Obstacle Race Magazine Issue 14 by Obstacle Race Magazine

VENTURES UR MUDDY AD YO LL A H G U YOU THRO SUPPORTING

.95 R / MAY ‘16 £4 ISSUE #14 AP

R E U Q CON THOSE HILLS climb again Never dread a hill

5 FOODS YOU EAT SHOULurD diet Supercharge yo

RACING SOCKS REVIEWED TOUGH GUY ED IEW REV uy st Winter Tough G Hotte on record

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MORE SUFFERINEG TO COM race launch The suffering challenge a fantastic new

FEATURE

INDUSTRY NEWS out Learn more abstry the indu

BUILD E R O C D I L O S STRENGTH hout Find out how withip a gym members

NUTTERS TAKE ON THE ICE TAKE WINTER NUTS PRISONERS

HEVER CASTLE, KENT

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@CommandoSeries

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EDITOR’S LETTER

Spring has finally sprung! Managing Director Kevin Newey kevin@obstacleracemagazine.com 07932 411592

Editor Carl Wibberley carl@obstacleracemagazine.com 01246 241780

Published By Spuddy Media Ltd, 370 Wheelwright Lane, Ash Green Coventry, CV7 9HL

Subscriptions Caroline Newey caroline@obstacleracemagazine.com 07827 962542

Printed By Warners Midlands Plc The Maltings, Manor Lane, Bourne, Lincolnshire PE10 9PH 01778 395 111

CONTRIBUTORS Dave Peters (Like toy soldiers), Sam Winkworth (Benefits of morning training), Lee Pickering (Let's Run - Conquer those hills), Bootcamp Revolution (Let's take this outside), Joel Hicks (Always with a smile), Coach Michael (Core Strength), Rob Folkes (Muddy Race), James Ruckley (Tough Guy / Nuts Challenge review), Kevin Meredith (OCR training), Caro LAITHWAITE (Foil blankets and muddy hugs)

Every effort is made to ensure that the advertising and editorial content in Obstacle Race Magazine is supplied from reliable and reputable sources and is contributed with integrity and accuracy. However no warranties or claims can be made against Obstacle Race Magazine in respect of the contents OR the views of individuals who do not necessarily represent the views of the Magazine, Spuddy Media Ltd or the Publisher ISSN 2053-9495

PHOTOGRAPHY

WRITE TO US

James Appleton (jamesappleton. co.uk) for Ghost Squad and front cover, Tony Jarvis for the Nuts Challenge, Epic Action Imagery, Sussex Sports Photography

Obstacle Race Magazine, 370 Wheelwright Lane Ash Green, Coventry, CV7 9HL

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Yes, Spring is finally here and the warmer weather is on its way. Training days are already feeling much longer with extra time for those who hate training in the dark. I’ve been trying to prepare for the Redbull Neptune Steps swimming obstacle event. This has meant most of my training has been in the pool recently , as I don’t want to end up doing burpees on the bottom of the canal. As someone who is a completely self taught swimmer I wont be breaking any records but as long as I get to the end without being rescued I'll be happy. This issue is a real mixed bag of content coming from here, there and everywhere. If you’ve been looking at volunteering at races to keep the cost of racing down a little then this issue will give you a nudge in the right direction. 2016 is going to be a bumper year for OCR and our event Mudnificent 7 is looking to be a corker. Check out more details on this fantastic fun packed day of OCR at www.mud7.com Don’t forget to get in touch at carl@obstacleracemagazine.com See you in the mud

Ca rl

CARL WIBBERLEY (EDITOR)

Website: obstacleracemagazine.com Youtube: youtube.com/obstacleracemagazine Facebook: obstacleracemagazine Instagram: @obstacleracemagazine Twitter: @UKORM

CONTENTS FEATURES

8 OBSTACLES PLACED TO CHALLENGE US What happens when racing and training doesn’t go to plan.

18 THE BENEFITS OF MORNING TRAINING Why early risers get maximum benefits from their training.

20 HOW TO BE A VALUABLE MARSHAL Learn how to be the MVP of a group of marshals.

22 FOIL BLANKETS HARIBO AND MUDDY HUGS Caro shares with you her experience of marshalling events.

26 CONQUER THOSE HILLS Do you hit the foot of a hill in a race and dread the climb up, well you won't anymore with these tips

30 IMPROVE YOUR GRIP STRENGTH Are you fed up of ending up in the mud under the monkey bars? We’ll share how to get cast iron grip.

40 THE GHOST SQUAD We share with you what drives these Tough Guy saviours.

44 & 98 OCR TRAINING & RACING TECHNIQUES A multi part series that will guide you through to your next OCR.

48 MUD MONSTER The Mud Monster crew tell us what they have coming up in future events.

25 TRAINING WITH A CHAMPION Find out how you could be training with the best.

56 AIRFIELD ANARCHY MUDFEST The AA boys tell us about what to expect from this years Mudfest.

66 LIKE TOY SOLDIERS Dave shares a few more of his pearls of racing wisdom.

76 LETS TAKE THIS OUTSIDE

PT EMZ of bootcamp revolution shares her reasons to take it outside.

108 TRUE PAIN AND SUFFERING A brand new suffering challenge is on its way.

6 Obstacle Race Magazine

PROFILES

50 TO INSPIRE

Helen tells us why she doesn’t let anything stop her.

72 RACE DIRECTOR INSIGHT

A little look at the personalities behind some of our favourite races.

REGULARS

30 BUILDING A SOLID CORE Get a core which will keep you running tall through even the most brutal of events.

36 ALWAYS WITH A SMILE Joel has a little rant but then continues to share all his adventures while raising money for Always with a Smile.

62 MUDTREST WALL The pages of the magazine that let you share your muddy adventures.

74 RECIPES PAGE Great recipe ideas to fuel your runs provided by the team at Mountain Fuel.

82 LETTERS PAGE Share with us your stories and adventures on the letters page.

REVIEW

84 OBSTACLES EXAMINED The best obstacles in OCR have their specifications shared so that you know what you have coming.

14 TOUGH GUY

One of the most challenging OCR events in the world has a heat wave.

90 NUTS CHALLENGE

Reviewing one of the two real toughies of the UK OCR scene.

86 10 SECOND RACE ROUNDUP A quick glimpse of the races we werenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t able to fully review from the past two months.

88 INDUSTRY NEWS Delivering you the news from all corners of the industry.

96 HEALTH HACKS The little pieces of kit and nutrition that can make a huge difference to your racing and training.

110 EVENTS LISTING All the events coming up over the next few months.

114 BOOTCAMP LISTING Listing of some of the best places to train for your next race challenge.

TESTING

59 SOCKS FIT FOR THE JOB

104 MUDDY RACE

We try and test some of the best socks on the market for racing and training.

Muddy Race have put together a guide to choosing the perfect git for your partner.

Obstacle Race Magazine 7

FEATURE : OBSTACLES PLACED TO CHALLENGE US

Obstacles placed to

CHALLENGE US WRITTEN BY: Pete Faulkner

By virtue of the fact that we participate in obstacle course races, we thrive on having obstacles placed in our path to challenge us, slow us down and generally to make things difficult.

8 Obstacle Race Magazine

FEATURE : OBSTACLES PLACED TO CHALLENGE US

That is, until the obstacle in question is not a wall or a set of monkey bars, but an injury that takes us out of the game. It’s a common occurrence in our sport, but it opens up a whole world of unknowns and, as if the injury itself isn’t painful enough, the process of dealing with it can add another dimension of suffering to the unprepared. I hope that by sharing some of my experiences and findings it will help you if the worst does happen. [I’m in no way medically trained, or any sort of athlete, so these are very much the ramblings of your average OCR weekend warrior…..] Having participated in OCR’s for three, injury-free years I found myself in the position at the 2015 World Championships when a sprained ankle and dislocated kneecap left me in a heap on the ground, clutching the grass in an attempt not to throw up and pass out simultaneously! My race was technically not over (Team UK team mates helped me to limp across the finish line), but my season was, and I knew I’d be out of action for some time. Until I returned to the UK I would have no idea how bad the damage was, but I decided there and then that despite being injured, I was not going to be a victim – I was going to be as pro-active as possible with my treatment, and would concentrate on other aspects of training whilst I couldn’t run (I think the rigs made everyone one of us realise what we needed to work on, and fortunately it wasn’t the part of the body that I had damaged!) I personally feel that consciously deciding to approach an injury with a positive mindset makes a huge difference, accelerating the healing process and ultimately resulting in a

possesses healing properties), Elevation. Having injured yourself, ice is now your best friend. I don’t mean the ice cubes in your G&T; PREVENTION: I mean ice packs, and lots of them! You need to Without doubt, the main lesson I’ve learned ice the injury as often as you can throughout from my experience is that prevention is so, the day for periods of 10-20minutes. Whilst so much better than cure. We all know we the ORM wrag does act as the perfect ice pack shouldn’t run through injuries, we all know we sleeve, I was fortunate enough to borrow an have ‘niggles’ that we mean to get looked at and ArcticFlow system which is truly a fantastic sorted but never get round to. STOP! Stop now, piece of kit. Combining compression and icing and get them sorted before they manifest into in one, this convenient ice bucket with fills something much worse. supports for the relevant body part with ice cold I have suffered with severe, but sporadic water before being detached to leave you with foot pain (now diagnosed as Morton’s just a neat support to deal with, without the Neuroma) for some time but always found mess and inconvenience of loose ice packs. ways around it by changing shoes, dosing up Combining ice and compression will not on ‘Vitamin I’ (good-old Ibuprofen) or just sheer only help to relieve determination to push on the pain, but will through the pain. It was IT’S WORTH STATING THAT dramatically reduce the knowledge in the back SOME INJURIES CAN’T swelling and promote of my mind that I would BE PROPERLY EXAMINED increased blood flow to face a severe stabbing/ IMMEDIATELY DUE TO the injured part, in turn burning pain in my feet helping to flush through EXCESSIVE SWELLING/FLUID upon landing on the whatever toxins are Dragon’s Back that resulted hanging around. Elevation is obvious – keep the in a flat-footed landing during practice on the part higher than your heart ideally, which ties in Friday of the OCR World Champs, leaving me nicely with rest. Literally, put your feet up and with a sprained ankle. Determined to soldier take it easy! on, I strapped it up and raced on it all weekend. It was never comfortable and the rocky, DIAGNOSIS: mountainous course ensured I didn’t relax for This is the frustrating part and will either entail a single foot-fall. Still, I pushed on through, hours waiting in A&E where you’ll become finishing the singles race and (almost) the intimately acquainted with the finest ASBO Sunday Team Race. I firmly believe that running offerings your town has to offer, or days if ‘out of balance’ all weekend caused my leg not weeks waiting to see your GP. Either way, muscles to pull my kneecap out of alignment, it’s important that you get things seen to, so ultimately popping it round the side of my knee stick with it – injuries seldom heal themselves as I stepped up onto the Tip of the Spear. There without intervention of some kind, so you’re was no warning and no impact; just a shift of going to have to wait until the one and body weight and everything suddenly went only working x-ray/MRI machine this side of horribly wrong. So, don’t soldier on. Get your Timbuktu is available. ‘niggles’ seen to and sorted out... It’s worth stating that some injuries can’t be properly examined immediately due to IMMEDIATE RESPONSE: excessive swelling/fluid; whilst an x-ray might We’ve all heard it all before, but this genuinely be able to eliminate the possibility of broken is REALLY important! R-I-C-E: Rest (refer to bones, if an MRI scan isn’t possible because of previous paragraph and stop what you’re swelling, ensure you take contact details for the doing!) Ice, Compression (I find Cake also

much more comprehensive recovery.

Obstacle Race Magazine 9

FEATURE : OBSTACLES PLACED TO CHALLENGE US

consultant so that you can revisit when things calm down a little. I experienced this, and had to be quite insistent that a second consultation was necessary, without which I would not have received an MRI scan; needed to fully establish the extent of tissue damage. I think it is very important when seeing medical professionals to remember that we, the OCR community are NOT NORMAL! Expect to receive odd looks when you explain how you injured yourself, and remember that a normal person’s idea of taking it easy is not just stepping down a bib colour at your local BMF session! Continuing light activity to normal people is very different to our interpretation of ‘just’ doing three laps of Nuts rather than all four! Joking aside, you have to remember that people will treat you based on their experience and perspective. It is for this reason that I feel very strongly about the importance of getting the right people, with the relevant experience and outlook on the case as early as possible.

although she had perfectly adequate knowledge of the human body, didn’t have such a brilliant grasp of the English language and so communication was brief and strained – not ideal for building confidence in your treatment. Don’t be afraid to change things about – it’s your body, your injury and you who needs to ensure that you’re receiving the most appropriate help. Likewise, beware of professionals from a non-sporting background. You know, the ones who think nothing of telling you that what you do is daft and that you should think about taking up a less risky sport. Yes, that might be one way to deal with the injury, but what you need is someone who will treat you appropriately and help you rehabilitate so that you can not only resume what you love to do, but so that you’re in a better condition than before in order to prevent any recurrence of the injury. I am very fortunate to have private medical care as part of my employment, and it’s something that I wouldn’t even consider being without following my recent experience. For life

IT’S FAR TOO EASY TO BECOME SEDENTARY NOW THAT YOU HAVE AN EXCUSE

TREATMENT:

Initially, I was directed to a physio who,

10 Obstacle Race Magazine

in general, but particularly when participating in an extreme sport, I think it is vital to ensure that if/when something does go wrong, you know you will receive the best care in the fastest possible time frame. If you don’t already, but can possibly afford private medical care I would strongly recommend it – you’ll thank your lucky stars for it the first time you need any sort of medical treatment. After considerable research, I directed my treatment to a specialist Sport Injury Clinic within reasonable driving distance of both work and home (this is important – you’re going to be spending A LOT of time there!). I’ve been able to see professionals with experience in different sporting fields, and under the same roof have seen musculoskeletal, paediatric and physiotherapy consultants to ensure all of my injuries and niggles could be looked at as a whole and dealt with accordingly. Having injections through the base of the foot is far from pleasant, but I’ve now had all of my issues dealt with right from the source – Morton’s Neuroma, sprained ankle and dislocated knee and all the associated imbalances and weaknesses that they have caused, all dealt with under the same rood by one team of people who want to get me back racing effectively.

FEATURE : OBSTACLES PLACED TO CHALLENGE US

REHABILITATION:

First of all, book some races. No, seriously! You have to be sensible and not rush things, but you also need goals to work towards and motivation to drive you on – it’s far too easy to become sedentary now that you have an excuse. You may have to be flexible with exactly when you return to events depending on how your recovery goes, but it’s important to work towards something. Although you have to take things slowly at this stage, there really is no excuse for becoming a couch potato – remember what we said about training other parts of the body instead of the injured part? Swimming helps to rebuild lost muscle in the injured limb, and is also a fantastic cardio activity that will work the rest of your muscle groups too. A damaged leg is no excuse to forget the top half of your body; chin ups, grip strength exercises etc can all still be done, just be VERY careful when landing back on your feet. I installed various climbing holds, rings and ropes in my garage ceiling and worked on my ‘rig’ techniques even with my leg in a splint – there really is no excuse. T Thinking about future injury prevention; get working on flexibility too. You’ll never realise how tight your hamstrings are until you wear a full-leg splint for a few weeks! After a couple of days of attempting to ‘throw’ a sock over your toes at full, painful stretch, you soon realise that you’ve been neglecting your stretches and

understand why your poor hammies are always much more efficiently. It’s worth being painful after events! Get stretching and prevent shown which exercises are relevant to your future injuries… specific requirements, but it’s definitely worth In the gym there are loads of things you going to the effort in order to accelerate the can do whilst rehabilitating, depending on your rehabilitation process and prepare your body as injury of course. For example, if you have a thoroughly as possible for return to exercise. damaged leg you can use ‘cranking’ machines As soon as the required range of motion to give your arms and core a good work out was achieved in my injured knee, I found and keep the CV effort going myself back on the in. Resistance bands are a AS SOON AS THE REQUIRED cross trainer. With staple piece of equipment little resistance, RANGE OF MOTION WAS very that you can use to build this enabled me to ACHIEVED IN MY INJURED have a cv workout your damaged limbs back up gradually, improving stability KNEE, I FOUND MYSELF BACK whilst getting my legs and muscle strength without ON THE CROSS TRAINER. used to the motion of impact. running again, without Do you remember a brief craze for the joint-damaging impact. Gradually, my speed something called the Power Plate? – I think increased and muscle tone began to return, and a certain celebrity claimed they got all trim in time resistance and incline were increased to and sexy overnight by simply standing on encourage further development. It’s nowhere this vibrating panel and not actually doing near the same as running outside, but at least any work, so every gym went out and bought it’s something resembling the exercise that we one- It’ll be the thing under the old yoga mats love so much. and gym equipment gathering dust in the corner of your gym. Well, if you can find one, the Power Plate is an injured person’s dreams This is, in many ways the hardest part of the come true! Using different amplitude and process. It’s when you find out exactly where frequency settings and doing different exercises you’re at and see in undeniable terms how on the oscillating plate you can target specific much fitness you’ve lost. At last you can get the areas of the body for massively accelerated head space that has been missed so desperately development. This means that rebuilding lost over the last few months, and blow away the muscle tissue, improving the stability of joints cobwebs of a busy working week and the hectic and improving muscle balance can be achieved

RETURN TO RUNNING:

Obstacle Race Magazine 11

FEATURE : OBSTACLES PLACED TO CHALLENGE US

daily grind, but the exhilaration of that first run outside after months of pining can soon be overridden by the disheartening feeling of lost fitness, prematurely aching limbs and lack of pace. It’s important to remember that there is still a long way to go, despite the fact that you have already come a long way. Take it one step at a time, build up fitness and strength gradually and be sensible; smooth, flat trails are far less likely to aggravate weak limbs than technical, rocky ones, and leaping off obstacles is best avoided until you have rebuilt everything to full strength. Mentally, this is by far the most difficult part of the process – we in the OCR community aren’t well known for holding ourselves back, so it’s important to stay grounded and to have people around you who can keep an objective

12 Obstacle Race Magazine

perspective when you’re desperate to get back out there with your muddy friends! A physio who can work through a rehab/training plan with you is absolutely priceless. I’ve already withdrawn from one event because I was not ready, but my physio is working towards a new target event with me, ensuring I’m able to achieve certain target criteria before she will give me the go-ahead. Video analysis of various exercises is useful at this point in the process, enabling you to see how your limbs are behaving and where weakness/imbalance is still evident. You can film yourself doing jumps, landings, various steps onto/off boxes etc – it really is fascinating and will reveal a wealth of information about how your body is functioning. So, as I sit here now writing this, a dull ache in

my knee from today’s gentle 5km jog, I wonder how my physio appointment will go this week and whether I’ll have ticked all the boxes in order to be given the go-ahead to return to OCR next month. A nice short, easy event would be perfect to mark my return, but life doesn’t always work like that and as I’ve said, we in the OCR community aren’t best known for our restraint.

I HAVE A LONG WAY TO GO IN THE NEXT MONTH, BUT ALL BEING WELL I’LL SEE YOU IN THE OCR MECCA WE ALL KNOW AS THE 4TH LAP OF WINTER NUTS...

Officially the muddiest event of 2015!

- Next runs 29 May & 8/9 Oct - South of London - 5km, 10km & 20km - Up to 120+ obstacles - Prices from just ÂŁ27pp www.mudmonstersrun.co.uk

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REVIEW : TOUGH GUY

TOUGH GUY THE

ORIGINAL WRITTEN BY: JAMES RUCKLEY

14 Obstacle Race Magazine

REVIEW : TOUGH GUY

Take a look at any OCR calendar and there it will be shouting loud and proud, taunting the unassuming from inside its hazard marked box. Tough Guy the Original – the name alone intimidates those in the know. The groomer of arrogance in the inexperienced and provider of fear in the most seasoned of racers, only vets are even remotely prepared for the unimaginable terror that the course brings but that doesn’t mean they fare any better. 30 years strong and the course has changed very little with towering constructions of mass chaos looming down on an other wise peaceful farm. For the best part of the year you’d be forgiven for your naivety in questioning their presence. But not today. Not this day. Today is the 31st January. Today stories are made, bodies broken and medics tested beyond their training. Tough Guy is dangerous, make no mistakes about it. Pride flows from the Death Warrant signed at registration, no insurance company will ensure or endorse this madness. Today it can really be as simple as life and death. Being the original ever OCR course thousands flood from all over the world to test themselves, to earn the right to be called Tough Guys – to earn their brass. Throughout the entirety of TG, the same man has stood above the chaos, known as Mr. Mouse among other unmentionable names he is a self confessed provider of fear. A job befitting of the man. Standing on the most intimidating start line in the sport is a surreal experience, staring down a disappearing hill descent with hundreds, thousands of runners around and in front of me awaiting the sound of cannons there is no time for regret. That’s a much later phase in the

TG experience. With an echoing thud and ringing ears the screams begin, smoke grenades erupt and rain down, its begun, survival mode on, first priority running clear of the crowds – or at least trying to. A course of 2 halves the first challenge is ticking the run off, before assaulting the killing fields. The run itself is unremarkable ignoring a littering of obstacles and the slalom overdose. The fast 9-10km opening gives ample opportunity for the real elites to break away and add some additional killing field time to the bank for later. Completing TG is as much about preparation as it is grit. A notoriously brutal event where thousands are pulled off the course with mild to severe hypothermia through a deathening blend of northern weather, icy water and the insanity of outfits leave the body with no hope against such a brutal mother nature. The right clothing can tame the cold and ward off the cramp every participant dreads. The correct shoes keep your feet warm and prevent excess energy expenditure wasted slipping when things take a turn for the slick. Just as much and the right clothes can make the experience almost enjoyable incorrect clothing can be a day ending catastrophe. I got it wrong, my

clothing was off even if my Icebugs were a godsend. Thankfully however my day was only to become slower, not end with the ambient flickering of the ambulance blues. My plan was always to layer up in my Virus Warm leggings, Energy series compression shorts and 2x Energy series compression leggings but I added some extra neoprene compression around my feet and calves. Throughout the running section I struggled with over heating and within a few Km off the start I was running topless. My legs compressed to their limits, had no blood running through them, I struggled to move at more than a light stumble and soon was relying on Tom to pull me through the running sections. Nothing improved throughout the run, compression can be a saviour, but overdoing it impairs performance dramatically. Tough Guy, the great teacher had taught me a cruel lesson. As I mentioned earlier the run is uneventful, simply it acts as a sieve of competitors, so when it came to an end and I was allowed to do what I enjoy doing the most the stress resolved. The Killing Fields were upon us. These legendary killing fields make up the second and most intimidating part of the event. Truly there aren’t any other

Obstacle Race Magazine 15

REVIEW : TOUGH GUY

courses in the world that demand so much respect aesthetically and that take so much respect through fear tactics. Signs coat the obstacles warning its your risk and if you die its your fault, you wouldn't be the first. The killing fields start at the 'Tiger’s' where you must climb and decline the 2 largest a frames in the OCR world. Standing at the bottom, gasping looking up it really feels like a cargo net to the clouds, stars and even beyond. To add a little spice to proceedings and truly ground all they are separated by a field of electric cables designed to return even the hardiest of men to their mums crying. The real TG starts here, and that was just the foreplay, you haven’t seen anything yet. On from Tiger you must complete a barrage of hurdles and water wade before moving through to the behemoth – a stunning collaboration of old rotting wood, metal supports and thinning ropes standing what feels like 30m high. Traversing 3 sections without incident you may pass onto the ice dips and fire jumps. Lovely. Between all of these major obstacles lay hundreds of smaller ones, tyres, walls, and every conceivable in between. The reputation of TG stands on the aforementioned obstacles scale as much as it does the up coming torture chambers ability to turn the hardiness of men into panic stricken children. In previous years the shed entrance to the underground chambers bred pain to those in the know, but

16 Obstacle Race Magazine

with past event tragedies a relaxation in the intensity has brought some light to the internal proceedings. Sloping down into the earth wooden logs hands clanging together, bouncing off competitors. A ditch breaks up concentration before logs hide the real torture. More dangling, live electric cables click away as they contact flesh shortly followed by shrieks and panicked screams. Although not long, its not a comfortable place for anyone with any form of claustrophobia, but we’re not in the clear yet. Exiting the torture chamber are a number of rising concrete tubes barley wider than my shoulders that shed light on proceedings – but some are fake, purely to mess with your mind, they give the illusion of light at the end with no exit, no option but to head back into the torture chamber. With adjusting eyes you emerge, confronted by the next monstrous structure. Again rotting wood, rusting metal and withering ropes form a climbing frame. The closer you get the more the smell drifts through the air, the stench of old wet rope fills your lungs but up you climb, along you struggle to walk before descending on more rope traverses. Feeling again 30m high with no water, no safety net and just grass below the first few meters empty your adrenal glands as your body enters fight or flight mode for the nth time this race. As you touch the ground and the adrenaline come down hits, it dawns the most dreaded,

disorienting part of the course is next. The underwater tunnels are the evilest obstacle, they suck motivation out of the soul, destroy co-ordination and replace the body’s numbness with crippling pain throughout. These simple 4 under water head dunks show no mercy, crushing everyone who shows them an ounce of respect or dissent. Races are won, lost or ended here. Flocks of stumbling, screaming and crying men and women line the course from here on, medics work over time to keep people moving and warm. Those beyond help are stripped form the course and sent to medical tents and warm rooms set up all over the course, there’s little that can be done for them now, a fire and cup of tea awaits. They are the lucky ones. Straight out of the water and another monster A frame obstructs your path. Flying up it to try and generate some body heat the wind cuts through all but neoprene, thankfully I’m covered in it. Descending and moving on thoughts of that finish line start to flow through your mind as the cold sucks more and more out of you with every frosty breath. One final full water submersion remains with a plank walk immediately after the chilling descent. Many would have spent precious minutes trying to warm up before approaching this only to have the heat stripped from their limp bodies in seconds – but survive this and you can taste that brass, taste the finish. You’d be forgiven for thinking the finish

REVIEW : TOUGH GUY

is near. With 2km left the likely hood is you have 20-30 min left if you place yourself in the average bracket. If you’re very lucky 10 minutes is all that stands between you and a hot shower. The final of the 5 monster constructions is by far the simplest and quickest, a simple decline rope traverse over water where staying dry is vital, it’s a long cold swim that most frail bodies couldn’t handle. With the monsters out of the way all that lays between you and almost certain survival is a large figure of 8 assault course. Continuous in nature it encompasses monkey bars, ropes, cargo nets and everything in between and covers hundreds of meters. Moving quickly is the key to maintain body heat before flying through the crawl at the end. The end really is approaching. A running section through some tyres, over concrete tubes and up a hill leave you at Viagra Falls. This rope assisted hill climb is amped up by the presence of hanging electric cables and the slick plastic undersurface leaving you to crawl while the clicks ring out around. At the top the feeling of euphoria rings out. I have completed the Tough Guy; I AM A TOUGH GUY! All I have to do now is walk the corner, climb a hay bale and receive my medal – Assuming those hay bales done initiate the worst hamstring cramp in your recent medical history… With all the hell, pain and torture this race provides it really does speak volumes of those who sign up, and more so of the reduced number who show up and complete it. This past year may have been the warmest in history, and with talk of it no longer being the ‘Tough Guy’ of past years you’d be mistaken for thinking this was easy but take a look at the numbers. Thousands were still unable to complete it and many more needed medical assistance. I myself placed 1800th, my worst ever result. Where there is disappointment there is also relief, I had a tough race and my legs gave out soon after the start, but I walk away with my brass, dignity and all my articulations working.

