Obstacle Race Magazine Issue 2 by Obstacle Race Magazine

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TRAINING TIPS NUTRITIONAL ADVICE PROFILES RACE REVIEWS

TOUGH GUY REVIEW

GEAR TESTING LETTERS

EVENT PREVIEWS

THE NUTS CHALLENGE FACE-OFF INOV-8 VS REEBOK

RUN FOR CHARITY

WIN + SEASON PASS

A PAIRS OF MOUNTAIN BEAR ISSUE #2 APRIL 2014 Â£4.95

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9 772053 949001

BITE THROUGH ANYTHING MUDCLAWâ&#x201E;¢ 265 Will claw through any mud-sodden, drenched terrain and come back up begging for more.

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IronRun is taking over the incredible Rockingham racetrack on Saturday 16th August 2014 for the UK’s first OCR festival of its kind. Get involved for an action-packed weekend of mud, sweat and smiles. Take on the IronRun challenge in the day and then relax with food, drink and live entertainment in the evening before camping on-site. If you’re looking for an OCR event that’s much more than just a trail run then this is the one for you.

Runners start your engines 16.08.14 www.Ironrun.co.uk

EDITORS LETTER Since issue one, the season has really started to hot up, with races starting to fill every weekend full of glorious mud. It’s a really exciting time for OCR. With the introduction of a few racing teams being announced recently, this will really push the front pack harder than ever before. With these guys and girls sharing their training techniques they will become an awesome force. The theme we decided on for this issue was that of charity. Ninety percent of you reading this right now will have been drawn into the amazing OCR community whilst looking for a challenge to set yourself whilst raising money for charity. So this issue’s stories are ones that you can all relate to in some way. The new Reebok Super All Terrains that everyone’s been eagerly awaiting are reviewed in this issue, plus we have another awesome exclusive first testing of the brand new inov-8 Bare-Grip 200. I’m really happy to welcome a few new contributors onto the team, these guys really will be putting together some fantastic articles over the coming issues.

Carl

EDITOR Carl Wibberley carl@obstacleracemagazine.com 01246 241780 ADVERTISING Kevin Newey kevin@obstacleracemagazine.com 07932 411592 MEDIA CONTACT Mark Petrou mark@obstacleracemagazine.com 07817924168 DESIGNED BY RAWWW www.rawww.com 0845 371 0993 PUBLISHED BY Spuddy Media Ltd, Counting House, 1 Nuffield Road, St Ives, Huntingdon, Cambridgeshire, PE27 3LX. PRINTED BY TO SUBSCRIBE www.obstacleracemagazine.com

Printed by Warners 01778 395111

TO ADVERTISE CALL 07932 411592

CONTRIBUTORS JOE BRIGHAM Joe has written the fantastic ‘Putting your Heart into Fundraising.’ Look out for more from Joe in the coming issues. JOEL HICKS Joel is an awesome guy who pretty much never stands still. He does some amazing challenges for charity and we will be following his adventures in coming issues. ED GAMESTER Ed has natural flair for writing and really makes you feel like you’re experiencing what he’s written. In this issue he tells the tale of a battle with Tough Guy. NELE SHULZE Nele is our contributing writer who covers everything US based. She loves a challenge and being a Death Race winner she knows what it is to hurt. In this issue she shares her adventure on volcanic Nicaraguan island. SHEAMUS COGAN Sheamus is the thinker of the team. He will be taking us on a journey of discovery though the human mind and the psychology behind subjects linked to OCR. KAREN SCUTT & DARREN GROVES You will see this pair at most races as they’re OCR addicts. We guess it’s true what they say; couples who play together

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stay together. This issue they will be sharing with us what it’s like to take on 4 laps of the Nuts challenge course. JAMES SMITH James is one of the Race Directors behind Toxic 10. They’re updating us in each issue all the trials and tribulations that face an aspiring Race Director. This is a journey you will want to stay glued to. PHOTOGRAPHY PROVIDED BY: Glynne Pritchard - Tough Guy, Epic Action Imagery MISC/Tough Guy, Peter Finch, Pete Williamson - Crossfit Article. Every effort is made to ensure that the advertising and editorial content in Obstacle Race Magazine is supplied from reliable and reputable sources and is contributed with integrity and accuracy. However no warranties or claims can be made against Obstacle Race Magazine in respect of the contents OR the views of individuals who do not necessarily represent the views of the Magazine, Spuddy Media ltd or the Publisher ISSN 2053-9495 Contact us by letter at: OBSTACLE RACE MAGAZINE 370 WHEELWRIGHT LANE ASH GREEN, COVENTRY, CV7 9HL

CONTENT KIT TESTING

RACE REVIEWS

REEBOK ALL TERRAIN SUPER SHOE REVIEW The review everyone’s been waiting for, find out just how these shoes coped with the UK’s finest mud. INOV-8 BARE GRIP SHOE REVIEW These beasts are stripped back no holds barred racing shoes that the minimalist crowd will be racing to get their hands on.

FEATURES 10 14 30 52

BEHIND THE SCENES OF OCR The men behind the lens catching your amazing race photographs. CROSSFIT- THE SPORT OF FITNESS Ryan Wells gives us another awesome insight in to the world of CrossFit. BORN SURVIVORS These guys show that you should never let any obstacles get in your way. NEVER WITHOUT A SMILE Joel shares his amazing experiences that leave him ‘Always with a Smile’.

PROFILES 48 70

HOBIE CALL RACER REVIEW The worlds most successful obstacle racing athlete. KATIE KEEBLE RACER PROFILE The women giving all the men a run for their money.

NUTS CHALLENGE Mud, obstacles and more Mud. TOUGH GUY The race the really separates the men from the boys.

AVALANCHE RUN Proving yeti’s really do exists.

PANDEMONIUM Loads of races all rolled into one.

REGULARS 24 44 62 38 76 84 90 98

TRAINING TIPS MICHAEL COHEN This issue Michael breaks down some of the basic movements needed for a safe race. TOXIC 10- CHAPTER TWO We have another look at just what goes into putting an obstacle race together. LETTERS PAGE It’s your community - you write you share - we print. MUDTREST Your images sent in from all around the OCR scene. RECIPES Food for training, weight gaining and energy when racing. CAPTION COMPETITION Make us laugh with your imaginative observations and win free kit.

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MEET THE TEAM Carl Wibberley

Features Editor and Main Contact Carl has mud in his veins. Having completed over 100 OCRs, he’s part of the fabric of the OCR community and knows the scene intimately. If you don’t know Carl, it’s only be a matter of time. He quit his day job as a chef to work full-time on OR magazine and now writes with passion. He also likes to run in a dress when feeling particularly daring.

Carly Irwine

Race Reviews and Fitness Consultant Carly studied performing arts before becoming a fitness professional at One Leisure and C&C fitness in Cambridgeshire alongside her partner Chris Harlock. She’s a full time Gym Instructor and teacher in Advanced Bootcamp, Core Stability, Boxercise and Indoor Cycling. She will be testing kit and running OCRs to tell you about the good, the bad, and the downright muddy.

Ross Edgley

Supplements Advice Ross is one of the country’s leading authorities on supplements, so who better to write our supplement advice article than him. Ross has written for nearly every leading publication, passing on his vast knowledge of health and nutrition. Also as one of the founders of The Protein Works, the fastest growing supplement company in the country, we know his views on what to take are invaluable to us all.

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Kevin Newey

MD and Advertising Sales Kev has a career background in sales, met publisher Mark Petrou in 2007 and now runs OR magazine with him. He has competed in OCRs and is ridiculously trying to wind the clock back by testing Crossfit boxes for you inside these very pages. He has a dodgy knee but don’t tell him we told you. Kev is also a Coventry city fan.

Michael Cohen

Obstacle Race Training Michael is one of the OCR industry’s best known OCR training experts. Michael oversees the training of one of this season’s most successful obstacle racers Thomas Blanc, who also races for Michael’s OCR team Wild Forest Gym. Michael will be writing a series of articles to give you the know how to race your next OCR to the best of your ability.

Michelle Butler Nutritional Advice

Michelle is the writer of our Nutritional advice articles. She firmly believes in the importance of a healthy and varied diet, proven to play a pivotal role in maintaining a healthy body weight, enhancing general wellbeing and reducing the risk of a number of diseases. Michelle will be offering her expert advice in all areas of nutrition and food to help you make the changes necessary to achieve your goals.

Mark Petrou

Publisher, Media and Events Co-ordinator Originally a lard arse from Lewisham, Mark started an online community and a magazine for the hot food industry in 2006. A book followed in 2010, along with another magazine and then in 2011, Mark met Chris O’Neil - course manager at Spartan UK and discovered OCR. Chris introduced Mark to Carl Wibberley and the rest is history.

Ryan Wells

CrossFit Advice Column Ryan will be writing everything you could want to know about CrossFit. With the explosion of the popularity of CrossFit we would be crazy to ignore this subject. Ryan is the head Coach at CrossFit Coventry and served over seven years in the Royal Marines.

Chris Harlock

Product Testing and Sport Chris studied at Peterborough regional college to gain his NVQ level 3 personal trainer qualification, completed courses in Nutrition, sports massage, strength and conditioning. He came over to OCR from Triathlon and has had top ten finishes in Elite class OCRs. Currently at One Leisure and C&C fitness. Chris is ridiculously fit. Expect to see him whiz by but do catch up with him for a chat in our tent.

There are people out there who like Star Trek or Star Wars or being a guy - but wearing women’s clothes. At obstacle race magazine, we respect you all but we really want to focus on the people out there who like to chase down a finish line, over come obstacles and get down in the mud. Just like Dave (who at weekends – prefers to be called Mandy) Obstacle Race Magazine recognises that not everyone wants to share their love of OCR (or any other kind of activity – wink wink) on regular social networking sites.

introduce themselves and say hi, before contributing to the hot topics of the day. TALK MUD wants to know what you think. We want every walk of life from anywhere around the globe to know that there is always someone on TALK MUD who wants to chat about OCR. We want you to add links, add photo’s and make friends. TALK MUD is all about creating an umbrella community for the fantastic OCR family.

“TALK MUD” is a special place created by Obstacle Race Magazine for everyone nuts about OCR to be able to talk about it without all your normal – clean, couch potato friends thinking that you’re far too healthy or a little bit strange.

TALK MUD is still quite new and basic but growing day by day and will continue to evolve too. By the end of MAY this year, we will not only have a strong Canadian following but also an Aussie and UK presence too. The rest of the world will soon catch up.

We have some great debates already live on TALK MUD about various elements of OCR. Folk are chatting about the best race organisations, events, kit and training. There’s even a thread simply there for everyone to

So what are you waiting for? JOIN UP AND JOIN IN TODAY AND SAY G’DAY!!

VISIT WWW.TALKMUD.COM JOIN UP AND JOIN IN

THE PSYCHOLOGY BEHIND CHARITY RUNNING Written By Sheamus Cogan

Charity begins at home... your home! So get smart, and get ahead, by helping others That’s right, the first person to benefit from charitable actions is the so-called kind soul who gives up their time and makes the effort to raise funds or offer a helping hand. I say ‘kind soul’ because these people that appear rather nice, and possibly superior to you and I, are often actually cold, smart, calculating individuals who might just be getting more from their lives than you and I. What an uncharitable and cynical view? Not really, all it really does is open up the door to us all to be much happier with our own lives by helping others overcome their obstacles. Psychologists have debated for years whether there is really such a thing as altruism, a behaviour where we help others without gain for ourselves AND at some cost to us too. The great news is that it really doesn’t exist. Not that there aren’t genuine sacrifices made but the problem is that those who give or help always benefit from their actions. We’re not talking about the free training shirt you might get for agreeing to run for your nominated charity or even the immense sense of satisfaction at seeing huge sums of money raised. Simply helping another racer with a carefully placed hand on the rear end to get up and over ‘that’ wall, or turning around to drag the next one out the ditch, has immediate psychological benefit. We instantly, and instinctively, feel and know that we’ve done the right thing. What’s more, you just know everyone that’s witnessed this selfless act sees you as someone who’s in control, a good ‘guy’ and someone we can all rely one. The best bit of all,

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it’s infectious – especially in Obstacle Racing. Right from the acknowledged beginnings of Obstacle Racing at Tough Guy, charitable behaviour, as well as charitable fund raising, has become a cornerstone of our sport. Few sports engage the heart beyond its biological function in the way that OCR does. But it goes deeper, much deeper, than that mud filled ditch you’re struggling to haul yourself out of. Those around you don’t just look on with sympathy, no matter how tired and wet they are they still take that conscious decision to help, to be charitable with their time and energy. For the elites amongst us, you really are missing out on the wonderful spectacle of the human spirit in action going on several miles and hours behind you. Or more often than not in a filthy, chest-deep, partially frozen pond whilst you are finishing off your post-race recovery snack in the comfort of your car with the heater blazing. Yes, we conveniently forget the charitable acts of the elites and front runners – breaking the ice, trampling the nettles and brambles, detecting all the deepest and softest ground and thoughtfully leaving flesh and clothing markers on all the sharpest obstacles as warnings for the mere mortals that follow. All of this innate on-course charitable spirit is all well and good, for us and our fellow participants, but many of our events also give us the opportunity to put something back into our communities at large. Some events are already run by specific charities, most notably those with military links. But the opportunities are there for more and more charities to tap into the hugely generous nature of OCR competitors and for us to use our trials and

THERE ARE 180,000 REGISTERED CHARITIES IN ENGLAND AND WALES OUR FIGURES SHOW THAT AROUND 6% OF CHARITIES GENERATE ALMOST 90% OF THE TOTAL ANNUAL INCOME RECORDED

exploits to raise cash and awareness for causes close to our hearts. That said, the charities themselves are best placed to extol the practical benefits of their work. So let’s concentrate on the one person who really counts, YOU (or is that ‘ME, ME, ME’?!). In a recent study at Harvard it was found that happier people give more and those that give more are happier. Even more advantageous to us is that a number of other studies have found that happier people can run further before exhaustion. Many of the studies found that happier people have a more helpful internal dialogue, and we can all learn that internal dialogue. It has also been shown that the positive emotions induced by having received or enacted charitable behaviour last longer than the benefits of the act itself. What we are really talking about is what Social Psychologists would call pro-social behaviour. The sort of behaviour that we can take from OCR and into our daily lives and vice-versa. Undertaking random acts of kindness of the most trivial nature through to committing to an event that truly stretches your limits. The behaviour has been shown to be highly infectious so be prepared to soon find yourself being helped, being surrounded by people that consistently smile, and share in your successes. As highlighted in the previous research we understand that the greater the act, the greater the self-reward. Maybe you think you are far too smart to fall for such a simple ‘trick’. Maybe you don’t need good people in your life. Maybe you are wholly self-sufficient. But you’re not, are you? You’re an Obstacle Racer, you’re wholly aware of your weaknesses and vulnerabilities but you’re also an optimist. Why else would you put yourself to test, have your mind and body put under real duress, unless you had a very real understanding that life’s a struggle. Some of us are fortunate enough to get out there and do ‘stuff’ for ourselves and others, and we know how fortunate we are. The charities need our help and we need them. With all the evidence out there, how could you not run for charity or at least not behave charitably towards your fellow Obstacle Course Racers?

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BEHIND THE SCENES OF OCR Photos by Epic Action Imagery

So we all go to these races and challenges one hundred percent prepared for what we may encounter. Towel check, shoes check, waiver check. But we never give a second thought to how this often once in a lifetime achievement may be documented. This is where the race day photographers come in. Sometimes you’re so much in the zone you don’t even notice they’re there until you get home and search through the galleries of pictures from the day’s racing, and find a little slice of what you have felt that day in one or two perfect pictures. These picture are the ones you use for bragging rights whether it be down the pub with your mates or to your children while they sit looking at you like you’re their hero. So we thought we would send our editor Carl to go and interview probably the moment’s busiest photographers in the UK and Canada, Epic Action Imagery. ORM: So tell us a little about Epic Action Imagery? Epic Action Imagery was formed following the division of my old business. I’ve been shooting Spartan Races since the first UK race at Cambridge in 2010. I was quickly hooked and am delighted to have worked with the inspirational Spartan team ever since. The core team consists of myself and Aaron Murrell along with my sister, Caroline. Aaron looks after all the operations. This is invaluable as I am busy outside of photography and having such a capable right hand man is crucial to our success. I guess (if we had to have one) our specialism is action photography… as the name suggests. I’m not motivated by portraits or similar and much prefer shooting things that move. I would really like to shoot something like Parkour, the movement and backdrops would make for some great opportunities to get shots. I shot a Mega Avalanche race

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in Alpe D’Huez a few years ago and that was an amazing experience. Watching bikes flying down narrow tracks with precipitous drops on one side was mesmerising especially given the majestic beauty of the French Alps as a backdrop. Having spent time with a number of Canadian photographers this summer, I’m curious to have a go at shooting skiing. Although a few extra thermal layers may be required. ORM: What would you say is your favourite part of the job? I really enjoy shooting sports. Away from OCR, I do a lot of football; which given that I’m a bit of football fan is a real pleasure. My favourite bit of an OCR is finding a great spot to shoot an obstacle and just getting down for a day of action. This has in the past included finding a random pallet at the side of muddy bank and setting up for the day on it! Watching people through the lens as they come over the fire jump or through the mud under the wire is great fun. You never really know how racers are going to react to an obstacle. I like to shoot the fire jump and you’ll get a mix of techniques ranging from flamboyant forward rolls to wideeyed leaps. The one thing in common with all jumpers is the clear satisfaction across their faces as they continue past me towards the next obstacle. We’ve met some amazing people in the OCR world and that what makes it a great place to be. I think that the sport has a great future. It combines so many of the good bits of other sports; but in a really fun way. Maybe it can follow the development trajectory of Triathlons and move into the mainstream in the future. It certainly is a great way to target fitness, healthy living and camaraderie. Having said that the humour of some racers is spot on. A team of onesie penguins being a memorable feature of the Yorkshire Spartan Sprint in 2012. ORM: How many people do you think you photographed by the end of 2013? Haha, I don’t think we’ll know the total number of people. By the end of the year, we had almost 300,000 images on line from various events. We keep all the original copies too, so the various hard drives around our HQ are full. File indexing is a learning experience for us as we try and create a library system to help find images. In the days after an event we’re busy receiving images, putting them through various processes to add watermarks before uploading them to the galleries. This keeps the team busy, but gives us a huge amount of satisfaction when we come across images that show just how much enjoyment can be taken from taking part in an OCR. ORM: It seem like you guys have been very busy the last couple of months, can you tell us a little about that? 2013 was a really fun year. Adding the Spartan events in eastern Canada to the calendar was awesome and an interesting challenge. We quickly made links with a team lead in Ottawa and things sort of snowballed from there. We had a team of photographers from Montreal, Toronto and Ottawa covering the races, with Aaron and I traveling out from the UK for the first 3 events. We also worked with the Spartan Training camps. It was great to see how the coach, Michael Cohen, puts attendees through a gruelling, but impressively educational session. It can be interesting trying to keep up with the group as they move through Pippingford Park whilst lugging the camera gear about. I took a long 400mm lens to the first session. It didn’t get taken again!

