September 2013
Photo contributed by Armageddon Ambush
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writers Haidar Hachem OCR Athlete South East Region
Jazmine Trombley
Whats inside this issue? “MRF Superstar” Haidar Hachem....................... pg 1 Get Social - Group Links Mud Run Fun...........................pg 3
OCR Kids Ambassador South East Region
“I’m the Mudrunfun daughter!” Jazmine Trombley..................pg 13
Holly Berkey
“Mud Endeavor - A night under the lights” Holly Berkey............................pg 17
Blogger / Writer / Athlete MuddyMommy.com
Roger D. Smith, PhD. OCR Athlete Prolific Author
Nabilah Fountain NASM Certified Trainer Nutrition Coach
Eduardo Gonzalez OCR Athlete South East Region
Jay Tea Team Founder Azn Armour
“The Mud Run Blueprint For Fitness” Roger D. Smith, PhD..............pg 21 “Skinny made simple: Five Easy Ways to Eating Your Way Slim” Nabilah Fountain.......................pg 25 “The 10 Obstacle Runner Commandments for Knee Surgery Rehab” Eduardo Gonzalez......................pg 27 The Main Event - FLROC FLROC.....................................pg 31 Race Map Mud Run Fun.........................pg 35
Joe Rivera
Team Spotlight - Azn Armour Jay Tea.....................................pg 37
OCR Athlete MRF Elite
Athlete Spotlight Joe Rivera................................pg 39
My name is Haidar Youssef Hachem and this is a story all about how my life got twist, turned upside down! What’s Your Excuse?
glucose levels were stable enough to function and I
Now you may think I am coming off as extremely
body would not go into a state of shock. But being a
had to also take insulin shots twice a day just so my
obnoxious after reading the title of my article; but I
kid and never really fully understanding the levity of
want you to keep that question in the back of your
the situation, I acted out and ate whatever I wanted.
head as I paint you a picture of the life I’ve lived.
I would eat cakes and junk food and all the sugary
Growing up I had it a lot different than most kids I knew. At the age of two I was diagnosed with Type 1 Diabetes, which was highly unusual in my case because I am the only person in my
snacks I could get my hands on. I really don’t know why I did it; I guess it just gave me a sense of feeling “normal.” There was one place though where I could always
family to have been diagnosed with this disease.
go to and always feel at ease. It was my diabetes
As you can imagine, being a child growing up with
camp that was hosted every summer. It was a sleep
diabetes would be difficult. At birthday parties or
away camp where you got to sleep in actual log
celebrations I couldn’t really indulge and eat cake
cabins, learn how to manage your blood sugars and
or candy or any sugary treats and
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just have an all around good time with a group of
get that sugar rush that most
kids that were diabetic just as you were. During my
kids I knew always did; I
times at this camp I actually had my first crush. Her
had to constantly check my
name was Natalia, she was older than I was, but
blood sugars to make sure my
I didn’t care, I really liked her and she knew that.
There is one memory that has stuck with me ever since that time. It was a bright and sunny day and her and I had gone on a trail walk around the campgrounds. We were just talking and out of nowhere she asked, “HH, do you like me?” Astonished I looked her in the eyes and just kind of blurted out a quick “Yes!” And that’s when it happened, she looked back at me and just said that she would never date me because “You’re fat and you have a gap.” Boom, ultimate shutdown. Ever since that day I told myself I would eat healthier and get fit just so I would never have someone crush my spirit in one simple blow just as she did. That one sentence she uttered to me has been my motivation for all these years. After camp that summer, I basically begged my parents to enroll me in any sport that I could get into at the time. I played and tried my hand in everything. Baseball, basketball, soccer, but the one sport that I fell in love with was football. Which was great because I was also bigger than most kids my age, so it was a perfect fit. I ended up playing football from when I was in the fourth grade all the way till the end of my senior year in high school. I completely dedicated myself 100% into my training. I would give it my all during practice, in the weight room and come game time, I left it all on the field. I ended up doing so well that I had offers and scholarships from any Ivy League school you can think of, based on the fact that I also had a 3.5 GPA. I not only finished school with high honors, but I also finished my season earning the honor of
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making it 1st Team All Dade (the best players based on position in the county), and ended up being recognized as the All Dade All Star for defensive players from divisions 1A-3A. I accomplished all this just based off the fact that I wouldn’t quit, I would not let the reason that I was diabetic hold me back from what I wanted to accomplish. I continued to persist and pushed myself to do better, I would put up more weight in the weight room, run longer, run faster and just constantly strive for perfection in my technique as a defensive end/outside linebacker. That all ended when I entered college though, I didn’t end up going to any of the Ivy League schools that had offered me scholarships to play, because while I was doing so well on the field, my diabetes was out of control off the field. My blood sugars were constantly shooting up extremely high and coming down so low that I would go into a state of shock. Most times this would occur in the middle of the night, I would awake in a daze, my bed drenched with sweat, my family hovering over me with about four to five EMTs in my room trying to get my blood sugars back to normal. This happened so often, that we actually became friends with those same EMTs. It didn’t stop there though; I once had to be hospitalized for the reason that I ended up with a blood glucose level of 760 when a normal range is 70-120. I had reached a state of diabetic ketoacidosis. This basically means that there is no insulin running through your system to normalize your blood sugars and instead your body resorts to breaking down fat and distributing this through your system. This results in your body releasing ketones, which is acidic and wreaks havoc on your body from the inside out. If not treated, it will lead to death. Fast forward a couple years and I finally got my diabetes under control with the help of my
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insulin pump and my new endocrinologist. But
when I can say I experienced something I still love
after finally getting one aspect of my health under
to this day and it gave me a whole new aspect on
control, I got hit with another blow. I found out
working out.
towards the end of 2009 that not only did I have a non-functioning pancreas, but that my thyroid had completely shut down as well. The disease in case is known as Hashemoto. Some common side effects of Hashemoto include depression, fatigue, laziness, extreme hunger, becoming lethargic, nausea and constant headaches, and these were some of the things I experienced on a day-to-day basis. My endocrinologist prescribed me a new medicine that I would have to take everyday to level me out. It’s known as levothyroxine or synthroid, which is basically the hormone that a normal functioning thyroid produces. During this time I would constantly start and
During this time is when I had entered and participated in my first ever mud run. I remember it like it was yesterday. It was on a bright Sunday morning after Cinco De Mayo and I was at Metro Zoo to participate in Merrells Down & Dirty Mud Run. I was not in the best shape of my life at that point in time, but that day I ran and owned that course. I remember after the race that I was cleaning mud out of my ears for weeks after the event was over. Looking back now, it was one of the least demanding mud runs I have participated in, but just doing that one as my first is what got me hooked into the OCR world. Just having the chance for one day to hang out with friends, complete an obstacle
stop different types of training regiments. Now that
course and just getting down and dirty (no pun
I didn’t have football to keep me in shape anymore,
intended) just as I used to when I played football
I had to find different sources to stay on top of my health. I would go to the gym, hit the weights for a couple months and then just stop either for the fact of being bored, or the medicines effect on me was extremely terrible. I would start again and stop again. It was a constant struggle, but after a while I just completely gave up on the gym. It really wasn’t for me anymore. That’s when I decided to just stick to running, cycling, swimming for cardio and body weight exercises as well. But around May of 2012 is
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made me feel alive again. After that day I registered in all the mud runs/ OCRs I could find. I completely had everything under control. I was working out everyday, eating healthier, and neither my Hashemoto nor my diabetes was getting in my way. Just as things started to be looking fantastic, I was hit with some news that had me stop my love affair with OCRs for a little while. As 2012 progressed, and through my constant doctors visits, it just so happened that he one day found a nodule on my thyroid. The only reason he found the nodule was for the simple fact that prior to that visit he had never sonogrammed my thyroid. Now you may think that having a nodule on your thyroid is a bad thing, but actually a multitude of people actually develop nodules on their thyroids. It’s basically a build up of muscle tissue. But of course, being a diabetic and being diagnosed with Hashemoto, my endocrinologist wanted to have my nodule biopsied also for the reason that the nodule had been found to be 1cm in diameter, which is the size in the medical community that you actually need to start worrying about. A couple months later after running several tests on the piece of nodule they had biopsied, I received the results and it was probably the hardest blow I had received up until that point in time; I was diagnosed with papillary carcinoma, the diffuse sclerosing variant (one of the rarer/more aggressive of the four variants). I was in a state of shock and it took me a long while to come to grasps with the fact that I had cancer. I became extremely introverted and really depressed. I tried to keep a mask on so my friends and family would not worry about me, but deep down inside it hit hard.
OCR I had set my sights on post surgery was the Superhero Scramble Charger down in Miami. I had gone with a friend of mine and we were dressed up as Woody and Buzz Lightyear from Toy Story. I mean, why participate in mud runs if you can’t dress up? That’s half the fun! Before our wave had started, we saw a massive group of people amass and they were all dressed up in orange and green and some had capes and others had Viking hats and my friend and I were just amazed by the amount of people that were there. While we were basically just gawking at this group, out of nowhere, the race started, my heart was throbbing and my hands were shaking from sheer excitement of the chance to be hitting the trails again and going through a new OCR. It was the best and worst feeling in the world. As the race went on I was breathing hard because I was still fresh off of my surgery, but as we continued through the course I noticed my friend and I kept playing a Come December 2012, I went under the knife and
game of leapfrog with a couple MudRunFunners.
had surgery to have my thyroid completely removed.
Those two darling ladies came to be Linda Anders &
And I’m extremely happy to say that I came out
Ashley Bri’Anne. And even though I was breathing
okay, there were no complications whatsoever after
hard, and not used to running like before, I was
the surgery. But that month of recuperation was
still dominating that course. And before I knew it,
extremely terrible. Not terrible in the sense that I
the race was over, I conquered every obstacle, and I
was in agony, writhing in pain. I mean I couldn’t
was feeling like my old self again. While extremely
talk at all for a couple weeks, and it took about two
happy, I didn’t really stick around after the race was
months time till my voice got completely back to
over to get to know this amazing group of people; I
normal, but I went from working out every single
was dead tired from the run and just wanted to go
day to being bed ridden waiting to fully heal. Time
home.
had gone by agonizingly slow, but when I had the chance to start training again, I was elated. And that’s when it happened, the day I came to know a group that I would one day call my family. As I said before, I was finally
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cleared by my doctors to train, workout and participate in OCRs again. And the first
Exactly one week later I went to another OCR I had registered for (I mean I did have a lot of catching up to do after all) and I just so happened to have bumped into Linda again at the start line. After the race was over, we got to talking, she got my information and just like that a little while later I was invited to join this amazing group known as MudRunFun! Never have I encountered a group of people who
just for the simple fact that they love OCRs have a bond as close as a family does. And it was soon after I joined this group that I got to know those bonds well. A couple weeks later I got to meet even more MRFers during the Super Spartan that was also held down here in Miami. Prior to the race starting who did I happen to bump into other than the man, the myth, the legend; Damion! We got on the shuttle together that took us over to the race site and just struck up a conversation like we were friends that hadn’t seen each other in a long while. And just like that, I went in, conquered the Super Spartan and just loved the feeling I had in my gut after crossing the finish line. I was muddy, bruised, and had the biggest smile on my face. But again, the time I hung out post race with the team was short lived because I was still dealing with my post surgery recovery and my body still hadn’t adjusted to the new dosage of synthroid I had been taking. For the simple fact that I had no thyroid anymore, my dosage more than doubled and it took my body a little longer to adjust than it had before. The one thing I did remember post race though was how everyone was introducing themselves to me, laughing and just having an all around good time. It was honestly like a family gettogether, except everyone was covered in mud. Most people in the group went to run the course again, and at that time since I was still new to the OCR scene, I thought they were nuts! As I was saying my goodbyes, people were upset I was leaving early, but I told them my situation and they understood. I actually lied, I told them that I just wasn’t feeling well and that I was going to go home. I didn’t want to reveal that I had gone through surgery, or was going through treatment or anything like that. If there is one thing I hate, it’s pity, and I felt if I had revealed that about me that all I would get is pitied by all the new faces that I had met that day. As I
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turned to say bye to Damion, he looked at me and
were honestly astounded that I was there actually
had asked if I was okay, and he actually posed that
running through the course. After knocking another
question to me with such sincerity and concern in
OCR off my list, we were hanging out at the back
his eyes. I could tell it wasn’t pity; he was generally
of Deaters truck and I was telling them about how
concerned about my well-being. And that’s when I
my upcoming treatment was going to have me
knew that these people were real, and it was great to
locked away in a room by myself for a week after
know that even though I was practically a stranger
ingesting a radioiodine pill to kill off any residual
to them, I had people who actually cared and were
cancerous cells left behind after the surgery. And not
concerned about me.
