) - Most popular for OCRs. Shoe fits like a glove and has the best traction. Unfortunately its a minimalist shoe and for me, not enough arch support for long distance.
* Brooks Cascadia (top middle) - Perfect for 5K road or easy trail, hot sports form with longer distance.
* Pearl Izumi Trail M2 (top-right) - most comfortable out of all the shoes.. perfect for trail and long distance. Traction is just ok.
* Addidas Kanadia Tr6 (bottom-left, snug fit) yet enough room in toe area and good treads for traction.
* Altra (bottom right) - Roomy wide toe box, great for long distance road running, but not good in traction and support for trail.
* Salomon Speedcross - High reviews, but not comfortable.
* Reebox Spartan Sprint/Supers - Not comfortable.

Note: I did not buy all these shoes for this race. Its an accumulation from prior races or cross-training workouts. I did get the Pearl Izumi and Addidas in hopes of finding something that would work better for longer distance, trail, and mud. Reebox and Solomons were nixed after trying them on in the store and not feeling comfortable right from the start. Right now, plan is to go with the Addidas for the traction in mud.

And definitely not the last of all things to consider, but other things that will be needed or very helpful.

* Mountain Hardware Fluid Race Vest - Great vest with minimalist approach to carrying water and food that is lighter weight and less bounce than a hydration pack. The running vest has a back pocket that can carry a 1L Platypus soft water bottle. There should be at least 1 aide station, so 1L water should get me to the half way point easily and then re-fill.
* Gloves and knee pads - Protection for the obstacles.
* Gaiters - keep them rocks out of the shoes.

And, of course, there has to be a prep list. The final touches to my obsessive-compulsive.

"By failing to prepare, you are preparing to fail." - Benjamin Franklin

Other miscellaneous tips from reading various forums:
* Apply coconut oil in hair and braid. This will help keep mud out and tangles easier to manage.
* Use a sharpie to write race number on arms/legs. Easier to identify in race photos.
* Wear all things tight fitting and non-cotton.
* Bring lots of mustard packets to help with muscle cramps.
* Bring headlamp if you have a late start.