Obstacle race magazine issue 21 by Obstacle Race Magazine

ISSUE #21 JULY ’17 £5.95

RE ND ADVENTU LE RACING A C A ST B O R NO.1 FO

THE OCR SHOES The shoes that should be on your radar

WHERE IS OCR NOW Is the industry still growing?

TRAINING

RELENTLESS SUFFERING Are you up to the challenge of a multi distance event?

SPARTAN HURRICAN HEAT Do you have Spartan levels of endurance

WHEN TWO DESERTS MEET 21>

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HOW TO PLAN YOUR PERFECT WORKOUT

TO BE A PART OF THE MUDNIFICENT SEVEN? HEART PARK

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EDITOR’S LETTER

Your first race. Those start line nerves. That burst of adrenaline that the unknown course that lays ahead injects into you. Managing Director Athol Dipple info@obstacleracemagazine.com

07932 411592

0845 371 0993

Editor Carl Wibberley carl@obstacleracemagazine.com

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CONTRIBUTORS Dave Peters (We’ve All Had A Wee In The Water Havent We?), Gemma Spackman (Make Your Upper Body Really Pack A Punch), Kev George (The Road To MDS), Will Roberts (The Ice Ultra), Richard Edley (Creating Your OCR Workout), Alexandra Edley (Recipes Page), Craig Heron (Europes Toughest Mudder) .

PHOTOGRAPHY Game Face Media / Richard Burley Epic Action Imagery (Front Cover Image), Mikkel Beisner (The Ice Ultra), Tony Jarvis Photography (Relentless Suffering), Kev George (The Road To Mds), Peachy Snaps (The Wolf Run ), Game Face Media (Europes Toughest Mudder)

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, NEWCO Media Ltd or the Publisher

These are all feelings that will always remain etched in my mind and I’m sure it’s the same for you too. Above is a picture of me at Spartan Race in Ripon a few years ago, this for me was the race where it all really clicked, the one where I really got bitten by the bug. The experience had everything i'd been looking for, including a healthy kick up the backside to get out and train. Just take a minute and think about what your first race was - are you imagining the one where it all clicked for the first time, or the one where you actually toed the start line for the first time? The typical British weather is making racing as unpredictable as always. Rocking up to a start line and not knowing whether it's all out merino wool or a sauna session that’s on the cards but, if nothing else, it keeps us on our toes. In this issue I’ve pulled together a real mixed bag of content, all that’s missing is obstacle technique training. But never fear that’s because the next issue is a bumper edition rammed full of techniques to help you with everything from scaling walls to climbing ropes. The new Adventures section has two events on polar opposites in terms of conditions they were raced in, but both are very much sharing stories of desert adventures. Also don’t miss out on the collection of shoes I’ve personally brought together that I think should be on every racers radar, no doubt there will be a few that you’ve never seen before and others that you’ll have spotted on many racers' feet. Don’t forget to race safe, stay healthy and I’ll see you in the mud soon.

Ca rl

CARL WIBBERLEY (EDITOR)

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Contents 8

PROFILES

REGULARS

HEALTH HACKS

FEATURES

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

REVIEW

DO YOU HAVE SPARTAN ENDURANCE

The Spartan Race Series doesn’t just comprise of a Sprint, Super and Beast. Find out what other events they have on offer to test your endurance.

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

WE’VE ALL HAD A WEE IN THE WATER HAVENT WE ?

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

Dave Peters shares more words of wisdom from his OCR experiences.

LETTERS PAGE

WHY NOT TRY HOT YOGA

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

Looking for something new to help keep you healthy and supple? Hot yoga could be just what you’ve been waiting for.

THE WOLF RUN Already known for producing fantastic races. Read about how they excite runners each race, even after they’ve been running with them for years.

MAKE YOUR UPPER BODY REALLY PACK A PUNCH

RELENTLESS SUFFERING

Gemma Spackman shares another fantastic routine to get you ready and raring for your next race.

One of the toughest endurance challenges on the OCR calendar. Find out what makes it such a brutal challenge.

GOALS VS GETTING THE BASICS RIGHT

TESTING

Sam Winkworth makes us stop and think about how to organise our goals whilst still making sure the basics are on point, all to help us reach our goals.

RECIPES PAGES

THE WRONGENS Vince James the founder of the Wrongens tells us all about how a bunch of awkward race photos turned into one of the fastest growing OCR groups in the UK.

Cook up the perfect fuel for your racing and training with the ORM recipes pages.

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

EUROPE'S TOUGHEST MUDDER Europe's Toughest Mudder is 8 hours of laps over a tough course through the night. We can't think of a better way of spending a night out.

CREATING YOUR OCR WORKOUT

PT Richard Edley helps steer us in the right direction when building our own workouts to prepare us for whatever the course throws at us.

ADVENTURE

WHO ARE ACTIVE WARRIOR

If you’ve not heard of Active warrior yet then you need to sit up and take notice of what they have planned for their next race.

ROAD TO MDS Kevin George shares all his trials and tribulations of taking on Marathon Des Sables. Sand really can get everywhere.

ROAD 2 THE WORLDS – DAY TWO

Tony and the team share more about what their athletes are putting themselves through to prepare for the World Championships.

SHOES THAT SHOULD BE ON YOUR RADAR

We’ve sought out the shoes that should be on your radar when looking for your next pair. All the shoes are perfect for race conditions, so rather than the usual test we’ve instead broken each shoe down to tell you which foot it would fit.

From one desert to another, Will Roberts tells us all about the challenges a desert in a colder climate has in store for you.

6 Obstacle Race Magazine

THE ICE ULTRA

Obstacle Race Magazine 7

FEATURE : DO YOU HAVE SPARTAN ENDURANCE

DO YOU HAVE

SPARTAN ENDURANCE The Spartan Race UK Season is well under way having completed the first two race events of the year. But there is plenty more to get excited about before 2017 comes to an end. The season opener, the South East Sprint (5km+ and 20+ obstacles) at St Clere in Sevenoaks, was a huge success and is the biggest UK Sprint event since the Spartan Race brand launched in the UK. With the UK OCR scene growing so rapidly in the past few years it is no surprise to see this pioneering brand standing at the forefront of this growth.

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Continuing to take the lead in obstacle innovation and new venues the 2017 season is looking to be one of the most exciting Spartan Race UK has seen. With four new obstacles as well as some re-inventions it will keep the droves of loyal Spartans on their toes, while challenging first time participants. The second event was the South West Weekend at Aston Down. This weekend featured the second Sprint of the season as well as the first Super (12km+ and 24+ obstacles) however this weekend has been highly anticipated by most of the Spartan Race community for an entirely different reason â&#x20AC;&#x201C; it debuted the first ever endurance event in the Spartan Race UK calendar, the Hurricane Heat!

Obstacle Race Magazine 9

FEATURE : DO YOU HAVE SPARTAN ENDURANCE

Selling out in no time at all the Hurricane Heat This special heat is held early in the mornings of (HH) is well known to all regular Spartan Race followers the race and occasionally on the eve. There is always a and participants and is the first step up from a regular mandatory gear list and all Hurricane Heats will venture obstacle course race to an endurance event. on and off the Spartan Race Course at the desire of The Hurricane Heat started back in August 2011 the Krypteia (Leader). The goal of the Hurricane Heat when Hurricane Irene threatened the East Coast of the is to finish as teams. There are no chips, no clock and USA and Spartan Race US were forced to shut down no individual egos, just a gritty fun run Spartan-style the Boston Race in Massachusetts. Athletes, Staff, that represents what the brand and our athletes are Volunteers and Crew were all devastated – but they all about…getting up when you’re knocked down and were Spartans and they weren’t about to give up that finishing what you start. easily. The Hurricane Heat is designed to break you down After some creative planning and 9,000 emails to repeatedly, crafting you into a unified team, capable of set up the logistics, more than 150 Spartans showed overcoming the most difficult of objectives. It will reveal up at 5am that Saturday morning to tackle the Boston your weaknesses and exploit them until they are turned course with Spartan Founder Joe into your strengths. De Sena and Spartan employees. There are a series of HH PARTICIPANTS WILL COVER Little did the brave runners know missions or challenges that they would be put on teams A SOLID DISTANCE IN THE that need to be 3-4-HOUR TIME SPAN THAT with strangers, forced to carry completed to succeed. sandbags and do 30 burpees HURRICANE HEATS TYPICALLY Burpees are the at every obstacle, whether currency in Hurricane LAST SO COME PREPARED they got through it cleanly or Heats, if something WITH CORRECT EQUIPMENT not. But they did not toil alone. can’t be accomplished FROM THE GEAR LIST. Alongside their teammates for whatever reason they forged Spartan bonds of there is a burpee cost, camaraderie and teamwork. This is the heart and soul and often if you complete the task you are forced to of the Hurricane Heat. It was in these hours of pouring celebrate with burpees too. HH participants will cover a rain, sandbags, obstacles and endless burpees that the solid distance in the 3-4-hour time span that Hurricane Hurricane Heat was born. Heats typically last so come prepared with correct

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FEATURE : DO YOU HAVE SPARTAN ENDURANCE

equipment from the gear list. Successful finishers earn a finisher dog tag medal, entry into a closed networking group, a finisher t-shirt and the chance of a lifetime discovering the camaraderie derived from becoming a Hurricane Heat finisher. If you are reading this and wondering how you can get involved we still have three more, never before seen in the UK, endurance events taking place this year alongside our full calendar of Sprints, Supers and Beasts (19km+ and 30+ obstacles). Still to come from Spartan Race UK during the 2017 race season are the following endurance events: HH12HR – The Hurricane Heat Twelve Hour designed to forge the next level of Spartans. We’ve taken the concept of the original Hurricane Heat, expanded it to include an element of individuality and raised everything in between up to new heights. If you’ve participated in a Hurricane Heat and thought those 4 hours were tough, just wait until you set out on a twelve-hour adventure that will take place both on and off the Spartan course. You’ll develop the same team building that is the foundation of the Hurricane Heat while also forging yourself as an individual. Expect a lot of burpees, carrying heavy objects, mud, submersion and more. If you’ve ever wished to embark on an adventure that takes you past your comfort zone, the HH12HR is the next stop on the journey.

SPARTAN ULTRA BEAST – they say that every Spartan Race is a baptism. Well in that case the Ultra Beast is an exorcism. If you have completed the Sprint, the Super and the Beast some of you may be ready to take on the Ultra Beast. Get ready to face not one, but two gruelling laps of the Beast course. The Ultra Beast will cover 40+ kilometres, with a few twists thrown in to keep it interesting. You thought you prepared and trained enough, but the Ultra Beast will prove you wrong. As always, if you’re not sure whether you’re ready, it is likely the Ultra Beast will be too much for you. This type of race REQUIRES training. THE AGOGE – the first time in the UK, the AGOGE will offer you an arena to test the very limits of your physical and mental strength. In the 7th Century BC, the Spartans wanted to produce the strongest and most mentally tough citizens on earth. To do this they created the AGOGE, a system of training that became the envy of the known world. Now you too can prove yourself as these ancient Spartans once did when the AGOGE comes to the Isle of Skye from the 18th to 20th August. To complete the Spartan AGOGE, one overcomes mental and physical obstacles that aim to develop the body, mind and spirit. Most people will need to undertake months of training and self-discovery to earn this coveted achievement. Not for the faint hearted this 60-hour event builds physical, tactical, mental, and team-based strength through training, testing, and evaluation.

STILL TO COME FROM SPARTAN RACE UK IN 2017: 22nd July, Edinburgh: Beast, Ultra Beast and Junior 23rd July, Edinburgh: Sprint and Junior 18th to 20th August, Isle of Skye: UK AGOGE 2nd September, Marston Lodge: Super, Hurricane Heat and Junior 3rd September, Marston Lodge: Sprint and Junior 30th September, Windsor: Beast and Junior 1st October, Windsor: Sprint and Junior

Obstacle Race Magazine 11

FEATURE : WE'VE ALL HAD A WEE IN THE WATER...HAVENT WE

WE’VE ALL HAD

A WEE IN THE WATER …HAVEN’T WE? WRITTEN BY Rumble Racing OCR Lead Instructor Dave Peters

FOR THOSE WHO KNOW ME FROM THE WORLD OF OCR YOU WILL PROBABLY KNOW THAT I HAVE MORE OR LESS SPENT THE LAST 4-5 YEARS COVERED IN MUD AND HANGING FROM RINGS AND ANY OTHER MYSTERIOUS PIECES OF EQUIPMENT THAT RACE DIRECTORS COME UP WITH.

