The 1500: Bring the Pain

     I am a subscriber to an email sent out daily by the people of Spartan Race. It is known as the Spartan Race WOD, or the workout of the day. Every day I get the email, read it, think about whether or not I should do the workout, decide I should, but then I come up with a million reasons not to (most of my reasons are exercise-related, like I have bjj later that day and don't want to be worn out from doing a crazy spartan circuit--if I use one form of exercise to get out of another, does it count as an excuse? Something to ponder...). Anyway, today's WOD looks incredibly daunting. It's known as the Spartan 1500 and is as follows:
    -100 Burpees
    -100 Pullups
    -100 Box Jumps
    -100 Sandbag Squat Throws
    -100 Jumping Jacks
    -100 Ab Twists (50/side)
    -100 Squats
    -100 Sidekicks (50/side)
    -100 Jumping Lunges
    -100 Curls (50/side)
    -100 Tricep Overhead Extensions (50/side)
    -100 Frog Jumps
    -100 Squat Jumps
   -3 Rope Climbs
   -300 Crunches
As I read through the list of what looks like one of the most intimidating workouts I've ever seen, and my eyes jumped from one scary exercise to the next, I cringed. It's not the exercises themselves that are unfortunate, but there are enough reps in this workout to make a grown man cry. They don't call it the 1500 for nothin'.
     After reading the WOD once, and then twice, and then a third time, I decided that not only should I do this WOD, but that I actually would. I haven't set a deadline yet...I still need to decide how much time I'll need to condition myself for the 100 pullups. Perhaps I'll substitute something a little more manageable for that one. Maybe do two rounds of 10 pullups with a 90-second flexed-arm hang? Decisions, decisions. The 1500 is something for me to work towards. And if, by some otherworldly miracle, I conquer the tough feat of completing the 1500, I'll try to address the challenge set forth by Spartan Race; those f-cukers want you to do it in an hour. Ha. Haha. That's funny. I'll be lucky to get it done in a day. Tomorrow is my first attempt (each exercise will be completed 50 times instead of the suggested 100). Updates to come.