Obstacle Race Magazine Issue 16

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

5 G/SEPT‘16 £4.9 ISSUE #16 AU

TO PEE OR NOT TO PEE eak dilemma Mid race toilet br

BRAIN TRAINING be Train your brain to urse co confident on any

OCR RECOVERY TRAINING Train, race and pro recovery, like a

THE DO’S S T ’ N O D D AN T I K R C O OF your first OCR What to wear for 16

9 772053 949001

AGILITY UPGRADE ile Learn to be ag like a ninja

MUDD QUEENS

e Mudd Find out what then up to Queens have be o years over the last tw

SHOES TESTED T CR SHOES PU TOP RATED O EIR PACES THROUGH TH

EDITOR’S LETTER

The sun is shining the birds are singing and summer is finally here.

Managing Director Kevin Newey kevin@obstacleracemagazine.com 07932 411592

Designed By RAWWW www.rawww.com 0845 371 0993

Editor Carl Wibberley carl@obstacleracemagazine.com 01246 241780

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

Subscriptions Caroline Newey caroline@obstacleracemagazine.com 07827 962542

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

CONTRIBUTORS Dave Peters (The Obstacle Express), Kevin Meredith (OCR Training), Sam Winkworth (Couples in OCR), Sam Henden (Brain Training for OCR), Ami Veronica (To pee or not to pee), Craig Heron (The Suffering), Kevin Newey / Jordan Foster (The Ram Run), Samantha Doughty (Airfield Anarchy), Sarah Greene (Super Human Games), James Ruckley (Kits do's and don'ts), Michael Cohen (Be Agile like a Ninja)

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

PHOTOGRAPHY

ISSN 2053-9495

AWOL (Airfield Anarchy) for front cover Carl Julian (model), James Appleton Photography for Brain Training for OCR, Epic Action Imagery for Mud Monsters / To pee or not to pee / Pain and Suffering / Couples in OCR / The Royal Spartan, AWOL (Airfield Anarchy) for Ram Run, Jon Hillyer for Super Human Games

WRITE TO US

Racing got a whole new obstacle added to the line up over the last few weeks, HEAT! After what seemed like a never ending spell of cool weather, the latest heat wave has hit hard. Not that it's bothered me too much as most of my time has been spent in the pool or open water as my ankle is still doing everything it can to stop me running, but I’ll get there eventually.

This issue is once again a real mixed bag of event reviews, advice and gear testing. If you’re struggling with your next choice of footwear then you’ll want to check out page 68 for the ultimate guide. If recovery is your Achilles heel then check out the fantastic advice on page 20. The count down to our event Mudnificent 7 is well and truly on as I write this, Kevin has started to get his Mud 7 dreams and final preparations are under way. We’ll see you all out on the course.

See you in the mud

Ca rl

CARL WIBBERLEY (EDITOR)

Website: obstacleracemagazine.com

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

Youtube: youtube.com/obstacleracemagazine

TO SUBSCRIBE

Instagram: @obstacleracemagazine

www.obstacleracemagazine.com

Facebook: obstacleracemagazine

Twitter: @UKORM

CONTENTS FEATURES

8 THE OBSTACLE EXPRESS Dave Peters shares his beliefs with you and hopes it may help you in one of your races in the near future.

PROFILES

66 RACE DIRECTOR INSIGHT

We grill the race director of Rock Solid Race to find out what it takes to put on a top class event.

16 LET'S PEE HONEST The honest truth about peeing mid race.

20 OCR RACING & TRAINING GUIDE PART ONE Your guide to race recovery.

32 BRAIN TRAINING FOR OCR Get your mind race ready.

40 COUPLES IN OCR Is it really a good idea to get your other half into the muddy world of OCR with you?

44 MUDDY QUEENS The mud queens are celebrating their second years as a hugely positive force within OCR. So we caught up with them to see how things have moved on since the last time we interviewed them right in them.

48 MUDNIFICENT OCR & EXPO Find out why this is a must do event that needs to be on everyone’s event calendar.

80 OCR RACING & TRAINING GUIDE PART TWO Your guide to race recovery.

88 KIT LIST DO’S AND DON’TS What exactly should you be wearing for your first race.

Don’t make the mistakes 99.9% of first timers do.

100 BE AGILE LIKE A NINJA

Coach Michael of Wild Forest Gym shares with you how to be truly agile like a Ninja.

106 BIG BRO RACE A twist on the OCR concept that will have you pedalling your way to a new challenge.

6 Obstacle Race Magazine

58 THE ROYAL SPARTAN

We interviewed the new man at the helm of Spartan Race UK and found out what he has planned.

REGULARS

28 MUDDY RACE Muddy Race test you in the gym.

38 OBSTACLES EXAMINED A closer look at the industry's best obstacles.

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

REVIEW

12 PAIN AND SUFFERING

Craig shares with us just how brutal a triple race weekend can really be.

24 MUD MONSTERS

Read about how Fay has a whale of a time down in the awardwinning muddy event.

72 SUPER HUMAN GAMES

What do you get if you cross OCR, Crossfit, strong man and a good dose of functional fitness? Super Human Games that’s what.

90 AIRFIELD ANARCHY

Three races should be three times the fun, right ? Maybe until DOM’s set in.

94 RAM RUN

Any race with a rope climb out of a flowing river is never going to be for the faint hearted. Wild running OCR’s at its best.

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

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

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

84 TEAM ORM What have our team of lovely ladies been up to since last issue.

86 10 SECOND RACE ROUNDUP A quick glimpse of the races we weren’t able to fully review from the past two months.

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

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

TESTING

68 OCR SHOES TESTED We try out some of the best choices of OCR shoes and see which ones come out on top.

32 CHIA CHARGE - COMPETITION Win yourself a full case of these delicious bars to fuel your racing and training.

Obstacle Race Magazine 7

FEATURE : THE OBSTACLE EXPRESS

THE OBSTACLE

ALL CHANGE PLEASE Written by: UK OCR Coach Dave Peters of Rumble Racing

8 Obstacle Race Magazine

FEATURE : THE OBSTACLE EXPRESS

INTRO

FOR SOME OBSTACLE COURSE RACING IS A ONE OFF CRAZY WEEKEND WITH FRIENDS FOR SOME FUN OR MAYBE CHARITY, BUT FOR OTHERS OBSTACLE COURSE RACING IS A JOURNEY. As OCR grows through our country and others more and more people are attracted to its endless challenges, fun and achievements.

Each one of those people have their own stories as to how they came across it and why they continue to make it such an integral part of their lives. As with all journeys there are ups and downs, high points and low points. I call this the Obstacle Express.

Throughout the 19th century steam engine locomotives were one of Britain’s fastest and simplest modes of transport. Complete with carriages these trains were the central hub for many thousands of journeys, journeys of people from all backgrounds, purpose and distance.

Sat in the carriages people each with different stories to tell and reasons for being there. When I walk around an event village at an OCR I see the same. I see the commonly referred to “Elite” preparing themselves for business, I see the kids, the stowaway fun runner out for a laugh, and I see the nervous but ambitious apprentice desperate to succeed. OCR is a journey for each one of us. We all started somewhere, much like each of the people on the steam train. It just

depends on how long a journey each of us has and at what station we choose to depart or change our direction.

The comparison I make of the steam train and OCR continues beyond the people sat on the train. For me when I walk through an event village it’s full of fun and laughter, however the more and more OCR grows the more I am witnessing the start line becoming a little less friendly and care free being replaced by nervousness and concern. I put this down to Championship racing, qualification and the pressure that can bring. I don’t think this is a bad thing, after all the steam train is powered by pressure and much like with OCR it will bring us to better destinations and open up many more options. However I do feel that many of those people on the train should embrace the journey a little more and not be afraid to get off a station early and enjoy what that place has to offer before continuing on their way to their destination.

Quite often I see it within my own team and others that I coach. When one of them moves away from travelling for pleasure and into

business class their reason for being there is completely different and so they start to enjoy the journey a little less. Pushing for qualification, avoiding losing a band or racing for a position are all new pressures that become more prominent. You may be one of those people right now. You didn’t get onto that train for business. You weren’t already sat behind your briefcase planning your strategy you were there for pleasure, to see the next town and to play in the sand at Weymouth before your reason changed. Pressure is what drives you forward. It is the pressure that allows you to move further forward in your journey and provides you with the opportunity of new stations along the way however with all that in mind it is also true that the pressure needs to be managed. The trouble comes as with any steam engine in the disadvantages of higher pressure.

You see original steam engines were powered by a little pressure, much like you when you first turned up a little nervous and unsure what to expect. However once the higher pressure engines turned up a few years later these engines had three key disadvantages

Obstacle Race Magazine 9

FEATURE : THE OBSTACLE EXPRESS

that required good management by the driver (you) and in some cases the co-driver (coach). With these pressured systems came complexity. Things became that little bit harder and more technical. The structural strength components needed to be better.

The engine management required more attention and the correct pressures applied at the correct times. Similar to those of you looking to extend your journeys with these higher pressured engines you too may need to be structurally stronger and better technically.

A second concern was corrosion and scale deposition in the water tubes. An engine that had broken parts, some obvious and some less so simply wouldn’t perform as you would expect regardless of the pressure put upon the system and in some cases could even be dangerous. Can you see the similarities here! Finally the third disadvantage of higher pressure was the safety concerns associated with steam leaks into a firebox or a lack of steam causing overheating and therefore complete engine failure or worse. However with all of these disadvantages it only took clear planning and direction by the codriver and a little management from the driver to ensure that everyone reached their final destination safely and via some great destinations along the way.

As you can see there are many comparisons we can make with our old historical friend the great steam train when it comes to higher pressured engines behind

10 Obstacle Race Magazine

a journey, but what I take away from them is that no matter how difficult the journey can be with all of those disadvantages to the higher pressure engine, the advantages are we get to experience a greater destination and all the while we are sharing that journey with all of the others on the same train as us. Some for fun, some may even get off a station or two before us, but some will be there with us until it’s all change please.

Race after race I hear disappointment in losing a band, not qualifying or missing out on a podium place. I hear people complaining that they don’t like the pressure or the way they feel and they don’t want it.

I have felt the same way and do you know what, that is OK! As we all move on our journeys through OCR we are free to get off at as many stations as we want. We can rest at Recovery Road, we can stop off at the village of Almost-Made-It. When we are ready we can continue our journey and stop off at the village of Qualification before arriving at Championship City, but do you know what, whether it takes us one stop on the fast train to our destination or whether it takes us fifty we should always enjoy the ride.

For most of us we started our journey for pleasure. We may even take our kids along for a ride as well. Whatever is in store for me on my journey I intend to enjoy every stay at each station I may end up at, and if that means that I find a quiet little village that I am happy to stay at for a while before I carry on for business then that is great. Never be

disappointed in the journey you take in OCR or underestimate the achievements you make within it. Don’t let the higher pressure affect the way you feel after all, what is the pressure? Pressure is just the driving force behind moving you forward to the next destination. Yeah sure, you may need to fix a few structural parts, improve your strength or ensure there is enough steam in the first place to get you where you want to go but that pressure will eventually allow you to see the bigger and better destinations.

If you’re desperate to get to that final destination quicker then manage your engine, Invest in your strength and your technical knowledge and learn how best to drive your steam powered train. Learn from your experiences at every place you stop off at and most importantly enjoy the ride. One day the journey will end and all you will have is the memories of the amazing places you visited along the way. Make sure they are fond ones. Be proud of any places that you manage to visit no matter how long or short your journey is, and no matter whether you ever manage to reach your final destination, there are some beautiful places to experience along the way.

IF YOU HAVEN’T ALREADY, JUMP ABOARD THE OBSTACLE EXPRESS.

MUD FEST THE UK’S PREMIER OCR FESTIVAL

AIRFIELDANARCHY.COM/MUDFEST

REVIEW : THE SUFFERING

THE

SUFFERING Written by: CRAIG HERON | Photography by: EPIC ACTION IMAGERY

INTRO Many races claim to be the hardest, the muddiest or the longest, all in an effort to strike fear into those who dare attempt them. Some deliver on these promises, others fall short.

There is one race however whose reputation is the only thing necessary to send chills down the spines of even the most hardened OCR competitors. They are one of

12 Obstacle Race Magazine

those if you know, you know kind of races.

I'm of course talking about The Suffering.

Located in the heart of the Midlands in the grounds of Rockingham Castle it makes for a fantastic series of hilly races - 5km, 10km and 10 mile distances are on offer, with the craziest people taking on what is known as Suffering Legends which consist of all three of the distances over

the course of the weekend. This is what we had signed ourselves up for - with 5km and 10km distances being covered on the Saturday, followed by the big 10 miler on Sunday. Being a past Relentless Legends finisher, which required completing all 3 distances on the same day, I had an idea of what was ahead...

REVIEW : THE SUFFERING

Obstacle Race Magazine 13

REVIEW : THE SUFFERING

Saturday morning kicked off with the 5km - a mild but overcast morning made for perfect running conditions. I'd be running the two days with a few of ‘The Suffering Legends’ race team - guys and girls who have put themselves through this same pain time and time again.

The route took us in and around the castle grounds, up steep hills, through streams, some great trails and of course over and under various obstacles – you’re thrown right into the thick of it from the word go, with Reapers barking orders at you both before, after and sometimes during obstacles which really makes The Suffering stand out from other races.

"Reapers?" you say... Imagine your run of the mill volunteers, with free reign to make you do whatever they want. Do you like press-ups?

Drop and give me 20. Star jumps? 10 of those please. Mud angels? Sure, 15 of those. Hate burpees? Shame, do 20. Every time you get to or complete an obstacle, you’re at the mercy of the Reapers. A great touch and icing on the cake of what is already a brutal challenge.

The highlight of the 5km for me was the massive water slide! It was covered in copious amounts of fairly liquid, which meant we flew down it at quite a pace, getting covered in soap from the Reapers which made quite a mess!

In fact, these bubbles would stay with me all the way to the finish line, which made for a few jokes and laughs along the way - call me Mucky Bubbles darling, everybody does. It was to feature in all 3 of the races, so we'd end up having quite a lot of fun here!

After a few beastings from Reapers and a

14 Obstacle Race Magazine

pleasant 7.6km (yep, you always run a bit more than the advertised distance with The Suffering!) we crossed the line and were ready for more!

After grabbing our medals and a brief refuel we were ready to go again and joined the first of the 10km waves at midday.

But before you could say ‘Sunny Skies’ the heavens opened. Thunder rolled through the hills and echoed across the countryside.

It was amazing! The cool rain was just what we needed and we forged our way through the mud. Reapers were notably tougher - 10 became 20. 20 became 30. Press ups became burpees. Burpees... my favourite.

The way that The Suffering works is, they add extra loops or branches to their course to create the 10km and 10 mile courses - each with added tougher obstacles. For the 10km there were 4 of these loops, which took you a little further off the beaten track, and with it introduced you to harder terrain and more technical obstacles. My favourites on the day were the switchback hills and the rig.

The hills consisted of multiple slaloms up and down a very steep hill (luckily without a sandbag this time) - 14 in total to be precise, 7 up and 7 down. I took great pleasure in announcing each pair in a "Count from Sesame Street" style at the peak of each set, which was greeted with a mixed response from laughs and cheers, to 'I'm going to punch you in the face' - I guess some people were

enjoying them more than others!

The rig was outstanding! It was brutal, technical and long. It tested your strength and agility, with the punishment being a hefty set of burpees - a failure that would ensure what little energy you had left would be sapped from you, as its quite close to the end of the race. Luckily we flew over it and the finish line was in sight we clambered over the last relentless section of various sized walls, smashed our way through the rugby players and were back for the second time! With 12.6km on the clock, we celebrated briefly and caught up with some friends who had been watching and marshalling, as well as the race director's Richard and Drew to give them our thoughts. Apparently the courses were known to be shorter than previously in the year. Their reasoning for this was that they'd added it on to the 10 miler the following day!!

We'd soon see, and headed our separate ways to get some well-earned rest before seeing what was in store for us the following day...

I woke early, with the familiar stiff feeling in my legs that follows a hilly race, only we were just getting started so I brushed off any aches and pains, and made my way back to the event village for the big one.

Pain and Suffering. 10 miles of their best and of their worst. This was going to be great!

After a quick loosen up at the massage tent to ensure I was on top form, we lined up on the

PRESS UPS BECAME BURPEES. BURPEES...

MY FAVOURITE.

REVIEW : THE SUFFERING

start line again. A similar briefing took place this time, the RD's were quite clear - yesterday was too easy. Today would be a different story.

Off we went. The course started off the same as the previous day, with added Reaper penalties in places that we previously ran through unobstructed. Extra sandbag carries and obstacles were thrown in as if the Reaper overdrive wasn't enough! Gone were the 5km and 10km cut off points. Every point we could branch off, we did. This was getting serious.

We flew through the first section of the course, feeling great and strong, despite the previous day's antics. We reached the switchbacks from the day before after about 5 miles on the clock.

This time, it was sandbag carries up and down every slalom. The quads burned down, the calfs burned up. The Count returned, which lightened the mood and distracted us from the task at hand. 7, HA HA HAAA! We were finally done, and continued on our way.

After a nice run through previous parts of the course, we came to yet another sandbag carry. Our legs were heavy and our bodies were tired. Several of our group hit the wall, including me. I'd not eaten enough, and needed water badly due to the beating down sun taking its toll. The slog around the field felt like it went on forever. Luckily, shortly after this we came across a water station to refuel at just in the nick of time. We all started to feel a bit better and the pace picked back up.

The hills were relentless, to a point that sometimes we were forced to our knees to make it up. Over and over we climbed. This

particular section was sapping what little energy we had left and under a thick wooded area with tree branches ready to scalp you and nettles as high as your face, we were unable to keep up any kind of pace so our legs were starting to seize up.

Even when the hills stopped, we were greeted with more upper body heavy obstacles - a double weaver being one of them which really tested our grit and determination.

Finally, after what seemed like forever, we were back on the path we knew. In an attempt to distract myself from the distance, I ran through the last section in my head and reached the finish line very quickly - much faster than it would take in reality!

Reapers were not letting up and we had punishment after punishment, but we pushed on with the finish line almost in sight.

After yet more distance behind us, we finally emerged out of the woods and could see the flags of the event village! What lay between us and our medals was a small matter of two giant "Legend Walls" - standing over 12ft followed by the rig from the previous day. Only this time we were tired and had been through hell. Somehow I mustered the strength to complete the walls and rig - it seems nothing could beat me, no matter how tired I was - I always have that little extra in the tank.

We were finally on the home stretch - a few walls, and yet more Reaper punishment separated us from victory. We mustered what little energy we had left and our instincts took over. We came over the last wall and

linked arms, finishing as we had started. The rugby players waiting at the bottom tried to stop us but adrenaline is a wonderful thing and they didn't stand a chance! We clattered through them and crossed the line to claim our final medals - we were once again Suffering Legends!

In reflection it was clear the RD's Rich and Drew had taken on board comments from March. The 5km was a little more first timer friendly. The 10km was tough but not impossible. The 10 miler on the other hand was very challenging indeed, as it should be. 12.65 miles was the final reading - definitely not to be underestimated.

The Suffering really know how to put on a race. They perfectly combine obstacles (both built and natural), with tough hills and energy sapping water sections and with 3 distances to choose from, they have events tailored to any level of competitor.

I for one can't wait to get back there in October to go for my Triple Legend status and I urge anyone who is up for a challenge to come see what they have to offer - you won't be disappointed.