I am proud to say I have a great team who I race with regularly and have met so many amazing people in this little pocket of mud and happiness that life surely wouldn’t have crossed paths with in such a diverse way as it has. However it wasn’t so long ago when I caught myself saying something to a family member when I noticed their facial expression change to one of disgust and utter disbelief that it made me realise, it’s not really normal what we do is it! Now don’t get me wrong, I’ve always been a fan of quirkiness and difference but isn’t it funny how we all become absorbed by the fun, mud, challenges and social interaction of OCR to a point where we maybe don’t realise just how small a group of people we truly are. Yes I realise the past 3 years has seen the largest attendances ever across the country but in truth, those of us that stay in it, the ones who read this magazine etc. there are actually not that many of us in the grand scheme of things. Even the term OCR isn’t recognised by the majority of people. I often find myself referring to OCR and then having to go back and explain that it stands for obstacle course racing. I even once had one guy notice that I had a garage full of car tyres and when I told him “oh yeah, I do Obstacle Course Racing” he replied with, “Oh that is so cool, what sort of car’s do

12 Obstacle Race Magazine

you drive”? It just isn’t normal to do what we do. owning them and all trudge around in Welly boots and Anyway, back to the story, I was talking to my “long poncho looking giant rain mack’s that you need a family member and I just happened to mention that mortgage to own”. When you look in from the outside, one of my team mates had taken a pee in the water in it does look a little strange doesn’t it. So what is it that front of me and I was sure it had warmed it up for me keeps us coming back? Do we just buy into the fads of wading through behind. His face was a picture and it Dryrobes and the latest trail running shoes or actually was only then I looked at it and realised that yeah, that do we see these as a necessary piece of equipment is a little weird. Now I realise that not EVERYONE has vital to our longer term success and awesomeness. a wee in the water on obstacle races, but come on, a I actually believe that we need these things and so lot of us have done it. All in the knowledge that we are while they may be costly we soak that up as a necessary so covered in mud and all other types of detritus that cost to enable us to have the best possible time. Well actually we don’t care! Or in my case half way round it could be that or just the amount of freedom you feel my final lap of The Nuts when you’re standing naked in Challenge where I literally a field wearing nothing but a NOW I REALISE THAT NOT did not care for anything on Dryrobe high fiving your team EVERYONE HAS A WEE IN Earth at that point in time! mates and chest bumping THE WATER ON OBSTACLE Then it got me thinking, everyone you can with a little RACES, BUT COME ON, A LOT we are a little strange smile on your face safe in the OF US HAVE DONE IT. bunch aren’t we, in the best knowledge that you are naked possible way of course. underneath. Then again that My family sum it up perfectly. They often say they could just be my weirdness kicking in that my family fail to understand the appeal of a hobby that is so talk of. Then it made me realise also that there a quite expensive, sends us shopping for shoes that cost a a few little things that to a seasoned OCR nut probably fortune only for us to ruin them in mud, swamps and be wouldn’t even think twice about, and yet anyone else dragged around and scuffed to pieces within 1 month of would think you are mad. I thought I would list a few for

Obstacle Race Magazine 13

FEATURE : WE'VE ALL HAD A WEE IN THE WATER...HAVENT WE

us to share in our quirkiness. •

The mud stained bathtub and tiles. So after completing the Nuts Challenge came the famous aftermath. I emptied my kit into my bath, rinsed it off before washing it and then drained the bath. This left what I can only describe as a clay and mud infested outbuilding looking room that would have given my mother nightmares. I posted a picture of this onto social media and the majority of people could not believe I washed the mud off in the bath and not binned it.

•

The not so tricky to get but somehow always gets missed bit of mud either in or behind the ear when you go into work the next day prompting comments of, “He’s been at it again this weekend”.

•

The medal hanger hanging proudly with multiple colour ribbons and shapes and sizes that match none of the cushions in the front room and ruin the colour match for anyone who enters the room.

•

The number of pairs of tights we all own especially the ones with holes in the bum.

•

The odd browsing history on the computer of constant searches of “strange items of clothing” such as neoprene vests and gloves, dirty weekend and the Nuclear sleepover.

•

The house full of grip strengthening gym equipment and home made rigs in the back garden alongside playing on the kids monkey bars at the park when we think no one is watching.

The truth is though that yes to the outside it’s a little weird. We all wear Dryrobes like its part of a uniform, so much so that when I raced in Holland I felt a bit of a wally with literally no one else wearing one… until the race finished and I didn’t have to walk the half a km to get changed! Yes we spend ludicrous amounts

SO SIT BACK, SLURP ON YOUR TEA OR COFFEE FROM THAT NUCLEAR RACES MUG, SAT IN YOUR ORM VEST AND DRY ROBE UNDER YOUR HOME MADE RIG SEARCHING ON THE INTERNET FOR NEW RACES of money on clothing and shoes to just go and ruin within a fortnight and yeah ok, most of the races are a little pricey for a regular hobby. However none of that matters because the memories it creates and the happiness that we get from it is the only thing that is important. The challenges we set ourselves and overcome, the friendships that we make and the pure fun and enjoyment we get from just being able to be a big kid again is whole heartedly worth it. This is why for the whole time that I am enjoying myself, and all the quirky differences to the norm, I will be staying right here where I am, submersed in Obstacle Course Racing. So sit back, slurp on your tea or coffee from that Nuclear Races mug, sat in your ORM Vest and Dryrobe under your home made rig searching on the internet for new races and deals on where to get the next great memories from all safe in the knowledge that you’re not the only one, we have all had a wee in the water…haven’t we?

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FEATURE : WHY NOT TRY HOT YOGA

WHY NOT TRY HOT YOGA WRITTEN BY: Miss Deniz Üstüner, King's College London, MBBS Stage 3 Year 4

16 Obstacle Race Magazine

FEATURE : WHY NOT TRY HOT YOGA

Though the spring climes have finally hit the British Shores, a chilly breeze still blows in every so often and all we want to do is burrow down and hibernate. What better place to do this than a hot yoga studio, sweating out the stress of the day and enjoying a full body stretch. An initial debate I had when first trying this would it be too hot? I'm one of those people who can't bear just chilling on a beach in the sun, slathering on the cream and would much rather be sailing, getting wet or hiding in the shade. Or why would I be in a hot country in the first place when snow topped mountains call me so much more? Anyway with some trepidation I headed to one of the Fierce Grace Studios in London as recommended by a friend. At around £15 for a one off 90 minute session, I hoped the session would at least be worth the equivalent of watching a movie in the cinema. I was pleasantly surprised. On entering a slight whiff of heat greets you. The

staff ensure you have an adequate litre of water, a towel After a few weeks of doing it I felt my body has and yoga mat. Hire is available at any studios around embraced a new level of stretching. However though the country. the stretch was worth it, I could feel there was a risk The heat hits you like a wave when you enter the with being able to push yourself further in the heat. room coupled with dim glow of the light, mirrors and The heat acts a kind of lubricant making joints more sea of skin and bodies is quite surreal. The session, supple and less easy to establish the normal 'limits' there are quite a few different types to choose from, of your joints. Poses you were not able to do normally is intense but not unbearable. The may magically become sweat is not the smelly kind which easier. It is important to not THE HEAT ACTS A KIND usually occurs with exercise but a push yourself too far in one OF LUBRICANT MAKING clean sweat which drips into your session. Build up strength eyebrows and eyes and onto the in a stepwise fashion rather JOINTS MORE SUPPLE mat. It's important to keep regularly than taking 2 steps at a time AND LESS EASY TO hydrated and if necessary take any and don't jump into taking 3 ESTABLISH THE NORMAL breaks. The pace of the class is fast classes in one week after just 'LIMITS' OF YOUR JOINTS. starting. Always a temptation but smooth as you transition across the various poses, pushing you to the if you only have a 30 day trial edge but not quite tipping you over. There are showers to get the most bang for your buck. available for after the class. It feels almost sacrilegious For an activity I thought was a crazy variant Yoga to walk out into the bustling traffic and pollution of the I was pleasantly surprised by the intensity and relax city as your pores feel clean and your soul re-energised that hot yoga could provide at the end of a long day. for the rest of the day. Though we do not have the luxury of saunas that are Needless to say I was hooked and signed up for the mainstay in Sweden, hot yoga is the next best their introductory monthly offer. relaxation activity for the busy OCR bumblebee.

Obstacle Race Magazine 17

FEATURE : MAKE YOUR UPPER BODY REALLY PACK A PUNCH

MAKE YOUR

UPPER BODY REALLY PACK A PUNCH WRITTEN BY: Gemma Spackman Head Coach at Fundamental Sports and Fitness www.fundamentalsportsandfitness.co.uk

When you train for OCRs you need to make sure you put a good upper body routine into your training programmes.

I like training split routines and I recommend this a lot to my clients, this means they can concentrate on a set area of the body and allows the area they have trained to recover. This is even more important if you want to get running into your training as well. A good tip for any upper body work is to make sure you're engaging and working the right muscles when

CHEST PRESS

you start the exercise movement. Otherwise you'll find your arms and grip start to give way much sooner than you’d expect. You’ll find it’s because these are much smaller muscle groups compared to those on your chest and back which can do all the hard work for you. When you work your chest for example in a chest press or a chest flye, think about squeezing your pecs together as you push the weights to the top of the action. When you work your back you want to engage your traps and lats. A good way of thinking about this is trying to pinch and hold a pen between your shoulder blades. This upper body training session incorporates your

Reps 10 - 12

Sets 3

Rest 0

Lay down on the bench with your legs raised to make sure your back stays flat/pushed down onto the bench. Use a barbell on dumbbell for the exercise and start with your arms straight and the weights above your chest. As you lower the weights down, take your arms out to 90 degrees, to push the weights back up, exhale and squeeze your pecs to return to the start position.

NARROW GRIP PRESS UP

Reps 10 - 12

Sets 3

Rest 60 secs

Get into your regular press up position, keeping your shoulders, hips and feet in a straight line. Place your hands close together under your chest and keep your head in front of your shoulders. Slowly lower down and press back up. This variation is harder than regular press ups as the focus is placed on your arms and you are working your triceps a lot more.

chest and triceps, back and biceps and your shoulders. You'll work each muscle group as a superset to really give your muscles a run for their money. Working your muscles as a superset means you don't have any rest between the two exercises. You’ll go straight from one to the other and only rest once you have performed the pair of exercises. This programme works the same muscles, and to make it even more challenging you are performing the actions for the biggest muscle groups first so you really have to work hard on the second exercise. It’s great for muscle growth and development.

BENT OVER ROW

Reps 10 - 12

Sets 3

Rest 0

Stand with your legs shoulder width apart and bend from your hips, your back will stay flat. You can perform this with either a barbell or dumbbells. Hold the weights in front of you and relax your arms. Your first action is to engage your traps and lats and squeeze your shoulder blades together as you bend your elbows and raise the weights to your waist. Slowly release your back and arms to the start position.

PULL UPS OR DECLINE ROW

Reps 10 - 12

Sets 3

Rest 60 secs

Pull Ups - Hold the bar palms facing away from you. Your first action needs to be engaging your back and tightening your traps and lats as you raise yourself up. Get your chin level with the bar and slowly lower yourself down. Decline Row - This can either be done on the TRX, with your feet against the wall and the straps lengthened to give you the greatest possible angle. You will pull yourself up by switching on your back and pulling yourself up so the handles come to your waist. Or with a low barbell on a squat rack to give the same angle position, grip the bar palms facing away from you, engage your back muscles and pull up so the bar is touching your chest and slowly lower back down. For all the actions make sure you keep your core engaged at all times.

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Obstacle Race Magazine 19

FEATURE : MAKE YOUR UPPER BODY REALLY PACK A PUNCH

PUSH PRESS

Reps 10 - 12

Sets 3

Rest 0

Using a barbell, you want to be standing feet shoulder width apart and your start position is to be holding the bar to your chest. Have a slight bend in your knees and at the same time as you push your knees up push the bar straight above your head. Keep your back straight at all times, it is a good idea to engage your core and glutes throughout this action. As you lower the bar back to your chest, have a slight bend in your knees. This is a powerful and explosive action. You can go slightly heavier with this than a regular shoulder press because you are using your knees.

FRONTAL AND LATERAL RAISE

Reps 10 - 12

Sets 3

Rest 60 secs

Standing feet shoulder width apart, hold the dumbbells so your palms are facing you. Have the weights touching the front of your thighs. Keep your core engaged, and back straight, the first part of the action is to slowly raise your arms up in front of you level with your shoulders, the second part is to then keep your palms facing down and take your arms out to the side, squeeze your traps and upper back as you do this. To return the weights back to the start position, bring your arms back to the middle and then lower them to your legs.

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REVIEW : THE WOLF RUN

THE WOLF RUN – SPRING

WOLF RUNS IS WHERE BOTH OUR OCR JOURNEYS BEGAN AND THE EVENT IS ONE OF OUR FAVOURITES, SO TO WIN A PLACE AT THIS EVENT WAS LIKE FATE. CALL US CRAZY BUT IT’S A LITTLE LIKE DATE TIME FOR US.

Reviewers: Grant & Anna Pearson | Photography by: Peachy Snaps

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Obstacle Race Magazine 23

REVIEW : THE WOLF RUN

The Welsh Farm location is reasonably easy to get to and has local signs displaying the event the closer you get to it, this is perfect for those of you who are blurry eyed in a morning. Marshals are there stood ready to guide us in. The parking is £5 per vehicle which we really didn’t mind as this includes a £5 discount voucher for you to spend in the Wolf Run shop. After a short walk into the event village and we were met by more marshals armed with photo boards offering to take pictures to help begin to build those memories. Moving further into the village and there is an abundance of food and drinks vans selling a wide range, from noodle boxes through to the favourite post-race burgers. Prices of the food wasn’t bad either. It was hard to miss the bouncing castle already full of littles watched over by grandparents while their parents were off getting ready to have their own play time in the mud. The free face painting stall would have also helped to provide the little ones with some further entertainment. I was eyeing up an ice cream van myself as it already felt as if I was going to be a hot day. Walking towards registration and you cant help but notice the large screen by the finish line that displays the runners on the course, giving a live view of the course for all the supporting family members and friends. For later waves this would also provide an exciting insight to the runners of what’s to come. Walking into the registration tent and you’re greeted by lots of smiling marshals asking if you need help. Dotted around registration was a nice bonus of large boxes of Cliff Bars for you to get those last minute calories from. The layout of the event village provides some fantastic spectating areas of both the start and finish lines. With our wave start time still an hour away we carried on looking around the even village. The toilets were plentiful and to be fair very clean even after the previous days racing. Wolf Runs have always provided more than an adequate number of toilets. It seems like

REVIEW : THE WOLF RUN

a strange thing to focus on but i think a lot of other RD’s area and then it’s into the water for the first time. This should really put more thought into. Other facilities is a wade of approx. 100 meters in distance and waist for runners included changing tents, a bag/key drop, a deep water. This was COLD. Straight from the wade, medical tent and even a hot box to provide runners with and there’s a nice run to get the blood pumping again. an area to go to should they succumb to hypothermia. Back into the woodland to the next obstacle, a crawl It was time to head back to the car to get changed, through a frame covered in brambles and sticks. This we took advantage of the free key drop and headed to usually has 4-6 inches of thick muddy water but the the start to watch the first wave warm up. dryer weather made the ground less bogged down The entry into the start plaza is strictly controlled which made the stones sharper on the knees, which the warm up team allowing only people with 200 added a new dimension to the obstacle. number differences through per wave. The warm up Next was the muddy trench, this in previous includes a safety briefing and tips to aid fellow runners years has usually been knee deep muddy water with in their time of need. They provide a really good balance a 5ft vertical climb out however the water was much of camaraderie against getting the safety message deeper this time round. With the warm weather this across whilst providing a good warm up for the runners. was welcomed to cool the runners down even if it was After the 10 minute warm up, the runners are moved to just for a short while. Following a track into the woods the start line and after a countdown, they’re off. which then climbs up to a new obstacle. It was a narrow The sea of faces sprint down the first 100 meters, yet long set of tunnels just wider than your shoulders , some smiling, some looking a little more scared, but all doesn’t sound too hard right? The very slippery smooth now in the thick of it whether they liked it or not. surface actually made them a real challenge. It was soon our turn. I no longer get the pre-race The half way point and it was time to hydrate before nerves and to be totally honest I miss it, that helpful clicking our heels and getting back to it. shot of adrenaline was nice in a morning. After the Now feeling refreshed, we soldiered on making warm up it was time to our way through the next field move to the start line, a AT THE TOP WERE TUNNELS and climbing the next hill. At group of everything from the top were tunnels in small IN SMALL WATER TRENCHES water trenches at first glance eager to apprehensive AT FIRST GLANCE THEY GIVE they give the illusion that the faces surrounded us as THE ILLUSION THAT THE the countdown hit one and tunnels themselves are going to we’re off. be tight and restricted but there TUNNELS THEMSELVES ARE The first hundred was plenty of room. Undulating GOING TO BE TIGHT AND meters is a straight dash peaks filled with runners RESTRICTED BUT THERE WAS negotiating tyres with helping each other up the steep PLENTY OF ROOM. a net crawl at the end. embankments. Two very large This works well as an area cargo net ‘A’ frames greeted us, to spread the wave out. A short run and up a small which provided some nice views and reminded us that gradient and the first kilometre is already in the bag. we were running in a beautiful part of the countryside. For me, this is the perfect way to get the legs moving Right, to the swim, now I’ve never been given 2 ready for what’s to come. identical distances of how far this is but the whispers Up and over a log wall, down through into a wooded this time was it’s about 80meters... and deep... and

cold. Whatever the distance I was about to get instant refreshment. I’ve also got to give kudos to The Wolf Run team for the well-marked alternative route for the none swimmers.

