UPDATE: Congrats to Kendra & Yissel for winning the free entry. I couldn’t decide between them, as both their stories/reasons are truly amazing. CONGRATS LADIES! Now, time to Spartan Up! xo AD
It’s scary. It’s hard. It will give you bruises. It will make your muscles scream.
Your mind will be tested. But you will FEEL ALIVE!
This is Spartan!
I’ve already written several posts about my transition into OCR from road racing – the why, the training changes, what I’ve learned from racing, the elation of success – and in all, racing in the Spartan series has truly changed me. I’ve had to overcome obstacles, both literal (cue in banged up legs from learning how to scale a 10 foot wall) and figurative (failing in the spotlight), to become a mud crawling, wall climbing, bucket carrying, spear throwing working mom of two. And because I believe in the power of change, the power of facing your fears, the power of trying something that scares the s*** out of you …
I AM GIVING AWAY ONE FREE ENTRY TO ANY SPARTAN RACE!!!
In the comments area below, I want you to tell me why you want to do a Spartan Race. Tell me why you want to challenge yourself or what you will have to overcome to finish a race. I will pick a winner on June 16 – so this gives you over a week to muster up the courage to submit! IT IS TIME TO SPARTAN UP!
Talking to My Diary 
June 7, 2016 at 8:39 pm
I’ve never done a Spartan race…therefore it will be a PR. I’m always looking for things to do that I’ve never done before. Just recently after snow skiing for years I switched to snow board at 56…it took 4 days but I finally got it down. I’ve done ultra runs, triathlons, started new companies…..sounds like bragging, so I will stop. The truth is I wish that I could just be happy doing nothing, but I have to keep trying new things to exist.
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June 7, 2016 at 8:59 pm
I am about to turn 37, am married, and have three daughters. I just completed my first Tough Mudder and immediately got bit by the OCR bug. I deliberated for days about signing up for a Spartan race, and finally pulled the trigger for the Super in PA on July 16th (my birthday 😊). I also just joined our local crossfit gym to prepare. All of this scares the crap out of me, but I’d love to work towards the trifecta. My girls have been watching me in training, and our oldest (9) is doing her first kid Spartan race the same day! She’s been working on her chin-ups and pull-ups too.
Your quote today resonated with me so much that I snapped a picture of it as a reminder for when I second guess myself.
Sorry for the long winded explanation! You’re inspirational and I enjoy following your journey! Thanks!
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June 7, 2016 at 9:56 pm
Hello Dr. Dre! I am planning to compete in a Spartan race this fall whether I win the free race from you or not 🙂 I have a good friend and mentor who was rising to the top of Spartan races last year, and came in second in the Ultra Beast at the World Champs in Tahoe last year by less than a second! She unfortunately tore her ACL, MCL and Meniscus in January and is still sidelined from surgery. Planning to comeback though stronger than before! I’d love to and am planning to be there at her first come back race, which she hopes to be back out there in August. She is a great inspiration to me and all the athletes she trains and coaches. I was “just” a runner, but after working out with Ashley, she has me looking for more and seeing your transition as well inspires me to toughen up and spartan up! You can read more about Ashley’s journey at becomingbadass.me. Thank you for all of your inspiration from a fellow bird! #headupwingsout
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June 7, 2016 at 10:25 pm
I want to personally show my daughters what females can do…and what hard work does for our minds, bodies, and spirits! I want nothing more for them to be confident, strong and kind. I’ve trained for marathons but nothing like this. I know with the support of my family and friends, I can do anything!
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June 7, 2016 at 11:54 pm
My high school cross country coach once told me that if my goals did not scare the living daylights out of me I wasn’t aiming high enough. I want to do a Spartan Race because they terrify me! OCR are so far out of my comfort zone. I don’t think of myself as strong and typically underestimate myself, but a little voice deep inside is whispering – maybe you can do this. It’s time to start believing in myself and set an good example for my daughters – we all have a sliver of fearlessness within us. I need to challenge myself & tap into that strength…IT IS TIME TO SPARTAN UP!