ORM: What has been your favourite moment while photographing at a race so far? There are lots of moments where you see people overcoming their fears and fatigue and the look on their face says so much about how they feel. This is the biggest difference between the road races we cover and the obstacle courses. During the race tends to be quite full on, making sure we capture as many of the racers as possible. There is one moment from the Midlands Spartan in 2012 which stands out. The race was 2 days after I’d moved house and I was planning just to shoot the promotional shots and leave the rest of the team to capture the main action. However, after shooting a few frames of racers emerging from the river I realised I just had to stay. It was great fun. Thousands of racers swimming under 2 rows of barrels and emerging into the sunshine. Made for some of my favourite shots to date. ORM: What would you say are the downsides to photographing at OCRs? There aren’t many downsides. Keeping the gear clean when there’s mud everywhere can be a challenge. The water obstacle at the Yorkshire Spartan Sprint is a particular favourite location, but it does mean being aware of the mud! Rain can be a bit of a chore too, but thanks to a bit of Heath Robinson ingenuity, a Karrimor dry bag, and Velcro, I’m equipped to just keep shooting. Although, when working for another company at Tough Mudder in May 2013, the rain beat me – trying to point the lens upwards into driving rain as racers jumped off the Walk the Plank obstacle made life difficult. Sometimes, having a chamois leather in my camera bag is invaluable. However, I really do enjoy the unpredictability of the events and the imperfection of the circumstances we shoot in. ORM: Do you have any secret weapons to get you the amazing shots you seem to produce again and again? Thanks. Practice! Before I starting shooting OCRs, I’d covered football and a range of other sports. There were plenty of occasions where the crucial action was missed and with an expectant sports desk waiting for the shots that tell the story; it’s not a habit to get into. So I guess patience and concentration are important. You don’t get a second chance and you can’t really go back and try and recreate the moment as someone jumps through the flames or evades the gladiators. Having the right gear is important too. I use Canon gear and when I switched to using a 1Dx I was amazed with its quality. There aren’t many budget options with photography. Good quality gear comes with a bit of a price, but it’s worth the investment. When we bring new photographers into the team their portfolio, gear and experience are, of course, very important. However, we also want team members to have the same mentality as ours. We all like to think that we graft and put the racers first. The community feel of the races and the racers means that many of them have become friends. On a personal level, they certainly inspire me to have a more healthy and active lifestyle. As such, I feel that we owe them high quality images as a thanks for what they give to us. We’re looking forward to 2014, with Canada arrangements almost done and starting to work with Doug and his team at Dirty Dozen Races we’re looking forward to being busy again. Awesome stuff, thank you so much for giving us a little peek in to your world.

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NUTRITION ESSENTIALS FOR OBSTACLE RACE TRAINING Written by Dietitian Michelle Butler @Good4U Nutrition

ONE MONTH TO GO…

Bump up your carb intake to around 60% of your total energy intake by consuming plenty of wholegrains such as oats, brown rice, sweet potato, baby potatoes, oat bran, quinoa and wholegrain bread. The average person training needs about 5-7g carbohydrate/kg of body weight but this should be increased to 7-10g the week leading to the event.

Give your body a BOOST with plenty of vitamins and minerals - intense training sessions can take their toll on the body and suppress your immune system if you’re not looking after yourself. Consume plenty of berries, seeds such as pumpkin and sunflower, turkey, wholegrains, lentils and oily fish to boost your levels of vitamin C, B and omega-3 which are all important for immunity. You don’t need to rely on supplements, you should be able to meet this requirement through your diet.

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Protein intake should be between 1.2-1.8g/kg/day. Consume plenty of lean red meat, fish, chicken or veggie alternatives with both lunch and dinner and 2-3 portions of dairy per day. Protein eaten together with carbohydrate can improve protein balance and absorption, and help with muscle repair and recovery.

Don’t wait until too close to race day to test out a diet plan. Choose a weekend about three weeks prior to race day to experiment. Try a protein shake, a banana with oatmeal, or a bowl of cereal with milk. Don’t forget to eat and drink during your training session to figure out what works best for you - whether it’s bananas, energy bars, drinks or gels.

Michelle is the fourth member of the Butler and Good4U family. She obtained her PG Dip in Dietetics from Kings College London.

THE BIG DAY…

Ensure your glycogen stores are fuelled by eating two hours before your event. Eating too close to an event can lead to an upset stomach or can negatively interact with your body’s natural insulin response. But if you’ve practiced beforehand you’ll have a good idea of what your body needs. Get to bed early so you can get up and get prepared. Opt for things like:

THE WEEK BEFORE…

Up your carb intake to about 70% to help build your glycogen stores by consuming between 7-10g carbohydrate/kg.

Hydration, hydration, hydration - drink a minimum of 2.5L of water per day and limit your intake of dehydrating drinks such as excess caffeine and alcohol.

Don’t overdo it; carb-loading the night before an event is crucial but make sure not to veer to far from your eating plan as this could impact negatively on your performance. Better to indulge a little during the week before but not the day before.

 Wholegrain bagel with almond/peanut butter with banana and honey  Weetabix or muesli with a piece of fruit  Porridge oats with milk, blueberries, and yoghurt Bananas are a popular race day fuel, and for good reason—not only are they portable, but the potassium can also help stave off cramps.

For longer events you should refuel about every 60—90 minutes to avoid a crash. Focus on simple carbs like sports drinks, bananas, and gels. You should take in between 30 to 60 grams of carbs (120 to 240 calories) per hour. The important thing, he says, is not to throw in any last-minute changes that can mess with your performance.

THEE 3 R’s – REFUEL, REPAIR AND REHYDRATE. The biggest school-boy error made is the recovery plan. After the race a 4:1 carbs to protein ratio is generally a good combination. The carbs help you to refuel and replenish your glycogen stores while the protein repairs the muscles. Stay tuned for more nutrition tips in next issue on SUPPLEMENTS and what really works. But for now let’s work on getting the diet right…

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CROSSFIT: THE SPORT OF FITNESS! Written by Ryan Wells Photographs by Pete Williamson

CrossFit, in my opinion, is the best fitness programme there is. That’s not just because of the functional movements it uses, or the high intensity workouts, or the ability to be constantly learning, or even the amazing community atmosphere that it creates, which keeps you going back for more to see your friends. What I think really puts it head and shoulders above any other fitness programme is the fact that it’s not JUST a fitness programme, it’s actually a sport, and a damn competitive one too if you want it to be. Don’t get me wrong, if the competitive environment isn’t what you seek then that’s fine too, it will still give you everything you need in terms of keeping fit, having fun and socialising. However, some people need that competition to push themselves to their absolute limits, and that’s where CrossFit as a sport comes in. At my box I’m constantly seeing ex-rugby players, football players, and competitive weightlifters coming in seeking something more than a normal gym workout. When you’ve competed in sports all your life it’s very hard to just let go and start a normal, mundane routine to keep your fitness levels up. They need something more, so adding this element of competition, especially when you’re there working out with your friends, gives them that. It’s human nature to push yourself harder to try and outperform or ‘win’ at the workout set for you that day. This means you’re always going to get more out of your training because you’re putting that much more into it. There are a huge amount of CrossFit competitions out there at all levels for people who want to compete and challenge themselves. These start with the small in-house ‘Throwdowns’ that a box will organise just for its members as a bit of fun and competition. These will usually have different categories for different levels of experience and ability. Then you have the massive Reebok CrossFit Games, a huge international event which well over 100,000 people from all over the world enter. This starts on the 27th February with the first of five

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online qualifiers with one released each week. You perform at your local CrossFit box so each qualifier can be officially judged, and then your scores are submitted online. The top athletes from around the world then go into the Regionals. Our ‘region’ is actually the whole of Europe, and is going to be held in Copenhagen, Denmark this year. The top athletes from these regional competitions then go through to the Final for the Reebok CrossFit games. This is usually held in California with twelve gruelling events over 4 days to decide who is crowned the fittest man and woman on earth. The element that makes the CrossFit Games unlike any other sport in the world is the way that once you submit your scores online. You can search and look at everyone else’s scores and see how you compare to them. This could be your best mate that you go the gym with, or a friend that trains at another gym the other side of the country, or even Rich Froning, the winner of the CrossFit Games for the last 3 years running. I can’t think of any other competitive sport that allows you to directly compete and compare yourself to the rest of the world like this, no matter what level you’re at. The UK itself also has several big competitions that happen each year that are for high level competitors and are great events to go and watch. The biggest at the moment are ‘The Battle of London’, which is an individual athlete’s competition that was held at the Copperbox Arena in London this year in January, and also ‘Divided We Fall’, a team competition consisting of 2 male and 2 female athletes being held at the Motorpoint arena, Cardiff, in May this year. The atmosphere at these big competitions is incredible. Even if there’s just one or two athletes from the box competing, you will always get a huge amount of support from the other members who will travel to come and watch and cheer you on, all wearing the gyms shirts with pride to show what tribe they belong to. It’s just like supporters at a football match, except in this case all the supporters personally know and have trained with the competing athletes, which makes it even more intense. I love competing. It makes you feel like all this training has been for a purpose other than to just stay in shape, which alone should be a good enough reason. With all the support from your loyal box members screaming and shouting for you to push harder, you know you’re going to perform at the top of your game. That’s why on competition day you always end up doing bigger lifts and faster times than you have ever donr before when you’re just training normally back at the box. That in turn gives you a huge confidence boost and belief in your abilities, letting you then go on and train even harder. You keep showing up at the gym, when without that feeling you might have just given up months ago. This is what I feel is key to the success of CrossFit. Unlike a normal gym where people join usually in January as a New Year’s resolution, and then get bored after a few months, at our box when people join, they’re here for good. It’s not just a fitness programme, it’s so much more. Whether it be to compete or just to get fit, have fun and feel part of a community of like-minded people, there is something there for everyone.

Obstacle Race | Issue 2

Issue 2 | Obstacle Race

MUDNIFICENT 7 SO WHAT IS MUDNIFICENT 7?

THE 1ST MULTIPLE

BRANDED OBSTACLE RACE

EVER Plus

THE UKâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S FIRST

DEDICATED OBSTACLE RACE EXPO EVER!

Obstacle Race | Issue 2

Obstable Race Magazine – the UK’s number one read for OCR have teamed up with Seven of the UK’s very best OCR organisations to bring you the experience of the summer in 2015. Seven kilometres of the 7 best sets of obstacles - back to back - to create the ultimate course - followed at the finish line by an OCR Expo – showcasing the latest race gear, supplements and services dedicated to OCR. The Fastest time of the day to complete MUD7 will receive over a thousand pounds worth of race entries to use or give to friends plus £1000 in Cash. Q. So who are the Mudnificent 7? A. Think of your favourite races this year, think of the biggest names in OCR and we bet you’ll guess at least 5 of the races that we’ll be featuring at MUD7. Q. who is exhibiting at the EXPO A. We’ve got supplements, apparel, footwear and race directors, charities, training camps, OCR Champs and night running lamps. Gloves, hats, beakers, sneakers and special guest speakers – not to mention discounts, meals and steals and deals. Q. where is it taking place and how do I pre - register for tickets? A. all the answers - Who, Where, When and how will be answered in our next issue and on our website and facebook page. Entry to the MUD 7 race will be limited and will qualify FREE entry to the EXPO so look out for the MUD7 alerts and news over the coming weeks…

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PROTEIN FOR OBSTACLE RACING Written by Ross Edgley

High protein diets have long been associated with strength based sports like rugby and power lifting. But recent studies reveal protein could play a bigger role in an endurance athletes training, nutrition and recovery than initially first thought. Here Co-Founder of THE PROTEIN WORKS™, and Sports Scientist, Ross Edgley talks about how much protein you may need when training for an obstacle race, the benefits of a high protein diet, and lastly the different types of protein powders available.

Protein is often called the building blocks of the body since it consists of combinations of structures called amino acids that combine in various ways to make muscles, bone, tendons and other tissues. Now although strength athletes and bodybuilders require an adequate amount of protein for protein synthesis and to maintain a positive nitrogen balance in the body to ultimately increase the size of their muscles (known as muscular hypertrophy), endurance athletes need protein primarily to repair and rebuild muscle that is broken down during exercise and to help optimise carbohydrate storage in the form of glycogen. And whilst The International Olympic Committee Consensus on Sports Nutrition states ‘the importance of protein for athletes has long been recognized’ (Ron. J.M. et al, 2004) until recently it wasn’t exactly known how much. Firstly as a means of comparison, let’s examine the daily-suggested protein consumption for strength athletes. Again The International Olympic Committee Consensus on Sports Nutrition states ‘strength or speed athletes were recommended to consume 1.7grams of protein per kg of bodyweight per day.’ For a 100kg rugby player this equates to 170 grams of protein per day, usually broken down into 6 meals spaced roughly 2 hours apart throughout the day, each containing 28.33 grams of protein each. Interestingly though, some experts are claiming endurance athletes need more. In a study conducted at McMaster University in Ontario, Canada, it was suggested ‘that endurance athletes require a greater intake of protein than either strength athletes or sedentary

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individuals to meet the needs of protein catabolism during exercise.’ (M. A. Tarnopolsky et al, 1999.) Put simply, this means because running a 20km+ assault course is so hard, the body requires more protein to prevent it from entering into a catabolic state i.e. muscles begin to breakdown, the immune system is badly affected, and injuries are more likely to occur. However, having an adequate supply of protein and amino acids in your body to act as protein building blocks means that your muscles are able to fully recover. So to make it more specific to obstacle racing, based on Olympic Nutritional guidelines (1.7grams of protein per kg of bodyweight per day) an 80kg male runner, training 60-90 minutes per day, should be consuming 136 grams of protein (broken down into 6 meals spaced roughly 2 hours apart throughout the day, each containing 22.67grams of protein) to ensure his elevated nutritional needs are met due to intense training. Finally, whilst there are many studies conducted into the amount of dietary protein needed and its benefits, there’s very little research that looks into the different forms of protein supplements available for different types of athletes depending on their nutritional goals, food intolerances or dietary preferences. So, to help you better understand the different benefits the different proteins have, below we’ve listed the research around each. Best Protein For… Nutrient Timing

Sports Scientists are claiming that what an athlete consumes is just as important as when it’s consumed. It’s known as a nutrient timing strategy and it works on the premise that knowing when to eat certain foods is key to reaching your performance goals. Perhaps the most obvious example of this is immediately following training since your muscles are starved and possess a ‘sponge like’ property that experts believe is responsible for your muscles increased ability for protein synthesis (A. Chesley et al, 1992). That’s why it’s important to have a rapidly absorbed protein following training and that’s the reason many athletes use whey protein since it’s regarded as

the most digestible, rapidly absorbed protein available. More specifically Whey Protein 80 from THE PROTEIN WORKS™ has been enhanced with AMINOGEN® enzyme technology which is shown to further improve the absorption rate of the whey protein itself. Studies have also investigated the use of protein supplements pre-workout as a means of increasing protein synthesis and reducing muscle breakdown and damage. Interestingly, the authors concluded that the effect on the net protein status (breakdown vs. synthesis) was greater when athletes were given just 20 grams of whey protein 1 hour before exercise (Chad Kerksick et al, 2008) than if they consumed nothing at all. Secondly, in a similar study conducted at Baylor University, Texas, that looked into protein supplementation pre workout, participants performed intense exercise 4 days per week for 10 weeks. Participants were assigned to ingest either 20g of protein (comprised of 14g whey protein and casein and 6g of free amino acids) or 20g carbohydrates before and after each exercise bout for a total of 40 g/day of protein or 40 g/day carbohydrates. It was found that individuals consuming the protein supplement experienced greater increases in body mass, fat-free mass, strength, serum levels of IGF-1 and myofibrillar protein content (Willoughby DS et al, 2007). In all of the studies whey protein was used as the main source of protein. This therefore could be used pre workout by strength athletes wanting to maintain muscle and strength. Sleep is so important for athletes since it’s during this time that your body produces more growth hormone and replenishes critical neurotransmitters like dopamine and adrenalin. Equally important is this idea of drip feeding the muscles amino acids throughout the night by having a slow releasing protein before bed. Interestingly a study conducted at the Division of Endocrinology at Mayo Clinic in Minnesota found that casein demonstrated more of a sustained anabolic effect than the quicker absorbing whey protein (Mattias Soop et al, 2012). It’s believed it achieves this because gastric acids found in our stomachs cause the casein molecules to coagulate, which form a gel-like clot that makes for the perfect scenario in amino acid delivery since the process of breaking down the gel takes hours which means your muscles are slowly fed protein throughout the night. This is why THE PROTEIN WORKS™ Bedtime Fuel is made from casein protein, to ensure your body has everything it needs to repair and recover during the night. Best Protein For…Additional Nutrients and EFAs

Widely considered to be one of the best whole, nongenetically modified, well-rounded proteins on the market today, Hemp protein is not only a great source of protein but also a good source of healthy fats too (as well as fibre, antioxidants, vitamins, minerals, and chlorophyll). This is why many athletes look to incorporate hemp protein into their diets since EFAs have been well documented to be beneficial to athletes aiding in everything from decreasing muscle breakdown, decreasing inflammation, increasing muscle growth, speeding up recovery time, supporting optimal hormone secretion and supporting healthy joints and connective tissue. Looking more closely at the nutritional breakdown of Hemp protein, it’s about 44% healthy oils by weight, out of this 80% is essential fatty acids (EFAs). It has a 3:1 ratio of omega 6s to omega 3s which is considered ‘optimal’ by the World Health Organization. Plus it can be further defined as 55% linoleic acid and 1-4% gamma-linolenic acid, which both

Issue 2 | Obstacle Race

are omega 6 acids. Notably gamma linolenic acid is quite hard to get in the diet yet hemp protein is a great source. The remaining third of the EFAs are alpha-linolenic acid (ALA) at 22% and stearidonic acid (SDA) at 0-2%, which are omega 3 acids. Best Protein For… Vegans and Vegetarians

Whilst soy protein is often chosen by vegetarian or vegan athletes as an effective alternative to whey protein, it also has a range of benefits other than supporting dietary preferences. Firstly, it’s considered a complete protein source since it contains an adequate amount of all 9 essential amino acids. More specifically, it has a high concentration of Branch Chain Amino Acids, Glutamine and Arginine which is why soy protein is considered so effective in helping to maintain and even build muscle mass (I. Dragan et al, 1990) expelling the myths that soy protein is a sub-standard protein source in comparison to whey. Lastly, in a study conducted at Nippon Sport Science University, it was found soy exerts potent antioxidant effects, perhaps counteracting exerciseinduced oxidant stress (Y. Song et al 1996).

Best Protein For… Hypo-Allergenic

For some athletes meeting their daily requirement of protein can prove difficult if they cannot tolerate egg, milk, and soy derived protein due to allergies. Perhaps most common is lactose intolerance since as stated by N.S Scrimshaw and E.B Murray (1988) ‘most humans, like other mammals, gradually lose the intestinal enzyme lactase after infancy and with it the ability to digest lactose, the principle sugar in milk.’ To give you an idea of how widespread it can be, the same researchers predicted it affected 79% of Native Americans, 75% of afrocaribbean, 51% of Hispanics, and 21% of Caucasians and in Africa, Asia, and Latin America, with prevalence rates ranging from 15-100% depending on the population studied. That’s why brown rice protein is considered a great choice since it has an amino acid profile closest to mother’s milk and has an 80% protein content, similar to whey concentrate. It is produced by various steps of fermentation, filtration and enzymatic processing to remove the protein and fibre from wholegrain brown rice. The basis for this process is sprouted wholegrain brown rice which is the raw material for production.

REFERENCES: Short, S.H. and Short, W.R (1983) ‘Four-year study of university athletes’ dietary intake’ 1983 Jun;82(6):632-45.

Leeuwenburgh, C., and Li, L.L., “Glutathione Depletion in Rested and Exercised Mice: Biochemical Consequences and Adaptation,” Arch Biochem Biophys 316.22 (1995) : 941-9.

M. A. Tarnopolsky, J. D. MacDougall, and S. A. Atkinson (1999) ‘Influence of protein intake and training status on nitrogen balance and lean body mass’ Journal of Applied Physiology

Leeuwenburgh, C., and Li, L.L., “Glutathione and Glutathione Ester Supplementation of Mice Alter Glutathione Homeostasis During Exercise,” J Nutr 128.12 (1998) : 2420-6.

Economos, D.D. Bortz, S.S. Nelson, M.E (1993) ‘Nutritional practices of elite athletes. Practical recommendations.’ Journal of Sports Medicine 1993 Dec;16(6):381-99.

Lemon, P.W.R., et al., “Protein Requirements and Muscle Mass/Strength Changes During Intensive Training in Novice Bodybuilders,” J Appl Physiol 73 (1992) : 767-7. Lemon, P.W.R., “Effects of Exercise on Protein Metabolism. In Nutrition in Sport (Maughan, R.J. [ed.], Blackwell Science Ltd., 1257-65) 2000.

Paul GL. Dietary protein requirements of physically active individuals. Sports Med 1989; 8:154-176. Boirie, Y., et al., “Slow and Fast Dietary Proteins Differently Modulate Post-Prandial Protein Accretion,” Proc Natl Acad Sci 94 (1997) : 14930-5.

Sen, CK., et al., “Exercise-Induced Oxidative Stress: Glutathione Supplementation and Deficiency,” J Appl Physiol 77.5 (1994) : 2177-87.