one week later after the event was over, I received
Exactly one week after the Super Spartan the next OCR on my list was the Tough Mudder that was held down at the Miami Homestead Speedway; and what happened after this event is what cemented the fact that I came to call this group my family. During the race Jason, Deater, Ashley, Amanda and I were just running along and Deater just happened to have asked about the fresh scar on my neck. And
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then I went through the story of my cancer, the surgery and how recent it was, they
several packages in the mail. Which was really bizarre because I knew I hadn’t ordered anything to be shipped to me and as soon as I opened those packages my heart dropped. I couldn’t stop smiling the rest of that day. While it was one of the simplest gestures, it honestly touched my heart and I would never forget that. Since Ashley, Deater and Amanda knew that I would be going into seclusion for my radiation therapy, they actually went ahead and shipped me an assortment of gifts to kill the time. I remember pulling out a Rubik’s cube, a Las Vegas puzzle, coloring books, some puzzles, crayons, the
most comfortable slippers I have ever worn and a
giving up or whenever I just wasn’t feeling well at
picture we took together after the Tough Mudder
all, I had the love and the support of the whole team
event was over. That picture is still hung up in my
pushing me to keep me going, to keep striving and
room today. I mean, these people that I barely knew,
to keep pushing towards my goals.
actually went out of their way to just pick out an assortment of things to take with me while I was secluded away from the world for a week. That truly touched the bottom of my heart and I knew that this wasn’t just an OCR team I had joined to be a part of a group at different events, it was a family. And it wasn’t just any family, it was my family. And they didn’t just stop there, oh no, Linda actually went ahead and made F*ck Cancer bracelets to distribute throughout the group, so we can all wear and show support. And again, I still have a bracelet on my wrist to this day. Again, these were people that were strangers to me just a couple weeks earlier and they were going out of their way to make me feel better, to make me feel at home and just make me feel happy. I don’t think it was coincidence that I met this amazing group during the journey of my recuperation, I’m just extremely blessed that I did. Throughout this whole process, whenever I felt like
It didn’t stop there though, through MudRunFun, I’ve met many more groups of people that I would have otherwise never met, if I didn’t become a part of this family. I’ve met The Karma Athletes, The Regiment Runners, The Corn Fed Spartans, EATA Nation, The Rum Runners, The Diablos Run Club, my friends over at Fit Map, Sole Runners and Funnings creator himself, Rodrigo Ortiz. All groups filled with the same amazing types of people that I have come to know and love within MudRunFun. Of all those people, there is one person I have met through these groups that I truly admire. That man is Thomas “Superhero” Mills of the Superman Walks Project. This is a man that goes and tackles most, if not all OCRs and is also an amputee. He has the courage and determination, to get out there and kick those obstacle course races ass and he shows people that you have no
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excuse whatsoever to tackle any obstacles that may
those who can’t. I do it for those people, because I
come your way, either physical or metaphorical.
could have been in their position. I could have been
I mean just seeing this man bust through these
laid up in bed all day, just waiting till my time was
courses gave me even more determination, more
up. But I’m not; I’m happy to say that I’m extremely
drive, and made me want to push myself even
blessed to wake up every morning with a new lease
further than I have before.
on life. I have faced a lot of obstacles thus far and I
Yes, it is still hard adjusting going through my cancer treatment; I’m not going to lie about that. The constant switching up of medicines, the days where you don’t want to get out of bed, the days when you just don’t care anymore; but then I remember: I. Am. Extremely. Lucky. It could have been so much worse for me, I could have been terminally ill, I could have never woken up from the surgery I had to go through. But I’m not and I wasn’t. I get to wake
have been beaten to the ground, but I continue to get up and nothing will ever stand in my way. I keep pushing myself to my limits and then even further. Why? Because I can. I have been given that chance, so I will continue to build on that.
So I’ll ask you again, what’s your excuse?
up each morning to a new day and I get to do the things I love. I get to still workout, I get to see and talk to my family, I get to talk to my friends and I get to live my life. And that is why I continue to push
Oh, and one more thing… MUDRUNFUN!!!!!!!!!!!
myself. No matter what the circumstances, I do it for
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Hi, my name is Jazmine Trombley. I’m the Mudrunfun daughter! You probably heard of me! I don’t know if my dad ( Damion ) or my mom ( Tracy ) has introduced me to you but, at least you know me now! My dad and mom have been introducing me to lots of people! I’m writing this article so you know about my race life! Trust me; you’re going to love this!
The first mudrun I had done was called
Highlander 2. I really enjoyed it! Now I run many races! Do you run races like me all the time? When I say all the
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time, I mean every weekend! The slide there was over 100 feet! I still rocked it though!