Sraight after this an 8ft log wall is there to greet you. The wall has a few gaps in to aid your climb. From previous years with these two obstacles behind you, you get the sense that the end is in sight but rather than elation I felt we were having so much Swim done and there’s just a short run to the fun that we wanted to keep going. Heading towards the obstacle all Wolf Runners talk about; the slide! Now event village, there are a few muddy trenches to get this is an impressive piece of kit if ever there was through and a little flat running. one. It was already great in previous years but to see The next obstacle is the Wolf Wall. As you approach, they’ve improved the slide even more this year and you can see the eyes of the wolf staring back at you as added lanes in. This cuts out the bumper car effect. you get closer. This is a very tall wall with thick ropes Anna has an impressive record of to aid your climb up and having spun round every time she over. This was followed ALL IN ALL I BELIEVE THAT has done this obstacle, but the by a brand new obstacle, WOLF RUN IS ONE OF THE addition of the ridges help to stop a flat sided trailer with MOST PROFESSIONALLY this. Bracing for the impact of the climb holds on. A great ORGANISED EVENTS ON THE little obstacle that has a water at the bottom of the slide provides a cushioned stop. Getting OCR CALENDAR. platform on top. You can off the slide quickly as you are take a moment and take giggling like a pair of children is key to get hit by eager in the event village from a crows nest perspective. The runners behind you. end is literally just a few steps away. Yet another short trot from the slide and we’re at the Through a few more muddy hollows and you’re in nutcracker. This is a series of horizontal logs at different the finish straight. An obstacle that was introduced heights that you have to climb over. The distance last year is all that stands between you and the finish between each is too wide to simply walk across which line. A tall frame with a cargo net on it with two large adds a interesting twist to negotiating it. This obstacle step downs at the rear. This year, however, it had been slows the masses down to a crawl and although the modified to include a run up ramp at the front of the obstacle isn’t very high you do get that shaky leg feeling. obstacle. This is a nice little twist that shows the Wolf

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Run team are ever improving their course. The finish is now literally in front of you. A cargo net scramble and it was time for the old muddy water jump, this is set to the applause of the waiting spectators egging racers on to do ever more spectacular entries into the water. All that’s left was to cross the line. As you walk/limp/hobble off course there’s a finisher photo wall then the goodie bag tent where you receive your sort after Wolf runner shirt. There are showers to get hosed off, its ice cold water but you can clean the bulk of the mud away. The distance of this event was a true 10km. It didn’t occur to me until I finished that I didn’t see the monkey bars, one of my favourite obstacles. All in all I believe that Wolf Run is one of the most professionally organised events on the OCR calendar. It truly is a course for all abilities with obstacles that are more than achievable. The course is full of marshals all cheering you on and offering help if needed. The balance of obstacles and running is just right. There’s also good use of natural terrain which adds more obstacles to break up the running. If I could want more from this event, it would be to have a medal, but the fantastic t-shirt design makes up for this. Wolf Run, you never fail to provide a fun, safe & enjoyable event from the moment you sign up through to the moment you drive from the site wearing the coveted Wolf Run shirt.

Obstacle Race Magazine 25

FEATURE : GOALS VS GETTING THE BASICS RIGHT

WHEN IT COMES TO GETTING HEALTHIER & FITTER FOR OCR, WHAT’S MORE IMPORTANT TO YOU, GETTING THE BASICS RIGHT OR SETTING YOURSELF GOALS? DO YOU LIKE TO SET GOALS AND CRUSH THEM OR DO YOU PREFER NOT TO SET GOALS & WORK ON GETTING THE BASICS RIGHT FIRST?

I put this question out on Facebook the other day which brought in some interesting responses and divided opinions. There’s no right or wrong in this area and both are equally as important as each other. From a coaching perspective I have worked with clients who respond extremely well when we set goals, whilst others don’t seem to get on with the goal setting process and seem to get better results when we simply work on getting the basics right.

So let's explore. See from a 'goal setting’ perspective, setting goals can be extremely useful in identifying exactly where

you are and where you want to get to. Its primarily just a journey so understanding what you want, why you want it, when you want it by and how you’re going to do it can instantly make you more accountable. And once you’ve set a goal it can be the first step towards achieving the success you desire, provided you’ve planned it out correctly & set the goal up in the right way. But if we flip the coin on the above with 'getting the basics right’ first, Sir Dave Brailsford, director of British cycling recently went on record saying that 'if it was possible to make a 1% improvement in a whole host of areas, then the cumulative gains would be

GOAL SETTING

So what's right, Goals or Basics? In this article I’m going to explore the pros and cons of both setting goals and getting the basics right.

GETTING THE BASICS RIGHT

Pros

• • • •

Can be useful to have a clear vision & outcome of what you want to achieve Deadlines create urgency to get stuff done (e.g. more accountability) Quicker results. When results come quicker, this can be more motivation to carry on. Having an emotional reason attached to your goal (e.g. why you want it) can help you accomplish it.

hugely significant.’ According to Brailsford this gradual marginal gains concept was a big factor that helped Team GB claim 8 golds, 2 silvers and 2 bronzes at the last olympics. So using this concept, could we apply this same 1% improvement strategy to our own diet, training & sleep? etc. So basically just improving on the very basics, doing them EXTREMELY well & therefore seeing cumulative gains over time.

No pressure, you can go at your own pace Marginal gains over time, lead to big gains Can help to build strong lasting habits Can build confidence up again (e.g. after an injury or a period of time out)

Cons Cons • • • •

Can cause stress if you’re not on track with your goal (increased risk of dropping out/ stopping). Setting BIG goals simply causes stress with some people, its not for everyone. Deadlines & targets (e.g. too much pressure) don’t work all the time for some people & have the opposite effect

• •

Progress can feel too slow for some people, some people like to work fast. Slow progress can cause feelings of frustration that you’re not working hard enough Trying to apply the slow & steady concept to someone who wants to work fast is counterproductive & doesn’t always work.

IN SUMMARY:

GOAL SETTING VS

GETTING THE BASICS

RIGHT Written by Sam Winkworth

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BOTH are of importance. Improving & getting the basics right first can essentially help build the foundations for you to set your bigger goals on, but ultimately it all depends on where you are with your health, fitness & OCR aspirations, whats important to you at the moment, which causes the least amount of stress and what you feel will serve you the best. Whatever you decide, and it doesn’t matter if you’re a pro or a complete beginner, consistency is the main ingredient we should perhaps be striving for and whether you choose to set yourself goals or are happy with just improving on the basics, then HOW you decide to be consistent it is entirely up to you.

Sam Winkworth is the race director of Dirty Rotten Scramble Races & creator of Unbreakable Fitness Coaching Systems. If you need more help training & preparing for your next obstacle race then email sam@thedirtyrottenscramble.co.uk or call 07817403398 to book a consultation.

Obstacle Race Magazine 27

REVIEW : RELENTLESS SUFFERING

RELENTLESS

SUFFERING Reviewed by: Nicola Callison | Photography by: Tony Jarvis Photography

“99% need not apply” is what is stated on The Suffering’s website when you go to sign up for The Relentless Suffering. Now, I’ll be honest, back in March 2016 I was over-confident that this wouldn’t be that difficult- ‘no less than 19 miles’ in an 8 hour time limit? Surely that’s attainable for someone with relatively good fitness and OCR experience, right? Oh how wrong I was…

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Obstacle Race Magazine 29

REVIEW : RELENTLESS SUFFERING

Bright-eyed and bushy tailed bouncing about on the start line of the March 2016 Rockingham Castle Relentless Suffering course I was determined to finish the race within the time limit. This involves 3 races back to back: Pain & Suffering, The Suffering and The Suffering V which was anticipated would be around 20 miles in total distance. Wrong again; the course clocked up a total of approximately 29 miles and you better believe each mile got more painful than the last! Coming into the transition area after the first distance Pain & Suffering I quickly realised this would be my first DNF in a race but nevertheless I continued on to finish the second distance. Only a handful of those who started The Relentless Suffering actually managed to finish within the time limit- and this included just one woman! Fast forward one year to March 2017 and with more distance, experience and strength on my side it was time to take on The Relentless Suffering one more time. This was a vendetta I’d held for the whole year and I was full of determination this would be my year to finish and make it into The Suffering Hall of Fame.

REVIEW : RELENTLESS SUFFERING

This year, the race directors had made the event was comfortable at any point during the race! village much livelier and there was a great atmosphere Now, anyone who has done The Suffering before on arrival with music playing and plenty of benches will know just how brutal the infamous sandbag for everyone to gather round- it definitely had a more switchbacks are… and those of you who haven’t will organised and social feel than last year. Registration likely have read or heard about them! On the first Pain was relatively quick and & Suffering race (the first painless in comparison to other ...SO YOU CAN EXPECT TO distance run by all Relentless races and there was a bag drop participants) there was BE EXHAUSTED THE WHOLE available near the start line. inevitably a long queue for WAY ROUND. The course is one with the sandbags, which wasn’t ideal toughest terrain even before given that the majority of the flagship Suffering obstacles have been added so Relentless runners were under immense time-pressure you can expect to be exhausted the whole way round. to complete the course in the time limit. The marshals The Rockingham Castle setting is perfect for the quickly remedied this by offering runners to crawl the setting of the UK’s hardest obstacle race and the race dozen or so switchbacks instead of carrying a sandbag directors definitely use it to its full potential. Around 3 in an attempt to ease off the queuing. miles into the first race distance there are multiple hill Throughout the race there were plenty of water switchbacks on gradual inclines which are deceptively stations which also included electrolyte drinks for long and sap you of any energy you had managed to those needing more than the power of H2O. Every save at this point. It seemed that just when you thought marshal and reaper had lots of energy and were you had a steady run for a while up would pop another encouraging every single racer they encountered, obstacle, hill or wade through mud to make sure no one some had even brought along home-baking which (if

you could stomach it) was a great pick-me-up on the course- my personal favourite was a lemon drizzle cake that a marshal was giving out near the end of the course loop in the woods! Another change the team had made to the race this year was the placement of an obstacle heavy section right at the end of the race beside the event village which meant spectators got to see a lot more of the action. In this section were the famous Suffering wallsthese are extremely high and consist of an initial ledge and multiple skull holds to get up the wall- not by any means a simple obstacle. There was also the Suffering rig which was great fun and involved a great deal of skill and strength to complete. The Suffering are realistic in their obstacles and recognise that not everyone will be able to complete these so at each point there was an

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option to take a penalty and move on. expected there to be an empty event village and finish The most difficult part of Relentless is most line by the time we were on our final metres of the race definitely the mental strength of completing the first but the race MC, directors and a lot of spectators were distance and getting yourself back out onto the course still waiting to cheer on even the last runners across knowing you still have two the line- it was a great ending to distances to go. There ... GETTING YOURSELF BACK a rollercoaster day and made the was a tent for Relentless effort all the more worth it. OUT ONTO THE COURSE runners to keep fuel and Overall, Relentless is KNOWING YOU STILL HAVE changes of clothes in but outstanding, unpredictable and TWO DISTANCES TO GO. this year this was a little there is never a moment when you too crowded and felt like feel bored, which is very refreshing it could have been a bigger space. However, if you are on a multi-lapped course. The Relentless Suffering is going to complete this race in the time limit you won’t without a doubt still the UK’s toughest obstacle race be spending more than five minutes in transition so it and completing it should be on every obstacle racer’s was not a major issue for most people. bucket list! As Relentless has an eight hour time limit, I fully

Obstacle Race Magazine 31

REGULARS : HEALTH HACKS

HEAL H HACKS PLANT PROTEIN BLEND by BODY ME Packing a serious plant based protein punch, BodyMe’s range of blends are the perfect solution for anyone wanting to follow in the footsteps of the stars and maximise their athletic potential. BodyMe haven’t just settled for their products ‘being vegan’ however and have ensured the blends tick far more boxes when it comes to both nutrition and the planet. BodyMe’s award winning protein blends use a unique mixture of pea protein, sprouted brown rice protein and hemp seed protein to ensure they’re complete, contain all nine essential amino acids and provide 22g (24g for the Naked one) of high quality protein per serving. With the future of our planet

high on their agenda, the blends are vegan and organic and blended / packed in the UK to reduce their CO2 footprint, with 10% of profits going to charity. The blends are soy free, avoiding the issues surrounding this controversial crop, are made without any additives or preservatives and there’s no gluten or added sugar in sight. Being unsweetened, they’re flexible enough to be added to smoothies, recipes, nut milks, breakfasts or simply blended with water and a banana to create the perfect vegan protein shake - pure, natural, ethical and available in Cacao, Cinnamon, Vanilla or Naked variety.