Dangin, M., et al., “The Digestion Rate of Protein Is an Independent Regulating Factor of Post-Prandial Protein Retention,” Am J Physiol (Endocrinology & Metabolism) 280.2 (2001) : E340 -8.

Svensson, M.B., “Endogenous Antioxidants in Human Skeletal Muscle and Adaptation of Energy Metabolism: With Reference to Exercise—Training, Exercise Factors and Nutrition,” Ph.D. Thesis, Karolinska Institute, Sweden, 2003.

Gambelunghe, C., et al., “Physical Exercise Intensity Can Be Related to Plasma Glutathione Levels,” J Physiol Biochem 57.2 (1997) : 9-14.

Tarnopolsky, M.A., et al., “Evaluation of Protein Requirements for Strength Trained Athletes,” J Appl Physiol 73 (1992) : 1986-95.

Kerksick, C., et al., “Effects of Whey Protein Supplementation with Casein or BCAA & Glutamine on Training Adaptations II: Performance,” Med Sci Sport Exer 35.5 (2003) : abstract 2204.

Ziemlanski, S., et al., “Balanced Intraintestinal Nutrition: Digestion, Absorption and Biological Value of Selected Preparations of Milk Proteins,” Acta Physiol Pol 29.6 (1978) : 543-56.

Kreider, R., et al., “Effects of Whey Protein Supplementation with Casein or BCAA & Glutamine on Training Adaptations I: Body Composition,” Med Sci Sport Exer 35.5 (2003) : abstract 2205.

Yves Boirie, Martial Dangin, Pierre Gachon, Marie-Paule Vasson, Jean-Louis Maubois, and Bernard Beaufrère (1997) ‘Slow and fast dietary proteins differently modulate postprandial protein accretion’

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DIRTY DOZEN COMPETITION Obstacle Race Magazine has teamed up with Dirty Dozen Races to offer one lucky reader the chance to win a 2014 season pass to the remaining 3 weekend events in the Dirty Dozen race season…

SOUTH WEST 21ST AND 22ND JUNE LONDON EAST 16TH AND 17TH AUGUST LONDON SOUTH 27TH AND 28TH SEPTEMBER The season pass is worth £125 but Obstacle Race Magazine has unlocked our lucky winner a few extra treats too in exclusive Dirty Dozen apparel and the chance to train with some of the UK’s most renowned elite racers. Dirty Dozen host 3 different distance events – all with a certain number of military style obstacles at each. To be in with a chance of winning this exclusive prize, visit www. dirtydozenraces.com and find out what those distances and number of obstacles are.

EMAIL YOUR ANSWERS TO OBSTACLE RACE MAGAZINE COMPS@OBSTACLERACEMAGAZINE.COM BY THE END OF APRIL WHEN ONE CORRECT ENTRY WILL BE DRAWN.

HOW TO TRAIN WITHOUT OBSTACLES Written By Coach Michael of TEAM Wild Forest Gym Pictures by Epic Action Imagery

We asked our in-house obstacle race trainer Michael Cohen to explain how he trains his elite OCR athletes at TEAM Wild Forest Gym without using obstacles. Here’s what he said: As a team we can’t always be on an obstacle course to practice the techniques, but that said, we don’t actually need to be on one. When we look at the individual elements of an obstacle, it’s about understanding the functional natural movements that are involved in the obstacle. These include: climbing, balancing, crawling, running, jumping, pulling, lifting, and throwing. So how can we practice these skills without walls, cargo nets and monkey bars? You will be quite surprised by what you can find in your local environment, close to your home or work. Sometimes it does need some imagination and other times you just need to think outside of the box.

DANGER WARNING Training is dangerous. Particularly when you train outdoors or in a non-coached and unsupervised environment. It can lead to serious injury or even death. Not all apparatus and natural objects are suitable for training on. It is important that you check that whatever you use is fit for the purpose and that it can hold or take your body weight. For example, always check breaking strain guidance. Training in the wet, cold, and winter conditions makes surfaces slippery and dangerous. Always be aware. Trees, branches, walls and other natural and man-made objects, surfaces and obstacle are DANGEROUS. There is always a risk of slipping or falling. Always use a safety mat where available to reduce impact and risk of injury. Always train in groups rather than on your own. Always tell someone where you are training.

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CLIMBING

Trees Limbs - Every park or woodland has trees with low limbs i.e. less than 2 metres from the ground. Great for variations in pull-ups, body hangs, lateral traverses, inverted scrambling branch to branch. Hand only techniques or hand and foot. Low Tree Climbing – Tree climbs where you can fit your hands around the trunk and clamp your feet on either side is excellent for core and upper body strength. Gym rope climbing in tree – Climb a gym rope in your park tree. In addition to the rope you will need a throw rope and throw weight to install and retrieve rope from yout park or forest tree. Rope climbing is one of the best upper body and core ways to train. Park Playground – Most kids playgrounds have monkey bars, pull up bars or just an apparatus with a horizontal or angled bar. Gymnastics Club – Check out your local gymnastics club where you will find high bars, climbing ropes. Crossfit boxes – Usually have frames and ropes to climb with. Parkour – See if there is a local Parkour group or centre as most sessions will include an element of climbing. JUMPING

Logs – In the forest use horizontal tree trunk or large branches to jump over. Branches – Use 2 thin branches as jump markers for your launch line and your landing area.

FINE TUNING YOUR PERFORMANCE Issue 2 | Obstacle Race

Puddles – In this wet weather just puddle jump. It may sound simple but it is affective. Plus it will remind you of your childhood days probably. Streams – Jump across small streams. Trenches – Jump across/up/down trenches. Park benches – Jump up/down. Tree stumps – Jump up/down. LIFTING, THROWING, DRAGGING

Logs – Every log has a different centre of gravity, shape and grip. This will train you muscles and your mind multilaterally, rather than only doing specialised movements.

BALANCING

Forests – Use fallen tree limbs and trunks to balance. Each will have a different texture, diameter and sturdiness. Park Bench – Use the top edge to balance and traverse. Tree stumps – Use different size and height stumps. Park railings – Advanced techniques. Park paths – Traverse narrow path edges in the park. Playground – Traverse raised edging around play areas. Gymnastics club – Always have beams to balance on.

Stones - Every stone similarly has a different centre of gravity, shape and grip.

COACHING ADVICE

Web sling & chain – Used to drag stones and logs. Great for working shoulders, arms, core and legs.

“Anyone can climb, jump, lift, throw, catch, carry, pull or balance. However optimum performance, speed and power come from learning advanced techniques & skills, rather than using strain or brute force. What do you use?”

YOU WILL BE QUITE SURPRISED BY WHAT YOU CAN FIND IN THE ENVIRONMENT 26

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REEBOK SUPER ALL TERRAINS INFO

REVIEW

The Reebok Super All Terrains have been eagerly anticipated by anyone who follows Spartan Races. They have really pushed this ahead of their Mid-March release date. The shoes have been designed from the ground up and tested by the elite racers who are part of the Spartan Race team, with a choice of colours you could spot a mile off even covered in mud. It even looks like Spartan are putting together pairs of special-edition trifecta coloured shoes to really stamp their mark on them. For more information or to pre order go to: shop.reebok.com/us/content/all-terrain-series

These shoes have been in the pipeline for what seems like forever, with Reebok tweaking them with the help of the racers until they felt just right. The first thing you notice is that they’re nice and lightweight which is what we’ve come to expect from a racing shoe. The next thing is the colours and the unusual texture of the upper. It feels a little like a rubber mixed with a hard, fine, sandy substance. This is applied to most of the upper giving it a very durable feel. We’ve had these a couple of months and they’ve been tested on numerous occasions. One such place was Tough Guy. The mud was pretty brutal this year at levels which would test even the best shoes. Unfortunately, we did find the teeth just not being able to get the traction we needed on a good few stretches in the mud. We thought the teeth were just that little bit too shallow to really get good traction in the UK’s mud. However, the design of the cleats did allow for great shedding of the mud from the sole. The design of the shallower grip may be down to the fact that on a lot of US courses racers don’t experience the stretches of muddy terrain which we do in the UK. As many of you know Tough Guy is a course in which for the last three to four kilometres you are subjected to a lot of water and rope based obstacles. This is where the Reeboks really stood out with the obstacle grip, with the mid-section of the sole really gripping hard to all the very wet and muddy cargo nets and rope traverses. The water submersions were also no problem for these in any way, with the channels which allow for water to be drained out between the sole and the upper allowing for lightening quick drainage. So, to sum these up we feel they’re an excellent mixed terrain shoe that would suit any course that mixes up the surfaces you will face. But if you are subjected to a lot of mud on a course, you will probably find them losing grip in the worst of it. This is only the first version so Reebok really have done a top job of making a base to build other models from.

APPEARANCE 8/10 WEIGHT 8.5/10 GRIP 6/10 STABILITY 8/10 COMFORT 7/10

OVERALL 75% 28

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DURA GRIP HELPS PROVIDE DURABILITY IN PROBLEM WEAR AREAS

FIT FRAME, BONDS THE SEAMLESS UPPER TO KEEP IT STABLE

ROCK GUARD PROTECTS YOUR FEET FROM SHARP STONES AND HARD OBJECTS

H2O DRAIN SHEDS WATER FAST OBSTACLE GRIP SINKS IT TEETH INTO ROPES TO AID GRIP Issue 2 | Obstacle Race

BORN SURVIVORS

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BORN SURVIVOR RELOADED 05/04/2014 LOWTHER CASTLE, CUMBRIA

When Obstacle Race Magazine heard about this epic group of guys, we knew we just had to interview them to learn a little more about them and the challenge they were about to face. Lancaster Bulldogs are a wheelchair basketball team that welcomes all ages and abilities to train and join their teams. But always wanting to push their boundaries, they have their sights set firmly on a challenge that would push even the fittest of us. The Born Survivor course is the next challenge they want to dominate. So, guys, tell us a little more about yourselves and what you have coming up. This year has been a fantastic time for the Lancaster Bulldogs, raising over £10k to purchase much needed equipment with the completion of the 12 hour KRANKcycle spinathon back in July. This has enabled us to purchase some new wheelchairs, basketballs and a portable basket that can be used for the juniors and also to take into schools as part of the Schools Disability Scheme. After everything settled down we were able to reflect on what we had achieved and more importantly the friends, families, and companies who helped us reach our target. Shaun and Andrew began to look ahead for next year and think how this year could be topped! The 24 hour KRANKcycle spinathon then became the focus, and plans on how this could be achieved started floating around. We also wanted to look at another organisation who we could help and support, and Unique Kidz & Co were the perfect charity. The valuable work they do for disabled children and their families really connected with the Lancaster Bulldogs’ work with children and young people, in schools and as a club. We approached Simon Cranston, owner of VVV Health and Leisure Club who had already provided support with the 12 hour challenge. Simon didn’t hesitate let us use his gym and facilities again next year. He came back with another suggestion and ideas that he would have the Club open for the full 24 hours not only for the KRANKcycle spinathon but also to put on other classes throughout. This

was fantastic and so a date has been set for this epic challenge, 5th - 6th July 2014 ,12pm - 12pm at VVV Health and Leisure Club, Hest Bank. We made an event on Facebook which has led to interest coming as far afield as South Africa and Germany. We’re looking at setting up a Livestream to South Africa as they complete the challenge alongside us. So full steam ahead again! So we decided to aim to raise £20,000, equally split between the 2 charities to give both some much needed support. This is now the biggest challenge both Shaun and Andrew have ever done! The Lancaster Bulldogs have now got a junior team and training session where we have children and young people aged from 8-19 who have various disabilities. As importantly, there are also those who don’t have a disablilty but love the environment where they learn a sport, and appreciate the diversity within the club. This has meant that we now desperately need junior wheelchairs, basketballs and another portable net to ensure we can encourage more children and young people to take part in this fantastic sport. A bit more about the chairty; ‘Unique Kidz and Co are a small charity which supports over 130 disabled children and their families in the North Lancashire and South Lakeland area. After four years of renting premises, and with the number of children attending increasing year on year, the charity is now developing a new purposebuilt centre of excellence at Lancaster Leisure Park. This is a dream come true for the charity as it will allow more disabled children and their families to benefit from the services it offers, as well as offering new employment opportunities in the area. They urgently need to raise £75,000 to ‘kit out’ the centre with the vital equipment it needs when it opens in April 2014 Unique Kidz and Co was founded in 2009 by two parents with disabled children and is one of the very few providers of specialist holiday and after school childcare for disabled children in the area. We offer disabled children,

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who can often feel isolated, the opportunity to socialise and have fun with other children outside of school. We also make it easier for parents to take up employment or education opportunities, or simply give families a break from the challenges of caring for a disabled child.’ This wasn’t the last of it, both Shaun and Andrew’s wives had completed different assault courses this year as well. Obviously this would be the most challenging and difficult adventure anyone could take on, but in wheelchairs this would seem to be impossible! Having the ‘can do’ attitude Shaun persuaded Andrew that this was the ultimate adventure they could undertake. So Simon Cranston put us in contact with the team from Born Survivor to enquire as to whether or not they would let us take part. There was no hesitation at all! For those who aren’t aware of what this is; Born Survivor is not a race - it is a test of character, teamwork and valour. The mission is to push yourself to the limit tackling the ultimate military obstacle course designed by British Royal Marines Commandos. We will be put through our paces as we stampede in our wheelchairs over, under and through a series of military style obstacles set in 10k of brutal & unforgiving Lake District terrain. Do we dare take on this adventure and display courage, determination and a stiff upper lip to beat the challenge... OF COURSE! We will be putting a team together to help us as we crawl, swim, get dragged, pulled and pushed throughout this challenge in our WHEELCHAIRS!

SO THE DATE WAS SET BORN SURVIVOR RELOADED 05/04/2014 - Lowther Castle, Cumbria For both myself and Andrew this is going to be a major challenge. We have fantastic support from a company in Canada based in Vancouver, B.C. Race Face Performance Products have been designing and manufacturing leadingedge performance cycling components, clothing, and protection for more than 20 years. They are a global cycling brand with product distribution in more than 40 countries and a roster of multi-disciplined professional athletes and organisations around the world. They are sponsoring us with protective impact equipment so that we have as much body protection as possible to ensure we don’t suffer any major injuries. What we want to help us reach the £20k mark is for companies to make donations, family friends to sign up and complete these challenges and get sponsored. This will help us as a community to help 2 fantastic charities, so they can continue to provide valuable opportunities for children and young people.

PLEASE HELP! CONTACT Shaun Gash - sgash@sky.com Andrew Hartley - harts123@btinternet.com For more information on Unique Kidz & Co, for anyone wanting to offer help with their building, visit the website www.uniquekidzandco.org.uk or email info@uniquekidzandco.org.uk

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THE NUTS CHALLENGE

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THE MOST FUN, CHALLENGING, EXCITING AND GRATIFYING TIME YOU COULD SPEND YOUR WEEKEND

The Somme, Hamburger Hill, Good Morning Vietnam... sounds like a DVD catalogue eh? Far from it, weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re talking mud, water and pain... but more of that later. Our Nuts adventure begins in Dorking on a reasonably sunny morning. Hidden in the remote Surrey countryside is a venue like no other: The Nuts Challenge, and a challenge it certainly is! After meeting a fellow seasoned OCR competitor we all made our way to the registration tent with trepidation. A brief and well-organised registration where we were handed envelopes containing race numbers, timing chips and race number tattoos, a tattoo that was applied by a kind volunteer with cold water... and so the chill factor begins. A well deserved coffee was handed to us to assist in the recovery of said cold water. (Thank you Nathan). After a brief catch up with some more Nutters we emerged from the heated registration tent to realise the full extent of the mud and waded to the start line. After a quick Zumba warm up and a short countdown we were away. We started out on a muddy, energy-zapping trail that was pretty much with us for the entire course, which became many an Obstacle Race runners undoing, despite the fact the mud added to the fun factor. This Nuts Challenge course is so obstacle-rich there are far too many to mention here. Apologies to those obstacles we

fail to mention (this does not mean in any way you were easy). Along the way we met and conquered tyres, walls, and many a water obstacle that was to be the theme of the day. No sooner were you out of the water than the trail led you back in either crawling, wading, jumping and even swimming. At one section you were handed a rope to swing like Tarzan to the safety of more mud on the far bank... at least that was what was supposed to happen, but alas many of us ended up back in the water to the enjoyment of those nearby. Talking of those nearby, the spectators were fantastically enthusiastic and supportive wherever encountered, which added to the general ambient atmosphere, as did the marshals. Every marshal showed professionalism, kindness, humour and encouragement in what must have been a cold and long day for them. They were vigilant to the needs of competitors struggling with the cold or an injury, going above and beyond to make all of us feel safe and looked after. All were armed with walkie talkies, and they communicated well and could get help if needed. So onto some nutty obstacles. One of many was Good Morning Vietnam. This hit us at the end a wooded mud run, a makeshift village with explosions and smoke, twisting and turning through the woods followed by the bunker. Here we all had to start crawling face down in the mud, only to realise the bunker was waist high, unless you were short in stature in which case it would be considerably higher... oh and of course cold water! It was around this point the realisation sunk in that four laps was never likely to happen for many that had enthusiastically

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entered, as the mud was slow going after the copious amounts of rain we’ve been dealing with. This was largely due to the cut off point of having to be on your last lap by two o’clock. The mud was deep and cloggy for the most part hindering any attempt to pick up a good pace. That being said, don’t let me put you off giving the four laps a shot as a different day will yield different results. This will also be the most fun, challenging, exciting and gratifying way you could spend your weekend. The obstacles were designed to challenge, sapping the strength right out from under you. Each one needed a new technique such as Kamikaze, a climb up a wooden wall to be met with a deep pool of... yes, you guessed it, cold water on the other side. This pool resulted in a little swim which took your breath away with a slippery climb out the other side. The Somme as previously mentioned was soon to follow which simply put was a battle of wits and strength. There was a succession of muddy water filled trenches with clay embankments to slide into, but not easy to scale out of. Team spirit was high as there was always a helping hand for someone needing it; this was a theme throughout the whole event. Now there was an obstacle to play to the claustrophobic, where you were on your own crawling through a small tube tunnel where at the end you dropped into another pool of water. We found the best approach was exiting on your back into the water rather than face first but hey each to their own. If you didn’t think it could get any harder meet Hamburger Hill, which in essence was a succession of steep slippery hills with a tyre carry and a cargo net crawl in the mix. Slipping and sliding up a muddy wet hill with a tyre about your person is no mean feat even when egged on emphatically by a fantastic marshal. If you were looking to gain time here this was never going to happen! After some more ups and downs came a cargo net uphill mud crawl. Might I mention the net was heavy. However on completion of this your reward was to release the inner child and re-kindle a treat in the form of a water slide which was fast and fun only to be abruptly ended by the pool of deep water at the bottom. Even so, we would have happily gone back to the top for another go. Just at the point where the finish was in sight we were greeted to several water events in a row. The first of which was Apocalypse Now, which consisted of a pool of water with logs across the width to climb or duck under, the choice was yours. Out of this and straight onto the last cargo net of the lap, quickly followed by two mud crawls. The first was under a heavy cargo net and the next a solid camo tarpaulin. Now we had more water in the lake we’d all had a good look at before we even started the run. Firstly, a wade round a section of the lake and then onto some moving pontoons stretched across another section. The choice here was to take it slow and steady or run like you stole something in the hope you make it without going for a dip. Following this, a crawl across some huge rubber rings and a couple of inflatable rafts which were surprisingly difficult. That brought us round to the end where the heated tent and a warm coffee beckoned or you did it all again and again and again! To summarise this was a well-organised, thought out and excellently executed OCR. There is something on offer for everyone, be it for a fun time with a group of friends or a seriously challenging and difficult four lap obstacle rich run. The staff were courteous helpful and well informed at every turn from the parking attendants who were our first point of contact to the marshals and the folk manning the tents. The medical tent personnel were professional and prompt putting anyone at ease that may have needed some help due to an injury or the cold weather. This is a must race for anyone thinking of upping their game in the world of OCR.