My parents started a thing called OCRKids. I’m the first member. It is sponsored by Mudrunfun.com. I have a little brother. His name is Damion II. He likes to go to mudruns as much as I do. He loves playing with his friends and loves to get really dirty and muddy. Trust me he even does it at home. I also love getting dirty and muddy! Do you ever end up with someone you like and run with all the time? Good, because I want you to have fun with Mudrunfun and others! Now, if you want to create your own kids race, here are some tips! Monkey bars are something you can do. Instead of one whole rail of monkey bars, try doing 2 sets. One for adults and one for smaller kids. I really think it’s good to pay attention to the bigger kids rather than the littler ones. If you make the
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obstacles to small, some bigger kids won’t enjoy it. I
somebody else jump. He spent about an hour trying
have been to a few races like that.
to get over his fear of heights. My mom got me on
I have probably been to over 25 races. I have raced only 10 though. My favorite race was a night race. It was the only night run I had ever done!
clip and a mudrunfun video was posted with me jumping off. It sure was scary! Racing is something I loved since the beginning.
It’s called Monster Bash Dash from Rock On
Soon I hope we can run our own race! With
Adventures. It was really scary and fun. I had the
amazing kid obstacles and fun parties! Think of
best time of my life! I also survived! My dad gave me
your first mudrun! What was your favorite part?
his last flag. The shirt I won said “I Survived”. The
What was something you could not believe?
medal I won glows in the dark! I thought that was
Ask your parents if you could write Mudrunfun
cool.
Magazine about your mudrun story. Send your
Now here is something that will blow your mind
story to damion@mudrunfun.com Thank you for
straight out of your head! At Dirty Foot Adventure
everything! Go to OCRKids.com and look for the
Run, I jumped off a 15-16 foot dock, right into
next kids race near you.
water! Why did I do it? Two reasons, one I was forced on it by my mom, second, I wanted to help
Your kids look up to you as you did your parents. Why not get them involved in the one thing you have in common? The love for crawling, jumping, sliding and all things muddy! Join MudRunFun’s campaign to promote mud running and fun running to kids everywhere. With all these opportunities to promote health and fitness while having fun, you cannot lose. Look up events in your area. Email your local race directors and request that they set up a kid’s race. Let’s keep our kids on the right track. Let your kid become an OCRkid today!
There are only a handful of night races in the
There are many races that I choose to run on
OCR world at this moment, and many seem
my own, pushing myself to my own personal
to be geared more toward the elite athlete,
limits in hopes of a competitive and noteworthy
requiring an arsenal of accoutrements such as
finish. I enjoy running solo at times, as I am
headlamps, ruck sacks, and an assortment of
able to truly put my training to the test while
other random items to aid in sustaining stamina
also providing myself an honest gauge of how
as well as items to keep a racer from losing
I am improving in my own personal journey.
themselves in the dark of night. These night
I strive, as many runners do, for improved
challenges promise an intense challenge which
performance with each race, a personal best,
will provide the participant with a well earned
and (fingers crossed!) a coveted spot in the top
sense of pride when completed. Although the
percentage of finishers. Runners seem to be
appeal of these races is great for the seasoned
wired with a desire to improve, if only by the
obstacle racer, Mud Endeavor recently decided
smallest margin, with each competitive race. It
to take a more lighthearted approach to the
is a personal test that can make us so incredibly
night race in an effort to attract not only the trained athlete, but also the beginner taking
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proud of our own individual progress, but it also has the ability to greatly disappoint should we not achieve the results we desire. Despite this,
their first tentative steps
I do find it nice to step back once in a while,
into the mud.
forego the competition, and simply race for the
pure joy of participating. There are times when all I truly want to do is have the most fun possible running with good friends and making great memories with the wonderful people who love to run in the mud just as much as I do. Mud Endeavor was the perfect race for this. Hosted at Pasco County Fairgrounds in Dade City, the event itself was set up similarly to its recent events. One of my favorite features of the Mud Endeavor races is that they are typically located at motor cross fields where the bulk of the course is situated in the muddy valleys of the motocross pits. Spectators are able to line the perimeter of the course, in a prime location to view a majority of the course from above. This event is incredibly spectator friendly! While many races have prolonged periods of time where racers disappear into the distance, and only dedicated spectators willing to make a hike are able to view a high percentage of obstacles, this race venue made viewing the course extremely easy. Mud Endeavor events are beginning to become known for including a lot of elevation change, which, if you don’t know already, is hard to come by in Florida. This gives Florida runners a new and unique challenge, since most race courses are very flat. But with what we lack in hills, this event fabricates by creating many steep muddy hills to scale and descend. Mucky, thick, shoe thieving mud is present at each valley, and slick dirt gives climbing the heights an added challenge.
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Obstacles are built with both the seasoned and beginner athlete in mind. This is a great feature that I think more races should adopt! So while each obstacle that involved climbing offered a standard option for those able, or willing to try, they also provided an easier option for those needing a bit more assistance. For instance, on a slanted wall, advanced runners could progress at full speed up the wall to catch the top and pull their body up and over, while beginners had steps provided to help as an aid to boost up the wall. A great aspect of hosting a night race is having the opportunity to take full advantage of the dark and create a unique and fresh experience for all racers. Mud Endeavor created a vibrant, dance party feel throughout the entire event. Live DJs pumped music into the night, while unique obstacles in the fairground barns hosted strobe lights, pulse-pumping music, and fog machines. This created an almost “dance club”, party feel while we were climbing walls, maneuvering spider-web style ropes, and crawling through several inch deep freezing cold water. Mud Endeavor was an event that was truly fun. My team splashed and played in the mud, made mud angels, threw mud balls, danced, prancercised (oh yes we did!), joked, laughed, encouraged and helped each other, and finally completed the race with 10 “birthday burpees” for our teammate Stephanie before finally crossing the finish line. In the end, we made some great new memories simply enjoying one of our favorite past times together as a group.
