At last year’s Spartan Sprint 2018, four out of five of the top ranking Hong Kong Spartan racers are regulars at Kapuhala Training Space. Does this modestly sized social fitness studio and community have something to do with these results?
Although the success of each racer is, of course, their own personal achievement, Kapuhala Training Space has a unique philosophy and a strong, supportive community that is clearly evident.
Kapuhala is not a gym. It is a multifaceted training space where we take a holistic approach to fitness. Our "Burn – Build - Fix" ethos combines cardio, strength, flexibility and mindfulness. Kapuhala’s brand logo depicting three rings, like the cross section of a tree trunk, symbolizes three focal areas that underpin the essence of our brand: holistic training, eating with nutritional benefits in mind, and living sustainably and responsibly in Kapuhala’s training retreats and farms.
In this blog we draw from the experience of our warriors who are not only our members, friends and even instructors, but also ordinary people with families and responsibilities. They have excelled at this fun but challenging race by simply enjoying great workouts in good company.
Q&A with Mariana Grigorian, Camille McKim and Rosa-Maria Knutar:
1) Tell us about your overall experience of the Spartan Race last year. Were you nervous? Excited? Or both?
Mariana: The overall experience was unbelievably fantastic. In my case, I decided to turn up to the race the night before, after days of traveling and no regular training. Inspired by two of my teammates and Kapuhala’s instructors, Rosa and Camille, I decided to race. Also, following the wise advice of another Kapuhala warrior Wesley Reid, I truly maximized my overall experience simply by showing up to the race without any heavy expectations. My only goal was to have fun!
Camille: I was excited and nervous leading up to the race day. At the start line, I was relatively relaxed because I was racing with friends and I knew I'd see them out on the course. Also, my family was there to cheer me on at various points during the race.
Rosa: My overall experience was great. The year before in 2017, when my kids did the Spartan Kids Race, I noticed the intoxicating atmosphere and was sad that I did not sign up for the race that year. It was there and then I decided to participate in next year’s race.
I was excited! I have a background in competing in cross-country skiing and track and field my whole life. In competition situations I’m always ready to use my excitement to push myself to the limits! I love that feeling. The Spartan race was so much fun even if it was also really tough. I still finished the whole race with a smile on my face!
2) How did you train in preparation for the race? What’s the secret to becoming a Spartan Warrior?
Mariana: Unfortunately despite my initial intentions, I didn't train for the obstacles at all (which ended up costing me over 180 burpees on race day), so all my training is my love for moving and being active in any way possible. For me it would be impossible to train if I didn't absolutely love it! So, the only "secret" is being persistent in my training—combining strength with cardio. Something that is pretty easy to achieve given the context of DB and what Kapuhala has to offer: the variety of classes and the fun of the gang!
Camille: Regular scheduled sessions of BODYPUMP and Spin, but I added GRIT and Circuit Training when I had extra time in my schedule.
Rosa: I didn’t do any specific training this time. The classes I teach, BODYPUMP, GRIT, Circuit Training, Bootcamp and Spin keep me fit and busy. Also running with four children, schools and their activities, keep me on the move all the time. I think I already have the spartan within me and next race I can be more prepared after having done one!
3) What are your eating and what are your sleeping patterns like? Please share any tips or secrets.
Mariana: As someone who’s pretty impatient, undisciplined and with a certain love for wine and sugar, I can’t say I’m an exemplar when it comes to nutrition. I would say that I am not affiliated with any eating philosophies, however I do mostly eat raw food. Keeping in mind the balance between proteins, carbs and fats, I end up eating quite healthily in general—no secrets, simply because "it really feels good"!
Camille: I can't recommend anything spectacular here. My eat/drink/sleep patterns could be frowned upon by other Spartans, but I'm just a human living my life.
Rosa: I eat a lot: Normal healthy food— breakfast, lunch, snack, dinner and evening snack. Regular eating and when training I have to eat enough (a lot). Also I drink a lot of water. I try to sleep as much as I can. I’m in bed by 9pm or 10pm every night. My key for recovery is sleeping, which is not so easy in my household with four kids.
I really enjoyed the race. We, ladies, pushed each other to go even harder. All of us are in good shape and didn’t give up. I did burpees 5 times. My goal next time is to not do so many burpees, and maybe do some more upper body strength training.