ALL SAID, ASK ME AGAIN IF ITS LIKE TOUGH M*****!

Obstacle Race Magazine 17

FEATURE: MORNING TRAINING

BENEFITS OF

MORNING

TRAINING 18 Obstacle Race Magazine

REVIEW: MORNING TRAINING

INTRO

JOIN RACE DIRECTOR OF THE DIRTY ROTTEN SCRAMBLE SAM WINKWORTH AS HE TALKS YOU THROUGH THE MENTAL & PHYSICAL BENEFITS OF MORNING TRAINING & HOW THEY CAN HELP YOU THIS SPRING.

So as we say goodbye to another U.K. winter, the mornings & evenings start to get a little lighter now, which makes getting up & going training that slightly more appealing. Before I go on, let me just clarify by saying that when

it comes to training, ANY time of the day is a good time to train, it's better than sitting on your butt doing nothing, right? But training first thing does seem to yield certain health advantages that you could benefit from, so below I've highlighted a few for you:

1) CONFUSION TACTICS. MENTAL BENEFIT.

3) THE POWER HOUR. MENTAL BENEFIT.

Exercising first thing before your brain wakes up & figures out what you're doing is a great habit to get into. This confusion tactic will stop your brain trying to convince you that you 'need coffee to function' or that you 'need to wake up first' before you do anything. Leave your training gear out the night before, practice waking up an extra half hour earlier, smash out a 10-15-minute workout, & then get on with your life.

The power hour is a great time to get some training in before your busy day begins, & to have some time for clear thinking with no interruptions from anyone or anything. Creating 'you time' for yourself (away from kids and partners) is another really important habit to get into for your happiness, and looking after your own happiness isn't selfish by the way.

2) BETTER AIR! PHYSICAL BENEFIT.

4) METABOLISM BOOST. PHYSICAL BENEFIT.

The air is less polluted in the morning as a pose to the evening, it climbs gradually throughout the day when more cars hit the road. Your cardiovascular system is less efficient amid pollution which means your running will suffer as a result so get out there and benefit when the air is at its freshest.

If you give your metabolism a boost in the morning then the benefits will carry on throughout the day. You'll continue to burn calories long after the session finishes. Use this calorie burning benefit during the day when you're eating instead of when you're sleeping.

5) SENSE OF SATISFACTION. MENTAL BENEFIT. Training first thing in the morning can also yield a huge sense of satisfaction knowing that you've done your workout and mentally you can relax and get on with the rest of your day. It can also stop that feeling of 'dread' throughout the day knowing that you still have to do your workout after a hard dayâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s work & the last thing you want to do is train.

6) INCREASED MILEAGE. PHYSICAL BENEFIT. If you're at the stage with your running where you want to increase you weekly mileage on top of your main sessions then training first thing before your day starts is a great time to do this. You could probably fit in an extra 10-15 easy miles a week, just from setting your alarm an hour earlier!

VISIT WWW.THEDIRTYROTTENSCRAMBLE.CO.UK TO DOWNLOAD YOUR FREE 10 WEEK TRAINING GUIDE AND FOR MORE TIPS ON HOW TO TRAIN & PREPARE FOR YOUR NEXT MUD RUN OR OBSTACLE RACE.

Obstacle Race Magazine 19

PROFILES : HOW TO BE A VALUABLE MARSHAL

HOW TO BE A VALUABLE

MARSHAL Obstacle Course Racing is a fantastic community to be part of and can be even more rewarding if you are lucky enough to go behind the scenes at races and meet the volunteers and marshal who help to keep the cogs turning. These people willing ot give up their free time are the absolute angels of OCR. Volunteers & marshals can work well in lots of sports but due to the high face value of the free tickets or race places offered by most organisations in OCR , volunteers spaces are never very hard to fill and can even be subject to waiting lists for the bigger races. So with most marshals playing such a pivotal role in making sure the event can run smoothly and stress free, we’ve collected together some of the hottest tips from experienced marshals on how to be a valuable marshal or Volunteer.

TURN UP PREPARED FOR THE CONDITIONS, WEARING APPROPRIATE CLOTHING LAYERS AND FOOTWEAR. A race director doesn’t want to be having to pull the people off the course who are supposed to be there to help them. Its better to have to many layers than not enough, you can always take a few off. MAKE SURE YOU KNOW WHAT YOUR ROLE WILL BE FOR THE DAY BEFORE LEAVING THE EVENTS AREA. Most

20 Obstacle Race Magazine

race organisers will try to brief you about your roles and responsibilities all before shipping you off to your marshalling point. Before leaving the events area make sure you have a radio and you know what course of action to take if theres a problem.

IF MARSHALLING AN OBSTACLE MAKE SURE YOU ASK QUESTIONS ABOUT IT BEFORE YOU ARE LEFT THERE IF YOU’RE UNSURE. Some obstacles may have specific places to look out for danger on them or even advice that you have to give to racers before they attempt it.

BRING A PACKED LUNCH JUST INCASE. You may be stationed out in a field in the middle of nowhere for the day so make sure if you're not supplied with any food that you have some just in case.

STUDY THE MAP If you’re given a course map, make sure you know where you are and how far into the course you are to advise racers. Also look for all medical points on the map

BE CLEAR AND CONFIDENT ON THE RADIOS Theres nothing worse for a race director to try and resolve than a marshal on a walkie talkie who doesn’t

have a clue where they are and also doesn’t know how to describe the problem.

GIVE RACE DIRECTORS FEEDBACK. If you feel there’s something that could have been done better or if there’s a particular problem you had to keep dealing with throughout the day, make sure you let the organisers know so that it wont be an issue in the future.

REMEMBER THE RUNNERS AND YOUR OWN SAFETY Don’t get distracted by your mobile phone or by to much by chatting with runners. Remember the safety of the runners around you could be put at risk whilst you have that conversation. especially on colder days always focus on the runners, do they look comfortable? Are they acknowledging you and simply ask them if they're alright!

TURN UP ON TIME A late marshal or volunteers can throw a race plan into a spin so try to be there at the time you’re asked to be.

10. TREAT THE RUNNERS AS YOU’D LIKE TO BE TREATED YOURSELF A friendly and enthusiastic marshal is worth their weight in gold. Be someone that makes a runners day.

Join us in the mud 24th & 25th September 2016 6k 12K 18K

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FEATURE : FOIL BLANKETS, HARIBO AND MUDDY HUGS

FOIL BLANKETS,

HARIBO & MUDDY HUGS Written by: Caro Laithwaite

22 Obstacle Race Magazine

REGULARS : FOIL BLANKETS, HARIBO AND MUDDY HUGS

THE IDEA WAS SIMPLE,

I WOULD DO A DAY AND NIGHT MARSHAL AT REAPER OCR RACE AT HEART OF ENGLAND GROUNDS IN MARCH 2015, AND USE THEM TO PAY FOR 2 FUTURE REAPER RACES, THEN DO THE ODD BIT OF MARSHALLING AROUND TO COVER OTHER RACE’S. From the start, something went very wrong with that simple plan. 3 OCR marshal courses later

• One of the ‘Adjudicators’ at last year’s UK Championships - the first independent national championships in the world! • One of 12 marshals picked to cover at the Judgement Day event “The Unknown”, 36hrs of insanity in deepest Wales. • Head marshal for Warrior Run in Brighton. • Area supervisor for Frostbite and Gelt Gladiator. • Marshalling countrywide most weekends

…plus, going over to marshal at the European Championships in the Netherlands later this year. Yes, something definitely went wrong with that little road plan didn’t it! I am a lousy runner who wants to run and enjoy it, but l feel useless at running so it takes the enjoyment out of it. However, put me on an OCR obstacle to marshal day or night, and to quote hub and many others, l am heard before l am seen, and once seen, my marshal hat with Reaper OCR trained marshal badge has become my trademark. Marshals are always first, other than organisers to arrive. We mill round in the early morning cold. Old hands greeting each other with a nod or a scream or in my case a frozen grunt while looking for a coffee to hug. To be fair l am often up and on the road from about 3am to get to the race. Newbies, often looking scared and wide

eyed, they may have done many OCR’s but this is a new side that is still strange. I tend to try and keep an eye open for them, amble over and chat offering extra advice while waiting for our briefing. The brief can be very good or awful. Some race directors/supervisors need to do more in giving advice and information during their briefing. Marshals need to know a lot of information: certain obstacles may only allow limited runners at a time. Any equipment like life rings, fire extinguishers etc. and do the marshals know how to use them. Where are the runners coming from and going to? How far in or to the end of the race? Where is a water station? What is emergency protocol? If radios are in use, are these explained so all can understand? If phones what numbers do we use? Who is in charge of us? Are they are the ones we can contact with a problem?

AS MARSHALS, WE HAVE TO KEEP AN EYE ON OUR OBSTACLE TO MAKE SURE IT ISN’T DAMAGED. IF IT IS, CAN WE DO A SIMPLE DIVERT TO A SEPARATE SECTION...

As marshals, we have to keep an eye on our grey clouds. Once on post it can be up to 8hrs obstacle to make sure it isn’t damaged. If it is, of work. Food and drink on post is whatever you can we do a simple divert to a separate section have brought. Ram Run are great, they bring of the obstacle while help is called to repair it or lunch of Hog Roast rolls and a drink out to us. does it need to be closed as something major Other races like Muddy Furlong supply drink has happened? and food tokens to be used If someone is WE CHAT TO SPECTATORS before or after the race. injured we are there, Toilets out on duty are AND TRY TO PROVIDE INFO TO often to divert runners and a bush when we are THEM WHILE SEEING THEY DO cross legged enough, miles assist the injured NOT GET UNDERFOOT. from anywhere and hope person until help arrives even if it is just that no runners are due and talking to them. And importantly, who is the end no photographer, or as is becoming popular, sweeper or how do we know the race is over? drones are buzzing around. We chat to spectators and try to provide info Races vary in “thank you rewards” some like to them while seeing they do not get underfoot. Nuclear have a choice and their Dryrobes are After the race, a marshal should clean up the very popular, others offer a free race others a % race debris that may be scattered around their off a race. obstacle such as gel packets, plastic cups or Not sure what it is that has caught me so protein bar packets etc. hard. l think seeing people doing what l am Getting to my obstacle l hate walking. l am useless at and trying to help push them onto worried about getting lost. Easy for me - l could better than they did at the other obstacles. get lost in a paper bag with one opening. Going Being very much part of a community and out on the quad bikes can be downright scary. It recognising people’s faces. l am hopeless is amazing how many accident scenarios your at names but know so many face’s getting brain can run through in seconds. A 4x4 is a greetings yelled at me and muddy hugs. luxury, especially if l can grab a ride in the front A quick chat at Frostbite from Mark Noble not the back. about his cold balls - l am still not convinced With luck, the sun will shine even if it is cold, stopping to chat to me didn’t allow his 2 mates if unlucky we have cold wind, rain and scudding to beat him and feel a bit guilty.

Obstacle Race Magazine 23

FEATURE : FOIL BLANKETS, HARIBO AND MUDDY HUGS

A hug from Paul Burko a lovely guy who prides himself on holding the end position. In fact muddy hugs and hellos from many friends and strangers. Screaming a hello as she goes pelting past, Jojo Brown and many other females covered in the sportswear with gold crowns proudly saying UK Mudd Queens - an all female group. I am also a UKMQ and feel proud whenever l see them. There is no one upmanship. Men and women help each other. Getting your bum felt up has a new meaning in OCR when you are being boosted over a wall by strangers. OCR runners and marshals cover the full spectrum of life, male and female, employed, unemployed, depressed, autistic, artistic, blind, accountants, vet nurses, shopkeepers, doctors and parents with all other professions and types in between. Even kids from 4yrs have special courses. At the Ram Run ‘Bridge of Hope’ (Climb down a rope or jump from a bridge into the river Avon swim under 3 bridges about 50yards

24 Obstacle Race Magazine

climb out and run) on January 9th 2016, the high flood water meant a change of plan for us from the top class water rescue team from UltraMedix. Helen Chapman a one legged runner who so wanted to do the bridge chose this day to prove to herself she could do it. She had told me prior to the start and l discussed it with water rescue. When Helen arrived “Operation Helen” swung into action. All competitors were stopped and Matt (White Water rescue swimmer) went into the water to wait for her as she climbed down the rope into the water. He swam by her as she battled to the waiting cargo net with Cameron our paramedic and Matt (number 2) ready to pull her up. She may not have heard the cheer as she was busy in flood waters but we all cheered as loudly as we could. I had tears as well but l know it was mud from muddy hugs from various runners, that’s my story and l am sticking to it, us marshals don’t cry. Whatever obstacle l am on, l enjoy watching the elites go past. l swear they don’t seem to

touch the obstacles with the speed they’re going. Blink and you miss them. What makes them special is, how many other sports do those at the top of their race of choice go around again giving help and advice and mingle with fun runners, before and after the race? They are not here for a race and gone as soon as it is done while lost in the wonder of their own amazing abilities. OCR top racers are part of the community. And the title; Foil Blankets, l hate them, they keep the cold in, cause litter and l have seen a large area of the country blacked out, when one blew into the electricity cables. Haribo - marshals are obsessed with handing out these sweeties. l don’t do them l marshal too much to pay for sweets as well as my petrol. Muddy hugs make the whole day worth it, to be recognised by friend or stranger when they stop to give you a muddy hug is what this marshalling job is all about.

FEATURE : TRAINING WITH THE UK CHAMPION

TRAINING WITH THE

UK CHAMPION If you had the chance to train with someone in your chosen sport then the obvious choice would be whoever is excelling at that sport. The only problem with making this happen is that the people who are excelling are out of reach to the average athlete. Obstacle Course Racing has proven time and time again that it’s a sport with a difference, one

which is accessible to pretty much anyone who can walk or run 5k. This is once again proven to be correct by the fantastic team at The Fitness Garage, Because they are teaming up with a very special member of staff to provide the best of the best in OCR training groups and one to one sessions. This is your chance to train with the UK Champion Mr Conor Hancock himself.

For anyone that knows Conor he isn’t the sort of elite who keeps all his training and methods top secret, if you ask him something he’s always more than happy to tell you how he achieved a specific goal. Just imagine all this knowledge of training and nutrition just waiting to be shared. Well you don’t have to imagine any longer.

To book at session and for more information all you have to do is look out for planned group session on the FitnessGarageUK Facebook page or to book your one to one session with the UK Champion call

0114 438 5531 Obstacle Race Magazine 25

FEATURE : CONQUER THOSE HILLS

26 Obstacle Race Magazine

FEATURE : CONQUER THOSE HILLS

CONQUER

THOSE HILLS Written by: LEE PICKERING owner of Let’s Run(www.letsrun.info)

HILLS. It’s just a little word, but such a dreaded one. We don’t tend to like them in training and we certainly don’t like them come race day but we can’t escape them so we need learn to accept them and to enjoy them by getting better at them.

Obstacle Race Magazine 27

FEATURE : CONQUER THOSE HILLS

So how do we do that? Firstly, I think a lot of it is in the mind. We don’t like hills; it’s as simple as that. But actually we’re better at hills than we think we are. I have clients who will admit carefully planning a run route which deliberately avoids any hills as they don’t like them. If I announce in a training session we are doing hills I expect moans and complaints, but hills should be key to anybody’s training routine and so if we have to do them we might as well like them! My local Parkrun has a hill in the middle of a two lap course and clients, and sometimes myself, often spend the first lap worrying about the hill but are then surprised when we run up it without too much exertion. It’s a case of the thought of it being worse than the actual doing of it. So to reduce these negative thoughts we need to regularly train on a variety of hills to enable us to feel confident when approaching climbs. This way we will be able to run up them, and down them, at a faster and more efficient pace. I myself would say I don’t like hills but I do them because I know I have to and in fact my best obstacle course races have been the more hilly ones! The benefits of hill running: Hill training benefits our running in many ways. Namely, it increases our aerobic and anaerobic power, endurance, speed and helps with running economy. It improves running strength and muscular activation, power, elasticity and endurance too. Uphill running can take away some of the pounding your body is subjected to when running on the flat ground so it can help protect you from injuries such a shin splints. By regularly training on hills, you can improve your co-ordination as well as stride frequency and length. Perhaps most importantly, it improves your lactase tolerance and fatigue resistance which means your body can still work efficiently with higher levels of lactic acid without tiring as much. As running up hills is more difficult than flat running, it burns more calories too. Hill training for OCRs also helps us return to our rhythmic running as soon as possible after completing an obstacle. Types of hill training: Running up hills faster sounds great but unfortunately there are no magic wands to do this, it comes down to smart training. It doesn’t mean regularly battering yourself by slogging up endless hills; it means carefully including hill sessions to your weekly routine. As critical as interval sessions and runs are, so are hill sessions. It is important to understand that even if you are training for a flat race, hill training will do you no harm whatsoever and will only make you a stronger and more efficient runner. I run two hill sessions a week and also ensure I include some longer hills on my runs. My hill sessions vary as an interval session would. Sometimes I run long intervals and sometime I run short, sharp efforts up a hill. I find lots of runners have good intentions and arrive at the bottom of a hill to complete a session, but they often haven’t pre planned what they are going to do and simply run

28 Obstacle Race Magazine

AS RUNNING UP HILLS IS MORE DIFFICULT THAN FLAT RUNNING, IT BURNS MORE CALORIES TOO.

FEATURE : CONQUER THOSE HILLS

up the hill and walk back down it until they are tired. This is, of course, better than no hill training at all but could be so much better with a little pre thought. Just as you wouldn’t complete the same interval session each week, you need to vary your hill training too. It might be that you run 6 times up a hill with a walk down recovery which is fine, but not repeatedly. Another session may be 4 efforts of running up and down a hill with a set recovery. I often train on a local hill which I think of as a triangle as you can run up either side of it and across the bottom. So I might run up the right hand side and down the left and then walk the flat section across as my recovery. Another time I might run the whole triangle but in numerous orders such as across, up, down or up, down, across or importantly, I sometimes run down, across, up as running downhill is often forgotten about but actually is very important. Running down hill is a skill in itself which I will come to later, but as with many things, the only way to get better at it is to practise it. With the triangle hill (It’s a manmade hill) I can also run up the middle of it in sections and also up the back of the hill so the possibilities are endless. I also train on different hills so as to practice hill running at different angles and lengths. It is important to use hills as speed and endurance sessions. Just running up a hill as fast as you can is essential but there are so many other types of hill training required. It may be that you run up and down a hill and then turn straight back around and do it again. You shouldn’t just run up a hill in isolation as this is not what happens in races. A hill may come in the middle of a race when you are already fatigued and then you have to continue running and perhaps come to another hill miles later. If you have trained your body to run steadily up a long hill, it will do it well in races. Races aren’t simply about running as fast as possible up a short hill, they are more about maintaining your exertion and energy levels so you are not too tired for the remainder of the race. A favourite hill session of mine, and my clients, although they may not admit it, is to be given a set period of time where their aim is to run up and down the hill as many times as they can. It may be that they choose to sprint up and walk down or run at a steady pace up and down with a short rest at the bottom, or some chose to run them continually. This is great as a training session but also as a way of tracking progress and assessing fitness levels as you record how many

efforts you complete each time. Hill sessions can also be completed on a treadmill if you happen to live in a flat location as you can set the incline to 15%. It is also important to vary the terrain you run hills on. Although you can run faster on a road or pathed hill and so this is imperative, races tend to be on grass or mud so you need to train on these grounds too. Exertion varies hugely between muddy hills and a hill on the roads. My road running on hills tends to come in my long runs where I can rehearse reaching and conquering a long hill on already tired legs, and perhaps mind. If you regularly run hills on tired legs during your runs, you effectively have a head start when it comes to hills in races compared to those who avoid hill training. Having said that, it is also crucial that you sometimes run short hill sprints on fresh legs to ensure you cover speed training. Long, gradual hills and short, sharp hills should both frequently occur in your training. Resistance training can be used brilliantly on hills. Running drills can be ran up a hill such as skipping, high knees, side stepping, hopping or bounding to improve running efficiency as can work with a parachute or a running partner with a harness. Also remember that races often require us to run hills with weighted items or while carrying something so it would do us no harm to also practise this in training sometimes. If you teach your body, and mind, to run up a hill with resistance or weight against you, you will find it much easier to run up any hill during a race. Hill running technique: One of the most common questions I am asked is: How do I run up a hill? It is a valid question as you do indeed run up a hill differently to how you run on the flat. The good thing is the advice is always the same, no matter your speed or ability, the optimal way to reach the top of a hill is the same. First of all, your legs are key but not the only important aspect. The most common thing I have to tell my athletes is to use their arms. Runners tend to think hill running is all about the legs but to this I suggest to try running up a hill with your arms crossed over your chest or by your side- it is extremely difficult to do. By powering your arms, you are helping your body drive up the hill. Your arms should be the opposite to your leg drive so your right arm should be leading your left leg and vice versa. Elbows should be tucked in as tight to your body as you can with the movement coming primarily from the shoulders. Arms

should be driving towards the top of the hill rather than across the chest. Knee drive should be high with small steps taken instead of attempting to cover the hill in as fewer steps as possible. Longer strides slow you down and require much more effort so to speed up we shorten our stride making it easier on the body to propel forwards. The arms and legs should be moving at matched speeds. As you approach a hill, the optimal reaction would be to accelerate across the flat to help propel you up the beginning of the ascent. Slowing down to catch your breath or rest your legs is the worst thing to do as you will find it difficult to pick up speed while climbing. As you hit the hill, come up onto your toes to enable you to lean into the hill from your hips but take care not to lean forwards too much. It is worth noting that when a hill is simply too steep or too muddy to run up, you can climb it much quicker and more efficiently by walking. Downhill running is often neglected but can be where you pick up several places as runners are so fatigued from running up the hill that they simply forget to run down at a pace or use the downhill section as a recovery period. To run down a hill, return to being a fearless child legging it down a hill, let gravity do its job but be sure to maintain some control. As we get older, fear takes over and we slow our running down by leaning back to protect ourselves. Try to land each stride on your fore foot as heel striking acts as a braking system and the resulting pounding places extreme pressure through knees and back. Leaning slightly forward should direct your body to land correctly and run hard down the hill. Don’t forget to use your arms to balance yourself too. The trick is to return to your usual, longer strides as soon as you can to return to the running rhythm you were using before the climb and descent. This is also key after each obstacle. Breaks in running rhythm can cost you dearly so again, practising this in training can help you overcome this in racing. Hill running in races cannot be avoided and so training on hills is something we can’t just ignore, no matter how much we might not like them. There are so many benefits to hill training that it should be completed regularly by all runners. Types of hill training are so varied that you should never be bored. Running as efficiently as possible by rehearsing hill ascents, and descents, in training will not only help you over and down that hill quicker in a race, but also improve your overall time in a race, whether it be a flat or hilly course.

LEE IS THE CAPTAIN OF, AND COMPETES, FOR TEAM MUDDY KIT. He regularly finishes in the top 5 of OCRs. He owns a running business called Let’s Run and is based near Braintree, Essex where he trains runners on a 1:1 basis and through group sessions. He also offers a popular service online in which he’ll write a bespoke running schedule at a costing of just £50 for a 10 week personalised plan. He is a fully qualified UK Athletics Endurance Coach and has been coaching for 5 years and running for over 20 years. To find out more, go to www.letsrun.info

Obstacle Race Magazine 29

FEATURE : CORE STRENGTH

Core Strength…

BUILD DYNAMIC ABDOMINAL MUSCLES Written by: Coach Michael of ‘Award Winning’ WildForestGym ‘ Photography by : Abbie Igglesden

! S P T-U

SAY

30 Obstacle Race Magazine

I S O T O N

FEATURE : CORE STRENGTH

CORE STRENGTH IS MORE THAN LOOKS. Our training expert Coach Michael reveals how core abdominal strength is optimised without doing 100 sit-ups a day. What he is talking about is developing functional core strength through dynamic Natural Movement Fitness that you can do in your home, gym or in the forest as he does!

Are you bored of crunches and sit-ups? I am sure you are. It is the most mundane exercise ever. Plus, it also only trains your muscles on one plane. Which means that your muscles get developed in a specialised but yet limiting way. Just think about the way you need to be able to lift, carry and jump with your body. As an obstacle runner you need core strength combined with adaptability, flexibility so that you can lift our body on all planes. Ultimately you are looking at developing adaptive muscles and adaptive minds in order to adapt to the needs of an obstacle rather than you having to adapt to the needs of your body. With Natural Movement Fitness we are going to change your approach to exercise.

SO OUT WITH: 1.

Brute Force and instead we focus on Technique.

Repetitive Movement exercises and in return we replace them with MultiDimensional movement exercises.

Reps & Sets instead we look at Quality rather than quantity. Therefore, you stop when you loose form.

Routines and instead we go Organic i.e. we go with the flow as to what should happen next. That is within the realms of the techniques that we want to develop.

Speed and instead we are looking at Slow Mo. Then we can focus on technique rather than quantity, distance or speed. Or at least in the first instance until we have developed solid technique foundations and then we can start upping things. But never at the cost of technique.

So just to summarise every exercise is going to be varied and no set routines. You need to go slow mo and technique is the most important aspect to the training. Sounds pretty straightforward. So let’s start. Following are some examples of core abdominal exercises that can be done at home, in a gym, in the park or like me in forest at WildForestGym.

All the above exercises have been done using apparatus, or the natural environment found in a forest. Please always check that all apparatus whether natural or man-made are suitable for its purpose and that it can carry your body weight. If you have an injury or illness always seek medical advice as to the suitability of these exercises. If you experience and discomfort or pain stop immediately and seek medical assistance.

CROCODILE STALK Out with press-ups in with the crocodile stalk. • Move into a straight-arm plank position. Keeping your upper body and legs straight and together herein. • Lower your chest to the ground so your elbows are at least 90 degrees. Rise back up into the plank position. • Edge your body forward on your toes keeping your legs straight and together.

1. Keep your back and legs straight, neck

3. Keep your left hand at a wide 9 o’clock

2. Left hand at 7 o’clock

4. Keep your left hand at 11 o’clock and

extended and your elbows at least 90 degrees.

and right hand at a wide 3’ o’clock.

• Move one of your hands to a new position. • Each time you come up to the plank position move one of your hands into a new position i.e. wide or narrow position. • Maybe using the positions of a clock place your left hand at 3 o’clock and your right hand at 5 o’clock; place left hand a 12 o’clock and right hand in the centre of clock and so on. • Continue to move one or both of your hands into new positions both narrow and wide varying every move and edging forward on your toes.

right hand 4 o’clock’

Obstacle Race Magazine 31

FEATURE : CORE STRENGTH

HANDSTAND LEG RAISE

INVERTED LEG RAISES

Place hands and feet on the ground. Hands should be shoulder width apart slightly forward from shoulders. Fingers splayed with index fingers pointing forward.

Underneath a horizontal bar or tree limb (see safety notes) stand side on.

Legs to be bent with feet to be slightly wider than hip width apart and positioned just under the hips. This exercise is about raising the legs using your abs rather than kicking off the ground using your quads (upper legs). So if you start to feel it in the legs that means you are not activating the abs. So if this is a challenge focus on activating the abs with a smaller leg raise. With arms locked out slide your shoulders forward so that your shoulders are stacked over your wrists. If you miss that step, then your legs will be very heavy and harder to rise. Raise both legs simultaneously using your abdominal muscles. In order to develop good abs control you want to make sure your feet do not come crushing to the ground on the way back down. Instead you want to be ninja like and control the decent with your abs. SAFETY Just in case you roll over make sure the ground in front of you is soft and hazard free.

Place your hands in the overhand position side onto the bar i.e. palm facing down. Never place hand over hand or entwine the fingers as it cuts off circulation. Make sure the bar is high enough so that your feet are approximately 6-12â&#x20AC;? off the ground. Keeping your whole body long and legs together hang.

2. Keep your legs and groin high

Raise both legs together with knees bent so that your feet rise to either side of the bar without the feet touching it. Slowly lower the legs so you are in the hanging position. You can then vary the leg raise i.e. raise the legs full height so that the groin is just under the bar; raise both legs to the left; raise both legs to the right; or raise the feet part of the full height i.e. 25%, 50%, 75%. Every leg raise is varied on a random basis.

3. Get your feet 75% up

Remember slow mo on the way up and especially on the way down. TIP â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Always stop the exercise when you loose form/technique

1. Place arms shoulder width apart and your feet directly under hips

4. Lift both legs to the left

2. Try to activate your abs and not your quads

3. Make sure your shoulders stacked directly over wrists

32 Obstacle Race Magazine

1. Place left the foot in line with the bar,

slow mo up and down. hands cupped and remember to breathe

5. Lift both legs to the right

FEATURE : CORE STRENGTH

INVERTED CRAWL In the inverted crawl position place your left foot forward and your right hand forward. Position your hips so that your body weight is evenly distributed between all 4 limbs. Raise hips. Move your right foot forward followed by the left hand, then left foot forward followed by right hand and so on. Keeping your hips high, fluidly crawl along on all 4’s.

1. Keep hips high, right hand moving

3. Left leg forward and keep hips slightly

2. Right foot forward, land the foot with

4. Move left arm forward, keep hips high

forward and hips slightly to the left’

to the right

Try to keep shoulders relaxed to add fluidity to the arm movements. Do not feel the urge to get the 4th limb on the ground when you have 3 points of contact. This can be achieved by making sure that when you have 3 points of contact with the ground that your hips shift over to find your centre of gravity. As soon as your knee comes forward allow that to be the trigger to move the arm into the next position. Make sure your foot lands flat rather than heal landing. This will increase your range of movement in the ankle but will offer your better ground contact when crawling down hills.

the ball followed with the heal. Try not to over stride

and slightly to the right

SNAKE CRAWL I can’t tell you how many trainees I demonstrate this technique to who think it looks so easy and then are so challenged when attempted. This crawl using so many core muscles including the abs but shoulders arms and legs that I would consider this one of the best core workouts out there. Simply you feel your entire range of core muscles pulling in as well as test you balance and understanding of body weight transfer and your centre of gravity. In the same way as a crawl you want to balance on the beam with opposite hand and foot in front of each other i.e. left hand and right foot. You then move right hand followed by left foot followed by left hand and then right foot and so on. It is important to keep your knees and hips really low and not rise.

1. Place left hand & right foot forward, keep hips and knees low. Evenly spread body weight between all 4 points of contact

Go really slow mo and if you really want to add further dynamics into this exercise freeze momentarily with 3 points of contact. Boy you are really going to be tested and similarly have such fun…plus the odd fall.

HANGING TIP – Cup your hands over the bar or tree limb so that your knuckles are over the top of the bar rather than having just your fingertips. This will give you a far better grip

2. Keep right hand forward and freeze momentarily’

3. Bring left leg forward triggering the left hand forward’

Obstacle Race Magazine 33

FEATURE : CORE STRENGTH

HANGING LEG RAISES From a horizontal bar or tree limb (see safety notes) place your hands in the overhand position i.e. palm facing down. Make sure the bar is high enough so that your feet are approximately 6-12” off the ground. Keeping your whole body long and legs together hang. Slowly raise both legs simultaneously in front of you. Then slowly lower/raise or move to another position i.e. legs wide apart; both legs to the left/right; right leg to front and left leg to the left; legs hanging do a wide circling to the top position and reverse; wide scissor motion; vertical scissor motion; and any other position that takes your fancy. Just remember to mix it up.

1. Keep legs straight and toes pointed,

3. Swing both legs to left

2. Legs straight in front

4. Swing both legs to right

hands cupped over bar, over hand grip

BEGINNERS ADJUSTMENTS – Do the same exercise but with your knees bent or with the aid of someone assisting you with by lightly lifting your legs for you. ADVANCED ADJUSTMENTS - Change the positioning of your hands throughout the exercise to an overhand, underhand or mixed over/underhand position to add another dynamic into this exercise. GENERAL TIP – Make sure you have made at least an 80% recovery between each exercise/attempt. This will stop you from fatiguing.

FROG LEGS This exercise should not be mistaken for frog leaps where you kick off using the legs. Instead the movement is coming from the abs rather than feeling it in your quads. Squat down with feet turned out side on to a low horizontal bar. Place hands and feet on the ground. Hands should be shoulder width apart slightly forward from shoulders. Fingers splayed with index fingers pointing forward. Legs to be bent with feet to be slightly wider than hip width apart just under the hips. Either place one hand on either side of the bar or both hands on the other side. Contract your abs, roll your shoulders over your wrists, raise both legs using your abs over the bar and slowly lower down on the other side. Thereafter randomly rise over the bar using either side of the body and randomise it thereafter from one movement into the next and so on. Try and really slow the down movement and land quietly like a ninja rather than a heffalump.

ADVANCED TECHNIQUES – Work with varied shape and height bars with small gaps and larger then leaping between and trying to create a number of continuous moves.

34 Obstacle Race Magazine

1. Starting position with left hand over bar 2. Simultaneously raise both legs up,

activating the abs, stacking sholders over wrists.

3. Abs in full action controlling the move

4. Quietly landing like a ninja’

Get free tips, advice on these Core Abdominal Workouts and lots more trhough Coach Michaels’ Wild Foresters Facebook page

FACEBOOK.COM/GROUPS/WILDFORESTERS

REGULARS : ALWAYS WITH A SMILE

ALWAYS

WITH A SMILE Written by Joel Hick Founder of Always With a Smile

EVENTS 2015 WORLD CONKER CHAMPIONSHIPS, SEXY BINGO BLOOD BIKES MANCHESTER, 6WI GUEST SPEAKER, ROYAL BRITISH LEGION MAJOR SERIES LAUNCH, ICE SKATING, ADRENALIN TUBING, SEXY BINGO, LIVERPOOL SANTA DASH, RAINBOWS CHILDREN’S HOSPICE CHRISTMAS PARTY, THE PIEATHLON, CHARNWOOD’S GOT TALENT, INDOOR SURFING, INDOOR SKYDIVING, IN IT FOR A MINUTE BOXING DAY DIP

“I KNOW THAT YOU HAVEN'T BEEN ABLE TO DO MUCH WHILST YOU’VE BEEN RECOVERING, SO IF YOU WANT TO TACKLE YOUR COLUMN FROM A DIFFERENT ANGLE FOR A CHANGE THEN THAT’S NO PROBLEM…” said ORM chief Carl Wibberley. Ahh… what a nice guy! But whilst hip surgery in November, followed by ankle surgery in December, did set me back a little (as well as host of other health issues), it takes more than a little anaesthetic to put the ‘Always With A Smile’ foundation to sleep. Following on from the last issue of ORM in 2015, I managed to see out the year with another 14 or so events - taking last years

36 Obstacle Race Magazine

annual tally up to 66 different events (no wonder I’m a broken man!). That was a record for AWAS, and looking back I can’t believe what the foundation has managed to achieve. In the run up to the New Year, we got our nuts into a twist at the World Conker Championships in Northampton, before helping out the Blood Bikers of Manchester (a voluntary organisation who provide a free out of hours’ delivery service to NHS establishments and health charities) with a Sexy Bingo night. After appearing as a guest speaker at the 6th Women’s Institute in Lincolnshire, I was then down to Hyde Park in London for the launch of the Royal British Legion Major Series… This newly branded OCR is set to challenge some of the bigger boys this year, and the race series is going to be one of the focus points for AWAS in 2016, given it’s 5km

option which makes it ideal for fun and first time mud lovers. From there, I tried my hand at indoor ice skating and adrenalin tubing (where you sit on a rubber ring, hurtling a great speed down an indoor ski slope!). Another sexy bingo night was then followed by the spectacular Liverpool Santa Dash… Now whilst there are many, many Santa Dash’s up and down the country during the Christmas period, Liverpool is by far the biggest with around 8,000 Santa’s taking part. I’ve been an ambassador for the event for a number of years and it just gets better and better. This year I took with me a sledge, filled with toys and treats, which I handed out to children along the course who were both taking part and watching… despite horrid weather. A night as host at the Rainbows Children’s Hospice Christmas party was followed by the

REGULARS : ALWAYS WITH A SMILE

EVENTS 2016 WORLD MOUNTAIN BIKE CHARIOT RACES, BIRMINGHAM OUTDOOR ICE SKATING, INDOOR ICE CLIMBING, TOUGH GUY, SEGWAY EXPERIENCE, TACTICAL HELICOPTER FLYING LESSON, MICROLIGHT FLIGHT EXPERIENCE

Pieathlon in Yorkshire (a 6km fun run and walk with feed stations every 2 Kilometres, stocked with pies!) before acting as guest judge at Charnwood School’s Talent Show! An indoor surfing and indoor skydiving experience at the Bodyflight centre in Bedford (great fun if you’ve never done either), preceded the final event of year, the ‘In It For A Minute’ Boxing Day Dip… where people bare the cold for just one minute on Boxing Day morning… With my foot in cast, I had to sit in a bucket of ice… but a special mention has to go out to ‘Smiler’ Brian Gumbley who organised a ‘dip’ in the North of the country, forcing a small army of brave souls to sing ’12 days of Christmas’ whilst in the freezing drink, whilst Zoe Wall raised more than £230 for Wishes 4 Kids doing her own Dip Challenge. So… bringing you all into 2016, the first few months have been a balancing act, I have to say… as I can’t stop what I do, but at the same time I know I need to rest and recover. To kick the New Year off, I elected to ride in the chariot at the World Mountain Bike Chariot races, where first a snapped bike chain, and then a snapped chariot ruled AWAS out of the fierce competition.

An admittedly stupid folly onto the outdoor ice skating ring in Birmingham was followed by an even more stupid decision to give ice climbing a go in Manchester (ramming your foot into an ice wall just weeks after an ankle operation isn’t the best of ideas!) …and it was at this point, that I decided I needed to rest.

WELL, AFTER TOUGH GUY! To take to the Tough Guy course in the condition I was in was reckless… foolhardy… insane… but ultimately, inevitable. It is the one OCR I will not miss and this year, more than any other, I wanted to be there. Why? Because Tough Guy defines what OCR is about, both in terms of what it brings out of the people who do it and for what the event itself stands for… at a time when the sports principles and direction are very much in the balance. Many of you may recall that last year I took to the course as Peter Quill from the hit film Guardians of the Galaxy and lip-synced the song ‘Hooked on a Feeling’… trying to come close to that was always going to be difficult, but I gave it my best shot! Tackling the safest most dangerous event in

the world I went dressed as Jon Snow, in what must have been the heaviest costume ever to grace the Killing Fields. And my song for 2016? Well, you lucky people got two… One Vision by Queen, followed by the theme tune from Fame… Glorious! I have to say, I spent nearly 5 hours on the course to ensure I’d got everything I needed… but my cognitive powers diminished rapidly after spending around 15 minutes singing in the cold water around the underwater tunnels! Since Tough Guy, I’ve been trying to implement a few changes to the AWAS itinerary so that I can cope physically with the demands placed upon me. This year, I know I will have to be more selective about the physical challenges I take on, whilst increasing the number of experience and adrenalin events that the foundation does… Consequently, since January I have tried my hand at a Segway Experience, a Tactical Helicopter Flying Lesson, as well as a Microlight Flight Experience… and there are lots more to come. I plan to return to OCR in April, though this will be under the guidance of my hip surgeon, ankle surgeon, shoulder surgeon, endocrinologist and neurosurgeon… (just call me the 6 Million Dollar Man!).

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REGULARS : ALWAYS WITH A SMILE

AND MY MAIN AIM FOR 2016? It’s to get as many people involved in the foundations events so that the AWAS-Medal is the most popular bling out there… It’s a simple 3 step challenge! Step 1: You must do or take part in something which makes the world a happier place... Step 2: Whilst doing this 'smiling challenge' you must raise a minimum of £25 for AWAS... Step 3: And finally, to receive your AWAS medal, you must inspire and motivate SOMEONE ELSE to gain their AWAS medal... For more information, visit

WWW.ALWAYSWITHASMILE.COM

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FEATURE : GHOST SQUAD

THE GHOST SQUAD The Ghost Squad, what comes to mind when you read that name. For most who have taken in Tough Guy, then youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll

immediately have a vision of men and women painted head to toe in black and white war paint who seem to materialise when you need them the most out on the course. Superhuman abilities to spend hours out on a freezing course with little clothing on. Legend has it that the rhythmic drums they beat and songs they chant are what give them these powers.

40 Obstacle Race Magazine

FEATURE : GHOST SQUAD

Obstacle Race Magazine 41

FEATURE : GHOST SQUAD

I DRINK, LEAP, FEAST, SING, TRAVEL AND FIGHT IN WHATEVER ORDER FEELS RIGHT AT THE TIME.

But that’s enough of hear say and rumours, lets hear exactly what the Ghost Squad are really all about direct from one of the founders of the clan Ed Gamester. Ed, how and why was Ghost Squad created? T’was a dark and stormy night. The Guild of Adventurers had pilgrimaged to that fabled farm in Perton, to take part in yet another Tough Guy. We had feasted enormously and were sitting around the fire drinking with Mr. Mouse, preparing ourselves for the next day. We are not natural runners: our approach is to meatload the night before, then remove most of our clothes, daub ourselves in runes and use our crippling hangovers to work ourselves into an unconquerable fury. It has mixed results. Mr. Mouse knew our ways. He had seen The Guild storm the Killing Fields on various occasions, and heard from the other runners that it was strangely inspiring. When they felt like giving up, a bellowing war-painted Guildsman

42 Obstacle Race Magazine

exploding out of the mud or through the fire seemed to motivate them back into action. (Or at least made it more dangerous to stand still than keep moving...) This was interesting news. Tough Guy is an incomparably inspiring course, but failing to finish it can be a crushing experience – as we knew from first-hand experience. We were surprised to hear that our presence was helping people complete the course and avoid the disappointment of dropping out. Truly, we told Mr. Mouse, this mattered more to us that whether or not we completed the course ourselves. So it was that Mr. Mouse invited The Guild to create a vanguard of running marshals, to continue doing what we had always done – and hopefully inspire more runners when their courage started to fade. Thus was Ghost Squad born. For people who haven’t come across Ghost Squad, can you describe what you do?

Imagine this obstacle: a trench three feet wide and two feet deep. Everybody can jump over it, so everybody does. Now make the trench a hundred feet deep. Suddenly, people who are physically capable of leaping it find themselves hesitating...and giving up. The same goes for the Killing Fields: the obstacles aren’t about pure physical ability. Three dips underwater don’t seem like much, until the lake is freezing cold and you’re in the grips of earlystage hypothermia. You’re still physically capable, but at mental breaking point. It’s the easiest thing in the world to quit in that moment of doubt and pain...and regret it forever. That’s where we seem to help. We charge around the course, bellowing, pounding on war drums and setting ourselves aflame. This is just how we do Tough Guy (it’s how we do everything), but it seems to inspire and motivate the people around us. It might be the mud, the cold, the distance, the water, the

FEATURE : GHOST SQUAD

height, the cramped spaces: whatever it is that pushes somebody to their limit, we are there to help them conquer it. We can’t do the obstacles for you, but sometimes the difference between giving up and carrying on is simply having somebody to tell you can do it. Or somebody screaming a war cry and blowing a fireball thirteen feet into the air. Whatever floats your boat. You’re out there all day long. What gear do you use to survive the cold? The night before Tough Guy, we perform ancient ceremonies and quaff magical rums. Then we pass out on the floor of a barn. The next day, we rise in agony – like the undead – and paint our bodies with powerful runes, which protect us from cold and fatigue. Thus, we are unconquerable. When you aren’t digging runners out of the mud, what do you do with yourself? As befits a nomadic man of The Guild, I spend my time swashbuckling for rum and gold. I drink, leap, feast, sing, travel and fight in whatever order feels right at the time. Adventure comes to whoever is equally unprepared for everything – thus I live, in a state of loose chaos. When I’m not gallivanting, I spend my time training for and performing specialist action for TV and film, and live stunt shows like Lucha Britannia: London’s underground Mexican wrestling cabaret. I also sing for the apocalyptic-acoustic-post-punk-nonsense act known as Gay Bum, as well as a powerful assault rock band called Bowa Town. Both should appear at Tough Guy in the near future, perhaps even at the forthcoming Night Before Nettle Warrior festival! To stave off my inevitable descent into madness and ensure I leave something behind when I eventually self-combust (from eating too many eggs), I write. My oft-neglected blog, the Chronicles of Edventure, documents my quests and self-experimentation around the world. My first book (created in collaboration with the marvellous Darrell Thorpe) has just been released. It is a gloriously illustrated fictional log book, which explores what happens when a Guildsman finds himself marooned and rumless on a mysterious island. It is called A Rum Run Awry... Other than that, I train people in screen combat and my own unconventional approach to exercise, which some people

enjoy more than traditional fitness training. Winter Tough Guy 2016 saw lots of honorary members of the Ghost Squad on the course. How are they chosen? Is there a way for people to apply to help you at future events? The Choosing of the Ghosts is an ancient and secret tradition. I cannot reveal the specific details without risking being ceremonially punted in the face by The Great Boot, but it all starts with a Guildmoot. The Guild gathers beneath a full moon and enters a deep rum trance. Rune stones are tossed, songs are sung, random objects are hopped-over, fights break out, there is probably a tug o’ war – the usual shenanigans. When we’ve attracted the attention of the fates, we offer them a beer and beseech them to bring the right people to the right places at the right times. There is, therefore, no official way to join Ghost Squad. It is spawned organically through sheer chaos, and the mere concept of an application process is both baffling and nauseating to us. There are no set qualifications or criteria we look for; we are an extended family made up of a variety of characters, and we cannot know for certain who will make us more powerful – until we meet them. Some of the people we meet join Ghost Squad for a single event as honorary members. Others come on our adventures and become integral parts of the squad. That’s the thing about the core Ghost Squad: it exists beyond Tough Guy. You might find us climbing a volcano, swimming a lake, playing a good ol’ game o’ PunchFace, or brewing volatile beers for a feast. What you see at Tough Guy is just us doing our thing. The only thing we all share in common is that we are Tough Guys n’ Gals: we have all completed Winter Tough Guy, we know the hell that the runners are going through, and we are willing them – with every drop of rum in our bodies – to make it to the end. Why do you do it? At the heart of it, what we do is ridiculous. It is pure nonsense. But it’s real. Any event can pay marshals or actors to dress up and pretend to care about what’s going on. Ghost Squad volunteer at Tough Guy because we genuinely love it and care about the people running. If our absurdity helps a few more people get around the course, or makes it more enjoyable – that’s great! If it doesn’t, we’ll do it anyway. Thus, The Guild.

You can see Ed (or hear him, at least) on the Killing Fields at Tough Guy. In the meantime, keep up with his nonsense and learn more about his books and projects on his website: WWW.EDGAMESTER.CO.UK

Obstacle Race Magazine 43

REGULARS : OCR TRAINING & RACING TECHNIQUES

44 Obstacle Race Magazine

REGULARS : OCR TRAINING & RACING TECHNIQUES

OCR TRAINING & RACING TECHNIQUES GUIDE Written by: Kevin Meredith of Origin Inspired OCR Centre

PART ONE

INTRO

AN INTRODUCTION TO PRE-RACE TRAINING “Take part with a light heart (even when racing from the front) and remember to have fun” Jon Albon This article is a guide for those looking to improve their performance in our wonderful sport of OCR. I am privileged to have had some great support from experienced runners, race directors and nutritionists from our community to help me provide practical information to add to your OCR knowledge base. Like any sport there are a number of things required to make you excel in it. This is a three-piece guide which will be spread over the next three editions of ORM magazine. In its entirety the full guide will look at the different aspects of OCR which are pre-race, race day & post race.

THE CONTRIBUTORS TO THIS ARTICLE ARE; Conor Hancock (OCR competitor & UK no.1), I've always trained since a young age. As I love a challenge and felt in decent shape, I thought I'd sign up for Man V Mountain in 2013. Placing 5th in this I wanted to see what I could achieve. Straight after I signed up for TM in October and then Spartan Beast in November. Unaware I was stood on the start line with some of the best obstacle racers in the UK, I was aiming to win. Finishing 3rd behind Jon Albon 1st, Ross McDonald 2nd, I was happy but not yet content. It got me wanting to race these guys as much as possible to learn and improve. Since then I've had a great time racing all over the place, meeting stacks of OCR people. James Appleton (OCR competitor & UK no.2), Before OCR, I was a runner and climber who wasn't particularly top-level at either. Discovering that a combination of both was actually pretty handy, I competed in more Tough Guy's than I can remember from 2006 - 2011, winning three. After that, I took a break until

a chance meeting with both Scott Keneally and Pete Rees convinced me to have a look back in. I haven't looked back since Joda Quigley (OCR competitor & multiple Spartan winner), My background is in Equestrian Sports. Once I started my own family, having horses and children wasn't working so I looked for another form of fitness. I started using the gym which didn't cut it, after starting boxing fitness, I joined a local boxing club which took my fitness to a new level. My first OCR experience was a Spartan in 2013. I was still boxing so my fitness was good but I still wasn't sure about competing in OCR. It was my fiancé John and his belief in me that convinced me to do it. I was in the Elite wave not feeling very Elite, but I gave it my best and came in First Female. I have never had to push myself so hard but I loved it so I decided that my future was in OCR. Doug Spence (Race Director of Dirty Dozen Races), Doug ‘The Beard’ Spence lives and breathes obstacles and not content with designing & building behemoth obstacles for Dirty Dozen Races, he has built what is one of the toughest ‘short’ courses in the UK in his garden. He is a keen climber and passionate about sports psychology and a fan of anything that takes him out of his comfort zone. When not designing new obstacles he teaches obstacle technique with a big focus on efficiency and building confidence. Freya Martin (OCR competitor & UK no.1 Female), becoming a mum in 2013 made me change my sporting focus from endurance triathlon to OCR and I did my first event at Spartan Beast in 2014. I was immediately hooked (not least because of the prize opportunities that are so poor in most amateur sports). After some success I am now very hungry for more and

Obstacle Race Magazine 45

REGULARS : OCR TRAINING & RACING TECHNIQUES

have my sights firmly set on the World OCR champ’s podium 2016 (well you have to dream big don't you?). Darren Foote (Mountain Fuel), I joined the Royal Military Police in 1986 and spent 12 years in service, during which time I qualified as an army P.T.I. I was an instructor at the school of R.M.P’s training recruits. In 2006 I graduated as a lecturer and started, teaching students how to work in the public sector and ensuring their physical fitness levels. In 2008 I set up Mountain Fuel nutrition. In that time, I have worked with many organisations such as the British military expeditionary forces, and walking with the wounded, putting flags on the North & South pole and various places all over the world. In 2009 I qualified in sports nutrition. In 2011 I qualified as a UK athletics coach, specialising in sprinting and strength conditioning. Today, as well as running Mountain Fuel with Rupert Bonington, I also teach at Ebbw Vale College lecturing public services and fitness assessments both civilian and military. ASPECTS OF OCR There are two main parts to OCR, running and obstacles. These disciplines should be seamless in a good ocr runner, constantly flowing from one to the other to make a smooth flowing athlete that can transition effectively throughout the race. This can only be achieved through hard training and mental focus. There are things that can be practiced and improved over time to make us better athletes and enjoy our progress within the sport. RUNNING There is usually some running at an OCR event. In fact, the top runners usually train very heavily in running and also excel in other sports such as fell running or triathlons. Our contributors all train in trail running to get the best out of their performances. Most OCR’s are set in countryside so being able to run up hills, on trails or rough terrain is a good idea. There is no doubt if you want to improve your results then you need to become a competent runner, even as sprint OCR starts to develop in the future, sprinting in itself is an art and its techniques should be considered. OBSTACLES After a run we inevitably get to an obstacle. Each obstacle can vary greatly and race directors tend to try to come up with new things for us to contend with. There is a growing trend for obstacles that are more demanding on the upper body. Because of this we need to condition the whole body to be able to lift, pull, drag, traverse, climb and carry. This requires the right sort of training and if we include good technique it makes our lives easier, leaving more energy

46 Obstacle Race Magazine

for all that running. Because of the varying nature of obstacles we need to train the body to work in multiple directions and build functional fitness. Obstacles are also very demanding on our bodies so we need to make sure the body is conditioned to stay injury free. PRE RACE So what do you do in the build up to race day? We all know we should run a bit or go to the gym. But what is really the best way to train for a race? Is running just running? How do we best train to take on obstacles? Is it hard to push yourself some days? Pre race training is the bit everyone hopefully does. So what are the best things to do? Everyone has their own favourites but here are a few tried and tested things for you to get you started and some secrets from some of the best.

1) TRAINING Warming up is a crucial part of preparing for exercise and cooling down properly can be reduce Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness (DOMS) significantly. It will improve our performance and give us mental focus for the task ahead. “Every session I always make sure I do a good warm up and dynamic stretching. This is very important to warm up the muscles, get your blood pumping and also helps avoid injury” Conor Static stretching is the safest way of stretching but making sure you warm the body and raise the heart rate first before stretching is a good idea, followed by light warm up stretches to gently prepare the muscles. This can then be followed by more dynamic exercise specific movements before commencing the session. A good warm up should take around 10 minutes and cover all the major muscle groups. This will prevent injury and will help increase performance. Try and make the warm up specific, if you are running then work the muscles used in running, if you are on monkey bars or ropes then stretch the upper body and arms. Familiarise yourself with the muscles you recruit during your sport, this can only be beneficial to your improvement. TRAINING TECHNIQUES INDOORS/GYM OCR requires functional fitness so we need to have a strong body, an understanding of where are bodies are in space and we need to be able to move and stretch in all directions as OCR can have you is some pretty strange positions. It is sometimes difficult to do all our training outside. Cardio can be worked on indoors on treadmills and rowing machines but the best thing to do is to work on OCR specific strength and flexibility. A strong foundation and core is a key part of functional fitness. This means strong legs and core, to power us through the course and over obstacles, good back, chest, arm and grip strength to help us pull, push and hang from anything in our way.

“Having excellent grip strength is key, so plenty of climbing sessions through the early part of the season are key. With the ever-growing abundance of grip-specific obstacles in our events, you can't get away without excellent grip endurance and technical ability. Rigs, ropes, rings, bars, walls - race directors are all taking part in an arms race to try and break competitors down.” James A During OCR events when taking on obstacles our bodies are required to constantly change muscle groups, angle and height. This means we need to put our bodies through a similar experience to get the best results. There are many OCR facilities set up around the country that can give you this experience but even if you haven't got one near you there is plenty to be done. “I do a lot of x-training to avoid injuries. Weights are particularly important for me, either free weights or body resisted. Although facilities can be limited as much functional obstacle training is ideal.” Freya X-training, is a fantastic way to train for OCR. It incorporates lifts, carries and body weight exercises. All helping build strong muscles and improving all round fitness. It also includes plyometric exercises which will help with jumping and running. As James suggests get to a climbing wall, this will help with strength, flexibility and problem solving which comes in handy on obstacles. Pullup bars are a cheap way of building grip and also building the back and arm strength, varying your grip as much as possible to get maximum results. Hanging a towel over the bar and pulling up on it can also replicate the grip needed for a rope climb. Dips and parallel bars will help build strength to hold your body weight over your hands. In OCR we are made to work through multiple muscle groups, if a chink in the chain is weak then the dynamic power will not flow through the movement correctly, thus loosing power and failing an obstacle. “I'm always trying to improve and train harder and better.” Conor Proprioception is also something we can train to improve balance and our awareness of where are body is in space. This will make movements much more fluid and coordinated. Proprioception is the sense of the relative position of neighbouring parts of the body and strength of effort being employed in movement. The brain integrates information from proprioception into its overall sense of body position, movement and acceleration. The use of swiss balls, bosu balls and wobble boards are fantastic ways to do your usual exercises adding this dimension to your movements. It will also help knee and ankle stabilization.

CONTINUED ON PAGE 98

FEATURE : MUD MONSTERS

MUD MONSTERS Whoever thought that a company would be able to look back on a year of growth, awards and sold out events full of happy runners and know that most of it is down to their, urm mud!!

Not many companies would be thankful for such a strange resource being so abundant on their beautiful permanent site located just 20 minutes from Gatwick Airport but luckily itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s just what the guys at Mud Monsters Run love! Anyone who has taken part in a Mud Monsters Run will be familiar with the 50 shades of mud that can be found on pretty much every part

48 Obstacle Race Magazine

of the course and it is thanks to this that they won their first Mudstacle Award back in December for the Muddiest Race of 2015! Mud Monsters Run is definitely growing and evolving and this year they have launched the epic Triple Dipped 35km Challenge, with the bonus of an awesome three piece puzzle medal, a limited edition t-shirt plus all three normal medals, which is a whole lot of bling! Donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t underestimate it though, there is no accounting for how much tougher the mud here makes any distance, earn those

three pieces of medal and you earn ultimate bragging rights! Not only are there new challenges at Mud Monsters but 2016 will also see some new obstacles being added...there are the awesome new bright green ninja rings and a huge weaver to tackle as well as a few other gems that will be popping up around the course. The course at Mud Monsters caters for everyone, whether taking part as a first timer or as a competitive runner and the event on 29 May will be a qualifier for the OCR European Championships, OCR Community League, OCR UK Championships and UK OCR League.

FEATURE : MUD MONSTERS

Another new addition this year after having so many requests from parents who have run and loved the course is the brilliant Mud Monsters Ninjas, a dedicated kids run which will give little ones aged 4-13 a taste of a super muddy, fun obstacle course. All OCR parents will be pleased to hear that it takes place on the same days as the adult run (29 May and 09 October) costing just £10 and of course each finisher earns their own piece of bling, a ninja throwing star inspired medal! If it’s a family fun event you are looking for with a weekend of camping, training, playing on obstacles and sharing OCR stories around a campfire then look no further than Mudstock which takes place at the Mud Monsters Run site. Last year’s Mudstock was great fun and saw kids taking part in den building and Nurf wars while parents tried everything from yoga to insanity, throw in some useful obstacle hacks and an evening around the campfire and you have the perfect relaxed OCR weekend. This year it will take place over the weekend of 29-31 July, it’s a stress free way to enjoy all the fun sides of the unique world of OCR without the pressure of racing. Plus there will be a brand new, ultra muddy kids run on 31 July called Mission Mud... The guys behind Mud Monsters Run (Mark & Becky) are not just Race Directors but also actively part of the OCR community, they run, they volunteer, they get involved and they listen to what people want and try to deliver. The aim is to always have a fun and friendly event which is priced fairly and encourages people no matter what their personal goals for the day are. They want people to leave smiling and feeling proud of what they have achieved, oh and of course to make sure everyone gets covered head to toe in mud glorious mud!!

THE NEXT RUN TAKES PLACE ON 29 MAY 2016. SEE THE WEBSITE WWW.MUDMONSTERSRUN.CO.UK FOR MORE DETAILS OF ALL THEIR EVENTS.

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PROFILES : TO INSPIRE

INSPIRE Written by: Carl Wibberley Photography by Tony Jarvis Photography

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PROFILES : TO INSPIRE

INSPIRATION

INSPIRATION CAN COME IN MANY FORMS THROUGHOUT OUR LIVES. THESE CAN RANGE FROM A FLEETING GLANCE AT A PICTURE THAT STIRS SOMETHING INSIDE US OR FROM A PERSON WHO IS ABLE TO PROMOTE A REAL CHANGE IN US, THUS INSPIRING.

Throughout 2016 I’ll be seeking out some of the most inspiring people and their stories within the OCR community.

The second instalment of inspiration comes in the form of a Helen Chapman. Helen has been a regular OCR runner and ambassador for a while now, she’s known for never being someone to back down from a challenge that’s put in front of her. No matter how big or small. ‘Why’s that inspiring ‘? I can hear you say. Well OCR’s can be a real challenge for anyone, but if you add to the mix that fact she has a prosthetic leg, to be precise she had to have what is know as a Syme’s amputation, in which the foot is amputated just above the anklebone. When Helen was 10, she was hit by a minibus after she ran into the road to escape a dog. The injuries she sustained landed her in hospital for three weeks. Everyone felt she had a lucky escape, but that wasn’t the end of it, unfortunately her fractured right ankle failed to heal properly and had to be re-broken. Four years later, Helen noticed a reddish patch on her foot, which at first she thought it was a blister, but the skin started to grow inwards and became extremely painful. It turned out to be an ulcer, which

developed into an infection within the bone, causing her foot to become deformed. Helen then spent the next few years in and out of hospital. After a failed skin graft in 1998 it was then that an amputation was first suggested. After the operation she recalls, ‘When I woke up, it felt as if my foot was still there’. A prosthetic leg was given to her. She described this as very heavy. It did take time but eventually it began to feel like part of her. Helen was a single working mum with a young son and daughter, and had little time to dwell on things or become depressed. ‘Learning to walk on a prosthetic leg with a pushchair in tow wasn’t easy’. Helen’s accident had denied her an active youth, but in 2011, when her daughter, then 14, suggested they take part in their local Race for Life, she decided it was time to shape up. As happens with a lot of people she stumbled across some photos of herself and was shocked at how huge she felt she looked. She power-walked the 5K race with her daughter and it gave Helen the drive she needed to join a local gym that also had a running group. ‘The first time I went out with them I did two miles,’ she says. ‘That made me wonder – what else can I do? I ran a 10K that autumn. I began to lose weight and enter more races one of which was the 2012 Virgin London Marathon. But Helen’s everyday use prosthetic leg was

not designed for continual repetitive impact. It fits over the stump like a welly boot – the foot section of it doesn’t move, So running long distances is uncomfortable and the leg broke three times during marathon training, forcing her to power-walk the race instead. Her amazing efforts had not gone unnoticed – she was invited to a running clinic for amputees by the charity called LimbPower. ‘It was a turning point,’ says Helen. She met other people in the same position as her, learning about the Amputee Games, which she later had chance to take part in, she met a coach who advised her to apply for a specialist running blade. She approached the NHS but unfortunately was turned down. Helen was told that there was no clinical need, despite the fact that her running was causing pain and also damaging her prosthetic leg. LimbPower stepped in, helping her write letters to appeal the decision of the NHS and her local MP, and putting her in touch with other charities and organisations that could help. While the NHS refused to budge, a specialist clinic, Pace Rehabilitation, assessed Helen and luckily Arctic One selected her to be one of five amputees eligible for help with fundraising for a blade. It took Helen almost two years to raise the £5,500 she needed and in February 2014 Helen

SINCE SHE’S HAD THE NEW BLADE, THERE HAS BEEN NO STOPPING HER

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PROFILES : TO INSPIRE

received her running blade. She only had three weeks to get to grips with the blade, affectionately known as Pinkie, before the Silverstone Half

Marathon, and four weeks after that she had the London Marathon. She was elated afterwards as she’d managed to run the whole way round with the help of Pinkie. Since she’s had the new blade, there has been no stopping her. Helen has lost four stone since she took up running in 2011. Since May 2015 Helen has been concentrating on her OCR training and running with Mitch Shepherd and Emz Watts at Bootcamp Revolution. ‘It’s great to be training with other people – and everything has improved; my technique, my speed and my distance.’ This brings us to the present day and Helens trusty sidekick Pinkie isn’t doing so well. After many adventures together it seems Pinkie just couldn’t keep up with Helen.

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We caught up with Helen to find out what’s been holding her back from enjoying as much of the mud recently, and about what we can do to help her get back to it? Back in October last year shortly after returning from the OCR World Championships I started getting pain in my residual limb which is known as little leg, on the bottom of the stump and about a third of the way up my leg I have had this on and off for a while over the last couple of years but it has always seemed to settle down and hadn’t worried me until now as the pain was getting more constant and worse

and I had noticed a lump on the stump and leg which were quite large in size and getting bigger, this was causing extra swelling within the limb and making it hard to walk on my everyday prosthetic leg which was putting a lot more pressure on it and leaving me unable to weight bear on my leg for too long before feeling discomfort and pain, this had given me a cause for concern and I made an appointment with my GP to get this checked out and I got sent for some x-rays and was awaiting the results, I got referred to the orthopedic consultant at Colchester General Hospital who done a detailed examination and an MRI scan which came back with the results of the lumps being bone growth which was distorting the leg and stump and giving the cause of pain and the diagnosis of this to get the leg sorted and for me to be pain free would be a stump revision. This means that I will be taken up from a symes amputee to a below knee amputation

PROFILES : TO INSPIRE

which will benefit me in being pain free and the extra bone being removed, giving me better mobility to be able to get back into doing everything, I am at present waiting for a date to go in hospital to have the operation done, so for now, I have done the last few events on a pair of crutches which isn’t easy but has helped take the pressure off of the leg but since the leg has got worse I’m now unable to do too much without experiencing the leg getting tight and

heavy and being extremely painful, This will be keeping me out of the mud and OCR for pretty much most of the year while I recover and get new legs fitted, I will have a shorter stump and little leg now which means that my new legs are going to have to change completely and although my new everyday leg will be provided by the NHS, my running blade Pinkie is not and I have to fundraise the £6,675.85 to get Pinkie back into play and donations can be made via my

, I HAVE DONE THE LAST FEW EVENTS ON A PAIR OF CRUTCHES WHICH ISN’T EASY

page which is www.virginmoneygiving.com/ helenchapman2 I'm not worried about having the operation done and I'm feeling really positive and excited for post recovery in which I can get back in the mud and OCR and doing what I love the best, in the meantime I will be training hard on my upper body as much as I can and will be marshaling all the events I can't run this year so if you see me come and say hi, this year for me is training year but I will be smashing everything in my way come the 2017 season and will be gaining bigger goals and achievements.

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MUDNIFICENT 7

OCR EXPO HEART PARK , WARWICKSHIRE 13TH AUGUST 2016 WWW.MUD7.COM

7 X RACE ORGANISATIONS COMING TOGETHER TO MAKE UP ONE SUPER COURSE

FEATURE : MUD, MUSIC & MEDALS!

MUD MUSIC &

MEDALS!

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FEATURE : MUD, MUSIC & MEDALS!

The much-anticipated Mudfest is coming round again with a new course, new obstacles (including the closely guarded secret obstacle "BOOM") and some cracking entertainment. We're talking bigger headline bands and lots to do for spectators and runners alike. Expect Scouting for Girls and 60 live bands, late night cinema, circus acts, hot tubs and glamping - this is one not to be missed! Airfield Anarchy began on a frosty March morning: a humble mud run at RAF Winthorpe, a disused World War II airfield, waaaay back in 2014. It's grown steadily since then, with Runway Events adding obstacles, distance options and extra features to the event. They're now sporting a 3-event OCR series, with Afterburner (29 Oct) and Frostbite (usually held in Feb) plus the ubiquitous Mudfest summer obstacle race festival in June. ORM’s Editor Carl Wibberley is excited to again be spending his birthday at the Festival -probably covered in mud as is his prerogative… Despite the relatively flat terrain, Airfield Anarchy takes no prisoners when it comes to terrain – grown men are brought to their knees on a regular basis due to the steep banks, ditches and claggy mud that dominates this area – do NOT underestimate what the 5km, 10km or 10 miler will do to you, as the course designers know how to get the best out of the airfield. Obstacle wise, we’re talking a broad mix of around 60 well-built and varied obstacles.

You have all the classics, from walls, nets, ropes, slides, hay bale towers and tunnels, but then there’s the legendary “Takeoff” slide – a 35ft inflatable monstrosity (designed by Satan himself) that’s not just an extremely tough climb up for tired hands and legs, but also quite scary when you’re right on top! A quick vertical drop later and you’re literally “taking off” and being launched into a pond. Special mention must be made of “BOOM” – Mudfest’s most impressive multi-obstacle. This is AA’s most closely guarded secret and changes each year. This year our spies tell us we’ll be talking half pipes, more water and some “sensory deprivation” thrown in for good measure…

WHAT’S HERE FOR ME? 1.

2. 3. 4.

Want to have fun and enjoy an amazing weekend with your mates? Dip your toes in the water with the 5 Km course on Saturday morning. Push the envelope with Mudfest’s most popular event, the awesome 10km route on Saturday Afternoon. Want a tougher challenge? Have a go at the 10 mile route on Sunday, with an extra 10 exclusive “hardcore” obstacles to boot. Are you INSANE? Biggles reports over 400 runners already signed up to take on the much-feared “Epic Weekend” – all

three distances across a weekend of mud, with the best afterparty in the business in between. Oh, and the medal is #EPIC…. Sign Up now at airfieldanarchy.com/ mudfest (Use code “ORM” for 15% off)

AFTER PARTY Mudfest is the UK’s only dedicated OCR Festival – that’s to say there’s a stand alone music festival going on at the same time: 3 live music stages with 60 bands (including Scouting for Girls and other headline acts yet to be announced). AA reports Circus acts, hot tubs, Glamping, late night cinema and flybys from the RAF Battle of Britain Memorial Flight! We were mightily impressed by the RAF Hurricane and Vulcan flypasts last year – Spitfires have already been confirmed for this year!

CHARITY Airfield Anarchy takes place at a historical military location, and the Event and many of their runners choose to support the RAF Benevolent Fund – more info at rafbf.org

HOW TO GET INVOLVED Sign Up now at airfieldanarchy.com/ mudfest (Use code “ORM” for 15% off) – there is also a £5 team discount for groups of 4 or more.

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MUD FEST THE UKâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S PREMIER OCR FESTIVAL

AIRFIELDANARCHY.COM/MUDFEST

KIT TESTING : SOCKS FEATURE

THE

SOCKS REVIEW

SOCKS FOR RACING AND TRAINING

hills and down hills. We evaluated each pair for comfort, padding, durability, ability to wick, and also slip prevention. Not all socks are created equal and we run down the differences. Keep reading to see the test scores and important information.

Are you looking for the best running sock for your next workout or OCR adventure?

The main categories that the socks are tested on are as follows:

Then look no further, we’ve brought together some of the best running socks and put them through the wringer. Over the course of the test we’ve taken them on miles of muddy trails, road and even treadmill running. We ran them on cold mornings, muddy and snowy paths, hard packed trails and roads, rocky up

COMFORT PADDING DURABILITY ABILITY TO WICK SLIP PREVENTION

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KIT TESTING : SOCKS FEATURE

INOV-8 RACE ULTRA

£14, WWW.SPORTSSHOES.COM Comfort: 8/10 Padding: 8/10 Durability: 8/10 Ability to wick: 7/10 Slip prevention: 9/10 Overall score: 8/10 Thoughts: Great lightweight sock, perfect for summer OCR races.

TESTING

ARMADILLO COMMANDO SOCK £19, WWW.ARMADILLOMERINO.

COM Comfort: 9/10 Durability: 9/10

Padding: 9/10 Ability to wick: 8/10

ROHNER STREET RACING

£11.86, WWW.AMAZON.CO.UK Comfort: 7/10 Padding: 7/10 Durability: 7.5/10 Ability to wick: 7/10 Slip prevention: 7/10 Overall score: 7.1/10 Thoughts: The wild card of the bunch and it held it's own against the competition.

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The independent testers were told to put each of the items they were sent through hell, to see what came out the other side. Slip prevention: 9/10 Overall score: 8.8/10 Thoughts: A sock that you can rely on to be up for any adventure

VIKING SPORTS SOCKS

£12.99 X 3 Pairs, WWW.EBAY.CO.UK Comfort: 6.5/10 Padding: 7.5/10 Durability: 7/10 Ability to wick: 7/10 Slip prevention: 6.5/10 Overall score: 6.9/10 Thoughts: Cracking budget choice sock that really lets your feet breath.

DARN TOUGH NO SHOW

£14, WWW.MUDDYKIT.CO.UK Comfort: 9/10 Padding: 9/10 Durability: 9.5/10 Ability to wick: 7.5/10 Slip prevention: 8/10 Overall score: 8.6/10 Thoughts: Great investment sock choice. Not the cheapest but a lifetime guarantee is not to be sniffed at.

KIT TESTING : SOCKS FEATURE

X-SOCKS SKY RUN 2.0

£18.99, WWW.SOCKSHOP.CO.UK Comfort: 9/10 Padding: 9/10 Durability: 9/10 Ability to wick: 8/10 Slip prevention: 8/10 Overall score: 8.6/10 Thoughts: Fantastic looking sock with a ton of design tech making it a huge upgrade for any sock wearer.

INJINJI PERFORMANCE TRAIL 2.0 MORE MILE NEW YORK

£2.95, WWW.MOREMILE.CO.UK Comfort: 7/10 Padding: 7.5/10 Durability: 7.5/10 Ability to wick: 6.5/10

Slip prevention: 6/10 Overall score: 6.9/10 Thoughts: Great choice if only looking to do a few races a year

INOV-8 RACE ELITE MID

COMPRESSPORT PRO RACING

£11, WWW.RATRACESTORE.COM Comfort: 8.5/10 Padding: 8/10 Durability: 8/10 Ability to wick: 7.5/10 Slip prevention: 8/10 Overall score: 8/10 Thoughts: Nice fit and the perfect length for OCRs.

£10.14, WWW.AMAZON.CO.UK Comfort: 8/10 Padding: 9/10 Durability: 8/10 Ability to wick: 6.5/10 Slip prevention: 8/10 Overall score: 7.9/10 Thoughts: Great padding feel without the extra weight.

£15, WWW.FEETUS.CO.UK Comfort: 9.5/10 Padding: 8.5/10 Durability: 9/10 Ability to wick: 8.5/10 Slip prevention: 9.5/10 Overall score: 9/10 Thoughts: Fantastic fit and somehow makes you feel more connected with your shoe.

HILLY MARATHON FRESH

£6, WWW.RATRACESTORE .COM Comfort: 7.5/10 Padding: 6.5/10 Durability: 7.5/10 Ability to wick: 7/10 Slip prevention: 8.5/10 Overall score: 7.4/10 Thoughts: Quality feel suited to shorter distance OCRs.

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REGULARS : MUDTREST

MUDTREST Want to get your picture on our Mudtrest wall? Email your photo, name and a short description to letters@obstacleracemagazine.com

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Obstacle Race Magazine 63

REGULARS : MUDTREST

MUDTREST

SUBSCRIBERS

Want to get your picture on our Mudtrest wall? Email your photo, name and a short description to letters@obstacleracemagazine.com

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Obstacle Race Magazine 65

FEATURE : LIKE TOY SOLDIERS

LIKE TOY

SOLDIERS

Written by Dave Peters of Energise Mud Runners Lead Coach Photography from: Airfield Anarchy

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FEATURE : LIKE TOY SOLDIERS

IN JUST A FEW SHORT YEARS

TOY SOLDIERS, LITTLE PLASTIC FIGURES ON SOLID BASES. COWBOYS AND INDIANS, COPS AND ROBBERS AND MY PERSONAL FAVOURITE PRETENDING TO BE LEONARDO OR GEORGE WEAH ON A FOOTBALL PITCH.

All of which are fond memories I have as a child. Memories which to some reading this article will read as “who the hell are they?” and “how old is this guy”, whereas to others will be funny as they will remember their own children pretending to be them! It is memories like these that I often refer back to when I think about some of the things I do now. Sometimes I re-enact them with my own daughter, nieces and nephews. Sometimes I even manage to try and be George Weah again on a football pitch, we won’t go on about how poorly that occurs. More often than not though it is when someone questions me about Obstacle Course Racing and seemingly my obsession with it that I refer back to my childhood memories most often. When someone asks me why I do Obstacle Course Racing (OCR) I can cite many of the typical reasons. Some I referred back to in my last article “Every man needs a shed”. These are

often the same as many of you who will be likely I will make the start line coming Sunday reading this article. The Challenge, the mud, 6th March. I am a fitness Instructor, Personal the social. As I write this article we are in the Trainer and Obstacle Course Trainer. I rely on run up to The Nuts Challenge. I am preparing my health and fitness. I have completed The my team of Energise Mud Runners for one of Nuts Challenge 28km both Winter and Summer. the toughest Obstacle races in the country, and So what do I have to prove? Why do I still decide more importantly they are trying to prepare me! to take these challenges on? Why do I risk my Currently I am day to day job to run OCR so carrying an injury to my WHY DO I RISK MY DAY regularly? It was that question hip which after speaking which prompted me to write TO DAY JOB TO RUN OCR this article. We all know what with specialists rates me as 50/50 for the full 4 lap SO REGULARLY? we say when we are asked challenge. When people why we do OCR but why do ask me whether I’ll be doing it the words I say we really? Is there more to it then we love the are those of advice that I would give to any mud? We love the obstacles? Is there a deeper other runner. “Maybe, I need to assess it and meaning, at least for me maybe that keeps me make a sensible decision”. In reality deep down coming back for more? I know that if there is half a chance I can try I Like I say it is the people who know me best will make the start line. For those who know who are the ones who know truly what I will me well enough they know also that it is more do come Sunday, none less than my mother

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FEATURE : LIKE TOY SOLDIERS

and my wife. Both have the same questions. Both have the same worries. Last time I took on the Nuts Challenge 4 lap race I got into trouble with regards to Hypothermia. My 4th lap took me as long as my first 3! If it wasn’t for my team and my wife I wouldn’t have made it round and possibly wouldn’t have been in great health either. That is a fact. So why would I even enter again? The only reason I can think of is because of something deep within me that no other race has shown me up to this point. In my mind this is a real challenge. Not a challenge that is easy to overcome and also not a challenge that unless you can prove your mental strength you will complete. I have always been an advocate of doing the things that scare you and taking challenges to see what you are truly capable of. I was scared of heights so I jumped from a plane. I didn’t like the ocean so I took a charity sea kayak over 200m out from the coast in a sit on top Kayak. I had a lack of belief in an ability to dig deep when it is really needed so I took on Nuts, The Eliminator marathon and The UK Champs. It’s not just the tough races though. Some of the simple ones, the short ones and the “easier” ones. Why do I travel so far to compete in a 10km OCR? I liken all of this to the inner child within me. Is it just me playing toy soldiers again? Am I running through muck and playing in a giant playground like I would as a child. Am I just trying to engage those childhood memories in a way that is socially acceptable? All of these are most likely true but I always consider there to be one common denominator in all of this. Family.

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Without family I wouldn’t have those child hood memories. I wouldn’t be creating those childhood memories with my daughter, nieces and nephews. There also comes the races themselves. Without my Wife and my team who I feel are my extended family and share the memories with I wouldn’t have completed Nuts, but there is more to it than that. I have witnessed Obstacle course racing bring families together. There are even groups out there now who call themselves the OCR Family, and like all good families there are fall outs, differences of opinion as well as the support and happiness that they can bring. Through OCR I have been able to create memories for myself and others that I will tell my grandchildren. Through OCR I have been the role model to my family, to my team and to my team’s children. Through OCR I have experienced and relieved some of my favourite memories of my own childhood. More important than all of those though, I have seen families be brought together. I watch mothers and fathers compete alongside their children. I see teenage sons stop playing the PlayStation and want to spend time with Mum and Dad at the next race. I see bonds in families grow stronger every time they race together. Every time a child makes their parent even more proud and vice versa. I watch children support their parents through some of the toughest times physically they have ever experienced. For me OCR is about family, extended family and opportunity. OCR can provide an affordable platform for you, your family and friends to build upon the same kind of experiences and memories. It

can help you build bonds. It can help you find what you are truly capable of and it can inspire others to do the same. OCR for me is extending my own memories to add to all of those I talk about from my childhood. OCR is keeping me young. It is providing me with opportunity to lead and inspire my family and more. It gives back to me more than the £50 I may pay for entry and gives back to my family more than the 2-hour journey in the car. OCR allows me to play toy soldiers again and it not be frowned upon. To spend time in my shed, and to show me I am capable of doing anything I want to do. I just need to want it enough. Like Toy Soldiers, there is no end to what is possible, and OCR can help you realise that. If there is one piece of advice I would like to spread across from this article is that there are so many great stories from OCR. Look left or right at any race and you will see it for yourself. As Obstacle Course Racing becomes more and more sport like don’t be afraid to embrace it. Don’t be worried by the fear of failure that more competitiveness may or may not bring. If OCR starts to drill up a thousand championships from the countries, the collectives and the world do not be afraid by it. Embrace the challenge that it brings. Enjoy the entertainment that it can bring in watching those at the top of the game, and enjoy how OCR brings families together and gives us a platform for success, because as far as I can see, OCR is still there for the people. It lets us have fun, set our own challenges and still includes us all. More important than all of that, it lets us be the Cowboys and Indians again. It’s just like Toy Soldiers.

REGULARS : 5 FOODS

5EAT EVERYDAY

FOODS YOU SHOULD

The majority of foods that many people are eating are dense with ingredients that are helping to create poor health or foods that are processed in such a way that its helping your health take a downward spiral if consistently eaten. These foods should really come with a warning label! Here are a few foods that will help to undo some of the damage that these bad foods have done. These foods are packed with nutrients like vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, phytochemicals, enzymes are powerful in terms of creating optimal health and it is these types of foods that will take you to living a vibrant quality life full of energy and lack of symptoms, illness and disease – optimal health.

HERE ARE 5 FOODS YOU SHOULD EAT EVERYDAY AND WHY: ALMONDS

BLUEBERRIES

SPINACH

If you are wondering what you should be eating everyday to stay healthy, then almonds must be on your list. Almonds are high in the heart-healthy oleic acid that is responsible for many health benefits including a better memory.

Blueberries are one of the most antioxidant rich foods in the world.

Like other dark greens, spinach is an excellent source of beta-carotene, a powerful disease-fighting antioxidant that’s been shown to protect against and fight heart disease and cancer.

Antioxidants are necessary for life and are well known to reverse and prevent heart disease and even cancer. Blueberries are also high in vitamin C & fiber.

Almonds are high in fiber and protein.

AVOCADOS

EGGS

Yes, there is a rampant fat phobia going on right now thanks to the myth of no or low-fat was healthy for you. Healthy fat is critical not just to weight loss, but to optimal health and that includes your mood as well.

Eggs are not only low in calories, they are a powerhouse of protein, vital nutrients, and healthy fat. Research has shown that people who replace carbohydrates with eggs for breakfast lost 65% more weight and egg eaters benefit greatly with more added nutrients to their diet.

The type of fat in avocados – monounsaturated fat improve your cholesterol and decrease triglycerides (fats) in your blood..this means a reduced risk of heart disease and stroke.

The high protein content in eggs not only balances blood sugar keeping you from being tempted by junk food, it helps to build muscle as well.

This dark, leafy green, contains several important phytochemicals, including lutein, which helps prevent age-related macular degeneration. Spinach also contains Lipoic Acid, which helps antioxidant vitamins C and E regenerate. Because of its role in energy production, lipoic acid is highly effective for regulating blood sugar levels.

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REGULARS : RACE DIRECTOR INSIGHT

RACE

DIRECTOR INSIGHT WHEN THE DREAM OF LAUNCHING OBSTACLE RACE MAGAZINE BECAME A REALITY, WE DIDN’T PUT INTO THE EQUATION THAT WE’D BE THRUST INTO THE WORLD OF RACE DIRECTING QUITE SO QUICKLY.

This issue, we let you know a bit more about one of us and how in a very short period of time, we’ve managed to organise and stage an ‘Award Winning’ event, plus help come to the rescue when blank race weekends have cropped up. This is all you need to know about Kevin Newey. Who is Kevin Newey and how did you get involved in Obstacle Course Racing? Where do I start with that one? I was born in 1978 in Coventry and have one younger sister. I was very sporty as a child and was always out playing football with friends in the evenings and at weekends. I wasn’t particularly interested in running unless there was a ball at my foot.

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I left school at 18 with the standard GCSE’s and an advanced qualification in business studies. With a part time job as one of Geoffrey’s helpers at Toys R Us, I began trying to get my foot onto the job ladder. After hours of flirting in the cuddly toy aisle, I finally gave in and went on a date with Caroline. 20 years later, and we’re married and have 2 kids. In 1998 I got my first ‘proper’ job as an Office Junior at a local food manufacturing site in Warwick. I’ve just gone past my 18 year anniversary there, and am now the Commercial Manager, looking after contracts with a number of the UK’s supermarkets. Lots of people are shocked when I tell them this as they thought I work on the magazine full time. My entrepreneurial career started a long

time ago when I started buying and selling on eBay. I set up a limited company with a couple of friends, and we started growing a nice little spare time business. We bought and sold anything that we could turn a profit on, which ranged from trolley tokens to pallets of aluminium snooker cue cases from China. It eventually fizzled out, but I then had my sights on the internet. I was a member of a few different online forums (before Facebook really kicked off) and had the idea of a specialist website for independent bakers. I contacted a friend who was running a similar site for the Fish & Chip industry, one thing lead to another, and I was soon half owner of the Fish & Chip website ‘Chippy Chat’.

REGULARS : RACE DIRECTOR INSIGHT

I SIGNED UP FOR SPARTAN RACE IN 2014, SO THAT I COULD SEE WHAT ALL THE FUSS WAS ABOUT AND TO FEEL LIKE I BELONGED IN THE COMMUNITY. I WAS HOOKED, SO AFTER THAT I STARTED GOING TO CROSSFIT TO SEE IF THAT HELPED WITH UPPER BODY OBSTACLES WHICH I STRUGGLED WITH. I STILL DON’T RUN AS MANY EVENTS AS I’D LIKE, BUT THERE’S A FEW RACES I’VE GOT MY EYE ON FOR 2016.

Without this partnership with Mark Petrou, I wouldn’t be writing this today. We worked well together and managed to bounce a lot of good ideas off each other. He was well known in the community, and I was the hard working engine making him look good (you know it’s true Mark). After a couple of years, we launched a print magazine of the same name, which got delivered to 11,000 Fish & Chip shops up and down the country every month. It was difficult at first, so I cut my working days at my day job down to 4. We had a great few years running the magazine before Mark met someone who helped course build for Spartan Race UK. Mark had a light bulb moment and Obstacle Race Magazine was born. I wasn’t able to dedicate time to run both magazines, as well as hold down my day job, so Chippy Chat was sold on so I could concentrate on building the new venture. We soon came across Carl Wibberley, and from the first meeting, I could see the passion oozing from his veins, and we had a superstar Editor. Three years on and I’m still managing to juggle the day job and ORM. Mark has taken a back step now, but I’m still grateful for him giving me the opportunity back in the day which has brought me to this point now. What was the first event you organised? After Reborn Raw cancelled their Midlands event in March 2015, it freed up a weekend without any races for people to attend, so I came up with ‘The Saviour Race’….as we’d ‘saved the day’ and come to the rescue. It was a low budget affair, but was great for experience and the feedback was very good. Having a unique medal made a big difference and we managed to get around 200 people there after launching only 2 weeks earlier. Which other races have you also put on then? After The Saviour Race, I had the task of organising and running The Mudnificent 7. Some people try and dampen down the achievement as we had help from 7 different Race Directors, but the stress endured the weeks leading up to the event were like nothing else ever experienced. Yes, we couldn’t have done it without them, but the actual concept and execution were what made it a great day. It wasn’t perfect, but I don’t think anyone will ever run a flawless event. Following Mud7, we ran King Of The Hill in November, and then the Muddy Furlong Christmas Cracker over the festive period.

So a full time job, working on the magazine and organising events, can you remember what your wife looks like?

seeing people who were key community members 12-18 months ago now moving on to new challenges.

Ha ha, you jest, but it is difficult sometimes. My kids are 9 and 11, and with everything going on, and then visiting different events around the country, I try and do as much as possible with my family in the little bits of spare time I do have. Caroline is understanding…. most of the time.

I hope that charities get on board a lot more with local events and that we can build an association to make the sport safer and more accessible for everyone. At the moment, everyone is just doing their own thing, and are happy with that. OCRA seem to have taken the lead in the association stakes, but they’re not really getting supported by many events. Until this can take better shape, it will be the minority trying to steer the majority, which is doomed for failure.

You have a sidekick on the events organising. Tell us how amazing he is! Who’s that then? Yes Carl, I couldn’t do it without you! Being totally honest, we do work very well together. We have different skill sets and we both know what the other person is good at and leave each other to it. We have similar ideas on course build which helps. In the three years you’ve been in OCR, what changes have you seen? The first OCR I completed was the Cambridge Spartan Sprint in September 2014. Before the day, I was really fretting and wondering if I was going to come out alive. It was a great feeling crossing the line, but it dawned on me really quickly, that whilst preparation was still an advantage, most people could take on a race like this and get to the finish line. The biggest change I’ve seen is in the amount of smaller events popping up. It’s a tough task putting on a successful event, and with there being lots of great RD’s in this country, they’ve made it look too easy. It’s one thing setting up an event, and it’s another selling the required amount of tickets to at least break even. There’s also a growing trend of events getting cancelled and runners being left out of pocket. This is a big problem and doesn’t help start up races as runners don’t want to risk putting their money on an event with no history. The current fad seems to be in ‘Virtual Races’. So, not truly OCR, but the community loves the bling, and this is where it comes into its own. I just hope it doesn’t get too saturated. Where do you see OCR going in the future? Entry numbers are still rising, but I’m also

One question that we asked Iain Exeter in the last issue, we’ll ask you too. Do you have a particular inspiring story from a race/racer that you’d like to share? You only have to look on the UK.OCR Facebook page to see inspiring stories. Lots of people raising lots of money for worthy causes. We had hundreds of charity runners at Mud7 last year, and have got lots again signed up for 2016. However, my stand out moment came from Mud7 last year. We had Shaun Gash taking on the challenge in his specially adapted wheelchair, along with a support team of 50+ people, including current Tough Guy and UK OCR Champion, Conor Hancock. The team was aptly named ‘No Fear On Wheels’, and they pushed, carried and pulled Shaun over the full course. I waited at the finish line to put Shaun’s medal around his neck myself. It was the only one I actually gave out on the day, and I, along with others, had a few tears in our eyes as he was carried across the water to the finish line to the applause from everyone waiting there for him. He’s set his sights even bigger this year and is climbing Mount Kilimanjaro in the summer. What next then for Race Directing? We’ve been working with Ali Haigh from Muddy Furlong and will be helping him on all of his 2016 events, and we still have the big one on 13th August – Mudnificent 7. Muddy Furlong is a fun event for all the family and we had a blast a couple of weeks ago with the first one of the year. I’m now on countdown for Mudnificent 7 and hope to see as many readers there as possible.

Obstacle Race Magazine 73

RECIPES

LETâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S GET COOKING We're now in Spring which means events are coming thick and fast so we need to be training hard and eating to keep lean and fit. The recipes in this issue are based around being easy to make and allow you to easily adapt them to your own tastes.

BREAKFAST SHAKE YOU WILL NEED: 1 sachet Morning Fuel

300 to 400 ml semi skimmed milk or alternative Desert spoon coconut oil 1 small Banana 1 or 2 soft figs Handful of sesame seeds Handful of pumpkin seeds

METHOD: Simply blitz in a blender, pour into a container, sip away and enjoy. For extra flavour add 1/4 teaspoon of ginger and cinnamon to taste. Ginger and cinnamon are great for digestion and taste great too. And for an extra energy boost add in dried dates to the blend before mixing which are also a great source of dietary fibre and potassium.

BE MINDFUL ABOUT THE TIME YOU START DRINKING THIS, AS YOU NEED TO GIVE YOUR BODY TIME TO DIGEST IT BEFORE YOU START RUNNING.

74 Obstacle Race Magazine

WWW.MOUNTAINFUEL.CO.UK These are delicious recipes in their own right and perfect fuels to take to your events.

We start with the base for the perfect pretraining or race day shake, it's tasty, easy on the stomach and full of slow release energy. It's quick, easy and you can adapt to suit what you have available in the cupboards. Following this is our lean, mean green salad

ULTIMATE

TRAINING/ RACE DAY

SERVES

machine, which is perfect for lunches and again can be adapted to suit. Prep it up and take it to work avoiding those sandwiches and other temptations that may be convenient, but don't do you any favours in the long term.

RECIPES

SERVES

6-8

LEAN GREEN SALAD

YOU WILL NEED: Large handful of spinach leaves Handful of mixed baby leaf salad

METHOD: Not a lot of instruction needed. Add spinach and salad leaves to a large bowl.

Small stick of celery Gently mix all the ingredients together and sprinkle over the sesame seeds.

Chop celery and red pepper into small bite sizes pieces and add to bowl.

If eating straight away, serve and drizzle with olive oil and balsamic vinegar and eat with your beetroot.

Slice tomatoes in half and add to bowl. Remove the avocado from skin, slice and add to bowl.

If eating later, portion salad into container and in a separate container mix a small salad dressing.

I use tuna in olive oil. Drain the oil then remove from the tin and add to the bowl in large bite size chunks.

Alternative meats are chicken, mackerel or salmon and you can also add mixed beans and or a handful of wholegrain rice/quinoa.

1/2 Red Pepper 1/4 Red onion Handful of cherry tomatoes 1/2 Avocado Baby cooked Beetroot Small tin of Tuna Sprinkle of sunflower seeds

FOR DRESSING Virgin Olive Oil Balsamic Vinegar

Obstacle Race Magazine 75

FEATURE : LETS TAKE THIS OUTSIDE

LETS TAKE THIS

OUTSIDE WRITTEN BY: PT EMZ OF BOOTCAMP REVOLUTION

No, we're not talking post pub brawling! But we are talking about getting back to nature: with your food, with your fitness and with natures design! In the latest article from Bootcamp Revolution, we'll show you how to train and fuel your body as nature intended, getting the best out of your body and why going back to your primal roots is the way forward for training!

76 Obstacle Race Magazine

HOW FAR THE HUMAN RACE HAS COME!! So it seems that, not only have we progressed as the human race, but we have also totally lost sight of our natural physiological design! Millions of years of society growth has caused a big distortion in how we eat, hunt, and live, and in reality, it's so simple to gift your body with what it requires and the functions it was designed for. As a race, our intended design

was to be in a synchronised state with the rest of the planet, migrating with the seasons and seasonal food sources, ensuring that we never depleted a locations resources, but lifestyles and our changing social progression took us to a Neolithic state (sited and unmoving - we liked a location, so we stayed!) which in turn, meant we no longer lived in unison with the Earth or our bodies! Keep your body, mind and soul in perfect balance by stripping back to your basic being! Here's how!

FEATURE : LETS TAKE THIS OUTSIDE

1. INDULGE INDULGE IN YOUR NATURAL ENVIRONMENT AND MIMIC YOUR PRIMAL FOREFATHERS WITH LOTS OF OUTDOOR FUNCTIONAL MOVEMENTS; LIFT, CLIMB, THROW, JUMP, RUN!

#1: TAKE YOUR WORKOUT OUTSIDE

#3: TAKE YOUR WORKOUT OUTSIDE

As Early men and women, we would have been out, hunting and chasing our food, bashing it over the head and dragging it home ... essentially, this is what we encourage you to do at Bootcamp Revolution!!

Exercising outside also increases your vitamin D absorption due to the natural sunlight! Plus the added benefits of increased oxygen levels, freedom of movement and being at one with nature, is much more preferable to your body, gaining better results, heightened levels of the happy hormones and a improved mindset and mood.

Ok, it's not food you're throwing around, but we think tyres are a damn good substitute - and by performing these functional movements, that nature originally intended you to perform in every day life situations, you gain greater benefits, strengthening muscles, improving stamina, cardio strength, and core, in the most natural way,

#2: TAKE YOUR WORKOUT OUTSIDE Getting active in the fresh air actually burns more kcals, as it gives a higher resistance due to gravity, ground reaction forces and the elements including wind, heat and cold! Take in to account the varied terrain and you're well and truly on to a winning formula!

#4: TAKE YOUR WORKOUT OUTSIDE Because of the varied terrain and all the other reasons above, our bodies utilise our full range of movement, and an increased level of muscle strength, and as a result, burning more kcals and achieve a higher fat burning capacity, challenging our bodies to their maximum potential, giving a more intensive workout!

#5: TAKE YOUR WORKOUT OUTSIDE

IT'S MORE FUN! There's no escaping it! Running around and getting muddy with a 'pack' of friends, in an outdoor fitness session fuelled with competitive fun, friendly banter and adrenalin filled excitement, is guaranteed to evoke lots of happy childhood memories. So tap in to your inner kid and get dirty!

