Here is a brief history of the team. Nate and I ran the Midwest Spartan Sprint in Illinois in 2011. A few weeks later, during a phone call which we talked about bringing one to Indiana, he threw out the name, Corn Fed Spartans, and we knew that was the name. After volleying, spamming, and emailing people to death, the race happened and became the first ever “Founders Race.” After that race, restructuring of the team created a more family feel and unity driven team. Several road trips, races, and members later, Corn Fed has grown into a powerful family of racers all willing to trade time and speed in order to help each and every one on the team to cross the finish line.

Writing about the Indiana Spartan Race always touches my heart and fills me with so much emotion and tears. Imagine back when you did your very first obstacle race. You didn’t know what it was like, unsure if you could finish, and when you did, the emotion that you felt for the few minutes following. Indiana is that for me because of what it stands for. If it were not for Spartan Race, the Corn Fed Spartans would not be here….wow…. to me, and several others, that cannot even be imagined. When Nate and I thought of this and started the team, it was simply a place to gather to get the race, but after being on this ride for the past 17 months, it has and will continue to be a staple in the OCR community along with teams like the Weeple Army, Team SISU, and NE Spahtens to name a few. We will gladly share the battlefield with them as we all become the best families we can be.

An excerpt from someone that ran his first Spartan Race: “I “joined” this group with desire to spend more time with Rick Bosley. I ran my first OCR (CerebRun in Wrightsville PA) just to spend time with him, and do the things he does…to show interest in his life; I also did it because this OCR was based upon intelligence, and the two of us tend to strive in that area. I never planned on making a lifestyle change…but little did I know. Rick made me a part of the group and from the minute I started looking at posts on FB, I began to realize something big was taking place. I started mulling over the affordability of Indiana…and without hesitation Jonathan Nolan stepped up big for me. From the minute I stepped onto the grounds at Indiana, I knew something was happening…something awesome. I saw hugs and love; I saw strength and support. I regret that I didn’t meet most of you because home commitments limited my time there. When the race started, I found myself in an entire heat that embodied the Corn Fed motto “If you want to know…run with us” I saw an entire heat of runners helping out any and everybody in their path, and I followed suit. I apologize if I didn’t help all of you, because it became my intention to do so, I simply could not find myself staying on course for that long. After I finished, and after over an hour on the slippery wall, I couldn’t find Rick and Maribel, so knowing my time constraints I went to clean up. Post clean-up I put Rick’s bib number in the computer to look for his time, and 4 hours later he still hadn’t crossed. I stood by the slippery wall and shortly after I saw the tip of a flag come across followed by the signature red Mohawk…AWESOME! It was at this point that I felt the true love and determination that Corn Fed had…or so I thought. Then I started seeing pictures, and videos of that group carrying a Biggest Loser member across the traverse wall. This made me more proud then the comments about me helping people…this made me proud to be Corn Fed. You all, each and every one of you are an inspiration and you are ALL BEASTS!

In the words of Ricky Booby, you carried your feet to the start line, and you carried them over the finish. You got up the nerve to do this, and you completed it all on your own. It is for reasons like that, that I am proud to embody the Corn Fed name, and I wear it with pride. Thank you Rick for steering me away from sedentary behavior, and thank you Corn Fed for all you do. AROO!” -Adam Joseph Witmer-Bosley

On March 9th, I became the first ever paralyzed person to complete a Spartan race. On that day, history was made by Team Pushharder. Without my team, this would have been extremely difficult. I received a lot of feedback from people both positive and negative on the accomplishment. The positive was reassurance that something amazing happened on that day and that it proved that anyone could do anything as long as you put your mind to it. The negative was that people felt that my team carried me the entire way and that I did not put forth real effort. It troubled me to think that people felt I did not do the work to earn the title of being the first paralyzed Spartan athlete. So, I thought to myself, “what more do I need to do to prove myself in OCR?’ Then it hit me.. I would do something most able-bodied people wouldn’t even think of doing in their wildest dreams. I needed to prove myself once again and this time I want to go all out. So, that leads me to today.

I am pleased to announce that I am now officially going to be part of the 2013 Summer Spartan Death Race. I am the first ever paralyzed athlete to enter this event and I am going in it to be the first ever paralyzed person to complete a Death Race. This will be the hardest test of my life, but I will say this, I will leave every inch of my heart and soul out there to prove yet again, I am worthy of this title. Expect nothing less of me!

About Michael Mills:
Michael Mills Adventure/Endurance Athlete.

At the age of 16, I was hit by a drunk driver which left me paralyzed from the waist down. I was 16 and did not know what to expect out of my life. Not long after my injury I realized that this was a gift. It was a gift to be different and make Life worth Living. I am now 36 years old, married with three lovely children, work a fulltime job and an athlete in two sports. I have raced in over 150 road and track races in my career. I have traveled all over the world and have had the opportunity to represent my country in three events.

Competitive Bio Highlights:
Nationally and World Ranked in the 200/400/800 and 1500 meter events
2005 Selected as Most improved Athlete Lakeshore Foundation, Birmingham, AL
2005 Selected to Represent Team USA World Wheelchair Games, Rio Brazil
2007 Selected to Represent Team USA World Wheelchair Games, Taipei, Taiwan
2005 to current Team Captain, Shepherd Rehabilitation Center Wheelchair Racing Team, Atlanta, GA
2010 Selected to Represent Team USA Oita ½ Marathon, Oita Japan
2013 First Paralyzed Athlete to climb Stone Mountain, Stone Mountain, GA
2013 First Paralyzed person in History to compete/ complete a Spartan Sprint Race

Upcoming Events:
2013 First ever Paralyzed person to sign up and compete in a GoRuck Challenge (12 hour navy seal type event on 05/25/2013
2013 first Paralyzed Person to attempt to climb Curahee Hill, Tocca, GA on 06/01/2013
2013 First official ever Paralyzed Person to sign up for a Spartan Death Race to be held on 06/21/2013
2013 First Paralyzed Person to compete in the R3OPS Obstacle Course race on 07/20/2013
2013 First Paralyzed person to compete in the 2013 Mid Atlantic Spartan Beast on 08/24/2013
2013 First paralyzed person to compete in the 2013 Gulf Coast Spartan Beast on 10/19/2013
2013 Marine Corp Marathon while carrying 100lbs for 26.2 miles
2013 First Paralyzed person to compete in the 2013 Spartan Carolina on 11/19/13

Competitive in nature, Varner is setting his sights on Hendricks in Texas and in a statement to Fighters.com, said, “I anticipate the Texas course to be very tough and am hoping I can beat the hometown favorite Johny Hendricks with my experience.”

Varner plans on using his first race experience to help him in Burnet explaining, “The first event I competed in was a Spartan Super (about 8 miles), this will be a Spartan Sprint (about 4 miles), and I look to finish off the trifecta with a Spartan Beast ( about 13 miles) later this year. Staying in the competitive mindset between fights is big for me. I hope to finish in the top 5-10% of the field.”

Fighters.com recently published a story indicating that Hendricks’ next MMA test comes in the form of a title fight for the sports biggest prize, but he has to get through UFC Welterweight Champion Georges St-Pierre to collect it. To stay in shape, and support his sponsors, Hendricks says he is really looking forward to the course. “This is going to be a great experience. We have been training hard for this event and I even have a few teammates from my gym set to compete in the race. I have heard nothing but great things about these events and I look forward to the course kicking my ass, says Hendricks. He concluded, “Jamie might be one up on the experience but I have got the home cooking!”

The second Spartan Race In Mexico is this weekend, May 17, 18, and 19th in Mexico City. The ante has been raised with $10,000 in prize money, and Elite heat and a Super distance. I have been looking forward to getting back down south to see some of the hardest working Spartan enthusiast I’ve met to date! This could be the toughest Spartan venue in the world, racing at an elevation of more than 9000 feet, 9 miles of rugged terrain to cover and 25 gnarly obstacles. If you want a hint to how that might feel try running with a bag over head while running on a treadmill plus a few burpees every mile!  (Just kidding don’t ever try that!)

Making this even more exciting and challenging, I will not be the only one crossing the border for this epic race. Joining me are few other of the top US Elite wave racers. We will be running the Elite heat on Saturday. Scheduled to race on the trails are Miguel Medina, David Magida and Christopher ‘Tough Training’ Rutz charging against me for the gold. On the women’s side look for Andi Hardy and Margaret “Dirt in Your Skirt” Schlachter. They are both taking their first trip to a Mexico Spartan Race in hopes of taking the podium places from the local competition.

So what does this does Mexico Super Spartan at Valle de Bravo have to offer!? Besides the extreme venue and competitors there is a whopping cash prize 3500$ for the first place finisher, 1000$ for 2nd and 500$ for third. This will truly make the race a cut throat battle for those who can push themselves to limit during this challenging high altitude race. In addition to the US racers, the Mexican athletes have been training hard and will literally give some of the US racers a run for their money. Watch out for Hector Hernandez, a Crossfit coach at WODBOX Cancun, a Spartan Race official training center and Yusef Chalita. Yusef finished just behind me in the Mexico City Spartan Sprint in February.

I have to say I am truly excited to be racing in the Mexico Spartan Race series again, but I am not the only one who is hot to trot for this race. This race sold out within 72 hours of the registration date opening. There are so many participants that the race will be spread across three days.

Just a week away from the starting line I have my bags packed and my game face on! If anyone out there is brave enough to challenge the elites for a podium place I wish you the best of luck, see you all at the finish line!

Integrating “Speed Play” into Your Training

Happiness is the interval between periods of unhappiness
– Don Marquis

How do you ensure to have a most pleasant interval of running?  Put it in-between two intensely unpleasant intervals of running.  It’s all relative at times, and one can only understand this through experimentation – in changing it up.  Too often runner neglect the usefulness of variety in their training intensities within a singular workout.

Often, you need to run 1-2 miles on your tradition routes before you can really gauge your energy levels.  Maybe at mile 2 you decide to just hang on hoping to make it home.  Maybe at mile 2 you are feeling like taking things to the next level.  When the case is the latter, you can always throw in some speed play into your training session as a means to add some variety to your experience, and speed focused conditioning for race day.

Fartlek — (“speed play” in Swedish) a training method that combines aerobic training (continuous efforts) with anaerobic training (interval efforts). Traditionally it is associated with running, but it can be integrated into any style of training and geared toward strength, endurance, or speed conditioning. The reference to ‘play’ indicates that these types of workouts can be tailored uniquely to the athlete in a way much less structure that traditional interval training.

By adopting ‘on’ and ‘off’ tempos and linking them to durations of time, you have the gist of a Fartlek workout.  1 minute on, 1 minute off.  2 minutes on, 2 minutes off…

Do ladders (counting up or down) or do pyramids (counting up and down) – you have some freedom to choose based upon who much time you have, and how much energy you have in the tank.

The following would be an example with how you can experiment with tempo on a temporal basis, integrating your 10k race pace and a 2 to 1 work to rest ratio.

2 minutes 10k pace

1 minute Recover

4 minutes 10k pace

2 minutes recovery

6 minutes 10k pace

3 minutes recover

This same method can be seen in the following 10-minute intervals with burpees.  Suddenly you are livening up your run workout, while simultaneously introducing fitness conditioning while simulating the run to burpee to run body movements so frequent in a Spartan Race.

1 minute of burpees

30 seconds of easy jogging

2 minutes of burpees

1 minute of easy jogging

3 minutes of burpees

1 minute and 30 seconds of burpees

If you are a math geek, you can see the permutations are endless.  Often enough, doing math is just the distraction one needs when things get particularly tough in a training session.  The trick is to not beat yourself up about ‘how you fartlek’, but to just use this broad technique to dial in your own running masterpieces of Spartan WODs.

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The men’s and women’s elites ran together at 8am, all keen to defy Race Director Todd Sedlak’s bold claim that nobody would

Men’s Winner Cody Moat

conquer the course in less than an hour. Indeed, it has quickly been suggested that this race was arguably the hardest Spartan Sprint has offered to date. However, four racers from the men’s elites broke the 60 minute barrier, Cody Moat being the fastest at 50m 25s. Second and third going to Chad Trammell (52.31) and proud local Brian Suttle (59.19) respectively. The ladies winner was Beverly Watson, with Jolene Wilkinson and Margaret Schlachter taking third. What’s notable about the women’s elite is that Beverley Watson rocked the course to first place despite being 60 years of age. “Too old to do a Spartan Race” now more than ever is no longer a valid excuse!

More defiance was shown throughout course of the day as competitors sweat and strained through the punishing hills and forests. JD West, a truck driver of 43 having lost 80lbs prior to the race, signed up for the course simply “because”. LA-based fitness fanatic Grant Zaragoza joined his friend Jozee Hofman for their first Spartan Race, refusing to let a little thing like the Cerebral Palsy they both suffer from get in the way of them finishing the course together.

