Deka Mile Recap

I waited nervously for the announcer to tell me to approach the starting line.

My judge encouraged me as I lined up behind the orange cones. The buzzer rang as a techno version of Journey’s Don’t Stop Believing pounded through the gym’s stereo.

I ran out the gym door and down the parking lot to another cone marking 160 meters. Only nine more laps to go, I thought as I circled the cone and ran back to start at the first exercise station.

30 reverse lunges with a 55-lb weight.

This was the start of my first Deka Mile challenge, an offshoot of Spartan. But before we go any further, let’s take a second to see what it took to get to this point.

What is the Deka Mile

Deka Mile is part of a series of events that also includes Deka Fit and Deka Strong. Spartan owns Deka, which revolves around ten functional training zones. The Deka mile consists of the ten zones plus a mile of total running distance.

• 160 Meter Run
• Spartan RAM Alt Reverse Lunge (30 reps)
• 160 Meter Run
• Row 500m at damper setting 5
• 160 Meter Run
• Box Jump Overs (20 reps)
• 160 Meter Run
• Medicine Ball Sit-Up Throw (25 reps)
• 160 Meter Run
• Ski Erg (500m) at damper setting 5
• 160 Meter Run
• Farmer’s Carry (100m)
• 160 Meter Run
• Air Bike (25 calories)
• 160 Meter Run
• Dead Ball Wall Overs 4ft barrier (20 reps)
• 160 Meter Run
• Tank Push/Pull (aka heavy sled push and pull)
• 160 Meter Run
• Spartan RAM Burpees (20 reps)

My Training

Since January 1st, 2024, I’ve been taking on a different fitness challenge each month of the year. Deka seemed like a new challenge that would help me prepare for my big goal for the year, completing the Spartan Ultra.

Here’s what my year has looked like so far:

January: Run over 230 miles

February: Do an outdoor kettlebell workout every day

March: Carry a 60 lbs sandbag one mile a day for 31 days

April: Run back-to-back Spartan races, a half marathon trail race, and try four different adventure sports during the month

May: Do a CrossFit Hero workout every day to raise money for a veteran’s charity

June: Complete a Deka Mile

All of my challenges so far this year have helped prepare me for the Deka Mile. However, during the month of June, I included specific training sessions for the event. This included three runs and one cycling session each week. I also did three strength training workouts—one focused on heavy strength training, one on power development, and one that included exercises found in the Deka Mile.

At the end of each day, I’d spend 15-30 minutes doing static and dynamic stretching and mobility exercises.

This routine would prove to be a solid foundation for the Deka Mile. However, it could have been better.

Keep reading to see why.

Deka Mile: Day of Event

I got to G3 Fitness, the Beaverton, OR, gym hosting the event, about a half hour early. I anxiously waited in my car for the gym to open. I scarfed down a banana to get some last-minute carbs in my system.

When I went in, the staff was immediately welcoming. One of the employees went through each station with me, explaining the rules.

I was a little worried about the ski-erg. I had never used it before.

I gave the tank a quick shove to see how heavy it felt.

It felt very heavy.

The announcer called my name. I walked over to the start line, ready to get this show on the road. Some of the bigger races will have competitors line up and start at the same time. Smaller gyms will have one or two people go at a time. Ultimately, it doesn’t matter because it will depend on your finishing time.

I took off running. The run course extended out of the gym and down the parking lot to an orange cone. I looped around the cone and ran back to the gym, trying not to overdo it on speed. Before I knew it, I was racing through the reverse lunges. I tried to slow down but I flew through the first three stations: lunges, box jump over, and row.

“You’re making great time!” my judge yelled as I finished my final medicine ball sit up.

Even though the words of encouragement gave me a little mental boost, I could feel myself starting to slow down. I ran out the gym doors with a little less zip. When I got back, I could feel my body starting to hit a wall. 

I began pulling the handles of the ski erg and knew I was in for a world of hurt. My entire body felt like it was trying to cramp up. I was only halfway through the different zones when I started feeling dizzy. As I ran back in from my post-ski erg daze, my judge handed me a bottle of water.

“You looked like you could use this.”

She was right. I was thirsty and feeling a little shaky. 

My now fatigued body slowly made its way to 25 calories on the Rogue Echo bike, which was way harder than expected. Instead of running the next tenth of a mile, I walked. 

Over Halfway There

I powered through the farmer’s carries (all my grip strength training paid off). Then, slept walked through the tank push and pull. My goal became to keep moving…and not to throw up.

I stood there for a moment, looking down at the 60-pound medicine ball. I bent down and hoisted it to my shoulder, beginning the longest set of dead ball shoulder overs of my life. I threw the medicine ball over my shoulder for what felt like hours. Relieved when I heard my judge call out, “20!” I knocked out my last 160 m run. 

I walked up to the final station.

Burpees while holding the Spartan ram. 

That was the hardest set of burpees I’ve ever done. I was so exhausted from the previous nine stations that the burpees became the toughest zone.  I set down the ram, crossed the finish line, and collected my finisher medal and Deka mile mark. The Deka mark is similar to the wedge given out with finisher medals at Spartan races. If you complete a Deka Fit, Deka Mile, and Deka Strong in the same year, the marks will fit together to make another medal.

I plopped down and leaned my back against a wall.

I sat there for about ten minutes before finally standing up. I walked over to the gym staff members who had helped me during my race and thanked them for their support. 

I began the three-hour drive back home and wore the medal the entire way. 

What I Would Do Differently

I finished about ten minutes slower than my goal pace. Here’s what I would have done differently.

1. I went out the gate way too hard. The first five stations were way easier than the last five, so I went hard, and by the time I got to station seven, I was gassed.

2. I would have done more event-specific training with a running clock to understand better how it would go during the event. Starting about eight weeks out, I’d do this at least once a week in the lead-up to the event.

3. I would do more heavy sled work. I trained with a sled, but it wasn’t nearly heavy enough compared to the tank push/pull.

4. I would practice the ski erg. I had never done this exercise before, and my pace really slowed because I didn’t know how to use proper form to achieve maximum distance with each pull.

5. I would do more sprint work followed by body weight exercises. The feeling of trying to do an exercise after sprinting is probably the best way to describe how the Deka Mile feels by the last two or three stations.

Practice makes perfect. Now that I’ve done it, it will go smoother next time because it will be more familiar, and everything won’t be new all at once. Like any event, you lose some time on the clock figuring things out. 

Deka Mile Recap

I gave it my best effort and finished in just over 43 minutes. Overall, I enjoyed the experience. G3 Fitness is an excellent gym with welcoming staff that made the event go smoothly. 

Spartan always puts on a fantastic event, and the Deka series is no exception. I decided to do Deka because it looked fun, and I knew training for it would help me in my next challenge, the 15k Tough Mudder, not to mention my big challenge for the year, the Spartan Ultra.

If you can try one of the Deka Mile events, you should. Sure, it’s a challenge, but you don’t have to be an elite athlete to do it. There were participants of all fitness levels. Everyone cheered each other on, and I left with a few new friends. 

On to the next!

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