What kobo.com says:
Twenty-six point two miles isn’t enough anymore. Obstacle course racing, which combines the endurance challenges of a marathon with the mind-bending rigors of overcoming obstacles along the way, is taking the world by storm. At the center of this phenomenon is Joe De Sena, the driving force behind the enormously popular Spartan Race. De Sena offers a simple philosophy: commit to a goal, put in the work, and get it done. From that philosophy, as played out first in his own life and now for millions across trails, through mud, and up mountainsides, Spartan Race was born.
Now in Spartan Up! De Sena gives you a life strategy guide that takes you out of your comfort zone and into a combat zone. As he breaks down obstacles from his many races, detailing how each parallels real life experiences, you will learn how to:
• conquer your greatest obstacle—your will
• embrace your greatest friend—discipline
• make limitations vanish and establish a new normal
• achieve the ultimate: obstacle immunity
Filled with unforgettable stories of Spartan racers as well as hard-won truths learned along the course, Spartan Up! will help anyone reach their full potential—in life, business, relationships, indeed anything one sets out to do. It is the blueprint that takes you right past Go to your finish line.
What I say:
In May I was asked to help promote the book release and featured a write-up about the book on the blog. While I never did get my free copy (mail problems or my concierge stole it) I did read it on my Kobo in September so this is definitely not a paid endorsement since I sought to read it on my own.
This year was my first year running a Spartan race. I’d heard about them in 2013 as I started to delve a little deeper into the world of obstacle course racing and I knew I had to try one this year. I planned to run the Toronto Spartan Sprint in June and unfortunately was dealing with mind-numbing shoulder pain and had to transfer my registration to another race in the future. I opted for the Ottawa weekend almost two months later since I could go home and see my family at the same time as the race. Since Ottawa only had the Super or the Beast distances I opted for the “shorter” Super. You can read about my experience here. After running it and being humbled by its difficulty I’m also hooked to become stronger and faster. My training begins for 2015 in November after I’ve given my body ample time to heal and return from my travels (LA & Nicaragua).
To mentally prepare for more intense training I wanted to dive into this book. I appreciate learning about Joe’s story and hearing about how he lives and his family life. I kind of adore that he teaches his kids how to do burpees. Can I have Spartan kids of my own soon!???!! LOL. Although there was little insight into the business side of Spartan which my marketing self is curious about I got amazing things out of the book.
The Chapters focus on everything from your will to overcoming obstacles to changing your frame of reference to fitness training to eating right to moving past mountains and eliminating limits and becoming a Spartan. I loved every bit of the book and am excited and fired up to train. This book is great for the newbie to obstacle course racing and even the elite who may need to challenge their current way of thinking. I love that I am now a Spartan and can continue to strive for better, set new goals to go after, and constantly overcome life & race obstacles.