Brad Ludden from First Descents, a non-profit organisation that enables young adult cancer survivors to try their hand at kayaking, climbing and other outdoor pursuits, was joined by those that battled and defeated the terrible disease, in the shape of Kelsey Tanner, Andy Bonnet and Denise Pearson all the way from Denver via a 16-hour drive in their sleeper van. More of their information can be found at http://firstdescents.org

Ian Reynolds and his service dog Miles also enjoyed the race. Some years ago, Ian made the decision to have the lower half of his right leg amputated after an incident involving fireworks left him badly injured. Despite this and in his own words it being “a blessing in disguise”, Ian now has a career in prosthetics having learned from the very guy that built his new leg.

The arduous terrain and punishing obstacles left many experiencing a gamut of emotions at the finish line. Some crossed not knowing whether to laugh or cry as the months of training finally came to fruition. None moreso than Nyk Kuntz who was surprised to see his girlfriend there: Specialist Kaela Causey, an active service Black Hawk mechanic. Keeping it a surprise for two months that she would be there before a 9-month deployment in Kuwait, she waited at the finish line and they embraced amongst deafening cheers.

As the day drew to a close, both spectator and runner eventually had to be encouraged to leave, despite the good times being in full flow. The folk of Kalispel, Big Fork and the surrounding communities know how to party and wanted more! As such, it was quickly established that Spartan Race would be back next year, definitely for one day, maybe for two – who knows?

With so many vendors, companies and charities involved, next year’s event is shaping up to be closer to a reunion of new friends, rather than that of another regular Spartan Race event . Will you be there?

As an aside, Reebok Spartan Race would like to extend thanks to the warm welcoming reception that was given when we came to town. See you next year!

Ready to find a Spartan finish line?  Sign up today.  Click HERE.

Spartan Race is gearing up for another Texas showdown that you won’t want to miss. It is time for the Spartan Sprint at Reveille Peak Ranch in Burnet Texas, a favorite venue by many top racers. Expect to see last year’s winner Hobie Call there to defend his title from last year. Hobie says, “I love this venue. Gentle rolling hills, single track and dirt roads. And……warm weather guaranteed!” Hobie finished in less than 45 minutes last year, with most racers having a hard time coming in under one hour. It was highly anticipated to see him go up against Quentin Ledbetter who won the race only one year before, this time falling short against the seemingly unbeatable champion. It is unknown whether Quentin will return for another chance.

Texas is also home for Spartan Elites like Isaiah Vidal and Ella Kociuba, as well as the infamous Spartan Race couple Shawn Feiock (me) and Sue Luck. Isaiah dominated the most recent Spartan Sprint in Colorado getting onto the podium both days. He was able to pull off a second place finish Sunday at the Texas Sprint last year, and also at the Texas Spartan Beast in December. He will likely be one of the strongest competitors on the course against Hobie, with the advantage of the well-known terrain that Texas has to offer. With a very similar record to Isaiah, Elite female Sue Luck (aka Mini Beast) just came from two inspiring finishes at the Spartan Sprint in Colorado, and also had a podium finish Sunday at the Texas Sprint coming in second-place female last year. Ella Kociuba and Shawn Feiock will be at the Race to cheer on fellow racers and to meet new faces at the “Meet the Spartan Team” tent, be sure to stop by and say hi after you’ve crossed the finish line!

Other Spartan Men Elites and favorites to watch for are Elliot Megquire, Michael Mauk, John Taylor, Joe Kauder, Brian Hoover, Evan Williams, and the father & son team Andrew and Eston Jones (aka Thing 1 & Thing 2). Spartan Woman Elites and favorites attending include TyAnn Clark, Jackie Rust, Corinne Kohlen, Janice Ferguson, Tonya Stogsdill, and Juliana Sproles. There is also speculation that Ultramarathon Jungle racer Johnson Cruz will be appearing for his Spartan Race debut, and first race on American soil. Many of the racers already listed can testify that he is a strong competitor after racing against him on Isla de Ometepe earlier this year.

Don’t forget that UFC Lightweight Contender Jamie Varner and Welterweight Contender Johny Hendricks will be on-hand to Fight It Out at the event. Look for sparks when they collide.

Last year the Texas Sprint sold out quickly and it looks again like the course will be full of people looking to get a taste of the Texas mud. There will be some favorite obstacles and some less favored returns like the deadly Boa Constrictor tunnels that got our attention last year. But be ready for new surprises too as the Spartan organizers never fail to bring a good challenge, and an amazing course wherever they step foot. If you and your friends haven’t already registered, sign up now on the events page while there is still time! Adventure, competition, camaraderie, accomplishment… this is a race that can change your life!

Connect with Shawn Feiock, Spartan Race Pro Team Athlete and create your own Spartan Page HERE.

The Top 5 Benefits of Alternative Locomotion:  Part 5 – Be a Kid

by Joe Di Stefano co-founder of Spartan Coaching

Need some catching up?  Here’s Part I, Part II, Part III, and Part IV

GET COMFORTABLE WITH BEING UNCOMFORTABLE

At a recent Spartan SGX Coaching workshop, following one of Dr Jeff Godin’s lectures on analyzing the specific demands of Spartan Race’s most troublesome obstacles, a seminar attendee named Jackie, said something that struck a chord. Her point was one that Dr. J and I have heard before but for some reason this time,  I really pondered it.
Jackie, chuckling, said, “you wouldn’t believe how easy these obstacles would be for my five year old!”

Wild. Isn’t it?

But how could that be?

How could a human being who has been capable of standing upright for fewer months than I have remaining on my car loan, actually be better on two feet than most of us?  Without getting into the nitty gritty bio-mechanical or structural differences between children and adults, let’s give the real reason.

We are born fearless.

We are born tough.

We are born strong.

And most importantly,….We are born to live for the moment.

Through conditioning from upbringing and social pressures, we learn to embrace fear, that pain should be avoided at all costs, and that pessimism is ultimately the most secure path to longevity, health, and dare I say,happiness. Our instinctual mindset when faced with an obstacle should not, by nature, be focused on what might happen if I try, but about how exciting an attempt would be. Ask a five year old child why she felt compelled to try and jump over that ten foot wide puddle there was no way she could leap, decode your answer to discover it was for none other than a slight chance of victory and the inevitable emotional high no matter the result. If we are all the same humans we once were, why don’t I see suits on Wall Street skying over bums and wet pavement?

Because that’s not socially acceptable, TRUE. However, the fact that we contain and limit our adventurous side habitually, destroys our body from the inside out.