#6: TAKE YOUR WORKOUT OUTSIDE Exercising as part of a group in a bootcamp session or with friends has so many benefits, essentially because it mimics the pack hunting process: obviously there's the social aspect but there's also the fact that you work harder, increase your endurance beyond your perceived limitations. An hour seems to fly by a lot faster due to the encouragement you receive from your fellow mud lovers! You walk away from a session feeling happier, more motivated and with a whole bunch of new mates!! Win Win!!

Obstacle Race Magazine 77

FEATURE : LETS TAKE THIS OUTSIDE

2. CREATE CREATE MORE BALANCE IN YOURSELF AND THE WORLD WITH THE RIGHT FUEL: Eat as nature intended; feast on lots of leafy green veg, clean protein in the form of meat, fish and eggs, and whole grains, and snack on fruit, nuts and seeds, and drink plenty of water. Our bodies demands are pretty simple when you understand its primal needs!

WHAT TO EAT BEFORE AND AFTER WORKOUT SESSIONS?!? We're often asked about Pre and Post Exercise Nutrition, so here you go ... and we've made it easy!

PRE WORKOUT • Eat a good, healthy, nutritious meal/snack of complex carbs and protein around 60- 90 minutes before you exercise! We like protein porridge, or the BC Rev Peanut Protein shake, or maybe some lean turkey mince and brown pasta with a home made tomato sauce and basil (healthy spag bol) Or chicken breast served with brown rice and steamed broccoli or Sweet potato and oily fish :) yum yum!!! We do advise you don't try any new dishes before a big event, just in case it disagrees with you! • As much as we encourage everyone to eat clean and avoid stimulants and artificial nasties, there are some products on the market that can boost your exercise efficiency, while keeping it natural.

L-Glutamine and L-Orithine, as well as Bio-Synergy Thermogen, which is made with naturally occurring stimulants such as Guarana, and green tea, or go for Coffee - a chilled, double espresso (PT Mitchs favourite) or some Matcha green tea before your workout, but you can find your own favourite by trying some out! But do ensure it's a proven product and avoid ones loaded with chemical nasties!! There are lots of these baddies on the market so ALWAYS read the packaging! All the energy drinks and products contain caffeine or similar stimulants, to give you a 'boost' so also be sure you don't have an adverse reaction to stimulants! • Make sure you have lots of fruit/veg with every meal and eat every 2 - 2 1/2 hours, with all food groups included (protein, complex carbs, good fats) This ensures your blood sugars stay balanced and you never run out of fuel to burn and necessary nutrients to repair and regenerate!!

So if you're seriously trying to improve your performance, take an energy enhancer 30 minutes before exercise!

• If you're racking up a lot of mileage, then ensure you support your glycogen stores, by consuming whole starch carbs in the lead up to these long runs

We like to use natural boosting supps, such as Creatine, Beet-it shots and L- Argenine/

• Whole grains are the most omitted food when people want to lose weight! But

78 Obstacle Race Magazine

Whole grains are vital; high in fibre and most importantly of all, gives the body a healthy energy boost to fuel your workout! If you don't fuel your body sufficiently, it will start to break down muscle tissue (atrophy) for fuel Which completely defeats the object of training in the first place! • Drink between 2-3 litres of water every day over the course of the day so sip don't guzzle! Keep a regular flow of hydration! Your brain is made up of 95% water; your blood is 82% water and the lungs are nearly 90% water...... all vital elements contributing to your workout! Water is the most important nutrient in the body, and also the most abundant, so stay hydrated all day to get the best out of your workout!

POST WORKOUT • Post workout, have a high protein snack such as a protein shake (we love Bio-Synergy Paleo Protein), 2 boiled eggs or lean chicken etc immediately after and no later than 30 mins post exercise. When you exercise, tiny micro tears appear in the muscle strands, so your body uses the protein (amino acids - the building blocks of muscle fibres) to rebuild the broken areas by basically filling them in with thicker fibres, which is why we 'build muscle'

FEATURE : LETS TAKE THIS OUTSIDE

3. GIVE

GIVE YOUR BODY A NATURAL BOOST, BY USING YOUR FUNDAMENTAL RESPONSES; By allowing your body to perform its natural task and respond as it was designed, it will work in a more synchronised manner

• FIGHT OR FLIGHT: Our primary responses such as the fight or flight adrenalin rushes, make you feel alive! They set your senses alight and get your endorphins and hormones flying, making you feel more alert and fired up! Get a mate to chase you down when out running...don't underestimate the primal fear of being hunted! • FOOD IS FUEL: eat for fuel not for fun/ boredom/depression As a society, we are emotionally attached to food; we use it for comfort, aphrodisiacs, to alleviate boredom or even to comfort us when we are depressed or sad....food is fuel, an enjoyable one, yes, but fuel and nothing more! • LETS TAKE THIS OUTSIDE: Get outdoors, no matter what the weather may be! • SWEET DREAMS: Sleep with the lunar cycle - sleep in the dark, rise with the birds! There is a reason we sleep at night

Of course, society progress have moved the sexes to a more equal state, with work, lifestyles and leisure, but our natural responses are still key and we thrive when we allow ourselves to enjoy these responses.

and function during the day, as nature intended, so don't underestimate the power of sleep! This is the time your body performs its most vital tasks; repairing, regenerating and replenishing. So try to get a minimum of 7-8 hours every night! • HORMONES: There's a reason the male and female hormones make the sexes react as they do, and it's good to let your body respond to them as nature intended. If you're male; be an alpha! Protect, hunt and gather! If you're female; mother, provide, nest, nurture and support your clan. Now we're not saying you have to resign yourself to a basic hormone led functions in life, but men would have hunted, lifted, protected and been aggressive. Women would have nurtured pregnancies, and children, provided a safe, warm environment and nurtured their male pack members on their return from the hunt! It's not a matter of who's the stronger sex, it's a matter of nature ensuring all aspects of life were catered for!

•

REST AND RECOVER: Keep balance in your life; primal man hunted and rested take time for you! Rest days are crucial for recovery! During this rest period, muscles repair, rebuild, and strengthen, the body's energy stores are replenished. The body uses this time to remove the chemicals that have built up in the soft tissues during exercise! So enjoy your rest day, your body will come back stronger and happier for it! As for recovery nutrition, have a high protein snack such as a protein shake, 2 boiled eggs or lean chicken within half an hour of your exercise as protein promotes the muscle building process called Protein Synthesis.

Obstacle Race Magazine 79

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YOUR LETTERS

Letters

PAGE

Send us your letters! Thanks for your letters and photos, we always look forward to hearing what our OCR fans are up to. We’re just sorry there isn’t room to include them all. If you would like to get a letter on to this page then please send 100 words and a picture of you in action to

letters@obstacleracemagazine.com

Hi ORM This picture was taken at Judgement day at Bordon in Feb 2016 during the sandbag carry, being 5ft 4" the water came up to my head at one point. Cheers David Andrews

Hello Carl, I’ve attached a pic from the Invncbl 10k in Margam Park last weekend - cold cold cold! Kind regards, Emma Clark

Hi ORM, I hope this will arrive safely! I’ve attached photos of my son Chris Preece finishing 1st at the recent Kickass Endurance at Buildwas and also Chris with my daughter his sister Terri Preece where she finished a fantastic 23rd overall and 2nd female. This was their first event as part of Muddy Race team. Lastly Chris at the finish of tough guy in January where he finished 9th overall and 4th Brit his first tough guy!! Hayley Fletcher

82 Obstacle Race Magazine

YOUR LETTERS

Hi ORM A picture from X Runner winter warrior where Andy and I guided blind runner through her first OCR. Thought these might fit well inside OR mag. Thanks, Lesley Andrew

Hi Carl and Team Heres something I wanted to share with you:

Hi Carl, Here's a muddy photo from after Winter Nuts! Boy was it cold that Sunday. I ran my first OCR in sept 2015- I only ran 5k but wished I ran more! Then on my 3rd OCR race at Nuclear Races fallout in November I watched and ran alongside the UK champs and thought "that's something id like to aim for". I'm never going to give the elites a run for their money but it's my own personal challenge and I am a determined, stubborn old thing! I ran my first race of the year on Saturday in snow and hail (my 4th race in total) - and my it was tough! Probably the hardest race I done! I ran solo as my husband is injured but as usual the OCR community made me feel welcome! I'm glad I wore my MQ wragg as everyone says hello then!!! I was one of 287 people starting out the 14k/2 lap race and only 70 finished it- out of them 19 were women and I was one of them!!! It was cold, wet and muddy and I was so pleased as I got all my wristbands! So achieved more than I ever thought possible! OCR definitely gives you superpowers!!! Keep up the good work on the mag!!! Nicky Eldred

I'm 37, married but separating, have 2 kids and lost a daughter in 2005, retail manager. I was always a skinny unfit lad who couldn't be bothered to exercise, I preferred boozing and gaming. In 2001 I met my wife and in 2003 Rosie was born. In 2005 Jake was born and a couple of weeks later Rosie was diagnosed with an aggressive brain tumour. We spent a few months in Queens medical Centre whilst Rosie had chemo whilst the nan's looked after little Jake. On 25th June 2005 we lost Rosie and we came home to Jake. In 2006 Bethany was born, unexpectedly so the kids were reason to keep going. Since I've struggled with depression and anxiety hitting rock bottom a few times not wanting to continue. Now my marriage is over but I still have my kids. After loosing Rosie I very quickly decided to focus on fundraising for the groups that helped us and treated Rosie. I arranged a skydive, as I'm afraid of heights and raised a few grand. Next challenge was a 40 odd mile bike ride in the peak district. I was not exercising at all till then. I did this and got the bug for getting fit and personal challenges. This led to me then decide that running would be a challenge especially as my shins hurt running. Did I add I'm also a type 1 diabetic! I started metre by metre getting to a 10k cancer uk run. I did a few of these and eventually progressed to the Great South Run. All sponsored and in memory of Rosie. One day I stumbled across

Tough Mudder and thought id go for it. I've done 3x Tough Mudders now and a long list of OCR events since, some in dress up. I'm often seen as the joker! Ive since run an Iron Run, Mucky Races soul destroyer, Zombie Evacuation, Wolf Run, Ram Run, Escape Run, Avalanche run, Scorpion run, Muddy furlong Xmas, King of the hill, Beast run, Reaper run. I've done a triathlon and my biggest achievement so far was the London Marathon last year with a dodgy knee, diabetes and depression. For this I ran as Forrest Gump. This year my challenge is one better, as I aim to do each year. 3-4 reading half marathon, 9-4 reaper night, 10-4 wolf run, 17-4 Brighton marathon, 24-4 London marathon, 1-5 MK 5k, 2-5 MK half marathon, 7-5 rat race dirty weekend. It's going to be my biggest challenge yet. Scimitar are supporting me and I'm looking for anyone else as its for ClicSargent and Children with Cancer Uk. Then in June I'm doing the suffering legends as its on the anniversary of loosing Rosie and it's my own personal challenge and tribute to her to complete this. So far the 2016 Winter Ram came closest to breaking me, the cold sapped it out of me. Every race I finish thinking of my daughter, sometimes tears come and it drives me on. I looking at next year already and have some amazing challenges planned. See you all out there Marc Sullivan

Obstacle Race Magazine 83

FEATURE : OBSTACLES EXAMINED

OBSTACLES EXAMINED Each issue throughout 2016 we’ll be dissecting a stand out obstacle which when you see out on the course and it makes you go wow. This issue it’s the turn of Tough Guys Tiger. We asked the founder of Tough Guy Mr Billy Wilson aka Mr Mouse to educate us all about where the Tiger came from.

84 Obstacle Race Magazine

FEATURE : OBSTACLES EXAMINED

ORIGIN OF THE TIGER In 1994 we built the UNDER GROUND TUNNELS plus the UNDER WATER TUNNELS plus PARADISE was built with scramble nets. BERLIN WALL and BEHEMOTH were HUGE STRAW PILES. TV documentaries from all Countries were being made with Eurovision and USA eager each year. BBC TV decided to film Tough Guy® as the FIRST Reality show before Castaway, Big Brother, etc. Wanting Something Spectacular. It was the Chinese Year of the TIGER. So the Construction of TIGERS TAIL and TIGERS TEETH was envisaged and planned.

“HE WHO RIDES THE TIGER

CAN NEVER DISMOUNT”. So to put some TIGER into the STRIPES we created The ELECTRIC WIRE STINGING STRIPES. The Wooden Construction was made with 12 metre Telegraph Poles with Leaning Poles to hold scramble nets. Electric wires were interwoven into the NETS. Then between the TIGERS TAIL and TIGERS TEETH The Hanging Electric wires created what is today copied by all. The Origin of using Cattle Stunning Electric Fence was Probationary Kids working at the Horse Sanctuary. The Kids would have dare challenges to touch the Electric wires. One clever kid realised that if he grabbed and held

the Electric Wire his body would earth it and feel no sting but those who touched his other hand received the shock. The Height of the Tiger is 30 Feet, the Length is 150 feet. Width when built was 10 people side by side. Today it has doubled in width to 25 people wide to avoid backlog. The Architectural Surveyor had to examine and test the TENSILE strength of the support wooden poles. How many participants would be on each section at the same time to indicate Lateral Strength and Safety. Health and Safety Executive demanded that Professional Architectural Surveyor would have to be employed.

BBC REALITY TV We built Roadways to carry 60 ton TV Trucks commenced filming expeditions with BAFTA Camera Teams. Then after 5 months negotiations with Accountants and Solicitors – I refused to sign the contract. Everyone was amazed! Opportunity to be Wealthy and Famous, Gone! My decision was made because of the value of my very Peaceful and Delightful

Countryside Family Life would be destroyed. My older Brood of Children did in 1980 become Stylists to the newly formed band DURAN, DURAN. One of the Band asked me for the hand of my Daughter in Marriage. Thence they joined the Circus of Pop Star Life. I stood back from the Riches of millions touring the World.

Because I was committed to ORGANISING Wolverhampton Marathon/London Marathon, creating the British Association of Marathon, which evolved into TOUGH GUY®. If I had chosen THE PATH TO RICHES, I would not be sitting here enjoying my Peaceful Family Life. Writing this to you.

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REVIEW : 10 SECOND ROUND UP

ORM WRITERS

10 SECOND

RACE ROUND UP PAIN AND SUFFERING 10 MILE We arrived at the parking area and got straight onto a double decker bus full of runners, Short trip to a well laid out event village and welcomed by the MC, short and swift sign in, quick warm up and off we went. The course had it all, some awesome obstacles spread out well, lifted carried and dragged loads of items. Mixed with Reaper punishments of exercises and a sing song for good measure. Awesome mentally and physically challenging course. Loved it Wayne, Urban Outdoor Fitness

INVNCBL Invncbl was my first winter OCR, the obstacles started out small, a few knee deep wades though water & a run through woodland up a gruelingly steep hill. A long sandbag carry, then the mud; crawling under netting & waist-deep between the tyre mangles. Last obstacle was big & daunting but in the spirit of the event some fellow runners helped me over to finish. Brilliant fun, really cold but 100% getting the triad. Emma Clark

THE MIGHTY DEERSTALKER The course offers a tough terrain with the 10k coming in at some 9.5 miles!!! Letâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s call the first hill K1 .... K1 is on the mountain bike trek at innerleithen, peaty, muddy and narrow paths lined with trees made this some what difficult for some, me included, as my choice of footwear didn't hold up. Having conquered K1 and reached the peak the view over the town and looking on to K2 was immense .... K2 littered with head torches was very impressive!!! Heading back down K1 proved somewhat challenging, back in the town sees you

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trudging against the tide up stream some 250m in readiness for K2 K2 was a monster !!! shale and boulders saw me in a battle with staying on my feet, bear crawling some 500m and clambering over bodies that were just finding it too Mighty!! .... its a beauty to behold reaching the peak !! the course then takes you down K2 back along the river side and finishing the course with a Giant Slip and Slide!!! Oh did I not mention that this was all done in the dark!? Charlie Kilburn

REVIEW : 10 SECOND ROUND UP

MUDDY FURLONG 13TH MARCH Brilliant event that relied on nature for most of the challenge. Right from the start we were wading & swimming through freezing cold ponds, streams, ditches and dykes. Even the barb-wire crawl was through water. The course designers also had us doing switchbacks up & down some hills & threw in a nice mix of obstacles including two slides. Very friendly event with several children taking part despite the extremely cold conditions. Price included medal, parking & photos. Paul Williams

MUD YARD The Mud Yard 5k family slog lived up to its name with a course littered with constant mud and water. The natural terrain was tough and really well used making the course a lot harder than expected. Organisation needs to improve with runners going off course on numerous occasions but a problem easy to fix. Nice medal and tech shirt and a good value event. Kevin Cook

CHAIN RUNNER ChainRunner's a new event up on the Wirral, so a rare local one for me. It's a bit different as you're chained to someone for the duration. The best part though was the terrain with most of the course on the beach. A bit of work to do on obstacles and a bit disorganised at times, but overall a great first event from them. Kiaran McEvoy

JUDGEMENT DAY I entered this race because I enjoyed the training day at their new permanent place. I thought it would be a challenge and it was. They have some amazing obstacles and I loved the big rig near to the finish line. Having a sandbag carry through deep water was interesting, as at only 5'2", I survived. Becky Frostick

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REGULARS : INDURSTRY NEWS

THE

INDUSTRY

NEWS

g industry All the news that you need to know from the Obstacle Course Racin

SPARTAN RACE ANNOUNCES

EUROPEAN CHAMPIONSHIP WILL HEAD TO EDINBURGH IN 2016

Spartan Obstacle Race Series is to Host an International Field of Elite Athletes Competing For Over £12,000 in Cash and Prizes in 2016 Spartan Race, announced today that the 3rd Annual Reebok Spartan Race European Championship will be held on 24 July, 2016 in Edinburgh, Scotland. The Reebok Spartan Race European Championship is the premier Regional Championship event in the global Reebok Spartan Race series. In order to qualify for Sunday’s European Championship heat, elites must have finished in top ten in European Reebok Spartan Races since the last European Championship (between 7 September, 2015 and 23 July, 2016). “The European Championships are Spartan Race’s first regional series and a testament to the growth of Spartan and obstacle racing in Europe. With over 50 races in 10 European countries, we are

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introducing qualifications for the first time and are looking forward to increased competiveness and sportsmanship.” comments Carolin Greiner, Spartan Race EMEA, Managing Director. “It’s been incredible to see people all over Europe and the world embrace Spartan Race and see it evolve into what is now a global movement. Racers from all continents attend our World Championship, with European athletes continuously ranking in the top three,” said Joe De Sena, Spartan Race Founder and CEO. 20km+ the to addition In Championship Spartan Beast, the weekend will also feature a 5km + Spartan Sprint and Spartan Junior races for children 4-13 years old. WWW.SPARTANRACEUK.UK Visit for more information, a schedule of events, and to register for a race.

DOES OCR NEED ASSOCIATION?

OCRA formally known as OCRAUK when launched seemed to be exactly what the industry needed, but after just two years the seas have been pretty rough over the last few months. Confidence in the association started to crumble after the shock exit of the two founders and alleged theft of all the funds and the £10,000 Active sponsorship of the UK Championships. Just as all seemed to calm down another shock announcement came that Nuclear Races, who were once the associations biggest and most well known brand supporter, were to leave as a member of the association. This rocked the confidence of the racing community in the Association once again. After all the help Nuclear had offered in putting the UK championships together you can imagine why this was such a shock. This has led to the formation of a new association called OCRD UK - Obstacle Course Runners Democracy . The newly formed association are looking to put together a constitution with the racers at heart to ensure the races are up to the standard they should be. As OCRA currently only have fewer than 10 of the 50 plus UK race organisations as member races it will be interesting to see whether the newly formed OCRD UK will be able to bring the UK racing industry together with a majority of member races.

REGULARS : INDURSTRY NEWS

OCR GOES ALL OUT FOR PRIDE All Out Races announce a new event concept to the OCR scene. In OCR it’s becoming more and more challenging to find a new and exciting concept but All Out Races are delighted to announce the UK’s 1st LGBT+ Mud Run. When asked .’ Do sporting events really

need an LGBT equivalent?’, Tom Mannah answered, ‘This is a tricky question and one I personally struggled with, but I think it comes down to intentions. If you’re intending to be an individual athlete and compete then I don’t think it should matter where, or how you train/participate. However, I think it’s different if you’re in a team based sport i.e. football, rugby etc. When I was younger I played rugby for my school and we were a pretty good team, I never felt that coming-out would be an option (it was mid-nineties and multi-cultural) so although you can get on the field and do your job, there was always a subtle disconnect between myself and the rest of my team purely because I wasn’t being my authentic self. For me I really want this event to bring more people into sport in a way that’s fun,

accessible and accepting on their terms so everyone can get together, get muddy and make new friends. I’m also really chuffed and excited about it kicking off Pride week because it’s such an iconic event it’s an honour to be part of it.” So tell us about the big day? The big day is happening in Redhill, Surrey. Neil Goode from Back2theTrenches and team are hosting it which we’re delighted about. “They’ve been massive supporters of this event which I’m so grateful for.” All Out Races have also teamed up with Pride and the #Rainbowlaces campaign. All the info about this race is on their website WWW.ALLOUTRACES.CO.UK and they have got team discounts available so get in touch for more information info@ alloutraces.co.uk

OCR SCOTLAND LAUNCH AWARDS OCR Scotland are pleased to announce the launch of the 'OCR Scotland Awards' voting and they need you to get involved. Over the last few years OCR in Scotland has grown rapidly, all thanks to the passion and commitment of Race Directors, Marshals, Sponsors and most importantly Runners. OCR Scotland is now one of the fastest growing OCR communities as well as the best place in the world to race (in their unbiased opinion). The launch of the OCR Awards will help recognise outstanding achievement and contribution to the OCR community, but

more importantly it gives members all an excuse to kick of their trainers, get dressed up, and PARTY. OCR Scotland said, “This awards would not have been possible without the support of both the OCR community and our Sponsors, and over the next few days we would like to let you know a bit more about the companies that have made this ceremony possible, as well as regularly supporting OCR in general” To vote and to find out more go to WWW.OCRSCOTLAND.CO.UK

Obstacle Race Magazine 89

REVIEW : THE NUTS CHALLENGE

THE

NUTS CHALLENGE Written by JAMES RUCKLEY Photography by: TONY JARVIS PHOTOGRAPHY

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REVIEW :THE NUTS CHALLENGE

If you were there… you probably wont remember being there. 5 words spring to mind when I think of Nuts…. Cold, Wet, Mud and Obstacles. What’s the 5th? Well, Nuts has this way of playing with your mind, making things you know you can do impossible, it takes away your power of speech, co-ordination and ability to perform all tasks from you. It’s the most alive you can feel while being so near to death. The hype for Nuts is similar to that of Tough Guy, it draws on the terrors and memories of past runners, takes them to a place of fear and regret before coaxing them into signing up again only days later. With TG being so mild this year and many overheating, attentions soon strayed to Nuts. Running on the Sunday I kept a keen

eye on the Saturdays results and they weren’t looking good. With thousands not completing their designated distances and hundreds finishing with hypothermia, I wasn’t looking forward to my lazy Sunday. Before the day even began I was regretting my decision to show up. I dropped from 3 to 2 laps due to running late and was preparing myself for a hot bath, hot chocolate and anything hot. Yet when my team mate Stuart approached me and suggests to me that neoprene wouldn’t be needed I listened – why did I listen?! Opting for Virus Stay Warm gear and Energy Series I wore only neoprene socks and gloves deciding to try and keep myself warm through speed rather than extra layers. What a mistake. On the plus side my new darn tough socks were incredibly soft…! Assembling on the start line with my Muddy Kit team mates #MKStuart, #MKNicola and joined by #ORMLouBal we were ready and with the clocks hitting 10am we shot off. Taking an early lead with Stuart my legs immediately felt weak and heavy,

my hamstrings were screaming only a few hundred meters into the event. Stuart slowly pulled away before entering the first round of obstacles where the ditches slowed us both crippling my legs paralysing my inspiration. Gasping for air we both entered the covered crawl and tyres together. Leaving slightly before I hopped the over hang wall before heading off towards the nutcracker extension loop. Completing the monkey bars, I dropped down deciding to ignore collecting a wrist band and running on. The decision was a pre meditated one, I don’t agree with collecting wrist bands rather than losing one, its also added time that may make a difference in close race situations, and at this point it was still a race. Dodge, duck, dip, dive and dodging my way through tyres, crawls and over walls I arrived at the rings which I swiftly glided across. Looking back I saw #MKStuart queuing for a wristband from struggling marshals. Off into the distance I ran rejoining the one lappers and over taking the 2 lappers who decided not to complete the full course. I lost a lot of interest in the race here. Nor the Marshalls

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REVIEW : THE NUTS CHALLENGE

could keep up or were other runners bothering to complete the full course. But on I ran, weaving in and out of other runners, up and down ditches. I arrived at the up hill tubes which a very kind gent left clear for me to fly up. Passing Mudstacle legend Phil Harris I shot up the cargo net and slid down the pole. Grabbing a rope and swinging across I landed and heard a pop – with dread filling my body and a hot sweat passing over my frozen body I looked left to see Mark Matthews writhing in pain grasping his shoulder. Sliding back into the thick clay water and with help from a number of marshals, we lifted Mark out stabilising his shoulder. I then raced with Stuart now leading only meters ahead. Engaging in a small team chat we flew over the obstacles as a pair until Stuart fell off the final wall brushing past me on the way down. I ran on knowing Stuart would undoubtedly catch me on the running section, but not realising quite how fast he’d catch me. Entering the Vietnam Village together we squeezed through some crowded corners and dived back into the ditches. Heading deeper into the woods I took a tumble tripping with my shoe catching on one of the billion stumps lining the route. My shoe felt loose and I shouted for Stuart to go on, I needed a marshal to re tie it. I tried my best to catch up in the later obstacle zones and down hill sections. Stopping just after the camp farm gate a marshal informed me that the lace had snapped, it was retied with what could be salvaged and on I ran. With Stuart now long gone and my body resorting to the full body shivers I had to get moving, and jogging up the hill soon heated my core back up, even if my

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cold thighs were still numb to all but the sharp pain Nuts brings. An uneventful trip through the woods and heading back into the Vietnam Village I kept a cautious eye out for Olivia Kuit and her flash bangs but I guess not cautious enough. With an echoing bang and white daze, I was blinded leaving one of the huts and was greeted by a hysterical Olivia. A soon to be very muddy Olivia! Heading through more ditches, shivering and losing co ordination throughout my entire body, I bumped into Mudstacles Pete Rees in front of whom I gracefully slipped landing on my front before sliding down a small slope towards the previous watering hole. Smart comments aside I plodded on, a duck walk gate had become my preferred running style as my hips froze and legs malfunctioned. By this point, with the wind cutting through my single layer clothing, I was really starting to suffer. Wishing I’d worn my wetsuit, windproof coat or even that I was just sat in the Muddy Kit stall, with a Baileys Hot Chocolate! I sped up knowing that it was the largest running section of the course ahead. The next 2km was nearly pure running with the occasional obstacle to zap any momentum or warmth you’ve built up, but heading into Hamburger Hill things always spice up. With an extended tyre carry round, up and down Hamburger Hill, only the best of traction will allow you to stand up let alone move at any sort of pace, thankfully my IceBugs dug in and on I went. Moving through the final hill climbs, slide and onto the final cargo nets I caught a glimpse of Tom Nash in the distance who I made the

effort to catch up with. He was cold, miserable and barely recognizable, caked in a thick layer of Wayne’s finest. Leaping the logs I made ground up and we exited the tubes together with a bro hug signifying how finished we were. We headed through the lake before making our way to the hay bales, hobbling through the transition zone and finishing as a pair.

Nuts is a cruel beast, one which I thought I knew but this year truly learnt the power of. Its cold is unequivocal with the mud clumping, blocking any sun while wicking away all heat. Its open running sections are paired with cutting winds that drain motivation from your core. Yet behind it all hides one of the kindest men you could wish to meet, with a chirpy smile Wayne Monkman relishes the crippling pain his course brings to all that lay before it, and that is why everyone there this year, will be back next year!

ORM CAPTION COMPETITION

Caption

COMPETITION

WIN

NEW 2016 DESIGN ORM VEST

SEND YOUR CAPTION FOR THIS PICTURE TO

COMPS@OBSTACLERACEMAGAZINE.COM LAST ISSUES WINNER:

The winner was Patrick Markham with "Why can't you just have a log carry like everyone else?" TERMS & CONDITIONS Closing date for entries is the 20th April 2016. Entries will also be taken on the Obstacle Race Magazine Facebook and Twitter pages also when this picture is posted.

PHOTO BY Epic Action Imagery

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REGULARS : HEALTH HACKS

HEAL H HACKS PURE MAPLE WATER By: DRINKmaple

Amazing water doesn’t grow on trees it grows in them’, DRINKmaple sprang to life thanks to two American Ironman triathletes who discovered that maple water offered the most refreshing drink they could find. ‘Collected’ by simply tapping maple trees, a process that doesn’t harm the plants, and allowing the water, jampacked with a host of nutrients and minerals the

trees have amassed through their roots, to run into buckets. This organic maple water is then bottled without anything being added or taken away and without any boiling. Unlike maple syrup the tree’s water isn’t high in sugar, in fact maple water has only about half the sugar of coconut water (less than 1.5g per 100ml), but does contain 46 other nutrients, including more manganese than a cup of kale – a nutrient which plays an important role in our bodies’ energy systems.

RRP: 250ML TETRA £1.99 / 355ML BPA FREE BOTTLE £2.59 / 946ML TETRA  £3.99   AVAILABLE FROM: WWW.DRINKMAPLE.EU

HIGH PROTEIN CINNAMON & RAISIN

BY: DR ZAK’S

When Dr Zak’s, specialists in high protein functional foods, launched their Multi-Seed Bagels last year they received rave reviews. Not only were they praised for their dietary benefits, but also for their taste. With 24g of protein per bagel and reduced carbohydrates, they were a nutritional dream. Now the anticipated wait for a new Dr Zak’s bagel is over! Jammed full of juicy raisins and the spicy sweet flavour of cinnamon the new bagels certainly don’t let the side down when it comes to taste and they pack a serious punch when it comes to nutrition. With the same high protein content as their multi-seed cousin, roughly that of a chicken breast, they certainly live up to the hype of their predecessor. Fantastic toasted with a bit of butter or, for a super protein hit, slathered with Dr Zak’s high protein peanut butters.

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RRP: £3.49 AVAILABLE FROM: WWW.MUSCLEFOOD.COM

REGULARS : HEALTH HACKS

PROMIX BAKE AT HOME BARS

BY: WYLDSSON ELITE NUTRITION

Online health food company Wyldsson are known for “the best trail mix in the world”. Their ProMix is a tough act to follow but their new Bake-at-home bar mixes, which make delicious healthy snack bars, did not disappoint. They couldn’t be easier to make – just combine the dry mix with 2 mashed bananas (the riper the better), an egg and 50g of almond butter and bake for 20 minutes. Easy! They’ve even sourced the perfect baking tray – one less variable. It’s exactly the right size for this mix, and best of all; it’s silicone so you don’t need oil or greaseproof paper. The result is a batch of homemade flapjacks that actually do taste great with none of the usual junk added.

RRP: £8.99 (WITH SILICONE TRAY) AVAILABLE FROM: WWW.WYLDSSON.COM

PROTEIN FLAPJACKS LUXE BY: THE PROTEIN WORKS

Protein Flapjack Luxe bars are a luxurious high protein snack to consume any time of day. Baked fresh and exclusive in the TPW™ Bakery, you won't find these unique bars anywhere but at TPW™ Towers! Packed full of the finest premium grade ingredients, they not only taste great, but deliver exceptional nutritionals. Protein Flapjack Luxe bars are made from a low GI Super Grain Blend plus cold pressed flaxseed. They are infused with our signature natural flavours and then topped with crunchy high protein granola pieces. In a world of mass produced protein bars, TPW™ Protein Flapjack Luxe bars are a refreshing alternative for those who only want the very best.

RRP: £13.99(BOX) AVAILABLE FROM: WWW.THEPROTEINWORKS.COM

WATERMELON PROTEIN POWDER

BY Bio Synergy

Sick of heavy bloaty protein powders? In steps in Bio Synergy with Why Hey. A super light and refreshing Watermelon flavoured protein powder. Low in fat, no artificial colours, sweeteners, aspartame or fillers go into their Powder. It packs a whopping 21.4 grams of protein and 4.8 grams of BCAAs per serving.

RRP: £49.99 AVAILABLE FROM: WWW.BIO-SYNERGY.UK

COCONOIL Coconoil is one of the highest quality virgin coconut oils available. Not only is the oil organic, but it is picked, pressed and packed at source. In a ‘nutshell’ this means the coconut flesh effectively has the oil squeezed out of it in the tropical conditions in which it is grown, rather than, like many other coconut oils, being prepared using intense heat in the UK, which can be detrimental to some of its health benefits. The new research1 looked at the effect of feeding virgin coconut oil to mice who had inflamed paws. The researchers found that in those animals fed coconut oil the inflammatory swelling was reduced with a similar efficacy to that of orally administered diclofenac. Whilst these are just initial observations, the results will undoubtedly be of interest to the millions of people in the UK who currently take diclofenac and other similar anti-inflammatories, for conditions ranging from acute sports injuries to longer term arthritic conditions, especially given the growing concerns surrounding the potential side effects of some of these drugs.

RRP: £4.94 FOR A 280G TUB. AVAILABLE FROM: WWW. COCONOIL.CO.UK

Obstacle Race Magazine 97

REGULARS : OCR TRAINING & RACING TECHNIQUES

OCR TRAINING & RACING TECHNIQUES GUIDE Written by: Kevin Meredith of Origin Inspired OCR Centre

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PART TWO

REGULARS : OCR TRAINING & RACING TECHNIQUES

CONTINUED

RUNNING AND WORKOUTS We need to look at various techniques and training methods to improve our running in general. So many people just think going for a run is enough. However that is only part of it! “I do quite a lot of cross country running, I hate road running now and find that I can only do half the volume on road. If time is limited I will do multiple shorter sessions. “ Freya Martin Conditioning the body ready to run on various challenging terrains is a good place to start preparing for OCR. It helps to have a certain level of fitness so you have the focus to concentrate on techniques. Obviously going out running hills will give you a lot of experience to take into competition so finding somewhere you can run on various surfaces with varied inclines is paramount to training but there are also a number of exercises you can do at home/ gym that can help too. There are two main aspects that are crucial in taking on obstacles and in running. These are;

1. STRENGTH, having powerful muscles that have the strength to propel you uphill and other obstacles is crucial. The leg muscles need to be strong but the core, back, chest and arms also play a big part. Stronger muscles tire less easily and so will mean your endurance increases. Having the right balance of fast and slow twitch fibres will mean explosive power and endurance. 2. FLEXIBILITY, this is one of the most underestimated aspects in sports. Flexible muscles help smoothness of movement and help your muscles function more effectively. Keeping them flexible can also prevent injury, cramp and stop long term conditions such as plantar fasciitis. Uphill running puts a lot of strain on the calves, hamstrings, quads, glutes and lower back so keeping these loose will improve how you feel during races. Stretching post workout will also aid recovery and reduce DOMS by removing lactic acid. “My training depends on which race I have coming up. If it's hilly I run up hills, if it's obstacle intensive I train at Tartan Warriors OCR gym, if it's long I get in the miles. I also do weighted runs every week, a couple of weights sessions, circuits, boxing PT and faster paced runs.” Joda Joda proves that variation is key. When working on strength, concentrate on the key muscles involved in running. I have outlined the main muscles, how they help and some exercises to help build strength. There are many exercises so if you prefer other methods that is fine. The ones provided are only suggestions. The main muscle groups are;

1. CALVES, they help lift the heel and then propel the foot off the floor. On hills you will spend most of your time on the ball of your foot so the calves need to be in good condition so they do not tire to quickly. Exercise - heel raises 2. QUADRICEPS, they push the lower part of the leg into the ground and play a main part in propelling the body uphill and over obstacles. Exercise - Squats, Box Steps/ Jumps, Lunges 3. GLUTES AND HAMSTRINGS, they power the back lift of the legs. Exercise - Squats, Deadlifts 4. LOWER & CORE, this area helps stabilize the body and supports the glutes during uphill running and is key for traversing obstacles. Exercises - Deadlifts, Superman's, reverse crunches, crunches, planks. 5. SHOULDERS & ARMS, these are used to power the body forward and help keep momentum. They are crucial to grip obstacles. Exercise - Push ups, pull ups, shoulder press, dumbbell hammer curls. Don’t forget the rest of the muscles though, you always need to train the whole body to stop imbalance. However, the list above are crucial in improving your performance and should definitely be worked on. Plyometric exercises are also a very useful tool in improving your uphill running. They’re a type of exercise using explosive movements to develop muscular power. They improve explosive eccentric strength. This is needed as your foot pushes off the floor to propel the body forward. This can be developed by jumping onto boxes, bounding up steps or hills, skipping and lunge jumps. Again find your own exercises or better still consult a professional that can help. It is a very intense form of exercise that works your anaerobic system so start with short sessions and build up slowly as your body improves. “One element to training I recommend is taking as much of your running off-road. There's a whole raft of benefits to fell/ trail running that you don't get running tarmac, not to mention the positive injuryavoidance. Getting off the pavements and onto trails forces your body to move differently every step. This allows for a much lessened chance of RSI's, and stretches the body out gradually as it forces consistently different and opposing movements in the ankle joints, knees and hips. It strengthens the whole support system through constant dynamic movement. It's a lot more fun, normally far less polluted, and better for your soul!!” James A

Running is a weight lifting exercise as you are using your legs to push your body mass against the gravitational pull of the earth. Running uphill means you are now having to increase the force to fight gravity more to lift the body higher and move forward up the incline. The runner is then affected more than running on the flat. Research shows that running up and incline of 6% (6 meters of vertical climb per 100 meters of level distance) will use 35% more energy. The steeper the hill the more this will increase. “When I am training I head up the Ochil Hills for runs or do a weights session in the gym. I also still do a boxing pad session once a week. Boxing helps keep me sharp for races.“ Joda What happens when we run up hills? As with any most running races, the best results are gained through a consistent pace. This is achieved by having a constant energy output. This key component can only happen if there is level oxygen intake and lactate level in the muscle. Lactic acid is a metabolic intermediate; it is the end product of glycolysis, which provides energy anaerobically in skeletal muscle during heavy exercise, and it can be oxidized aerobically in the heart for energy production or can be converted back to glucose in the liver. Too much lactic acid build up has a negative productivity effect on our muscles and leaves the area feeling tired and heavy. After about 30 seconds of exercise the aerobic system starts to be used and so an ever growing amount of oxygen is needed to give the muscles energy. This means an increase in breath and heart rate to supply the new demand. The presence of oxygen in the muscles allows a process called “aerobic glycolysis” to take place. The trick is to work your muscles hard but not too hard that it floods the muscles with lactic acid which quickly causes discomfort and will affect your pace. If you hit a hill at max heart rate then there will be increased effort. If you try to maintain the same pace, the body will not be able to take in enough oxygen and you will move to anaerobic energy system, build lactic acid and be forced to slow or stop. “It's a well understood truth that you earn your race performances before ever getting to the start-line - I would say 90% of an individual's performance is down to how well they have trained in the weeks, months or years leading up to a race. The remaining 10% is down to their competitiveness, drive or mental strength, as well as their ability to deal with the "unknown" elements to OCR. I believe that if I train harder than everyone else before a race, outside of plain bad luck I should then win that event.” James A Varying your training is really important the

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REGULARS : OCR TRAINING & RACING TECHNIQUES

body needs constant change to push it to improve and progress. Whether running or in the gym keep the workouts changing if nothing else, it keeps you more interested and so more motivated. “In terms of running-specific training, I find interval sessions and hill reps particularly useful. OCR events are effectively one long interval session on your legs, whatever the distance, and you need to be able to stop, recover and go again faster than anyone else.” James A There is a huge amount of information about exercises to build general strength so it is not worth going into too much depth. A few points can be made though. Make sure your workouts vary, try and do body weight exercises, resistance training and interval training. Try to replicate movements in an OCR and be careful to maintain good form at all times. Consistency is the best way to improve so working out on injuries is foolish. Rest and recovery is just as important as the workouts. Try and train on ropes, bars and anything else you can get on. “I believe the only way people can learn technique is to try out the obstacles and work it out for themselves (doing it with friends is also great as its sociable and you can swap ideas) or by spending time with someone that teaches obstacle technique”. Doug S

2) NUTRITION Nutrition is a key element in everyday life and in training. Your body is made of what you eat so eating the right things in the right amounts, obviously is the best way to achieve optimum health. Darren gives us his input on Nutrition. Nutrition is the science studying the process by which living organisms acquire all the things that are necessary for them to live and grow. Nutrition focuses on the role of nutrients, which are defined as substances that the body cannot make on its own and include things like vitamins, minerals, and certain macromolecules. In essence, nutrition consists of:

1. DIET, the foodstuffs that one takes into one’s body

2. METABOLISM, what happens to it, and what chemical changes occur after it enters one’s body. In order to survive successfully the human body requires, the following:

• •

CALORIES - Enough to meet our daily energy needs AMINO ACIDS - There are 10 "essential" out of 20 amino acids that humans need for protein synthesis and that we cannot synthesize from other precursors FATTY ACIDS - There are three "essential" fatty acids that we cannot synthesize from other precursors MINERALS - The human body needs 18 different ones: a few, like calcium, are

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•

required in relatively large amounts; most, like zinc, in "trace" amounts VITAMINS - There are some small organic molecules that we cannot synthesize from other precursors in our diet

Amino acids play a central role both as building blocks of protein and as intermediates in metabolism. Metabolism is the chemical reactions that occur in the body's cells and convert the fuel from food into the energy needed to do everything from moving, thinking, to growing. Humans are capable of producing 10 of the 20 amino acids. The others must be supplied in our food. Failure to obtain a sufficient quantity of even 1 of the 10 essential amino acids; that is to say those that we cannot make, will result in the degradation of the body's proteins to obtain the one amino acid that is needed. This means that the body will attempt to find and consume it internally and this is not a healthy situation. Unlike fat and starch, the human body does not store excess amino acids for later use—the amino acids must be contained in the food consumed every day. Minerals are those elements other than carbon, hydrogen, oxygen and nitrogen that are found in the body. Minerals come from soil and water. Our body needs different minerals to function and sustain life. To fulfil the nutritional demands of our bodies we must have minerals as part of our diet. For example, our bodies need large amount of calcium for growth, function and development. Our body also needs other minerals like chromium, copper, iodine, iron, selenium and zinc which are needed in less quantity. Sometimes these minerals are also referred to as trace minerals. Minerals are essential for body functioning and structure. They help to build body tissues (e.g. bone) or to regulate metabolic activities. Fatty Acids are acids produced when fats are broken down in the body. Fatty acids are considered to be “good fats.” These acids are not highly soluble in water, and they can be used for energy by most types of cells. They may be monounsaturated, polyunsaturated, or saturated. They are organic which means that they contain both carbon and hydrogen. The fatty acids are found in the oils and other fats that make up our different foods. Fatty acids help move oxygen through the bloodstream to all parts of the body. They aid the development of the cell membrane and its strength and function. They are also necessary for the maintenance of strong organs and tissue. Fatty acids can also help in keeping the skin healthy, helping prevent early aging, promoting weight loss, helping to rid the arteries of cholesterol build up DARREN’S PRE-RACE PREPARATION As an OCR runner you need a specific requirements for your sport. Carbohydrates are crucial for optimum energy in endurance sports as it is the most effective form of fuel for the body. Ensure you are balancing your protein carbohydrate intake ratio correctly i.e. protein 30% Carbohydrate 70%. You should break your normal meals from 3 a

day to 5 small meals a day this will ensure regulated fuelling of the body. Water should be priority and you should be sipping on a regular basis throughout the day (about 2 litres). As for snacking you should be eating almonds/walnuts/brazil nuts (essential fatty acids) and dried fruit which will give you simple carbohydrates. Couple this with your training programme and you should find that come race day your body will be fuelled to power you through to victory. Foods & amounts will vary dependent on the type of discipline you do.

3) PSYCHOLOGY Mental factors can be as influential as physical factors on your performance. Psychology plays a major part in pre-race training. It’s the difference between getting out of bed to run before work or having the motivation to go to the gym after work. It teaches us about our mental limits and what we are willing to do to improve. I am always surprised when I speak to people and they have not considered their “inner voice”, the bit that tells you to cut corners or says “come on just one more set.” Being aware of your weaknesses is the only way to turn them into strengths. So being honest with yourself is a great place to start because then you can build a training plan that brings in physical and mental aspects to suit you. “One of the mental techniques I talk about is positivity and self-belief and this is something I’ve researched and practiced a lot for my own benefit (for climbing). For me, it’s all about dealing with “the fear”. If I scoot up a route and I’m not challenged, I get nothing out of it but if I come to a point where my inner voice is screaming “you are going to get hurt” and my rational voice steps in asks the question “are you going to hit the floor?”. As long as the answer is “no”, it allows me to quieten the inner voice, listen to the rational voice and push on - this is best thing in the world – being able to push on when scared is so amazing.” Doug S Controlling the mind is a major part of controlling your physical results. Talking yourself out of training when it’s raining or not having the courage to climb a rope or tackle the monkey bars is something that everyone can get over if they approach it right, you may even need help. This is where a coach like Doug or myself can help break things down into manageable steps. I see negative self talk all the time when coaching. People walk into my centre, see the high rope and decide that it is not possible. By the end of the sessions most have climbed to the top. Putting yourself into uncomfortable situations whether it be physical or mental and seeing it through to achieve something you thought impossible is not only hugely rewarding but it also breaks down mental barriers which means you can set a new barrier, and therefore you progress. Training is just like a race, to get to the finish, to get your medal and the feelings of achievement. You have to get muddy, get your hands dirty, dig in and push yourself but with hard work comes great things.

REGULARS : OCR TRAINING & RACING TECHNIQUES

In coaching we have a few sports psychology strategies;

1. GOAL SETTING - Don’t drift, know where you are going and what you want to achieve. Having a clear plan of where you want to be in say one year and then planning smaller goals in between can give your training structure and a clean line of progress. A professional can build a plan for you. 2. ATTRIBUTION - Deciding on the reasons why you are successful or not. Objectively assessing performance and aims to tweak training goals can mean much faster improvement. Assessing a performance will be discussed in part 3 of this article. 3. VISUALISATION -You have to have a clear image of where you are going and how you will feel when you are there. This gives you focus to drive training and focus. Make it specific as just saying “to be fit” can be too general and will mean a less precise training programme. 4. GETTING IN THE ZONE - when it comes to race day this is crucial. This will be discussed more in part 2 of the article 5. ENERGISING - Increasing competitiveness. Competition can sometimes be a dirty word but a healthy drive to compete is how we get better. It can be with yourself or others but if you are at an OCR race then it will inevitably be against other runners. This will be discussed more in part 2 of the article “Often when I coach people on the scramble net and they are on the cusp of bugging out I distract them to engage with the rational voice in their head. I ask them if they are falling and they say “no”, we then work to agree the best way down but the key element is quietening down the inner voice which makes us do irrational things. Most people will back off before it gets dangerous which usually leads to frustration as they know immediately after that they have backed off far too early. I’m certainly not promoting the idea of people taking on too much risk, far from it, the risks I take are very calculated and rational, what I am saying is, make sure you’ve had a rational conversation with yourself and don’t let your inner voice make decisions for you.” Doug Hard work, dedication, focus and the correct training are the elements needed to become a successful OCR runner. If you find it hard to train alone get a coach or join a club. Get as much experience on obstacles as you can from either the gym, park or home or at a specialist OCR centre. Get advice and research to learn more about techniques and do not underestimate each of the facets described above. They work together to make a complete athlete. I hope you have found this article helpful. I would like to say a huge thank you to those that contributed to me putting this together. Keep an eye out for the next edition “Race Day” in the next edition.

Obstacle Race Magazine 101

FEATURE : NUCLEAR RACE PROMO

A GYM BODY WITH

NUCLEAR RACES

102 Obstacle Race Magazine

FEATURE : NUCLEAR RACE PROMO

We all know that healthy bodies can be made or broken in the kitchen. So it make 100% sense for a race that promotes health and clean living to partner up with a company with a love for food. This is exactly what Nuclear races have done with Gym’s Kitchen. Read on to find out more about this partnership and also more about Gym’s Kitchen.

WHAT MOTIVATED YOU TO CREATE GYM’S KITCHEN? To be honest, when I was younger I spent a lot of time playing video-games and eating take away so I wasn’t particularly active. At one point I got to about 18 stone and realised that I needed to do something about it. At this stage I was motivated to exercise and eat better but finding healthy alternatives to a pizza was difficult, as I had no idea what to buy instead. After a lot of research I found that there was a huge gap for clean, healthy and tasty food and that’s where the idea of Gyms Kitchen came from. Over the years we’ve developed a menu that’s truly unique as all the meats are locally

sourced, well-prepared and our dishes are calorie counted. It’s great value food, as it should be.