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NAME: KAREN SCUTT AND DARREN GROVES RACE NAME: THE NUTS CHALLENGE WINTER LOCATION: SWIRES FARM NEAR DORKING SURREY DISTANCE: 7K 14K 21K OR 28K NO OF OBSTACLES: 100 + PER LAP TERRAIN: MIXED... MUD, WATER AND HILLS LEVEL OF MUD: LOTS AND LOTS...! DIFFICULTY LEVEL: DEPENDS ON HOW MANY LAPS AND TIME OF YEAR, BUT THIS PARTICULAR RACE... 9/10 Issue 2 | Obstacle Race

TOXIC TEN CHAPTER TWO Written by James Smith

The Toxic Ten duo James and Stuart have been busy playing with different ideas since the last issue. Of course, this was while playing around in the mud and discussing with fellow obstacle racers in the middle of hauling ourselves over walls. Everyone we have spoken to about our ideas at other races have given fantastic support - if you’re one of them reading this then thank you for your encouragement and advice so far! The first unexpected obstacle hit us mid-Feb; the venue we secured has fallen through, so with a Jedi-focus and positive attitude we have been spending our weekends checking out new venues. Hopefully all will be resolved by the next installment. Losing the venue has actually made us think long and hard about what makes a good course. Location, paramount in everything in life; we’ve all seen far too many property shows to know it’s a major factor. We need parking and ideally train station access. We are hoping to add a car pooling forum onto the site, which can be used for our races and others as well - it is a community after all! Terrain is also crucial. Forest, plains, jungle, mosquitoes to contend with. OK, so maybe we can’t get some of those things... but mud, that’s a start, water to add the chill factor, and sand to drain all the energy from your already ruined legs. Hills are a must as well as obstacles that will make you wish you had trained harder on bear crawls, burpees and pull ups. We were sliding down a muddy hill on Space Hoppers the other weekend, a great start to any race. Length has been a hotly debated issue. James would rather have a longer course whilst Stuart wants shorter, tougher, endurance obstacles. 5km, 10km, or 10 miles have been the front runners, but to add a little bit of a difference we’re looking at having two or three secret routes; you’l be told 5 minutes before you start the race and must decide on the best one that suits your ability or what challenge you are willing to take on. The obstacles are already being designed, but the area we want to open up to the readers is what challenges would you like to see as part of the event. Are there old game show challenges you would like to see, or even physical challenges that will separate the weak from the strong? We will be offering a pair of inov 8 Mudclaws for the best challenge that’s emailed through to us by the 10th of April, email us at toxic.races@gmail.com

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PUTTING YOUR HEART INTO FUNDRAISING Written by Joe Brigham

Life has the potential to throw us a curve ball in the way of unfavourable circumstances or tragedy. We all know someone who is trying to live their life with a disability, has been struck down by a potentially fatal illness, or has sadly lost that battle. You can feel pretty helpless trying to support your loved ones through a crisis but that doesn’t mean there is no hope that you can’t do some good. Out of many a dark time people have looked to do something positive by raising money and awareness for a charity as well as pay tribute to someone in the process. I have not always been in shape or been fit enough to be an obstacle racer. A few years ago my life was being held back by a condition called Ventricular tachycardia. Due to the nature of the condition I could not really train and was consequently quite overweight. After a lifechanging procedure to fix the issue I was given a new lease of life and able to get fit, start running, and become a personal trainer. I was grateful for my second chance and have since made it my mission to give something back to the charity that had a big hand in making my procedure possible, The British Heart Foundation. Like many charities, the British Heart Foundation organises quite a number of running events to help raise cash and awareness for their cause. I have run in a few of these over the years and found them enjoyable but I really wanted to take things to the next level in 2013. This lead me to put together a team of 10 wouldbe obstacle racers from my boot camp to run in the Cambridge Spartan Sprint, train them, and represent the charity at the same time. Having a strong reason to fundraise in the form of my own personal story, as well as the unique nature of the event my team was running in gave us a great PR opportunity. I wrote a press release on the “what and

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the why” of our charitable mission and sent it to the local paper. Within 15 minutes I was on the phone to a reporter who interviewed me in regards to my story. I was told that the positivity of what we were doing and the human-interest element of overcoming the odds made for great reading. Within a week we had a page long article to help support our fundraising efforts, it proved to be invaluable! Not only did we get words of support from passers-by as the team and I were out running in prep for the event but we also had donations from people we did not know personally. To make things easier in our efforts to raise money we set up a Justgiving.com charity page that allowed people to donate via the internet or via text message for those who struggle with computers. Armed with a unique webpage to act as a hub for our fundraising we could share the details of our cause not only via the local paper but also through our social networks on the likes of Facebook and Twitter. Add a sprinkling of more traditional means of communication such as word of mouth and we had ourselves a strong fundraising campaign that earned us £500 in just 4 weeks. Wanting to raise money for a good cause is not always enough to guarantee fundraising success. You need to have a strong reason for why you are doing it. You need to believe in it and you need to make other people believe in it too so they donate. This is crucial not only for getting your cause the exposure it deserves but also providing you with the drive to train hard and be ready for the event you are running in. Believing in your cause as you make your way through fire, knee high mud, and ice-cold water will give you the strength to bear the discomfort and cross the finish line with pride. So if you want to do some good for charity, put your heart into it!

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Joe Brigham is Personal trainer from Herts who specialises in training people of all fitness levels for mud runs. He is also Captain of Team Bright Hammer Obstacle Racing. You can read more of his work at brighthammerfit.com and also keep up to date with him via:

FACEBOOK.COM/BRIGHTHAMMERFITNESS TWITTER.COM/BRIGHTHAMMERFIT INSTAGRAM.COM/BRIGHTHAMMERFIT

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www.facebook.com/Crewroom

@Crewroom

Crewroom Hub, Embankment, Putney SW15 1LB T: 020 8877 3888 www.crewroom.biz HEAV

Y WEIGHT JACKET

AN AUTOPSY OF AN OBSTACLE By Coach Michael of Wild Forest Gym

It’s one thing being able to get over an obstacle but it’s another thing to do it in an optimised way with speed and power. We asked our in-house obstacle race training expert Michael Cohen at Wild Forest Gym how you can optimise an obstacle that is staring you in the face. The first stage to understanding the obstacle is to look at the movement & manipulation skills involved in completing the obstacle effectively. Transition It all starts with the transition from running to getting on/up/into an obstacle. Basically we are talking about the approach. So here is the scenario. You are running up to an 8ft wall. Which leg are you going to launch off? Which hand are you going to grab with? Most untrained athletes have a dominant hand or foot. It is this dominant foot that they will launch off and similarly grab with. It feels natural in one way but is it? In fact it is unnatural, as you would normally have adjusted your stride to enable your leg/hand to be the dominant one. Why does it matter?

Making changes to your stride in your approach starts to interfere with the natural flow.

You end up thinking rather than flowing.

You increase the risk of injury, as your body is no longer moving naturally. 44

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You can’t optimise the obstacle because you have lost that instinctual awareness of knowing, and instead you go into the head, i.e. you switch on the brain.

Thinking causes accidents, because the likelihood is that you have taken your eyes off the terrain.

If you rely on your dominant side of your body, then you will burn out that side quicker than if you shared it equally with the other side of the body. Going with the flow The natural stride is about flow and movement. The more we adapt or interfere with it the more it costs us in focus, energy resources, and affects our flow as we transition on. More importantly sometimes we can’t choose which hand or foot to use, because of the shape of the obstacle, or the demands and needs of that element of the terrain. So when it comes to jumping, we need to be able to adapt in the most natural way to the size, shape, position, location, material and terrain. This means we need to be ambidextrous. Being ambidextrous Being ambidextrous is about reducing the margin between your dominant side of the body to your less dominant side i.e. left-handed or left-footed. Being one-sided dominant means that you have your strengths and weakness, which means overall you are quite an unbalanced person. Particularly, when you breakdown all the different tasks that you rely on your dominant side.

However, an athlete whom is trained to be ambidextrous has the ability to adapt to the obstacle, so when they approach the wall, they will launch off the supporting leg predetermined by their natural stride rather than the dominant leg. Then they push into the wall with their non-supporting leg, and then they reach up to grab the top of the wall. Because of their ambidextrous training they have equal grip strength, as well as deltoid, lats and arm strength to ‘muscle up’ or ‘side leg swing’ up onto the wall. Multilateral Training In order to mount the top of the wall you need core strength. But it is core strength with a difference from what you gain from sit-up and crunch exercises. What we are talking about is multilateral strength in the core abs and oblique areas. This means training this region to be worked in random ways (see bit.ly/wfgmultilateral) rather than specialised training such as crunches. So here’s your jump so far... You have been running along the trail. You turn the bend and you are confronted with the 8ft wall. You start to think about the best way to approach and jump it. You’re in your head. Time has slowed down. You adjust your stride to launch off your dominant stronger leg. You try to push into the wall with the non-supporting leg, praying that you don’t slide down. Then you have to grab for your life the top of the wall. Phew! Next you find all the brute strength to pull yourself up and just get that leg over the top. Now you put everything into your arms just to be able to sit on top. Sound familiar? How efficient and effective is it? Who would have thought there is so much involved in jumping an obstacle. But this is what happens when you start dissecting an obstacle in order for you to learn how to optimise a wall climb.

Transitioning over The transition over the top of the jump is the key stage. Once again we are back to the subject of transition, one of the least understood, yet vital aspects to an obstacle. The transition over the jump is the continuum from the jump up to the jump down that needs to be smooth and have flow. Plus it needs to be done in a safe manner bearing in mind your head is nearly 11ft off the ground at this point. There are many different techniques, from swinging your legs over and relying on your arm strength to take you over the top, or riding over the top by swivelling on your stomach using your leading hand on the other side of the wall to support your body from falling into the wall leading. This is finished with the jump down. The landing The key to not twisting your ankle or damaging your knee is the landing. This is all about your suspension in your legs acting a shock absorbers. We rate Race SAFE as being more important than Race FIT in order to be Race READY. Simply it doesn’t matter how fast or strong you are, if you do not have Race SAFE skills, then the risk of injury has just gone through the roof. The other important aspect to landing is being able to be aware of the environment around you as well as other contenders and racers. This way you can adapt to what’s about to happen next, which is likely to be a transition again into running. Autopsy Evaluation What we’ve identified is anyone potentially can physically climb over a wall, even if they rely on brute force. The key is to be Race SAFE in order to reduce the risk of injury. If you have more ambition than just being a finisher, and your goal is a PB or to up your ranking or even go for the podium, then you need to consider how more effectively, efficiently can you tackle the obstacles if you were to improve your technical skills. Issue 2 | Obstacle Race

INOV-8 BARE-GRIP 200 INFO

REVIEW

In this issue we’ve been lucky enough to get hold of the brand new inov-8 Bare-Grip 200. These literally still smelt like aircraft fuel they were so fresh from the manufacturers. The shoe has been updated and improved. They look meaner than ever! The Bare-Grip 200, which was first launched in 2010 and have now undergone a number of changes. The list of updates include a more durable mesh upper which is the same mesh that is used on the X-Talon 212. Also the overlay print on the edges of the toe box has been strengthened and extended, once again improving the shoe’s durability. Weighing in at just 200g, the Bare-Grip 200 has no midsole, which ensures all your power and speed of your feet is transferred directly through the shoe. Ultra-aggressive sticky rubber teeth on the outsole give phenomenal traction and grip on steep ground and over soft, wet and muddy terrain.

Getting these little beasts landing on our desk early in a morning means only one thing. Extended lunch break! Being very lucky down here at the mag we get to access a lot of courses when the rest of the OCR community are sat at their desks. This means we can get straight out on to a course as soon as a new piece of kit arrives. The recent weather we’ve been having has made for some brutal mud on the courses we’ve been racing on, so when these arrived it was time to go straight out and play in the mud. The Bare-Grips have to be the most stripped-back, lightweight running shoes we have ever tested. You slip them on and you really do get so much feedback from the terrain. This also means you get this same feedback from the obstacles you are taking on too. You will never be short of grip in these no matter what sort of mud or terrain you are racing on. The lugs are made of a medium softness compound that offer enough grip for flat wet surfaces but also not so soft that they’ll wear too quickly. Also the materials used on the whole of the shoe have had an update to make them super hard wearing. After taking on about 3 hours of running through varied types of terrain and about 40 obstacles these still felt great, although they really are suited to softer ground conditions due to them being so minimalist. If you hit a really rough stony trail you’ll have to do a little weaving to minimise the pounding your feet will take. Rope climbing wasn’t a problem in these even without the rope tech we’re use to on the X-Talons. Importantly they drained very quickly after being submerged in muddy water numerous times. If you’re a racer that loves to go down the minimalist route then these have to be the perfect shoes for you.

APPEARANCE 9/10 WEIGHT 9.2/10 GRIP 9/10 STABILITY 7/10 COMFORT 7/10

OVERALL 82.4% 46

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OPTIMAL PLACED CLEATS TO ENSURE MAXIMUM GRIP

STICKY ROCK CLIMBING COMPOUND RUBBER TO ENSURE MAXIMUM GRIP ON WET HARD SURFACES

PRECISION FIT ENSURING MINIMAL MOVEMENT

DURABLE WATER REPELLENT COATING

0MM DROP Issue 2 | Obstacle Race

THE MOST SUCCESSFUL OCR ATHLETE Photographs by: The Painted Warrior

As a self-professed bunch of obstacle racing geeks this has to be probably one of the most exciting interviews we could have been lucky enough to get. Within a very short time after getting immersed in this amazing sport of OCR, you’ll undoubtedly have come across the name Hobie Call. Hobie is without a shadow of a doubt the most successful man in this sport we know and love. He has totted up more elite wins than anyone else by a country mile. Hobie has achieved some fantastic results before he was thrown in to the OCR spot light. Just one of those is a 2:16 marathon time which I think we can all agree is shifting some. Also he holds the record for the fastest lunging mile (24:56). It all began after Hobie received a facebook message from a friend asking him to check out Spartan Race. After looking up their web site and seeing that there was $100,000 prize money ready for the taking Hobie’s mission was set. Rocking up to a Spartan Race and wiping the floor with the other contenders he was instantly a peoples champion as he was seen as a fantastic role model to middle aged men of just what could potentially be achieved if you set your heart to it. Unfortunately, Hobie missed out on the top prize after he had to retire from the Death Race after 30 hours due to near hypothermic conditions. But this was just the beginning. He raced as a Spartan ambassador for a few years before leaving to follow his dream of putting together the world’s first OCR than could have the potential of making it to our televisions sets on a regular basis. Unfortunately Hobie and Extreme Nation parted ways after the first race was over, due to the direction of the race veering from what he hoped. So now once again Hobie is, we suspect, hoping to find someone to share his envisioned dream of what competitive OCR should be. We caught up with him to see exactly what the future holds for Hobie Call.

Becoming so will lead to the greatest fitness revolution the world has ever seen. Helping this happen is my goal, and I’d rather gracefully bow out of the OCR world than settle for less. I’m not really worried or concerned about getting myself sponsored so I can continue to pursue my athletic achievements. This vision is much bigger than myself. I’ll retire as an athlete if I have to so I can to bring it to life. ORM: What would your main pieces of advice be for anyone just starting their obstacle racing journey? HOBIE: Have fun, that’s #1. Expect to get challenged in ways that you’ve never been challenged before, expect to get your face pushed into the mud, expect to run into walls too high, water too cold, hills too steep.... and expect the joy and satisfaction of overcoming all of this to change your life forever. ORM: We all know that diet can play a huge part in a person’s race, so what does Hobie Call’s diet look like? HOBIE: Pretty simple and clean really. Lots of carbs, lots of fat, lots of protein. Eat your green leafy vegetables. Nothing special really. It’s all about CLEAN. ORM: You’re a fantastic ambassador for this sport, as this awesome role model where do you see the sport going?

ORM: So, Hobie, what does the future hold for you now?

HOBIE: If done right, it will be one of the mega-sports of the world. Why? Because it will be every bit as exciting to watch as other sports are. But even better, this sport is designed to turn spectators into doers, thus leading to the greatest fitness revolution the world has ever seen. Unlike sports such as football that actually promote obesity.

HOBIE: I have no idea. I’m back to square one I guess. I’m confident that the vision I have for the sport is solid, and that OCR should and could be one of the mega-sports of the world.

ORM: With Hunter hot on your heals at every race and really pushing the pace do you think there’s a chance you could end up on the Reebok Spartan team with him now?

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NAME & AGE: HOBIE CALL, 36(Birthday April 9th) OCCUPATION: UNEMPLOYED NO. OF OCRS TO DATE: 52 (“RACED” 48) FAVOURITE OCR: 2012 PNW SPARTAN SPRINT FAVOURITE OBSTACLE: TYROLEAN TRAVERSE YOUR KRIPTONITE: SWIMMING, THOUGH I AM GETTING BETTER NO. OF PODIUMS: 45 (41 FIRST PLACE) Issue 2 | Obstacle Race

HOBIE: If Spartan wants to get serious about bringing the “sport” to television, then being on the pro-team could be a part of the package of me working with them, otherwise I’ll look elsewhere. ORM: So back to the important basics, what gear do you wear to race Hobie? HOBIE: I always go by the thinking of the less the better. I know that’s bad for business with sports brands really pushing all these different layers for different conditions, but a simple pair of running shorts, lightweight socks and a lightweight racing shoe are all you want to have on you when you jump into a nice deep mud pit. ORM: So it’s really no secret that you’re a real family man with a wife and 5 children, how do you fit in all the training you have to do? HOBIE: Fortunately, right now I’m unemployed, so finding the time is easy. For more years than I like to admit though, discipline and sacrifice, lots of discipline and sacrifice. ORM: So finally do you have anything you want to get off your chest or promote Hobie? HOBIE: No, I’m happy. ORM: So to round this interview up we feel there is something that really stands proud of everything else we have learnt from Hobie and that’s the word FUN. Just look at his final answer and you’ll have all his biggest secret right there in front of you. This is something that always crops up when talking to the runners who are in the top 10 percent. Jonathan Albon also pushes this as a huge factor in why he keeps coming back again and again. So the secret is make it fun and it will never be a chore and you’ll always run with a nice big smile on your face.