Just watch a young child get up onto a full size chair. They brace the chair  with their hands and then at the hip flex, abduct, and internally rotate all and climb up effortlessly. As we get older, we do fewer and fewer activities that require 1/10 of that amount of hip functionality so the body gives it up. Don’t use it, you lose it!

At the grocery store, how often do you see someone over the age of 25 having a good time or even wearing a smile? Or how many people in that group ever ride the cart like a skateboard?

We have to be coached and instructed how to conquer even the most basic obstacles is not because we have gotten older, but as a result of losing our emotional connection to being human. The biggest difference between Jackie’s child and most of us is that her child lives for the moment. Most of us today are all stuck somewhere in the future or the past. We often times bury our human priority list to focus on more socially acceptable or financially rewarding priorities.

Get that back and life becomes your Spartan Race.

WORKOUT:

Stand up for 30 seconds every 15-20 minutes. Close your eyes and this will be surprisingly meditative in helping you regain presence and very beneficial to your productivity.

Do one thing today that you wouldn’t normally do. This might be jumping a puddle, riding the cart at the grocery store for a few feet, skipping to the coffee line, whatever! (Post your funny one’s to the comments section!)

Grab a friend, do this workout in public and try to be a kid again. Live for the moment, and get comfortable with being uncomfortable:

At a jogging track, skip at varying intensities for 5 minutes with opposite arm and leg moving in a coordinated rhythm. Try jumping for height, jumping for distance, “double time” by doing quick, low to the ground skips, etc. Then, complete one full, 400m lap:

Bear Crawl for 15 “One-thousandths”
Burpees 5x
Reverse Bear Crawl for  15 “One-thousandths”
Burpees 5x

Cool down / recovery: Skip at varying intensities for 5 minutes

Happy Mother’s Day, Sparta!  For all the mothers out there, we honor you and are proud to share the story of  Leyla Di Cori, a Spartan regular, and her inspirational mother, Johanne Di Cori, age 72 years young, who took on her first Spartan race daughter by her side.

Here is their story, told by Leyla herself.

When we finally arrived at the race site in Mont Tremblant, I was ecstatic to see some familiar faces from the Spartan Staff. They came from Vermont to help out with the races in Montreal.

I took part in the competitive heat at 10:00am. Finishing in the top 8, I was pleased with myself and my mom was pretty proud of me. As we posed together at the picture booth, my mother looked at me and said: “I want to race with you tomorrow.” I looked at her in dismay. I had tried to convince her in the past to try a Spartan Sprint but she refused. And there she was, my 72 year-old mother saying she wanted to race! I was thrilled with the idea. That evening I wrote an email to Steve Halstead to explain my mom wanted to race. We started preparing that same night. I decked out my mom in my thigh high socks, my race shorts, my trusty Salomon Speedcross 3s and a Spartan Tech T-shirt. If she was going to race, she was going to look the part too!

Sunday morning arrived. Believe it or not, my mother only told my father that very morning she would race. He was stunned and by the look on his face and a bit worried. You have to understand, my mother was not training for a Spartan Race. Despite her age (and trust me, you’d never think she is 72 when you look at her!) she is quite active. She bikes, walks in the neighbourhood and is used to going to the grocery store and walking back with bags. Add to that the fact that she gardens and doesn’t mind getting dirty! My concern was yes, she was active, but clearly she had not been getting ready for the challenges a Spartan Race presents. My biggest concern remained that my mother, Johanne, also suffers from asthma! I vowed to not leave her side. I was going to stand by my mother no matter how long it took. We were in this together!

Once we arrived at the race site, I decide I would go ahead and race the competitive heat at 9:00am. Originally, we were both going straight into the 10:00am but I wanted a lay of the land in order to be the best guide possible for my mother.

At 10:15, arm-in-arm with my mother, I led her to the front of the start line. I explained the shoving that would occur, the smoke, the fire that was at the beginning and how she should expect hilly terrain for the most part. The siren went off, and off we ran! The smoke affected my mom’s breathing from the very beginning but she managed to run the first kilometer.  Racers were not noticing a 72 year-old was racing with them.  As the hills grew higher, we slowed down and power walked through the mountain. The forest was hilly and muddy. It certainly was tough terrain for her but she was doing awesome. Funny enough, two other men, probably in their late 40s were walking the trail as well. I am glad to say we Chicked them!

Never leaving my mom’s side, we made it through the woods. The course made us go in and out of the woods several times. We did all the obstacles from the sandbag carry, to the rope ladder and so many others. My mom was amazing, strong, and determined.  She was not giving up. Despite the thirst and the fatigue she was committed to finishing. The only thing that worried her was the 220 yard barbed wire crawl. The mud was incredibly deep and she even got stuck in it. The suction was so strong she was knee high and couldn’t get out. Her legs cramped up and she couldn’t move for a good minute. Fellow Spartans helped her out of the crazy mud pit. With every crawl, I would say, “You got this, mom! You can do it! Don’t give up!!!” Other racers couldn’t believe their eyes when they saw my mom. Imagine this white haired woman racing next to them. So many racers encouraged her and were in awe. With every step we took, I couldn’t help but feel incredibly proud.  I kept telling her how remarkable she was for doing this. She is a grandmother after all!!!

My mom was determined to finish and kept a smile the entire time. She even joked with me that giving birth was easier than a Spartan Race.

Less than a mile away from the finish line, there were a series of obstacles. The only one my mother missed was the spear throw. I did the burpees for her. I knew she was getting exhausted but with every step she took I pushed her, saying we were almost there. If we got this far, we were not giving up now!!! I could see how tired and dehydrated she was. It was about 104F that day. She climbed up theat 8 foot wall like a cat! She went through the tunnels. She made her way to the electric barbed wire. She went up the cargo nets with great agility and she conquered the inclined platforms. Then came the final obstacle before facing the gladiators: the inclined slippery wall with rope. I guided my mother telling her how to position her body. We were side by side. She barely had any strength left in her arms. She said she couldn’t take another step.