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June 8, 2016 at 1:38 am
I want to do a Spartan Race so that I can push myself. I will have to try so hard, face a few fears, but I know I can do it. It might take every ounce of energy that I have, but I will finish! This would be a great way to get a confidence boost.
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June 8, 2016 at 2:32 am
First of all I’ve loved seeing you transition as a road runner to OCR. I have to say one or the things that impressed me about you was that you’re a mother of two. I just became a mom in December and the way your life changes is incredible. I raced a lot before having the baby, but am struggling to get back to where I used to be. I would love to tackle on this challenge, not only for myself, but for my baby girl who needs to see what strong looks like even at an early age. I already know which race I would pick. Although these races scare the crap out of me, I say bring it.
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June 8, 2016 at 2:43 am
I want to do a Spartan Race to proof to my 30/40 something friends that you don’t have to give up on being physically active & strive for pushing yourself outside the comfort zone.
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June 8, 2016 at 4:19 am
First, i want to say what an inputs took its been following your transition to OCR. I’m a trail runner, the more dirt the better, but I haven’t made the leap to OCR. I’ve been really wanting to but I’m afraid I won’t be able to hack the obstacles, but at the same time I’m really inspired seeing other women compete and the confidence it could bring to me. I’d love to try one and dip my toe in, I could see it being a slippery slope to loving OCR!
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June 8, 2016 at 12:07 pm
I recently finished the Spartan Beast in Ohio–and you’re right, it tested me in ways i never thought I could mentally or physically could handle. This giveaway entry is really for my husband Cameron. He saw me finish that race and later in the day, meekly said to me, “i think i could do a Spartan, if you did it with me.” He’s someone who has no interest in endurance events and doesn’t go to the gym like I do. For him, to show interest in a hard endurance activity made my heart melt (though i tried not to show it too much!). Cameron has MS, and sometimes physical activity is hard for him if his body overheats. I think that’s why he’s scared or shies away from endurance sports. But i have seen and talked to several people with the disease exercising in my gym. They all say strength training has been the key to keeping their symptoms under control. I’ve struggled trying to get him motivated to work out in general, but if he has a race goal on the calendar that he’s actually interested in (he has no interest in running a marathon!) it could be the kickstart to something great we can do together!
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June 8, 2016 at 8:50 pm
How cool of you to do this! Dre – you know me and I have done Ironmans and marathons (in that order) but am ready to pursue something different. I have thought about this a lot and a few other people who I admire have started doing these races and love them. As I have watched you morph into and Olympic runner – I always knew the base of your strength was literally….your strength. The strength you would build and not just running (even though that is what you did more publicly). But it was your commitment to your strength is what I feel enabled you to do so much in your celebrated running career. And I want to take this same commitment and turn it into my own with this opportunity. I want to stay healthy and bring much more strength based exercises in my daily exercise routine and inspire others to do the same. I would be honored to carry the torch you brought with you in this new arena and expand it to my friends as well as I embark on this new and exciting style of racing.
But besides all of the above, it just looks bad to the bone and super fun! 🙂
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June 8, 2016 at 9:47 pm
I would love to run a spartan race in order to push my own mental limits. My mother battled brain cancer and lost all of her mobility when I was five, so the past 18 years I have set out on a journey to find my inner strength and challenge it in every possible way that I can – all in the honor of my mom who no longer has physical strength. I want to take the mental strength she has taught me and implement it into something so robust and physically demanding! It would truly be an honor to win an entry into a spartan race.
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June 10, 2016 at 3:32 pm
I found my passion for running because I joined the gym so my younger daughter would have kids to play with in the babysitting area. The farther I ran everyday the stronger I felt. It came at a perfect time to be an outlet for the challenge of raising my other daughter with aspergers. Running saved me from losing my mind figuring out how to parent this child. While my legs have been strong for running, costochondritis throughout my clavicle and chest area make it difficult getting stronger in upper body challenges. I would love to do a Spartan to prove to myself that I can conquer all those challenges that a race like that has you go through. It would give me a goal to figure out how to work through this upper body challenge of mine.
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