HAVE FUN, THAT’S #1 50

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NEVER WITHOUT A SMILE Written by Joel Hicks

Those of you who have already taken your first steps into the muddy waters of the obstacle race world may have, on your travels, come across a soldier from the Boer War at the Major Series, or possibly an executioner at Born Survivor? How about Hulk Hogan at Total Warrior, or a lunatic breathing fire from the top of the final obstacle at Survival of the Fittest? To you, I say: “Hello again…” To those of you who haven’t, may I introduce myself… My name is Joel Hicks… I am the latest addition to the Obstacle Race Magazine contributor team, and the founder of the ‘Always With A Smile’ foundation. Through the foundation I travel all across the UK and abroad competing in crazy sports, weird championships, adrenaline fuelled activities, absurd traditions and yes, of course, obstacle races… in order to raise money and awareness for various charities and good causes, whilst putting a smile on the face of as many people as I possibly can! Always in fancy dress, this has led me to be known as the UK’s premiere ‘Fundraiser Extraordinaire’. Since my first event in 2006 (which happened to be the World Bog Snorkeling Championships), I have taken part in nearly 300 different events and activities, helping to raise thousands of pounds in the process. In that time, I have been crowned World Gravy Wrestling Champion on two separate occasions (for which I feature in the Guinness Book of World Records), as well as World Clob-Cobbing Champion. I am a two-time winner of the International Birdman Competition, the official target at the World Egg Throwing Championships, the unofficial controller of World Pillow Fight Day carnage at Trafalgar Square, as well as a winner of the ‘Jeremy Clarkson’ award at the Pantomime Horse Grand National… this is to name but a few! In respect of obstacle races, for many years I have had a long-standing involvement with Tough Guy, and I’m honored to be their ‘Goodwill Ambassador’ - a role which, at both the winter and summer events, involves me literally dragging across the finish line those who have underestimated the challenge involved! At this year’s event, some of you may have witnessed an armour-clad knight roaming across the Killing Fields hauling a number of shivering competitors to their feet so that they might stagger the last few yards in dignity to collect their brass…

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As well as working closely with many of the other prominent obstacle races which take place within the UK, I’m also involved in a number of unrelated events which may fire the imagination of all you trench-jumpers and net-crawlers. I am a permanent fixture at the Mad Maldon Mud Race… to this day, I remain the only man to have crossed the finish line naked and, much to the embarrassment of its presenters, appeared on Blue Peter whilst doing so! In addition, I support the three main ‘carrying’ races in the UK - namely, the World Coal Carrying Championships, the Tetbury Woolsack Races and the Wrekin Barrel Race. This year, I have also taken on an ambassador role with The Color Run, known as the ‘happiest 5K on the planet’ - in which all of it’s thousands of participants are doused from head to toe in different coloured powder paints at each kilometre. In this role, I will be working at each of the six UK events to promote the ‘health and happiness’ ethos supported by its organisers. The success of the Always With A Smile foundation has been extraordinary and, as its founder, I am extremely proud of what it has achieved not only in terms of raising funds and awareness, but in inspiring people to do more to help both themselves and the less fortunate. The Always With A Smile philosophy is a concept by which people can be motivated to do something that they had never before considered and it gives people the inspiration to make a real difference to the lives of others. So what can you expect from a man who was named in the Independent on Sunday’s ‘Happy List’ in 2013, an annual antidote to the ‘rich list’ which names 100 outstanding, unsung and inspiring people who have given back to society to make Britain a happier place… (that’s their words, not mine!). Well, I will obviously be scribing my experiences of the mad and muddy, in true obstacle race style, hopefully giving you an insight into some of the UK’s most worthwhile tumbles, both as a competitor and from behind the scenes. In addition however, I’ll be inviting you to share in some of the experiences of the Always With A Smile foundation… and in doing so, Obstacle Race Magazine will become the first magazine in the UK to cover the ‘alternative event’ scene. With a schedule of somewhere between 40-50 events per annum, already this year the foundation has taken

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part in several noteworthy and memorable escapades… that’s in addition to the now infamous Tough Guy! On New Year’s Day, I once again took part in the Mappleton Boat Race and Bridge Jump in Derbyshire, otherwise known as the ultimate hangover cure! At this event, teams of two paddle down the River Dove and then, after a short dash, jump off a bridge into the waters 40ft below. It doesn’t sound like much, but the Dove is one the coldest rivers in the UK… and the conditions this year were horrendous. Having said that, it didn’t stop around 500 spectators gathering on the river bank to roar with laughter as shivering souls took the plunge, before running (somewhat numbly) 500 yards to the local pub… Also during January, I ventured to Llanwrtyd Wells in Wales to compete in the World Mountain Bike Chariot Races. This event, which claims to celebrate the ancient Roman rituals of the new year, sees steel chariots race against one other (and the clock) to determine an eventual winner. Designed to be pulled by two mountain bikes alongside each other, the winning team has to demonstrate exceptional skill and courage, whilst working as a single unit, to overcome all challengers. This was never more evident than in the second race of the day, when the steel-link between those peddling and the chariot snapped, sending it’s rider head over heels into the air before landing face first in dirt and gravel! And, as already stated, on the final Sunday of 2014’s inaugural month, I was again in character at Mr Mouse’s Tough Guy! With a literal ‘pat on the back’ to those who took part, in my veteran experience this was one of the hardest Tough Guys in recent memory. Whilst the course was arguably somewhat shorter, the conditions both under foot and through the air made it one of the bitterest contests I can recall… and, yet again, the Torture Chamber took no prisoners with electrified screams echoing through the most feared obstacle on the planet! And whilst February is traditionally a quiet period for the ridiculous (given that most are in shock having received their festive credit card bill), this hasn’t stopped the foundation from grabbing life’s horn and blowing… The main excursion for the Always With A Smile foundation involved a trip to Sheffield to host a ‘Bubbleball’ match, in association with ‘Thunderballz’ (who provide of a number out-of-the-ordinary experiences). If you’ve never heard of it, Bubbleball is the latest craze that is sweeping the nation. This hectic, high-energy and hilarious game involves players on two teams facing up to their opponents and trying to put the ball in the back of the other team’s net. Sounds simple, right? Well, it would be… if every player wasn’t encased in huge inflatable bubble from the knees upward. There are no fancy step-overs or curling free kicks here… just highoctane thrills as you bounce around a ‘pitch’ and get taken out of the game with big-time brutal collisions! Each player is strapped into an appropriately sized ‘bubble’ through a ruck-sack styled harness, and is able to grip two handles which are positioned at chest height inside the ball. The harness allows for players to run (or at least waddle) their way around the playing area, whilst the handles are there to act as a brace for the inevitable impact… To start each match, a football is placed in the centre of the playing area with each team lined up along its own goal line. With a countdown of ‘3, 2, 1…’ a blast on the referee’s whistle results in a cavalry charge involving all players! Some actually go for the football but, as you learn quickly in the gladiatorial ‘Bubbleball’ arena, winning the collision is more important than winning the ball! At times it really is a case of an unstoppable force meeting an immovable object and, in such cases,

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following the impact all that can be seen are two helpless souls either flying through the air or bouncing along the ground, their marbles well and truly shaken. On other occasions, it can more be aptly described as a ten-pin bowling alley, with a single wrecking-ball scattering all players (team mates as well as opposition) like pins in a strike… And don’t be fooled in thinking that it’s the men who bully and dominate proceedings… in the game of ‘Bubbleball’ there is no weaker sex! Head on collisions, though more forceful, can be foreseen and the impact anticipated… Blows from the side or from behind come unexpectedly, and whereas one moment you might be thinking you’re in on goal, the next you’re demolished by an epic smash from nowhere, your feet above your head… and (other than the ringing in your ears) all you can hear are the howls of laughter from those watching the carnage! If the destructive nature of this crash-crazy spectacle doesn’t finish you off, then fatigue certainly will! After just a few minutes of game time, nearly every player was gasping for air in this truly exhausting activity. Luckily, unlimited substitutions are allowed during matches, which tend to last around 7 minutes each way. Whilst ‘Bubbleball’ might sound like a recipe for whiplash or dislocation, risks are (in reality) quite minimal. After more than an hour of game-time, and hundreds of collisions, each and every player that took part walked away laughing and joking about the havoc and slaughter that they had just experienced… with maybe just the odd bruise or two! You can take a look at Joel’s adventures with the ‘Always With A Smile’ foundation at www.alwayswithasmile.com.

FACEBOOK: FACEBOOK.COM/ JOELHICKSOFFICIAL TWITTER: @JOELHICKSAWAS

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HYPE AND HYPOTHERMIA TOUGH GUY 2014 REVIEW Written by Ed Gamester photography by Glynne Pritchard and Epic Action Imagery

A Guildsman investigates whether the original obstacle course race lives up to its fearsome reputation. As Guildmaster of the Guild of Adventurers, I have experienced only one thing more intimidating than signing up for Tough Guy for the first time and not knowing what to expect. It was signing up for Tough Guy for the second time and knowing full well what to expect. After all, when it comes to Obstacle Course Racing, Tough Guy is the grand daddy. This is where it all began in 1987, when the now legendary Mr. Mouse built an enormous assault course on his farm and established a survival event that remains unrivalled to this very day. Yes, this is the big one – and not just because it’s the only course you can actually view using Google Maps. From the Death Warrant it makes all participants sign, to the constant reports of broken bones, hypothermia and other injuries, Tough Guy’s reputation as the toughest event on the planet is well earned. All this contributes to the aura that surrounds South Perton Farm every January. From the moment I arrive, I can feel it in the crisp morning air. It’s the heart of winter, I’ve scraped the ice off my car and driven to a remote village in Staffordshire to face my fears. It seems ludicrous, but I’m just one of thousands from all over the world, most of whom have the same question on their mind: how can Tough Guy possibly live up to the hype?

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APOCALYPTIC REGISTRATION Ironically for the coldest event in the country, Tough Guy may also the warmest. Organised and run largely by family, friends and volunteers, it is a testament to what is possible when everybody aligns their hearts and minds, chalks their hands and pulls very forcefully in the same direction. Unlike some of the more mainstream races, arriving at Tough Guy isn’t like being tossed into a well-oiled machine and churned out with a starting number. Tough Guy looks and feels, very deliberately, like a war zone: a unique vortex of carnival madness, which somehow spins me inexorably in the right direction. By the time I’ve hung my clothes in a barn, got changed amongst the hay and battled my way to registration, I’m half-convinced the apocalypse has arrived. Yet beneath this veneer of chaos, the admin at Tough Guy is a smoothly run operation. Over 3000 participants arrive and are registered within a couple of hours, whist an army of spectators and photographers are spread around the course to bear witness to whatever is to come. I am here with my fellow Guildsmen. We have completed our morning squats, swallowed our breakfast rum and are now huddled in one of the cage-like impounds that separate the starting groups. Our breath mists in the chill air. Last night’s beer by the roaring fire seems a long time ago; only the faint throb of a hangover remains to remind us of the warmth we once knew. Thank goodness we have meat-loaded in preparation.

TOUGH GUY

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There is no backing out now. It’s just the Guild, the hype and the hypothermia: can this possibly be as tough as I remember?

INTO THE VALLEY OF DEATH Race time arrives. Being Guildsmen, we find ourselves in the front runners: ahead of the baying thousands and amongst the absolute elite. I am not elite. I am not even intermediate, whatever that means in OCR terms. Yet here I am and on the starting hill behind me a stallion rears and whinnies. It is the actual Warhorse, from the movie of the same name; only a horse-whisperer like Mr. Mouse could arrange such a spectacle. Yet there is no time to marvel: blue smoke is everywhere and, before I can bellow a battle cry, a cannon explodes somewhere behind me. Into the valley of death run the 3000. Despite having done this before, I’m still surprised by the lack of obstacles for the first part of the race. It is essentially a long hard slog through some muddy and brutally hilly countryside. This is actually very tactical; not only does it spread out the runners and minimise queues for obstacles, it also warms our bodies for what it to come...

FIRST YOU BURN, THEN YOU FREEZE

THIS IS WHERE IT ALL BEGAN IN 1987

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Tough Guy is an endurance masterpiece. At around 15km it may not be the longest event out there, but these are no ordinary kilometres: these are the Country Miles and Killing Fields. Mere seconds into the quad-searing agony of hill climbs known innocently as the ‘Slalom’ and I’d give anything to swap them for another 5km of flat terrain. It’s always hard, but this year the torrential rain of the night before has turned the hills into a pandemonium of mudslides. What’s more, there seem to be more ascents than usual: the nine from the summer course have somehow morphed into at least fourteen – either that or I’m hallucinating hills, which isn’t entirely impossible. By the final ascent, I’m reduced to a crawling wreck, digging my fingers into the freezing mud to claw my way to the top, then slithering back down on my already aching gluteus maximus, which is feeling less and less maximus with every passing moment. What follows is the Gurkha Grand National: a woodland dash through cargo nets, wooden barriers and muddy trenches, which soon batter my knees, ankles and lower back into throbbing uselessness. Eventually, however, I manage to clear the woodland and escape into the open air. My legs are burning, my lungs are burning, my hands are burning – for a winter’s day, I’m roasting! Luckily, Tough Guy has a cure for burning body parts. It’s called the Jungle Water Slalom and it takes the form at least twenty six-foot deep trenches of ice cold water. Getting in involves plunging Fellraisers-first into the churning mud, which immediately saps the endurance from even the burliest Guildsman’s legs. Getting out involves a galling scramble that turns your arms to lead and your fingers into ineffectual lumps of ice. Between each pit is a slatted fence, dividing the obstacles and offering me a view of things to come: people wading through freezing trenches as far as the eye can see. If there was time to despair, I would consider it – but there isn’t. Some people need assistance getting out of these pits and, between us, we make it to the end. By the time we do, however, I’m in trouble. Beneath

the mud, my hands are white and I’m starting to shake. I recognise this feeling.

EYE OF THE TIGER More mud than man, I arrive at the first of the wooden colossi: towering obstacles built of trees and rope that are entirely unique to Tough Guy. This one is the Tiger. Finally, I have reached something I can handle! I may have the endurance of a sparkler, but when it comes to scrambling up the side of something potentially lethal, I’m hard to beat. I’m at the top in seconds. I don’t even use my hands, such is the grip of a Guildsman: even when we’re not holding onto things, we’re still holding onto them more tightly than you can even imagine. At last, I find my courage – I will overcome this race. I’m back down the other side in a flash, where I find myself confronted with a field of dangling electric shockers. I know from experience that getting stung by these things is painful in an entirely unique and somewhat degrading way. It is still, however, simply pain. No pain, no gain! Or, as we say in the Guild: no pain, no celebratory after-pain beer. I tear through the shockers and back up the other side of the Tiger like a bearded Jaguar. The pouring rain sticks my hair to my face. I’m on top of the world. Nothing can stop me now. As rock lyrics swim through my head, I take a few moments to catch my breath. Then it hits me. The wind. Bitterly cold and razor-sharp, it cuts through both my sodden clothes and newly-found resolve like twin Katanas through ripe Wensleydale. Exposed on top of the Tiger, the last shreds of warmth are ripped from my body and I start to convulse. I’m dangling 40ft in the air and I can’t feel my extremities: this can’t be good news. My descent is infinitely less graceful than my ascent, for my body is now shaking too much to keep my hands and feet steady. Somehow I make it down far enough that my inevitable drop to the ground isn’t too far and I stumble around the corner to face the next challenge. Please Gods of OCR, make it something warm and dry. Cuddling a dog, perhaps...

A GUILDSMAN NEVER LIES It’s water. Freezing cold and chest deep. I am nearly sick into my mouth. I must cover a hundred metres or so out into the lake, then back again. It’s pointless, but that’s part of the challenge and what makes Tough Guy so ingenious. Summoning up the courage to wade through an icy lake is hard; knowing that you’ll endure the pain to end up back where you started is something many people cannot face. Unfortunately, I am a Guildsman: there is nothing I cannot face. Or rather, there is nothing I will not face: whether or not I am capable is normally revealed later on. So it is that I plunge into the closest thing to hell I have experienced since the last time I did Tough Guy. As I wade in, a fellow Guildsman is on his way back out. It is Simon: the water that reaches my armpits is barely above his naval. When our paths cross, he spies the pallor of my face and bellows encouragingly: “You’ve got this!” A Guildsman never lies (except for profit), but I don’t think he is being entirely honest with his appraisal of the situation. I haven’t got this: this is way out of my control. Despite my dubious ability to carry on despite all evidence suggesting that I should stop, I’m starting to worry. My breathing is slow and shallow, my body is shaking violently and barely reacting to what I think I want it to do, not that I’m entirely sure what that is. Every instinct is

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screaming at me to get out, to haul myself onto the wooden walkway and submit. Of its own volition, one hand reaches out to grab walkway. I hold it back. A Guildsman doesn’t quit. Finally emerging from the water is bliss. Or I assume it is: I can’t feel anything any more. The next obstacle is a deception: it appears to be a series of simple leaps over low logs, but it is actually a total physical impossibility. As I make my first jump, every muscle in my leg cramps and I collapse like a hairy rag doll. The second log causes the same difficulty with the addition of what would have been a painful shot to my gonads, if they hadn’t entirely retracted into my body. The third time around, I simply stumble into the log and roll over the top. Dignity is a longforgotten luxury. As I peel myself shaking from the ground, a kindly woman offers me a sip of her cup of coffee. I spill the entire contents onto my face. My attempt to apologise is an unintelligible gurgle, cut short by her young son shoving a jelly baby into my mouth. This is very sweet, but I cannot eat it. I physically cannot chew and the need to vomit (all over this young boy, unfortunately) is almost overwhelming. Spitting the jelly baby out, I force myself to breath and bid the lady farewell: “If you see my brother, tell him...” I don’t know what to tell him. Keep going? Stay warm? I died like I lived: in tight pants and face paint?

A SONG OF ICE AND FIRE Normally, hypothermia is a clear signal that you’re done – whether you’ve reached the end of what you’re doing or not. With Tough Guy, it is simply one of the obstacles to

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overcome. Having been through it once before, however, I am in no hurry to do it again. By this point, however, I don’t have a choice. Next up are a series of high walls, the tallest being over twice my height. Somehow I make it to the top of each of them. I can’t coordinate my body to descend, however, so I settle for break-falling in the dim hope that I will specialise in the falling and thus avoid the breaking. The exact point at which the paramedics hauled me out is unknown, but I am reliably informed that things got no easier from the point where my memory stalls. I faintly remember hauling myself up the side of Behemoth, a 30ft high series of platforms and ropes, but can find no evidence of me ever having made the other side. Immediately after Behemoth came the Battle of the Somme and Fiery Holes, a combination of trenches, water and fire. Up until this summer, there had been floating bails of hay, which made it possible to stay out of the water if you were agile. There was no such luck this time: it was an ice bath from start to end. After that came crawling through tunnels made of tyres, wading through shoulder-deep mud and, of course, the infamous Torture Chamber full of electric shockers, from whence the only escape is to haul yourself along long, narrow underground concrete tunnels. In terms of overcoming fear, this obstacle takes the prize and has people fleeing through the escape holes in their dozens. Of course, there were lots more icy water obstacles as well, most horrendous of which were the Ducking Poles. Four times your head goes under the water, four times it is like being punched simultaneously in the head and solar plexus, and four times you pop back up again. Hopefully. It is at this point that my brother and fellow Guildsman, Will, was also hauled out to be treated for hypothermia. Of course, he then insisted on getting back into the water and completing the rest of the race as soon as his body temperate had risen slightly above fatally low.

TOUGH GUY SHOWS YOU HOW STRONG YOU ARE AND HOW MUCH YOU CAN OVERCOME WHEN THE NEED ARISES

Thus, the Guild.

THE FINAL HURDLE In any normal race, the sight of the finishing line is enough to get you through the final stage. Not so with Tough Guy. Here, despite struggling for three or four solid hours to get there, hundreds decide they would rather drop out than face the final challenge. It is a wade through chest-high ice water, a scrambling crawl up a bank of mud, followed by a face-first slide back into the ice water. It’s called Viagra, presumably because doing it makes you harder than you thought possible. A combination of water, mud, hills and electric shocks, Viagra Falls is Tough Guy summarised in one obstacle. In theory, it shouldn’t be too hard: what’s another couple of dips between you and a horse brass medal? Short answer: it’s everything. This is the final test: your body has made it this far, but has your heart? All too often the answer is no: people skip the last obstacle in their hundreds because it is simply too much. The first time I did it, I would have cried if there had been any fluids left in my body. This is a big deal: the only thing that normally makes a Guildsman cry is a rum-drought. Such is the Tough Guy experience. Yes it is physically gruelling to an extent that dwarves many other events, but it is the mental aspect of the challenge that you don’t quite appreciate until you find yourself breaking.

THE FINISH LINE The end of Tough Guy is a finishing line in the real sense of the word. Forget group photos and victory dances, only two thirds of people who start Tough Guy make it to the end and those who do typically stagger towards the hot chocolate and showers as soon as their coveted medal is around their neck. This drop out rate combined with the frequency of cases of hypothermia often raises the question of whether Tough Guy is “too hard”. As somebody who has both completed the race and dropped out, I would say

absolutely not. Tough Guy is as hard as you make it. You can run a shorter distance, avoid the water, skip out the obstacles – whatever you need to do to push yourself to your limit and keep going. You’re only a Tough Guy if you complete the whole thing, but who says you have to do that first time around? Or at all, for that matter? By being the toughest race on the planet, Tough Guy gives you a limitless testing ground for your own mettle, so you can see for yourself how much you can overcome.

THE AFTERMATH Does Tough Guy live up to the hype? Yes, in every possible way. This is a course of 200 custom-built permanent obstacles, honed over 27-years to provide the most epic one-day endurance and survival ordeal. This is an event so unique and beloved that dozens of people donate weeks of their spare time to help put in on. This is a place where a war horse gallops onto a field, a cannon fires in the morning chill and, through a haze of smoke grenades, thousands charge willingly into the most gruelling experience of their lives. To me, that sounds like the greatest thing ever. If you disagree, please don’t let me put you off. Tough Guy is often presented as a sadistic course designed to break you, but this couldn’t be further from the truth. Tough Guy isn’t designed to break you: it is there to show you how much you can take without breaking. By throwing you into total chaos, Tough Guy shows you how strong you are and how much you can overcome when the need arises. You don’t have to finish the race to be proud of what you achieve on the Killing Fields; everybody takes something different from Tough Guy. Of course, everybody has their own reasons for taking part, too. For me, it is actually the absence of reason that makes it so special. Behind almost every other aspect of our lives, there are clear reasons for our actions, higher purposes or end goals. However, every now and then you stumble across something that requires no justification whatsoever: a uniquely powerful and inherently valuable experience, which reveals something essential to yourself that you might never otherwise realise. Tough Guy is one of those experiences. As Mr. Mouse says, the only way to learn about anything is to get stuck in and do it. If you want to find out why people do Tough Guy and what all the fuss is about, try it for yourself.

