Joining a Spartan race was one of the pivotal moments in my life. It changed my lifestyle, shaped my character, and brought me lessons and experiences that redirected the course of my life.

Back then, the goal was to complete the Trifecta by collecting all three wedges from Spartan’s races: Sprint/Stadion (5KM with 20 obstacles), Super (10KM with 25 obstacles), and Beast (21KM with 30 obstacles).

This year, I obtained a double Trifecta and even pushed myself to conquer Spartan’s challenge of Trifecta Weekend where you’ll complete all three races in one weekend.

To prepare for my most ambitious goal (so far), Garmin Philippines equipped me with a smartwatch that became the perfect companion in my training.

Armed with the second-generation Garmin epix Pro, I also enlisted the help of Coach Genaro Sabile of G Performance and Fitness to ensure I have the mind and body suitable to compete for Trifecta Weekend.

Gear On: Garmin epix Pro (Gen 2) – 42mm Sapphire

Most sports smartwatches come with bulky sizes that would make me look like I’m Ben Tennyson from the animated series Ben 10. It’s hideous, right?

The Garmin epix Pro wasn’t anything like it. The first time I laid my eyes on it at an event at The Manila Padel Club, I knew I wanted it.

I liked how it used Sapphire Crystal on its lens, accented by a Titanium bezel supported by a fiber-reinforced polymer case. Even for a Carbon Gray colorway, the design exudes a tough aura geared towards athletes.

It’s heavier compared to the Apple Watch, but still lighter than the Huawei Watch GT 4. I’d still count it as lightweight, at least for me.

Moreover, it comes in a 42mm variant which wraps around my wrist perfectly. My only gripe is itching from the silicone material used on the strap that came with the device.

Nevertheless, the epix Pro came with an AMOLED touchscreen that makes it feel like an actual smartwatch. You can smoothly glide to take a preview of your data, but there are also corresponding buttons with respective functions that aid in navigating the device.

Garmin’s DNA is all over the epix Pro. It’s their premium smartwatch, after all.

Are you ready for a workout?

After an extreme awakening in July when I ditched my Apple Watch, I prepared myself for a grueling four-month hardcore training regimen.

My coach and I had to follow a six-day workout plan consisting of strength training, power endurance, and a structured running program. Hybrid athlete in the making, yes?

I’d say that it was tough trying to balance my program, personal affairs, work, and a few other things. It’s even tougher when you don’t get to complete the weekly workouts because life got in the way.

Still, I tried my best to show up on days that I felt like I couldn’t. My Garmin epix Pro came with morning reports indicating my training readiness and my training status.

Rest is crucial in helping your muscles grow and recover. Most of the time, when my smartwatch says I shouldn’t be working out and I should listen to my body, I heed the warning.

Sometimes, you don’t have the energy to perform your best, especially when doing squats, presses, and deadlifts.

Along with my body’s readiness, Garmin’s smartwatches also come with Body Battery energy monitoring. I get to see if my energy levels can handle my upcoming training for the day or I should just opt to recharge by getting sleep.

9 out of 10, I usually sleep. This usually happens when my stress score for the day is unbelievably high, I just need to make a restful recovery.

And speaking of sleep, I usually wear my smartwatch while recovering to allow the device to capture necessary data.

By morning, I get a detailed report on my body’s recovery through sleep score, the breakdown of my sleep stages, my sleep quality, and my heart-rate variability (HRV) status.

Check your heart rate

Aside from my strength and muscle endurance training, I spend a lot of my days outside going for a run.

The majority of my runs are divided into building my already high aerobic base, doing speed work, and improving my lactate threshold to last well in a race.

When running, I usually follow my heart rate zone and try my best to stay in Zone 2 for aerobic building. When I do threshold runs, I make sure it’s between Zone 3 and 4, while speed work pushes me to the edge of Zone 4 and up to Zone 5.

Sprinting takes a lot of power, which is why you need to push yourself to reach the fastest you can.

But of course, heart rate isn’t everything. During my slow and long runs, I was usually tuned in to my smartwatch. I check my pace, speed, cadence, power, and stamina — monitoring them while ensuring I maintain my form and rhythm.

Running on roads and trails

In four months, I only racked up five to ten kilometers of weekly mileage on road runs, which is unbelievably low for someone who competes in an endurance race.

But what can I do? My schedule doesn’t allow me to go out for longer runs. My best option was taking on the trails during the weekend. I switch up now and then running at Mt. Ayaas and Mt. Parawagan, accumulating a total of 10-15 kilometers, depending on the route we take.

At some point, we got lost traversing the secret river which racked us a total of 17 kilometers. 14 kilometers of assaults, slopes, uneven terrains, and 3 kilometers of crossing a knee-deep river with strong currents.

I feared for my life, yes. But the Garmin epix Pro’s GPS mode came into play, providing hope that we are taking the right trail going back to the town.

Race simulations

What I liked the most about my Garmin smartwatch was having it help me plan my upcoming races. When I joined the Xiaomi Pop Run, I used both the Smart Band 8 (which I did for a review) and the Garmin epix Pro on my other wrist as part of my training plan.

Since I always ran on the slopes of my village located on the hilly side far east of the Metro, the epix Pro managed to get valuable data that would help with my race simulations.

My VO2Max amounted to 57, which is then used alongside my training history, to measure my Hill Score and Endurance Score.

Both features measure my capability for my ability to run and sustain my prolonged efforts, whether on an uphill training or any other athletic pursuits.

It’s also used to get an estimate of my pace through the race predictor feature. Whether it’s a 5K, 10K, half-marathon, and a marathon.