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No pressure, no competition, just a really good time. That’s one thing I truly love about obstacle racing. You really can make it what you want. Whether you run competitively, or just to have a great time with friends, you can enjoy it anyway that suits you best. I will say this was a great event to kick off my fall running season! It was so much fun, and a great time spent with friends. Sometimes all you need is an enjoyable romp through the mud with good people to de-stress and have a blast. I truly enjoyed my second experience with Mud Endeavor , and their night race was, in my mind, an absolute success. I’ll be at the upcoming Mud Endeavor race on October 5th! I highly recommend that you check this race out. Hope to see you there! ~Holly http://www.muddymommy.com http://mudendeavor.com/
by Roger Smith, PhD
MUD RUN TRAINING TRIO Mud runs are the great equalizing sport. They attract people from all walks of life and from all fitness practices. You will find weight lifters, runners, bicyclers, tri-athletes, group fitness enthusiasts, weekend warriors (softball, soccer, basketball), and the P90x, CrossFit, and Insanity crowd. Everyone is eager to join in the fun and test their fitness levels. Few of these people have trained specifically for mud running or obstacles courses. So they all
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ask the same question before or after their first race …
“What can I do to get in better shape for one of these races?” If you already have a physical activity that you enjoy, I would say stick with that … enjoy it more by doing it a little more. In the beginning, there is no need to drop what you like and try to replace it with something completely foreign. You can consider that after you have a dozen races in your shorts. So, if you are lifting three days a week, try adding some of the training trio listed here. If you are taking group classes, then do the trio between classes.
Mud Run Training Trio: Run, Chin-ups, and Core. #1 Run. The event is a Mud RUN. All of these require that you be able to run at least 3 miles (5 kilometers) and many are longer. If you do not normally lace up your
single stretch. Start by running one mile 2 or 3 times a week. Get the feel for your legs and your shoes. Experience your breathing and heart rate. Find out where you are comfortable. Measure your one mile pace.
shoes and run on a treadmill or out on the streets,
When this becomes easy, bump your run up to 2
then it is time to get started. Other forms of cardio
miles at a time. Also, try running on grass and rough
like group fitness classes and Insanity are great, but
terrain. Mud runs are seldom on cement and asphalt
they are not a direct substitute for plain old running.
surfaces. You need to get used to stepping on uneven
You need time in your shoes to develop all of the
dirt and grass. When I run in my neighborhood, I
muscles and coordination that go into running.
spend most of the time in the grass strip between
Running is what you will be doing the most in this
the road and the sidewalk. It is actually fun to dodge
event, so you need to know that you can do it.
trees, step around sprinkler boxes, and hop over dog
You do not have to become a marathoner. You do not even have to be able to run 3 to 5 miles in a
treats. Every step is unique, not the same old flopflop of feet on the street.
#2 Chin-ups. Mud runs are full of obstacles that you pull yourself over with your arms. Most of these call on the back and bicep muscles to do the work. There is always a wall to scale and a rope to climb - usually more than one of them. These take back muscles, with some help from the biceps and hand grip. You can develop all of the muscles by doing basic chinups. If you workout at a gym there are multiple chinup options. The Lat Pulldown machine is actually a poor substitute for real chin-ups. Find the chinning machine or chinning bar and use that instead. If you workout at home, then get a door frame chin-up bar. If you need to support some of your weight then put a foot on a chair and give yourself a little boost. You can back-off the assistance as you get stronger.
do not have core strength to hold your whole body together. You can work your core with all kinds of movements like leg lifts, planks, and sit-ups. If you want to put together your own set of exercises, you can find dozens of options online and then mix them up to create rock hard abs in 10-15 minutes. Include moves that lift your upper and lower body, as well as planking variations. This will strengthen all of the muscles that you need to get up a rope and over a wall. You can also find plenty of core workout videos for sale. Every home training DVD set has at least one good core routine in it. Pick one of those and do it twice a week.
Start with two sets of 10 chin-up reps each. When you can do that, add more sets and reps. There is no magic upper limit. Do as many as you want or until
Mud Run Training Trio: Run, Chin-ups, and Core.
you just can’t hold onto the bar any more.
That’s it! Do this Trio every week and you will improve your running time and your strength in all of the obstacles. You will be surprised and how quickly you can improve your performance with this trio.
#3 Core. When you are pulling yourself over a wall during a run, it first seems that your back and biceps are doing all of the work. But it is your core that is hauling your lower half up behind you. Your abs and obliques do the work necessary to get your caboose over the top of that wall. If you have great back strength from chin-ups you are still going to struggle with getting over the top of a wall if you
When this mixture maxes out your improvement, talk to some of the mud run regulars and they will happily share their own tips. It is a great community and everyone is open to helping newbies get better. See you in the mud.
Dr. Roger Smith is a researcher at Florida Hospital, prolific
author, and avid mud runner. He competes with the old guys in
every mud run around Central Florida. This column was drawn
from his book The New Blueprint for Fitness: Mud Run Edition, which is available at Amazon.com. http://www.NewBlueFit.com
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By Nabilah Fountain
sugar, will store as fat. This goes for vegetables, as
at liveintheskinny.wordpress.com
well. Use this as a guideline, if it doesn’t rot in less
With all the fad diets and medical weight loss
than a week; stay away from it.
programs swirling around us like a bad dream, it’s
Exercise is still key. While “you are what you eat”
no wonder that people are confused as to which
still prevails, you still need to remain active in order
approach to take. Many want that quick fix. Well
to shed the weight and keep it off. Get in a min of 45
I am here to tell you that it doesn’t exist. If it took
minutes, 3 days per week of solid exercise. I prefer
you a year to put in on, then it will take you a year
high intensity interval training because it’s short,
to take it off. The good news is, when following
sweet and will have you burning calories for up to
the right program that not only promotes fat loss
36 hours post workout.
but health as well, you will be able to sustain the results long term. Being slim doesn’t have to be complicated, either. By following these 5 simple tips, you will be well on your way to a new and improved you in no time.