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RACE SAFE SKILLS Written By Coach Michael of Wild Forest Gym Photographs by: Epic Action Imagery

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Coach Michael’s core coaching requirements are to make sure all OCR contenders & athletes are RACE SAFE…RACE FIT…RACE READY. However he rates RACE SAFE as the most important aspect to training. In this article we ask Coach Michael exactly why you need to consider Race SAFE skills more than your fitness! ORM Some OCR races claim that anyone can do an obstacle race without any training. Is this true? COACH MICHAEL YES. Just as easily anyone could do a marathon or even an Ironman. However, the difference is that with OCRs the stakes are much higher, when it comes to doing a simple risk assessment. ORM What do you mean when you say the stakes are higher? COACH MICHAEL What I mean is that there are so many aspects to an obstacle race that are hazardous for the trained racer, let alone for the untrained or newbie. ORM Can you give us some examples? COACH MICHAEL Here are a few of the key hazards:

Terrain: For one the terrain can be unforgiving, when it comes to deep mud & bogs, ditches, rabbit holes, roots, branches, tree stumps, tree trunks, rocks, stones, treacherous inclines and descents as well as many other natural hazards.

Obstacles are getting bigger, bolder and more testing as the seasons go by.

Water Immersions: Most races including winter races have water immersions, which are responsible for the evergrowing cases of hypothermia and injuries.

Poor Kit: Contenders being incorrectly kitted out with the wrong clothing, shoes as well as lack of race fluid and nutrition. ORM So what can ORM readers, or should I say contenders do to reduce the risk of injury? COACH MICHAEL Firstly, and foremost it is not about Race FIT. But more importantly it is about Race SAFE skills. ORM Can you talk us through some basic Race SAFE Skills? COACH MICHAEL Of course. The first Race SAFE skill is learning how to fall. Everyone falls at some point during the race. You may slip, fall in a hole, fall from/on an obstacle, get knocked by another contender or just simply lose your balance. We’re not just talking about newbies, we are also talking of the elite. So we train all contenders including our elite TEAM athletes how to do a break roll.

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ORM What is involved in a break roll? COACH MICHAEL The key element to a break roll is to reduce the risk of a contender’s spine or head coming into contact with the ground. Unlike an old school P.E. gymnastics roll down the spine, we teach contenders to roll up the arm over the shoulder to the opposite hip. This way only 1 or 2 vertebrae come into contact with the ground. Similarly the head is off centre to one side so there is less risk of head and ground impact. On an OCR course we don’t have cushioned matting like they have in gyms or in martial arts. Let’s get real; if you fall, you have to minimise the impact by making sure the least body parts come into contact with the ground. ORM Can you give our ORM readers a few steps to learning the break roll? COACH MICHAEL In this example we will do a right-sided roll (mirror instructions for a left-sided roll):

ORM Sounds risky to me. COACH MICHAEL It’s a risky game when you don’t know what you’re doing, or how you can react to a slip or a fall. Just as similarly the amount of ankle and knee injuries occur from poor jump skills. ORM Surely everyone can jump?

Squat down with your right foot ahead of your left and your arms positioned in between your knees.

COACH MICHAEL Jumping and landing in a sand pit or on a gym mat is one thing. But when it comes to jumping over a wall, off an obstacle, over a trench that is covered in mud and/ or water, then similarly the stakes are high.

ORM A jump is a jump at the end of the day.

Place your hands on the ground making a triangle shape with both thumbs and index fingers. The way the hands are positioned means that the hands and arms defuse the downward force as the body comes into contact with the ground. The remaining force from the fall is fully diffused through the roll.

Roll up the right arm, which forms the front edge of a ball.

As the body rolls over the right arm the next point of contact is the shoulder.

At this stage the head is moved to the left side, so that it does not come into contact with the ground.

The tongue is behind the teeth. The lips are closed but the teeth are separated.

As you roll over the shoulder the roll continues across the spine to the left hip.

There should be enough power to enable you to push up from the feet to enable you to immediately continue running.

Avoid pushing off from the arms or legs against the ground. Also make sure you do not allow the shoulder to thud on the ground as you lower into the roll. ORM It sounds complex. Is it easy to learn to break roll?

COACH MICHAEL There are key elements to the break roll which are quite technical, and need to be learnt with the guidance of a competent OCR coach. Then it’s about practice. One of the biggest issues when training on your own or with friends is that unless you have the knowledge to know each element of the technique, as well as the best way to break down the roll into components, the likelihood is that you will make mistakes. Mistakes lead to spine, shoulder, neck and head injuries.

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COACH MICHAEL It is not as clean cut as that. In our jump classes we teach correct form when it comes to precision jumps, single leg, double leg, running jumps all the way through to trench and water jumps. Each has different techniques and skill levels. ORM How can jumping be made safer? COACH MICHAEL As well as knowing how to jump, the other vital skill is landing. I can’t tell you how many people cannot land correctly on the balls of their feet with stability and strength. When they land on their toes many end up head first on the ground or in a tree. And when they land on their heels they end up on their backside. So it’s important that contenders learn to precision land. This entails learning about their centre of gravity, body weight transfer and knowing how to counter balance. Then there’s the need to learn how to do a slap landing where you land with hands and feet in order to gain control with more dynamic jumps. Plus break roll landings when your landing is out of control. ORM Wow, that’s a lot to take on board? COACH MICHAEL As OCR racing becomes a recognised sport, contenders and racers are now realising considering Race SAFE skills could make the difference to finishing a race, getting a PB or being on the podium. It is not just about the newbies. Just ask any die-hard racer or elite OCR athlete and they are all prone to injuries. My job is to educate every one of them as to how they can reduce the risk and incidence of injury. ORM Race SAFE Training Here at ORM we are 100% behind Race SAFE and Coach Michael’s dedication to the safety of OCR racers. So we’ve got together with Coach Michael to offer all our readers an ORM Race SAFE Training Session. Just visit http://bit.ly/ormtraining

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SURVIVING THE SURVIVAL RUN Written by: Nele Schulze

I heard about Fuego Y Agua in 2013. It was their Survival Run that interested me. A 75km obstacle course race on Ometepe, an island in Nicaragua. So I booked a ticket and off I went, alone, to a country and continent I had never been before. The first challenge was getting to the island. Roughly 60 miles from Managua, the capital of Nicaragua, and that drive should only have taken an hour and a half. Instead it took me and my travel buddy Kelly almost 8 hours to arrive in San Jorge, the port where we caught a ferry to Ometepe.

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Due to our 8 hour drive we missed the last ferry and ended up on Ometepe a day late. Our next challenge was finding a hotel. We had rented a house with other racers that turned out to be in the middle of nowhere. The race was scheduled to start/finish on the beach at Playa Santo Domingo, so off we went, picking up Camille Adams on the way. Fortunately we found a room at a hotel right on the beach, with a couple of hours to spare before packet pick up. Packet pick up was to start at 3:30pm sharp. We had to bring all of our gear and wear the clothes we were racing on. We were told our gear would be on the beach over night so we couldn’t add/remove anything. This immediately got the racers talking and speculating. When would we be starting? Were they taking our packs away? Would we be switching packs with other racers? So many possibilities. 3:30pm snuck up on me and next thing I know I’m at the beach in line for packet pick up. I’m given an egg with the number 36 on it, and told not to break it. Then I had to empty my pack and they would check my gear. Finally we were corralled by the start line. I had heard numerous stories about the bibs at the Survival Run. In 2013 racers had to swim out to a boat to retrieve their bibs, I was excited to find out what we would have to do this time. We got our instructions. Run out along the beach until we met a volunteer, swim out to a small island, exchange the unbroken egg for a bib, swim back, and run back to the start. Seemed easy enough. Off we went! Almost immediately after starting the heat became almost overwhelming. I had ran probably half a mile and I could feel the sun beating down on me on the beach. I was trying to remain on the compact sand by water without getting my shoes wet, I wanted to keep my shoes dry as long as possible. This didn’t last long. Oh well, I thought. It was going to happen sooner or later. I was doing OK with the run, I was about middle of the pack and third female, so I just kept my pace, not pushing it. We hit rocks that we had to climb over, this slowed everyone down. The rocks were slick and it was easy to slip on them. I nearly went down a couple of times. I made some gain here, don’t know if it was my shoes or my confidence, but I managed to pass a couple of people. It felt like a race, which ignited the competitor inside me. After maybe 2-3 miles of running along the beach I finally reached the checkpoint. They pointed out to an island about quarter of a mile away and said we had to swim out to it and exchange our unbroken egg for our bibs. I stripped off, no way was I swimming in that water in my clothes and my shoes. So I was down to sports bra and compression shorts and I started wading out into the water. The water was rough. There were some decent sized waves. I got nervous. I can swim, but I’m not a strong swimmer. I did breast stroke, the style I’m most confident with. I took slow deep breaths, calming myself. I knew if I panicked while out in the water it could be dangerous. And it would be so easy to panic out there. Everyone overtook me. I was so slow. But I didn’t give up. No way was I not starting the actual race. After what felt like forever, I finally reached the island. I exchanged my egg for bib number 36. I was half in the water pinning my bib to my sports bra. I didn’t want to rest too long because I knew I was a slow swimmer, one of the slowest there. So back in the water I went. This time the sun was in my eyes and the waves were coming from behind me, so they would take me by surprise. But I did have an amazing view of the island and Concepcion (the largest volcano). I was probably the third to last person to get back to the beach. That was a bit depressing. I grabbed my clothes and shoes and just started running. My legs felt about 50lbs heavier because of the swim. Every few minutes I would stop and put on an item of clothing. Then finally I saw the

start/finish line. I ran to it, desperate to show that even though I was nearly last, I had got my bib and I was ready. Josue Stephens, the man behind Fuego Y Agua, greeted me at the start/finish. He said there was a surprise. That’s when I knew it was starting now. “It’s started hasn’t it?” I asked, “yes” he replied. I wasn’t ready. I had just got to the island a few hours before. I panicked for a split second, and then I grabbed my pack and took off. I had to follow the coast for several kilometers until I reached a volunteer who would tell me what to do next. I could see someone in a yellow t-shirt way ahead of me. I wanted to keep them in sight. I ran for 30 seconds and then I would walk for 30 seconds. My lack of training was evident here. My legs were tired from the swimming and now I had my pack, which weighed roughly 20lbs. I was slow, but I wasn’t going to stop. I reached some of those same slippery rocks again, and I slowed right now. The light had started to fade and I had to put on my headlamp. I caught up with a couple of people, I was so happy not to be alone. We were essentially bushwhacking on overgrown trails with all kinds of wildlife. There were so many flies that it was hard to breath, I pulled my buff over my nose and mouth to stop myself from inhaling flies. Our little group of four reached the volunteer. We had to follow the trail up some stairs and we would reach the first obstacle. Climbing stairs after everything we had done was hard, but we all stuck together. It was pitch black now. We reached a clearing lit up by car headlamps. I finally saw other racers. I was so happy! I got my instructions. I was shown a 14ft cement tank that was filled with dirty muddy water. I had to dive to the bottom and grab a rock, then bring the rock to the surface and throw it over the edge. I was slightly hesitant, knowing I wasn’t great at holding my breath under water. I sat on the edge of the tank, thankfully other racers were there shining lights onto the water. I took a deep breath and went in. I closed my eyes in the water and just swam down until I felt the bottom. I grabbed the first rock I felt and started to swim up. But swimming to the surface was much harder than I anticipated. I was holding the rock and could feel I was close but I couldn’t break the surface of the water. I could feel my body about to take a breath, I couldn’t stop it. I kicked hard and just in time my face broke the surface and I was able to breathe. I gasped for breath, reaching for the side of the tank still holding the rock in one arm. When I reached the side and could hold on I put the rock in my lap and used my arms to move to the area where I was supposed to throw the rock over. I was not letting this rock go. No way was I doing this again. Getting the rock over the edge required all my effort; it was a pretty big rock. When I threw that rock out the tank I was so relieved. I wouldn’t have to do this again. There is a video of my ordeal:

YOUTU.BE/ APUZKAZEKRC I climbed down and retrieved my rock. Now I had to carry it up a hill and find a circle spray painted on the ground, I then had to collect more rocks and fill the circle. I almost had a panic attack when I thought I had to gather the rocks from the tank, but no, just rocks from the bottom of the hill. While gathering rocks I saw huge black insects that looked like a cross between a spider and a scorpion. I was getting a little freaked out by all these bugs. Once that task was complete we were given directions to the base of Maderas, the smaller of the two volcanoes (not much smaller though, 300ft smaller). I walked with a group of racers, thankful again not to be by myself. We passed a tiny little store on the side of the road, and we all

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stopped and grabbed a soda. That Pepsi I enjoyed was just what I needed. I also bought a Fanta and stashed it in my bag for later. We reached the next checkpoint. I saw gallons and gallons of water lined up. We were told we had to carry water up to the top of Maderas. Men had to carry 5 bottles, and women had to carry 3. We could carry them anyway we wanted but they must remain unopened. I took my 6ft of rope and tied them all together and made a sort of sling that I could throw over my shoulder. At first the weight didn’t seem bad at all, but it quickly got heavier and more awkward to carry. We had until midnight to make the cut for the first medal. I took off. I had always been nervous about hiking up the volcano by myself, but I had to push my fears to the side. The people I was initially with were slower than I was, so I just took off, trying to make the midnight cut off. Thankfully carrying heavy stuff up mountains is what I do. It’s a key component of Death Racing, so it is a strength of mine. I made up good time. Being in the jungle by myself was a scary experience. I saw a tarantula, and I could hear the monkeys alongside the trail. I was singing to myself, hoping to scare away the local wildlife. I would scream into the jungle if I heard something. I saw huge cockroaches, and cockroaches freak me out. I tried not to go anywhere near them. The trail was lit with lots of little lights, kind of like glow bugs. I remember thinking they were so pretty. Later I found out these little glowing lights were spiders, the eyes reflecting in the light of my headlamp. There must have been thousands of them. Thank god I didn’t know this at the time. After hours by myself I caught up with a small group of racers; Joe, Laura, and Paul. It felt so good to be with other people again. I immediately felt more comfortable and at ease. I climbed over a log and I put my hand down on something that didn’t feel like the log. I looked down and saw my hand was on a cockroach. A giant cockroach bigger than my hand. I screamed. I started to pull ahead of this group. I was desperately trying to make the cut off, and at some point I fell too far ahead and I couldn’t hear them anymore. I was back to climbing the volcano by myself. The trail got muddier and muddier. It also got steeper and required more climbing. This was hard with 3 gallons of water draped over my shoulder. In the distance I saw headlamp. I almost ran to catch up with them, hoping that this was the checkpoint. It wasn’t. More racers. The volcano felt never ending. I spent the remaining climb with Edgar and Peter, Death Racers I had known for a while. I was thankful for the company again. And they were fast, so that helped me push myself when I started to struggle. After hours and hours of climbing Maderas we finally made it into the crater. It was foggy, and windy. Cold and rainy. There was a lake. It was all very eerie. The volunteers told us we could put the water down and go into the lake until we found a red lantern. There were more eggs there; we had to bring an egg back. So off Edgar, Peter, and I went. The lake water was so cold. And I would trip up over rocks and logs. It never went more than waist deep. We were worried we’d misunderstood the directions, we had been wading in this like for a while and still no red light. Then finally we saw it. Relief washed over me. I wanted to get out of this cold lake. We each grabbed an egg and then headed back. My official check in time was 2:18am. I’d missed the cut off. The climb had taken me 5 and a half hours…. This immediately knocked me down. I had been happy and focused, but now I felt a little defeated. I had tried so hard, and I had made good time on the volcano, but it wasn’t good enough. All the racers than had to stay in the crater until 3am. I got out my emergency blanket and hunkered down against a tree with other racers. I was trying to stay warm and dry, but I was failing. Joe ended up sitting next to me. Now was Fanta time. I needed a pick me up. So Joe and I shared a Fanta in the crater of a volcano. It was the pick-me-up I needed.

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3am eventually came. We all started as a group descending Maderas. Eventually I fell towards the back. My shorts had begun to chaff my inner thigh, and each step was becoming more and more painful. Daylight began as I was approaching the bottom of Maderas. I immediately felt my energy return and my mood improved. When I reached the bottom of Maderas I was one of the last racers again. I arrived at a resort, and I saw a load of racers sat down eating breakfast at the resort restaurant. I heard lots of people dropped here. I was not stopping. My next task was to take a piece of bamboo and carry it 5km to the next checkpoint. Off I went. The bamboo was OK at first, but it was so long that it was awkward. Every time I switched it to my left shoulder it caused a lot of pain. I must have hurt my shoulder carrying the gallons of water. The heat was unbearable. Some of the locals tried to help me, and I had to try to explain that I was in a race, and I had to do this by myself. I was half dragging the bamboo when I reached the next checkpoint. Tree climbing… Great… I had never climbed bamboo and I can’t remember the last time I climbed a tree. I was the last racer to come through, and thankfully Joe was there and waited for me, acting as my spotter. I had to climb 8 trees, cutting off a bottle top or a wristband somewhere in the tree. I climbed the first 2 trees with ease. We had to bring our bamboo with us to the rest of the trees. They were on the coast and we had to be in the water. I floated my bamboo to the trees. These trees had thorns and the only option was to climb the bamboo. I just couldn’t do it. I couldn’t straddle the bamboo because of the chaffing (which had started to bleed at this point), and I couldn’t figure out how to do it. My rheumatoid arthritis had also caused my right elbow to stiffen and I couldn’t really move it. That made climbing the trees almost impossible. I spent over an hour in front of a tree just trying. I’ll admit, I even tied my knife onto a stick and tried to cut down the bands. I looked at myself while I was doing it, and realised as much as I wanted a medal, this wasn’t the way to do it. If I was going to get a tree climbing medal it was going to be for climbing the tree. Desperation got the best of me. Joe and I decided to move on. We were told we had to stay in the water with the bamboo and travel 3+ miles to the next checkpoint. We floated the bamboo and waded alongside it. It was difficult because of the knee-deep mud. It took so much energy. Joe was a lot faster than I was, and he had to wait for me a few times. Eventually we decided to tie both our pieces of bamboo together and make a flotation device. We spend hours in the water swimming with bamboo. We constantly banged our knees and skins on hidden rocks. We were getting battered. The whole time we were in the water I couldn’t help but feel like I had let everyone down. I had no medals. I had nothing to show for this race. I knew I wasn’t going to do as well as I could have. I had had too many health problems that interrupted training, so I went into this race for the experience more than competing. So many people had faith in me, none more so than my family and my husband Ben. I was almost in tears feeling like I had let them down. After hours in the scorching sun and water we finally arrived at the checkpoint. Children were playing in the water by the checkpoint. A couple of young boys climbed on our bamboo and used it as a raft. They seemed so happy! We were told to dump the bamboo, so we gave it to the two young boys. Their faces lit up like it was Christmas. All because we gave them 2 pieces of bamboo tied together. I couldn’t help but smile.

THE RACE WAS OVER FOR ME. I HAD MISSED THE CUT OFF TO CARRY ON

NAME: NELE SCHULZE RACE NAME: FUEGO Y AGUA SURVIVAL RUN LOCATION: ISLA OMETEPE, NICARAGUA DISTANCE: 75KM NUMBER OF OBSTACLES: APPROXIMATELY 10 SORT OF TERRAIN: BEACH, VOLCANOES, TRAILS, ROAD LEVEL OF MUD: MUD AT THE TOP OF THE VOLCANO DIFFICULTY LEVEL(1-10): 10

I was relieved and disappointed. It was conflicting. I needed to tend to my injuries, my macerated feet, my chaffing, and my elbow. But I also wanted to carry on. There were about 7 other racers there, all missing the cut off. Spirits were high. It felt good to be with other racers, and it was even better that they were all happy and congratulating each other. Almost immediately my body stiffened. Walking became almost impossible. I managed to take a cold shower in the hotel and then I headed to Hotel Paraiso, where the start/finish line was. All but 4 of the racers were here celebrating. The atmosphere was wonderful. Then it got even better. Josue decided that all the racers who carried the water to the top of the volcano and swam in the lake for the egg deserved a medal. I did it. I got a medal. I was elated. The medal said “fail” but I had never felt so accomplished. Three days after the Survival Run, I raced in the Fuego Y Agua 25km. The course was up and down Maderas. It was amazing the see the volcano during the day, and to see what I had accomplished with 3 gallons of water. I finished 15th in women. That felt amazing. What a way to end my Nicaragua adventure.

