Its Thursday night and we’ve been busy! The Powerful Team was recently on the road catching up with our favorite people on these planet: The Spartans! The team traveled to Jacksonville, FL to witness the sprint! And there, we caught up with one of our top Spartans and Powerful Ambassadors: Billy Heatherly. Billy took some time to answer some questions regarding how to tackle one of these events & how to recover from such a feat! Read below!
Please, tell our readers a little bit about yourself, your most valued achievement, a fun fact…
I was a crazy, energetic kid growing up. So my parents, to deal with my energy, threw me in multiple sports a day. So I would have 3 practices a day going from soccer to rugby to boxing. After high school I went to college to play soccer and won a collegiate soccer championship my sophomore year. Then I had an realization after watching an afghan war documentary when I found out most the people fighting in the war were my age or younger. So a couple weeks later I dropped out of college and enlisted in the Marines where I spent 3 years in the infantry and 2 years in the Scout Sniper Platoon.
List three most important tips we must know before tackling any Spartan Sprint Race
First get your body ready for the mileage. So many people focus on grip strength and obstacles but you have to get yourself there before you can even attempt an obstacle.
Second get the appropriate shoe that can handle any weather, mud, or slick terrain. I like a good old fashion trail shoe with a lot of grip.
Finally ENJOY the EXPERIENCE! so many people take the race too seriously. Enjoy the suck, enjoy the environment, enjoy your failures and learn from it, and finally enjoy all the people around you.
What does your diet look like when preparing for a Sprint?
I eat very clean every day, a lot of rice, chicken, and greens. But the day before a race I have my cheat meal and load up on carbs and all the nasty food. When you eat clean for so long and then have that cheat meal, it almost gives you an energy boost the next day.
What is your favorite kind of Spartan Race?
My favorite kind of spartan race is all of them. Not one race is ever the same. It its a humbling and forever learning sport that you can never get bored of.
Honestly, how many burpees do you do on a regular race?
If I have to do any burpees it usually because of the spear throw. I have a love hate relationship with that obstacle.
As follow up, what is the biggest challenge you find in Spartan Sprints?
The biggest challenge I find with a spartan sprint is keeping pace. It is such a short and fast race that sometimes I go too hard at the beginning and over time those obstacles really weaken you and ruin your race pace.
In terms of goals achieved, how does completing a Spartan Race makes you feel?
I have done over 100 races and still to this day every time I complete a race, no matter if its a highly competitive or running with my dad, I get the greatest feeling of accomplishment at the finish line. It is truly a life changing experience.
Thanks Billy!
Stay tuned to see what Spartan Race the team will be attending next!