Training for and racing a Spartan Combo

Are you doing the Spartan Combo at Tooradin in six weeks? Maybe you are looking forward to racing a Combo at Picton? Read on for some tips on how to prepare for a Spartan Combo.

Training for a Combo

The Spartan Combo is a Super (10km) and a Sprint (5km) completed on the same day. There may be situations in which you can complete a Beast (21km) and a Sprint (5km) or an Ultra (50km) and a Sprint (5km) on the same day, but my understanding is that the term ‘Combo’ is used to describe the Super and Sprint combination only. To perform well in both the Super and Sprint, you need to be able to cover 15km at a fast race pace. The pace you will complete a 10km and a 5km race with a rest in between is faster than the pace you would run one 15km race, so some specific race preparation is required after building up to covering the total distance.

Most people attempting a Combo for a first time will be in the process of building their running distance and volume. My recommended approach for the long run each week is first to train to cover the total distance you will be covering over both races (15km). After you are comfortable with covering the distance, add intensity. Finally, incorporate everything into a race simulation. This progression is gradual on the body and reduces the risk of injury considerably versus going straight to race simulations over a distance your body is not equipped to handle.

As an example, if you were training for the flatter trails of Spartan Tooradin in a 10 week training block, the first four weeks you build your long run distance to be a total of at least 15km on trails. The long run could be broken if needed, as it would be broken across the two races. If you are a beginner to running or will be walking parts or most of the race, your long run would be a combination of hiking and running. During this time you would do obstacle and speed work separately to your long run during the week.

The next four weeks, add intensity to the long run and you can also experiment with splitting the run as you would during the Combo. For example, you might:

1.      Run 10km near your house at normal long run pace then drive to your local parkrun and race the 5km.

2.      Run 10km on trails with 20mins of race effort in the middle. Rest for 30min-1hr to replicate the time between Super and Sprint during the Combo and then warm up again and run 5km with some 1min pick-ups in the middle. 

3.      Run 15km with kilometres 2-8 and 11-12 at tempo (pick something below but close to a 15km race pace) with the other kilometres at recovery or low aerobic zone pace.

During this time you would continue obstacle training in other sessions during the week and incorporate running into that session to both practice the obstacles and practice performing with the crazy heart rate that results when combining running with obstacles.

The last two weekends before the race is when you put everything together and simulate the Combo as close to race conditions as possible. So try and estimate the break you will have between the Super and the Sprint and complete a 10km obstacle course followed by a 5km obstacle course after the break. You don’t need to do this at a fancy obstacle facility, as you can simulate obstacles using burpee pull ups, broad jumps, bear crawls, walking lunges, carries with a sandbag, etc.

For me personally, the total distance of racing in a Combo is far below my normal race distance (21-30km) and far below what I would run on a normal long run. So to prepare for a Combo I would increase the speed work I am doing for a few weeks followed by OCR race simulation two to three weeks before the event. If you are a high volume runner and a Combo is a shortening of your usual race distances, then I would recommend a similar approach. However, most Spartans attempting a Combo for the first time are not coming from a high volume background.

Nutrition

For the first race of the day you should eat your normal pre-race breakfast that you have practised during race simulations or before long runs. Most people will not need to consume any carbohydrates during the 10km, as they will finish well before their glycogen stores are anywhere close to depletion. However, if you think the 10km is going to take you longer than 90minutes, I would consume a gel or some chews during the Super just to help ensure your glycogen levels won’t be compromised for the Sprint. When you finish the race you may be handed a number of items including water, a beer, a miscellaneous protein bar, and maybe a protein powder sachet. Do not drink the beer or consume any of the other products (except the water). After receiving your finisher’s medal and t-shirt you should walk immediately back to your bag and consume the carbohydrate snack you have brought with you. If you cannot stomach any food straight after a race you will consume the carbohydrate drink you have brought with you.

Hydration

Hydrate as you would preparing for any other race. If it is a very hot day (30+ degrees) I would bring water on course for the Super if the course will take you longer than 45mins. Being able to sip water during the race will help you avoid dehydration and poor performance for the Sprint. Remember that for optimum absorption of water from your gut it needs to have some carbohydrate in the solution. I normally use Skratch labs at half concentration to assist hydration during hot weather. After the race, continue sipping water while you eat your carbohydrate snack.

In between races

If there is less than an hour before you start the Sprint, avoid sedentary activities like sitting or lying down.  Instead, keep your body moving through gentle walking, dynamic stretching, and rolling any body parts that require attention before the next race. If there is more than one hour before you start your second race, do a cool down after the Super, then try and relax until you need to warm up for the next race. Allow double the normal time for your warm up as the first part of the warm up is likely to feel lousy. Trust your training and know you will be able to perform well even if you don’t feel fresh on the start line.

Strategy

My suggested strategy is to race the first race as though that is the only race you are doing that day. When you hit the finish line then you swivel your attention to the second race. Prior to that, you don’t waste any mental energy on the second race. There will be racers in the first race who are just doing that race. There will also be racers in your second race who are just doing that one race. In both races you will be competing against people with a one race mindset. So to be competitive you will also need to adopt the one race mindset. The Super course normally covers most of the Sprint course, so you have an advantage over people who have not raced yet in knowing what is coming and where the push hard or hold back a little while racing.

So now you know how, go and get that training in. Spartan Tooradin is fast approaching.