My Spartan Race Nutrition Plan

My Spartan Training Breakfast

Spartan Race Diet Goals

As I'm laying out the rough draft of this post I have 102 days before my Spartan race on October 22, 2023 in Walker Mi. My overall goals are to get leaner and stronger because that is what an obstacle course would demand of me. A goal within a goal would be to lose at least 15 pounds while getting stronger. To do that I'm going to need a "code" to live by. I say code because I'm not going to count calories or put rules in place that will make my life miserable. Instead, I'll live by 6 codes and then everything else should work itself out.

1. Eat Often- Science back in the day said eating more often was better for your metabolism. Today they say it doesn't matter and that creating a calorie deficit is everything for weight loss. Either way, I know I feel better when I'm eating 5-6 smaller meals as opposed to 3 larger meals a day. I'm less likely to overeat because I'm not starving because I just ate something 3 hours ago.

2. How Much Protein? When I'm deciding to make a meal I find it helpful to ask myself how much protein does it have? I'm not looking for an exact number but I know I should be eating 30-40 grams per meal so I can get 1 gram of protein per 1 pound of body weight. No carb and fat-heavy meals (sorry pizza). I'm 46 years old and I'm training 6 days a week for a Spartan Race. I need all the recovery I can get!

3. Keep Carbs in Check I'm lifting weights, running, and biking so I need to fuel my workouts with carbohydrates. What has worked for me is to keep my carb intake on the lower side but not zero carbs. The two Huel Shakes I'll be drinking per day have 45 grams of carbs which will help me fuel my training sessions.

4. Whole Foods! The bulk of my calories are going to come from whole food sources. That means no food from boxes or packages. When I go to the grocery store I'll shop in the outside track of the store, typically meat, produce, and dairy (light on the dairy!).

5. Lots of Veggies! For any given meal I want my plate to be half filled with vegetables. I've been going to the produce market about twice a week so I can buy them fresh. If I'm going to recover from my Spartan workouts I'm gonna need lots of vegetables. Again this 46-year-old needs every edge I can get!

6. Stay Hungry! For a little bit. Instead of counting calories, I'm going off messages my body is sending me. Being a little hungry between meals and never eating until I'm full is what I will have to do to get leaner.

Lots of Fresh Veggies!

Daily Spartan Meal Plan

I like a schedule and a routine and my diet is no different. I don't mind eating the same things every day as long as I like eating them. My meals will switch up and change periodically but 80% of the time they will be the same. 3 whole foods meals and 2 Huel meal replacement shakes for snacks/smaller meals. If you want to know more about Huel read my review here (especially if you want a discount!). Here is my typical day in prep for my Spartan Race:

1. 2 Eggs, 3 chicken breakfast sausages, and 1 slice of Ezekiel Toast.

2. Huel Meal Replacement Shake

3. 2 Boneless Chicken Thighs, broccoli, and a side salad

4. Huel Meal Replacement Shake

5. Lean ground burger, Banza Pasta, marinara, and a vegetable.

It's a no thrill not worthy of an instagram post on meal planning approach to nutrition. Some nights when I'm sick of Banza Pasta I'll have some more chicken or another piece of lean protein. If you're curious about Banza Pasta I also have a review on that as well here.

Banza Protein Pasta!

How its Going so Far

As I'm typing this the countdown timer on my blog shows I have 97 days and change left before the Spartan Race in Walker, MI. Since getting serious a couple of weeks ago I'm down about 2.5 pounds which is great. I'm feeling strong and leaner which is the primary goal for the next 14 weeks. My training will probably end up changing as I get closer to the race date. I'll need to be less concerned about lifting weights and more focused on skills to complete obstacles. I'm already thinking about exercises that would translate to the obstacle course. The one thing that won't change is my Diet. Nutrition is going to be 50% of the reason I will survive the Spartan Sprint Race!