I said to her, “Mom! This is the last one!!! Now give it all that you’ve got! And I know you have it! Now pull!!! PULL!!!! YOU CAN DO IT! Take baby steps and pull yourself up there!!!” Another Spartan Chick was at the bottom and helped me by guiding my mother as I was extending my hand from the top of the ramp. The crowd was going wild seeing my mom. She was near the top and said she couldn’t get over. I remember yelling “ YOU GOT THIS MOM!  Do it!” And she did! The crowd soared!  It was a magical moment. I think my heart stopped when I saw her legs make it over. We made our way down cautiously. I looked at her, hugged her saying how proud I was to be at her side, and how incredible I believed her to be.  As we turned around, a few yards ahead of us the gladiators were waiting. I had promised my mother I wouldn’t let any gladiator tackle her.  She was going to stay at my side and I was going to shove them if someone dared to approach her. As we made our way towards them, I eyed them cautiously. All four of them bowed down in front of us.  They looked at my mother and applauded her. Everyone around the finishing area was applauding and cheering. Arm in arm, mother and daughter crossed the finish line with tears in our eyes. We had made it! My mom Johanne made it!

My father was waiting for us at the finish line. His face said it all. He hugged both of us and then held my mom in his arms. Clearly you could tell how emotional he was to see his muddy wife, that against all odds finished a Spartan Race, despite not having trained for it and suffering from asthma.

I can tell you my mom was a Spartan Super Star! She was being stopped left and right and everyone wanted their pictures taken with her. The MC even made an announcement about Johanne Di Cori, the 72 year-old Spartan Chick/grandmother  that just finished the course. I was tearing up for the most part after the race. Words couldn’t and still can’t express how proud I am of my mother. She is the reason why I am strong and determined. I just can’t stress that enough.

My mother is such a down to earth person. She doesn’t realize her achievement. For her it was a race she completed, a challenge she wanted to try.  I told her she was an inspiration for many after completing this race.

That’s a Spartan mom, if we’ve ever heard of one!?

May 2, 2010 I was taking my son to a soccer game when a girl got on the Interstate going the wrong way due to being twice the legal limit drunk and had drugs in her system. We collided head on at 65mph. Once they arrived, the paramedics flew us all to the nearby trauma unit. Thank God for my son as he only had to have surgery on his left elbow and now has some new working hardware in his elbow. He had fractured ribs and bumps and bruises but was very blessed that day to escape major trauma except for his elbow. He’s doing great now. I however was grateful to take the brunt of the impact but didn’t fair out so well. My wife and I quit counting broken bones at 26 including my back, my pelvis, my wrist in 7 places, my scapula, all my ribs on the left side which punctured my lung and both my heels were crushed from the impact. My spleen was lacerated and I had two brain bleeds they were concerned about. They were especially concerned about me losing my right foot due to experiencing a compound fracture. Apparently my heel blew out the side of my foot.

Anyway, my recovery – wow, it’s been a long road from laying in the trauma unit for 3 weeks and then being moved to a nursing home for the remainder of the summer and not being able to walk mainly due to the extensive surgeries on my feet. They totally reconstructed my heels. I remember the day the surgeon told me what I kind of thought but didn’t want to hear. He said “I hear your a runner.” And to his credit he stated in as nice a way that he could that my running days are over but I should still be able to ride a bike or do something else. He didn’t understand that I loved trail running with my fiancé (at that time). I proposed to her on one of our trail runs (and she said yes). She loves trail running and I was told I’ll never do it again. I think that was as close to having my heart ripped out as I’ve ever felt. I thank God though for the surgeons and therapists and everyone involved in my recovery. I went from being bed ridden (no fun having to use a bed pan) to a wheelchair and finally gaining permission after months to be able to put weight on my feet and attempt to walk for the first time since the accident. I was told don’t get discouraged if I can’t walk the first time I try. I walked the first time using the parallel bars to hold on. I then used a walker for a while and eventually went to using a cane and then nothing. I was in the gym working my upper body while still in my wheelchair. I don’t know where my perseverance came from other than I’ve always been into fitness and being in pretty decent shape and trail running and my surgeons contributed that to me not only surviving the accident but to recovering so rapidly. I had a taste and a vision I could get it back and sometimes I think that’s all you need is a glimmer of hope and you can achieve anything.

I’m still not where I want to be although very grateful. I workout every day at the gym. I run on a not so daily basis but getting better and stronger and fighting through the pain with more ease because I can picture the day when I cross the Spartan Race finish line. I watched my wife last year run our local Spartan Race. This year we’re doing it together. We never heard about a Spartan race until last year. It was her first. We got home from it and she was signing up for this years and I told her to sign me up that I would be ready to run it if I had to crawl across the finish line. What an amazing community of people there at the race. Something sparked me and I knew I wanted to be a part of it this year.

Photo courtesy of Clint Kelley, Globe Hotshots

I encountered Spartan Race on a social media site where the banner link showed up on the right hand side. I’d never heard of Spartan Race, neither had my friends. I am a Firefighter on an IHC (Hotshot) crew. I felt confident and I registered with three months to train for the AZ Spartan Super.

Ten days from the race I found myself lying on the floor of my room wondering how someone could feel so bad without being dead. Food and water hit my stomach and reversed direction and I spent eight days trying every medical and holistic remedy known to man to beat the flu. Two days until race day and I felt pretty good but I was experiencing full body cramping. I hydrated as best as I could and when race day arrived I felt good. I wasn’t 100% and I knew that the 10 days being sick would take their toll but I had a team that I was not going to disappoint and I WANTED this bad.

The event was crazy. I’d never seen anything like it. Music blaring, the announcer shouting encouragement and challenges, and in the middle stood the cargo net climb and five other obstacles. I’d never seen so many motivated and determined people before. There was a definite air of intensity but it was coupled with a feeling of community; a oneness. My team lined up at the rear of the starting area and the excitement quickly dispersed every thought of the flu and the last ten days. It was impossible to keep still. When our heat surged forward we moved slowly at first but it was at the first obstacle that we scrambled passed several groups and began to make our way towards the front. I was in my element and I was having fun; pure joyful fun that made me smile. I loved jumping over walls and slogging through the mud. As the race progressed, my friend paced me until we hit the monkey bars where I started feeling a cramp in my calves. I deliberately slowed down to try and conserve my energy and deal with the cramping. By the time I got to the tire flip I was cramping in my calves and hamstrings. I nailed the tire flip, rang the bell on the rope climb, and failed the spear throw. 30 burpees and the cramping hit every leg muscle. I was starting to use a morphed jog/hobble with periodic stops to stretch cramping muscles. By the time I waded in the canal, the cramping had moved to the forearms and abdomen. 30 more burpees at the balance beams. I wanted to die. I slipped and fell into the canal before the Hercules Hoist and my entire body cramped up. I laid partially submerged in the water, body seized up in cramps.

A volunteer wearing a blue medal tried to motivate me, but seeing that I was in pain, he told me “You can make it, man. It’s only a mile left.”