RRP: £10.99 AVAILABLE FROM: BODYME.CO.UK

PALEO GRANOLA by LUCY ROCKS Lucy Rocks Granolas are for those who want a breakfast cereal that goes the extra mile. That doesn’t sacrifice quality for the sake of being grain and gluten free, doesn’t use exotic ingredients at the cost of sustainability, ensures ‘organic’ is more than just a box ticking exercise and certainly doesn’t compromise on taste. To create this award winning granola its makers, Alara Wholefoods, haven’t relied on the latest whizz bang food technologists, but have instead turned back the clock to learn lessons from our ancestors, most notably ‘Lucy’. Lucy was a strong and powerful woman who lived at a time when all food was organic and people

relied largely on a plant based diet to fuel their active lifestyles. The food she ate was based on what she managed to gather in the wild and was of course unprocessed, with genetically modified foods still thousands of years in the future. This is why, whilst the challenges we face today may be different to Lucy’s, the granolas contain only natural and organic plant based ingredients and superfoods, such as buckwheat, pumpkin and chia seeds, cashew and brazil nuts, coconut chips and nectar and mulberries, to help you power through the day; whether you’ve a busy day in the office ahead, a big gym session planned, or need a kick start to a day with the kids.

RRP: £6.49  AVAILABLE FROM: LUCYROCKSPALEO.COM

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POWER POTS

QUARK YOGHURT

by OTE SUPERFOODS

by NUTRII

There’s no doubt the word ‘superfood’ has been over used, but Of The Earth’s award winning range of Power Pots deserve the title in more ways than one… Porridge pots with a difference, Of The Earth’s Power Pots’ ingredients list reads like the shelf of a health food store, with baobab powder, goji berries, lucuma, beetroot powder, spirulina, matcha, maca, and cacao being just a few of the superfoods making an appearance. The result is a nutritional powerhouse of a porridge pot, which not only offers a healthy start to the day, but, being jammed with high quality protein, healthy fats and fibre, also makes the perfect post gym recovery snack or mid work day pick me up. It’s not just the ingredients list that’s super either, the pots have a taste to match. Using gluten free fine oats as their base means that by simply adding hot or cold water (no milk needed) you create a creamy cereal that’s ready to go. With three different flavours in the range, Power of Green, with green tea, spirulina and barley grass, Power of Red, with strawberry, goji and beetroot, and Power of Brown, with cacao and maca, Of The Earth redefine ‘porridge’ and there’s something to satisfy everyone’s taste buds. The pots, which are certified with the Coeliac Society, are pretty super when it comes to the environment too. Registered organic and coming in recyclable tubs with a bio spoon, which can be thrown on the compost heap when you’re done, the pots are handmade in the UK in a factory powered purely by solar power. Whether you’re looking at their ingredients, taste or eco credentials, it’s pretty hard to argue the Power Pots don’t deserve the super tag!

Have you heard of quark before and if so do you know exactly what it is? If not you could be missing out on one of the healthiest protein packed snacks out there. Comparable in terms of taste and texture to a thick yoghurt, quark is made similarly from milk, but uses a different strain of good bacteria. The result is a tasty dairy product that is creamier and less acidic than Greek yoghurt or Skyr, but richer in high quality protein and lower in fat. Particularly popular in Nordic countries, where quark foods take up most of the space on supermarket dairy shelves, it remains relatively unheard of in the UK. A new brand called nutrii, launched by two London based Nordic adventurers, hope to change this for the better with their exciting new quark snacking pot range. Why include nutrii in your diet? A quick scan through the nutritional information on the back of a nutrii pack makes you soon realise why it’s the perfect snack for anyone living an active and healthy lifestyle. Each tub has less than 150 calories and over 20g of high quality protein. nutrii quark is virtually fat free and has no added sugar. The high quality protein will keep you full for longer and help you repair and recover after a tough workout or a gruelling day. Each tub is also packed with gut friendly probiotics to help you maintain a healthy digestive system. nutrii are just as proud of what’s not in their pots as what is. There’s not an artificial colour, flavour or preservative in sight. The milk used is from nonintensive Dorset farms that uphold strict environmental policies. Perhaps most importantly nutrii tastes great and there’s a flavour to please everyone - Raspberry, Mango & Passionfruit and Plain. The nutrii range (Raspberry, Mango & Passionfruit and Plain) is now available in Sainsburys stores.

RRP: £1.99 AVAILABLE FROM: OTESUPERFOODS.COM

RRP: £1.50  AVAILABLE FROM: EATNUTRII.CO.UK

Obstacle Race Magazine 33

REVIEW : EUROPE’S TOUGHEST MUDDER

EUROPE’S TOUGHEST MUDDER Review By: Craig Heron Photography: By Gameface Media

TOUGH MUDDER IS A NAME THAT WHETHER YOU LIKE IT OR NOT IS SYNONYMOUS WITH OBSTACLE COURSE RACING. IF I HAD A POUND FOR EVERY TIME I'VE HEARD 'OH, IS THAT LIKE TOUGH MUDDER?' I'D BE RICHER THAN MY WILDEST DREAMS... OK MAYBE THAT'S GOING A BIT FAR, BUT YOU GET THE IDEA.

Regardless of what we all think about Tough Mudder as a brand, race or how they operate, one thing goes without saying - they have their marketing spot on, and they create bloody good events. So good in fact, that for the whole of 2015 and 2016 I personally did as many of their events as I could. Following getting hooked back in 2014 after meeting some of the Tough Mudder regulars who had bought a season pass themselves, I quickly signed up for the same punishment for the two seasons that followed and ended up securing one of their coveted 25x headbands. With other plans for 2017, I decided against another seasons pass for the year, but following a few big announcements out of TMHQ about their plans ahead, there was one race that I knew I had to be part of. This event was called 'Toughest Mudder'. I'd always toyed with the idea of heading to Las Vegas for their 24 hour event dubbed 'Worlds Toughest Mudder', but with cost being a huge factor in whether I could make the trip, I always decide against it. So when

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details came to light of an 8 hour endurance event coming to Europe, specifically in the UK, I signed up more or less straight away. The premise was simple - 8 hours of running a unique, tailored 5 mile course, littered with 20 of their biggest and best obstacles, starting at midnight and finishing at 8am. Prize money was up for grabs for the top 3 men and women who covered the most ground in the 8 hour period, along with a bonus prize for anyone who covered 50 miles in total. This gave the event a competitive edge and although a lot of people were there to run for fun and to simply see what they could achieve, others had goals in mind, game plans and strategies to attempt to challenge those top spots. I sat somewhere in between the two, leaning slightly towards the more competitive side of the scales, but fully aware that a podium finish or any chance of prize money was totally out of reach. One day perhaps. I'd be running the whole event with Joe Giddens - he was very much of the same mindset as

me, our running pace was similar and we had similar goals for the event so after having a chat on the lead up to the event, we agreed to watch each others backs, go out as a team and stick together for the duration - a decision I am glad I made. The preparation for the event wasn't ideal. I'd pushed hard at Rat Race Dirty Weekend the weekend before and with a top 20 finish under my belt and a very sore foot from the very uneven and solid ground, I wondered whether I'd even make it to the start line of Toughest Mudder at points leading up to it. Some friends from Sweden had flown over for the event too, and would be staying with me for the weekend. In our infinite wisdom, we decided to stay up for as long as we could on Friday night to attempt to shift our body clocks to be more awake in the early hours of the morning - sleep deprivation and exhaustion would surely set in otherwise. This failed miserably and I was asleep on the sofa by 3am on Saturday, and had a useless 5 hours of sleep with my body clock waking me

up early as usual. Luckily I managed to sneak in another 5 hours just after lunch and waking up at 7pm feeling fresh(ish), we headed to Belvoir Castle in the Midlands, just as the sun was setting. We registered quickly, and were under strict instructions to be in the starting zone for 11.15pm, 45 minutes before the race started for a lengthy briefing. After several kit choice decisions, myself and Joe finally settled on what we'd be racing in - others around us opted to wear anything from full wet-suits, to a few who just wore their Toughest bib and little else - I'm sure they are probably still lying at the bottom of Arctic Enema right now - needless to say there were quite a few dropouts after the first lap or two, due to poor kit choices. We opted for the Sub Sports 'Cold' base layers (top and bottom) along with a neoprene hat to keep in as much heat as possible. I also had a neoprene vest and gloves to put on after the first couple of quicker laps, which I was glad I took, as they were a lifesaver. Before we knew it and after the usual Tough Mudder pledge and warm up banter, the clock ticked over to midnight and we were off. The first hour was dubbed as 'obstacle free'. This meant that the larger obstacles were closed in favour of spreading the field of runners out enough to not cause queues - it worked a treat and myself and Joe stormed the first 5 mile lap in 38 minutes (only 2 minutes behind Jon Albon himself... which is actually the only point you could liken our

performances!). We still had 6 obstacles to complete, in not enjoyable at any point of the night / morning. Funky the way of Pitfall (a water crossing with holes dug out), Monkey (monkey bars with a twist) remained closed at Quagmire (no holes but deeper water and you had to this point, but the Hero Walls (10ft vertical walls) were climb in and out over a large bank of mud), Kiss Of Mud open, along with Pyramid Scheme (a rope-aided sloping (barbed wire crawl with muddy water pits in the middle), wall). The final obstacles Operation and Kong remained Bale Bonds (high hay bales stacked up), Creek Crusade shut and we completed our second lap. (multiple river crossings) and Mud Mile (multiple We made the correct decision to put on an extra quagmires back to back). layer, so the neoprene vest and gloves went on before We raced straight back out for lap 2 in the mindset we ventured out for lap 3 as the cold was starting to that we had 20 minutes to get past the plethora of set in and the last thing we wanted was to slow down, water based obstacles in the first 2 miles before they cramp up and lose what little body heat we had left. opened after the first hour. We didn't quite make it and At the start of the event we were promised that upon approaching mile 2, Augustus Gloop (a vertical obstacles would open and close throughout the night tube crawl whilst being showered with cold water) to keep us guessing. In reality what this translated to opened and we knew we were about to get wet and was 'once the water obstacles are open they will be cold. What followed this was Arctic Enema (ice filled open forever and we'll open all the hard stuff when dumpsters you have to you're really knackered'. Perfect... WE MADE THE CORRECT slide into), which at 1am is Lap 3 saw the introduction of King definitely not a place you of the Swingers (swinging out to DECISION TO PUT ON AN want to be for very long. grab a rope, then traversing down), EXTRA LAYER, SO THE Then it was Creek Crusade Everest (grappling up a very slippery NEOPRENE VEST AND followed by a long open plastic quarter pipe with a rope) GLOVES WENT ON BEFORE and the obstacles at the end of the run and we both started WE VENTURED OUT... feeling the cold. Most of the 5 mile loop - Operation (think real obstacles were open now, life board game - ouch) and Kong so we battled through Devils Beard (cargo net crawl), (hang tough over a large drop to a big inflatable). Luckily the Liberator (an incline peg board wall) and Birth Canal we managed to steer clear of penalties for failing the (a crawl under water filled plastic sheeting) which was obstacles, which saved precious energy in our legs and

Obstacle Race Magazine 35

REVIEW : EUROPEâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S TOUGHEST MUDDER

made us feel pretty good about ourselves - every little helps when it's almost 4am and you are pretty tired. Finishing our 3rd lap it was clear a lot of people had thrown the towel in. People were getting changed in the transition area and some were event asleep on tables - you had to be in the event village at 8am to get your headband and be considered someone who finished. But we were only half way through our ordeal, and with over another 4 hours to go we had to get out again for lap 4... Lap 4 saw the usual obstacles open, only this time everything was even more wet and slippery than you could imagine thanks to the heavens deciding to open and it rained constantly for the last 4 hours of the race - the elements certainly tried to dampen our spirits but it had little impact on us as we were already soaked through. We pushed on, taking the penalty loop on Everest each time because it had become dangerously slippery and very energy consuming even attempting it. A wise choice. Funky Monkey was open now, a personal favourite and I took great pleasure in completing their 'Revolution' time and time again, despite the rain and slippery bars. Finishing our fourth lap we refueled properly and took a minute to will ourselves to go out again. With 20 miles under our belt we were stating to tire, not thanks to the awful conditions and energy sapping obstacles. Adding insult to injury I had a serious case of chafing which actually brought me close to quitting right there - it was that painful. For those of you who know me, I don't give up easily, and so I dragged myself out again for lap 5 as we weren't there to sit around when there were miles to be run and obstacles to smash! Lap 5 was a bit of a blur. Not only were all the obstacles open, but it was our 4th time through all the water based obstacles and it was really starting to get to us. The first 2 miles were cold and wet, the rain was

relentless and at this point, 5.2 mile course meant we ahead to signal his girlfriend Sara to get me some food had covered over 21 miles in total (with a few penalty ready because he thought I might die. OK that's a bit loops), which turned into over 26.2 after lap 5 - more dramatic, but I definitely hit the wall. Hard. Luckily the than a marathon, with obstacles, in just over 6 hours. finish line was a stones throw away... The only silver lining was that the sun had now come We had done it! 6 laps and 30 miles (32.6 miles by up which gave us a little push as we knew the finish line Strava) and although quite a few people managed 6 laps was in sight. By this time, it hurt to run, walk or even by 8am, we'd done it with quite a bit of time to spare - I stand still and at this point, after crossing the line for think it took us around 7.5 hours and you had and extra the 5th time, there was only one thing we could do. Go 30 minutes (8.5 hours total) to finish your last lap. Due out one last time. to us finishing our last lap so soon, we earned ourselves We had calculated what time we had left - 2 hours. a joint 23rd place finish out of around 900 people who Unfortunately this meant we didn't have time for a started. Quite an achievement, and one I'm sure we will 7th lap, so the pressure was off and we knew when we both be proud of for a while to come... at least until next went out again it would be for the last time. We had a year anyway! quick feed, and Joe had agreed to take some footage In summary. Europe's Toughest Mudder was of some of the obstacles for work, so we brutal. So many people went out for lap 6 armed with a 360 degree we spoke to said it was THE ONLY SILVER LINING harder than World's camera which we strategically placed in WAS THAT THE SUN HAD Toughest Mudder - the and around some of the obstacles, which lightened the mood and allowed us to use conditions, coupled with NOW COME UP WHICH what little energy we had left on trying to GAVE US A LITTLE PUSH the awkward 8 hour time look as energetic as possible... needless makes it more of AS WE KNEW THE FINISH limit to say the grey skies matched our level a race than a matter of LINE WAS IN SIGHT. of enthusiasm in the footage! Each time surviving for 24 hours. we passed an obstacle, albeit slowly, we The cold and water knew it was the last time we would be there - much obstacle placement broke a lot of people early on and to our satisfaction on things like Birth Canal which by that's before you take into account sleep deprivation. that point were a real struggle! We hobbled our way Either way, we both thoroughly enjoyed it and I have past each mile marker, keeping our spirits high and no doubt we will be back again next year to better our laughing our way around the course. Finally, we got to achievement. Special thanks to Sara Pearce for looking Mud Mile and beyond that, was a short run back to the after us when we were cold and hungry, and of course, event village and the last set of obstacles. Then, it hit thanks to Joe for making things out there a little less dull! me. Exhaustion. That utterly empty feeling when you There weren't many teams that were running the whole have nothing left. I actually struggled to see straight thing together, and after all, that's what the ethos of in the last 0.5 miles of the course, and I didn't even Tough Mudder is all about - teamwork and camaraderie attempt to climb up to Kong for fear of falling flat on my so I'm glad we held it together until the end. face - straight around the penalty loop and Joe jogged