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MISS AWESOME The first time we had the pleasure of meeting Katie Keeble was when she came whizzing past us at a race. The second time was luckily not so brief and involved exchanging a few words. Now a lot of you will already recognise this name due to Katie being the most successful female obstacle racing athlete in the United Kingdom. She proved again and again throughout last season that she’s a very rounded athlete with wins at a variety of distances. With a collection of winner’s checks starting to mount up she really is getting quite a name for herself. Anyone who knows of Katie will have noticed she really does clock up a massive amount of training hours and miles. She does all this while juggling a highly demanding job which makes it all the more impressive.

team member. That’s very exciting. Has it added even more fire into your belly to win now you’re part of a team?

ORM: Katie, nice to meet you and thank you again for agreeing to take time out for this interview. Please tell us all a little about yourself, what are you doing when you’re not getting muddy?

KATIE: I knew I’d put the training in so I had loads of confidence in my body, I know my body well. I had ran and won a few local road races before I won my first Spartan race. I also knew I had it in the locker, but you have to believe you can do it. OCR is a combination of running and strength, I felt a huge sense of achievement when I was able to combine the two to win.

KATIE: When I am not getting muddy and racing at the weekends, I’m generally eating, sleeping, training or working! I tend to train outside and at CrossFit ISC. I work as a cardiology nurse in the Heart Centre at Ipswich Hospital. ORM: Now that’s real dedication that you can do such a demanding job and still get time to train so intensely. How long ago did you start obstacle course racing and how did you first find out about it? KATIE: I started obstacle racing in the summer of 2012 after I heard about it through a friend, Kelly Clayden. She had run a Spartan Race and also a local race so from the bits she told me I was instantly intrigued. I’ve always been active and I really wanted a new challenge – I was so nervous for my first race! ORM: We see that you have just been named as a RPCC ELITE race

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KATIE: I am so excited to be on the RPCC Elite Obstacle Course Racing Team. Richard and the guys on the team are not only complete machines, but they are also some of the most inspiring people I’ve ever met. There is definitely a renewed lift in my stride and a drive in my belly since meeting these guys. ORM: What did it feel like when you won your first race? Was it a real shock or did you feel confident in our training?

ORM: Where do you see the sport of obstacle racing going in the future? KATIE: Within a month of each other we have the inaugural UK OCR Championships and the first OCR World Championships. The UK Championships will be a great opportunity for the best racers in the UK to compete head to head. I can see the sport growing, attracting a larger audience, participants and the level of elite racers improving. ORM: What does a Katie Keeble race day breakfast consist of? KATIE: Whatever I can get my grubby mitts on! Generally porridge and scrambled eggs 3 or so hours before I run if

NAME & AGE: KATIE KEEBLE, 31 OCCUPATION: CARDIOLOGY NURSE NO. OF OCRS TO DATE: LOTS! FAVOURITE OCR: ASK ME AGAIN AT THE END OF 2014 FAVOURITE OBSTACLE: MASSIVE WALLS YOUR KRIPTONITE: SMALL SPACES NO. OF PODIUMS: 8 OR 9 I THINK! Issue 2 | Obstacle Race

I can, then I snack on malt loaf and breakfast biscuits till it is time to race. ORM: What races do you have planned for this season? KATIE: I’m really looking forward to Rock Solid Race and Judgement Day, I’m also going to try and run as many of the Dirty Dozen series as possible – I have heard great things about their obstacles and am really looking forward to testing my strength. Hastings Half Marathon is in my diary – I’m looking forward to running that with the RPCC crew. Later in the season I want to do the Nuts Challenge and I have entered for the Whole Hog here in Suffolk. I also want to do The Obstacle as it’s race right on my doorstep, I’ve heard it will be very obstacle dominant format. ORM: If you could give one piece of advice to someone new to obstacle racing what would it be? KATIE: There are a couple of things, first and foremost choose a race and sign up! It really gives your gym sessions/training a focus. To say it’s a friendly sport is an understatement, you are all in the same boat on race day, people help each other round, friends or strangers! Secondly, try and get some group training in, whether it’s a local crossfit box, running club, or just like minded people. Surrounding yourself with inspiring people can definitely be a way to improve your training and confidence. ORM: So what would you say has been your toughest challenge while racing? KATIE: The toughest challenge I have faced whilst racing has to be the cold! You definitely need the right kit, get some advice if you aren’t sure. The guys at Obstacle Kit Ltd are very helpful indeed. ORM: So what would you say is your must have kit list for race day? KATIE: Compression gear, gloves are a personal preference, and most importantly footwear! Your footwear has to be right. ORM: So Katie If people want to keep up with your racing adventures where can they follow you? KATIE: I have just set up a Facebook page – Katie Keeble OCR. I set it up not only to share my adventures, but also to share training workouts, helpful foods and drinks, and generally try inspire people out of the abyss that can be exercise. ORM: To wrap this up is there anything you’d like to say to people who are having doubts about their abilities? KATIE: I think it would be that I work really hard fulltime, on my feet all day. It’s never come easy, if I can do it anyone can. If you have an inkling to have a go, just do it. The sense of achievement far outweighs the nerves. I started running on a treadmill of all places so if I can do it anyone can. And surround yourself with positivity!

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IRONRUN THE ROCKINGHAM FESTIVAL RUNNERS START YOUR ENGINES… HAVE you got what it takes to conquer Europe’s fastest motor racing circuit? Ironrun is heading to Rockingham on Saturday, August 16 to host its first festival for the whole family to enjoy. The Rockingham Festival is the UK’s premier OCR event which combines an action-packed day of mud, sweat and smiles with an evening of entertainment and camping at the Northamptonshire circuit. Taking over the vast 350-acre site, the festival offers much more than the standard OCR run with the superb facilities at Rockingham providing a stunning backdrop for the hardcore run and the perfect post-race festival vibe for competitors to relax with their families and friends to enjoy food, drink and live entertainment before setting up camp. Traditional mud running events take place on level ground with artificial sections added to make obstacles for competitors however the Rockingham Festival offers something different. The course will be constructed around Europe’s fastest motor racing circuit and the UK’s only banked oval to provide a fresh unique challenge for those taking part. If that wasn’t tempting enough, it will also include the challenging infield sections with its inclines and tight corners as well as sections of Rockingham’s off-road 4x4 and rally courses. With multiple runs taking place on the day including the full 12k Ironrun, a 6k rookie run and a special children’s run, this is one of the most exciting OCR events in the UK. So if you’re looking for an event which offers much more than just a trail run, then look no further! Tickets go on sale on Tuesday, April 1. Information on how to book tickets will be available at www.ironrun. co.uk - for more details and updates about this event follow us on Twitter/Facebook.The TRF site is based in Northamptonshire. We’re centrally located and are just off the A43. Full directions will be sent upon entry.

ABOUT US ROCKINGHAM TRF is a first of its kind in OCR running in the UK. Combining the challenge of the IronRun and a festival atmosphere that the whole family can enjoy. TRF site is based in Northamptonshire. We’re centrally located and are just off the A43. Full directions will be sent upon entry.

TUFF ENUFF WORLDS END CHALLENGE ORM SAYS: We recently came across the Tuff Enuff OCR race. The first thing that hit us was it was in one of our favourite places Cornwall. The next was that for the huge list of things they have going on, the price is a miniscule £35. For that you get a list as long as your arm of things to do before and after the race. With the race date being scheduled for the 25th of May and there not being any other contenders for that weekend this could be your perfect excuse to fit in an OCR and keep the family happy with a weekend away. So that’s enough from us, we’ll let Tuff Enuff tell you the rest. Are you ‘Tuff Enuff’ is the call from the organisers of what is being billed as the UK’s ultimate extreme obstacle endurance event. Set on the picturesque cliffs overlooking the Atlantic in far west Cornwall, Tuff Enuff features a 30-obstacle course designed by the Royal Marines. It the first of its kind to come to Cornwall and covers land and sea obstacles. Tuff Enuff director Tony Borrett said: “This is undoubtedly the most challenging course of its kind in the UK. Tuff Enuff will put your endurance to the test and is not for the faint-hearted.” The motto of Tuff Enuff is ‘compete or complete’ and entrants can opt for a timed race to compete for the crown of Tuff Enuff Champion 2014 or enter for the fun and glory of completing. There are two gruelling courses to tackle. Competitors can choose the 12km course - complete with a 183-step cliff climb - or the 5km course. Tony, a former officer in the South African Army and professional rugby player, added: “The Tuff Enuff races

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will truly test your body and mind; the main race consists of over 30 natural and man-made obstacles through coastline, woodland, farmland and the icy cold Cornish sea.” Tuff Enuff is the only endurance event in the UK to incorporate a sea obstacle. Competitors will put themselves against the Atlantic rollers by swimming, or pulling themselves, along a rope, 50 metres out to sea and around a buoy off the Cornish coast. The Tuff Enuff site is set on a farm near Land’s End that brings together the amazing beauty and rugged terrain of Cornwall’s cliff tops, moorland, coastline and valleys. Races start from 8am with the last wave of runners heading out onto the course at 2pm. Whilst the event is on there will also be a Fun Family Festival running throughout the day from 10pm – 5.00pm with a great line up of live bands and DJs. A great range of trade stands, food vendors and a licensed bar from Skinners Brewery (www.skinnersbrewery.com), kids and adult fun activities from Big Bellies Inflatables (www. bigbellieshire.co.uk), demos, 4x4 displays, plus loads more. There’s also a Tuff Enuff after party! AKA Apocalypse (entrance is free to all race participants, or £12 to non participants) and will kick off from 6pm on the Festival site with live bands and DJs throughout the night giving the athletes a chance to party away their aches and pains. Tuff Enuff Takes place on Sunday, May 25, at Pendrea Farm, St Buryan. There are full camping facilities with ample parking. Free camping is available for all participants of the race where there will be full amenities available.

TUFF ENUFF

FOR MORE INFORMATION, GO TO WWW.TUFF-ENUFF.CO.UK AND SEE US ON FACEBOOK FOR UPDATES WWW.FACEBOOK.COM/KTATUFFENUFF Issue 2 | Obstacle Race

YOUR LETTERS sponsored by nuclear races

Hey Guys and Girls, I’ll set the scene It was a Sunday Morning in April 2009, my wife and kids decided they wanted to go to a local park. I started to feel unwell. I kept on walking and tried my best to keep up a brave face. After a short time this didn’t last and I said I have got to have a sit down. Next thing I know, Toby someone has just ran off with the kids scooters, I turned into Super dad and got up and started to chase. Cut to Monday Morning. I got up still not feeling well next thing I knew I was laying on the floor with 8 people around me saying its ok the ambulance is on its way. I weighed in at a hefty 23.5 stone so the poor paramedic ended up red faced. I was rushed to the local hospital with words like heart attack and stroke being bandied around. I was rushed into the emergency room and given the whole Stroke treatment. After a long time off work I went to my GP to get some advice, well they made me cry. Doc said If i didn’t change I wouldn’t see 38. I spent the next year trying to get into some sort of shape and lost 8.5 stone. So what better way to prove my fitness than completing Tough Mudder. I completed the run in a decent time of 3.5 hours. Next up Pain and Suffering at Rockingham Castle, well the training went well I was up to running 10 miles now without having to stop. The Thursday before the event I managed to damage all my ligaments in my ankle but I finally completed the November version of the Pain and Suffering. It certainly was far tougher than the Tough Mudder. Oh I nearly forgot I have now lost 10.5 stone in total! Toby Page ORM: Theres a whole load of inspiration right there Toby, thank you so much for sharing it with us!!

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SEND US YOUR LETTERS! We’ve had so many fantastic letters sent to us that it was so hard to choose the ones that got on to the page. We actually had to resort to picking the letters out of a hat to decide. If you would like to get a letter on to this page then please send 100 words and a picture of you in action to letters@obstacleracemagazine.com

Hey GUYS My name is Ellie Schwartz. My very good friend Alex Torcolacci and myself started a organization called Strength in Heels just this past December. We want to raise awareness on the issues surrounding domestic abuse and educate young women on how to respect themselves and listen to their gut. On February 8th we gathered a group of amazing women ages 16-48 to run the Ice Donkey obstacle race in winnipeg Manitoba to show everyone that being active can be fun! Being active isn’t always about body image, it’s about feeding your body and staying healthy. Visit www.strengthinheels.com and www.facebook.com/strengthinheels for more information. Thank you, Strength in Heels Ellie Schwartz and Alex Torcolacci ORM: Fantastic cause Ellie and Alex, keep up the amazing work!!

Dear ORM, 7 years ago at the age of 28 I was diagnosed with Bowel Cancer. Due to an early screening I was incredibly lucky and Beat Bowel Cancer. The physical scars healed quickly (although the battle has left me with a stoma) but the mental challenges took a lot longer. At the end of 2012 after a particular low I decided I would start to work on my fitness. Working with my awesome Personal Trainer I entered my first OCR Nuclear races Lactic Rush. People began to offer sponsorship and my relationship with the charity Beating Bowel Cancer began. I finished Lactic shattered but with a huge smile, it was official I was hooked! Cancer and my stoma had just became another obstacle. This year I am taking my awareness campaign to a new level. I am aiming to compete in a minimum of 10 events, to raise awareness and hopefully some donations for such a worthy cause. So I look forward to seeing some of you at some of 2014 EPIC OCR’s www.mudbagrunner@blogspot.com www.justgiving.com/mudbagrunner www.beatingbowelcancer.org/bowel-cancer-symptoms Cheers Scott Smith ORM: Truly inspirational Scott, we hope to see you on a few start lines in 2014.

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NEW FOR 2014 TOUGH MUDDER & CANCER RESEARCH UK PARTNERSHIP TO FIND OUT MORE ABOUT HOW YOU CAN RAISE MONEY FOR CHARITY AND TAKE PART IN YOUR NEAREST TOUGH MUDDER EVENT VISIT WWW.TOUGHMUDDER.CO.UK 78

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This year Cancer Research UK has 250 discounted event places available for Tough Mudder fundraisers and will be present at all of the 2014 UK Tough Mudder events. As Mudders already raise significant amounts for charities other than Help for Heroes, it was a natural progression for Tough Mudder to extend its charitable platform to include additional good causes. Tough Mudder and Help for Heroes partnership Since 2012, Tough Mudder has proudly supported Help for Heroes by offering participants a discount on their entry if they raise £120 or over for the charity. Teams of Help for Heroes supporters and the injured regularly participate in the events, as well as help out with fundraising on a merchandise and information stall. Everyone is encouraged to donate directly either via the Tough Mudder website or at Tough Mudder events. Over £600,000 has been raised to date by Mudders either by donating directly during the registration process or by raising money through the fundraising page set up for them by Tough Mudder. Funds are used on projects that support veterans, their families and serving wounded, injured and sick as they recover and return to the Forces or transition to civilian life. Help is given to those in need, regardless of when and where they were injured, whether they are serving or veterans. Projects funded by Mudder donations include an 8metre climbing wall at the Endeavour Recovery Centre, Plymouth; two 7.5metre mobile climbing towers at Tedworth House and Catterick Recovery centres; two 4x4 vehicles to support rehabilitation activities; two 10metre

static climbing towers at Colchester and Tedworth House recovery centres, and a Tough Trail all weather running and wheelchair track with adapted exercise stations at Tedworth House Recovery Centre. Shaun Pickford, Head of Events & Challenges at Help for Heroes: “The partnership between Tough Mudder and Help for Heroes is a perfect fit – they understand and share our passion for the cause and how completing a challenge can be an inspiring and life-changing experience. This is something that is shared between the wounded and all the Mudders.” Paul Simcox, Volunteer and Charity Manager at Tough Mudder: “Tough Mudder and Help for Heroes are such amazing partners as we share a common ethos of overcoming challenges through determination, teamwork and camaraderie.” Sergeant Mark Holloway (Injured in Afghanistan) World's Toughest Mudder participant: “Tough Mudder is a great event for anyone. As an injured soldier it gave me a goal. Just recovering from my injuries wasn't enough! I wanted to push myself harder and further so I picked up the Tough Mudder gauntlet!” Jaco van Gass (Injured in Afghanistan) - Ex-Parachute Regiment and GB Paralympic cycling squad: “As a wounded serviceman I learned six core values from the Army; courage, discipline, respect for others, integrity, loyalty and selfless commitment. I experience all these qualities at Tough Mudder and I feel a huge sense of teamwork and achievement when I earn my orange headband.”

Issue 2 | Obstacle Race

AVALANCHE RUN-CHASE THE YETI Written by Ben Kirkup Photgraphs by: Avalanche Run Chase the Yeti

As the country was battered by heavy winds and rain, over 600 weather hardy individuals rocked up to a Leicestershire farm to chase a mythical snow creature! Chase the Yeti, now in its third year, takes place at Wrongs Farm just outside Market Harborough. Throughout the year, Wrongs is home to Avalanche Adventure, a 400 acre playground where Quad Bikes, 4x4s and shotguns are the toys; Chase the Yeti makes fine use of all the available terrain. Getting to the farm was straightforward with a car and a sat nav, and parking was free in one of the farmâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s many fields. Registration was simple, with a packet pick-up located in a small marquee close to the start line. This year, a 20km option had been added to the already established 5km and 10km courses. Judging from the length of the line it was easy to see that the 10km was the most popular distance. With numbers pinned and chip timers strapped to our laces we headed to the start line. Waiting to set off, it was interesting to look round and see how this sport of OCR is growing, with runners wearing Tough Guy and Total Warrior buffs, Survival of the Fittest t-shirts and Tough Mudder headbands. It was a staggered start with the 20km runners heading out first followed by the 10km and finally the 5km. With a couple of minutes to go the Yeti appeared with flares in his claws and got things underway!

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AVALANCHE RUN

NAME: BEN KIRKUP RACE NAME: CHASE THE YETI LOCATION: WRONGS FARM, LEICESTERSHIRE DISTANCE: 5, 10 AND 20K NUMBER OF OBSTACLES: 15 (APPROX) SORT OF TERRAIN: 4X4 COURSE, FARMERS FIELDS, WOODLAND LEVEL OF MUD: 4 DIFFICULTY LEVEL(1-10): 4

The course wound through the off-road tracks and wooded areas used by the 4x4s, with a succession of obstacles between the trees. Deep puddles had us up to our waists in freezing water, and low crawls and cargo nets put us face down in the mud. The course designers did a fine job of utilising the natural lay of the land taking us through flooded ditches, streams, ponds and dykes. The manmade obstacles were the usual fare of monkey bars, cargo nets, log carry, high fences and a strange twist on farmersâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; gates. This is a great race, plenty of space to open your stride with enough obstacles to keep it interesting. Even with the horrendous weather there was a great turn out with a positive energy around the start village. There were a couple of brief breaks in the weather when the sun shone and the rolling hills and countryside were a beautiful sight. So if youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re looking to dip your toe into the pool of OCR or looking for a longer but not overly demanding race, or if you like chasing furry monsters, you should definitely give Chase the Yeti a go.

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IF YOU LIKE CHASING FURRY MONSTERS, YOU SHOULD DEFINITELY GIVE CHASE THE YETI A GO Issue 2 | Obstacle Race

#OCRSCARS

HAVE YOU GOT AN AWESOME PICTURE YOU WANT TO SHARE? To get your picture on to our mudtrest wall send it to letters@obstacleracemagazine.com with your name and a description.

