Very Interesting Blogger Interview #3: Jeff from Sustainable Life Blog

Late last year, I started the Very Interesting Blogger series (read all about Tonya and Eric in their interviews). When I thought of who to interview, I thought of Jeff from Sustainable Life Blog who, despite the fact that he picks on me mercilessly (both online and in person), is actually a pretty decent guy with a great blog and some hobbies that are, for lack of a better word, insane. So we talked about the most insane–obstacle racing (I originally called it crazy marathon running and was swiftly corrected. I maintain that my first description was correct). 

Here’s what Jeff had to say:

Me: So I hear that you participate in obstacle racing (see, I got the term right!). Can you tell us about that?

Jeff: Sure – Obstacle racing is a race of varying distance that has obstacles or tasks you need to complete. It usually involves crawling under barbed wire, through a mud pit, jumping over pools or rivers and some sort of climbing task. There’s some obstacle courses that will tell you what you can expect over the course of the race, but one (Spartan Death Race) only gives you a list of what to bring and you have no idea the length of the race or the tasks that you’ll be required to complete.

There is so much about that description that makes me cringe. Particularly the words Spartan, Death, and Race. And the fact that they’re all combined into one event makes me question so much. 

Me: How did you get started with that?

Jeff: I got started obstacle racing in 2011, doing a 5K obstacle race (Warrior Dash) with a friend from college. We both had a great time, but I was totally hooked. They are just so much fun and way more exciting (and difficult) than a typical 5k road race.

For those who are curious, the only obstacle race I complete is walking from my living room to my bedroom without stepping on a dog toy. So, props to you, Jeff, for not only running but doing it with things in the way.

Me: How do you train for this kind of race? Is it expensive and/or time consuming?

Jeff: The training physically helps, but it’s what goes on between your ears that will matter most when the race starts. For the shorter distances, I just do a little bit of weight training and running. For the Spartan Death Race, I did a lot of running, wood chopping, and generally making myself miserable for as long of a duration as possible. It doesn’t really cost a lot of money, but it’s very time consuming.

I would think that training to run in something called the Spartan Death Race would make a person miserable enough without having to add heavy lifting and wood chopping to the mix. But perhaps this is why I do not run. 

Me: Tell us about your favorite (or least favorite) obstacle racing experience.

Jeff: I think my favorite experience was doing the Spartan Sprint race in Colorado Springs, CO with my wife last year. We had such a great time (though we didn’t get to start as early as we wanted) and had so much fun during the race. Even though I had to walk back to the car barefoot (I gave away my shoes to some charity that was shipping them to Africa) it was still a great time.

So they do nice things at the Spartan Death Race? They don’t just torture the runners? This might be enough to make me change my mind about it. Well, no, I still think it’s nuts but the charity element makes me happy. 

Me: What advice would you give someone who’s thinking about attempting to participate in an intense obstacle race?

Jeff: Start off with a small obstacle race – something that has 10-20 obstacles and is less than 5 miles in duration. You don’t want to sign yourself up for some huge race only to find out that you hate it.

I think this is great advice. I can say with 100% certainty that I would hate it but if anyone reading Jeff’s interview decides to sign up for one of these races, can you let me know?