Accidental Athlete

Name: Peter Tan
Age: 51
Medical History:  Insomnia, backache, sports injury

In his 40s, Peter had considered himself to be fitter than most people his age; but despite his claim, the most exercise he got came from his yearly ski and scuba trips, while activities on other months were infrequent due to lack of motivation and his gruelling work schedule as an IT Architect.  However, when his wife and friends from Team Superfit challenged him to join a Spartan race in Sentosa in 2018, Peter was forced to reassess his fitness.

 �I struggled through the race and almost passed out after doing some burpees under the hot sun! Very embarrassingly, I even needed my wife�s help with carrying the sandbag down a steep slope!� he recalled about his first time taking on the obstacle race.  

It was a humbling experience for Peter, but one that sparked his interest in this unique sport that tested his limits. It felt different from road running races that only focused on one activity, and it was physically more demanding.  Peter realised that to conquer such races, he would need to get serious about getting into shape.

The Turning Point

Peter started making lifestyle changes to his schedule, setting aside a fixed time to run and train regularly. Luckily, he had a spouse and friends who were race enthusiasts, who helped him to stay disciplined and accountable on days where he lacked motivation to get out of bed to go for his morning runs.  He also made a committed effort to improve his diet, as he noticed it affected his energy level when he trained. He cancelled his wine subscription and started reducing his alcohol intake, and cut down on empty carbs consumption, opting to eat �cleaner� and more natural foods instead, all this while he continued to participate in races to build up experience.  

He found that working out regularly not only improved his stamina and his time in his races, but also made an impact on his day-to-day activities. Not only did his sleep cycle improve, he was less irritable at work and more relaxed.

Within two years, Peter participated in over ten races, including the 7km Spartan Sprint YCK and 13km Spartan Super Bukit Timah in Singapore, the 21km Spartan Beast Tambun in Malaysia and  21km Spartan World Championship in USA. He also took part in other trails running races to build up his endurance, including the 50km Forest Force Trail and the 22km Ultra-Trail Australia in New South Wales. 

Although Peter enjoyed significant health benefits from his training, he admitted his impatience to improve quickly almost backfired on him.

�I made a rookie mistake l when I switched from non-competitive Spartan races to age group competitions. Because of my increased training load, I developed a niggling shoulder pain. And because I was packing in a race every 1-2 months, it got aggravated into a real injury, including pain on my opposite knee.�  

Peter had to seek help from a rehab movement therapist for his injury, and consulted a run technique specialist to learn how to run more efficiently and with less impact on his knee. He also started on dietary supplements to boost his immunity and improve movements in his joints, and has learned to take his rest days more seriously.

Currently, Peter�s training consists of runs every Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday and Sunday, with strength training on his rest days. When Spartan season starts, he plans to reduce his days for running and add more strength training and HIIT work to his schedule. Prior to disruption from Covid-19, he was looking to best his time in this year�s Spartan race at Bukit Timah, and also the Standard Chartered Marathon.  

The Fitness Mantra

On what advise he would offer to those hoping to get started on their journey to fitness, Peter encourages one to find a support group and just sign up for a race, as he feels having a sense of urgency and a goal to work towards help sustain motivation and keep things interesting. He also advises one to listen to their own body and rest when required, as older athletes take longer to recover.

�I used to call myself the �Accidental Athlete�, but I�ve definitely transformed into a very �intentional� one! I guess you could say that I�ve found a new lease on life and new purpose through racing! At my age, you also learn about life priorities, and there�s really diminishing returns with additional hours at work and wasting time on other mindless entertainment.  Why watch TV, when you can create and experience your own amazing stories in real life?�

Peter currently trains under the advisement of a coach, with runs four times a week and strength training on weekends.

To find out more about Spartan races, visit https://www.spartanrace.sg