Obstacle Race | Issue 2

Issue 2 | Obstacle Race

PANDEMONIUM Written by: Paul Furness Photography by: Pandemonium

Having been told in advance that the car parking arrangements had been changed due to adverse weather affecting ground conditions, we knew we had the perfect conditions for a good Obstacle Race. We were bussed into the event centre which was simple but more than adequate with a few stalls. We were met by the Race Register Nik, who explained the race pack and race set-up for the day. The packs contained a technical t-shirt, energy bar and timing chip, what more do you need! No medals were available on the day though as suppliers let them down. A few medal hunters were slightly disappointed at this but were reassured they will be posted to us. Nik kept the awaiting runners entertained with banging 90s dance tracks and witty & humorous announcements over the PA on how the race was going to run which the awaiting chilly crowds much appreciated. The Races were 12k (2 laps of the 6k track) or a straight 6k. Start time arrived and we were led to the start line by the ever organised and busy Nik. We were split up into Elite and not so elite Runners. Having found myself chatting to friendly elite runners on the way to the line I ended up in the elite group and knew I was not in for a Sunday morning jog in the park! Nik explained the course start and then we were off. A short run around the block and we hit our first ascent which appeared to be part of a 4x4 course, just what you needed to get the legs pumping and lungs burning early doors. Another short run down a lane and we were running alongside a lake so could anticipate what was next to come. The thought of a lake swim so early on in a run in mid-February is always a daunting prospect and this was no different as it was chilly to say the least, confirmed by grown men in front of me shrieking as they entered the water. The use of a cargo net suspended in the water to aid in the deeper water was a good idea in principle but most found it difficult to negotiate with feet getting snagged. This added to the difficulty and the fun factor; after all, we donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t enter these events for an easy life and there were life guards on hand just in case. Out of the water on the other side, a roll in the hay! A roll under a hay feeder, and then we had to ascend a small slope; just what you needed to get cold legs warm again. A 1km straight line run followed. Nik had advised us this was simply because the land owner would not allow obstacles but this just allowed the true runners in the race to stretch their legs and take a few race places, following the end of the straight a dive and step through tyres and a small hurdle had to be negotiated before we had a small run to a 15ft slight inclined wall and rope climb needing quite a bit of upper body strength and a good

Obstacle Race | Issue 2

PANDEMONIUM

NAME: PAUL FURNESS RACE NAME: PANDEMONIUM LOCATION: WOLVEY, COVENTRY DISTANCE: 12K NUMBER OF OBSTACLES: 32 SORT OF TERRAIN: FLAT FARMLAND LEVEL OF MUD: LIGHT DIFFICULTY LEVEL(1-10): 4 Issue 2 | Obstacle Race

grip to get up it (the use of my new Optimum Velocity Stik Mits much aiding this). The wall was supported by a farm trailer which you had to jump 5ft into and out of, with the out being a rather high10ft drop; ankle-twisting time if you didn’t get it right. There was another short run and we found ourselves on a equestrian course more suited to horse jumping than man hurdling horse jumps! This was a good addition to the course. At the end of this section we were guided into the woods by one of the many friendly and encouraging marshals, who were mainly troops from the local army base. In the woods we encountered a suspended cargo net which, having never seen one before, I decided to adopt a rolling technique. This worked amazingly well on the 1st lap as I managed to catch up time, but was less successful on the 2nd lap as I got my feet snagged. This was a difficult obstacle to overcome quickly but a good one. At the end of the woods section we were greeted by zombies, like a scene from Shaun of the Dead rather than an OCR. Having seen them around the start I wondered if they were part of the event or runners, but their inclusion and their wailing and screaming here and there, if a little peculiar, brought a wry smile to pained running faces. As soon as we were out of the woods, we were directed by the very supportive marshals to a 10ft wall, always a difficult challenge to a short arse. Having attempted several times, the option of a leg up from the marshal was too much to resist. I can only imagine that many a runner on the day struggled with this but nevertheless a big wall has to be a staple of any good OCR. By now you could hear the distant sound of those 90s dance tracks and knew we were not far away from finishing our first 6k lap. A short run up and over a farm trailer and a fence and we were presented with a few mud slopes to negotiate, accompanied by pretty steep 20ft cargo net climb. Again, this needed some good upper body strength to get up successfully. Sliding on your backside down the other side of said slope like a 6 year old, we were guided to a flooded tunnel by another zombie and as you crouched through the tunnel we were greeted at the end by a really angry zombie screeching in your face, which was okay if you were expecting... for others that weren’t, you heard their screams either behind or in front of you. Again, it kept you entertained as the legs started to tire. Guided back around the event centre and that was lap one done... time to go again. Having done all the obstacles previously the 2nd lap gave you chance to learn from your mistakes, make some changes to your technique and get over obstacles quicker even if the body was tiring. The only change to the 2nd lap was at the very finish; you had to negotiate a cargo net suspended over a lovely mud pool just to make sure you were cold, wet, and muddy enough. Then it was out the other side and over the finish line, time to take a deep breath and reflect on a thoroughly enjoyable race. You handed your timing chip back and were advised that within minutes you could get your time which was a nice bonus if you were a competitive so and so and wanted to know how you did. The next goal was to get changed asap out of the cold and wet gear. Facilities were available to change but no showers... after all we’re tough OCR lovers, who needs a hot shower! Any complaints about the cold tap used for cleaning yourself down were greeted by calls of wimp over the PA system! Whilst awaiting the full race results to come in I got chatting to many of the other runners who had travelled far and wide to this event. We compared our experience at this event and talked about other races, having a laugh and joke while enjoying our free energy bar and hot beverages. Nik announced the race results of the mens’ and womens’ 6 & 12k races gave out prizes to the winners. Overall I really enjoyed and rated this very well organised event. Well done the Pandemonium team.

Obstacle Race | Issue 2

BY NOW YOU COULD HEAR THE DISTANT SOUND OF THOSE 90S DANCE TRACKS

Issue 2 | Obstacle Race

ORM’S FAMOUS CHICKEN SOUP If you ever see the Obstacle Race Magazine Tent or Promo Van at an event (and kev hasn’t buried it up to its arches) you should start praying to the great architect of the universe that the race director at that event has allowed our publisher Mark to serve up some of his home made chicken soup. It hasn’t taken very long for word to get around that tucking into our soup at the end of a gruelling winter OCR is heavenly and as you’ve been begging us for the recipe, here it is…

INGREDIENTS 1 1 4 2 1 1

whole chicken (or a pack of thighs/ drumsticks) medium butternut squash really thick carrots single sticks of celery tin of sweetcorn heaped teaspoon of love.

METHOD Cut the chicken into 4 and put it into a large saucepan. Just about cover the chicken with a kettle of hot water. Wack it on the hob turned up high to boil hard for a good 20 minutes.

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As the chicken is boiling away, peel the butternut squash, half it and remove the seeds – then dice it into about 1cm square cubes. Put all of the butternut squash in with the chicken. Add a bit more water if it gets low but not too much. Wash, top and tail the carrots. Then cut them into slices (like chocolate coins). Wash the celery and chop as small as you can without including any finger tips or finger nails. Go back to the boiling chicken and using tongs, remove the chicken from the pot and put onto a plate – leaving the butternut squash boiling away in the chicken stock. Make yourself a cuppa. After a brew, Get a masher and carefully show the butternut squash who’s boss as it continues to boil away - it should start to break down and thicken the stock. The idea is to help it along but you don’t need to go mad - lumps is fine. The chicken should be cool enough to remove from the bone and chop into small pieces. Discard the bones and add the chicken, celery, carrots and the whole contents of the tin of sweet corn (juice as well) into the bubbling saucepan. Return to the boil for five minutes then switch off. A pinch of salt and a twist of black pepper. Done in less than an hour and good for days in the fridge.

Issue 2 | Obstacle Race

GET OUT GIVE BACK Written by Selica Sevigny, Co-Founder Spartan Photography by: Epic Action Imagery

Obstacle Race | Issue 2

THIS IS SPARTAN THROUGH AND THROUGH.

ORM: When we announced to everybody that we wanted to give issue two the theme of charities, a lot of people got very excited about this subject as they really wanted to share their experiences with us. One such person was Selica Sevigny, the Co-Founder of Spartan Race. As you’re about to read this subject is one that Selica really does hold so close to her heart. Take it away, Selica. Many years ago, when I was in secondary school, I was asked to create a “time capsule”. This was a letter from my younger self to my older self, addressing my personal and professional goals for the future. At the time, I thought it was a great exercise. Five years ago, while moving home, I unexpectedly came across my time capsule, buried away in a box. It felt like Christmas Day and I was suddenly filled with childlike excitement as I held it in my hands. I was filled with curiosity, wondering what I had written to myself all those years ago. As I read it, a line in the letter struck an immediate emotional cord with me. It read: “Selica, I’m not sure what job you will be doing exactly, but I know for sure you will be using your talents and energy to change people’s lives. You will focus all your energy on fundraising.” When I read that message to myself, I was in my second year of being the Co-founder and East Canada Licensee of Spartan Race. Shivers ran down my back and I felt overcome with emotion and tears of joy. As a young girl, I had always fundraised for variety of charities. I would go door to door collecting signatures and donations to save marine life, or I’d take on and conquer an athletic feat to raise money for the Terry Fox Foundation or sing Christmas carols and played music with friends on the brutally cold winter streets of Montreal for Make a Wish Foundation. Every year, I would dedicate my time to a charity. There are so many who need our support, love, and funds that I made it my life’s mission to dedicate all my hard work towards doing only good. More recently, only last summer, Tyler, a young Canadian racer with cerebral palsy, moved us all to tears and gave us strength when he completed his first 5k Spartan Sprint. He did so with the assistance of a Spartan team member Andy, who also taught Tyler how to use a sit ski. Tyler’s moving story has recently been published to our Spartan Race community to help fundraise for a Canadian cerebral palsy related charity. Another Spartan hero of ours is James Simpson, our very first double amputee based in England who returned from military service in Afghanistan missing his two legs and part of his hand. He went on to complete not only a 5k Sprint, but also the 12k Super AND attempted the 25k Beast all within one season. On Beast day, he showed amazing courage, battling through mud and torrential rain for nine hours before he was defeated by the conditions – plus the fact that he was losing his prosthetic limbs in the mud. He reached complete exhaustion.

James, who accepts no limits, decided to complete the Beast in America shortly afterwards. The weather there was more suitable for his body and he completed the course. We shared James’s story to help fundraise for his charity of choice, the national Armed Forces charity SSAFA that supports injured servicemen and their families. James now plans to create a team of recovering exmilitary amputees to empower them as much as he was on his Spartan journey. James’s lasting words branded themselves on me: “The only disability in life is a bad attitude” - Scott Hamilton (Figure Skater) These are only two of MANY Spartan heroes who belong to our community and who chose Spartan Race to celebrate a milestone in their lives. Spartan Race is so proud to have built a generous and supportive community of 1.5 million racers worldwide working together every year to improve people’s lives, every day. From the moment of conception, Spartan Race’s mission was to “pull people off their couches and get them back outdoors”. No excuses. If James and Tyler could foster the courage and strength to try a Spartan Race, what could possibly be holding you back? Nothing. Only your self-imposed limitations. Spartan Race has always been about a great deal more than just a one-day event. It has always fostered the mission to build a happier, healthier community for people of all ages. With our children’s races, we now cater to 4-13 yearolds who choose to use their experience as a way to learn about the benefits of fitness and fundraising; they are the next generation of philanthropists. I am eternally grateful that life brought Mark Ussher into our Spartan family in 2013. Mark’s passion and mission with his team at Run for Charity is dedicated to increasing the number of people running and raising money for charity. They are working on a number of innovative ways to help charities and this can be seen very clearly with the work they are doing with us at the Spartan Race. We have not met another company whose goal is quite simply to help charities succeed and this is why we like working with them so much. Spartan Race is now supporting 200 charities in the UK alone (and this figure is growing every month), through online donation portals, donations for charity volunteers and a variety of other creative fundraising avenues. In regards to charity fundraising and obstacle racing we plan to lead the way. We are also pleased to announce the recent partnership of Virgin Money Giving and Spartan Race in 2014 for the UK events. This is just the beginning of far greater things to come! A quote by George Bernard Shaw marked me years ago and I live by it today: “I am of the opinion that my life belongs to the whole community and as long as I live, it is my privilege to do for it whatever I can. I want to be thoroughly used when I die, for the harder I work, the more I live.”

Issue 2 | Obstacle Race

FANCY A DIRTY WEEKEND? ORM SAYS: After running the Rat Race Dirty Weekend last year, we can honestly say it’s in our top five hardest challenges we’ve taken on so far. Not because any of the obstacles were tough or the terrain was particularly challenging but because it’s a hell of a distance to be tested over. When you get in to the groove of doing 5 and 10 km’s over and over they get to be comfortable but when a race throws a 20 miler at you it’s a game changer. So we’ll hand you over to the guys from Rat Race to let them give you more information about this massive weekend they’ve got planned... Get ready because the largest assault course on earth, Dirty Weekend, is back this May and is set to be bigger, bolder and badder than ever! The event, which is run by adventure sports company Rat Race, will transform the grounds of the lavish 16th century, Elizabethan country estate, Burghley House, into the longest assault course in the world. Across 20 miles and 20 themed zones, participants will have to overcome over 200 obstacles and will also have to face one or two world record breaking challenges along the way, namely the world’s longest set of monkey bars and the world’s longest “cat crawl.” Other obstacles include energy sapping inflatables, mud runs, vertical walls and the infamous ‘Water Wipe Out’ zone. If all that running sounds a bit daunting there is the half mucker option where you can enjoy 75% of the obstacles whilst running a shorter 13 mile course. Be warned: this option is not to be scoffed at; it is still way bigger, longer and harder than any other mud run on the market. And the fun certainly doesn’t end there; once you cross

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the finish line you and your supporters will be invited to attend the notorious Dirty Weekend after party, complete with performances from live bands and DJs under a 5000 capacity big top tent, food courts, a colossal beer tent and a huge music stage which was last year headlined by Ocean Colour Scene. To add to this adventure, you also have the option to camp on the grounds where facilities at Burghley House include hot showers and electrical hookups for RVs and caravans. Entry to the 2014 event is open until capacity is reached and costs £129 per person or £119 per person when entered as a team of 5, and £109 per person for a team of 10. This entry fee includes access to the after party. Camping tickets are also available to buy, with prices ranging from £5 - £15 for two nights and can be purchased after buying your race entry. Jim Mee, Rat Race MD and creator of the Dirty Weekend said of the upcoming event: “This year’s Dirty Weekend is set to be our biggest and toughest yet. Its length alone makes it a serious run in its own right, but what truly sets us apart is our gargantuan obstacles, some of which are real record-breakers, sanctioned for world record attempts. To finish off the day we are looking forward to opening our doors to all our competitors and their supporters to join us in celebrating at the Dirty Weekend after party. “Our Dirty Weekend after party has become legendary, and we fully expect most of our participants to make a weekend out of it and to party the night away to celebrate conquering the course”.

RAT RACE

BURGHLEY HOUSE, STAMFORD ON SATURDAY 10TH MAY 2014 TO ENTER PLEASE VISIT WWW.RATRACE.COM Issue 2 | Obstacle Race

JUMP & RUNNING TRAINING Written By Coach Michael of TEAM Wild Forest Gym Photography by Epic Action Imagery

As OCR edges towards becoming a sport, we look at how to develop and refine the technical skills for such a multidisciplined event. Coach Michael reveals one his top-secret training sessions that he used for 2013 Spartan Race UK Champion Thomas Blanc in the lead up to The Nuts Challenge... With OCR being so multi-disciplined, it is important to develop technical skills. In particular agility, stability, balance, co-ordination, body weight transfer and good posture. In addition we then have the natural movement skills to develop such as: climbing, balancing, running, jumping, throwing, catching, pulling, pushing and lifting. The following workout is used to develop the OCR skills of running and jumping. Which in turn also optimises your ability to develop fundamental skills of stability, balance, eye and feet co-ordination, reactive skills, and fast twitch muscle development. All done in a progressive way of course. This training session was used in preparation for The Nuts Challenge as the race course is 100 obstacles mainly jumps up/over/down. Multiply it by 4 laps and you will know what burning quads are. TEAM Wild Forest Gym

JUMP & RUNNING WORKOUT Duration 3 hours WU(Warm Up) The warm up is vital to oiling and greasing the joints as well as waking up your circulation system. 8-10mins jog 5 mins dynamic stretches

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MAIN SET Run Technique (50 mins) This session is breaking down your running form in order to develop it. Find a short grassed section of ground or trail that is approximately 100 metres in length. One by one incorporate one of the following elements into each 100 metre run. Sometimes you will need to do each one more than once, depending on your current skills, and how you progress. After each 100m try running naturally back to the start point.

ELEMENTS TO FOCUS ON: Elongating the spine from the crown of the head. Full body lean from ankles. Relax shoulders, allow them to roll. Elbows nail back and allow the shoulders to pendulum the arms forward. Keep elbows relaxed between 80110 degrees. Open chest. Neck and jaw relaxation. Go for a 10-minute jog changing the focus on the above elements as you go. Check left & right foot are being equally strided. Time to build your lazy leg. Check cadence is 180 rpm i.e. 30 strides per 20s on one foot. Feeling the ground from foot contact to leaving ground. Listening to the terrain and environment. Contouring around trees and obstacles. Go for a 10-minute jog changing the focus on the above elements as you go. Go for a 10-minute jog holding form without individual element focus. Instead listen and feel the terrain.

JUMP SESSION (50MINS) Time to develop good jump skills, building your quads and fast-twitch explosive muscles. Practice on a flattish grassy or woodland terrain, which has a little spring to it. Alternatively practice on gym mats in the first instance.

Spot landing: Jump in the air and land on springy legs where your knees are no more than 90 degrees angle. Soft and quiet landing. Slap landing: Jump forward so you land with your feet followed by your hands. Hand n foot 50/50 weight distribution. Springy in legs and arms i.e. suspension rather rigidity. Break roll: Left and right sided. Jump & break roll. Arm swing: superman arms forward, then elbows back to compact your body weight and allow your shoulders to pendulum the arms back forward naturally using gravity to counterbalance. Hands finish out front forward but relaxed. Precision low jump on spot landing: place a branch 2â&#x20AC;? in front of feet and jump 10 times looking forward. Make sure your feet end up where they started. Make adjustments in body angle from the ankles not hips. Precision jump on spot: high vertical jump with high knees landing on same spot. Soft landing. Precision jump on spot with arm swing: high vertical jump with high knees landing on same spot. Soft landing. Focus on bringing in the arm swing. Precision leg swing jump: Feet parallel. Body weight transfer (BWT) so all your body weight is on your right support leg. Swing your arms and left leg back. Swing both forward. Pull legs up and land with your swinging leg momentarily before supporting leg. Precision leg swing jump over low obstacle: this will encourage you to bring your legs up. Precision broad jump: Double footed jump. Precision broad jump over low obstacle Next practice jumping up/down/over trenches maintaining good technique. Do double foot jumps, single leg stationary and running jumps.

RUN & TRENCH SESSION (30MINS) A combi of running and trenches Cool Down. Never forget the cool down after such intense leg work. 8-10 mins jog 10 mins, stretch muscles used: Remember if it is a hard session then 10s stretch for each exercise. 20s if easy session.

Issue 2 | Obstacle Race

CAPTION COMPETITION

WIN A PAIR OF MOUNTAIN BEAR RACING SHOES

SEND YOUR CAPTION FOR THIS PICTURE TO COMPS@OBSTACLERACEMAGAZINE.COM FOR YOUR CHANCE TO WIN A PAIR OF MOUNTAIN BEAR RACING SHOES. Terms and conditions apply

Entries should be sent no later than the 1st of April 2014. One entry per person. The winner will receive a pair of Mountain Bear racing shoes. Supplied garments may differ to those pictured. We reserve the right to withdraw the competition at any time without prior notification. Prize available to UK residents only.

LAST ISSUES CAPTION COMPETITION WINNER WAS Sean Judge with “That’s the last time I super-size a Slush Puppy..” The XRace Wear is winging its way to you as you read this.

COMING NEXT ISSUE In issue 3 of Obstacle Race Magazine we wanted to put something together for the little fellows, no we don’t mean the slow guys we mean the kids. So we’ll be putting together a big old chunk of information on what race organisers are doing to welcome the families of racers, also the kids who want to have a taste of the muddy excitement their parents get to experience. If you have a child that is OCR crazy and you want to share their story please send it to letters@obstacleracemagazine.com.

DON’T MISS ISSUE 3 OUR KIDS AND RACING THEMED ISSUE. OUT 20TH APRIL

ONLY AVAILABLE IN WHSMITHS In this copy we will be giving all the race organisers and directors a chance to show you why you should pick their race over any other in the United Kingdom, so it will make a great addition to your collection.

KIDS RAC AND THEMING E

FIND AN OCR STOCKIST NEAR YOU: