Part autobiography, part motivation/health and fitness guide, part self-development: this audiobook has everything you need in a workout/running companion.
After having listened to the audio version of David Goggins’ Can’t Hurt Me, I had high standards going into listening to my next ‘motivational’ book. Spartan Up! didn’t disappoint. As with Goggins, I had been introduced to Joe De Sena (the author of the book and founder of the Spartan Race) through Joe Rogan’s podcast. And as with Goggins’ book, I had to listen to De Sena’s book twice to really take in the message. That’s how it is when you listen to an audiobook while running.
Joe De Sena had a long and successful stint as an ultra-race competitor long before creating the Spartan Race. He noticed a gap in the market; there were plenty of ultra-races set up, but very few obstacle races—at least not many that were accessible to the average person. Joe wanted to change that, and so he and a few dedicated individuals founded the Spartan Race. The book Spartan Up! tells the story of the race, from its foundation as a small event in his home state of Vermont to a global phenomenon, with dozens of events every year in many countries. Throughout the book, we are given snippets of Joe’s life growing up, creating several businesses and how he began competing in ultra-races.
One of the best parts of this book are the interviews with Spartan Race finishers. Most of them are ‘normal’ people, who just wanted to lose weight and get in shape, and ended up completing these tough events. Some are cancer or accident survivors, who wanted to use the gift of life they had been given to do something extraordinary. The stories in the book are inspiring, because they show that anyone can complete a difficult obstacle race—if they’re willing to put the work in. The race acts as a metaphor for the unpredictable struggles we all experience in life, and completing a race shows us that we can conquer anything.
As someone who competes in local amateur CrossFit events and finishes several long-distance running races a year, you can bet I was inspired by the idea of completing a Spartan Race. The book Spartan Up! opened my eyes to a whole new world of challenges, one with a community full of savages who think like I do. My 2023 plan? To complete a Spartan Trifecta. Spartan Up!
Buy the Spartan Up! audiobook here:
