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Taylor Bender

@taylorbender

3.1K

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B.S. Exercise Physiology, NASM CPT, CFSC 1 & 2
Seattle Strength & Performance

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AROOOOOOO🤘🏻

This past weekend our incredible team of Spartan racers absolutely crushed the North American Championship course! In case you didn’t know, Spartan races are basically a super intense combination of an obstacle course race and a mud run (hence the muddy wet faces). There are 5k, 10k, and 21k distances with the option to complete the “trifecta” or all 3 races in one weekend!

These races are no joke but after months of training together they conquered the mud, the climbs, the carries, the ropes, and the burpees and all with smiles on their faces!

Continued….

From Coach Giulia:

“So SO proud of our Spartan team for their amazing accomplishments! We had a committed crew that showed up to Queen Anne on Sundays throughout the summer for some tough training (looooots of 20 min. AMRAPS and burpees) and it was really lovely to watch folks not only build endurance but meet other community members and have type 2 fun with the team in the process.

To my Sept. racers: congrats on CRUSHING a grueling Spartan North American Championship course (seriously that uphill barbed wire crawl WITH a heavy sandbag was BRUTAL)! Special shoutout to Lee C. and Troy L. for running their first Spartan races and to Jeremy G. for running his Spartan Beast (half-marathon distance)! Every year I’m blown away by how this team shows up for each other - from cheering teammates on as they tackle obstacles to boosting each over 7’ foot walls and keeping morale high throughout with jokes and words of encouragement. There’s no other group I’d rather submerge myself in mud with and I’m already looking forward to our races in May.

PS. Thank you in advance to javelin-throwing extraordinaire Lee for teaching us all how to nail our spear throws by spring”

Continued…

A few special shoutouts:

Coach and member @krisf5 came in 3rd place 🥉 in her age group for the Beast (21k!!!) which is an insane finish!

Coaches @giuliaszanyi @taylorbender and @krisf5 all completed the trifecta, meaning they did the 5k, 10k, and 21k all in one weekend! Pure insanity😍

Member Jeremy G from Phinney completed his first Beast race (21k) after doing the 5k and 10k previously and absolutely crushed it!

M

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3 races, 2 days, 1 unforgettable weekend

Conquered my first Spartan trifecta 3 days ago!!! Ran the half marathon, 10k, and 5k over one weekend and had the absolute best time doing it

27 miles, 60+ obstacles, 90 burpees, countless bruises, some rope burn, and endless gratitude for the body that allows me to do it all and the people I get to do it with

So SO proud of the 10 SSP folks @krisf5 and I coached to the finish line and especially to our 3 Spartan rookies for crushing their first races - running with people who keep you laughing even after an uphill barbed wire crawl (with a sandbag!!) and who cheer you on as much as you cheer for them is truly the best part of a sport I really love and one of the big reasons I keep signing up for this muddy mess year after year

See ya next year adult playground😤

(and no this isn’t hyrox so that’s just muddy water running down our legs fret not)

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One Step Closer 2026 through the eyes of the incredible @paosanchez ❤️✨

📍Lincoln Park, West Seattle.

This race means so much to me, and I can’t thank @paosanchez and the incredible @lululemon crew enough for believing in us and being part of this years loopy adventure. @boxinaboxwithboxes @juliapowley @marleyjmendez @annie.m.cavanagh @shar_in.sea 🫶

THANK YOU, Pao, for capturing these special race day moments and giving us memories we’ll get to relive for years to come. 📸✨

Forever grateful for my Orca Running family and every single person who helps make this event possible. What a special summer day and such a special community. 🧌 🫍✨

CONGRATS TO ALL OF YOU! 🎉

Haven’t gotten loopy with us YET!? Save the date for Saturday, August 14th 2027! 😉

Hope to see you there! ❤️✨

@orcarunning @trailmixfund @sealifer3 @lululemon #lululemonambassador #yet

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And so the new series begins 🌞

On October 11th, 2026 I will be running The Chicago Marathon with @racingforsustainability and with all your help, my fundraiser is complete 💚

Thank you for the shared miles this week @run_csrd, @hellothisisjenmorgan and @kristie_anne 🦊

Forever grateful for my friends and family near and far for supporting this wild dream of mine! 3rd ⭐️ in under one year LOADING!

Powered by: @brooksrunning @shokzusa and @saltstick
First slide portrait by @creativetejano and I can’t wait to show you more of his talent!
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#marathontraining #chicagoisforrunners #chicagomarathon2026 #letsrunthere #marathonmom

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Seattle Strength & Performance is a functional strength training gym that meets you where you are at!

They are very community-oriented and are excited to bring together a group of members to run a water station and support the running community for the Seattle Marathon Summer Events on June 27th.

Be sure to show them some love as they support the running community!
@taylorbender @seattlesp_phinney

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Perform Better Chicago ‘26✅

This trip was the perfect exclamation point on an incredibly full and exciting few months which included:

Trip to Atlanta for BFU retreat
Opening a new SSP in Mercer Island
Quick trip to Coronado with my love
Quick NYC trip almost immediately after
And all the regular business in between

Couldn’t be happier or prouder to be doing all of it alongside @chris.travisss and seeing him get up and speak about his passion in making more real careers in the fitness industry just reminds me how special of a person he is.

And definitely no fun was had along the way 😂🫶🏻

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Our team had absolutely no fun at all this weekend (😉) as you can see doing the Certified Functional Strength Coach Level 1 & 2 courses!

The team put in a ton of prep work in advance to be ready for this weekend and spent all weekend at our Ballard location learning, moving, coaching, and fine tuning our craft with the best in the game @coachkevincarr 🤘🏻

Here’s a little sneak peek into what the weekend was like - and what our team learned!

@certifiedfsc

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It’s getting rarer these days that we’re able to get almost the entire SSP team in one room across 5 locations.

But this past weekend, we closed the gyms and brought everyone together for a private @certifiedfsc L1/2 event focused on leveling up as coaches and ensuring we provide the best training experience possible to every SSP member who walks through our doors.

As SSP grows, these moments matter even more. We’re opening more locations, yes, but we’re also focused on protecting the standard and continuing to sharpen the people responsible for delivering it every day.

Huge thank you to the GOAT @coachkevincarr for spending two full days pouring into our team. Incredible education. Incredible energy.

5 locations.
1 team.
1 mission.

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big peach energy 🍑💛

BFU Spring Retreat 2026 in the books and it’s always so cup filling being around so many other amazing fitness professionals!

See you all in Seattle in September!!✈️

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Is there a better gym and coaching team in the game? (Hint: no 😉)

Sneak peek from our latest photo shoot 📸
 Always a good time getting the squad together and capturing the people who make our gyms what they are. Big energy, high standards, and a team that genuinely loves what they do.

The team keeps growing! We couldn’t get everyone this time — missed ya Cory, Zack, Libby, and Lex!

Happy Friday, team 🎉 and if you’re ready to train somewhere with an expert team that actually cares, DM us!

We’re here everyday in Queen Anne, West Seattle, Ballard, Phinney Ridge, and soon… M 😉🤫

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We had the best night celebrating all we've achieved this year with SSP! Our community thrives because of the passion, support, and dedication of these incredible individuals. An SSP coach is more than just a mentor - they're your biggest cheerleader! 😉🎄

From our team to you: Happy Holidays! ❤️

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first Seattle summer in the books! 🥹

thank you Seattle for making me feel alive again🥂🌞🌳🏔️🫶🏽

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