We are just wrapping up a summer edition of a Spartan Burpee Challenge and I wanted to share some quick Spartan Burpee Challenge photos. Our "official" start date was July 9, finishing 30 days after on August 7. The idea was to set an individual goal of total burpees and then execute them. Some set goals for 5 burpees per day; others 300 burpees per day. And we were all in it together.
3 to 300 Burpees Per Day: A Challenge for All Comers
This was inspired and I feel is a part of the Burpees for Vets challenge — a 1-year challenge that is raising money to support innovative ways to help our veterans work through the PTS, a staggering problem that Spartans definitely want to help solve. (You can join with the group at: http://burpeesforvets.com/)
(Update: Watch Mark's message of congratulations and invite to the Spartan Challenge finishers. Mark led the Burpees for Vets with 300 burpees per day for a year.)
As a group and as individuals, there was a lot of discovery. I'd say one thing that was especially revealing that probably shouldn't have been a surprise was the built-in penalty of missing a day. I had two days during the 30 where unforeseen circumstances prevented me from my planned 200 burpee-per-day contribution toward a 6000 burpee goal. In a way I sort of liked the challenge of having to make them up with a 300 burpees per day, but the excitement wore off when I hit the 205 mark. But the funny thing reported by several of us: After you pushed through to a new level, something in the brain changed and the thought of 300 burpees was not as intimidating as it had been before.
We still have some final reports coming in and there will be a wrap-up story in a couple of weeks. But here are some recent moments.
Amanda Brogna knocking out a 4000th burpee and somehow managing to capture the completion of her goal with a photo at the peak of her jump. Chris Boyd finally got tired during one of his burpee-&-weight-vest sessions and needed a little in-your-face coaching. Jamie Eck and his darkside friends reporting in. Jamie completed his goal of 3000.
Kim Riech took this picture when she had one day and 130 burpees to go. Amanda Nielsen wrote: "Done!! 3000 in 30 days! That was a fun challenge thank you!" A consistency all-star for sure. I personally was trying to be this consistent but found some interesting ways to trip myself up. Tramayne Young-Minor did the burpee challenge as part of her training for her race in Spartan Vermont. One 6am run workout -- where she had beat a previous time by 4.5 minutes--was followed by 100 burpees. She suggested that she wasn't so sure she was going to get this done but she tore right through them. Liza Cason added a challenge to the challenge by making coffee AFTER morning burpees, not before. Let's talk discipline. I am trying to fathom how she did that. Also in this picture is Tyrus, who I'm sure is hoping that now the challenge is over he can take off the cone. Liza's log. Beat her goal with a 4600! Peter Burnham's workout was more than just in the books. Amanda Mueller averaged 200 burpees per day for 30 days and had a fan the whole way. Peter Burnham was one of our challengers that used the daily burpee work to bolster tons of other training. One of our pioneers. Aksel Nelson on the path! Check out Kyle McCabe's journey to beating his 30-day goal by 10 reps. I think his complaints column was something related to by all. Elizabeth Hyam Bell smiling her way through the challenge. Savannah Lacy's log. She wrote, "When I read about the 30-day Spartan burpee challenge I never thought I'd be able to commit to doing burpees on the daily. We were challenged to set a goal that is realistic but was scary to think about attempting. I chose to do 140 burpees a day, 1 for every pound of weight I have lost. 4,200 burpees in 30 days." On starting, Taylor Huffman did a timed 100-burpee test and recorded a 13:03. 30 days later, after finishing, he retested: 8:24. (!!!!) Mélissa Pilote Spartaned up!! Lyne Carreau: Check!!
TJ Murphy
The Senior Editor of Spartan Life, T.J. Murphy is a New York Times bestselling author and former editor of Triathlete Magazine. His writing has also appeared in Outside & Runner's World.
