Hello Squad!

I am incredibly grateful to have you back on my blog as I travel on a brand new journey of training for my first Spartan Race!

As I sit here today and write this blog post, today is my rest day, no lifting, running or coaching, just letting myself take complete full day away from noise, yet close and connected to you!

Before we dive into this past week's adventures, I want to say thank you to my friends Kala, Delaney and Ashley for pushing me to sign up and race alongside of them for this exciting event! 

What made me want to compete in Spartan, was being able to race with my very best friends and also, taking on a new challenge that I know would push my training and mental capacity to new levels of fitness!

#TeamBeyond will be competing in the SUPER 10k Spartan Race.

Now, let's rewind back to August 10th - my first day of training.

I did some research on the event, to get an idea of what activities I would be performing, so I can properly train and feel prepared for the race.

I knew since, we are running the Super (10k) I need to build my endurance.

My first plan to action was to create a cardio routine that I could progress and challenge myself each week. This week I began with a comfortable pace at about 10 minutes per mile for 4 miles. I ran this 4x throughout the week, running two days in a row, then taking one day off, then back on another two days. 

By the fourth day, my legs were feeling tired, but my mind was feeling more focused than ever. Since, it was more of a physical feeling, I began adding in more active recovery at the end of my training days. Using my massage gun, on my calf's and thighs, rubbing in Altwell CBD Sport Cream on the glutes and low back, then finishing with a 10 minute foam rolling session on the areas needing attention. 

I am going to let you in on a little secret...

Sometimes, less is more. When you listen to your body, I promise you will know exactly what it needs to function at it's very best.

My second plan to action this past week was creating a schedule for my training. Longer runs, meant more time training, making time for my lifting and making the most out of any free time I had. 

SO... I decided to go to bed earlier between 930-10pm. Sleep for me, is another amazing form of recovery, I feel refreshed in the morning, I have more time and energy throughout the next day and my mind feels a lot more relaxed. 

When I look back at when I was a college athlete traveling on the road for games, our coaches used to take our phones and give us a bedtime, so we were able to focus on getting a good night's rest and eliminate any distractions. You can say, the athlete in me will never disappear:)

Even though I have only been training with this new Spartan Program, I can already feel myself getting stronger mentally, physically and emotionally. Adding more time for me to focus on an outlet that is important to me, gives me the self care I need to have a peacefully successful day. 

Join me back here, next week, as I fill you on Week 2 of training for my first Spartan Race.

Also, feel free to reach out if you have any questions or just want to say hey!

Email: snbeuther@gmail.com

Have a beautiful week squad, sending so much love!

Coach Steph