preparation will set you up for success. Select one day a week where you grocery shop and cook your food for the upcoming week. That way you can grab and go without further thought. Simple, fast and
Eliminate sucralose and aspartame. You body can’t break down what it doesn’t know so it will immediately store the chemical as fat. Anything marketed as diet is just that; MARKETING. So lose the diet soft drinks, Crystal Lights and anything else that claims it’s sugar free, diet or 0 Calories Eat fresh meats and vegetables only. Pick up your meats from the butcher not the deli. Processed meats
27
Prepare your food for the week. Proper
are loaded with chemical preserves which, like artificial
effective. Calories are not your enemy. Calorie restricted diets are a thing of the past. Proper balance of macronutrients is far more conducive to a fat loss goal then starving yourself. Ideal ratio of protein, fats and carbs is 55/25/20. Carbs should come from vegetables, proteins from lean meats and fats from valuable fats. Why complicate things. Keep it simple and remember, you can’t out exercise a crappy diet.
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The 10 Obstacle Runner Commandments for Knee Surgery Rehab Eight months ago, I tore my ACL on my right knee for the second time. An as every knee injury, it was devastating. I was coming off of a great OCR season. Having completed over 30 obstacle races, 2 triathlons and 1 marathon, I was on the top and having a lot of fun at it. Then December 20th came by, I drank a little too much and did one stupid thing too many. Most knee injuries at our age occur when you do stupid s^&t anyways. How many of you have actually gotten hurt at a race? So Lesson one, If you drink, make sure to bubble wrap yourself and then proceed to duct tape yourself to a responsible human being.
This article focuses on how to go through a knee
Lesson 2: Listen to your F@*ing body. There is
surgery and rehab correctly. As I mentioned earlier,
no need to do two races per day or run 4 laps of a
this was my second ACL surgery. If you want to
mud race that will most likely have the same darn
hear about what NOT to do before, during and after
course 3 month from now. That additional medal
an ACL surgery, ask me about my first knee surgery
you HAVE to have cost about a dollar. Compare
that I had in 2010.
that to the cost of an ACL surgery.
One week prior to my injury, I ran a Tough
Once injured, it is important to do your
Mudder. During the race, my knee started locking
research. Find a good doctor, and while you do
up and I pushed through, completed the race, got
so, teach yourself everything there is to know
electrocuted and got a silly headband that now sits
about knee injuries. Every doctor has a particular
on a shelf gathering dust and will most definitely
method of doing surgery and his way will always
never be used. At the event, my meniscuses in
be the best according to him. Read up on the
my right knee were telling me to slow down. I
different varieties of surgery, Autograft vs
was doing 1-2 races a weekend and doing Crossfit
Allograft, Hamstring vs Patellar
Monday to Thursday religiously. I did not listen to
Tendon Autograft. Remember
my body and as a result, 5 days later, I ended up
that the doctor is as much of a
getting a torn ACL, lateral and medial meniscus.
business man as the guy that sold
30
you your car. He is going to tell you the surgery he
knee. An ACL injury does NOT make you useless.
is specialized in is the best for you. I went to three
Actually most people and this excludes everyone
doctors, each of them recommending me three
reading this article, can live a normal life without
different options. In the end, I chose Autograft
an ACL and minimally damaged meniscuses.
Patellar ACL reconstruction. The doctor that
Unfortunately, you who are reading this article,
recommended that one was all the way to Orlando (
relies on being capable of climbing walls, jumping
1 hour away). Lesson three: Do your research and
over hail bails and doing a lot of strenuous activity
don’t trust your doctors, trust your research. It is
that require certain stability on your knee. About a
your knee after all and the consequence of selecting
week after an ACL has torn, the knee swelling goes
the wrong surgery and incorrect graft will cost you
away ( if you iced properly) and your knee for the
and not your doctor.
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most part operates fairly normal. You can jog, you
While you go through the
can do squats, you can exercise and you should do
process of selecting a doctor,
all these activities. By refusing to exercise, your
a clinic and a surgery type,
leg muscle will begin to atrophy. I worked out for
make sure to “pre-hab” your
two month after the injury, to get my leg to the best
shape it could possibly be in before the surgery. I
it will get you into a much better mood. Once they
ran Super Hero Charger in Miami and Hog Wild 3
clear you to row, start rowing. Once they clear you
in Lakeland with a torn ACL. Lesson 4: Don’t rush
to walk, start walking. Once you are clear to run,
to surgery, evaluate your options and while you are
start running. And remember that it is ok to push
at it work your ass off and get your legs in as good
it as long as you listen to your body. Also, keep in
shape as possible.
mind that the exercise you hate doing, are most
Surgery day arrives and everything goes as plan. You have your knee all fixed up and you are headed home. First and most important, have your pain killers prior to surgery. It will make a huge different if you start taking the medications as soon as you get out of the hospital. You will have a nerve block, but once that wares off you better be already in pain medications. If it begins to hurt and then you take your medications, you are too late. Be ready to experience the worst physical pain of your life. Lesson 6: Proper pain management is the key to little pain after surgery. In addition even though statistically, these items do not improve your end
likely the exercises that will do you the most good. So if your therapist tells you, do 30 heal slides, suck it up and do 50 of them . One crucial aspect of my second surgery that was different to my first surgery was the fact that I set goals for me to reach. EVERY SINGLE GOAL was said to be unrealistic by my doctor. Yet here I am, I have ran a half marathon 2 weeks after getting cleared to run and finished the ROA Intimidator in the TOP 30 . In a few months, I’ll be completing Half Iron Miami. This will be my last of three goals. Lesson 8: Work toward a set of goals. It will keep you focused and motivated.
result of the knee surgery effectiveness, please spend
In the end, hard work pays off, if you do all your
the extra money on the ice cuff cooler and the rental
homework you will get an A grade. That applies to
of a continuous passive motion knee machine. They
school, your career and any health issues. Lesson 9:
will help you with pain management in the first
Be smart, do your homework and you will come out
week.
on top!