I thought about quitting. I thought about telling this young man, “I quit.” But that medal. That medal was right in front of my face and it wasn’t even wanting the medal but wanting what that medal stood for that helped me motivate myself to get up and keep going. The cargo net was a challenge. I seized up again at the top and stood there with the volunteer for a few minutes as a spasms passed. I made my way down the net, made the sign of the holy cross and hobbled my way towards the gladiators who took pity on me and only hit me a little bit and not full force. I got my medal around my neck, the shirt on my shoulder and I had never eaten a more delicious banana than the one at the finish line. I immediately collapsed from another body cramp but I was aware of that medal around my neck, felt the coolness of the metal and the weight as it hung. I survived the course. Through every ounce of pain and cramp-ladened step, I finished and accomplished more than what I thought I could. I wasn’t ashamed of my desire to quit because I knew that when it came right down to it, I didn’t. And the medal proved it.

Editor’s Note: Keeyoul Cha works as a six year veteran firefighter for an IHC (Hotshot) crew based in Arizona. He is a 24 year martial art practitioner in Muay Thai/JKD and Gracie Jiu Jitsu. He has two cats.

I looked across a crowded room. Our eyes met. Love at first sight. The Spartan playground was beckoning me to come play. Just kidding, I knew they had this training course at the Arizona Health and Fitness Expo. I really need to have a place outside and away from a city with lots of acreage so I can have this kind of stuff laying around to keep my workouts fun, new and fresh.

It is time to begin. One of the trainers made sure we had some nice warm-up stretches. This is really important and I always need that. Then it was all about business. The workout starts off by warming up the legs with 50 squats. Followed by 30 Burpees. I knocked out 10 more just because I needed to get better at them. It was a team workout so if you got down fast you had to drop down and hold a plank and of course that was me. Next, we did 30 plank to Spidermans. I was starting to sweat big time. My hands were shaky. While we waited for the others we had to do as many banana to Supermans as we could. This was something new to me, but it kept your heart rate up. Then it was time to grab our “friend” as the trainer called it. It was a large sandbag with the Spartan Logo on it.  I think everyone called it a pancake. We went out to jog around the building with the bag. Half way around we had to do a combination that involved throwing the sandbag forward to frog jump towards it and then down to push up and repeat. All this while moving yourself down a length of course.

Of course the mind works in funny ways. As you get tired you start to loose your concentration. You hear what you want to hear as I call it. The trainer was telling us certain things we had to do and people became very selective in what they were hearing when it came to doing more work. If he said do these 10 things, people would blow through but only do 7. People would ask lots of questions as if they were using it as a way to take a longer break. But when it came time to stop, oh man it was instantaneous from when they heard that and dropped the bag or whatever they were doing.

Now for me, I do not like to cheat or take the easy way. I do the full and extenuated move. I add jumping or longer range of motion. I needed to be pushed. But I also like to work smart. I was surprised how quickly I processed the information at hand. When we were doing the combinations I mentioned above, I realized after the first one that if I threw the bag farther I cover the distance quicker. The trainer heard that and said yes you are correct. But by this I am not saying it is easier. I do expend more energy to throw the bag farther, I have to expend more energy to frog jump farther, etc. I do arrive quicker, more energy spent, and pushed harder. I was able to complete this part 3 times to everyone else doing one. Then we grabbed our bags to run back inside.
We ran back around the whole building and through the convention area. Nice way to attract attention to your booth. As we got back, I noticed one of the guys that was working the booth was asking people how they were feeling. As I ran by I said, “When is the warm up over?” We thought, “Oh man you are in trouble now.” Perfect, that is exactly what I needed.

Next, we grouped up in teams of 3 for the obstacle course. There was one kid by himself so two other trainers came in. I let the kid have my spot in my group and I rolled with the trainers. Yeah baby. Here is what the course looked like. I stared off by grabbing a rope to pull an SUV looking tire down and back. Then to the other side of the room to grab our “friend” again for the combinations. Across the course to a huge 300 pound looking tractor tire for the tire flips. I had to do two flips out and two back. Running to the other side to do a cinder blocks carry. This involved carrying them out and back. You had to make sure you stacked them nicely or you would have to do it again. I proceeded over to dive under another wall, and picked up a large plastic tube filed with water. It would throw off your balance as you did a lunge and shoulder press combo out and back. Next it was my favorite… NOT…. 30 Burpees.

Now the last thing, in order to finish, was to tell the trainer what the card was he showed us at the beginning of the workout. I memorized the numbers of objects, the shapes of the objects, the colors, the orientations of each, etc. The trainer needed to know which card number we were given in order to pull it up to make sure the participants answer was correct. I was like……..CARD NUMBER?….SHOOT. I never saw that. So I immediately went to the penalty phase which was ANOTHER 30 BURPEES. Everyone was only given one chance. Every person missed it. Everyone had to do the penalty. They all whined and complained and asked for another try. Doing whatever they could to get out of the penalty phase.

I finished first and rang the bell. The trainer looked at me and wondered how I finished so quickly. He knew I had no shot at the memory card and that I just banged out my burpees. He was laughing. Very good he said. I asked him if he remembered which card I had. He said yes. So I rattled off the color combo. As well as ALL the other things I memorized. He was shocked. It was an amazing workout. I had a serious sweat going on. And since I was not use to so many burpees in a row I could feel some tightening in the glutes but nothing a good stretch would not help alleviate.

Today’s workout had men, women, and your adults, all of which finished the workout in their own way and at their pace. I do feel that anyone that is at least active, with no physical limitations, can finish a Spartan Race. Sign up for the Spartan Sprint with a team and have a great time helping each other finish. Motivating and being a support crew for each other. See you on the course.

Editor’s Note: Bio:

Jose Albanil is a Graphic Designer in Scottsdale Arizona whose hobbies include creating art in various mediums, photography and staying physically fit. He has been running all kinds of races since 1991 and has come to love any and all mud/obstacle races that he can find. Spartan Races challenge him physically, mentally and allows him to have fun while competing. Blog originally posted at: http://mudsweatpride.blogspot.com/2013/03/spartan-workout-at-ah.html.

On the men’s elite side we have Cody Moats, Chris Rutz, Elliot Megquier, Brad Fredricks, and Rob Michaud going. The Cody Moats vs Elliot Megquier match-up being the favorite. Let’s see what ya got boys!
On the woman’s side we have Juliana Sproles, Andi Hardy, Margret Schlacher, and Bev Watson. The woman’s side should prove to be a close race also. Good Luck to all stay safe and warm! Navy Federal Credit Union putting up some cash 1st $500, 2nd $300, 3rd $100!

Are you ready for a Spartan Race?  Click HERE to find one near you!

Our second SUPERMOM is Kati Scheetz, a mother of a very special two-year old, Faith-Rose, who is better known as “Bug”. Kati has always been very active and fit. When Kati became pregant with her daughter, she found out early that Bug was way too small and they didn’t know why. At 26 weeks of pregnancy, Kati was placed on strict bedrest for the remainder of the pregnancy, which was extremely difficult for a woman who was so active. At 37 weeks, Bug was born at only 4lbs. She came into this world with no heart beat and not breathing. She has been fighting ever since and is now 2 years old.

Bug has been in and out of the hospital because she won’t grow, can’t eat anything by mouth and vomits all the time. No doctor can explain why this is happening. She is now fed 100% by feeding tube which is a full time job. Kati, her husband and Bug take everyday one day at a time, and they do so with a positive attitude. Kati tell us “She is definitely my motivation, I want her to grow up in an environment where healthy eating and being active is the everyday normal.”

This was Kati’s second Spartan Race. She thinks that OCR is an amazing sport. It not only challenges you physically, but also mentally. Kati trained by doing a lot of running, taking bootcamp classes and carrying Bug around, which is like carrying a Spartan sandbag around 7 days a week! This year, Kati shaved 45 minutes off her time from last year, now, that’s a SUPERMOM.

Mother’s Day is around the corner. Is your mom your super? Share the story of your SUPERMOM with SNAP Infusion and Vitamin Angels. #mysupermom

The men’s Elites was won by Justin Jindra, followed closely by Isiah Vidal and Nicholas Joseph taking second and third respectively. It was a home-grown 1-2-3 for the ladies as Colorado’s finest filled all three spots on the podium. April Luu successfully defended her title with typical fiery determination, with Tobie Rippy and Ashley Swallow making the home crowd proud with a sweep of the awards. Navy Federal Credit Union again generously donated the prize money to the winners.

The course took no prisoners at all. With even the most innocuous of obstacles such as the moats claiming victims, it was a wake-up call to all that thought this was a run-of-the-mill OCR. Both days had people failing to finish, proving that Spartan Race, even on “short” distances, demands your total attention and will punish those that do not prepare.

The event village saw support from many sponsors and promoters ranging from the Colorado National Air guard, Werner Climbing Equipment and Whole Foods. Of course, many competitors and spectators were thankful to Coors Light for the refreshments they offered. Red Bull gave the racers wings while Snap Infusion gave them the stamina to carry on.

Snap Infusion’s nomination for Supermom, Kati Scheetz, was not just running for herself or for the prize of the finisher’s medal. Her daughter – having been induced at 37 weeks weighing only 4lbs with no heartbeat or breathing – currently suffers from a condition that is baffling doctors. Of the last 6 months, 4 of those have been spent in the hospital trying to treat with the mysterious illness which means she has to be fed 100% of the time via tube. With caring for her daughter now being a full time job and all the stresses that come with it, Kati somehow still manages to train and successfully completed the Military Sprint for her little girl.

And like night follows day, more stories of triumph over adversity and inspiration came bleeding through. Zack Askins, a native of Colorado, decided to wear a full 85lb (when dry) bomb disposal suit throughout the course, with a shrug of polite indifference greeting those who ask him if it was difficult.

Brad Fredricks of New York explained, “I was sitting behind a desk and thinking, ‘life must be more than this’ and I saw one of your videos and I wanted the next challenge. I wanted something that was going to be the next level of my life.” Despite having broken his hip in June of 2012, he now is taking part in every Spartan Race this year.

Then there was Shane Tisdall, who having lost his left hand in a motorbike accident some years earlier and suffering paralysis, was seen cheerfully going through his burpees one-handed after failing to negotiate the monkey bars. When asked about how much of a hindrance it was, he smiled and simply pointed out, “it was the best thing that ever happened to me. At the time I wasn’t living very good”.

James Moody, after being clinically dead due to throat cancer and then underwent extreme and brutal throat surgery, offered the simple suggestion of, “don’t quit. Just stick with it, keep working at it”. Good advice not just for Spartan Race, but for all of life, perhaps.

The highlight of the weekend was that of the marriage on course between Arizonians DiAne and Mike Santos. Beneath the romantic monument of the cargo climb that stood before the fire pit, they exchanged vows before witnesses then went on to jump the fire pit together and have the Spartan gladiators form a guard of honor before Mike carried his bride over the finish line. A fitting end to an event that saw many either fall in love, or renew their passion for Spartan Race.

A special mention to go to the medical team that had to step up several gears in order to handle those unfortunates that succumbed to the course, the weather or a combination of both.

Is it your turn to find a Spartan finish line?  Find an event HERE.

The Top 5 Benefits of Alternative Locomotion:  Part 4 –  Distracted Cardio

by Joe Di Stefano co-founder of Spartan Coaching

Need some catching up?  Here’s Part I, Part II, and Part III.

What percentage of the American public is either thinking about getting in shape or is actively on the wagon right now? My guess is that it’s got to be over 75%…So why is it so hard? ….And what percentage of this hypothetical 75% do you supposed has been on the wagon before? ….

If you’ve been to one of our SGX seminars you know the real reasons why the failure rate is so high but let’s just look at this on a more superficial level….Most of the time, it didn’t work last time because losing weight or getting in shape for most is synonymous with major suck.  

“Major suck” means giving up all the foods you love and then dealing with the drug addict-caliber withdrawals from doing so, while you spend hours on stationary cardio equipment watching TV doctors who tell you that your unfitness is just more than likely genetic and so you might as drink wine every night to try and avoid heart disease.

So of course because of a variety of social and internal pressures, many throw their hat into the game, maybe even hire a trainer to show how serious they are. Whatever the case may be, ultimately many do the equivalent of showing up at the base of Mount Everest holding the flag they want to plant at the summit, wearing flip flops. They show up, they are serious, they are gung-ho…but ultimately most know from the start they are not going to succeed and act accordingly until they finally fall off the wagon.

So what if the major suck is optional?

Rather than stationary cardio machines and TV, both of which flood your mind with negativity and consume your precious (and in many cases very limited, will power) why not do something that’s going to work more muscles more synergistically, at higher intensities, that will build coordination, and that requires your full focus and attention. Something that you can also do for half as long to get twice the benefit and leave the gym with a clear, optimistic, and present mind?

Sounds good to me.

