Earlier this year we were delighted to announce that Drynks had entered into a collaboration with Spartan to become their official Drynks Partner.
For those who aren’t familiar with them, Spartan is a kick-ass organisation and is the UK’s leading obstacle course race and endurance brand.
Being their Drynks Partner means that our Smashed alcohol-free beers and ciders feature at eight UK and Irish Spartan 2020 races and we are also supporting their BE UNBREAKABLE campaign.
Spartan and Drynks came together because of our mutual belief in hard work and determination. To be a Spartan Racer you have to be focused on your goal, just like we are in our quest to help the people of the UK find a non-alcoholic drynk that fits into their lifestyle.
Our range of alcohol-free drynks can obviously be enjoyed at many different occasions – be it BBQs, dinner parties, chilled evenings or with any of your favourite dishes – but they are also great for those people wanting to stay fit and healthy.
The Spartan community of racers and athletes certainly fall into this category and we’re sure that they are enjoying our drynks as part of their health and fitness regimes.
We caught up with one such Spartan Racer recently – Michael the Urban Challenger to find out how he smashes his targets and stays on track.
Michael told us about all about his fitness regime, why he loves Spartan races, what his diet is like, and of course how Covid-19 has affected his training. Read on to hear what he had to say…
What type of races do you compete in?
I compete in every race from Spartan Sprint through to Ultra Distance. I even get involved in some of the endurance stuff (hurricane heats) from time to time.
What physical training do you do normally?
I usually train five times a week. That is split between weight training and running: I have one long run and then also mix running into my weight training days which are either HIIT or CrossFit based.
Has your training schedule changed because of Covid-19?
I have definitely started running more since the outbreak. My garden has also become my “gym” and a lack of proper weights means that I have been focusing a lot more on body weight training.
Why do you like the Spartan Races?
Spartan is amazing because anyone can get involved; whether you are a newbie to OCR or world class trail runner. It takes grit, determination and some persistence but you always feel amazing when you hit the finish line.
What keeps you motivated?
Definitely challenging myself and making sure that I keep making the goals harder and harder to reach. This allows me to keep pushing and I love the challenge.
How long have you been doing challenges/races like Spartan?
I started obstacle course racing and adventure running in 2015 and did my first Spartan event in 2016. Since then I think I’ve done more than 50 Spartan events.
What is a Spartan Racer’s diet like?
A Spartan racer’s diet will consist of mainly good and healthy food throughout the regular week. This includes a decent amount of protein for recovery, carbs for energy during training and good fats for overall health... then of course you also have an amazing cheat meal post-race!
How do you maintain a balanced diet?
I’ve been in the habit of tracking my food intake and making sure I’m eating exactly what I need to attack my goals for years now. But I always enjoy myself when I want too and don’t deny myself foods I want when I want them. I just make sure they fit into my days eating plan.
Do you ever have ‘cheat’ days in regard to food and drink?
I do have some days where I overindulge with loads of unhealthy food, but I never let that get me down or into a slump. I make sure that I use those extra calories as a motivation for a killer training session the next day!
What do you think of Drynks’ range of lagers and ciders?
They taste fantastic and taste like the actual alcoholic drinks I have been drinking all my life. I think they actually taste better than a lot of alcoholic drinks out there!
How do you incorporate Drynks into your diet? Do they help you stick to your training regime?
They are perfect for enjoying a beverage when you ‘get the taste for it’. You don’t feel like you’re going to miss out on drinking with friends, but they do allow you to miss out on the hangover the next day! They are also great to keep your training going without any unnecessary pauses.
What does a ‘normal’ day look like for you in terms of exercise, food and drink?
I’m an early riser so up at 6:30 and have a coffee straight away. I usually have breakfast (cooked eggs are usually a staple for me) or a breakfast bar before my workout. Depending on whether I’m having a long run or not I will change how many carbs I intake in the morning.
My workout is usually done by 1ish then I have a post-workout protein shake. My lunch is at around 3pm (chicken salads or falafel wraps are my go-to).
I drink water throughout the day (usually 2 litres minimum) and then in the evening I will have a great home cooked meal which I like to mix up for me and the family.
What’s your favourite food and drink when you are training?
My favourite food when drinking has to be pizza after a long run! My favourite drink is actually water or fresh orange juice if I’m feeling fancy!
Find out more about Michael and his journey with Spartan at theurbanchallenger.com.