Once out of your first week, rehab begins. It is
I wrote this article on August 13th, 7 days shy of 6
important that you follow everything they tell you
months from surgery, 7 days prior to getting cleared
to do at home and more. They tell you to do three
by my therapist for unrestricted sport activities. Yet,
sets of something at twenty repetitions? Do 5 sets
I have done 10 triathlon sprint, 4 obstacle races, 1
instead. Keep in mind that these rehab protocols are
half marathon and several 5k runs. Learn to listen to
design for average people that don’t run, climb walls
your body and you will stay healthy a lot longer than
and jump fire obstacles every weekend. Lesson 7: it
you think.
is ok to push it as long as you follow lesson 2. Once your scar heals up, hit the pool, start swimming, get back into the working out daily routine. It will stop the atrophy of your muscles and
Lesson 10: Be Awesome…… You can follow my Rehab Blog at http:// wordpress.com/#!/read/blog/id/11020193/
Wow! I think if anyone looks at the OCR industry
major goals included a job that would keep pushing
over the last 2-3 years it is hard not to be amazed
us to strive to be better, a fun and healthy lifestyle,
with the growth, change, and possibly the outlook of
and to be able to share that passion with the masses.
its future. Less than 5 years ago there were a handful
Hence, the FL.ROC Running Obstacle Challenge
of mud runs nationwide; with only a couple of those
was created.
recognized by name from coast to coast. Today you can compete nearly every weekend in an OCR event, especially if you are willing to travel a little. The industry even has its first crop of “professional athletes”. We here at FL.ROC Running Obstacle Challenge are both thrilled and honored to be a part of this dynamic industry; both as: Race Directors and Competitors. We, Joe and Dan Matuszczak, are two brothers from Palm Coast, Florida. For many of you that have siblings that are close in age (16 months apart), you know there can be a couple different family dynamics: best-friends, worst enemies, or a casual indifference. I don’t think we could be classified as any other than BEST-FRIENDS. We used this relationship to create our “dream job”. Three and a half years ago, after much brainstorming, we decided to take the plunge and create our own career
33
path. With that, Red Pointer Productions was created. Our
On May of 2011 we hosted our first event with 350 participants. From there, 6 events later, we have grown to a 2000 + participant event. Unlike some of
the national chains, Tough Mudder, Warrior Dash,
out pint glass as you cross the line. From there, we
Spartan Race, etc. we have grown at our own pace
feel our awards and medals are at the leading edge
carefully choosing where we could expand without
of the industry. If you don’t believe us, just ask any
losing sight of our goals.
racer that has made the podium at one of our events.
With that, many of you know we take pride in what you get for your entry fee. We strive to have some of the best SWAG in the industry, starting with a simple and soft t-shirt and finish with a logo’d
We also challenge you with 4 miles filled with over 30 obstacles. They may not be the biggest in the industry, but we feel that our course both challenges the elite OCR racer as well as the novice first time mud runner. If this is your first time hearing about the FL.ROC or haven’t been able to check one out yet, you are in luck. Our next event will be in Flagler (northeast Florida – between Daytona and St. Augustine) on October 26th, 2013. With over 1100 participants already signed up, it is already lining up to be another great event. Just like many of you, we love these events. The participants, competition, and camaraderie are like no other industry. MudRunFun is a perfect example of this. When you go to most races here in Florida, it is hard to find an event that MudRunFun is not the biggest team (family). It is also hard to find another group as competitive as these guys/gals normally sweep overall and age group awards. This is not to mention that you won’t find
34
a nicer group of people. It doesn’t matter if you’ve done 50 of these events or it is your first, they always
racers that are pushing as hard as they can. We grew up playing competitive sports; both
have open arms and a space under their tent for you.
competed in collegiate Cross Country, and continue
So how do you merge the two worlds of being a
to compete on the roads and courses year after year.
race director and elite competitor, very carefully.
Again, just like many of you, our job can get in our
See, some of you might think it makes it easier for
way of competing. One of the toughest things that
us but that is not always the case. We walk around
we have to do is race direct our own events. Why?
events analyzing every little aspect to see what other
Because we want to be out there competing as well.
race directors are doing. For good or worse it’s just
Everyone who has “toed a line” knows that rush of
something that goes through your brain when you
energy and excitement. The MC amping you up,
also put on a similar event. It’s hard to just sit back
music pumping then BAMM (the gun goes off). As
and simply enjoy the race as just a fun day in the
you all go out to tackle the course, we watch, wait,
sun. Don’t get me wrong, there is no other place
and listen to how each wave unfolds.
I would rather be on the weekend besides a race. Another aspect that makes it tough of knowing the ins and outs of an event is experiencing delays or under-marked courses. We know the cost of putting on such amazing events and for how inexpensive it is to ribbon off corners or use arrows and flags it makes it super frustrating during a race.
35
It may not seem too crazy to many of the runners but it is very important to the top 10
At many of the events we actually do race we do not get to stay and hang out as much as we would like. Our race directing duties are calling us back to reality to continue building obstacles for our course and preparing for our next event. With only so much time available on the weekends we have to try and juggle our social time with course builds. We try to get to as many of the local events as we can. FL.ROC even put together a small race team in 2012. We competed at Monster Challenges
and the Super Hero Scramble (both in Clermont). For being such a small and new team, so far we have been extremely happy with our results. At Monster, we took home 1st, 2nd, & 4th in the competitive wave; meanwhile, at the Super Hero event, which may have been classified as one of the most elite and competitive OCR races to date, we were able to shock some of the national elite teams. FL.ROC Race Team placed 2nd, only to Spartan Elite (made up of Pro OCR athletes). We were even able to knock out one of the team favorites Extreme Nation (Hobie Call and Cody Moat: two of the best mud runners ever) due to a new aspect being added to OCR races: swimming. When push comes to shove we are just super excited to be a part of such an amazing community. I am sure some of you will agree that we all have met some awesome people at these events, and will continue to create lasting relationships for years to come. We hope to see many of you at our local Florida mud run scene and hopefully will get to travel and compete with many more. Now go find a race and continue to train hard.
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Team Highlig h
t
Azn Armour along with members of MudRunFun Gulf Coast Spartan 2012, Hurricane Heat 20
Creating Team Azn Armour To Run
Going down the west coast, we also
Obstacle Course Races (OCRs)
have teams formed in California and
I had never run a mud/obstacle race before until the FL Super Spartan in
Nevada. And to close it out, we have team coverage from Louisiana, all along
2011. Once I completed it, I knew then,
the Gulf Coast, upwards to Tennessee
what I had accomplished when I crossed
and North Carolina. So, as you can see, we
the Finish Line. It was self-fulfillment and gratification knowing that I had conquered some challenges that I had never faced before. I was so intrigued with the race and the family atmosphere that I wanted MORE! So, I got in touch with the Street Team director, and he got me involved
have team members in most majority areas, but those aren’t all. We aim to represent at as many races as possible to help spread the word on OCRs!
4
with spreading the word of Spartan Race and my experiences. I believe I was one of the first few Street Team member accepted by Travis Ketchum. Every day I talk to someone about Spartan Race, be it at a grocery store, at work or simply via Facebook. I always have my personalized business card handy with my team name and Facebook page on it for recruitment purposes. Since promoting various OCRs, my team of two EXPLODED into a team of 400+ members today, and it is still growing! We
39
have teams from Florida, up to Pennsylvania, across to Colorado and Washington.
Jaymes Tran, also known as Jay Tea, the cofounder of team Azn Armour. It was founded by two goofy Asian dudes that ran a whole lotta 5Ks, 10Ks, 15Ks, half and full marathons, DUs and TRIs. Then, the Florida Super Spartan came into town in 2011 to the South Beach area, and the rest is history.
What it means to be a part of a community of motivating individuals & how you are leveraging it to train at a higher level. As a team, we also have a team page that we discuss topics such as training, diet, sports clothing, among many other things. We motivate each other by posting our daily workouts and health strategies. Some of our team mates are near each other, and they have formed training sessions in their respective areas. We are an open team, so everyone The OCR community is a tight knit family. That being said, Azn Armour also teamed up with another east coast team, MudRunFun (MRF). Being able to be part of the MRF family means no one person will ever have to run a race alone. Given that personal touch, really brings it to home for me. You are not just another face on Facebook, you are
and anyone are welcomed. We are a fun group, and if possible, we always tailgate at the races and enjoy the stories and memories that are created from the awesome experiences that Spartan Race give us. To learn more about Azn Armour and our fun ninja ways, please hit our Facebook page, https://www.facebook.com/groups/AznArmour/
family, if you run with Azn Armour and MRF. I have yet to meet in person all of the good folks of the OCR world, but one of these days, I will… along with all of the awesome racers I have met online as well. AZN Armour, We Leave No One Behind! With our team Azn Armour being represented at most, if not all Spartan Races, really brings together the close knit community that we have formed. Our team runs together and we don’t leave ANY team member behind. Every member on the team will cross the Finish line, and we make sure of that. We
First Azn Armour team, at the Florida Super Spartan 2011 L –> R: Sam Belfiore (Badass Sam), Carol Yang (Crazy Carol), Michael Jacob (Magic Mike), Jaymes Tran (JT)
recruit true couch potatoes onto our team. Most of our members are first time mud/obstacle racers. We help make their race enjoyable, and keep them wanting more.
40
The anatomy of a MRF Elite Runner…. I find it amazing the diversity of our MRF family and the many different levels of fitness this great group of people pose. Gone are the days when our group consisted of a hand full of people and a card board sign letting newcomers know who we were. As we have grown and transitioned into more than a social mud running group, we have discovered a large handful of members who come out to have fun, but to also compete for top spots and age group awards. Aside from the gifted ones, the genetic freaks, and the fitness phenomenon’s, we have a core group of “MudRunFunners” in our elite runners group. The majority of these folks have worked their way into this elite group by working hard in their normal life to improve enough to place in major events or beat one of the other elite runners in an event.
41
MRF Elite runners never stop looking for ways to improve their game and level of fitness. They are always asking questions about training techniques and routines. They look up other runners and study their history and make adjustments in their own training to shave seconds off their average pace. The important thing to remember about MRF Elite runners is the fact that in their mind they are going to put out the best race possible every time they step up to the start line. I have learned over time to be confident in my abilities regardless of who shows up for an event. It’s anybody’s race on any given day.
The things that have worked for me do not always work for everyone, but I share my training tips with those looking to bring up their game. As one of the older guys in the sport, I did my first obstacle event in the early 90’s and then in 1995 thru 1997. What I have learned from my experiences is first, you have to train in the environment you will be competing in. Trail types of runs require trail type training at least 50% of it. The weather is a big factor so try to do some training in weather similar to what you expect to run in. I do 90% of my training runs in the heat of the day. (This is what I do and in no way am I advocating focusing all of your training in hot weather). Second, you cannot train doing 3 mile runs for a 5 mile event, not happening. You have to put in the miles. Third, mix up your training with some biking to work different muscles. You will be surprised how this helps you in developing your longer stretches of running. Fourth, OCR requires focus on lots of upper body and pulling type exercises. Your body weight is the #1 thing you will be pulling around in a race so use it to train with. Pull-ups, by far, will help you through most obstacles. Fifth, trail shoes are important in your improvement in the sport. Start looking into running in the minimal type of shoes or close to them if possible. They are designed to grip the terrain better and also help you change your gait over time to be a more efficient runner. Finally, pick fellow runners brain for tips and ideas to find what best suits you and your style of running. See you out in the mud soon, Spider-monkey Joe
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Contact matthew
s without the support of our partners. n choosing your next race.
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Photograph by Bradley Easom