For more information on where you can book the next Suffering event visit

THESUFFERINGRACE.CO.UK TICKETS START FROM ÂŁ38

Obstacle Race Magazine 15

FEATURE : LET'S PEE HONEST...

LET’S PEE HONEST… Written by: AMI VERONICA | Photography by: EPIC ACTION IMAGERY

16 Obstacle Race Magazine

FEATURE : LET'S PEE HONEST...

INTRO

WHEN ASKED TO WRITE AN ARTICLE FOR OBSTACLE RACE MAGAZINE, ONE EXPECTS TO REVIEW A PRODUCT, A RACE, OR PERHAPS DELVE INTO A DIVISIVE CURRENT AFFAIR. NOT ME. I’M HERE TO TALK ABOUT PEE, OR MORE SPECIFICALLY, PEEING WHILST RUNNING.

Despite advance preparation, hydration and organisation, we do often find ourselves in the situation where the pre-race nervous pee just didn’t quite cut it. In longer races, we’re often hydrating, not just in the lead up to, but during the race, and this means at some point in an obstacle course race runner’s life, mid race pee is going to happen. The urge to go is a familiar one to anyone with pre-race jitters, and it can dissipate as the race progresses, but sometimes it’s downright painful to fight it, and it can become distracting having to carry

half a litre of extra baggage around a course.

So here is my advice to you: let it go.

Of course, it’s not dignified, nor polite to do this in full view. It’s clear that men have the advantage of being able to amble off towards the nearest tree and pretend they’re just admiring the foliage. It isn’t as easy to squeeze in a lady-toilet break, especially when you’re pushing for time, or can’t quite find that secluded pee spot.

The answer of course, is to pee whilst running. It seems more a psychological hurdle

than a physical one, as your brain simply does not want to let you start flowing wild and free whilst your legs are clearly trying to take you somewhere, but with a stern pep talk to your bladder, it can be persuaded to relax and let it happen. I’m not for one minute suggesting you should go full Paula Radcliffe on it at your local Parkrun, but there are times where you’ve just got to go, so here are some practical considerations to the race wee, as I’m not going to be held responsible for you getting thrown off a course for public indecency.

Obstacle Race Magazine 17

FEATURE : LET'S PEE HONEST...

1.

2.

3.

the only animal urinating in the water sections, consider the people behind you spotting the suddenly warm ocean front. Furthermore, you have to think about how long you’re going to be in that section, and how deep it is, because unless your pelvic floor can do its own push-ups, you aren’t going to want to stop mid flow to get out of the water.

It also bodes well to avoid peeing in stagnant or non-flowing water. This may not be particularly pertinent in the UK, but as we go further afield for races, there are some nasty bugs lurking in stagnant water that you do not want to be carrying home with you.

As with any mid-race bodily function, it’s nice to check behind you before you start – much as nobody likes a snot rocket to the face, people, I should imagine, get equally upset about being peed on. Wait for a break in the pack – forest trails are great for this, and if you’re quite alone you can really get back to your primal cave-person instincts of peeing wherever you damned well please and feeling at one with nature, or whatever.

Consider the obstacles you have coming up, and whether you’re going to need help getting up and over them – it would be dreadfully unfair for someone to be helping you over a wall when your leggings have, unbeknownst to them, recently been christened with wee.

Water obstacles may seem like a golden (I’m not sorry) opportunity to relieve yourself, and while you aren’t

4.

Another hideous OCR scenario, is that which involves Fairy liquid. Take it from someone who has seen a lot of things – don’t wet yourself after a foam obstacle unless you want the world to see peebubbles – they’re about as inviting as yellow snow.

5.

6.

7.

It’s worth remembering that healthy human pee, whilst largely harmless, can lead to chafing if it dries on your legs, so doing the business in the lead up to a water obstacle means you have a better chance of rinsing it off, particularly if you have shorts on.

Consider your wardrobe. There are times when a mid-race pee is extra-beneficial, and that’s when you’re wearing neoprene.

A tactical wee in the wetsuit (your own, please note) can warm even the coldest of hearts, and makes you feel a little bit mischievous and smug at the same time.

If you genuinely don’t feel able to go at it whilst running, and squatting on tired legs will lead to disaster, a great investment is a she-wee, which is like a little plastic tube for ladies to pee through. Discrete enough to fit into most zip pockets, it’s also handy when the portaloo lines are obscenely long.

I may not be able to help you with the other denominations of toilet activity whilst running, but hopefully the above provides practical hints to help things flow a little more smoothly in future.

DO NOT ASK ME ABOUT NUMBER TWOS THOUGH. I’M NOT AN ANIMAL. Even so, probably best not to run too close behind me at Winter Tough Guy, okay?

18 Obstacle Race Magazine

FEATURE : OCR TRAINING PART ONE

20 Obstacle Race Magazine

FEATURE : OCR TRAINING PART ONE

OCR TRAINING & RACING TECHNIQUES GUIDE Written by: Kevin Meredith of Origin Inspired OCR Centre Photography by: JAMES APPLETON PHOTOGRAPHY

PART ONE

INTRO

AN INTRO TO POST-RACE RECOVERY Well this is the last part of the series of articles from Origin Inspired. I have heard so many people in the community talking about qualifying for UK champs, European Champs and the World champs recently. I hear people say they are disappointed they have not qualified. When I ask them what they have planned to make sure they do qualify, most people say they will just do more of the same. This is not the best way! Train smart, improve your times and chance of qualification into any event you want to be part of. Dedication is needed for sure, but with drive and the correct direction you can go so much further.

Let's look at our final topic.

Post-race recovery is a part of any athletes agenda that most do not really think about enough. I see thousands of people just cross the line and then do nothing to aid recovery. However you have just done strenuous physical activity and your body needs you to help it recover, become stronger and prevent injury. So what is the best thing to do to help you get the best out of your race? We will look at the physical recovery, what to eat and also how to assess your race and use what you have learnt to help towards improving in your next event. I would also like to say a huge thankyou to all the collaborators that took their time to help me with this series of articles. Their wealth of experience in OCR should not be taken lightly, they have all excelled in the world of OCR and have valuable information for those wanting to improve. I would personally like to thank them for their generosity in sharing their OCR secrets with us all. What an awesome community we have!

COLLABORATORS Conor Hancock (OCR competitor & UK no.1), I've always trained since a young age. As I love a challenge and felt in decent shape, I thought I'd sign up for Man V Mountain in 2013. Placing 5th in this I wanted to see what I could achieve. I signed up for TM in

October and then Spartan Beast in November. Unaware I was stood on the start line with some of the best obstacle racers in the UK, I was aiming to win. Finishing 3rd behind Jon Albon 1st, Ross McDonald 2nd, I was happy but not yet content. It got me wanting to race these guys as much as possible to learn and improve. Since then I've had a great time racing all over the place, meeting stacks of OCR people.

Freya Martin (OCR competitor & UK no.1 Female), becoming a mum in 2013 made me change my sporting focus from endurance triathlon to OCR and I did my first event at Spartan Beast in 2014. I was immediately hooked (not least because of the prize opportunities that are so poor in most amateur sports). After some success I am now very hungry for more and have my sights firmly set on the World OCR Champ's podium 2016 (well you have to dream big don't you?).

James Appleton (OCR competitor & UK no.2), Before OCR, I was a runner and climber who wasn't particularly top-level at either.

Discovering that a combination of both was actually pretty handy, I competed in more Tough Guy's than I can remember from 2006 - 2011, winning three. After that, I took a break until a chance meeting with both Scott Keneally and Pete Rees convinced me to have a look back in. I haven't looked back since...

Joda Quigley (OCR competitor & multiple 1st place female ), My background is in Equestrian Sports. My first OCR experience was a Spartan in 2013. I was still boxing so my fitness was good but I still wasn't sure about competing in OCR but my fiancĂŠ John and his belief in me convinced me to do it. I was in the Elite wave not feeling very Elite, but I gave it my best and came in First Female. I have never had to push myself so hard but I loved it so I decided that my future was in OCR.

Obstacle Race Magazine 21

FEATURE : OCR TRAINING PART ONE

TECHNIQUES TO RECOVER

RECOVERY IS A REALLY IMPORTANT PART OF MAKING SURE YOU GET YOUR BODY STRONGER AND READY FOR THE NEXT RACE OR TRAINING SESSION. The faster the recovery the quicker you can get back to training, racing and improving your techniques. However going back too quickly if not recovered properly can cause injury and will eventually mean your training and performance plateaus or even drops. I have heard so many people say “ I will be fine” or “I don’t feel a difference, I just go for it”. This is a very short sighted mindset which is fine if you plan on only doing something for a year but long term you will not progress, have chronic injuries and also do damage to your heart etc. So hopefully we can all be sure that correct recovery is not to

be taken lightly. So what do we do post race to speed up recovery?

POST RACE/WORKOUT WARM DOWN

blood flow to the muscles and remove waste products. It can also be used to release trigger points and tight areas of muscle.

Returning the body to a more steady state after exercise will promote recovery and reduce subsequent injuries. This means some gentle cardio immediately afterwards and some gentle stretches.

20-MINUTE GENTLE WALK OR SLOW JOG This should be done at very low intensity and will help remove any lactic acid build up and increase the blood flow to damaged muscles.

HOT & COLD THERAPY These should be done as soon as possible after exercise. They dramatically improve recovery time. If using hot and cold shower, spray cold for two mins and hot for one minute in cycles for around fifteen minutes. The alternate heat and cold therapy will increase blood flow through muscles and help remove waste products.

COMPRESSION CLOTHING These help aid venous return (deoxygenated blood flowing back up to the heart) post race, by encouraging blood out of the capillaries in the muscles, back into the bloodstream and so removing waste products. They can also help reduce swelling.

FOAM ROLL Foam rolling is an a great way of massaging the muscles if you can’t get a sports massage.

It is no replacement but will help increase

22 Obstacle Race Magazine

“After a workout/event you should always try and do a steady jog to warm down, and plenty of stretching. Stretching after exercise is very important, this helps prevent injury massively, reduces the chance of getting sore achy muscles and keeps you nice and loose.” Conor Alongside Adam Turner at Virus Performance I put together a point system to explain how

8 HOURS OF SLEEP Sleep is the best way of recovering. The body works hard whilst you are asleep to rebuild and strengthen the body. If tired it cannot function properly and so your recovery and performance at the next race/workout will suffer.

MEDITATION/QI GONG This has been proven to help boost quality of sleep and improve recovery. Use mindful techniques and slow deep breathing to try and relax areas of tension or injury.

GOOD NUTRITION What we eat will have a huge effect on our recovery. The right balance for the body means it will have everything it need to rebuild muscles and replace lost nutrients. Fill up with quality foods that will mean you get stronger and ready for the next challenge.

RANGE OF MOVEMENT WORK (R.O.M) Tai chi, yoga and pilates are all fantastic ways to actively recover following a hard race/workout.

They gently stretch and exercise the body to remove waste from muscles, keep joints loose, calm the mind and make sure your body has the best chance at a full rapid recovery.

SPORTS MASSAGE This aids in soft tissue recovery. It will help

to combine multiple techniques to accelerate recovery. Each individual technique has a point assigned to it based on its level of effectiveness.

You must combine the techniques within 24 hours of the race/workout to get to the ideal point total of 200 points. The full page pullout table gives you the options of techniques and the points assigned to each one. You can choose any of these to get your total points.

Hit your maximum points to get the fastest recovery. This method was tested by some of our collaborators and they found it very useful as have others I have tested it on. Simple!

break down scar tissue, loosen muscles, realign muscle fibres, aid in the removal of toxins and leave you feeling rejuvenated and ready for anything.

REHYDRATE Your body is mostly made of water, when we exercise we lose a lot, so putting it back in is crucial to recovery. Water is involved in most activities in the body so if we do not have enough it will not function at its best. Do not underestimate the importance of staying hydrated and rehydrating post race/workout.

ALCOHOL There is a growing amount of evidence to show alcohol's negative effects on recovery. If nothing else as your body is at its weakest post exercise and needs as much help to recover as possible.

It is not worth making it process something else that is not helpful to its immediate needs.

Alcohol also reduces sleep quality, another reason why you must remove points if you consume alcohol post race/workout.

“I normally do a nice steady run after race day, I believe it flushes your muscles out and shifts lactic acid, especially after a longer event I definitely recommend you try this.” Conor “Also post race my points add up to 210. For people requiring help with post race recovery it is very easy to follow and it works” Joda’s feedback on our Rapid Recovery Method.

CONTINUED ON PAGE 80

FEATURE : OCR TRAINING PART ONE

AFTER A WORKOUT/ EVENT YOU SHOULD ALWAYS TRY AND DO A STEADY JOG

SEE PAGE

42 for rapid recovery plan

Obstacle Race Magazine 23

REVIEW : MUD MONSTERS

MUD

MONSTERS Written by: FAY KELLY Photography by: EPIC ACTION IMAGERY

WHEN I WAS ASKED TO REVIEW MUD MONSTERS I JUMPED AT THE CHANCE, AS IT WAS A MUDSTACLE AWARD-WINNING EVENT THAT I HADN’T DONE BEFORE. ARRIVING AT THE DESTINATION WAS STRANGE BECAUSE YOU THINK YOU’RE IN THE MIDDLE OF A HOUSING ESTATE... HOW WRONG COULD I HAVE BEEN! I arrived the night before to camp and get into the spirit of the event. We had a nice camp fire burning away and got chatting to old and new faces.

Mark McMillan the Race Director came and introduced himself and asked if we needed anything and seemed really organised and relaxed.

On the morning at registration, it was very well organised and the staff/ volunteers were helpful and friendly. The event village had a buzz to it and the

24 Obstacle Race Magazine

music was good. From the main events area, you could see a few of the obstacles like the weaver, monkey bars, rings and a wall. Something that I also noticed, was that there was also another lane to the side of the weaver obstacle for those who didn’t think the weaver was achievable, so they didn’t just feel like they were just skipping an obstacle.

Time for the warm up! This was really well managed so that the waves didn’t get overcrowded. If I was really nit picking, then I’d say the only down side, was that it was the same warm up song for each wave, and that got pretty boring for the spectators.

Before I knew it we were off on our mud monster adventure. No mud in sight to begin with, just a few hay bales to climb over and to spread the wave out.

We turned the first corner and…. Boom! there it was straight into the mud, which the Mudstacle awards promised. Ditches filled with water that were also filled with extreme mud! All that could be heard through this section were peoples nervous laughter at being so stuck so soon in the run. You could really tell the new runners

from the seasoned OCR racers in this section due to the way they negotiated the mud. Next up was the challenge of cargo nets, tyre walls, tunnels, tyre carry’s and a slide. This race so far was really keeping me on my toes with the amount and variety of obstacles, but no obstacle was as gruelling as the amount of mud you had to wade through. I must have been through every type of mud possible, with people slipping, sliding and even having to be pulled out by a land rover with a pulley at one point. But one thing I noticed more than anything around the course was the laughter, everybody just seemed to be having so much fun.

The event village at the end was great!

You crossed the line to get your fantastic looking medal, t-shirt and hydrating coconut drink. A well-deserved shower was waiting to help you strip off some of the layers of laughter inducing mud.

A pizza stand, burger stall, ice cream van and an amazing tea and coffee bike were all welcome sights. But nothing topped it off more than the nice cold beer you could enjoy while the sun was out and your legs loosened off.

REVIEW : MUD MONSTERS

Obstacle Race Magazine 25

REVIEW : MUD MONSTERS

Lots of people hung around soaking up the atmosphere and enjoyed the afternoon.

I would highly recommend this event! It’s one for everyone. Be warned you’re never going to get an amazing time around this course as the mud just doesn’t allow you to run but that’s half the fun of it. Lots of laughter was enjoyed by all, everyone chipping in and helping each other out, not giving a second thought to their new PB. The marshals and staff were fantastic and truly encouraging, which made for a well-executed and thought out event.

A SPECIAL SHOUT OUT TO MY RUNNING BUDDIES SARAH, MARK, PAUL & SY FOR THE LAUGHS AND JUST TO WARN YOU PAUL THE NEXT MUD FIGHT IS DEFINITELY ON!!

FOR MORE INFORMATION ON WHERE YOU CAN BOOK ON TO THE NEXT MUD MONSTERS EVENT

GO TO WWW.MUDMONSTERSRUN.CO.UK USING PROMO CODE ORM10 FOR 10% OFF

26 Obstacle Race Magazine

REGULARS : 5 HEALTH EXERCISES HACKS FOR THE GYM

5 EXERCISES FOR THE GYM WRITTEN BY KEITH FAIRBURN OF MUDDYRACE.CO.UK Even when it's not cold and frosty outside, getting in the gym work is important to work on any imbalances, build strength & power, and break up a training week. Here’s a selection of five of the best suggested by Keith Fairburn Muddy Races in house PT.

LUNGE WALKS When it comes to running through deep mud and puddles, you’ll be needing your leg strength to be up to the challenge of not only wading through but pulling yourself out of a sticky situation.

Lunge walks will build strength in your glutes, quads, and hamstrings evenly through both legs while also incorporating your core & balance to make sure you’re never slowed down by even the muddiest of courses. Make it harder by holding a pair of dumbbells by your side or really hard by holding a barbell or weight plate overhead.

28 Obstacle Race Magazine

REGULARS :REGULARS 5 EXERCISES : HEALTH FOR THE HACKS GYM

BOX JUMPS When coming across a set of hurdles, hay bales, walls, or pits during a race, building explosive leg strength will help in your efforts of climbing out of/over these obstacles. By including this plyometric exercise in your routine your legs will be more accustomed to a quick blast of energy needed to climb an object, as well as building confidence for getting yourself up onto a high platform or object.

PUSHUP VARIATIONS When crawling under a cargo net in often wet & muddy conditions, it’s rare that you’ll come across an even surface. By mixing up your hand positions during sets of pushups you can test your arms, shoulders and core muscles from a variety of angles, building balance and stability keep you stronger for longer! Try this; in the regular pushup hold, slide one hand up above your shoulder & the other hand down towards your waist to put your hands in a staggered postition. Perform 10 reps then swap their positions. If this becomes easy then alternate with each rep!

Obstacle Race Magazine 29

REGULARS : 5 HEALTH EXERCISES HACKS FOR THE GYM

KETTLEBELL SNATCH To build a balanced, powerful body that will tackle any trail run with ease, singlearm kettlebell snatches are a compound movement that will work every muscle in the body to improve coordination, balance, and power. With the addition that a few reps of this move will get your heart rate up makes this an essential exercise for anybody looking to take their workouts to the next level.

FARMER’S WALK When it comes to improving grip strength, few exercises can rival farmer’s walks. By simply holding a challenging weight by your side and walking a set distance you will get the added benefit of an effective core workout. After a few rounds you might find your weights slipping out of your hands, but perform farmer’s walks regularly and you will be rewarded with a strong body and a grip that will see you take any set of monkey bars or climbing obstacle with ease.

TRY THEM LIKE THIS: For each exercise choose a weight that you find challenging but can manage without breaking form.

• 10 metre Walking Lunges • 8 Kettlebell Snatch (each arm) • 10 metre Farmer's Walks Complete 4 rounds of these • Staggered grip pushups to failure followed by 1 minute rest, do this for 3 rounds.

• 6 box jumps followed by 45 seconds rest for 4 rounds.

