So ironic that I had this as my weekly quote in my training studio before the 12-hour… I didn’t yet know that this quote would soon be ringing in my brain….

This Sunday my client Alex Rheume and I sought out to finish the 12-Hour Hurricane Heat put on by Spartan Race. He wanted to finish his endurance trifecta, and I wanted to 1). Challenge myself in a different format than a race, and 2). Get more ideas to push my own clients. I’m a true believer that if you want to teach about it you better be about it. I believe that you can only make your clients as great as you know is possible. And the only way to truly know is not by education alone but mostly by experience ( in my experience ?). To know exactly what the suck feels like and to know that things you thought were impossible, are possible?.  That way when your clients don’t believe in themselves you will be there to pick them up, metaphorically slap them in the face, and tell them you got this and to keep going.

It started out with 3 hours of Team challenges we were faced with all while carrying at least our 30-40lb backpack. I kept looking at my watch with dissatisfaction as to how far in we were. Eventually I put my watch away LOL.

The next 8 hours were the individual time cuts in which we were proposed a challenge with a time max. If you didn’t make it within the time frame you were cut. The time in which you had to complete it was not given, just the task at hand. It was up to us to figure out the best way to take on the challenge for ourselves in the fastest and most efficient manner.  Every challenge had at least 30lbs to carry since my sandbag was 32lbs.✔

The first challenge was not too difficult (compared to the rest). It was to fetch water from the lake with our bucket and carry our bucket, along with a sandbag through part of the Spartan Race course. Grip = toast (or so I thought). ✔

The Second Challenge was my personal hardest, in which we were to carry our backpacks (mine was 30lbs, guys were heavier), 2 sandbags, and a 5ft-long 2×4 1.5 miles up a f****** mountain. This all in all nearly weighed as much as I do. We had 5 minutes to figure out how we would do it. At first I duck-taped my sand bags to the ends of my 2×4 and planned to carry it over my shoulders, which was a stupid idea since I literally couldn’t even lift it off the ground at that point. But the time was up and I had someone put it on my shoulders for me (along with my backpack). I lasted about a quarter mile and couldn’t go any further. I knew I had to change something if I wanted to make it to the top. I cut through the duck tape and somehow managed to stuff one sand bag in my backpack, and kept the other sandbag on the 2×4 and carried it over my shoulder like some f***** up version of Santa Clause. I eventually made it up and down that mountain one step at a time if you know what I mean. I was the smallest person to finish that challenge and there on the rest of the night.  Thankfully I made each challenge with enough time to eat and hydrate which is key to any successful endurance challenge.✔

One of the final individual challenges we had to do was run part of the Spartan Race Course with our sandbag and do the obstacles… with our sandbag! There was one inverted wall in which (after multiple attempts) I was unable to throw my sandbag over the wall– I was too short and too weak at that point in time.  I thought there’s no way I can turn back now, but how on earth would I get over this wall with my sandbag? I then remembered that the jaw is one of the strongest parts of the body, grabbed that sandbag with my fucking teeth, and climbed over that damn wall (and eventually would do this again along another obstacle on the course).  After that point the rest is history.  There was one more individual challenge along with more team challenges, but I’ll save some for when you do your next 12 hour hurricane Heat ?.  Alex and I both made it all 12 hours that day, and I’m incredibly proud of him.

For anyone looking to try this, know that this challenge is not for anybody at any certain point in their life. This will test your limits and you have to be ready to want it bad. It is about knowing yourself and not knowing yourself at the same time. It is about wanting more than the certainty that is in your life. It is about pushing through that voice in your head that limits you. And it is about proving or reminding yourself how strong you are. For me, it was a reminder, and a damn good one too.

I don’t doubt anyone strengths that didn’t finish that day. It was incredibly hard and apparently one of the heaviest carries they’ve done in a 12-hour Hurricane Heat.  I know what it’s like to give 100% effort, and whether a person was one of the 20 to finish or one of the 54 to start, 100% of them gave their 100%. Thank you to everyone who came out that day, each one of you inspired me in some way.

This is another reason why I love Spartan Race so much, and why I’m honored to be an ambassador. I truly believe they have created a challenge for everyone no matter what your physical and mental fitness level. I started out with the 3+ mile Spartan Sprint, then the 8+ mile Super, 12+ mile Beast, 2x trifecta, then 32 mile Ultra Beast, this year 4xTrifecta, and yesterday.. a 12-hour Hurricane Heat finisher ?.  I’m not sure what’s next for me, but I’m damn sure I won’t be complacent.

If you are still reading and somewhat intrigued, I challenge you to challenge yourself.  Go outside of your comfort zone and see what your made of. If you have not yet completed your Trifecta, start there. If you don’t know what that yet means message me and let me know your dreams.  Wherever your goals are going in Spartan Race, I’m here to prepare you for your first race or your best race, elite or endurance. I’m all in. Message me for 20% off all endurance challenges in Spartan Race this week only!

Nicole Kifer
NASM CPT, FNS, CES, RTS
Spartan SGX, soon to be Level 2