WHAT DO YOU THINK MAKES GYM’S KITCHEN UNIQUE? Our menu and principles are what makes us unique. We’ve experts to design the menu to ensure that our food is clean, tasty and fresh. In addition to that we have all the allergy information on show and most importantly the breakdown of macros, Carbs, Fats and Proteins. This is something that even the Government have jumped on board and tried to enforce nationally. We’re incredibly passionate about creating a positive culture around healthy eating and that focus is apparent across our menu, food suppliers, customer engagement and partnerships. Tell us about your partnership with Nuclear. The whole vibe behind Nuclear is that it’s not scary or worrying, it’s run by a family / local guys who really care about their events and community. We have the exact same principles hence why we have begun a brilliant working

relationship already. We’ll be supporting the Nuclear team by keeping them fed for their races and providing any tips/thoughts around healthy eating to Nukers.

WHAT CAN NUKER’S EXPECT FROM GK AT MAY RUSHES EVENT? The menu on the day will be in true GK style, we’ll have awesome protein-packed Pre-race breakfasts, a variety of different locally sourced tasty meat dishes on offer throughout the day and a healthy kids menu too. No-one’s going hungry on our watch!

YOU’RE ALL SIGNED UP FOR NUCLEAR RUSH, ARE YOU LOOKING FORWARD TO IT? I can’t wait for Nuclear Rush, we’ve got our team sorted #TeamGK so really looking forward to see what they throw at us. We are a random bunch, but for us it’s all about getting muddy, doing something a bit different and having a great day out. We had a great time at their taster-session too, so we’re pretty hyped for the big day. #TrustNuclear

NUCLEAR RACES NEXT EVENT TAKES PLACE ON THE 14TH AND 15TH OF MAY. FOR SIGN UP AND INFORMATION GO TO WWW.NUCLEAR-RACES.CO.UK Obstacle Race Magazine 103

REGULARS : MUDDY RACE - FITNESS WEEKEND

MUDDY RACE

FITNESS WEEKEND JOIN US

A WEEKEND OF FITNESS, OBSTACLES, GOOD TIMES WITH FRIENDS AND AN AWESOME AFTER PARTY

DATE: UST 19TH-21ST AUG LOCATION: WHITTLEBURY TER, PARK, TOWCES NSHIRE NORTHAMPTO

WE E KE N D

104 Obstacle Race Magazine

REGULARS : MUDDY RACE - FITNESS WEEKEND

A weekend of fitness sessions, workshops, camping, food and entertainment all for one ticket cost. We take over a camp site and turn it into our own whilst you workout toge ther to the music in the Field of Dreams. Burning calories has never been so much fun! We’ve got fitness sessions for everyone Over the weekend you’ll be able to choose your workouts to suit your level. Work hard in some, relax in others or select beginner friendly lower intensity classes. Workouts include Boxercise, functional fitness, circuit training, obstacle course, yoga, pilates, raft building and military bootcamps. This year NEW sessions include TRX & Suspension training, running techniques, nutrition workshops,

kettlebell training, combat fit, spec ific obstacle tutorials including such as Rope Climbing, Climbing Walls, plus more obstacles to train on.

DELICIOUS FOOD AND A PARTY You’re not just here to workout. You’r e here to socialise, eat great tasty, healt hy food and let your hair down. So you can relax and focus on having fun all food is included over the weekend including breakfast, lunch es and dinner. On the Saturday even ing our Gala dinner is back with a BBQ with live chefs, a band and a DJ. We prom ise you will love the food and won’t go hungry! Grab your mates, bootcam p or work friends and come away havin g burned some calories!

WORKOU INCLUDE TS : • Bootcam p • Boxing • Superh uman Gam es • Obstac le Course • Obstac le Training • Roots Su rv • TRX & Su ival Zone spension Training • Functio nal Fitnes s • Nutritio n Worksho ps • Physio Massages • Shoe Te sting And More ..!

WHAT'S INCLUDED: • 3 days of workouts, fun workshops, advice and Food • All Healthy Nutritious Cooked For You wers • Camping with hot sho Band Live h Wit ht Nig • Gala BBQ

FRIDAY ARRIVAL

SATURDAY ARRIVAL

Includes extra Friday night dinner buffet, Saturday morning breakfast and an extra night camping

Includes Saturday and Sunday lunch, Saturday Gala Dinner and Sunday breakfast

Free Muddy Race Performance T Shirt

Fitness sessions begin from 2pm on Friday

£145

Fitness sessions begin from 9.30am on Saturday, you can arrive from 7am

£120

PAY JUST £50 DEPOSIT TODAY! Not got a tent? You can hire one already pitched up!

Obstacle Race Magazine 105

PREVIEW : SPARTAN RACE

Preview

SPARTAN RACE

REEBOK SPARTAN RACE 2016 CALENDAR: QUEEN ELIZABETH OLYMPIC PARK, LONDON

9TH APRIL

SPITTAL FARM, EDINBURGH

23RD & 24TH JULY

ASTON DOWN, GLOUCESTERSHIRE

28TH MAY

ELTON HALL, PETERBOROUGH

3RD & 4TH SEPTEMBER

OLD TRAFFORD, MANCHESTER

25TH JUNE

WINDSOR GREAT PARK, LONDON

1ST & 2ND OCTOBER

106 Obstacle Race Magazine

PREVIEW : SPARTAN RACE

THE REEBOK SPARTAN RACE 2016 SEASON IS ALMOST UNDERWAY AND THIS YEAR PROMISES TO BE THE BEST IN THE UK YET. We’ve unveiled new venues this year and will be raising the bar on each of our events. Our race director is an athlete, so he knows what it takes to make it to the finish line and what makes a great race. We’ve got three race options for you to take on. We have the Sprint races which are 3-5 miles, featuring 15+ obstacles, the Super races which are 8-10 miles with 20+ obstacles and finally the Beast which is 12-14 miles with 30+ obstacles in your way. We also have a Spartan Junior Race at each venue for young Spartans from 4 to 14 years old. This is a great way to get your kids out and active and participating in the same activity as you! The Sprint races are a great introduction to Spartan and then if you really want to push yourself, sign up for the season Trifecta medal and complete the Sprint, Super and Beast within the season. A Spartan Race is not your average race. While you may be familiar with other obstacle course races or road races, the Spartan is like their adventurous, adrenaline-junkie friend who

thrives on excitement and also provides a place to challenge friends, co-workers or have a fun family day together. You’ll be running, climbing and crawling across some of the most gorgeous terrain and around World Famous Stadiums in the UK. You’ll also get to splash through mud, tackle many challenging obstacles, while testing your overall strength, balance, mental tenacity and endurance. It’s one of the most exciting, invigorating and thrilling ways you can spend your weekend and it offers a true challenge for beginners and seasoned competitors alike. This year we have a stadium sprint and regular sprints. The stadium sprint will take place at the iconic Old Trafford, Manchester, while our regular sprints will take place out in the great outdoors, away from the cities. Spartan Race founder, Joe De Sena, said: “Spartan Race events in the UK are always a fantastic experience. The British for me typify the Spartan mentality and with our new venues this year, there is no better time to try out Spartan for the first time or test yourself against some of the toughest Beast races the UK has ever seen.

So tough is the Edinburgh Beast that we have decided to hold the European Championships there this year. 2016 promises to be one of the best Spartan years ever in the UK and I would encourage everyone to get involved! Aroo.” Even if you’re new to fitness, you can do a Spartan Race. The first thing to remember in terms of training is get moving, go for a walk or a run to start with. Just keep putting one foot in front of the other and before you know it, you’ve done the first mile. On our website, we have the opportunity to sign up to a 30 day Spartan training program. It’s a simple set of instructions that you follow once a day, it’s that easy to start your Spartan training. All you need to do a Reebok Spartan Race is an awesome attitude! You’re about to embark on the adventure of a lifetime that will challenge you and leave you with incredible memories, a huge boost in confidence, and likely a burning fire to come back for more. And don’t forget all the bling you receive to show your accomplishments! Finisher t-shirt medal and of course bragging rights!

WWW.SPARTANRACEUK.UK Obstacle Race Magazine 107

FEATURE : SUFFERING CHALLENGE

TRUE PAIN AND

SUFFERING Anyone who has taken on a The Suffering Race will know that it’s a race that does exactly what it says on the tin. The distances are always longer than expected ‘extra value’, the terrain is enough to make a mountain Sherpa take a deep breath and the obstacles are manned by reapers whos job it is to make you suffer at every opportunity. The Suffering Race Series currently offers a 5k 10k and 10 mile option but Drew and Richard the Race directors behind The Suffering didn’t think that they posed enough of a challenge for you, so they’ve come up with a brand new endurance event which is designed to keep you going until you literally can’t take another step.

Drew, tell us more about your new challenge, what exactly does it entail? Our new set of challenges joins our already infamous Legends Race. The Legends Challenge is taking on all 3 distances over a

108 Obstacle Race Magazine

weekend. Our new Relentless Race condenses this challenge into 8hrs.

Rockingham Castle and October is based at Rockingham Motor Speedway.

You can also step it up another level and take on our Relentless Ultra + or Ultra Team Race, this is the worlds first 12hr Ultra obstacle course race where the minimum distance is an ultra. Run 30 miles you’ll get a bronze medal, run 50 you’ll get silver and run over 70 miles and you’ll get the Relentless Ultra gold medal.

What sort of racer do you think this challenge will suit?

Where did the idea come from? We launched our race team last year and they have been taking on ultra events and they love them. So we thought lets do an ultra race but combine it with obstacles and of course Reapers. Rockingham Motor Speedway was the perfect choice for this event.

When will it be taking place? Our Legends Series Races happen throughout the year. March and June are based at

Our challenge races are for the hard-core, those that live, eat and breath OCR.

What is the reward for taking this challenge on? The reward if you complete is top class swag. Not only do you get the Legends or Relentless medal and T but you get each races T and medal too. That’s 4 Ts and 4 medals for those that complete the challenge. Where can people sign up and find out more ? People can find out more on our website:

WWW.THESUFFERINGRACE. CO.UK/OCR/LEGENDS-SERIES

EVENTS

Events page

Apr - May ‘16 For a more comprehensive list of upcoming events go to

WWW.OBSTACLERACEMAGAZINE.CO.UK/EVENTS

1 Spring Ram Run 8/12/24km

8 Spartan Sprint 5km

15 Tough Guy® MUDATHON

2nd/3rd April 2016

9th April 2016

6.5/13.1 miles

Stoneleigh, Warwickshire CV8 2LG

Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park, E20 2ST

10th April 2016

ramrun.co.uk

spartanraceuk.uk

Wolverhampton, WV6 7HB

From £12

From £62

toughguy.co.uk

2 One True Grit 5/10km

9 Rough Runner 5/10/15km

2nd April 2016

9th April 2016

16 Mucky Madness 6/12km

Hertfordshire, SG2 7DG

Hampshire, GU32 1PH

16th April 2016

onetruegrit.com

roughrunner.com

Essex, CM7 4MJ

From £64.99

From £59

muckyraces.co.uk

3 Badass Mucker 5km

10 Born Survivor 10km

2nd April 2016

9th April 2016

17 The Viper Series - 369 5/10km

Lancaster, LA2 6PD

Lake District, CA10 2HH

16th April 2016

badassmucker.com

born-survivor.com

Delamere Forest, CW8 2HZ

From £17.97

From £69

viperseries.com

4 Mudtastik Mud Run 5/10km

11 The Muddy Mucker 5 miles

3rd April 2016

10th April 2016

18 The Gauntlet Games 5/10km

Shrewsbury, SY4 5LD

St. Albans, AL2 3AJ

16th April 2016

cavaliercentre.org/mud-run

renniegrove.org/support/our-events/muddymucker

Hertfordshire, SG12 8LX

£30

From £40

5/10km

12 Warrior Run 7/14/21km

19 Spring Monster Race 5/10km

9th April 2016

10th April 2016

16th April 2016

Kent, TN3 9HS

West Sussex, BN6 9BQ warrior-run.co.uk

Oxfordshire, OX7 3DG

britmilfit.com/major-series From £50

£50

From £45

6 The Wolf Run 10km

13 Forest Warrior 10km

20 Xrunner-Wild Mud Run 5/10km

9th/10th April 2016

16th April 2016

Warwickshire, CV33 9BG

Forest Of Dean, GL16 7EL forestwarrior.co.uk

Derbyshire, DE6 1LW

wolfrun.com From £49 (9th April - SOLD OUT)

From £40

From £49

7 The Reaper - Day & Night 10km

14 Go Insane 5/10km

21 Dirty Dozen Races 6/12km

9th April 2016

10th April 2016

16th April 2016

Coventry - CV7 8DX

Peterborough, PE8 6NR insaneterrainrunning.com

Kent, TN12 6PY

reaperevents.co.uk From £42

From £42

From £65

From £44

From £15

From £27 5 The Royal British Legion Major South

110 Obstacle Race Magazine

thegauntletgames.co.uk

monsterrace.co.uk

xrunner.co.uk

dirtydozenraces.com From £35

22 Shropshire Mud Run Series,

32 Yorkshire Warrior 5/10 miles

42 Nuclear Rookies Weekend 1.5/3km

Round 2 10km

30th April 2016

14th & 15th May 2016

16th April 2016

Harrogate, HG2 8NZ

Essex, CM15 0LA

Shrewsbury, SY5 7AP

yorkshirewarrior.com

nuclear-races.co.uk

fitnessexperience.co.uk/events

From £49

£20

From £30 33 Trailtroopers 5/10km

43 Rough Runner 5/10/15km

23 Honiton Hippo 7 miles

1st May 2016

14th May 2016

17th April 2016

Hamilton, ML3 7UE

Chipping Norton, OX7 4AH

Devon, EX14 1QF

trailtroopers.co.uk

roughrunner.com

honitonrc.com

From £9/£21

From £59

£12 34 GoHard Survivor 6/14km

44 Iron Run 6/12km

24 Tuff Nutz Run 11 miles

7th May 2016

14th May 2016

17th April 2016

Exeter, EX6 8BB

Northamptonshire, NN14 4AL

Wirral, CH61 0HN

gohardevents.co.uk/survivor

ironrun.co.uk

tuffnutz.run

£51-£224

From £33

From £75 per team 35 Mucky Fenland Dash 5km

45 The Gauntlet Games 5/10km

25 Tartan Warrior 5km

7th May 2016

14th May 2016

17th April 2016

Cambridge, CB6 3LU

Enfield, EN4 0PS

Falkirk,Scotland

muckyraces.co.uk

thegauntletgames.co.uk

tartanwarrior.com

From £36

From £40

From £15 36 Rat Race Dirty Weekend 13/20 miles

46 Tough Enough Races, The General 10km

26 Brutal Run 10km

7th May 2016

15th May 2016

23rd April 2016

Stamford, PE9 3JY

Winchester, SO21 1HW

Surrey,GU16 6SQ

ratrace.com/dirtyweekend2016

toughenoughraces.co.uk

brutalrun.co.uk

From £99

From £31

£18 37 The Muddy Dog Challenge 2.5/5km

47 May Mayhem, Lunacy Run 10km

27 Atlantis Rocket Race 5/10/15km

7th May 2016

15th May 2016

23rd April 2016

London, SE24 0PA

Hatcliffe Village, DE31 1EY

Somerset, BA8 0TN

battersea.org.uk/muddydog

sportsystems.co.uk

rocketrace.com

£30pp/£8.50 per dog

£22

£55 38 Grim Challenge - Beast In The East

48 Bing Blazer 10/20km

28 Warrior Adrenaline Run 5/10/20km

10km

21st May 2016

23rd April 2016

7th May 2016

West Lothian, EH48 3BN

Hertford, SG14 3NE

Kent, BR8 8DX

bingblazer.co.uk

warrioradrenalinerace.co.uk

grimchallenge.co.uk

From £45

From £25

From £27

29 Toughest 8km

39 Muddy Mountain 6/12km

2.5/5km

23rd April 2016

8th May 2016

21st May 2016

Pippingford Park, TN22 3HW

South Wales

Windsor, SL4 2BA

toughest.se/en

www.muddymountain.co.uk

battersea.org.uk/muddydog

From £85

£38

£30pp, £8.50 per dog

30 Mud Fit, Mud Kids 2.5km

40 Nuclear Rush Weekend 6/12km

50 Adrenaline Rush 5/10km

24th April 2016

14th & 15th May 2016

21st May 2016

Surrey, RH4 3GA

Essex, CM15 0LA

Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park, E20 2ST

natrualfitnesscompany.co.uk

nuclear-races.co.uk

theadrenalinerush.com

£15

From £65

From £35

31 Tough Mudder 16/20km

41 Nuclear Rush Onslaught 6/12km

30th April & 1st May 2016

14th May 2016

Henley on Thames, RG9 3AP

Essex, CM15 0LA

toughmudder.co.uk

nuclear-races.co.uk

From £95

From £70

49 The Muddy Dog Challenge

Continue on page 112 Map of locations on page 112

Obstacle Race Magazine 111

EVENTS

51 Go Insane 5/10km 22nd May 2016 Suffolk, IP12 3NA insaneterrainrunning.com £36 52 Tuff Enuff, Worlds End 5/12km 28th May 2016 Penzance, TR19 6EU tuff-enuff.co.uk From £34 53 Spartan Race 13km 28th May 2016 Midlands, GL6 8HR spartanraceuk.uk From £50 54 Superhuman Games 28th & 29th May 2016 Bristol, BS23 2EA superhumanevents.com From £45

25 55 Tuff Nutt Junior, Worlds End 2/5km 29th May 2016

Penzance, TR19 6EU

tuff-enuff.co.uk From £16 56 Mud Monsters Run 5/10/20km 29th May 2016 West Sussex, RH19 4SG mudmonstersrun.co.uk

From £37

3 32

20 17

4 22

1 53 43 39

44 11 28 2

19 31 54

26 30 29

23 52 55 112 Obstacle Race Magazine

56 12

6 40,41,42

50 21

5 38

3KM, 6KM AND 12KM Next events:

SATURDAY 17TH JULY SUNDAY 18TH JULY (LADIES ONLY)

MUDDY FUN FOR ALL THE FAMILY

5F Â£ OF *

USE CODE: ORMIS14 WWW.MUDDY-FURLONG.CO.UK Long Furlong Farm, Catesby, Daventry, NN11 6LW. Stag, Hen & Corporate party bookings also now being taken, tel 07971 686506 for details * Not valid on junior and Christmas events

BOOTCAMP LISTING

Bootcamp

LISTING Find your perfect OCR place to train situated near you with our handy listing. Would you like to be included in this listing? For more information on how you can do this contact carl@obstacleracemagazine.com

NORTH UK OUTDOOR FITNESS “BOOTCAMPS AND OBSTACLE TRAINING” Leeds, Bradford, York, Sheffield, Castleford, Huddersfield 0796 478 7981

ukoutdoorfitness.com Facebook: UK outdoor Fitness / UK Indoor Fitness

NORTH WEST PRIME HEALTH & FITNESS Ellesmereport CH65 1AE 07885764077

info@primehealthandfitness.co.uk Facebook: Prime Health and Fitness

MIDLANDS THE OBSTACLE GYM Lutterworth 0726912988 info@reaperevents.co.uk

Facebook: The Obstacle GYM

WEST MIDLANDS O.P.T OUTDOOR PHYSICAL TRAINING Redditch, Bromsgrove, Rubery, Alcester RFC, Droitwich RFC 07885 416446

114 Obstacle Race Magazine

outdoorpt@hotmail.co.uk

outdoorpt.co.uk Facebook: O.P.T Outdoorphysicaltraining

Facebook: TheBootcampRevolution ENERGISE MUD RUNNERS LTD

EAST ENGLAND

Milton Keynes, Buckinghamshire

FORTITUDE FITNESS CENTRE

mud-runners.co.uk Facebook: EnergiseMudRunners

Highfields Farm, Caldecote, Cambridge, CB23 7NX 07876635234

fortitudefitnesscentre.co.uk Facebook: Fortitude-Fitness-Centre Fit 4 OCR Hertfordshire SG7 5EN 07720 82611

www.fit4ocr.com Facebook: Fit 4 OCR

07592750709

SOUTH WEST HODGE HEALTH & FITNESS BRISTOL 07855 465 872

hodgehealthandfitness.co.uk Facebook: hodgehealthandfitness

SOUTH EAST WILD FOREST GYM OBSTACLE TRAINING CENTRE

WALES

Nuclear Races, Brentwood, Essex

STEVE WALL PERSONAL TRAINING & MOTIVATION

wildforestgym.com Facebook: Wildforestgym

Rhondda, Merthyr Mawr Dunes, Caerphilly 07940 343387

Facebook: Steve Wall

SOUTH BOOTCAMP REVOLUTION OBSTACLE COURSE Rayne, Essex 07963202339

bootcamprevolution.co.uk

08454561336

WELLFIT OUTDOOR FITNESS Turnbridge Wells, Kent 07886 035773

wellfitoutdoorfitness.com Facebook: Wellfit outdoor fitness SAM WINKWORTH ACADEMY “BOOTCAMP EXTREME” The Vine Cricket Ground, Kent

Bootcamp 07817403398

samwinkworth.com IMMORTAL FITNESS MARLOW/HAMBLEDEN/HENLEY 07792 881255

VISITS Over the coming issue weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll be visiting the bootcamps in the listing to checkout exactly what they have to offer you.

immortalfitness.co.uk Facebook: Immortalfit GUARDIAN FITNESS OCR TRAINING SE London 07584 414206

guardianfitness.co.uk SPARTAN GROUP X ORPINGTON ORFC Leesons Way, Orpington, Kent, BR5 2QB 02037315351

toughlove.mobi/sgx Facebook: sgxorpington 5 STAR BOOTCAMPS 07525 843326

fivestarbootcamps.co.uk Facebook: 5STAR BOOTCAMPS PT BARN Kelvedon Hatch, Brentwood, CM15 0 07515 413906

theptbarn.co.uk Facebook: The PT Barn

NATIONWIDE FIT CAMPUK Ltd Redditch, Wythall / Birmingham, Edgbaston & Solihull, Sutton Coldfield, Tamworth, Lichfield , Barton / Burton Upon Trent 07966 638 009

fitcampuk.co.uk Facebook: Fitcampuk BRITISH MILITARY FITNESS Outdoor sessions in 140 Parks Nationwide 020 8996 2220

britishmilitaryfitness.com Facebook: britishmilitaryfitness

OUTDOOR PHYSICAL TRAINING TELL US WHAT YOU THOUGHTS: O.P.T - Outdoor Physical Training - is a fantastic group of people run by two Spartan SGX coaches Barny O'Neill and Clinton Slater. It brings together people of all ages and abilities to push beyond their own limits alongside partner and team work. It offers 17 sessions over 7 days a week with a choice of 6 venues across the Midlands and Worcestershire and with a PAYG run club on a Friday night too. We use slam balls, Bulgarian bags, sticks for movement work, day sacks, sledges, battle roles, monkey bars, a wall, our own body weight along with whatever else including the natural terrain or facilities around us to improve our body strength, core and running - all great training for any OCR. Every session is different and presents new challenges with a great focus on technique. The coaches all have different training styles too. There is always a great sense of community and fun.

A couple of times a year they put on their own OCR in military style ' hell week' called 6.6.6. - 6 hours 6 minutes 6 seconds of the toughest event that I have ever done to date testing both your body and mind. So much is offered and it is fantastic value for money. Scoring for quality for obstacles is difficult as some sessions do not involve any kit just our own body and terrain. Personal Training sessions are also available with Barny and Clint. Highly recommend this group whether looking to train for OCRs or to get fit in a motivational environment. AVAILABILITY OF COACHES

20/20

TERRAIN

19/20

(Choose your venue one is particularly hilly for those who want it) VALUE FOR MONEY

19/20

ACCESSIBILITY OF LOCATION

15/20

Total : 73/100 Obstacle Race Magazine 115

EDINBURGH SAT. & SUN. 23-24 JULY Spittal Farm is the exclusive venue for the Scotland Sprint and Beast where you will be tested with proper Scottish Hills.

MANCHESTER SAT. 25 JUNE Be a part of history as the Northern Sprint comes to Manchester United’s iconic Old Trafford Stadium.

PETERBOROUGH SAT. & SUN. 3-4 SEPT.

Elton Hall is an historic site situated in a 3,800-acre estate, in which the River Nene runs and will be home to both a Sprint and Super this year.

MIDLANDS SAT. 28 MAY Our Midlands Super will be held at Aston Farm, home to some stunning south Cotswold valleys as well as mature woodland, providing a varied and challenging course for Spartans.

LONDON SAT. 9 APRIL We’ll kick-start our 2016 Season at the prestigious Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park - an exclusive venue reserved only for Spartans.

WINDSOR SAT. & SUN. 1-2 OCT. We’ll round off our 2016 Season in the grounds of the Royal Windsor Castle - the oldest castle in the World and another exclusive for Spartan Racers.

BOOK NOW AND RECEIVE A FREE FAST PASS* WITH EVERY ENTRY USING CODE: ORMFAST WWW.SPARTANUK.UK

*FAST PASS INCLUDES PARKING, BAG DROP, VIP QUEUING AND 10% OFF ONSITE MERCHANDISE.

.95 R / MAY ‘16 £4 ISSUE #14 AP