30 Obstacle Race Magazine

FEATURE : BRAIN TRAINING FOR OCR

BRAIN TRAINING

FOR OCR Written by: SAM HENDEN Photography by: JAMES APPLETON

32 Obstacle Race Magazine

FEATURE : BRAIN TRAINING FOR OCR

INTRO

MINDSET TRAINING HAS NOW BECOME REGULAR PRACTISE IN MANY SPORTS - TENNIS, GOLF, BASKETBALL, WITH ONE OF THE HIGHEST PROFILE STARS TO ATTRIBUTE MUCH OF HIS SUCCESS DOWN TO A MINDSET SHIFT, NOVAK DJORKOVIC. He said of himself after a crippling defeat I have to look for a more psychological approach. He went onto say after working on his mindset, “If you are willing to discover more about yourself, you find answers. People today have access to the information, but they are afraid of going deep inside. They are afraid of what they might discover. You have to engage with your weaknesses and most peoples are in the mind, and peace of mind can only happen when you know yourself and with that performance will always improve.”

Just this year Britain’s Number One Female Tennis Player, Johanna Konta, attributed her sudden rise to success, from conquering her mental barriers.

Konta, with the help of a mind coach, has learnt the priceless gift of compartmentalising not only her performances but individual shots, good ones invariably wiping out the memories

of bad ones.

I am Sam Henden and I have been studying all things brain, mindset and communication for 7 years. It all began with a passion for fitness as a Personal Trainer, it then quickly grew when I realised I had very little power to help my clients without understanding their minds and how the brain is the biggest and the most under used muscle in the body when it comes to your fitness, health and achieving your goals. Whether they be getting round the course on a Saturday, winning a race or wanting to look better naked. When I began training for events and races I suddenly realised my body was able but my mind had grown weak. This prevented me and so many other athletes from achieving their best results and what became common practise was having a strong body but a weaker mindset.

IT ALL BEGAN WITH A PASSION FOR FITNESS AS A PERSONAL TRAINER...

Why in one of the most grueling sports/ challenges of all, is it unheard, OCR. We all know of the mental barriers we go through every single week when we step out on to the race course. We could choose not to do each obstacle but we do because the thought of not doing them is so much worse. We have put importance on to that, but what if we could improve our brain set so we could perform even better.

We all train our bodies but so few of us train our brains. Whether you just want to improve against yourself or you are looking to compete a little harder we are always running for a reason. How many of you each weekend says it’s just for fun but are buzzing when you get a new personal best, we are always looking to improve if only with ourselves.

The ability for an athlete to control their mental and emotional elements, critique task performances as well as creating a mindset for confidence and well-being is paramount for athlete’s performance.

When a person feels they have a

Obstacle Race Magazine 33

FEATURE : BRAIN TRAINING FOR OCR

degree of self-mastery with their mind-body connecting, this serves to motivate them in continued efforts in to increase their sports performance.

However, when the ability of that person to control their psychological state is in question due to a “slump”, injury, family or any personal issues, there is a risk of a decrease in self-confidence, well-being and future sports performance.

How do we cope with the time spent out training each week?

Running up that hill?

Jumping in that water?

Getting covered in mud?

The mental chatter we fight with each time we need to go out and train sometimes we stay on the sofa other times we get out there and smash another workout? How good would it be to understand that mental chatter so you could always win and get outside training even when the sofa seems like the more appealing option? or the only option ha-ha!

Just like stressing your body in training leads to gains in strength and endurance (and thus performance), stressing your mind during your workout can benefit you. Granted, you can’t substitute mental training for physical training – your mind is often a performance limiter, assuming you haven’t already met your actual physical limits. How can you expand your mental muscle?

For example, when your calves are screaming at you to the point that you physically can’t toe-off the ground any faster, you’ve run into a physical limitation best solved by work in the gym. But when your muscles have even a little juice left in them and you’re falling off pace – or into the same-old pace where you seem to have plateaued for weeks, months, years – training against mental fatigue may help.

Consider this: cumulative stress, distraction, and cognitive demands can cause you to struggle through a subsequent workout, and it’s not because you’ve exhausted your body.

Perhaps you’ve noticed that your key run feels noticeably harder after a long day at work – there’s a reason, and it’s in your brain.

This “long day at work” effect was reproduced in the lab as early as 2009, when exercise physiologist showed that mental fatigue from a 90 minute, highly demanding cognitive task caused subjects to max out their perceived effort faster and disengage earlier during a “cycling to exhaustion” task. In short, If Your Brain Gets Tired Early, Your Body Quits Early.

“Well **** ME,” you might be thinking. “I better quit my job and move to a cabin in the woods with nothing but my trainer, bike, and an endless pool, such that I can minimise the demands on my brain and thus maximise my physical performance.”

There are huge problems with this proposition. First, it’s probably not realistic. Even if we remove the cabin-in-the-woods scenario, reducing your stress level is great, but you’re never going to remove every single cognitively demanding or stressful task from your day. Its more or less impossible. Nor should you want to.

The key here isn’t getting rid of everything that is mentally fatiguing, it’s making the mentally fatiguing things less…fatiguing. You can actually work on pushing out that time-point at which your brain quits. And even better, you can do it while you exercise. I think of this as a stress bucket and tipping out some stress of your stress bucket, some of my favourite ways to decrease my stress bucket include, meditation, reading, do things when they are easy so you can rely on them when things get hard, or make things tougher so they become easier during the main event. For example, in training we often make the conditions harder than on race day so we can excel come Saturdays race. The brain is no different challenge it to more difficult tasks so quitting never becomes an option during race day. Mental fatigue will soon become a thing of the past. One way I like to think of things is we cannot control the outside world we can only have influence over what we do ourselves. For example, we cannot control the conditions for a certain race but we can develop our mind to cope with all situations.

If you’re intrigued, just keep a few things in mind. Training in a mentally tired state is stressful, so treat it like you would any other stressor you throw at your body to produce an adaptation – e.g. fasted sessions, post-strength work –start as small as you need to and build up, and consider where you insert these sessions into your training schedule (obviously, not on a recovery day).

Think of the brain as pattern recognition machine it will keep performing the tasks we ask of it. That doesn’t go to say we have always created the best patterns for our desired outcome.

Have you ever driven home from work and before you knew it not realised how you got back or you missed all the major land marks

“WELL **** ME,” YOU MIGHT BE THINKING...

34 Obstacle Race Magazine

between work and home??? This can be quite scary but very, very common.

So… What’s happening?

Your driving has become completely habitualised and thus unconscious. We do not have to pay conscious attention to driving anymore. Remember back to when you were first learning to drive did any of us ever think that driving would become so easy????

No we had to think about every micro movement and what each part of our body was doing not to mention all the other cars.

Why does it learn these new habits? The brain is an extremely energy hungry organ of the body but also extremely clever. As part of its cleverness it gets something called the basal ganglia to habitualise and take control of the routine parts of your day leaving it free to tackle more complex problem solving and creativity, so too much brain energy isn’t taken up. This then explains why so many of us have all the best intentions to get fitter or lose the spare tire but it just won’t happen. Why? because the brain goes back to doing what you know over doing what you know is correct The brain is your guardian angel, it’s like a servant it wants to look after you! However sometimes it can learn to serve u in the wrong way! It can do the right thing in the wrong situation. This is where the myth of relying on willpower can be explained. As we only have so much brain power will power will always be in short supply. This explains why we can do so well on our new diet for a week, or two or maybe even three before we give in to temptation. Will power will always give up. What we need to do is make routine decisions easy and fun giving yourself more energy to apply in better situations.

With an understanding of your brain and how it works I have helped clients achieve their goals not by relying on endless motivation and will power but by creating fun and last transformations. I have taught people how to move from surviving to thriving in their life, gain a greater awareness of their physical and mental self. How to create individualised and purposeful transformation. How to grow positive habits and understand your emotional eating, and how to safe haven (ways to keep your brain working optimally before it shuts down) This is a little bit about what we taught at one of our recent seminars about how to improve overall life performance, very easy to expand on each individual section and each of the bullet points.

FEATURE : BRAIN TRAINING FOR OCR

IS THREAT AFFECTING YOU? What is threat?

• • •

The reduced ability to predict the future Inability to create an appropriate response to the environment Increased prediction without increased response

This is where our CEO Fit coaches can help we help you reduce threat and give the ability to thrive in each environment of your life.

WHAT ARE THE MAIN CAUSES OF THREAT I HEAR YOU ASK?

• • •

Something happening too fast Something happening too slow Unclear intent

• •

What exactly is happening here???

STRESS, WHERE IS IT COMING FROM?

• • • •

Have you ever felt stressed and overwhelmed…?

Stress is the body's reaction to any change that requires an adjustment or response. The body reacts to these changes with physical, mental and emotional responses.

Symptoms of stress include

• • • •

•

Becoming easily agitated, frustrated and

moody Feeling overwhelmed, like you are losing control Having difficulty relaxing and quieting your mind Avoiding others Low energy Headaches Upset stomach, including diarrhea, constipation and nausea Aches, pains, and tense muscles Loss of sexual desire Nervousness and shaking and many more

But does this have to be something we put up with and take as a given?????

OR...

CAN WE BEGIN TO UNDERSTAND WHY AND START TO FIX IT? Stress or overwhelm simply put is your brain tripping its alarm system to alert you that something is wrong.

DO WE DO THAT?

This is done via the amygdala within your brain.

It is the alarm system for threats, fear and danger.

It is also the driver of emotional and reactive impulses. Simply stated when the brain feels unsafe it will release threat indicators in the form of negative emotion and reactivity.

Prediction is the total brain picture of the current environmental impact on our safety Response is a pattern of action that allows calm, conscious interaction with the environment or in other words create some choice.

When we are emotional and reactive we become illogical and the brain switches offline causing us to make unresourceful decisions.

• • • • •

bad food choice upset family and friends skip the gym, avoid big training session, cancel race days arguments irrational fears

WHAT OUR BRAIN IS LOOKING FOR IS SAFETY IN ORDER TO GET OUR LOGIC BACK ONLINE. HOW

We create prediction and response.

SO... WHAT IS STRESS, OVERWHELM OR THREAT???

• • •

The reduced ability to predict the future Inability to create an appropriate response to the environment Increased prediction with increased response

What are the main causes I hear you ask???

Information coming to us too fast, too slow or unclear intent This is where the benefits of coaching come into play, the coach makes things safe and helps

you to create greater prediction and response.

It will help you to develop yourself and give you the skills, for example, to remove anxiety, have confidence and choose your emotions. This could be easily explained in small bullet points to help the reader.

OTHER AREAS TO EXPLORE • • •

Recognise how your mind is working Understand and manage your emotions and thoughts Manage yourself and become the person you would like to be

When coaching there are often seven different areas to work on: • • • • • • •

Your inner mind Understanding and relating to others Communication The world in which you live Your health Your success Your happiness

Obstacle Race Magazine 35

If you haven’t heard about the Chia Charge range and their fantastic flapjacks, protein bars, nut butters, trail mix and chia seeds You are missing out. Designed to be exactly what every runner needs to fuel their adventures.

If you like the sound of this then have a go at the competition below to win a whole case of them. Their delicious products are so moreish that you’ll find yourself running just so you can justify your next fix.

HERE’S MORE ABOUT CHIA CHARGE FROM TIM, THE FOUNDER OF THE COMPANY AND ITS YORKSHIRE PRODUCED PRODUCTS. So how come we decided that sports nutrition should be nice to eat as well as help your active lifestyle? Being active is a positive lifestyle choice and you should be rewarded with good stuff to eat that makes you smile, not grimace.

I’m Tim; man turned chef turned NPD Food Technologist turned runner, turned chia enthusiast. It is my belief that food - in particular sports nutrition - should be more than just fuel to keep the body going. Having

tried a few sport nutrition and energy products I came to the conclusion that whoever makes these things was at the back of the queue when taste buds were handed out! Sitting down to a delicious meal is easy enough, so why shouldn’t sports food be delicious too?

I soon came to realise it doesn't have to be this way. A few years ago I started developing my own formulations in the kitchen at home. I wanted to create food that tastes delicious and helps you perform, the result of which was Chia Charge. My company, which started from humble beginnings under the name of ‘Running Food’ harnessed the powerful nutritional value of Chia and made it delicious.

If you see me at one of the many events across the UK (and you most probably will) be sure to come say hello.

Alternatively you can find me on my personal Twitter at: @runningtimt and I respond to all emails at timtaylor@ chiacharge.co.uk

WIN A CASE OF THE ALL NEW CHOCOLATE AND CRANBERRY PROTEIN BARS!

No added sugar | Dairy Free | Wheat Free | No gluten containing ingredients Think you've tasted all the protein bars out there? Well we've developed a whole new flavour! These make the perfect high protein snack when you’re out and about on the move.

Pack with 10g of protein per bar PLUS all the goodness of chia seeds, sunflower seeds and more.

INGREDIENTS - Cashews, sultanas, cranberries (cranberries, pineapple juice ), dates, soya protein isolate, sunflower seeds, chia seeds, cacao powder, goji berries, cacao nibs, vegetable glycerine, cacao butter, sea salt flakes.

FREE FROM - Artificial flavours, preservatives and colouring. Vegan friendly.

AVAILABLE FROM:

CHIACHARGE.CO.UK

COMPETITION Would you like to win a case full of Chai Charge protein bars?

Then All you need to do is answer this quick questions:

IN THE ABOUT US SECTION OF THE CHIA CHARGE WEBSITE HOW MANY MARATHONS DOES IT SAY TIM THE FOUNDER RAN LAST YEAR ?

Find the answer on their website at Chiacharge.co.uk Send your answers into CARL@OBSTACLERACEMAGAZINE.COM Competition closes 20TH Sept 2016

36 Obstacle Race Magazine

Win a FREE place!

Scan code or see below for details

Book this legendary mud & obstacle race now!

- 8 & 9 October 2016 - South of London - 5km, 10km, 20km & 35km - Up to 120+ obstacles www.mudmonstersrun.co.uk

#getdirty

Win a free place to Mud Monsters Run in October. Simply either scan the QR code above or send an email with your name and the subject line ‘ORM Competition’ to info@mudmonstersrun.co.uk Competition closes midnight 31 August 2016. By entering you agree to the T&C’s which can be found by scanning the QR code above.

FEATURE : BLOOD, SWEAT AND NO TEARS

BLOOD SWEAT AND NO TEARS Written by: GEMMA SPACKMAN Photography by: EPIC ACTION IMAGERY

A NEW BREED

THERE’S A NEW BREED OF WOMEN OUT THERE - ADRENALINE JUNKIES WHO LOVE TO RACE AND WON’T LET ANYTHING GET IN THEIR WAY. Obstacle Course Racing (OCR) has taken the world by storm over the last few years, seeing a huge increase in the number of competitors taking part and a variety of races hitting the country.

The number of women is still comparatively small compared to the amount of men taking part; although their popularity is on the rise with women. Tough Mudders recent stats state women now make up 30% of their competitors. It is not only at events that women are taking part, but there is a huge online presence too.

With lots of groups appearing on Facebook all supporting each other - asking for advice on race gear, ideas on training, injury solutions and providing friendship.

Women are coming from all areas of life to take part in these events. After speaking to a selection of women I found that the ladies taking part are from a huge variety of careers, from Teachers, Customer Service Advisors to ex Armed Forces. Here are two such ladies; One lady I spoke to was Jax, a 39 year old who got into OCR back in 2014 who had been medically discharged from the RAF, she was unhappy with her weight and had limited fitness and hadn’t entered a gym for what must have been years. But a holiday and a glass of sangria changed her mind set. One morning she took her sport’s kit and emerged two hours later from the gym feeling positive. Her brother takes part in a Tough Mudder event every year and she decided that was something she’d like

38 Obstacle Race Magazine

to start doing. Once back home she signed up to the 5k Farmageddon race. Heres what she had to say about her experience ‘I started alone, I finished with an epic group of women, we finished last, but we felt as if we have just won the Olympics.’

Jax admits she’s not a strong runner but makes up for it when it comes to the obstacles, and will always help others out when she can. She can give a good leg up on the walls, even picking another lady up by the knees and helping her over the harder side of a giant wall, the other lady was ecstatic for making it over. Another three races followed in 2015, and she was then addicted. Then came 2016, and her goal of completing a Tough Mudder was her major achievement this year, even though the whole experience for her was an emotional one, she really pushed herself all the way through. She even gave her last gel pack to a woman on the floor with cramp.

Jax believes she is at her happiest when she’s outside and running in the mud and rain, believing that is where she is meant to be. She doesn’t know what compels her to do it, especially as her current job means she is usually sat behind a computer. A fully fledged OCR addict she has since taken part in Zeus -No Fear on Wheels and has a Pretty Mudder and six other races booked in this year.

Holly-Kate, (29) from Nottingham only started training 3 months ago, worried that her fitness wouldn’t be up to scratch competing in her first OCR with a bunch

of ladies from work. She was very nervous and didn’t want to let her team mates down believing she would be last. She was also worried that her confidence would get knocked at the obstacles. Still very nervous she took part in the Tough Mudder half, where she found that she had nothing to worry about. All her hard work in her training had paid off and she loved the event, and event provided a real helping hand to her teammates. She had a laugh with all the women and is now looking into taking part in another race with friends as she knows the importance of being surrounded by other people for the support, encouragement and a helping hand under her bum to give her that final push up the wall.

All these women are empowering each other, both Jax and Holly-Kate having never taken part in races before loved helping other female competitors with a ‘leg over’ an obstacle, sharing gel packs with other racers to supporting solo runners and making them feel like part of a team as they cross the finish line. As well as helping each other in the races they are also babysit each other’s children whilst they take turns racing.

I’m sure over the next few years female participation in OCR will continue to grow as the crazy mud world lets women unleash from their day job and unwind and get battered and bruised over the weekend, achieving fitness levels they didn’t think possible.

FEATURE : BLOOD, SWEAT AND NO TEARS

INTERESTING FACEBOOK GROUPS FOR ADVICE Obstacle course racing (UK.OCR) UK Mudd Queens Obstacle Race Magazine Community Muddy Race Mudstacle Adventure Challengers

Obstacle Race Magazine 39

FEATURE : COUPLES IN OCR

COUPLES

IN OCR

Written by: SAM WINKWORTH RACE DIRECTOR OF DIRTY ROTTEN SCRAMBLE Photography by: EPIC ACTION IMAGERY

40 Obstacle Race Magazine

FEATURE : COUPLES IN OCR

THE QUESTION

SHOULD YOU DO OCR WITH YOUR OTHER HALF? First of all, let me start by saying that I'm definitely not a "Relationship Guru", far from it in fact!

BUT! I have had relationships and I do participate in plenty of OCR so I can certainly recognise the pros and cons when talking about this subject.

Should you do OCR with your partner?

Well, it’s an interesting debate because when I talk to various people in OCR there seems to be a split decision as to whether it should be done with their partner or not.

Some say that they like running with their other halves as it helps them to achieve their fitness goals, whilst others say that they couldn't think of anything worse and wouldn't dream of it!

It's an interesting topic of discussion, one of which brings up a difference in opinions so below I've highlighted some potential positives and negatives to help you decide whether it's another step towards an amazing relationship with your partner or put simply, a very, very bad idea!

Obstacle Race Magazine 41

FEATURE : COUPLES IN OCR

THE POSITIVES

THE NEGATIVES

1) RE-CONNECT

1) DIFFERENT FITNESS LEVELS

Mobile phones, cars, kids, work, we live in a fast paced world now where it’s very easy to become disconnected with one another. Having a hobby or a mutual interest that brings you closer together is a great way to reconnect with one another and bring back those feelings of being "a team" again.

2) MORE ACCOUNTABILITY Research shows that those who have a training buddy are way more likely to stick to exercise than those that try to go at it on their own. Training with your partner is a great way of keeping each other accountable. And let's be honest, there's nothing worse than your partner calling you out on 'that workout' that you didn't do!

3) BETTER SEX We all know that exercise releases endorphins which is our 'happy hormone'. Happy hormones = ‘Happy People’. If you exercise with your partner you will both benefit from the endorphin rush at the same time, which means you'll be happier around one another. ∙ Happier around each other = less arguing ∙ Less arguing = more likely to have sex! ∙ More sex = more connected with one another ^^ Simple equation right? :-)

4) TOTAL UNDERSTANDING Having a partner who shares the same goals & interests as you will understand & appreciate your routine more. They won't get annoyed when you want to work out or do an OCR at the weekend.

They will also respect your dedication & commitment to OCR because they will want to do it all themselves as well!

5) BETTER DIET! Having a partner who doesn't share the same healthy eating habits as you can be quite tough.

If you both exercise & share the same fitness goals together then you'll generally be on the same page & want to eat healthier. Cooking and eating out is easier too because you'll both want the same thing. Well, most of the time!

Different fitness levels can be tricky as one of you might want to go faster during a run whilst the other is happier going slower, which means workouts won't be as effective.

The less fit partner usually forces the fitter partner to reduce the intensity of their workouts, and on the flip-side to this, the fitter partner usually forces the less fit partner to do workouts that are too much for them, which in turn can lead to feelings of frustration from both parties, and yes full blown arguments!

2) YOUR "YOU TIME" HAS GONE That time that you've created just for yourself, that time that you use to mentally escape from all the negatives going on in your life has gone, which may have been the reason why you started up OCR in the first place.

3) YOU ARE LOCKED IN! You can't change your exercise routine as much as you'd like because you're always booked in to work out with your partner and as result you lose the spontaneity & flexibility of doing a workout when YOU want.

4) FEELINGS OF GUILT If your partner is fitter than you, then you might feel guilty because you're slowing them down during a run & just want them to push on. Or again, on the flip side to this, if you want to go faster, then you might feel guilty 'running off and leaving' your partner for fear of being labelled selfish.

The result? Both of you feeling guilty :-)

5) YOU LOSE THE PERSONALISED APPROACH Sometimes you'll have different goals to your partner and therefore will be on different journeys which means you lose the personalised approach to your workouts.

When you train with someone else you can be forced to spend time on exercises/goals that aren't specific & unique to you which means you're not working on yourself & not going at your own pace which can sometimes feel like you're being slowed down or rushed.

SO THERE YOU HAVE IT! The pros and cons of working out with your partner. It could be a divorce waiting to happen! Or be the best thing that's ever happened to you both. I'll let you be the final judge on whether you think it's a good idea or not ;-) Have fun out there, Sam Winkworth

42 Obstacle Race Magazine

Want to know how to train & prepare for your next obstacle race as well as receiving daily inspirational emails delivered straight into your inbox then download Sam's free 10 week OCR training guide over at: www.thedirtyrottenscramble.co.uk/training-guide

25 30 25 25 25 50 25 50 25 30 30 -30 Use the recovery techniques to total 200 points to maximise your recovery over 24hrs

SJHJO

FEATURE : MUDD QUEENS

MUDD•QUEENS

44 Obstacle Race Magazine

FEATURE : MUDD QUEENS

THE QUESTION

IF YOU’VE BEEN AROUND OBSTACLE RACING FOR ANY LENGTH OF TIME YOU’VE PROBABLY HEARD OF THE MUDD QUEENS. EITHER JUST IN PASSING, BY NAME, OR YOU MAY HAVE SPOTTED ONE OF THEIR DISTINCTIVE BLACK TOPS WITH THE YELLOW CROWNS SPREAD ACROSS IT.

The Mudd Queens are much more than just another run-of-the-mill OCR group, it’s a support network of like-minded women who have come together to make each other’s racing and personal lives better.

Since being founded over two years ago, they’ve grown from a little known group to the place for OCR women to share stories and offer advice to each other. The group now consists of 2,000+ members. A group this size can make real waves when working together as a huge force for good, with a fantastic £7,000+ that’s already been raised for such charities as A Mile in Her Shoes, RosaUK, and individuals such as Helen Chapman and her new blade.

We have no doubt that when the founders Lucy, Fay, and Jojo set up the Mudd Queens they had no idea just what a huge support network it would turn out to be for the women of the OCR community. So we caught up with them and asked a little more about what the Mudd Queens have been up to in the last two years.

Where did the idea of the Mudd Queens group come from?

We knew the support that a simple Facebook group could provide as we’d all been members of similar groups prior to the OCR scene exploding in the UK. Through these groups we knew women needed a male-free zone to ask particular questions, and OCR certainly opens itself to a few awkward questions (think mooncups, boob bounce, or silver shampoo and you’ll see what we mean!!!). It needed to be a neutral zone, so no affiliation to any particular race or group, and it needed to be positive. Too many times we’ve seen large groups of women turn on each other, so we decided the number one rule for the group (and it still is to this day) is to be positive. If you don’t like a post just scroll past it, just like you’d switch over TV channels. By doing this,

we hoped to turn the women vs women narrative on its head and create a positive, supportive, welcoming environment.

We know it sounds contradictory wanting to be inclusive yet excluding half the human race, but women do generally feel more comfortable chatting in a female only area. It’s nothing against the guys, in fact I’m sure they feel the same about their men-only group. I think the guys probably appreciate the lack of period chat in the main FB group to be honest!

It was a Dirty Dozen race back in 2014 where we finally said “Okay, let’s do this”.

We were aware of a group in Canada called Mudd Queens and got talking to them to see if they’d mind us setting up a UK branch.

Of course, being Mudd Queens, they were hugely supportive and excited for us so we got cracking. But back then, we didn’t realise what we were letting ourselves in for!

Obstacle Race Magazine 45

FEATURE : MUDD QUEENS

What do you think it is about the Mudd Queens that makes it such an important group to so many women?

That’s really one our members should answer. It’s a safe space for MQ’s to talk and support each other, and to get different views on many different subjects, but most importantly to empower each other. It’s great seeing women’s confidence grow simply from being a part of the group; we love seeing women talk about how they’ve worn shorts for the first time and actually nothing bad happened, or how they went for a run in daylight because other MQ’s inspired them to do so. It’s also a place to meet other women who are into the same sport as you; it provides a place to find a race buddy so you can always find a group to run with. Wearing a MQ tee also gets you a few extra “Go Mudd Queen!” cheers, which can help when you’re flagging in the middle of a race.

We believe the training days really help too. This year we’ve worked with The Outdoor Training Centre, R.O.C., Mud Monsters and our biggest ever session at Nuclear is yet to come. It’s such a great way to gain confidence, and meet new people, without the stress of race day conditions.

Besides, who doesn’t love watching Fay run straight into a wall!

It’s not about liking every single person you meet, that’s really too tall an order, but being kind and offering a hand isn’t.

That’s what we try to promote. Things such as the Secret Santa helps with a sense of community: each year we’ve managed to put together a Secret Santa for MQ’s and it’s really broken down some barriers - come Christmas day the group was a seriously warm and fuzzy place to be.

Beware, it’s not all pillow fights and boy talk (Jojo doesn’t like boy talk). There’s a really diverse range of women in the group and it brings a diverse range of conversation - we love that! They can lead you astray within days of joining, for instance: it’s not been confirmed but we may be fielding the largest team at 2017’s Winter Tough Guy, with over 125 entrants AND over 60 MQ’s

46 Obstacle Race Magazine

will be scaling Snowdon at the end of July you get swept up in the supportive nature of MQ’s and sign up before you get the chance to think things through!

Two very successful years have passed, where do you see the group going in the next two years?

Parliament of course!!

Given how much has happened over the last two years it’s difficult to imagine what could be in another two years’ time.

Just imagine the size of the next Secret Santa! We’d love to see more sessions together, especially at events such as Airfield Anarchy. They worked with us to bring about a Mudd Queen camping area so that we could all get together; it was like Girl Guides all over again. It would be great to keep holding team events and training days, but also think about different ways to encourage women into the sport. Any ideas are always welcome.

In terms of merchandise that was never in the plan, it’s evolved through MQ’s needing a way to recognise each other at races and has grown through simple demand and supply (we set up in April and only made t-shirts that December, purely for a team race). It’s certainly not a priority of the group and never will be. We’re not here to make money, we’d rather raise it.

To be honest, we didn’t imagine being able to say we have 2,000+ MQ’s in our community - it’s been a journey, one we’re happy to continue to be on with each and every Mudd Queen that wants to stick with us.

With a host of successful of fundraising and charity events under your belts, do you have plans for anymore in the near future?

Mudd Queens have been incredible in their efforts to raise funds for people and organisations, we couldn’t have asked for a better response. We’ve held two virtual races, a birthday raffle, and even hair plaiting for small donations at races. As you’ve mentioned we’ve raised over £7000 once you include the efforts made for individuals

too; we think that’s pretty damn cool.

We like to raise awareness of charities that centre around women and actually, that can be quite hard. We have to say though, raising funds for individuals has been incredible, the whole OCR community gets involved.

Ginger has been instrumental in helping with the virtual races in particular, fielding questions, packing and posting, (she loves a good spreadsheet) and all her time is given for free. Same as ours really, we’ve never taken a penny from the ‘company’ (with the exception of a cheeky “business” lunch date earlier this year!) With all of our fundraising efforts, all monies made after medal cost, PayPal fees, and P&P are sent to the chosen charity; we think MQs appreciate that. All money raised through merchandise sales goes back into the group: we’ll send flowers to an injured MQ, or make sure everyone has a Christmas present if someone’s Secret Santa got lost in the post.

There are several ideas for more fundraising coming from MQHQ although we feel perhaps virtual runs have saturated the OCR market so it may be time to look at other ways to raise awareness and get MQ’s involved. Our raffle last year was hugely successful, and was great in that it involved the wider OCR community (thanks to the generosity of amazing RD’s). We’ll get our thinking caps on for other ways to raise pennies and help women ... we always find a way.

If women reading this would like to become part of the mudd queens how would they go about joining your group?

The main community can be found on Facebook at UK Mudd Queens, also on Twitter (@ukMuddQueens), Instagram (@ ukmuddqueens), and www.ukmuddqueens. com! See you all at Mud7, much love!!

Thank you ladies, here’s to another fantastic couple of years like the last two.

Long live the Mudd Queens!

REGULARS : MUDNIFICENT 7 OCR & EXPO

MUDNIFICENT 7

OCR & EXPO IN 2014, A NEW CONCEPT EVENT WAS BORN – THE MUDNIFICENT 7.

A SUMMER OBSTACLE COURSE RACE WITH 7 DIFFERENT SECTIONS, EACH PUT TOGETHER BY A DIFFERENT RACE ORGANISATION AND THEN AN OCR EXPO CHUCKED IN FOR GOOD MEASURE. With a launch date of 1st August 2015, the event was hotly anticipated and didn’t disappoint.

Voted ‘The Best Newcomer’ event at the 2015 Mudstacle Awards, ‘Best New Event’ with UK.OCR and 2nd place for Best Obstacle Race at the Running Awards, #Mud7 is back again on 13th August at The Heart Of England Conference Centre near Coventry. A new course route has been designed, new obstacles are being put in place and we’ve got a new line up of organisers for you. We’ve kept in some

48 Obstacle Race Magazine

of the favourite races from last year and mixed them up with some big names, and a couple of races that are looking to make their mark on the industry. With them all coming together to make one epic course, this is going to be THE not to be missed event of the summer.

Here’s a sneak peak of each of the race partners this year. You’ll get a taster of each event which will leave you hungry to sign up for more!

REGULARS : MUDNIFICENT 7 OCR & EXPO

ROCK SOLID RACE

One of the big stars from last year’s event, Reaper have got home advantage again with Heart Park being the venue for their events.

They know each section of the site like the back of their hand and have already put out some teaser obstacles on social media. If you want to sign up to their day or night run on 15th October, you will need to get in quick as spaces are limited and their last event was SOLD OUT a few weeks before the event. With Team Reaper, Chris & Colin, behind the tools, you’re guaranteed to come out of the Reaper kilometer wanting more. For more information, go to:

They will be building the final 1km section of the Mud 7 course and are super excited to create something you’ll never forget! You’ll experience a collection of their fan favourite obstacles that will push you to your max and leave you finishing #MUD7 with a big muddy smile! Their obstacles are going to take you to your limits as you conquer fears, work as a team and push through fatigue on the last kilometre to earn your #MUD7 medal.

Check out images of the obstacles they are considering for #MUD7 at www.rocksolidrace. com/eventsfees/mudnificent7/ . You’re going to get wet, muddy, and you’re going to laugh more than you ever thought possible. Is your team ready to smash it? Rock Solid is one of our favourite events and we’ll be assembling a big team to take on their Milton Keynes event at the end of October. You will want to sign up without doubt – For more information, go to:

WWW.REAPEREVENTS.CO.UK

WWW.ROCKSOLIDRACE.COM

REAPER

TH E OCR

BIGFOOT CHALLENGE If you’ve been to any events in the past 6 months, there’s a good chance that you’ve bumped into Tony ‘Bigfoot’ Campbell. This larger than life Brit come Texan rope expert will be using his trademark rope skills to bring you something a bit different in his section. The Bigfoot Challenge launched at iconic Pippingford Park back in September and got awarded the ‘Most Innovative Event’ at the 2015 Mudstacle Awards. Tony and the crew have got a full weekend of fun organised for you for the last weekend in September. To find out more and to book your place, go to:

WWW.BIGFOOTCHALLENGE.CO.UK

Obstacle Race Magazine 49

REGULARS : MUDNIFICENT 7 OCR & EXPO

GO HARD EVENTS The GoHard Race Series is Devon’s newest obstacle race event. With three race distance options to choose, there’s a course suited for almost everyone. Obstacle Racing is all about having fun and team spirit. Want to run on your own? Not a problem! Get stuck at an obstacle and there’s bound to be a GoHard Warrior close by that will help you out. Prices range from £29 to £35 for distances of 5km to 15km and 20 to 60 obstacles. Great value!

For more information, go to

ROCKET RACE Launched in Autumn 2015, Rocket Race gathered four Mudstacle nominations for Best Value, Best Newcomer, Best Mud and Best Swag. Designed by OCR lovers, for OCR lovers, Rocket Race aims to squeeze as many fun and challenging obstacles into its course as possible, offering an event that really is all about the obstacles rather than the running! Based in the South West, Rocket Race are looking to thrill you with two more events this year. Do you want to become a Rocketeer? ... you can take on their Discovery race on 29th October.

For more information, go to:

WWW.ROCKETRACE.CO.UK.

ZEUS RACES The Zeus boys are relatively new to putting on OCR events, but they’ve certainly done their homework with over 100 completed OCR’s between them in 2015. With all this knowledge, they’ve got a pretty good idea of what you’re looking for at an event and have put a great selection of different race types on for you. Day, night, canicross (take your dog!), and the No Fear on Wheels Challenge where teams will be attempting to get around the course with one member in a wheelchair. Join Gavin and Mark at Ashby Moto Park in Leicestershire on 29th October for a whole day of fun. For more information, go to

WWW.ZEUSRACES.RUN.

50 Obstacle Race Magazine

WWW.GOHARDEVENTS.CO.UK

REGULARS : MUDNIFICENT 7 OCR & EXPO

THE GATHERING DUSK TIL DARK A brand new event to the OCR scene but organised by old hands in the industry, Brass Monkey Events.

The Gathering Dusk til Dark is a trail run with a twist.

Set around the famous Knockhill Race circuit they will take through loads of natural terrain and of course we couldn’t come to Knockhill without letting you run on the perfect surface. The Twist - The race will start on mass

at around 6.30pm and you will finish when you finish.

They recommend a head or hand torch for the duration as it won’t just be another trail run. What an awesome adventure that sounds. There will be some great surprises along the way. At #MUD7 you’ll get a taste of some of the surprises they have to offer.

For more information on The Gathering taking place on the 17th September go to:

WWW.BRASSMONKEYEVENTS.CO.UK

THE EXPO We’ve also got the Expo to look forward to with the following brands already signed up:

BIG BOBBLE HATS, BIG BIG BODY WIPES, BLUEFIN SPORTS, SCR SPORTS THERAPY, GRIPS WORLD, MUDDY KIT, DRYROBE, VIRUS COMPRESSION, INOV8, TRUMIN, ICEBUG, FILTHY STITCHES, FITNESS TREE, ROCK TAPE UK, MUDDY DUCK, AIRFIELD ANARCHY AND MANY MANY MORE! If that’s not enough to make you want to sign up, then we give up.

SPACES ARE STILL AVAILABLE AT WWW.MUD7.COM so what are you waiting for come and join us 13th August 2016!

Obstacle Race Magazine 51

HEVER CASTLE, KENT

CommandoSeries

@CommandoSeries

CE

G

ININ A R T DO

IEN R E P X E

N

MA M O C TIC

N

AUTHE

T

+44 (0)

1892 8

70 731

E

info@c

K U .

O IES.C

o.uk

eries.c

ndos omma

A M M CO

R E S NDO

REGULARS : HEALTH HACKS

HEAL H HACKS SPORTS AND MEDITATION

BY SRI CHINMOY Sport & Meditation: The inner dimension of sport.

This unique book challenges our preconceptions of our physical capacities and of the limitations of age. The author, spiritual teacher and athlete Sri Chinmoy, is the world's foremost authority on the connection between meditation and physical fitness, showing us how anybody can bring the power of meditation and mindfulness into their exercise and training in a very practical way.

This is a broad ranging book, which synthesises the philosophical and the practical.

It includes specific exercises concerning guided meditation, concentration and mantra

as aids to the focus needed in all forms of exercise and training. It is this new facet that enables us to achieve peak performance, to get more from exercise and to enjoy robust and lasting health and well-being.

World Champions such as Carl Lewis, Tatyana Lebedeva, Tegla Loroupe, Bill Pearl, and Paul Tergat share their own inner secrets and spiritual perspectives on training and competition in anecdotes peppered throughout the book.

This book shares Sri Chinmoy’s insights and offers a new perspective on the connection between sporting performance and mental and spiritual development. With detailed instructions, the author shows how meditation and spirituality can help us tap into our inner capacities and transcend our current notions of performance.

RRP: £16.99 AVAILABLE FROM: SPORTANDMEDITATION.COM

LONG LASTING SUNCREAM

By BARE REPUBLIC Looking for a long lasting sports sunscreen?

Well Bare Republic have the answer. A superior

chemical free SPF 50 mineral sports sunscreen.

A non greasy way to protect yourself from UV rays. Around 80 minutes water resistance time and around 2 hours protection time. Perfect for intense sports activities, with a fresh smelling coconut & vanilla scent.

RRP: £17 AVAILABLE FROM: TARGET.COM

56 Obstacle Race Magazine

REGULARS : HEALTH HACKS

HIGH PROTEIN SNACKS

By TWO CHICKS

Savvy summer snacking has never been easier with Two Chicks Chirps – a delicious range of high protein bites made with free range egg white.

The snack has the bite of a crisp, but with 50% less fat than standard potato chips, making them a great healthy alternative. Add them to your beach bag or picnic hamper for a guilt-free snack on the go.

Two Chicks Chirps are made using one of the highest quality protein sources - with each bag containing 15% of the daily recommended protein intake.

At only 110 calories a bag, the Two Chicks Chirps range, available in: Sea Salt & Cracked Black Pepper, Smokey Jalapeno and Sour Cream & Onion.

Two Chicks Founders, said, “We wanted to create a crisp-like snack that was high in protein and lower in fat and carbohydrates. Chirps contain egg white which will help to keep you full between meals.“

RRP: £1.99 AVAILABLE FROM: HOLLANDANDBARRETT.CO.UK

LIQUID WHOLE EGGS

By TWO CHICKS

Cracking eggs can be a messy affair when cooking, but Two Chicks have done the hard work for you. Each carton of Liquid Whole Egg contains 10 free range eggs, pasteurised to reduce the risk of food-borne illnesses and to encourage the important ritual of spoon-licking! What’s more, the eggs contain no preservatives. It’s the end of eggshells and eggs strewn around the kitchen worktops!

One box of Two Chicks Liquid Whole Egg is perfect for whipping up a delicious batch of creamy scrambled eggs to set you up for the day. The measure system is easy: one small egg is approx. 40 ml, one medium egg is approx. 50 ml and one large egg is approx. 60 ml.

Two Chicks Whole Egg is the must-have fridge essential for every egg-lover as, unopened, it stays fresh for up to two weeks, ensuring a constant supply for breakfast, lunch and dinner!

RRP: £3.00 for 500g AVAILABLE FROM: SAINSBURY’S & OCADO

HIGH PROTEIN PEANUT BUTTER

By DR ZAK’S

When UK based functional food experts Dr Zak’s launched their ‘next generation’ high protein peanut butters last year, they were received to high acclaim. Not only did they offer 35g of high quality whey protein per 100g, a simple and effective everyday alternative to shakes and protein bars, but they were also suitable for vegetarians and free from palm oil and artificial sweeteners This month sees the launch of four exciting new flavours in the Dr Zak’s High Protein Peanut Butter range - Chocolate Fudge Brownie, Chocolate Orange, Banoffee and an Original version in both Smooth and Crunchy varieties.

RRP: £4.50 for 450g AVAILABLE FROM: MUSCLEFOOD.COM

Obstacle Race Magazine 57

PROFILES : PETER PHILLIPS

PETER PHILLIPS

THE ROYAL

SPARTAN Written By MARK PETROU | Photography BY: EPIC ACTION IMAGERY

As you’ll have noticed over the last few months Spartan Race in the UK has gone through a few changes, one of the biggest changes being that it had a hand over of the license to none other than Peter Phillips, grandchild of the queen and son of Princess Anne.

We caught up with Peter to see exactly how this came about and what his plans were for one of the industry’s leading brands.

How did you get to be the new head of Spartan Race here in the UK? Tell us the journey that led to your appointment…

I was introduced to Joe Desena back in December 2014 and I learned about the Spartan brand from him and was immediately impressed. I felt that it had a long way to grow in the UK and it was actually Joe that approached me as a

58 Obstacle Race Magazine

good fit for the brand and not the other way round. The business side of UK Spartan race needed the most attention and not the race side and so Joe and I came to an agreement where I came on board to run that side of things and of course we’ve got this incredible race director in Karl Allsop who puts together some fantastic races and people always come away with these grimace faces after completing one of his courses.

Did Joe make you become a Spartan early on in your relationship?

Interestingly enough, I did go to a few Spartan races in the US and I point blank refused to do them – the first one was somewhere in California and it was a Beast and they were all saying “Come on – you’re going to do it” and I was like “You’ve got to be kidding me” – I had just gone out there after a good Christmas and there was no way I was going to run 20 kilometers and I held out for as long as I could but as soon as we had the first race here in the Olympic park there was no hiding and to be honest I really enjoyed it – I loved it, really enjoyed it and the Trifecta is lined up because I’m going to bite the bullet and do the Beast before the end of the season..

PROFILES : PETER PHILLIPS

Obstacle Race Magazine 59

PROFILES : PETER PHILLIPS

Now we have 3 questions from our subscribers who were given an opportunity to put you on the spot. The first comes from Alan Moore and he wants to know if Roots and Spartan would work together to put on a Death race here in the UK? (a knowing chuckle to himself) Well that’s a very good question… I guess the simple answer to that is that we are looking to put on some rather special – longer distance endurance races next year. We are planning on doing something called a NEGOJI 20/70 and we’ll release a bit more information about that when we’ve got the dates tied down but that will be bigger than a beast and we’re also looking to do some – between 3 and 6 hour - hurricane heats as well for those who are a little bit more inclined to challenge their absolute limits.

Obviously everyone knows your family connection and is aware of exactly who you are. With this in mind, Samantha Dougherty asks the question, will there ever be a Royal – It’s a knockout style Spartan wave or would you ever put on a Spartan race at Sandringham or Balmoral and bring these two different parts of your life together? (laughs with genuine enthusiasm) The final race of the year is at Windsor Great Park so that’s not a bad start but I think that’s as close as you’re going to get Samantha but the more people we get there, the more likely it may become a regular feature in future years!!

60 Obstacle Race Magazine

Adrian Pitt is a real Spartan – He’s previously had a season pass and completed his Trifecta and he asks – What are you doing to make me spend my hard earned money going forward on Spartan Races, having done them already, can we expect new obstacles and investment in the UK now that you’re around – what’s different that will make me want to come again?

We know that Spartan racers love the whole experience and a Spartan event will always be so much more than just putting on a race. For me, I’m initially focusing on 2 things. The first is new venues. We are getting into locations that people haven’t been to before and we want people to go away knowing that they’ve done something challenging again and that leads me on to the second thing and that is the obstacles themselves. It’s important that our core, die hard Spartan fan base get new courses, new challenges and new obstacles every year.

The investment is there and you can expect a few mental obstacles as next year as part of Spartans evolution – without using harsh commercial terms, things will remain true to the spirit and ethos of the Spartan brand but will evolve to keep everyone revved up and coming back.

The UK is pretty saturated with events and race brands. Have you had a chance to get out into the scene and Mystery shop your rivals?

If so, which ones have you been to and what did you think?

I’ve been to one or two but Karl our race director is extremely knowledgeable about the UK OCR scene and we often discuss the good the bad and the ugly. We are always looking to learn and evolve. Together, Karl and I are working hard this year to ensure that Spartan consistently deliver quality events, enjoyable events and challenging events. It’s our ultimate goal to stand out almost as the bench march for others to measure up against so that when people look at the 300 or so events in the racing calendar, these racers want to get booked into our dates with us first as an event that they can’t afford to miss.

Finally, what are your plans for the next couple of years?

I’m ruling nothing out. I’d like to be able to grow Spartan in the UK so that people have the shortest distance to travel to be able to do a Spartan Race. Ireland has been mentioned before, going back to Wales is another real possibility, the South West is an obvious choice too but then again, I’ve been looking at the South East too. We have no limit on ambition which mirrors exactly what we aim to inject into our audience.

Lastly, is there anything you would like to say to ORM readers?

Just that I genuinely look forward to see some of you out there.

FEATURE : WILL RUNNING GET EASIER?

WILL RUNNING

GET EASIER? HERE’S THE UGLY TRUTH— RUNNING DOESN’T GET EASIER, IT JUST GETS MORE FUN. There are days when you will come up with every single excuse under the sun to skip a run.

There will be dreaded days when your legs hardly feel like they are lifting off the ground.

But there is hope! There will be days when you lace up, hit the ground running and feel like you’re flying. Your legs will seem numb to the miles—in a good way—and you feel on top of the world, as if running isn’t hard. That is the moment when running feels excellent. Your breathing will be right and everything will fall in to place. These are the days you’re aiming for as these get you bitten by the bug.

Everyone was a newbie runner at one point in their running story. Each runner will tell you to keep at it and it will get easier. You can try every trick to drop your running pace and increase mileage to get to the point when running feels “easier.”

While running may seem to get more effortless, your legs and core have actually gotten stronger. Your mind is finally clear, calm and collected.

So here are a few tricks to help you keep your mind focused while you work on your running strength?

MORNING, AFTERNOON OR EVENING? You’ll hear numerous discussions on the best time to run. But if you’re not a morning person, then it will feel extremely hard to run in the a.m. If you rather run at night or during your lunch break, then go for it. Keep track when you have the most energy and use that time frame for your runs. The running police will not come after you if don’t run first thing in the morning. Just make sure you put your run on the schedule and stick to it.

BREAK UP THE MILEAGE If you’re training for a long-distance race and don’t have time to run for an hour or two, break it up. Run for a few in the morning and a few at night. The time or distance excuse doesn’t creep up in your head, making you continuously think about how rushed you are—which will make running hard. Clear your mind and log a few miles at a time. Save a long run for a less stressful day when you have more flexibility.

BABY STEPS: INCREASE SLOWLY If you’re completely new to running, then start off slow and gradually add time or distance to your routine. If you’ve been running for a bit now and want to step it up, gradually increase

your mileage. Experts are big fans of this approach for two reasons: 1) To avoid burn out, 2) To prevent injuries. If you start off running four or five miles and hate every minute of it, the likelihood of lacing up again is slim. If you run one mile at a time, it’s less daunting and more enjoyable. This approach will also help your legs get used to running for long periods of time, strengthening them for endurance.

PUT ON SOME TUNES Let music push you through the toughest runs. Listening to music can help with picking up the pace and letting go of negative thoughts.

It’s a great distraction for the mind while your body goes to the beat of the music. Need a few song suggestions? Check out this epic playlist that will keep you going from your first mile to your last.

STRENGTHEN YOUR LEGS & CORE The stronger your legs and core, the easier they will work. Get used to running, but also engage in a strength-training program to work the smaller muscles that don’t get used during a run. This will help your stride and pace, making you a strong runner (and help you feel light on your feet).

Obstacle Race Magazine 61

REGULARS : MUDTREST

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

62 Obstacle Race Magazine

Obstacle Race Magazine 63

REGULARS : MUDTREST

MUDTREST

SUBSCRIBERS

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

64 Obstacle Race Magazine

Obstacle Race Magazine 65

PROFILES : RACE DIRECTOR INSIGHT

RACE DIRECTOR INSIGHT Written by: CARL WIBBERLEY Photography by: CHRIS COOPER / THEO COTTLE

After three extremely successful years at the helm of ROCKSOLID RACE we decided it was high time that we caught up with Ashley Jardine, the man behind one of the top ten OCR events in the UK. We wanted to see exactly what his secrets are to making ROCKSOLID RACE such a high flying event, which leaves runners always coming back for more.

Hello Ashley, thank you for agreeing to give up some of your time to help answer some of our questions. First up, for those who don’t already know can you describe what makes ROCKSOLID RACE different to other races on the market?

Thanks for having me, Carl! We all know that OCR and mud running is an increasingly competitive industry.

Some of our selling points include creating an obstacle packed course that is challenging yet fun, having three distances on one day (5/10/15km), and free toasty hot showers for everyone post-race. That means people hang around after the event and have a few beers, adding to that festival vibe we’re now well known for.

We sell fun and achievement, not pain and suffering – there are enough other races out there that are all ‘the toughest’, so they can slug it out for that title!

What made you decide to start an Obstacle Course race?

What I enjoy the most is bringing my mates together to train for a challenge, followed up with a couple of drinks and a catch up. Unfortunately, being a full-time optician meant those options were few and far between!

I’d been yearning to start my own company, but it wasn’t until I was hauling my teammates over an obstacle in the Commando Challenge near Exeter, drenched in mud, that I realised creating

66 Obstacle Race Magazine

ROCKSOLID RACE was the answer. I’d like to think we’ve brought similarly inspiring epiphanies to runners since (and not just the realisation that their white base layer will never be the same again…).

Would you say it’s a hard job running an event organisation like ROCKSOLID RACE? There’s certainly loads to do, from social media campaigns right through to obstacle design. As exciting as it is, the responsibility that comes with scouting new venues is never easy!

That said, the incredible joy that you get from seeing contenders train, improve their fitness, grow in confidence, and then cross that finish line is unbeatable.

How many races has ROCKSOLID RACE run now and how many people do you estimate have now raced with you?

We’ve had 7 races so far, clocking up 20,500 runners. We’ve also seen around 1200 kids complete ROCKSOLID STARS, our pint-sized version of the adults’ course. Typically we see strong growth in numbers year on year, with Champions who loved the event bringing mates along to the next one.

Where do you see ROCKSOLID RACE going in the next 3 years?

I want to make sure we grow sustainably, building our current events in Milton Keynes and Exeter to 6000+ attendees at each location, before looking at one or two more venues in the UK. With such a high investment at each venue – and with a positive outlook for both – it’s better to opt for a slowly, slowly approach to keep the runners experience the best it can be.

You’re known for coming up with some really unique obstacle at your races like the trailer climbing wall for example and also your hay bale stack finish line, where do you get your ideas from for these and do you have anything exciting coming up?

I gather the build team and everyone chips in their thoughts. At that stage it’s no holds barred – any idea is a good idea.

Once we’ve collated all of the mad ideas, we distil them down to the ones that have merit. They have to meet certain criteria... is it unique? Will the health and safety on this be impossible? Can we actually build it?!

We always bring something new to every race to keep previous runners interested. Last year at Milton Keynes we launched Summit Plummet, which went down a storm!

Summit Plummet – Milton Keynes We’ve got a brand new twist on The Stepping Stones that’s due for release in time for the next Milton Keynes event – we’re taking our most loved obstacle and taking it to the next level!

Where can people find out more about ROCKSOLID RACE, and when’s your next events?

Head to our website (rocksolidrace. com) or Facebook (/rocksolidrace). We’re also on Twitter and Instagram (both @ rocksolidrace), so come and say hello!

The next ROCKSOLID RACE is on Saturday 29th October in Milton Keynes.

But in the meantime, we’re hosting a Summer Party at our Milton Keynes venue on Saturday 27th August, or you’ll find us out in the mud before then, building the final kilometre at Mudnificent 7 – we’ll see you there!

PROFILES : RACE DIRECTOR INSIGHT

Obstacle Race Magazine 67

KIT TESTING : SHOES

SHOES SHOES

HERE WE ARE BACK AGAIN WITH ANOTHER LINE UP OF SOME OF THE MOST POPULAR SHOES IN OCR. The line up you see here was narrowed down for about 25 different models all suited to OCR, but these are the ones we felt we’re best suited to the task of tackling the mud and terrain we face. Now we know that we put a lot of emphasis on running/racing shoes at obstacle Race magazine but they really are the most important bit of kit you could invest in for running OCR’s. On 99.9% of courses the majority of the distance you cover will be whilst running, so it makes sense to invest in the best shoes for the job.

We have a mixtures of brand new models right through to trusted favourites that have been around a while. Check out what we thought of them below.

HELP CHOOSING THE RIGHT SHOES FOR YOU

OCR SHOE TESTING

68 Obstacle Race Magazine

Navigating the minefield of shoe choices available to us in the OCR market can be a nightmare for a new racer. Minimalist, cushioned, arch support and solid heel cups are just a few of the choices you’ll need to make when deciding on your first pair. We’ve put together testing and a few pointers to help you make an educated decision from the selection we have under testing for you this issue.

You need to ask yourself is do you need your shoe to support you and your feet. By this I mean do you feel more comfortable with a certain amount of arch support or a more supportive/ higher heel area to protect your ankles. These sorts of shoes usually have a larger amount of cushioning which helps to soften impacts and protect your joints. The more supportive shoes like Salomon for example also have a higher heel to toe drop to go with the cushioning which makes them suitable for heel strikers and forefoot strikers. The only drawback to this shoe is that they do tend to be a little heavier and have more bulk to them.

If you feel you don’t need the above support etc. then you’ll want to go down the more minimalist shoe route which describes a shoe that’s striped back, lighter, and less supportive and has less cushioning. This sort of shoe suits a fore foot runner do to its lack of cushioning.

The minimalist feel and low heel to toe drop keep you close to the ground, this gives you the confidence you crave in even the worst of terrain. Choosing the wrong sort of shoe because you’ve brought off of the internet can be a nightmare. Buying without trying first can lead to a very uncomfortable few months of racing until you’re ready for your next pair, so try and test the pair you’re looking at first or make sure there’s a returns facility in place. A shoe with arch support if you don’t need it and have flatter feet will make you simply miserable while running in them. So choose wisely.

KIT TESTING : SHOES

SALOMON SPEED CROSS 4 £124.99

9/10

INOV-8 X-CLAW 275

9.5/10

£110

SPEC Drop: 8mm Lug depth: 8mm Weight: 275g ............................................................................

Available in inov-8 standard fit. Brand new upper and sole designed to be a cross between the best selling Mudclaw and the Xtalon, taking the best of both to make a hybrid sole. New midsole adds more protection and shock absorption to make it suited to speedy runs through to high millage races. ............................................................................

Pros: Wider toes box. Thick toe bumper protection.

Even with added durability it remains light weight. ............................................................................

Cons: Struggled to find any. ............................................................................

Overall thoughts: Fantastic shoe for anyone looking to go more down the minimalist shoe route as it’s a nice step down shoe. 8mm drop makes it so its isn’t too extreme with fantastic comfort levels.

SPEC Drop: 10mm Lug depth: 7mm Weight: 290g ............................................................................

New softer compound rubber with full chevron grip across the whole of the sole. Quick lace system with pockets to store. ............................................................................

Pros: Extremely durable. Lots of cushioning. Arch support. High Ankle protection. Great toe box protection. Fantastic for longer endurance runs.

Fantastic colour ranges to choose front.

MORE MILE CHEVIOT 3 £59.99

Cons: A little on the weighty side. Laces can get stuck in position when really muddy. ............................................................................

Overall thoughts: Another winner from the Salomon range. Tweaks made in all the right places, while still keeping the great bits. Sizing is consistent with the Speedcross 3. Would suit runners needing a higher heal to toe drop with plenty of cushioning and support.

INOV-8 X TALON 225

9/10

£100

7/10

SPEC

SPEC Drop: 8mm Lug depth: 5mm Weight: 310g ............................................................................

Pros: Can be brought for as little as £30 if you shop around. Great introduction shoe and a step up from any normal road shoe.

They look great.

Cons: Can get a little heavy when wet due to the moisture wicking material. ............................................................................

Overall thoughts: A fantastic shoe for runners who want value for money if you’re only doing obstacle races a couple of times a year.

Drop: 4mm Lug depth: 8mm Weight: 225g ............................................................................

Available in inov-8 precision fit. Brand new second generation xtalon sole design. ............................................................................

Pros: Fantastic shoe for those who want a light weight racing shoe with the durability in the right places to give them a great life span. ............................................................................

Cons: A little too stripped back for people who are new to the minimalist shoe design. ............................................................................

Overall thoughts: New Xtalon give extra grip to what was already a super grippy range. Makes running fast over extreme terrain a doddle. Grip in a perfect lightweight, agile package. Ideal for a keen obstacle racer.

Obstacle Race Magazine 69

KIT TESTING : SHOES

ADIDAS TERREX XKING

8/10

ASICS FUJI RUNNEGADE 2 £89.99

7.5/10

£150

SPEC Drop: 9mm Lug depth: 4mm Weight: 300g ............................................................................

Pros: Continental rubber offers great ‘mountain bike’ like grip. Very durable, feel like they’d out live a tank.

Removal insole can be replaced which is a bonus.

Feel really well made. ............................................................................

Cons: Stiff feeling even when ran in a few times.

Quick lace system seems to slowly come undone while running. A little pricey. ............................................................................

Overall thoughts: Great to see Adidas offering something a little more rough and ready for more extreme trails. If you have cash to slash then these will last you forever.

INOV-8 XTALON 200

10/10

£100

SPEC Drop: 6mm Lug depth: 5mm Weight: 260g ............................................................................

Pros: Ankle gaiter keeps debris and some water out.

Feel very lightweight. . ............................................................................

Cons: The rubber compound is a little hard for some surfaces so causes a few Bambi slips. .

SALOMON FELLRAISER £90

Overall thoughts: Great shoe that has sold incredibly well in OCR circles. This second generation version was fab upgrade on the first, but there are rumors that there won’t be a third version being put into production, so production would stop with this model.

7.5/10

SPEC Drop: 3mm Lug depth: 8mm Weight: 200g ............................................................................

Pros: Designed with obstacle course running at the heart of it. Light weight and drain incredibly well. New second generation is very durable. Toe box protects very well from obstacles without hampering the draining capabilities. Lovely wide toe box allows your toes to splay which gives you a more grippy feel in the mud. Rope tech on the sole to help when conquering the rope climb. Very sticky rubber compound. ............................................................................

Cons: A low drop for anyone new to a more minimalist designed running shoe. Rubber used on the sole is soft so you’ll want to keep them as a race shoe rather than training if it involves to much tarmac. ............................................................................

Overall thoughts: Fantastic shoe that can do no wrong in our eye. New colour pallet due of orange added for the new season.

70 Obstacle Race Magazine

SPEC Drop: 6mm Lug depth: 8mm Weight: 290g ............................................................................

Pros: Very well made and robust shoe. Fantastic if you need a speedy feeling shoe but with arch support, a wider toe box and cushioning. Grip on the sole is very well suited to cross running if you have a little tarmac on the way to your regular training run.

Cons: Speed laces lend to get stuck when really muddy. Can feel a little heavy once wet. ............................................................................

Overall thoughts: Great all rounder shoe for anyone who needs extra support. Can be used equally as a durable training shoe which is lightweight enough to make you happy while racing.

KIT TESTING : SHOES

ICEBUG ACCELERITAS

9/10

£108

VJ SPORT IROCK GEN 2

9.5/10

£100

SPEC

SPEC Drop: 4mm Lug depth: 6mm Weight: 200g ............................................................................

Pros: Very flexible. A good sticky level of rubber used on sole. Materials used don’t hold water. Replaceable insoles can be purchase to match your foot width. ............................................................................

Cons: Solid heal cup doesn’t suit everyone at first, but can be fine once bedded in. Very robust

materials used for the upper. ............................................................................

Overall thoughts: Good shoe for OCR, fantastic colour ranges make for a real standout shoe on the course. One of the lightest shoes on test and this really made for a racing feel when you wore them.

Grip doesn’t look much but it won’t let you down.

Drop: 7mm Lug depth: 8mm Weight: 240g ............................................................................

Pros: A mid drop shoe that feels comfortable enough for training runs day in day out, but light weight enough to be the choice of the world champion obstacle racer. The rubber used for the sole is some of the stickiest available on any shoe in the market, this makes light work of all terrain you throw at it.

FITLOCK system give a very good fit by coming up to meet your arch giving a very good fit. ............................................................................

Cons: Toe box and mid of shoe are a little slim for wider feet. ............................................................................

Overall thoughts: One of the best selling shoes in OCR right now. The tiny company that makes these must have had a real shock when orders started to roll in when Jonathan Albon was spotted wearing them. Originally designed for orienteers so perfect for our needs in OCR.

MERRELL ALL OUT CRUSH LIGHT

8/10

£90

HOKA ONE ONE ATR CHALLENGER 2 £110

8.5/10

SPEC

SPEC Drop: 4mm Lug depth: 4mm Weight: 278g ............................................................................

Pros: Extreme cushioning makes for a running on clouds feel to the shoe. Don’t be put ff by the size as it feels very light when on. ............................................................................

Cons: The height of cushioning can be a little alien and unnerving feeling at first. No good for a true muddy OCR event but fantastic for everything in between.

Overall thoughts: What a cracking shoe for long distance challenges and training runs. CHALLENGER ATR 2 has been updated with a more supportive fit through the midfoot, and increased comfort across the top of the foot for those looking to run both road and trail. The Meta-Rocker system provides a smooth comfortable run feel. If you want one shoe for all surfaces for training and the odd bit of drier racing, look no further than the Challenger ATR 2.

Drop: 6mm Lug depth: 5mm Weight: 230g ............................................................................

Pros: Fantastic all rounder shoe. Comfortable design that you feel you can run in forever. With the help of their Tough Mudder partnership it seems they’ve really looked carefully at what we need. A nice stable feeling shoe for those who are new to rougher trail running. ............................................................................

Cons: Grip would have been better if it was just a little longer for the muddier conditions we run in. ............................................................................

Overall thoughts: Fantastic looking shoe. With a couple of tweaks on version two they’ll be a perfect OCR shoe for the masses.

Obstacle Race Magazine 71

REVIEW : SUPERHUMAN GAMES

SUPERHUMAN GAMES Written by: SARAH GREENE | Photography by: JON HILLYER

72 Obstacle Race Magazine

REVIEW : SUPERHUMAN GAMES

Before we get started, let’s just get this out there. As much as I love a Sunday run in the sun, running some sprints or smashing some hills, my fitness nirvana is the gym. I love picking up heavy stuff, putting it down, picking it up again.

Swinging some kettlebells, snatching a new PB, flipping some tyres, or making waves on the battle ropes. Needless to say, Superhuman Games is an event that I’ve looked forward to ever since competing last year.

Inspired by CrossFit, OCR and functional fitness, Superhuman Games is a same-sex partner competition consisting of 5 20 minute events throughout the day. Held outside in Greville Smyth Park, Bristol, I’ve always been lucky to compete on beautiful sunny days, which adds to the great feeling surrounding the day. The events vary from a more cardio focus, to more pure strength, but all require

you to really dig deep into your reserves of real grit and endurance.

Our first event was probably our most dreaded. 30kg thrusters (a front squat followed by a push press – as one fluid movement) then 30 16kg American kettlebell swings, shared between you and your partner as a team. The difference from last year’s event was that this year you could share the reps as you desired, rather than simply alternating rounds. And so, as I ‘love a squat’, I picked up more of the thrusters, and my partner Ellie (squats are harder when you’re almost 6 feet tall) picked up more of the swings. I think this change was a really good one – making for a more tactical event, and certainly less of the standing around watching your partner slowly die from farmer’s carries due to a recent broken finger (2015’s review may have gone a bit differently!).

A 5, 10, 15 minute call is made over the PA during the 20 minutes (as all 5 events are taking place at the same time) – an audible sense of disbelief is in the air when the announcer calls out that we’re only 5 minutes down. 15 whole minutes to go. The countdown across the park adds to the sense of occasion, and drives everyone on when the final few minutes are counted down. Only fully completed sets of reps count for points – and so tension rises as the clock ticks and the athletes fight for the extra points gained in that last set of reps. As the event is run in heats, we had friends and fellow competitors cheering us on, which makes the world of difference. In our dying minutes, we fought hard for the final reps – finishing our last set of thrusters before crumbling to the ground when the final klaxon was blown. 1 down, 4 events to go. It’s going to be a long day!

TIMELINE

THE EVENTS RAN LIKE THIS… EVENT 1 – STRENGTH & HONOUR Max reps in 20 minutes.

Reps shared between partners - 15 thrusters (front squat with push press) (40kg M and 30kg F).

- 20m run - 30 American kettlebell swings (swings finishing overhead) 24kg M and 16kg F).

- 20m run

EVENT 2 – VO2 MAX 20 minutes.

- 800m run each - Max calories on a rowing machine in the remaining time (can alternate with partner as many times as you like)

EVENT 3 – UNCONVENTIONAL BEAST Max reps in 20 minutes.

Reps shared between partners - 15 atlas stone ground to shoulder (60kg M and 40kg F) - 20m run - 30 ‘down ups’ (burpee without the jump) - 20m run

EVENT 4 – BRUTAL BEAT DOWN -

50m tyre flip (165kg tyre) (females complete the tyre flips together, males alternate) 100m partner carry (can alternate as much as you like)

EVENT 5 – OBSTACLE COURSE -

400m obstacle course with 18 obstacles 10 burpee penalty for failure on monkey bars and traverse wall Max laps in 20 minutes, alternating with your partner

Obstacle Race Magazine 73

REVIEW : SUPERHUMAN GAMES

MY SECOND FAVOURITE EVENT OF THE DAY WAS PROBABLY ‘UNCONVENTIONAL BEAST’ – ATLAS STONE GROUND TO SHOULDERS, AND (MODIFIED) BURPEES. Basically because nothing makes you feel like a bad ass like flipping a really heavy object over yourself. Again, Ellie and I split the reps – I picked up more of the strength, Ellie took on the cardio. Like all the events, you start out confident that this all feels ok… we’re making progress, we feel good. As time starts to tick, even the most accomplished athletes start to tire – as you’d expect when everyone is pushing themselves so hard. And there were some very accomplished athletes around – the amount of six packs and bulging trap muscles was a sight to behold, and that was just the women (#goals)! Of course everyone is not only pushing themselves to their limits for themselves, but also for their partners – nobody wants to be the weak link! This really does spur on some inspirational performances and displays of teamwork throughout the day.

Time ticks on as I count Ellie’s burpees and she counts mine. The sun is really beating down on us now, and the atlas stone becomes slippy with our sweat (ok guilty, mainly mine). Few words are spoken, but we help each other through – I chalk Ellie up before she tackles another throw over the shoulder of the 40kg stone, and she cheers me on as I finish our final reps – again to the countdown of the PA. All I can hear is the countdown and the cheers, as we were lucky

enough to have support from our team Energise Mud Runners and Rumble Fitness. The klaxon is blown, and again we collapse to the floor before hugging. An embrace only possible over shared exertion and exhaustion - relief and pride in each other.

STILL 2 EVENTS TO GO. The ‘feel-good’ nature of the event was highlighted to me before our next event, ‘Brutal Beat Down’ (50m tyre flip and 100m partner carry), whereby two CrossFit girls were showing other nearby teams how best to tackle the flip, and teaching partner carry technique (they’d done the same on the Atlas balls too). You’re obviously competing against the other teams, but really everyone is just trying their best to get through the day as well as possible.

A case of acute sun-stroke and lots more hugging later, and we were onto our final event – the obstacle course. The OCR contingent was out in force – people were sporting Ram Run, Spartan and numerous OCR team t-shirts across Greville Smyth Park. This was our time to shine!

For me this was the fun end to an awesome day.

The 400m course included OCR staples such as hay bales, monkey bars, traverse wall, balance

beams, crawls… this was our playground. The laps were just long enough for you to get your breath back while your partner ran, to go out hard again. It’s not often we get the chance to really sprint a course like this, and so OCR regulars were reveling in it. A special mention must go to Dave Peters and David Tucker of Rumble Fitness, who completed their last two laps with such speed, it really was an absolute pleasure to watch. Again the countdown rings out, as each competitor charges to complete their lap or reach a checkpoint (points were also given for half and quarter laps), cheers drowned my ears as I raced to tag Ellie to complete our final lap. The klaxon is blown for the final time, as we’re done. Some more sweaty hugging.

Something else to add is that the event is always run extremely well. Organisation is top-notch and the day runs like clockwork.

Which is incredibly important when you need to constantly fuel yourself throughout the day – knowing when you’re going to be pushing your body to its max again is vital. This is part of the reason why I’ll keep coming back to Superhuman Events.

Regardless of your position, you really do finish the day, side by side with your partner, feeling like Super humans.

FOR MORE INFORMATION ON WHERE YOU CAN BOOK ON TO THE NEXT SUPERHUMAN EVENT GO TO WWW.SUPERHUMANEVENTS.COM BUT BE QUICK AS THIS EVENT WILL SELL OUT

74 Obstacle Race Magazine

REGULARS : INDUSTRY NEWS

THE

WS NE Y R T S INDU

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

OCRA ANNOUNCE

NO UK CHAMPIONSHIPS FOR 2017

Since the last issue of ORM its been announced officially by the Obstacle Course Racing Association that there will not be a OCRA UK Championships in 2017.

Here’s what their official press released July 1st 2016 said.

As previously announced on the 8 June, the OCRAUK’s UK Championship will be deferred from 2017 until 2018.

This move has the full support of the other European Associations, as well as the European Championship and World Championship organisers. The decision has been taken after careful debate and with consideration of multiple view points, and seeks to address two key objectives. Firstly, to allow the UK Championship to be brought into alignment with dates for the 2018 European and World Championships, and secondly, to allow the OCRAUK committee to focus its efforts on building equity around OCR, whilst ensuring

76 Obstacle Race Magazine

Obstacle Course Racing is formally recognised as a sport in its own right. received has committee The numerous enquiries about a future event, which positions itself as the ‘2017 OCR championships for the UK’. As the self-appointed governing body of OCR in the UK, and with a stated mission to ‘safeguard obstacle course racing for all’, the Association would be irresponsible if it failed to make potential competitors aware of the following: • The aforementioned event is not supported by the OCRAUK; • It does not meet the qualifying criteria outlined by the European and World Championships; • It will not be recognised as a 2017 European Championship qualifier.

In the spirit of sport, the OCRAUK wishes the organisers and competitors well, however the OCRAUK must ensure it maintains the trust and respect of the OCR community; a community we have been at the forefront in nurturing.

RUMOURS OF AN ULTRA BEAST

Spartan Race UK have sparked rumours that there will at last be an Ultra Beast distance race in the UK. After the Spartan Race Edinburgh weekend a tester page was released on the Spartan Race UK website which seems to point towards there being steps put in place to at last release an Ultra Beast distance. If you don’t know what the Ultra Beast is then here a little more about Spartan Races longest distance race.

7 STATS : 26+ Miles 50+Obstacles Hours Fastest time completed.

The Ultra Beast is considered the pinnacle of Spartan Racing. Covering 26+ miles usually set in hills, with a few twists thrown in to keep it interesting. The Ultra Beast is not for the faint of heart. The Ultra Beast is the only Spartan Race with strict time limits that must be met. The Spartan Race website also states * Please note not everyone who signs up for the Ultra will actually finish.

Certainly not one for the faint hearted or those new to OCR. 22nd of July is the rumoured date for 2017.

REGULARS : INDUSTRY NEWS

2016 MEDALS FOR

OCR WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS Exciting news from the OCR World Championships recently with the finishers medals being shared for the racers who are counting down the days until they board the plane to Canada. Pictured are the huge finishers medals and also the 3 podium medals for the top three. There are also more medals to come with the 3km, 15km and team medals also yet to be released. With less than 3 months left until the event there are now 30+ countries being represented at the World Championships.

A WARNING though if you haven’t yet secured your space! We are told that spots for the 2016 OCRWC are now going very fast. Register to lock in your spot. There will be no exceptions made once divisions are full! For more information about qualifying and registration go to: OCRWC.com

ANNOUNCED

MUDDY RACE FRONT SQUAD Are you ready to take your training to the next level then the Muddy Race Front Squad could be for you. The Front Squad is for those who love to train, love to race, and love the push themselves.

Muddy Race wanted to give you opportunities to improve your training and learn from other people who want the same thing. Muddy Race will be creating a sub section of their community to connect those of similar abilities and aims together, to help motivation and enjoy your training.

How to join: • We ask that you are competitive or aim to be competitive in your age group • There are no monthly fees – you just need to purchase Muddy Race Front Squad Top As a member you are entitled to; •

Access to an exclusive Front Squad Facebook group for members only

•

• • • •

•

A weekly running workout posted in the group (on Mondays) to fit around your current schedule, a programme as used by UK OCR Champion Conor Hancock Weekly workout tip/ideas (posted mid-week) to fit around your current plans – focusing on build strength Exclusive training sessions for Front Squad members of similar ability Discussions, motivations and debates with fellow Front Squad members about training/racing Access to the online Muddy Race Coach as and when you need a question answered via the group (by our head coach Keith Fairburn) Free Downloadables (including 30 day blank plan for you to fill out and stay on top of training. Mobility and static stretching worksheet

More information about the Muddy Race Front Squad can be found at: WWW.MUDDYRACE.CO.UK

A NEW

TOUGH MUDDER CHALLENGE Tough Mudder are currently looking for feedback on a new concept that they are considering for 2017. With the buzz the obstacle design competition created then this could course a huge stir with the Tough Mudder followers around the world. The event is described as being a new extreme obstacle challenge. Participants will be given 8 hours to complete as many laps as possible of a 5 mile(8km) course of 20 obstacles. The course will still feature all your favourite Tough Mudder obstacles along with a blend of unique and enhanced obstacles. To add even more of a challenge to the event a partition of the challenge will occur overnight. The event will be open to competitive and also non-competitive athletes who are simply just looking for their next challenge. This event if released will be connected to Worlds Toughest Mudder, it will act as a gateway to the brand new elite competitive category at the 2017 World Toughest Mudder Event. Cash pots are also said to start at $4,000 for top Males and Females and $10,000 for the top team of two or more runners.

Obstacle Race Magazine 77

YOUR LETTERS

Letters

PAGE

Send us your letters!

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

letters@obstacleracemagazine.com

Hi ORM Hi ORM

In the last issue of the mag you featured 10 things to aid recovery? Just done Suffering Legends and SOMETHING worked!

Thought I'd send in a photo taken of me at last weekends Suffering race. The picture was taken with only 20yrds to go at the end of the 10mile course as the final run for my Suffering Legends. I was broken and just needed a minute before taking on the final rugby player wall.

I am 58 and have had far worse doms from other less arduous previous races. I can only assume this is down to downing recovery carbs in the critical 2 hours post the 5k and 10k and I also tried the recommended Epsom salts bath (on the Saturday night). When running/walking on Sunday I felt pretty good and today I do not ache like I thought I would. Any discomfort seems equivalent to a 10k race. Could even go for a run tonight – but I won’t...

Thanks Grant Pearson

78 Obstacle Race Magazine

Dave Walton

YOUR LETTERS

Hi ORM Loving the magazine.

Hi ORM Hope you’re well. I was marshalling at Spartan Race in Scotland and as it was the European Championship there was a whole host of OCR celebrities there. Heres a picture of me, Conor Hancock Uk Champion and Matt “The Bear” Novakovich USA Spartan pro team racer. How cool is this. Conor was second to Jonathan Albon(World Champion), so it was a fantastic weekend for the Brits.

Just wanted to say a massive public thank you to the Fit4OCR team for providing a great venue and to wish you happy first birthday. It has been great fun sharing some muddy madness with you guys and looking forward to the year to come!

Many thanks Lorraine Bennetts

See you soon Lisa Caswell

Hi ORM,

Hello ORM !

I reckon that Paul Brenton on the Bridge with the flag would make an awesome future edition cover on the magazine ;-)

My name is Michael Hollyman, on Saturday 16th May 2016, my sister (Natalie), and I did our first Nuclear (12km) rush race in Brentwood. Is it possible to post the attached picture of us crawling through the mud, into the magazine?

See you at a race soon no doubt :-)

Thank you.

Kind Regards Anne Dingwell

Healthy regards, Michael Hollyman

Obstacle Race Magazine 79

FEATURE : OCR TRAINING PART TWO

80 Obstacle Race Magazine

FEATURE : OCR TRAINING PART TWO

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

PART TWO

NUTRITION

AN INTRO TO POST RACE RECOVERY After an intense race the body is exhausted physically and mentally and it is also dehydrated. Because of these factors the correct nutrition for recovery is really crucial, after all what you put in post race will be what is used to replenish, repair the body and replace the nutrients lost. The types and amounts of foods is very individual depending on the distance of the race, the climate, your body composition and also your possible health conditions.

“You need to take on board some protein and carbs as quickly as possible to re-energise the muscles and ensure maximum recovery. I always keep a CLIF builder's bar handy for this - a great source of both.” James It is way too complicated to go into too much detail here. So let's have a run down of what you can do in simple terms to make a real difference to helping you put in what your body needs. You should have 3 primary goals post race that are the components of nutrient timing. These are;

1) REFUEL PROTEIN It constitutes around 20% of the body’s weight. It is part of every cell in the body and is involved in most functions of the body. It is needed to repair and develop muscle tissue that has been broken down during exercise. Regardless of the particular sport, protein replenishment is important for recovery, but it should be combined with carbohydrates if you have depleted your glycogen stores. The carbohydrate to protein replenishment ratio is 3:1 or 4:1. Muscle is most sensitive to nutrient intake within the first 30 mins after a heavy cardiovascular workout. Whey protein is an optimal post race protein because of its amino acid composition and the speed

of amino acid release into the bloodstream.

“I enjoy what I eat, eating clean most of the time works for me but I do enjoy the occasional treat but this doesn't mean you would see me at the burger van post race, but I could be tempted by cake or chocolate, I have a very sweet tooth.” Joda

CARBOHYDRATES These are sugars and as you have been doing aerobic activity your body has being depleting its glycogen (the reservoir of carbohydrates in the body) stores. This means putting the right amount of carbohydrates back into top up your glycogen levels and stop your blood sugars from dropping to low. The body stores approximately 450-550 grams of glycogen within the muscle and liver for use during exercise. At least 20 hours are required to recover muscle glycogen stores, even when the diet is optimal, so take this into account when planning your post race training and other events. The ACSM recommends that an endurance athlete should have a snack of 300-400 calories containing carbohydrate (75-100 grams) and protein (6 grams).

The carbohydrate-to-protein ratio should be 2:1 in short, low- to medium-intensity workouts or 3:1 in long, high-intensity workouts.

This should ideally be consumed within 30 minutes of an event or workout. For shorter 5k races there will be a lot less glycogen depletion. Something like a cliff bar or mountain fuel recovery drink will provide what you need however you can also do this with whole foods too. Just make sure you have a lunch box and a plan of what you will take so you have what you need for after the event.

With endurance and aerobic activity the combination of carbs and protein is crucial;

Obstacle Race Magazine 81

FEATURE : OCR TRAINING PART TWO

“What many athletes often overlook is the importance of carbohydrate intake for building and repairing muscle. Carbohydrate can decrease muscle protein breakdown by stimulating insulin release.” Marie Spano Post Exercise Recovery, 2013 With any post race food it is always good to have tested it in training before hand. This will stop you having bad reactions or just not bothering with it. Also make sure it's stuff you like so you don’t get tempted just to have something else (not as useful) instead. “ Ideally after training/racing I'd like to get plenty of protein and carbs in me straight after to refuel my muscles and put my glycogen levels back up. Also plenty of fluids is always important, water is the best!” Conor

2) REHYDRATE Hydration is crucial post event! Exercise produces an increase in body temperature and even in cold conditions the body will have perspired and so you will have lost a lot of water.

“In order to get rid of the excess heat, your body secretes sweat, which is primarily composed of water and electrolytes such as sodium. The evaporation of sweat is the primary mechanism of heat loss during exercise. Exercise can lead to substantial water and electrolyte loss from sweat leading to dehydration and, in cases of excessive fluid intake, hyponatremia which is low sodium in the blood.” (ACSM, 2011).

It is wise to drink plenty of water post exercise and also eat or use a product to replace your electrolytes (essential salts and minerals). Many of the bodies salts are lost during perspiration so making sure you top these up will keep your body functioning correctly during the recovery stage. Most races provide something post race but make sure you have plenty more fluids in your kit back so you can steadily rehydrate after your event. On hot days make sure you have even more as you will have lost a lot more fluids. One way of working out roughly what you should post event is to try measuring what you lose during training sessions so you can figure out how much to put back in. Over a period of time you will be able to gauge an idea of what amount you need. A good site to explain how to do this is http://www. runnersworld.com/hydration-dehydration/drinkthis. Checking your urine colour is also an easy way guage if you are back to normal hydration.

If it is fairly clear then you know the body has a good level of fluids in the system, if it is too yellow try to drink some more.

“I find it hard to eat post race, mainly due to my adrenaline still being high. I drink loads of water and have a protein shake (Build and Recover) straight after. Then an hour or so after the race I would have whatever normal meal is due. Snacks post race would be a protein flapjack.” Joda

3) REPAIR AND RECOVER The section on recovery above will give you loads of ideas on how to do this. Repairing

82 Obstacle Race Magazine

damaged muscle tissue and reducing excessive inflammation is what you are trying to achieve.

If we give our bodies the best possible chance of rapid recovery it leaves us free to get on with life and training. It also means much less chance of injury. So often I hear or people tell me they have injuries and very often I can tell they are over training. Others race on injuries, it may come across as brave but in the long run, when everyone has forgotten, you still have the injury which has possibly been made worse.

Be smart, listen to your body and play the long game. Putting lots of little good habits into your routine does not have to take over your life but it will leave you feeling fitter, stronger and ready to meet your next challenge faster than others that don’t make the positive changes. Follow the guidelines above and you will not go far wrong.

“I never enter a race just to take part (they are too expensive) so if I’m not fit enough to be competitive with myself I won’t start. As a result I work hard and always feel some degree of nausea afterwards. If it’s been a really hard race I will get a migraine. My primary aim post race is to feel ‘normal’ and I have come to find unscientifically that a big mug of sweet tea and a hot shower are the key. The body knows best how to rehydrate and raise blood sugar. I also eat what I crave because I reckon it is pretty ideal anyway, a tuna sandwich and a bag of salty crisps. So there is the protein and electrolyte sorted.

Just to aid full muscle replenishment I have a GU recovery drink with half milk half water.

This is normally a bit later and outside the ideal 30 minute post exercise window, I don’t fancy anything sweet straight after a race full of energy gels.” Freya

framework can easily be used to help you analyse your performance and help you plan for future events. Try to be totally honest with yourself. List as many things you can think of in each section and consider each one carefully and treat all of them with equal importance.

This means not just concentrating on your strengths but also realising your weaknesses and improving them to become strengths. Once this is completed it will be your framework to set training plans moving towards the next set of events. Keeping a record is also a fantastic way of assessing your progress and can be a great motivator as the list of strengths grows.

Here is how it could work for you.

SWOT PERFORMANCE ANALYSIS STRENGTHS • • •

What were my strengths during the race?

What aspects of the race did I really do well at?

What are my strengths in the build up to races?

WEAKNESSES • • • •

Which weaknesses were highlighted during the race?

Did pre race training or nutrition have a negative effect during the event?

What things can I improve?

How was my mental state?

PSYCHOLOGY After any event or workout as with most of our life it is wise to take some time to asses what happened and to try and work out ways to recognise your strengths and weaknesses so you can make an action plan going forward.

Any sports coach will encourage their athletes to discuss what the athletes thoughts were on their event and then give feedback to create a realistic picture of what went well but also not so well. You may not have the benefits of your own coach but you can still follow the same process. All you need is a pen and paper and the will to be honest with yourself to improve upon the hard work you have already committed.

Follow the Prior Planning Prevents Poor Performance ideal. With a clear action plan you can then break it down to achievable bite sizes pieces which eventually come together to form a faster and fitter you.

“I think a lot about the race after it is run, generally because they fire me up so much that I want to improve on my performance and learning from the obstacles I struggled with and recreating them in training is the best way of doing this.” Freya

SWOT ANALYSIS A SWOT analysis is a common business tool used to identify possible problems and also strengths in a company or situation. This simple

OPPORTUNITIES • •

What opportunities presented themselves during the race?

Are there opportunities pre race that could improve my performance? e.g. choosing a less popular qualifying race to get a better chance of a qualification or choosing to race in weather that suits you.

THREATS • • •

Running or training on injury could present a possible threat to future events Perhaps time and money also?

What threats can you eliminate to make sure the goals you have set are achieved?

“It normally takes me the rest of the day to see the positive aspects of my performance (this season has been full of mistakes that have cost me dearly). In that time I have analysed which obstacles need working on and how I’m going to do it. I look at the other girls’ weaknesses, note that I am generally a faster runner and continue to work hard at

FEATURE : OCR TRAINING PART TWO

this in the knowledge that I will need to use it to my advantage at the next race. Then I look at their strengths and try to work out why I am weaker at certain obstacles. I can either say to myself that I am just physically less able, smaller hands, shorter levers for example, or I can tell myself that they work harder at obstacle practise. The former is to give up now which I’m not ready to do, so I just need to work harder as well.

I can’t normally sleep until I have made peace with myself over a race result so by the evening I am planning my training for the next race and focussing instead on how I can do better in that one.” Freya

SUMMARY The three articles pre race, race day and post race in the last three additions are designed for you to be able to help you in your training.

I would recommend that you read them all more than once to extract the information available. Teaching OCR at my centre has meant that I have had the opportunity to speak to and teach literally hundreds of people. Most have the same sort of questions about OCR and so I have tried to answer all the questions I have been asked as best as possible. The articles have lots of hints and tips that should be absorbed and considered for your training and race tactics. All our collaborators have a wealth of experience that they have shared with you and I have tried my best to bring it all together, hoping you fill find this useful.

Thank you for taking the time to read these, I truly hope they help you in the coming months and years in OCR. If you have not read previous articles they can be bought from ORM so get in touch with them to get back copies. If you have questions feel free to get in touch or grab me at a race. I hope to see you in the mud very soon.

Kevin Meredith

Obstacle Race Magazine 83

REVIEW : 10 SECOND ROUND UP

TEAM

ORM

Ever since starting the magazine it's always been a goal of mine to have a team of representatives running in the magazine colours at races. Fast forward a few years and it was decided that the time was right. In step Team ORM, a group of ladies whose enthusiasm and love for the sport of obstacle racing knows no limits. In this issue we’re going to let you know what adventures they’ve been having in the last couple of months. So ladies tell us what exciting things have you been up to?

Written by: CARL WIBBERLEY

Kerrie Fisher #ORMKez Kerrie came 1st in the ladies 60 Furlong race at Muddy Furlong.

The event lived up to its name with every shade of mud you could wish #ocrfamily with children's races and ladies races all on the same course and ran together. The beautiful surrounding countryside made running the trails and camping even more pleasant for her whole family, so everyone was a winner that weekend. Kerrie was overjoyed with her first podium.

TO FOLLOW MORE OF THE LADIES ADVENTURES YOU CAN FIND THEM ON THE FACEBOOK PAGE AT:

facebook.com/teamormladies OR BY FOLLOWING THE HASHTAG

#TeamORM 84 Obstacle Race Magazine

#ORMKez was also one of only two UK ladies to keep her wristband, at the European Championships held in The Netherlands and felt the love as she completed her final obstacle in front of the different nationality teams and spectators. The obstacles were suitably tough for a championship race with challenging terrain thrown in the mix too.

REVIEW : 10 SECOND ROUND UP

Becky Frostick

Louise Chloe Ballantyne Fairburn

Louise Clifford

#ORMLouBal

#ORMChloe

#ORMLouise

Becky also smashed out a new One Rep Max (1RM) of 135kg for her deadlift, which I’m sure you’ll agree is an amazing achievement.

Louise has been a very busy bee indeed. One of her jobs is to oversee and plan the junior events during the UK Spartan Race/season. So there have been a lot of long weekends out building the kids course coupled with executing the actual event.

The team are massively proud of Louise for doing this and for her effort to get young people fit and active.

Chloe wasn't disappointed by Rat Races newest event Man v Lakes.

More a cross country run than an OCR around the beautiful Lake District and across forest trails.

Just to add an extra element the rain continued for the whole event, which only added to the amazing experience.

She managed a fantastic 13th position. So all the pain and suffering was worth it.

#ORMLouise ran Race to the Stones. An amazing non stop 100km endurance run. Louise ran all the way through the night to complete her race in the early hours of Sunday morning. The Pit Stop Nutrition was thankfully well organised and helped to keep her going. Unfortunately Louise was unable to walk for a couple of days afterwards.

Jordan Foster

Alexandra Samantha Duesbury Doughty

Becky Lockwood

#ORMJordan

#ORMAlexa

#ORMSammyD

#ORMBex

#ormjordan seems to be turning into a bit of a endurance machine.

She was one of 13 people of which just 3 were females, to complete the grueling 4 x 12km laps of Ram Run course. But that wasn’t all.

#ormalexa ran the Beast on Sunday, she didn’t go out with the intention of racing, but just aimed to enjoy the course and take in the sites. So you can imagine her surprise when she managed to finish 5th in her age category and qualified for the World Champs... once again!

#ORMSammyD has been doing a tremendous job of raising awareness of the recent 22 press ups for 22 days challenge.

The Spartan Edinburgh Beast course was Miles and miles of hard near vertical climbs (serious elevation recorded on the Garmins!)...obstacles, lots of crawls, and even more heavy carries in the Scottish Pentlands... and the pouring rain! It was brutal out there.

Samantha has done her upmost to keep donations rolling in for the charity throughout the charity challenge. And as a team we are whole heartily proud of her.

#ormbex has been very busy indeed, with an amazing 1st place win in her age group at the Dirty Dozen course. Also a fantastic performance at the European Championships, where she represented England and the magazine like a pro. But her biggest achievement so for has to be the find a cover star pole. She set out with two OCR regulars Paul Cocksedge and Stuart Neail to find the new face of Obstacle Race Magazines front cover for issue 16.

After videos were made and poles were voted on, Carl Julian was the clear winner with a huge majority of votes, pipping Wil Chung to the post after a well fought battle.

#ORMBecky For #ORMBecky its been a few weeks full of all sorts of challenges both on and off the course. She raced the Chicksands Monster Trail Half Marathon and came a fantastic 5th female and 2nd in her age category.

She also took part in the Cotswold 24 hour race, with the aim of complete as many 9km laps as possible in the 24 hour time limit!

She managed to complete an amazing 12 laps in 16 hours, totalling 67 miles (108km), then deciding to end her challenge there...once she had lost the ability to walk.

The challenge was invested due to the fact that 22 war veterans lose their fight with life every day due to the awful effects of PTSD.

If you are able to donate to this great cause please do so at: www. justgiving.com/Team-ORM

Obstacle Race Magazine 85

REVIEW : 10 SECOND ROUND UP

ORM WRITERS

10 SECOND

RACE ROUND UP MUSCLE ACRE Ran my first Muscle Acre event (10 km) and I would definitely recommend it for both adults and children.

Free parking (which was close to the event area as well) and bag drop which is always a bonus. Well organised, parking, registration, bag drop and waves times. Well laid out event area creating a really friendly environment especially for families with the added bouncy castle and ice cream van.

The marshals and volunteers on the day were all amazing with lots of positivity, a bit of technique guidance for people on the ropes and overhang wall and a wee helpful shove if all else failed. A decent goodie bag at the end as well as the medal, t-shirt and free beer.

Good use of the land keeping things a little cheeky on the legs with plenty of inclines and mixing up the terrain with fields/wooded areas, farmland and some nice muddy water with a super muddy up to your thighs section on the last km.

A good variety of obstacles to mix things up throughout.

Anne Dingwall – BAOCR

ADRENALINE RUSH Adrenaline Rush aims to be an enjoyable OCR and it delivers this goal. The 5k laps are surprisingly obstacle heavy with all of your old favourites like walls, monkey bars and nets. In addition Adrenaline Rush offers some big obstacles like the Leap of Faith. This year the big red balls, similar to a certain TV show, made a welcome appearance.

If you have friends wanting to give OCR a try then Adrenaline Rush is perfect. If your friends are already converts then it is a nice change of pace from the more competitive races. It is just pure fun.

Ian Kay

86 Obstacle Race Magazine

TOTAL WARRIOR Total Warrior was what it was made out to be, having completing several OCRs including Tough Mudder and Rat Rate Dirty Weekend it was great to take the Charlie's Angels around a somewhat more social course ... offering a great location that was easy to find and an event village that offered everything it needed to do ....

the course, well the course was everything a mud lover could ask for. the obstacles were at times challenging but few and far between. The biggest obstacle came with the terrain, the mud and the territory. plenty of laughs shared over the course and plenty of photos to treasure between us all ... 8/10 Charlie Kilburn and The Charlie's Angels

REVIEW : 10 SECOND ROUND UP

TOUGH MUDDER SCOTLAND Having completed five Tough Mudders my most recent being in Scotland I've learnt that Tough Mudder year in year out never fails to deliver. It just keeps getting bigger and better! The Scottish location always ensures plenty of elevation and hills to guarantee a tough course throughout. As for the obstacles, there were some great new additions to this year's line up. A couple of new obstacles that are worthy of a special mention are the "blockness monster" and the "frequent flyers club".

This year has also seen

the introduction of a legionnaire’s only lane with additional twists and turns to current obstacles! The Electric Shock Therapy never gets any easier and is definitely not for the faint hearted! The best thing about this race is the camaraderie out on the course. It's great to see strangers helping each other through and over obstacles. After all, Tough Mudder prides itself on that no one gets left behind!

They say you can't buy happiness but by doing this race you can certainly earn it with that all important headband at the end!

HOORAH!!

Michelle Castro

ZEUS RACES Zeus takes you back to the reason many of us got into OCR, to have fun and to challenge ourselves. The weekend was well run by some OCR nutcases that are often seen racing themselves and was a weekend for the whole family. They allowed kids to race in the day or night races which by the looks on all the kids faces running round they all enjoyed it. The no fear on wheels challenge was something that made me very nervous to do but with a great team we all made it round all the obstacles in one piece even with a broken wheelchair meaning we had to find other ways to carry our team member from firemans carry to an improvised stretcher using a strop and the harness he was wearing. Zeus is one of those races that is suitable for all from the fastest to the slowest or the youngest to oldest and we will be back both from the family side to the team side of the weekend.

Becky Frostick

SPARTAN RACE BEAST EDINBURGH "You'll know at the finish line." Believe me...I knew at the finish line.

I am not a Spartan virgin, nor am I a Spartan Beast virgin...but this... was a whole new experience. An overwhelmingly beautiful course set into the Scottish Pentlands, utilising every inch of the wild and technical terrain and only enhanced by the incessant rain and extreme elevation, this was not just a Beast, but a special race to experience. Hosting the European Championships, Spartan HQ had delivered an excellently designed course to challenge every racer and showcase their ability to create a true test of physical and mental grit. In true Spartan style, the course incorporated the usual favourite obstacles, alongside carry...upon carry...upon crawl... upon carry...upon drag...for miles and miles...up every hill available.

An incredible race, a stunning backdrop, soul destroying elevations, quad-burning physical challenges, alongside an unknown distance?