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REGULARS : INDUSTRY NEWS

THE

REGULARS : INDUSTRY NEWS

NEWS Y R T S U D IN

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

BOARD CHOSEN • PHILIP MAHER from OCR Association Ireland (Irish) - President • MAURO LEONI from Federazione Italiana OCR (Italian) - Vice President • HELEN VAN DER CORPUT from OCRA Benelux (Netherlands) (Dutch) - Secretary • ADAM BARTOSIEWICZ from OCR Polska (Polish) - Treasurer • CLAUDI FOGUES from OCRA España (Spanish) - Head of Technical committee • JOHANN JAUNEAU from OCR France

(French) - Head of Safety committee. The first committees have been established & are commencing work. The primary committee is the 'Technical committee'. They will work to develop rules & definitions for the sport for example to help develop marshal programs & investigate different event formats. The 'Safety committee' will work to ensure that events are following best practice in obstacle construction, sufficient medical personnel at races, assisting in training of marshals & investigating incidents that occur for cause & solutions. The 'Competition committee' is being set up to handle the European Championships, qualification events & criteria, regionals competitions & work with technical & safety

TOUGH MUDDER BOOK BY WILL DEAN

38 Obstacle Race Magazine

Do you want to prove you’re the best in Obstacle Racing ? Well Nuclear are giving you the chance to prove your skill, strength & Speed in their new Challenge Cup competitive wave. The wave will

EXECUTIVE

The Executive Board vote has been held for the EOSF to form positions within the board & in forming the first committees, the intention of these committees is to start working with athletes & events to improve the sport. The positions decided were;

CHALLENGE CUP RACES

Will Deans founder and CEO has written a book all about his journey until now. In 2008, former UK counter terrorism officer and marathoner Will Dean, was determined not to follow his fellow Harvard Business School classmates to either Wall Street or Silicon Valley. Having just finished another long training run tired of monotony of going it alone mile after mile, he came up with the idea for Tough Mudder – trudging through fields of mud, overcoming obstacles filled with ice water, electricity and stacks of burning hay. His professors told him the business would be an epic fail, and everyone thought he was crazy. Dean proved everyone wrong in a huge way. Tough Mudder spawned a fitness revolution that is an international

be fully adjudicated, have prize money and will also have separate Male and Female waves. The prize money up for grabs is £1000 for the Male Elite and £1001 for the Female Elite winners. But that’s not all as the trophies are described as the ‘mother of all trophies’. The route will be set over their 12km course which will also host their

Fall out event too.

DATE: 11th November 2017

MORE INFORMATION AT:

NUCLEA R-RACE S.CO.UK /NUCLE ARCHALLENGE-CUP/

SPRINT AND

FREESTYLE committees to implement policy. These are a small selection of the duties outlined in the EOSF press release. There will be more responsibilities as the role grows further. EOSF have also been in contact with a number of additional national federations with approximately 5 which are said to be signing up to the EOSF at next general assembly in June. A quote from Philip Maher the president of EOSP was ’This is a good sign that people are looking to work together & create a greater sense of unity especially with the perceived view of some that the sport is fractured & show that we are trying to all work

FIG APPROVES

INCLUSION OF OBSTACLE COURSE

COMPETITIONS AS NEW DISCIPLINE

At a meeting in Baku (AZE), the FIG's decision-making bodies gave their in-principle approval for the inclusion of a new FIG discipline based on obstacle course competitions. Following its February decision regarding the development of a discipline along these lines, the FIG's Executive Committee and Council - the annual legislative assembly of 44 delegates from five continents - approved the key stages for the discipline's formal inclusion, with a view to organising World Cup series in 2018 and 2019 and World Championships from 2020.

with each other.’ MORE INFORMATION AT:

ocreuropeanchampionships.org/eosf

business success and put the OCR industry on the map. This book shows how this “epic fail” is now leading a global tribe of millions highly engaged and addicted participants who are united by a commitment to promoting courage, personal accomplishment and teamwork through life-changing experiences. It’s an amazing true story of team spirit, creativity, smart entrepreneurship, deeply held values, and a whole lot of mud.

Out September 2017 RRP: £14.99 HARDBACK AVAILABLE FROM:

TOUGHMUDDER.CO.UK/BOOK

The FIG expects to include two formats of competitive obstacle course events in the new discipline: • "OBSTACLE COURSE SPRINT" is an against-the-clock format. • "OBSTACLE COURSE FREESTYLE" is based on performances that will be judged. The courses for these competitions, while mainly artificial, are based on real-world shapes found in urban and natural environments. The first event under the FIG's auspices will take place on 28 May 2017 during the FISE in Montpellier (FRA). Serving as a model for a proposed urban cluster at the Tokyo Olympics and future Games, the 2017 FISE festival includes several other competitions, notably BMX freestyle, boulder climbing and roller skating under the patronage of the Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI), the International

Federation of Sport Climbing (IFSC) and the Fédération Internationale de Roller Sports (FIRS), respectively. Representatives from the International Olympic Committee (IOC) will be present to observe the new trends in view of the Tokyo Olympic Games. For the organisation of these planned competitions and initiations, the FIG has partnered with the Mouvement International du Parkour, Freerunning et l'Art du déplacement via its President Charles Perrière (FRA), as well as with the APEX School of Movement (USA) and JUMP Freerun (NED). The next FIG Executive Committee in Vestfold (NOR) at the end of July will decide on the organisation of a series of World Cups in 2018 and 2019, together with the principle of holding World Championships in even years from 2018, although more likely from 2020.

The FIG also intends to collaborate with the Mouvement in order to encourage the development of non-competitive practices, bringing its support to the humanitary actions led by Peace and Sport and the IOC in refugee camps and in Olympic centes in Haiti and Zambia. The inclusion of a new FIG discipline will also require modifications to the FIG's technical regulations, which should be submitted to the next Council meeting in 2018, together with changes to the FIG statutes, which should be put to a vote at the FIG Congress in Baku later the same year. The new discipline, which has not been officially named, is the FIG's eighth, alongside Gymnastics for All, Men's and Women's Artistic Gymnastics, Rhythmic, Trampoline, Acrobatic and Aerobic.

Obstacle Race Magazine 39

KIT TESTING : SHOES

KIT TESTING : SHOES 2017

SHOES THAT SHOULD BE ON YOUR RADAR

SALOMON SPEEDCROSS 4 INOV-8 www.salomon.com/uk X-TALON 212

£99.99 £95

SALMING ELEMENTS

BEST FOR: Slim foot that doesn’t require extra support.

BEST FOR: Mid width foot that doesn’t require additional support. A roomy toe box.

Note that the Precision fit is a very close to the foot fitment.

STAND OUT FEATURE: A fantastic shoe if you

STAND OUT FEATURE: A very nice compound of

have a middle of the road foot shape. Like racing in your favorite pair of slippers for comfort.

TECH SPEC DROP: 6mm

GRIP: 8mm

Getting your first pair of dedicated OCR shoes can have as many obstacles to negotiate as the actual course you’re going to be using them on. So many questions need to be answered as every shoe model and every foot is different to another. Some are better for the slimmer foot that needs maximum support and others are better for a wider foot that needs a more stripped minimalist style of shoe. I’ve gathered together all the shoes that I feel should be on your list of options when thinking about your next pair of shoes, there’s also something to meet every budget. Each pair will have a guide to let you know if it’s a style that will suit your needs, whether you have a foot like Shrek or twinkle toes like Tinkerbell.

40 Obstacle Race Magazine

rubber that feels robust enough to be raced and trained in.

TECH SPEC

WEIGHT: 212 grams

SALOMON SPEEDCROSS 4 MORE MILES www.salomon.com/uk CHEVIOT 3

£99.99 £35

DROP: 4mm

INOV-8 X TALON 200

£85

BEST FOR: Great starter shoe for someone not looking

BEST FOR: Wider mid foot, very roomy toe box, medium

STAND OUT FEATURE: A fantastic shoe

STAND OUT FEATURE: Designed with OCR at the

to do events week in week out. A mid width foot.

especially for the price. Grip that puts shoes four times its price to shame.

TECH SPEC DROP: 9mm

GRIP: 8mm

WEIGHT: 310 grams

£129.99

cushioning level.

heart of the design. Everything you need from a racing shoe with the added bonus of the low to the ground stable feeling.

TECH SPEC DROP: 3mm

GRIP: 8mm

WEIGHT: 200 grams

GRIP: 7mm

WEIGHT: 288 grams

INOV-8 X CLAW 275

£115

BEST FOR: Wider mid foot, roomy toe box, ample cushioning. Excellent choice for a first OCR shoe.

STAND OUT FEATURE: An amazing shoe for

people just starting out or who need a little more cushioning for bigger distances. All the best bits of the Xtalon and the Mudclaw rolled into one.

TECH SPEC DROP: 8mm

GRIP: 8mm

WEIGHT: 275 grams

Obstacle Race Magazine 41

KIT TESTING : SHOES

SALOMON SPEEDCROSS 4 ADIDAS www.salomon.com/uk TERREX X-KING

KIT TESTING : SHOES 2017

SAUCONY PEREGRINE 7

£99.99 £109

£105

BEST FOR: Mid width foot, need arch support, don’t need a wide toe box.

STAND OUT FEATURE: They feel as though they’d be bomb proof.

TECH SPEC DROP: 10mm

GRIP: 6mm

WEIGHT: 300 grams

SCOTT SUPERTRAC

£112

BEST FOR: Wide toe box, wide midfoot , medium support levels.

STAND OUT FEATURE: A stripped back feel but with the benefits of support and cushioning.

TECH SPEC DROP: 5mm

SALOMON SPEEDCROSS 4 SCOTT www.salomon.com/uk KINABALU RC

£99.99 £115

SALOMON SPEEDCROSS 4

£100

GRIP: 6mm

WEIGHT: 250 grams

VJ SPORT IROCK 2

£110 BEST FOR: Wider width foot that requires a little

BEST FOR: Roomy toe box , cushioning , mid width

BEST FOR: Needs arch support, ankle support, mid

BEST FOR: A slim mid foot, need arch support, medium

STAND OUT FEATURE: A nice stripped back feel

STAND OUT FEATURE: Great all rounder shoe.

STAND OUT FEATURE: The choice of the OCR

mid foot.

but with a medium level of support. A great training shoe option too.

width mid foot, mid width toe box, bigger drop.

Especially if you’re looking for support and a shoe you can race and train in.

toe box.

World Champion Jonathan Albon. There’s not a lot more you need to add with a statement like that.

additional support at the arch. A roomy toe box and shoe overall. Great for summer races and for people who prefer the robust traditional trainer feel over a stripped back race shoe. Solid heel cup for those who prefer that support.

STAND OUT FEATURE: Lighter than most trainers of the same build quality on the market.

MERRELL AVALAUNCH TOUGH MUDDER

£110

BEST FOR: Overall foot support, mid width toe box. STAND OUT FEATURE: Excellent fit ankle gaiter, well thought out design that feel incredibly robust.

TECH SPEC DROP: 5mm

GRIP: 4mm

42 Obstacle Race Magazine

WEIGHT: 270 grams

TECH SPEC DROP: 10mm

GRIP: 7mm

WEIGHT: 310 grams

TECH SPEC DROP: 8mm

GRIP: 8mm

WEIGHT: 275 grams

TECH SPEC DROP: 4mm

GRIP: 5mm

WEIGHT: 266 grams

TECH SPEC

DROP: 12.5mm GRIP: 6mm WEIGHT: 255 grams

Obstacle Race Magazine 43

RECIPES

LET’S GET

COOKING I love food I do, All the food all of the time ! Seriously it’s what drives me. Being the proud owner of 2 OCR lads (My Deadley Edleys) I like to find meals that fill us up and fit into our hectic schedule, but also keep us strong and fit and most of all well. Snacking can be a nightmare and a minefield …you’re either snacking because you are really hungry or out of pure boredom / habit. In either situation you are likely to shovel anything in just to satisfy the old cravings. So, every Sunday I set aside just a little bit of time to do a bit of ‘snack baking’ so we can make better snacking choices though the week! This usually includes flapjack and ALWAYS includes a quick bread.

BANOFFEE PROTEIN POWER AWESOME BREAD I find this one is a bit of a pick me up when training is at its peak. It just tops up the protein, while being lower on refined sugars and saturated fats. Try it with peanut butter ... Yes! PB with everything! Ingredients • 140g self-rising flour • 50g plain flour • 50g banoffee protein powder (you could play with flavour here though) • 1tsp bicarbonate of soda • 1tsp baking powder • 1/2 tsp salt • Cinnamon (I do about 1tsp ish but to your own taste) • 150ml fat free Greek yoghurt (could use apple sauce) • 3 bananas (mash 2.5 for the recipe and save half to be sliced on top of the batter just before going into the oven) • 3tbsp honey or maple syrup or agave (I like honey) • 2 medium eggs and 1 egg white (well beaten) • Vanilla extract

CINNAMON RAISIN BREAD This one always feels a bit grown up. I bake it for folk at work sometimes and it’s usually gone within the hour. Cinnamon is known to regulate blood sugar levels, avoiding spikes and afternoon lulls, and also to ramp up the metabolism, so it’s a win, win. There probably isn’t enough in here to change your world but every bit helps. INGREDIENTS • 115g butter, melted, plus more for greasing • 180g Whole Wheat Self Raising Flour or White is fine if you don’t have it, or even a mix? • Cinnamon (I do about 2tsp ish but to your own taste) • 1 tsp Bicarbonate of Soda • 1/4 tsp Baking Powder • 1/2 tsp Salt • 2 eggs (well beaten) • 200ml fat free Greek yoghurt (could use apple sauce) • 100g maple syrup • 115g raisins METHOD Mix all the wet ingredients Mix all the dry ingredients

QUICK BREADS

Method Mix all the wet ingredients

Fold in the raisins

Mix all the dry ingredients

Add the dry to wet and mix as little as possible until just combined

Quick breads are super quick to throw together (clue is in the title really) and easy to grab a couple of slices and go. They can be anything you want them to be. Once you have a basic recipe down, you can tweak and change as much as you like to your tastes and more importantly your needs. I quite often pick which bread I will make based on what training we have planned that week, or what event is coming up the following weekend. You can easily up the protein with protein powders or nut butters, go low carb with coconut flour (be wary of that stuff though, you need a lot less flour and lot more liquid!), you can also add nuts, fruit, chocolate, spice, whatever you want. A little tip for a good quick bread ... ALWAYS add dry to wet and do not over mix the flour or you end up with a brick (which you can take to Spartan and carry around for a few hours while reciting codes) A lot of recipes that try to omit butter use unsweetened apple sauce, but I find it too wet and the bread flops. I tend to use fat free greek yoghurt which is strained so is less sloppy. Of course you can on either of these recipes switch back (does anyone else shudder when they hear the phrase switch back) to apple sauce though. First a twist on a classic...

Add the dry to the wet and mix it as little as possible until just combined

Pour into a lined loaf pan

Pour into a lined pan and slice the left over banana on top

Sometimes I sprinkle a little extra cinnamon on top and gently swirl in with a knife

Cook at 160c for about an hour

Cook at 160c for about 50 minutes

Nutrition per bar:

Calories:

164

Calories:

231

Carbs:

29 g

Carbs:

30 g

Protein:

10 g

Protein:

Fat:

11 g

Nutritional info per slice based on 10 slices but I can sometimes get 11 or 12 depending how thick or thin the slices. *calculated to the best of my limited ability using My Fitness Pal

Makes

10 SLICES

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Obstacle Race Magazine 45

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Obstacle Race Magazine 47

ADVENTURE

THE ROAD TO MDS

ULTRAS AND BEYOND

For some time, I had been considering raising money for Motor Neurone Disease, a horrible debilitating illness that took my Mum's life but I hadn't found anything that I felt was big enough, challenging enough and then I saw a post on FB in late 2015. One of the OCR gang was preparing to run the Marathon Des Sables and asked if anyone else was interested. I had heard of the race and read the description with trepidation... "In just six days you will run over 250km (156 miles) through endless dunes, over rocky jebels, and across white-hot salt plains. The sun will be your constant enemy with temperatures regularly reaching 50 centigrade. The sand will be your constant companion, clouds of it under your feet, sheets of it stinging your eyes and lots of it chafing where it shouldnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t. The long stage has become a legend in itself. You will run out of a Saharan morning, into the dusk and then the dark, many not finishing the 80+km (52 miles) till well into the next

day. Your feet will swell, crack and bleed under the pressure and the heat. But none of this will matter when you cross the finishing line â&#x20AC;&#x201C; a hero." Jeez! This was certainly big enough! But was it too big? I stalled but then I remembered how far I'd come from the sofa bound guy of two years ago and committed! Argh, I was in! What followed was an incredible 12 months of carefully selected challenges to prepare myself but also to raise as much awareness and as much money as I could for the Motor Neurone Disease Association. I entered my first Winter Tough Guy (more to test mental strength than to prepare for the heat of the Desert!), I ran Reading Half Marathon, I completed Relentless Suffering and 3 laps of Nuts, I nearly drowned at Red Bull's Neptune Steps (that's a whole different story, ha ha), I ran my first marathon, my first triathlon. I did two laps of Rat Race's Dirty Weekend, I travelled to China to run the Great Wall Marathon, I completed by first Ultra (the 69 mile "The Wall" by Rat Race) and I ran my first multi-day race from London to Swindon. I researched kit, I learned how to tape my

feet to prevent blisters, I got a running coach and I trained (trained properly) running over 1,200 miles in 2016 as I prepared for my date with the desert. I also realised that my nutrition was shocking and so engaged the expertise of Charlotte Umney from Nutricademy and I must say that was probably the biggest game changer for me as is an area so many of us overlook. By December, I was starting to feel less scared (almost a little bit confident) when disaster struck and I fractured my foot from over training. Noooo! By now the initial group of 8 from OCR was already down to 4 (with Ian Banks-S making up the quartet) and I desperately needed to be on that start line. I had so much sponsorship riding on this and so many people I did not want to let down so I took my lessons from OCR and accepted that this was just another obstacle to overcome. I adjusted my training; I cycled, I swam, I did anything to keep fit and slowly I healed. By the time I got to the start line I hadn't run for 3 months but I didn't care. I was on the plane and I was going to give it my best shot! :-)

Written by: Kev George

Just what exactly does 150 miles across the Sahara Desert, carrying all your food and supplies for 7 days have to do with obstacle course racing? At first glance, very little (!) but something compelled myself and a few more familiar faces from OCR (the likes of Andrew Appleton and Pete Rees) to embark on what is often referred to as "The Toughest Footrace on Earth". So let me take you back to 2013...

WHERE IT ALL BEGAN Back in 2013, I was at a cross roads in my life as, having retired from football, I was no longer active and was drifting into a sedentary lifestyle. More and more weekends were filled with visits to the local pub and I was putting on weight and losing what fitness I did have from years of playing football. Faced with this path and an impending mid-life crisis, I decided I needed a change and was going to say "yes" to any opportunity that arose. This led to an incredible year of new experiences, so when someone suggested I enter a 10km "mud run", of course I said "yes" :-) This was Thursday night (in the pub!) and the race was on Saturday! With

48 Obstacle Race Magazine

zero time to train, I jogged, I walked and I hobbled my way through a very long and muddy 10km course... but boy was I hooked. I felt like a child! I got to play in the mud and although I didn't run much, I met some amazing people and I wanted more. I was surrounded by people that wanted more from life, people that looked to challenge themselves but also have fun and I was inspired! I spent 2014 entering more and more races; moving from mud runs to obstacle course racing and, as I'm sure you'll all agree, playing on obstacles just adds to the fun :-). I still wasn't a fan of running but constantly racing meant I was getting fitter and I kinda got the hang of the whole

obstacle thing so started to get quicker and quicker. But it was early in 2015 that everything changed when I heard a good friend of mine had qualified for the OCR World Championships. He had a chance to represent his country and suddenly I had a goal. I started to run once or twice a week and practice obstacles whenever I could and I made the breakthrough in a Spartan Race in Wales in early 2015... I was going to the World Champs! 2015 was a flurry of racing and training and I was so very proud to attend the World Champs that I thought this was it; I had pushed myself to my limits. Little did I know at the time, that OCR would just be a stepping stone to what came next :-) ...

Obstacle Race Magazine 49

ADVENTURE

ARRIVAL Landing in Morocco was an incredible experience. Having shared a flight full of UK athletes, we were greeted in Morocco by a raucous welcome party cheering and clapping, and I was swept up in all the excitement, although some of that disappeared during the 6-hour coach journey into the desert as nerves started to kick in! On arrival at the camp we were met with the sight of hundreds of tents laid out (8 to a tent) and we quickly passed through registration and got settled for the night. Somehow we had managed to

get into a tent with only 6 people so had a little more room but the tent itself was very basic; a carpet on the floor and what can only be described as a heavy black blanket draped over poles, open at both ends offering little protection from the night chills and occasional strong wind. And boy was it cold! The first night was freezing and I was very glad I had packed a down jacket to keep warm. I did not sleep much that night through a combination of cold and nerves and was woken early the next morning by the sun (and the heat!)

DAY 1 The first day was a “relatively” flat and short day with only 30km to carry but with 8kg on my back and a further 1.5kg of water, it wasn’t going to be easy. Because of my injury, I had made a conscious decision to walk the first day no matter what and stuck to my plan until about 3km to go where (feeling quite comfortable) I decided to run for home. It took me a long 5 hours and 12 minutes on that first day but my priority was a finish and I

50 Obstacle Race Magazine

rising over the Sahara. Beautiful! The rest of that day was admin; bag checks, picking up water cards for our rations to be supplied at each checkpoint, checking ECGs, securing GPS devices and beacons to our packs, ensuring we had our anti venom pumps for snake bites and scorpion stings and picking up our salt tablets which, quite literally, could mean the difference between life and death out here… and boy was it hot! Little did I know that at the low 40s, things were about to get even hotter!

DAY 2 had achieved that... and more importantly my feet suffered no blisters! I caught up with the rest of the tent who had all finished at least an hour ahead of me (some nearly two!) and sat down to prepare my cold rehydrated meal of spaghetti bolognaise… yes cold! Weight is such an important factor and so I had opted not to take a stove and fuel, which would have added weight for me it was definitely the right decision.

Things started heating up; both in terms of temperature and the course itself! With 39km to face and with much tougher, sandier terrain plus a tough climb over a jebel (hill) this took me a painful 8 hours to finally cross the line and I was exhausted. At one point in the day, I had run out of water and had to walk 4km in 50-degree heat to the next checkpoint and had arrived dizzy from dehydration so was just very glad to have survived the day!

DAY 3 Although Day 3 was shorter than Day 2, it included 4 climbs over jebels and was another energy sapping day. Things started well and with my feet still having no blisters, I decided to risk running the first 10km and made some great time as we approached the first climb. It was as tough as it was beautiful. Running across a narrow ridge with steep drops either side, I took my time to enjoy the scenery

and appreciate the fact that I was here in such an incredible, if hospitable, environment. 2 more jebels were climbed before a long stretch across a hot open plain when we were faced with a massive jebel in the distance, the side covered in sand making the climb to the top incredibly difficult and requiring ropes at one point. My joy at finally making it over the top was short

lived as we plunged into miles of leg sapping dunes before a final painful 7km across a baking hot salt plain. Although my mind stayed strong my body was at its limit and for the first time in the race, I turned to music to block out the pain. I have never been so thankful to see a finish line of any race... And yet I knew the worst was yet to come!

Obstacle Race Magazine 51

ADVENTURE

DAY 6 The Final Marathon - Day 5 was a day of rest…or actually a day of falling in and out of consciousness. I did nothing with my time other than eat and rest. My body completely at its limit from the previous day’s exertions but thankfully I felt rested and rejuvenated as we lined up for the final day. With Highway to Hell ringing from the PA one last time, I decided that today was the day I was going to let

me legs free and run! With the top 150 starting later, I tucked into about 100th spot and just ran on feel, never pushing too hard and just enjoying it and it felt amazing! Over flat plains, up small sandy inclines, I just kept running covering a half marathon in 2 hours and 32 minutes. The sun was beating down, it was hot but I was less than 13 miles from the end of the Toughest Footrace on Earth and I was loving it.

I took a well-earned rest at the second checkpoint, refuelled and, although slowed by a lot more sand dunes, I still pushed as much as I could in the heat until I saw the finish line with just over 3km to go. What a feeling! I continued to run, legs cramping, body on fire but with so many emotions threatening to overflow. I fought back tears as I recorded a finishing video to thank those that had supported me and in honour of my Mum.

I HAD DONE IT!!!

DAY 4 The Long Day. So far the longest day had been 39km and today we would have to face a massive 86km; more than two marathons… and to add to the challenge the temperature was to peak at an incredible 54 degrees! With an early 7am start I opted to run as much as I could before the day turned hot and covered the first 10km in 1 hour 15 before we approached our first climb. Up and over the jebel, we dropped down into a checkpoint which I passed through quickly before running another 7km to the next jebel. The climb was tough and my legs were getting tired but I still couldn’t resist the urge to run down the deep sand on the other side ploughing ankle deep furrows into the sand… disaster! My gaiters which had served so well in keeping the sand out malfunctioned and both shoes filled with sand. I was only 2km away from the checkpoint but it was a slow painful 2km as my shoes kept filling with sand and started to rub. I slowly ambled into the checkpoint, grabbed some water and spent 40 minutes trying to fix my gaiters. I was hot, I was tired and I was starting to feel light headed… it was going to be a long day! Leaving the checkpoint, I pressed on much slower than before, not able to run in the deep sand and again arrived at checkpoint 3 feeling exhausted and still with so much of the race to go. With the heat almost unbearable it really was a battle of

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will to keep moving forward, urging my feet to just go one step at a time. The next checkpoint was a massive 12km away and with only 1.5 litres of water, I ran out with 2km to go and was back in familiar territory of rapidly dehydrating. My lips were bleeding and my tongue was starting to swell as it stuck to my mouth and I was so grateful to finally see the next water station. Progress from here was to be slow and painful and I finally rolled into checkpoint 4 at 7pm just as the sun was setting. I decided to take a long break here, drink some recovery fuel and get some rest before the long walk into the night and 8 more kilometres of deep sand dunes as I marvelled at the massive white striped ants and the occasional camel spider. Checkpoint 5 was a welcoming sight as a huge camp fire had been prepared and I was so desperately tired at this point that I collapsed into one of the deck chairs and prepared another cold meal. Whilst the meal was a necessity to keep energy up, it was incredibly difficult to leave the warm glow of the fire, hoist the pack on my back and prepare for another 9km through relentless sand dunes before checkpoint 6 … but we made it. “We” being myself and fellow tent mate Nick Semmens who had been with me since checkpoint 4. As we arrived at checkpoint 6, we agreed that with only 13 miles to go, we would push on

through the night, no longer stopping for rest but just pushing for that finish. Unlike shorter races, my body was rejecting any sugary carbs but salty snacks like pepparami and beef jerky were heavenly. Fuelled by these, thirst quenched by water and with a steady supply of salt tablets, we continued to make slow progress to that finish. In the early hours of the morning we finally saw the distant signs of the finish line and estimated we only had a mile to go… luckily I glanced at my watch and winced when I realised it was nearer to 3 and was just the desert playing tricks on us. That was a horrible last few miles as we cursed the race organiser as we encountered yet more deep sand that was destroying already tired legs. I was now walking in crazy weaving lines and feeling really sick, dry heaving as we walked towards the finish. I knew being sick in sight of the support crew would mean a trip to the Docs and risk of being pulled from the course so I grimaced, tried to smile and hold a straight line across the finish… some 20 hours after I had set off the previous morning! I was rewarded with a cup of hot mint tea, which is normally amazing but the sweet tea hit my stomach and bounced… I staggered from the finish line, out of sight and was violently ill for the next few minutes. But I didn’t care… no-one saw me… and I had finished the long day… the finish of MdS was now in sight!

WHERE NEXT? As I reflect on this journey, I have learnt so much; some things technical, like kit and feet taping, pacing and most importantly the importance of nutrition, but I’ve also learnt a lot about myself. We all have our reasons for obstacle racing and some of you like me, won’t have an athletic background, but what this journey has taught me is that we are all stronger than we think and we can achieve incredible things when we put our mind to it. Every time one of you steps on obstacle course, you

are challenging yourself, becoming a better version of you… and who knows where that may take you? Perhaps the incredible harsh environment of the Sahara Desert :-) For me, I don’t know what is next. I do know I want to get back to obstacle racing and just enjoy what my new body can do. If you see me, come say hi… I will be the crazy guy in a Spiderman top with the biggest possible grin on his face as I reflect on the greatest challenge but also the greatest adventure of my life:-D

TO FOLLOW MORE OF KEVS JOURNEY GO TO: WWW.FACEBOOK.COM/THEROADTOMDS

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ADVENTURE

THE ICE ULTRA Written by: Will Roberts Photography by: Mikkel Beisner

I had begun to shiver uncontrollably almost immediately after crossing the finish line at the end of stage four. It was pitch dark and I remember noticing for the first time that the collar of my jacket and the buff around my neck were frozen solid. I’d been on the move for fourteen hours in the snow and I was spent. Feeble. The medics were man-handling me towards a warm log cabin where they could thaw me out. They asked a flurry of questions as they wrapped an enormous coat around me and knocked the ice off my snow shoes to get to the frozen buckles. I was so tired I couldn’t answer. I’d been working as the resident ‘media guy’ for Beyond the Ultimate for a few months when I

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signed up for the Ice Ultra. My role which had seen me predominantly sitting behind a desk in a warm office; I weighed in at a sturdy 90kgs. All my leisure time went into the enthusiastic pursuit of real ale and kebabs. I’d have a year to prepare. I stoically set aside my tankard and spent 12 months studying gear reviews, speaking to past runners, marching for long days in the Peak District, lifting weights and running everywhere. The race consists of five stages totalling 230km. The race takes place within the arctic circle in Swedish Lapland. Temperatures can vary from minus 5 to minus 25 in a single day. It’s a largely flat course, aside from two nasty climbs on stage one, and alternates between pine forest and massive, frozen lakes. Runners are self-sufficient from the time they reach base camp on the eve of the race until the point when they cross the finish line. Hot water for rehydrating food is provided at CPs and camps. At the end of each stage, accommodation takes the form of log cabins or, on the less lucky days, canvas tepees with reindeer skins to sleep on. Each night the runners are reunited with a 5kg overnight

bag containing only a sleeping bag and warm night clothes. Everything else must be carried. The mandatory kit list said nothing about providing your own dog sled and husky team but there were times over the 5 days of hard graft on the arctic tundra when I wished myself and my kit were being carried through the snow instead of marching through it. Let there be no mistake, the Ice Ultra has as much in common with an arctic expedition as it does with other multi-stage ultra-races. Stage One began with relatively friendly conditions, a mild breeze and manageable temperatures. The first 12km was a gently undulating tarmac road. There was time to make sure the pack was sitting correctly and to let myself believe that this might be an easier ride than I’d thought. A rapid descent after CP1 led to the first Ice lake crossing, an unnerving experience for the uninitiated but one which will be familiar very soon. After this the course and the weather took a turn for the tough. What followed was a short sharp climb onto an exposed mountain plateau which stretched on

for mile after mile. The wind scythed across the rocky terrain, the howl was constant and jangled the nerves. It was like the surface of another planet and we were not being made to feel welcome. Hours passed like this before I reached the final CP at the foot of the final climb and buddied up with 2 other runners to tackle the ascent in the failing daylight. It’s easy to get so wrapped up in your admin that you forget to look around in a race and end up going for an age without admiring the view. Rather unfortunately I chose to look up and take in the sights as I and my new running partners made our way down from the big hill. The wind was screaming across us and I had my shoulder braced against it, laughably attempting to take cover behind a marker post about 3 inches in diameter. My hands and feet were numb. Whilst I looked back at the pair behind me falling over in the snow for the dozenth time, I looked at the horizon behind them. Through the furious whiteout, I could just make out the jagged outline of distant hills in the final glow of the sunset, could just hear my new friends’ exasperated cries over the howl. It was pure Hollywood. It looked like the end of the world.

It was an exhausted set of runners who made it to to veer steadily downhill and I ran. The freedom of that night’s warm cabin. movement, despite the 9kg pack on my back and the The next morning the sun shone. The wind had snowshoes on my feet, felt amazing. I crossed the line dropped and the sunrise was beautiful. The only 2 elated. climbs of the course were behind us and though it had It was only mid-afternoon when I reached the cabin seemed so certain that it would during the previous serving as the day’s finish line and race HQ. I had the afternoon, the world had not in fact ended. time to dry my clothes, eat a hot meal, take a warm There was the equivalent of a marathon to run shower, arrange all my kit for the next day, take a nap that day and the suddenly friendly weather made and pile in another hot meal. This was ideal as later that it seem, relatively, easy work. We were marching evening we were evicted from this luxury and sent out through the arctic and it was into our tents to sleep for the brilliant. I even stopped to night. The temperature fell to WE WERE EVICTED FROM take some selfies. minus twenty-two degrees THIS LUXURY AND SENT OUT that night. I slept poorly on I got my head down and got into my finest military the cold uneven ground. INTO OUR TENTS TO SLEEP marching pace through the Those who had been out on FOR THE NIGHT. next couple of checkpoints the course until dark got no and at CP4 I snaffled all my real rest at all. remaining snacks for the day including a caffeinated gel. Stage Three was another thankfully sunny day. My In my calorie-deprived state the effect of the sudden kit was working out fine. I had packed a lot of layers rush of sugar and caffeine was profound and I entered and could vary with the temperature, which changed the last section of the stage grinning like a lunatic. A drastically and quickly, without either freezing (bad) or couple of kilometres from the finish line the trail began overheating (worse).

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ADVENTURE

From the middle of the stage onwards we were on a frozen lake which stretched further than the eye could see. I got my head down a while before looking around only to find that the mountains to my left and right looked the same as before. I forced my head down, fighting the urge to take in my surroundings, and made lists in my head of things I would do when I got back, planned blog posts and videos, tried to keep my brain busy. I looked around and I hadn’t moved. Someone had put me on a treadmill in the middle of the arctic and I couldn’t get off. A good month after I set foot on the lake the red flags of the finish line came into view on the horizon and stayed there. Unsympathetic, they moved away as fast as I approached. Still, the toasty little hut I was escorted to just after arrival did a lot to restore my morale and I felt almost entirely human again by the time I was in dry clothes and had eaten a hot meal. I was sharing a small cabin with 3 other runners and we had all gotten in from the cold by mid-afternoon. We chatted in the snug, low hut and settled in for a long sleep. The first 50km of Stage Four was a cycle repeated between checkpoints where the calorie deprivation and fatigue began to make itself uncomfortably apparent. I would leave a checkpoint in fine fettle, buoyed by a couple of hundred calories in snacks. Somewhere around half way to the next CP my tanks would run dry and I had to concentrate to keep the pace up. By the last kilometre before the next CP I was marching quickly get to the next source of warm water and food. This kind of hunger isn’t the rumbling, empty feeling that might drive you to grab a meal deal at your local supermarket. This is a physical realisation

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ADVENTURE

of what the fuel you put in your body does and what leg was a death-march. a lack of it does to you mentally and physically. Nevertheless, the finish came within sight. At CP5, I and a running buddy stopped and ate Suddenly there was adrenalin, the fog lifted and I a full meal, recognising that we had the coldest part scrambled to take off my snowshoes, determined to of the day ahead of us albeit only 16km of trail left to run over the line no matter what. My legs forgot to trudge. We then entered an undulating, twisting trail hurt and I forgot to be tired. through pine forest and hit softer, deeper snow that The frustration, the fear, the howling wind, the robbed us of momentum. Our pace dropped and endless ice all began to break loose and evaporate. I frustration levels grew. crossed the line and fell straight into a bear hug from Eventually we reached the final lake crossing. Race Director Kris King, the sadist who put me up to It was only 500m but we’d been warned there this challenge in the first place. was some standing water on top of the ice. When There is little fanfare at the end of a race like temperatures have fluctuated, you may find lakes this. The 26 runners, the race team and the medics where there is a solid base of ice but with a layer of gathered, after naps and showers, for a night of melt-water floating on top. As snow falls on it this reindeer based local dishes, Swedish beer and melt-water becomes a layer of thick slush hiding tales of the trail. Backs were slapped and medals under inches of white powder. It felt like entering a were gratefully received having been seriously hard mine field as we set out onto the ice with the lights earned. of the finish line just The race team had ahead of us. swiftly and calmly dealt with AS SNOW FALLS ON IT THIS We weaved instances of hyperthermia MELT-WATER BECOMES around the lake and mild frostbite in a way that looking for a path made the runners feel safe to A LAYER OF THICK SLUSH through, cursing be out in the cold. They had HIDING UNDER INCHES OF the headtorches on the entire race along WHITE POWDER. IT FELT LIKE rolled the opposite shore beside the runners for 5 days ENTERING A MINE FIELD. looking out at our with military precision. A plight. Cut to the start number of toasts were raised of this review for my condition as I crossed the line to them that last night. that day. The friendships and memories forged in such I’d held a romantic notion from the start that hardship are indelible and will outlast any race I would pass the final stage pottering with ease t-shirt. It’s hard to readjust to normality after an over those last miles before running over the line experience like this and I’m already planning the victorious. In fact, I was shambling and wincing over next. Take the plunge, do the training and take on sore joints as I ground out the last of the race. I’d put this multi-stage arctic monster. in everything to get to the end of stage four, the final

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ADVENTURE

FOR MORE INFORMATION ABOUT THE ICE ULTRA BY BEYOND THE ULTIMATE GO TO: WWW.BEYONDTHEULTIMATE.CO.UK

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FEATURE : CREATING YOUR OCR WORKOUT

CREATING YOUR

OCR WORKOUT Written by: Richard Edley

THE ORIGINAL & THE BEST

INTRO

OCR IS ONE OF THE FASTEST GROWING SPORTS IN THE UK! IT'S FUN, COMPETITIVE, TOUGH AND MAKES A GREAT PROFILE PIC RIGHT? BUT, WHEN IT COMES TO PLANNING OUT YOUR TRAINING IT CAN BE A MINEFIELD.

To get the best out of your training you need to make it sport specific. So..... for example... boxers box, rowers row and yes, runners run. Not everyone has an obstacle course in their back garden so you have to get creative when you’re planning out your sessions and make them "specific" enough to compliment what you’re aiming to achieve. The routine above is one I created when I started training for my first Spartan. It is called the "Original and Best" purely because, out of all the routines I have done since (and there are loads), this still stands up as one of my favourites. This session is an example of how you can build an OCR style workout in the gym environment with minimal and fairly standard gym equipment.

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THE RATIONALE Alright, so a bit of an outline as to what this 45min (ish) workout is going to put you through. • Fatigue!! Yes, that's what every OCR out there has in common and when you get to this point it's how you can still maintain that performance at near maximal intensities. • Whole body workout. Just like out on a course, you will have to work all those muscles in different ways. A mix of push and pull exercises, topped up with cardio, to keep that heart rate up and the blood pumping is what's needed. • Muscular endurance. This will work your body's energy systems. You know that burning feeling you get in your legs when you’re struggling to keep going? Well, by training in this zone you

will improve your threshold to lactate build up in the muscles. This means you can maintain that physical activity for longer. • It simulates the same stresses as race day. By switching between cardio, high intensity workouts and resistance training you can recreate the types of stresses you're likely to be under on race day. Well, it's as close as you can get without actually being out on a course every other day. Forget about all the cash it would cost you, cleaning all that race gear would be a nightmare. Make sure you know where all the equipment is located before you start, a smooth transition between exercises will help to keep up the intensity of your work.

3 MIN ROWING 20 PUSH UPS (ALT WITH 20 BOX JUMPS X 3 ROUNDS) 5 MIN TREADMILL JOG PULL UPS (CLOSE GRIP) 3X10 CORKSCREWS 2X20 TRICEP DIPS 3X10 HILL CLIMB TREADMILL (3MIN) INVERTED ROWS 3X10 HILL CLIMB 2 (3MINS) HANGING LEG RAISES (2X20) WEIGHTED LUNGES 3X16 (8 EACH LEG) FINAL JOG TO THE FINISH (5MINS)

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FEATURE : CREATING YOUR OCR WORKOUT

THE BREAKDOWN ROWING (3 mins). Don't worry yet, this is your warm up! You want to build up to around 50% effort here (nothing too crazy!). Rowing is great to work both your upper and lower body, it will get those joints loosened off and start the blood flow ready for a good workout!

This exercise is great for that all important core strength and we use that core for virtually everything when it comes to obstacle courses #fact #justsaying. You can increase or decrease the amount of reps here to suit your fitness level but remember, good technique is really the key to success.

TREADMILL HILL CLIMB PART 2 (3 mins). Here we go again! Same as the first round with your settings. You’re going to need to dig really deep for this one. This ascent will really hammer that fatigue and force your quads to work hard to adapt to the stress placed upon them. This is really what you need to get those improvements.

TRICEP DIPS (3 sets of 10, 1 min rest between sets). 20 PUSH UPS + 20 BOX JUMPS (3 rounds no rest). This brings you straight into your first mini circuit. Switching from upper to lower body between exercises means you don't need the recovery time in between sets and you can maintain a higher intensity. Remember, it's all about technique and good form so keep a straight line from your head right through to your feet and make sure your core is engaged on those push ups. Focus on explosive power for that box jump and step off nice and safely. Progression:- if you are finding this one too easy then you can increase the number of reps and/or the height of the box. Regression:- if you’re new to this training malarkey, or find the exercise difficult, take the amount of reps down to 10 or 15 and you can always do the push ups from the knees to enable you to maintain good form. 5 MIN JOG (treadmill). As we are recreating that OCR effect, running is going to be a large portion, so get used to those treadmills! Intensity is key here and you want to be really starting to push towards some fatigue. Look at around an 80% - 90% work rate (fast jog), so find yourself a good speed and then hold it there for the duration. PULL UPS (3 sets of 10, 1 min rest between sets). Being able to lift your own body weight is vital when you’re scaling that wall or clambering up that rope so I am afraid this evil little exercise is here to stay. Don't worry if you can't do the full 10, just as many as you can till fatigue. Not only will this work your upper body (shoulders, biceps and lats), it will also help to develop that grip strength! Progression:- if you’re badass and find this way too easy, increase the number of reps or really go to town and try them weighted. Regression:- pull ups are tough and, if you are having difficulty, start out using the assisted pull up machine and work up towards going it alone. CORKSCREWS (2 sets of 20, 1 min rest between sets).

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Those cheeky little triceps really come into play when you’re heaving yourself up and over those walls! Aim for the 10 or until failure and then rest, you want to keep these really nice and controlled so maintain a good neutral posture and take them nice and slowly.

Hitting these exercises again and again will really aid in your ability to recover (active recovery). The quicker your body can learn to normalise itself after intense CV, the faster you can get back that strength and be ready to go all out again! HANGING LEG RAISES (2 sets of 20 1 min rest between sets).

Progression :- again if you’re finding these easy you can up the amount of reps or if you’re really sadistic then have a go at them weighted.

Back to work on that core again and this is also a great exercise for grip strength so hold on tight.

Regression :- these can be quite tricky, especially if you are new to them, so if your gym has a tricep dip machine start with that, or use a box or bench and go for a seated tricep dip.

Progression :- as well as increasing the amount of reps, you can add in a twist at the waist as you raise your knees or go all out and make this a toes to bar exercise.

TREADMILL HILL CLIMB (3 mins). By this point you should be well into the swing of this routine but here is when you are going to have to dig deep. I’m not going to lie to you this one will give you some serious leg burn and will really make use of that lactate energy system. Build up to a really light jog (I usually set it to around 10kph) and then hit the incline button till you get to around the 10% incline. Treadmills may vary so think of it as a moderate hill and start there. Once you are set keep working it till those three minutes are up! By the end of this part you should really be breathing quite heavily and as you come to a stop you may feel the burn in those legs (lactate build up). This is exactly where you want to be for the last third of this routine. Remember your settings for this one, this will be the bench mark for your future sessions and as you progress, either increase the speed or the incline. INVERTED ROWS (3 sets 10, 1 min rest between sets). So, your legs are probably like jelly which is a great time to switch back to some upper body work and a solid pull exercise. This is another great exercise for grip strength and can be performed on a bar or TRX bands, which most gym's have these days. Aim for around a 45 degree incline (the higher you go the easier the exercise and vice versa). Remember to hold your form and keep that core engaged. Keep the movement of this exercise fluid and steady.

Regression :- if your grip is failing, you can always do these lying down, slowly bringing your knees up to your chest and then extending your legs back out (keep your feet around 6 inches from the floor). WEIGHTED LUNGES (3 sets of 16 or 8 each leg, 1 min rest between sets). Obstacle racing is all about the endurance, your legs are key to this, so that fatigue needs to be worked a little longer. These can be performed with either a bar across the shoulders or a dumbbell in each hand. Go easy with the weight and concentrate on your balance, however, feel free to up those kg's if you’re finding it too easy. If like me, your legs are feeling like two lumps of wood then perform these without the weight to begin with. It's the technique that is important. TREADMILL JOG (5 mins). This is it! The finale, you have made it this far, only 5 mins from success! Expect this to be a lot harder than the first run (your legs have been through a lot). The good news is that this is your cool down, so start at a brisk jog and then begin slowing down from around 3 mins to allow that heart rate to steady down. I would always recommend you do a range of static and developmental stretches before you pack up and head home. Don't forget, the harder you push yourself the better and quicker the results will be. Good luck!

FEATURE : ACTIVE WARRIOR

WHO ARE

ACTIVE WARRIOR?

With so many new and exciting brands popping up in the market all the time we just wanted to take the time to highlight one such event to you that’s doing a massive amount of good for charity. Active Warrior is an event put together by Active Nation a registered charity. Their moto is ‘Persuade the nation to get active. Their expertise lies in sport and exercise, for which they have an incredible passion. They exist to spread the word about the benefits of moving more, getting communities excited and igniting their enthusiasm for getting active. As a registered charity they don’t have any shareholders or investors to impress. Which

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means that every single penny they make is put straight back in to persuading the nation to be active. It means they can commit to improving sport and exercise facilities Nationally, increasing the number of opportunities for people to get active, improve the level of skill and expertise in sport and exercise coaching and help to educate communities in the long term benefits of being active. As a charity they are guided by the principle of making sure that they exist to provide public benefit. Active Warrior is a great way they’ve found to support their charity, get people active and have fun on the way. So what do they have in store for you on the course? Active Warrior is the newest challenge to launch onto the UK Obstacle Course Race

calendar. Powered by sport and exercise charity Active Nation, the course offers some new unique challenges for even the hardcore obstacle course fans. Working with Urban Attack, experts in building obstacle courses, they have designed and created a truly challenging gauntlet of activities in one of the most stunning locations around. With over 35 man made, and many more natural obstacles over 7.5km, this course packs a real punch. Yes it’s a race, but more than that it’s designed for people to challenge themselves and work towards their own goals. Active Nation have put together a race that will test your courage, determination, teamwork and camaraderie to their limits. Do you have the warrior spirit, why not face the challenge … we dare you!!

ACTIVE WARRIOR IS COMING TO SOUTHAMPTON ON 1ST JULY 2017 WITH AN OBSTACLE COURSE RACE THAT WILL PUT YOUR FITNESS TO THE TEST OVER A GRUELLING 5KM COURSE! 5KM COURSE WITH A 10KM OPTION (10KM COURSE AS A UNIQUE OBSTACLE)

OBSTACLES INCLUDE: GIANT WATER SLIDE ON SKI SLOPE, MONKEY BARS, MUD CRAWLS, NINJA WALL, WATER DUNKS, SALMON LADDER, FLYING MONKEY BARS, ROPE CLIMBS, CARGO NET CLIMBS AND HIGH WALLS. ALSO NEW FOR 2017: HURDLES, MYSTERY OBSTACLE, MUD ZONE.

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PROFILE : THE WRONGENS

THE WRONGENS Photography by: Epic Action Imagery

WE'VE SEEN GROUPS COME AND GO IN OCR OVER THE PAST FEW YEARS, BUT ONE GROUP HAS CONTINUED TO GROW AND GROW. THE OCR WRONGENS GROUP HAS ESTABLISHED ITSELF AS AN INCLUSIVE GROUP OF FUN LOVING MUD RUNNERS, AND WE'RE REALLY HAPPY TO BE INTERVIEWING THE MAN BEHIND IT ALL, VINCE JAMES. Well, then Vince, where did OCR Wrongens idea come from and what's the group all about? Well I’d like to say that I sat down one day, identified a gap in market, planned for months on end how I could strategically start and build a unique OCR group, brand and business ... however nothing could be further from the truth. After a chance last minute ticket that was given to me by Kerrie Fisher to one of your races actually, the rather fab Mudnificent Seven, a rather unfortunate photo was taken. At first I had no intention whatsoever of it seeing the light of day, however for some reason I decided to share the photo on Facebook, much to everyone’s delight and it went down a storm. I made a throw away comment about starting a Facebook group, namely OCR Wrongens. At this point though I didn’t know anything about running a group and thought nothing more of it. However the idea stuck in my head so I figured the best way to get it out of my head was just to give it a go. I remember the evening very well, Tuesday 4th August 2015 was the evening I sat down and launched the group, actually in truth four groups all called OCR Wrongens, three were by accident and I had to later unpick and delete three of them! I shared the now infamous “Angle Is Everything” photo and added about 300 of my OCR buddies to the group. Soon after people started adding funny photos of themselves, one of which was Hayley Doris Black’s Tough Guy photo again from Mud 7, this pic was a real hit. A few days on from this I thought it would have been a good idea to throw in a little fun competition. Basically the most liked photo of the week would feature for that week as the group’s banner photo and soon after David Titch Marshall offered up a tee as a prize. The rest from there as you say is history. The group now advertises and promotes over 35 OCR’s and more merchandise you can shake a stick at. The group started as a bit of fun and never in a million years was it my intention to start a business. Believe it or not at first when people were asking for

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a tee I flatly refused (hard to believe I know right!). It dawned on my early on when the orders started coming in it was a childhood dream come true, by that I mean I always fancied running a corner shop, funny how things turn out isn’t it. When did your OCR obsession start? Oh that’s easy, NUTS 2014. A few months previous to this I started to going a keep fit group RPCC. After some 23 years of no exercise I have to admit this class was a real effort, such blimmin hard work……and still is! I didn’t really know anyone and believe it or not was quite shy. I was way out my comfort zone, but I wasn’t really going anywhere in life so really has nothing to lose. Anyway in mid January 2014, about two months before NUTS, Rich Pringle mentioned about this NUTS OCR and I thought no more of it. Again, a last minute decision saw me attend a tester session at NUTS. I hated it, but loved it at the same time. I was freezing cold the whole time, but inside I felt warm and fuzzy (that sounds a bit cheesy I know!). It wasn’t until NUTS itself that I was hooked, it was the hardest 7k I’d ever done, in fact at that point the hardest thing I’d ever done. I remember the feeling of excitement all the RPCC gang at the start line. Rich ran with me for most of the race, spurring me along. The feeling that I had coming over the line was like no other and much to my surprise I done quite well, top 50 I recall. This was a far cry from secondary school when I always came virtually last at everything sport related and hated every minute of it. Why do you think the Wrongens group has been so popular and just taken off? I’m very lucky in that the 5500+ group members are simply the best most warmest, genuine and generous people EVER. It’s everyone’s willingness to join in, send themselves up and have a laugh that makes it so popular. Some people in OCR take it all far too seriously, which is fine if that works for them, but in the OCR Wrongens the politics that started to rear it’s head in 2015 are left at the door. People post as they’d like to win the coveted Wrongen Of The Week mug and now wrag that has been kindly donated by John Charles and his company Officially Better and in the past there were OCR’s up for prizes too. The way I see it that 95% of OCR participants just want to have fun at an OCR, my group is just an extension of that. People also like to see what’s new in the Wrongens World, whether it’s some new merchandise (I do sell the odd bit in case you didn’t know lol) a new race that’s being promoted along with any discounts or a new venture of some kind that people appear to be genuinely interested in.

What were your expectations when you started the group? Honestly, I had none. It was meant to be just a laugh. But when people started to request to join and RD’s and small business owners wanted to collaborate with me on projects it sooned dawned on me that my life was about to get very busy. I love the fund raising aspect of the group. Through various schemes I’d say about fourteen charities and good causes including the Children’s Liver Disease Foundation, Simons Heroes, The Sussex Beacon and Warming Up The Homeless have benefited from the Wrongens members generosity. I genuinely love that my group and its members are making a difference to people’s lives. When you're not clambering over obstacles, what does Vince James do? Hmmmm, I love just being at home and pottering around the garden, sounds simple I know but love my home and kicking back and watching a movie with my very patient lady Brigita and most loyal of dogs Flo. I love eating out and travelling, I’ve taken a real liking for Italy, it’s just the most beautiful place on the planet. What are your future plans for the group? Much of the same really. Keep the light hearted feel of the group going, pull in more newbies to the group and hopefully introduce them to the crazy world of OCR. I’m working hard on building Wrongens Events, which will give people the opportunity to attend the more expensive European events by paying monthly for an allinclusive package. I’m also looking to develop Wrongens Retreats, these will be lovely places renovated across Europe where group members can train but relax at the same time. I’m an advocate of everything in moderation and both the Events and Retreats projects will be aimed at just that, Work, Rest and Play! Last question - you can add 3 famous people to the OCR Wrongens, who do you choose and why? Good question. Richard Branson. He’s an inspiring guy and his autobiography gives me the confidence to take on new ventures. I think he’d enjoy the group’s vibe. Next Ricky Gervais, would be funny to see what he makes of the crazy OCR World and what we do for fun. Lastly Robert De Niro, but in his Taxi Driver and Raging Bull Days, he’s a cool guy.

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