There’s also an option to plan a race-day strategy with the PacePro Pacing Strategies. However, during the Xiaomi Pop Run, I opted to create a training plan to follow. Instead of aiming for a SUB1 finish, I put in a heart rate zone to follow for every kilometer.

This ended in a 1 hour and 4 minutes finish. I was disappointed that I was four minutes late, but I reminded myself that the training was more important. After all, the bigger event was the Spartan Trifecta Weekend.

Eventually, it paid off. Doing simulations at Obstacle Central allowed me to perform a clean execution of all obstacles in a short amount of time. Knowing full well that even with inconsistent training, I progressed a lot. I’m well-equipped to take on the Trifecta Weekend.

Ready for the Spartan Trifecta Weekend

I arrived the day before the Trifecta Weekend to do my duty as a race photographer for the 3K Elite race. It’s a different format requiring athletes to compete with speed and explosive power.

Being in the field gave me a huge advantage, seeing how the terrain would look like if the weather remained the same. Hot and humid, but still bearable for someone who’s acclimated to a never-ending summer weather.

The event took place in Montclair Destination Estate, an upcoming property development near Clark City. Having participated in races near the area, I know fully well what was waiting for me as a racer.

Sand, smog, a barren wasteland, uneven terrain of grass and rocks, a lahar-filled trail, and short slopes. Most of all, there are no shaded areas along the race course.

Spartan Beast

The first day of the Trifecta Weekend hosted the Spartan Beast race. A grueling 21-kilometer trail packed with 30 obstacles. I signed up for the Age Group category since it was the last leg of the Philippine National Series, and I intended to give my best in the last competitive heat that would require my mind, heart, and soul.

I finished my last Beast race back in May at around 4 hours and 36 minutes. This happened because I cramped at every obstacle on the last stretch of the race. I almost cried and it broke my spirit, knowing I could’ve finished in less than four hours.

This time around, I was determined to beat my time while performing a clean execution of the race. Funny enough, the only time I was penalized was when I dropped the Atlas Carry and Hercules Hoist.

Both obstacles require intense strength since they’re both around 50kg, and completing it would give me intense muscle cramps.

I already had two intense leg cramps. One was when I jumped at the eight-foot wall placed on a slope, making it ten feet high. One was when I ran after crossing an obstacle that required jumping over a three-foot wall and crossing bars as a stair going down.

Nevertheless, I finished at 3 hours and 47 minutes with 28 obstacles cleared. Far from my original goal, but better than my previous race even if I had various leg cramps along the way.

Moreover, my official ranking from my Age Group’s leaderboard jumped from 28th to 13th. A big jump, considering that my age bracket (25-29 yo) is among the most physically strong and in peak condition.

It was a tough battle and I’m proud of myself.

Spartan Super

The next day, I was hesitant to participate in the second day of the Trifecta Weekend. The muscles all over my body were stiff and aching from taking on the Spartan Beast race.

Still, I managed to get up since I remembered the costs of everything I paid for the race. Training, gear, nutrition, and countless days spent in the gym and on the trails.

I took on the Elite category for Spartan Super, a 10-kilometer trail with 25 obstacles. The obstacles are pretty much the same as the Spartan Beast, which gave me an inkling of what to do next.

I was excited since it was my second time participating in the elite category. I had to race toe-to-toe with national athletes, personnel of the Philippine Military Academy (PMA), and strong, competitive racers who decided to level up.

My last elite race flunked and I was thrashed because I was unprepared. This time around, I redeemed myself. Though far from going head-to-head with the national athletes, I was happy that on the first few kilometers, I was butting heads with the athletes from PMA.

I ended the Spartan Super in 1 hour and 36 minutes with 24 obstacles cleared out of 25. Again, I dropped the Hercules Hoist since my legs showed signs of cramping and I still had to take on a race afterward. Playing smart is the key.

Spartan Sprint

Having completed a double trifecta for the year with the Spartan Super medal, taking on the Spartan Sprint meant getting an extra medal. But finishing it meant also completing the Trifecta Weekend challenge.

Knowing that it was an Open category and a short, 5-kilometer trail with 20 obstacles, I decided to play around. I have friends who are taking on their first race, and I joined them while wearing bunny ears. Just for fun, you know.

Racing with friends is a lot more fun than going competitive, creating new memories that I will forever cherish. I didn’t mind the time, and instead, helped my friends conquer the obstacles and the race.

Aside from being the cheerleader, I lightened the mood on the race course since most people were surprised to see me dressed in an all-white outfit, dirty, and wearing bunny ears.

Moreover, I didn’t require any help. Even with a tired body, I knew that preparing for the Trifecta Weekend gave me a strong, enduring mind and body that could take three races in one weekend. And it was all thanks to the dedication I put in for four months.

A Spartan’s GadgetMatch

Switching to the Garmin epix Pro was the best decision I made this year. Not only did it help me improve my athletic performance, but it also helped push me to make healthier habits.

Having a premium multi-sports smartwatch on your wrist will make you think about what you are doing with your life if you’re just sitting on a couch, doom-scrolling on TikTok. It will make you get up, and put in the work because it’s expensive AF.

The Garmin epix Pro Sapphire 42MM and 47MM retail for PhP 62,780. Meanwhile, the epix Pro Sapphire 51mm is priced at PhP 69,050.

The price alone would mean it’s an investment to make, but a worthy one because it’s for your health, fitness, and overall improvement of your life.

As a Spartan, it pushed me to face obstacles not just on the race course but in my life — head-on. Knowing I have a smartwatch to keep track of my progress, I know I’ll do better one obstacle and 10,000 steps at a time.