Distracted Cardio WOD #1:

Warm up:

Bird Dog x 100 reps total. then:

Power Skip x 50’

Reverse Skip x 50’

x 3, then:

Crab Walk x 25’

Reverse Crab Walk x 25’

x 3

Main Set:

4 rounds of:

Frog Hops x 50’

Bridges x 50 reps with 2 second hold per rep.

then, 4 rounds of:

Bear Crawl x 50-100’

Elephant Walk x 50-100’ (Butt in the air bear crawl)

Jumping Jack. x 60 seconds

Finish with 

Power Skip x 50’

Reverse Skip x 50’

x 3.

15 months ago my life changed. 15 months ago I nearly died of an accidental drug overdose. I spent two weeks in the hospital and afterwards agreed to go into detox/rehab. It was one of the hardest decisions I ever had to make. I was always known as the “strong one.” I was the one that never cracked under pressure but rather thrived on it. What everyone didn’t know, what no one could see was how desperately I did not want to be like that. I wanted them to understand how desperately I wanted to cry in the presence of someone, to collapse into the arms of someone. I wanted them to know that their assumptions became my criteria. They became the expectations that I live with. There is a lot of pressure in just a few words. Once they called me strong, I could never be anything less. I want to stop being defined, I want to be able to have a weakness … and agreeing to go to rehab, I showed my weakness and my strength at the same time.

After being discharged from rehab I was often asked if I wanted to start taking drugs again…the obvious answer was yes. I missed drugs. I missed the routine. I missed waking up every day and knowing exactly what I needed to do. 15 months ago I was a mess….then I came across an advertisement for Spartan Race. Instantly I became curious and noticed there was a race in my area in a matter of a few months. I signed up immediately. I began training and quickly realized I was replacing my drug addiction with working out and becoming a healthier me.

Race day came and I was nervous, I felt far from ready and felt as though I had set my bar way too high. I am happy to say; even though I was slow, and was running with a fractured foot I crossed the finish line. I also realized that I would much rather do 100 burpees than go through detox again! I have said it many times but I honestly believe Spartan Race helped save my life. It became my new drug…a much healthier one that is. I have no words to express how much the Spartan community has helped me and let me push my limits further than I ever imagined! I will not pretend that drugs are acceptable; most people who become addicted to drugs never get to leave. I’m lucky to be born with the desire that I have, I’m lucky to remember what I wanted before consuming. And what I want from life is much bigger and better than a time of “high.” I encourage all of you to push your limits. Go further than you ever imagined possible!

On April 27th, 2013 I had a ton of fun running a Spartan Kids Race!

I was a little nervous in the beginning, but soon I forgot all about it. After standing at the starting line for what seemed like a long time, I wanted to start running because I was cold! There were some adults that led the kids out onto the course, but I wanted to run past them all! There was the male and female winner of the adult race, another male racer and my dad. Before the race I got to meet Amelia Boone, the female winner, and I got the first poster signed by her.

It said “To Kaitlyn, To a future Spartan Superstar!”

The race started and everybody took off running as fast as they could. There were lots of obstacles. We had to run up and down a bunch of hills, climb up a net, crawl under a bunch of ropes, and crawl under a long black net. We had to jump in lots of deep mud holes and then climb out over a big mushy, muddy hill. It was really fun because normally, us kids get in trouble if we jump in the mud with clean clothes on! We had to jump over some small walls and climb through the middle of one. There were some small triangular walls that we ran up and over and they were easy.  We had to walk across balance boards and try not to fall off. That was only half the race. Then they made us run the whole thing again to complete one mile.

I got tired during the race and there were a couple of times when I wanted to stop, but I didn’t! In the middle of the race my dad ran with me for a couple of minutes and then he went ahead to hand out the medals at the finish line. I felt really good when I finished, even though I could barely breathe because I was so tired!

My dad gave me my medal when I finished and said, “Great job! I’m so proud of you!” At the end I was muddy and had to wash off. The weird thing was that I wasn’t at my house, so I had to wash off with cold water, something else that us kids aren’t used to. I got most of the mud off, but I still wasn’t that clean, but that was okay. I am happy that I finished and I can’t wait until the next Spartan Race! I’m happy that I’m a Spartan racer!

At Spartan Race, our mission is to inspire children to develop a love for fitness at an early age. Our “Jr. Spartans” obstacle course races for kids 4-8 are about a 1⁄2 mile and our 1 mile kids spartan races are for older “Varsity Spartans” aged 9-13. Both kids races are filled with obstacle styles and amounts tailored just for them.

Each child will receive a T-shirt and Finisher’s Medal with 100% of the Jr. Spartan Adventure proceeds benefiting the Kids Fit Foundation. As a leader in the movement to help children learn life-long health and fitness habits, the Kids Fit Foundation strives to raise awareness and develop programs that educate, empower and inspire kids to become and stay fit.

So remember, Spartan Races are not only limited to adult fun! Bring your kids ages 4-13 and they can participate in their very own Jr. Spartan Race. Just like you, they will enjoy the thrill of the run, a variety of scaled down obstacles and their own mini festival area filled with games and children’s challenges!

Sign your kids up for a Spartan Race – it’s for the whole family!  Click HERE to find one near you!

Animal Movement Exercise Glossary

by Joe Di Stefano co-founder of Spartan Coaching

Bear Crawl: Begin in a baby’s crawl position, lift the knees 1-2″ and maintain this posture as you walk in a coordinated left arm / right leg and vice versa sequence for 30-60ft

Bird Dog: Beginning in a baby crawl or “quadruped” position with the knees on the floor. Lift the opposing arm and leg, point and stretch to opposing sides of the room. Hold, then return to the starting position. Repeat on the opposite side and continue alternating for desired number of repetitions. For a more advanced progression, balance a water bottle on your lower back, if it falls off you know you were moving too much from your spine and not enough from your butt!

Dead Bug: Lying on your back with your arms and legs stretched straight up and down, simultaneously attempt to bring your right elbow and left knee together. Return to start position and repeat on the opposing side.

Elephant Walk: (aka “a not-so-strict bear crawl”) -From Bear Crawl position, allow your butt to lift into the air as high as is comfortable. Walk in the same coordinated, opposite arm and leg pattern as the Bear Crawl.

Lateral Ape: Beginning in a bear crawl position, “push” yourself backwards until your feet are flat on the floor and you are in a deep squat and “hands free” position. Now reach both arms to one side and shift as much of your weight into them as possible. Maintain this pressure as you “hop” your legs to that side. Continue in a fluid pattern and repeat on the opposing direction.