Over the past few years I’ve become a fan of obstacle course races. As a fitness professional and recreational runner, these races combine the best of both worlds for me and always challenge me to continue improving. When one of my sisters, who lives in the Boise area, signed up for the Boise Spartan Sprint I decided I would make the trip to Idaho and join her for a fun adventure. My 2 other sisters also signed up along with 2 of their significant others. 2 of us have done obstacle course races before, while 4 have not. I have to say, I’m kind of excited to be with the newbies for their first OCR! I am also excited and a bit nervous for my first Spartan Race.
As our team gets ready for the Boise Spartan Sprint, we are all preparing a bit differently. Since we are spread out in 4 different cities and 2 different states, we are all training on our own. A couple of my sisters are using the Spartan Workout of the Day at home or at the gym to prepare. Some of us are doing our own workouts or going to fitness classes. And, of course, we’re getting our running in too! Personally, I was on track and focused on preparing for Spartan, which included plenty of burpees, when my training had to take a detour so that I could get my body working properly again. With a month to go, I am definitely not where I had planned to be and that has me a little stressed. But, I am also determined to do what I can over the next few weeks to be Spartan ready even though my plan has had to be reworked.
The Boise Spartan Sprint will be held at Thomas Pence Ranch, which is outside of Boise in the small town of Payette. With an advertised distance of 3-5 miles, the course will undoubtedly be a surprise. What the 20-23 obstacles will be is also unknown, but it seems that most of the races include walls to scale, a barbed wire crawl, rope climb, and plenty of mud and hills.
This event also includes a kids’ race for those who want to bring the family out. But, be aware, that spectators are charged a fee ($20) for Spartan Races. So, I recommend only bringing your racing buddies for this one. All finishers of the Spartan Sprint will receive: A Sprint Finishers Medal, A trifecta medal wedge piece, free beer, a finishers t-shirt, free professional photos, bananas, and Clif bars.
If you don’t want to travel to Idaho, don’t worry! The Pac West Spartan this summer will be closer to the Portland area. This event will be held in Washougal, WA on August 8, 2015.
The weekend of June 13 my sisters and I will all converge upon the Boise area (where 2 of my sisters and my parents live) for a little reunion unlike any other we’ve had. I have a feeling this is going to be an epic weekend!
Boise Spartan Sprint Details
Date: Saturday, June 13
Times: Wave starts from 7:30 A.M. to 5:00 P.M.
Location: Thomas Pence Ranch, Payette, Idaho
Registration Price: $90 ($115 – Elite Wave)
Race Website: Click Here
