Lessons from A Winter Warrior
How Spartan Racer Gwendolyn (Wendy) Bounds embraces the cold
I hate the cold.
This time of year, I’m about as perky as a basket of dirty laundry. I routinely surf my butt across at least three sofas before getting to the gym. Yesterday, I put on my coat and proceeded to spend an hour in it, flopping around the house and talking to my dog before finally finding the motivation forced willpower to head out the door. Most days, I’ll leave the house around 11 a.m., bundled up and looking forward to thawing out in the sauna for 20 minutes while whining about the weather to anyone who will listen.
So when I caught up with Wendy Bounds this week, I was a little nervous. Not just because we hadn’t spoken in over a decade (we were colleagues at The Wall Street Journal back in the day), but also because I’ve seen her social media posts—Wendy climbing mountains and ropes, trekking through mud and enduring frigid temperatures. I didn’t think she’d be open to my complaints about the slush on my windshield.
One of the best parts about working at the Journal was getting to know a multitude of smart, funny, and brilliant women. Wendy was one of them. In our 30s, we bonded over fix-it projects and gardening. Now, in our 50s, we share a new love of strength training, workouts, and—of course—protein. Last year, Wendy wrote a fantastic book, Not Too Late, about her midlife discovery of Spartan Racing: a grueling and physically demanding sport that includes feats such as crawling through barbed wire and jumping over fire. Spartan Races are widely regarded as some of the toughest endurance challenges in the world.
Without further ado, here is an excerpt from our recent conversation (slightly edited for clarity).
AMC: You train six days a week: three strength days, three run days–and your run days are outdoors. How do you handle the cold?
WB: I actually prefer the cold to the heat. I love the silence of snow, of the cold. I like how much more empty the trails are, how special it feels to be outside when it’s a little bit painful–going from feeling cold to sweating under all the clothes.
That’s not to say it’s easy. In the morning, I literally have to say to myself, “Quit whining.” I tell myself the dog needs to go out. I leave my running shoes out the night before near a chair across the room–-it’s a visual cue so I have to get out of bed to put them on. But once I get out, I am pretty happy in the cold.
Then when I finish the run, there is this bakery that sells an amazing egg and cheese biscuit. That’s my lure! Sometimes it’s the main thing I look forward to. But kidding aside, one of the most important things this sport has done for me is getting me comfortable with being uncomfortable. Spartan Racing has forced me to get wet and cold and suffer in ways I don’t suffer in the other parts of my life. And it makes me better–-better at work, at getting stuff done.
AMC: Do the things you like to eat change when it gets cold? What are some of your favorite things to eat in the winter?
WB: I don’t really shift what I eat. My breakfast is always the same: plain Greek yogurt, with blueberries, walnuts, pumpkin seeds and this Magic Spoon cereal on top of it. I try to eat as close to my body weight in grams of protein every day. I eat a lot of venison. I supplement with protein bars and protein powder. I feel like maybe I eat more in the winter? I do drink a lot more bone broth; it’s my go-to hot drink.
AMC: By the way, I’m still thinking of that run and how you make it sound amazing. I gotta tell you, I don’t enjoy cardio–I love lifting but cardio can be a drag. These days, I have it in my training because I’m eight weeks out from my next competition. My go-to is the [indoor] step mill. But listening to you, I’m going to mix things up and try to embrace the cold with a Wendy run in the morning. At least sometimes.
By the way, do you make your bone broth?
WB: No. I wish I were one of those people, but I’m not.
AMC: I’ll share my recipe*. It’s so easy to make and so good.
WB: OK, well, you’ll influence me on homemade bone broth and I’ll influence you on the outdoor runs. Fair.
AMC: What are your favorite sources of protein?
WB: I order venison regularly from Maui Nui Venison. It’s low in fat, high in protein and I like the taste. I also snack on their venison sticks and carry them around with me in every bag I own. I eat Greek yogurt each morning. I also eat a lot of eggs and fish three times a week–-typically salmon or arctic char. Plus chicken. And a protein powder made into a smoothie with Ripple unsweetened plain pea milk.
AMC: I just turned 50. You’re 53 now. What does that feel like, to be an athlete in her 50s?
WB: My sleep gets more disrupted. I have this Chilipad cooling system–-it’s a pad that runs over your mattress that sends cool water underneath— and it’s life changing. The single greatest thing in my sleep that I’ve ever come across.
But honestly, I came into all of this athleticism later in life and I’m still like, “Oh my God, this is what it feels like to be strong and fit.” It’s actually one of the gifts of coming into it late in life—it still feels shiny and new. In many ways, I’m stronger than a younger version of myself—I couldn’t climb a 17-foot rope in my 20s or 30s. And sure, we all get older and I know this isn’t going to last forever. But it’s here right now and I’m loving it.
AMC: What are some of your favorite obstacles? And least favorite?
WB: I love The Box, which involves climbing the side of a very slick eight-foot box using only a rope and grabbing a bar on the top to pull yourself up and over. It takes a good bit of upper body strength, and I failed that obstacle for almost two years before I finally built up enough strength to nail it. It’s a reminder of what time and patience and perseverance can bring. I also admire the Spear Throw, even though a lot of racers hate it because it's a one-shot deal. It reminds me of a lot of things in life, where you are put on the spot and you either perform and move forward, or don't and pay the consequences. The Monkey Bars are also supremely fun because we forget how to move our bodies like we did when we were kids, and we get to relearn and remember.
AMC: Coaches often ask their athletes to visualize a “why” -– to recognize your deep, ingrained reason for getting uncomfortable each day, to train. Motivation is a fleeting thing: Sometimes you have it and sometimes you don’t. But having a solid “why” is important especially when you don’t feel like it. What is yours?
WB: My “why” is that obstacle course racing reminds me of what I still can be in this world versus clinging only to what I already am. It's a definitive statement that I'm not fully baked as a human being. As we age, I believe adopting this mindset is super important for our health and happiness.
*AMC’s 48-Hour Bone Broth
Put a half-dozen bony chicken parts in a crockpot filled with water (I usually do 6 to 8 legs; a leftover rotisserie carcass also works well), set to ‘low’, and let it cook all day or overnight.
At some point the next day, usually midday, I’ll scoop out the chicken bones, pick off the best pieces of meat and throw those back in. (The rejects make the dog very, very happy). I throw in 3-4 Herb-Ox bouillon cubes for extra flavor. Salt and pepper to taste. Then I throw in a bunch of chopped vegetables, usually some combination of the below:
–Carrots
–Celery
–Onions or leeks
–Chopped cabbage
–Turnip
–Parsnips
Once the veggies cook down, I like to add some chopped Italian parsley and fresh dill and simmer a little more. When it looks well and done, refrigerate overnight and strain the fat off the top. Freeze half (for another time) and make a separate pot of wide egg noodles for those in the household (i.e. everyone else) who like them added.
A friendship forged in protein, strength training and do-it-yourself projects is one that will last. Thanks for including me in Lift and that's a great recipe. Now I just need to learn to cook. :)