You must add the Edinburgh Beast to your 2017 calendar.

Alexandra Duesbury

Obstacle Race Magazine 87

FEATURE : KIT DO'S AND DON'TS

KIT S ’ O D D N A S T ’ DON DO’S No1 on the list of do’s is footwear.

Correct footwear will prevent you sliding all over the place when the mud takes hold and reduce the risk of injuries. Brands are now flooding the OCR world with various shoes all aimed specifically at traction but here are a few of our favorites that have stood the test of time and cant be over looked.

The Inov8 X-Talon 190 and the VJ Sport Irock are easily the 2 best for severe mud! Inov8 have long suffered with durability issues sadly and the Irock is a heavier option.

Icebug Acceleritas are a brilliant shoe across all trails and into the mud, they have slightly less grip than the others they make up for it by hugging your feet more.

Alpha Wolf make a series of great and light weight road shoes that fit in well on light trails, my recommendation for something like Men’s Health.

Socks are just as important, the correct sock keeps your feet dry and warm even in the worst of conditions.

They prevent blisters by reducing hot spots on the foot and best of all some even come with a life time warranty.

88 Obstacle Race Magazine

Meet the Darn Tough – My no 1 sock recommendation and the only one I’ll wear.

Compression is a vital piece of kit.

There’s much research around its ability to keep fatiguing muscles fresh for longer while preventing muscle vibrations that stress the tendons on each step. Different companies have varying ‘technologies’ but most offer a cool, normal and warm range.

My top pick for compression has to be Compress Sport or Sub Sports.

Compressport is a little pricier but does come with a 2 year guarantee, something I have claimed off in the past with out hassle. By comparison sub sports is considerably cheaper and taking over the sport quickly.

Probably the most important item of clothing is your top. Go for a ‘Tech’ top or vest, something that holds no water, is quick drying and fits nicely. A top that holds water, such as cotton, will rapidly cool the body and in colder months once we leads to hypothermia extremely quickly. Most races now give away a Tech top at the finish line but our friends at Muddy Race have a great range, as do we through MuddyKit. Gloves are a bit hit and miss.

Toughest last year produced a batch of super grippy, light weight and fast draining gloves that I couldn’t live without, sadly however they did switch supplier and I’m not as keen on their current ones. Gloves may be there to keep hands warm, or provide grip so its individual preference which ones you go for. MuddyKit has a great range of MET RX gloves that I have used in the past more to prevent damage to my hands than anything.

Finally, you will find most seasoned racers wearing a wrag or buff at most events. Incredibly versatile they can be used to insulate the skin on cold days, warm air inspirited or used to cool by simply getting them wet. A brilliant piece of kit I wont be found with out we have a selection available online via MuddyKit, but most races will also supply them at a cost.

Time for some big don’ts!

I not saying these will end your race, but they certainty wont help…

FEATURE : KIT DO'S AND DON'TS

Running an obstacle course needn’t be as intimidating as people make it out to be.

Follow a few simple do’s and don’ts with kit to prevent that wardrobe malfunction turning into a race ending hypothermia…

DON’TS e, on the road.

Road shoes have their plac ve all done it but we’ ng wro me get ’t Don R is like taking a fish bringing them into an OC hing I enjoy most not re’s the out of water, and all over the place e slid than watching OCR fish ’t be a hero, whatever Don . grip for ing ggl stru have shoes that will fit! your budget MuddyKit id things, I’m not sure stup are Cotton socks what purpose they who invented them and rld but once wet and wo g rtin spo the in e serv t way. Frostbite is likely muddy they will stay tha to mention the not s day er to incur on cold y’re adding to your the ght amount of water wei es. They catch grit already swollen road sho onto your foot like it l nne cha and e like a siev and open wounds! ters blis ect nothing else, exp are an awful idea, ks soc f Similarly waterproo ing made the hav h but one I can identify wit gets in, and it will er wat ce On . self my mistake ng to swell, and if the get in, you’re feet are goi ch foot should be a tren event is long enough n. cer con ous seri at pants as they’re Jogging bottoms or swe rs old are a comical yea 10 s pas called once you nd your ankles rou ly like sight. Wet, heavy, and y to lose heat at an bod r you se cau will y the ricting your ability exponential rate while rest p out as you slowly see will nity to run. Your dig f to the finish line. rsel you crawl, waddle or cry powers in ilar Cotton tees possess sim y, once wet they bod the from t hea g removin

expect to feel sticky, stay that way and you can time. They don’t even wet and cold for a long ling method, you’re coo a as r me sum work in body reaches r you ile wh ze skin will free sun the to temperatures similar to carry a mobile I can see the temptation en the best selfie of wh w kno er nev you phone, se, don’t. I don’t plea but , pen hap y your life ma your phone it, e cas r you care how life proof e point in the bottom will likely be lost at som e. By all means bring of a muddy watering hol friends how epic you r you all w a GoPro to sho … are, but no phones nd with mobile Headphones are often fou a bad idea. Tangled are in aga y the and phones es or others they will around branches, obstacl se which boast to tho n likely break, and eve regret their ill advised be waterproof will likely talk, sing but don’t packaging. Bring a friend, you wouldn’t want rld, wo side out close off the p as someone hel for g utin to be the one sho don’t be that ry, Sto e runs past humming Lov guy! n Mr. T Finally, jewellery, as a kee fool who wears bling impersonator I pity the tangled, caught, and into an OCR. It will get volts to tough guys few a add n eve ly probab t how would tha ing Fail er. mb torture cha t necklace or ear bes r you you feel if you lost careful. Valuables are rings, it happens so be the car! valuables, leave them in

Obstacle Race Magazine 89

REVIEW : AIRFIELD ANARCHY

AIRFIELD ANARCHY Written by: SAMANTHA DOUGHTY | Photography by: AWOL www.AWOLAdventure.com

INTRO

AIRFIELD ANARCHY EPIC LIVED UP TO ITS NAME. The epic challenge which Airfield anarchy laid before us consisted of a 5 km and 10 km run on the Saturday, then a wake-up call like no other with the small task of 10 miles to run with a huge portion of DOMs on top. Camping with like-minded OCR addicts was the perfect way to enjoy this challenge. Oh and did I mention the small matter of a festival of EPIC proportions also waiting for you on the finish line on the Saturday evening. Active recovery at its best.

The event village had everything you

90 Obstacle Race Magazine

could wish for and more, a pub, hot-tubs, a good range of food stalls, yoga & massage facilities, a fun fair, bars and various other stalls, as well as two music stages. The festival atmosphere was headlined by Goldie Looking Chain and Scouting for Girls which pulled a large crowd despite the weather.

Despite the organisers being badly let down by marshals on the day, the gaps were dutifully managed by cadets whose enthusiastic encouragement kept you pushing through despite the nearly nonstop

rain of the weekend.

Check in was easy, the toilet blocks were permanent and clean with additional portaloos scattered around.

The camp site had the usual friendly OCR comradely going on with designated areas allocated to different teams. If you picked your time wisely you could get a hot shower without a queue and no pressure to get out.

The obstacles started even before you hit the start line with the option of 'pipes' or a ninja wall to get into the warm up

REVIEW : AIRFIELD ANARCHY

Obstacle Race Magazine 91

REVIEW : AIRFIELD ANARCHY

area which was a nice touch.

The terrain was fairly flat and the course consisted of longer stretches of running than most OCR's, with the obstacles coming at you in groups. I certainly mastered the hay-bale jumptumble roll technique by the end of the weekend due to the sheer volume of them. These things although simple in appearance can really sap the energy from you.

The highlight of the obstacles for me had to be the 'Take Off' slide, which I endured three times before, actually enjoying it on my final flight. Amongst other obstacles there was a

suspended cargo net, sternum checker under overs, monkey bars, rope swing into a swamp, cargo net crawls, fireman's pole, tyre wall, tyre mangles, balance beams, tyre carry through mud pits, river runs with dunks and did I mention hay-bales?

Back in the village, the finish straight was home to the 'Urban Attack' area consisting of walls, high cargo nets, monkey bars with a flying monkey section, incline tunnels into a muddy pool, rope climbs & the final foam slide to receive your medal and a beer, which I found out is not a good thing to consume when you

are due to go out again to run a 10k (hiccup).

At the end of the final 10 mile run I received my missing piece of the triple medal jigsaw, which had seduced me into signing up to this race in the first place, and caught a glimpse of the spitfire medal hanger for the Epic Veterans.

Overall, it was an epic event that even the weather could not spoil.

A WEEKEND NOT TO BE MISSED NEXT YEAR SO GET IT IN YOUR DIARIES.

For more information on how you can book for the next Airfield Anarchy event visit,

WWW.AIRFIELDANARCHY.COM USE PROMO CODE ORM FOR 10% OFF

92 Obstacle Race Magazine

REVIEW : THE RAM RUN

THE RAM RUN Written by: KEVIN NEWEY AND JORDAN FOSTER Photography by: AWOL www.awoladventure.com

THE MIDLANDS IS FIGHTING BACK IN THE OCR WORLD WITH A GROWING BAND OF POPULAR EVENTS TAKING OVER OUR RACE WEEKENDS. The Wolf Run has been delighting the masses for some time now, but both Reaper and Ram Run have quietly been going along in the background, building their events up, and they’ve both now broken into the mainstream – but only by putting on excellent events.

Ram Run is a stone’s throw from where I live…. well, a short 25-minute drive away (it doesn’t get much more local). Situated at Stoneleigh Park, in between Coventry and Leamington Spa, the venue is well sign posted and has more than adequate parking facilities.

I first met the man behind the Ram Run in early 2014. After some teething problems from his first couple of events, I suggested he try rebranding his events into the four seasons, and also to offer finishers medals for his runners.

My comments were taken on board and the Ram Run bling is now something to behold. Iain Exeter (aka Wild Ram) is a passionate man who’s only regret is that he found the sport in the latter years of his career – so he painstakingly designs a great course for us, which he’d

94 Obstacle Race Magazine

secretly relish running himself.

Astonishingly, I’ve pretty much been to every Ram Run in the past 2 years but not ran one.

The role of repping the magazine has always taken priority, but after the offer to run with one of our subscribers (thank you Adrian Pitt), I couldn’t turn it down.

Ram Run offers something to everyone. For the elite runners, there are trophy races and multi lap opportunities. And for the rest of us, there’s a very well thought out 12km run which is challenging and fun at the same time.

The waves are small and well spread out to try and avoid bottle necking at the obstacles, so around 40 of us gathered at the start line and began our journey along the course. There was a good run before the first set of obstacles, but all around the course there were bright yellow hurdles to leap to just keep you on your toes. Each one was only a couple of feet off the ground, but you knew if you took one of them complacently, then you would be face planting the floor in front of you.

Most obstacle races have their icons which set them apart from the rest, and Ram Runs is the River Avon which flows through the park.

There were 4 dips in total, the first being a water slide, the second a wade and the next 2 were what I was really looking forward to – The Bridge of Hope and The Bridge of Despair.

These are two obstacles that test you mentally as well as physically by either lowering yourself down into the river by a rope, or scaling up to the bridge via cargo net or climbing ropes.

From the vantage point of the spectator area, the site looks pretty flat, but with a 4x4 course smack bang in the middle of it, this just isn’t the case. The RR team have taken every chance to use elevation, and although there isn’t bags of it, what they do have has been used to its potential, and there are some steep ups and downs along the way.

A great mix of terrain, and when you don’t expect it, a bucket load of mud!

REVIEW : THE RAM RUN

Obstacle Race Magazine 95

REVIEW : THE RAM RUN

While out on the course doesn’t seem packed full of obstacles, the ones that are there are memorable and the river just sticks out.

However, the course loops back in to the start/ finish area a couple of times, where there’s a glut of obstacles, incline walls, hay bale jumps, tyre flips and a super rig which has been built out the back of Iain’s gym which is where Ram Run started from. For a 12km course, it had everything and more, and the bridge just made it that much better than the norm. And with prices that don’t break the bank, Ram Run has to be on your to do list for the next 12 months.

I collected my 12km medal at the end, and then spent the rest of the weekend looking in amazement as some awesome people clocked up 24km, 36km, 48km and 60km!

One of those super people was Jordan Foster who runs for the Obstacle Race Magazine Team and here’s her views on the event and what kept her going lap after lap.

So, what started as an innocent discussion on Facebook ended up becoming a reality for a select few on the Ram Run Summer weekend.

As standard Ram Run usually offer either the 12km, 24km or 36km over one day, previously that has been more than enough of a challenge, but 2016 seems to be the year that people want more! So the question was asked 'can we do 48km over one day, rather than two' and before we knew it, Iain had approved the idea and the 48km Ultra event was born!

I was initially interested in signing up for the 36km, as I ran the 24km last year and wanted more of a challenge, but I wasn't about to turn this opportunity down! The rules required you had to run in a team, so I paired up with Nicola from Team MK and we were good to go!

Race day arrived, and luckily the sun decided to come out and play too! Which was a relief as I really didn't fancy the idea of spending

96 Obstacle Race Magazine

potentially 8+ hours on a course in horrible weather! There was a small group of around 15 of us going out to complete the 48km challenge, and as we lined up at the start of the Elite wave you could tell everyone was getting excited about what was about to unfold.

For both Nicola and I this was the longest distance OCR we have ever taken part it, so the plan was to take it steady, and most importantly - have fun! We set off for our first lap, and it wasn't long before we were greeted by our first obstacle - A YELLOW HURDLE. Now, these may sound innocent enough, and I guess they are. But Iain had decided to include 70 of these over the 12km course, meaning that over the next few hours we would be running/jumping/walking/crawling over 280 HURDLES! I can tell you the novelty of jumping over them soon wore off...

We soon approached the first main obstacle section, which started off with a personal favourite of mine - the slide! Even that early on in the race it was getting warm so going for a quick dip was refreshing! Next up there was a rope traverse across the water before heading into the woods where lots of friendly faces were waiting including our very own #ORMSammyD, who was armed with muddy hugs, sweeties and support!

Right near the event village there was a fantastic obstacle section, which included lots of OCR favourites; log carry, tyre flips, cargo nets, walls, inverted walls and the brilliant 'humbugs' - all of these obstacles are simple enough, but as they were one after the other in a really short section again it really was an energy zapper!

After another short running section, next up was one of the most famous Ram Run obstacles - The Bridge of Hope. Now I am not ashamed to admit I do have a fear of heights, especially when it involves jumping free fall.

And unfortunately on the first lap round, I froze.

I couldn't jump, I couldn't even bring myself to lower myself down on the rope. So I took my penalty of burpees and a short run and carried on with my race. I was really disappointed I didn't manage the jump, but I knew I had 3 more attempts that day! After the Bridge of Hope there was another running section (not forgetting about those hurdles!) and then a short wade through a river, and then before we knew it, we had reached the infamous Ram Run Rig. The monster rig was made up of 6 lanes (3 tough lanes, 3 slightly easier) The tough lanes included everything you would want to see on a rig - bar to rope traverse, cargo net traverse, ninja rings, rope climbs, all real energy sapping obstacles. I was happy I made it across the bar to rope traverse and made it 90% across the cargo net traverse, but I took my penalty (burpees again!) and moved on to the next lane. Unfortunately, by this point my hands had already ripped, which made gripping onto the ninja rings near impossible, so once again I took my penalty and moved on.

We were now on our way to The Bridge of Despair (the clue is in the name in all fairness!) which starts off with a fairly tough swim, which can take its toll if you're not a strong swimmer. You then reach the bridge and have three options of how you are getting up; The single rope climb (near impossible), the blue cargo net (still pretty tricky) and the rope cargo net (still tough, especially if you're tired after the swim) I opted for the blue cargo net on the first time round, and it was hard! There is very little support and you really need to use all your strength to pull yourself up! We then had to take our penalty for using the 'easier' option of burps and a run and then we were on our way, heading towards the finish line.

The last few km was once again filled with

REVIEW : THE RAM RUN

beautiful trail runs, and then a not so beautiful wade through thick, gloopy mud! But before we knew it the finish line was in sight, but the race was far from over for us.

SO AFTER GRABBING A QUICK DRINK, AND A NUTRITIOUS MINI BROWNIE, WE MADE OUR WAY OUT FOR LAP 2!

Surprisingly I still felt quite fresh for the second lap, and we definitely quickened up our pace. As predicted the novelty of the yellow hurdles had already worn off, and we tried not to think about how many more we had to do! The course seemed to come around a lot quicker, and soon we were approaching already familiar obstacles. The marshals were great and really encouraging, especially when we told them we still had another 2 laps to go after this! I am pleased to say that on the second lap I completed the Bridge of Hope successfully, with lots of encouragement from my teammate Nicola! So after a quick dip, I was feeling a lot more positive as we made our way around the course! Before we knew it we were back at the rig - my hands were suffering now and had rips on both palms, so I made the decision to take a quick trip to the medics to get myself taped up before taking on the rig a second time!

Unfortunately, fatigue was setting it, and made the rig even harder this time round, but I did my best, did my burpees and moved on!

The course, and the time, seemed to be flying

by and the obstacles were coming up thick and fast. The swim to the bridge of despair definitely felt a lot harder second time, and I had to use the rope cargo net as I had no strength left in my arms to pull myself up. Once again the marshals were great and were really helpful if they could see someone struggling!

Once again we were back at the finish, and this time we gave ourselves a bit of a longer break and time to refuel properly (pork pies and mini brownies!) The rules stated that for the final 24km for safety reasons you had to run in a group, so myself and Nicola teamed up with two other guys called Phil and John, and we were on our way! Aches and pains were starting to set in, everyone was feeling a little sore, and we were definitely sick of the hurdles by now, by this point there was no running and jumping over them - more of a slow, painful step over! The obstacles were getting tough, our bodies were tired, and what seemed easy on the first lap now seemed to take 10 x more effort. Once we approached the rig, we made the decision as a group to use the 'easier' lanes to try and conserve what little energy we had left - this was still a challenge though. The 3rd lap seemed to go by in a flash, and in my head I was already ticking off obstacles we only had to do 'one more time'.

We approached the finish line as the winners’ presentations were taking place, which was great as everyone was cheering and really gave us that final push to get out there for the final lap. At this point we were averaging just under 2 hours per lap, and we wanted to try and keep

this up for the final lap! The weirdest thing about going out for the final lap was how quiet it was!

At this point there was only 13 of us out on the course, and all at different points, so there were long sections where you would only see your team mates, and running through the wooded sections was eerily quiet! In my head I was on countdown mode, and by now we knew the course pretty well so roughly knew how long we had to go. Conversation turned to food, and Nicola and I spent most of the last lap talking about what we wanted to eat after the race - not sure if this helped motivate us more to get to the finish, or just made us hungrier!

Considering how far we had run over the course of the day, my legs still felt like they had enough in them for that final push and once we reached the final running section I was just feeling excited to get to the finish line, and get some food! When we turned the final corner ahead of the finish we were met with cheers from the other team who had finished just ahead of us, and all the marshals - the finish line was so close!! We grabbed each other’s hands and finished the race how we started, together! We were out on the course for approx. 7 hours and 45 minutes, so a pretty long day! But it was all worth it in the end when we were handed our very limited edition 48km Ultra medals, and a can of cider!

If anyone wants a challenge, I definitely recommend the Ram Run Challenge, I will definitely be back next year - with the 60km in my sights!

FOR MORE INFORMATION ON WHERE YOU CAN BOOK ON TO THE NEXT RAM RUN EVENT GO TO WWW.RAMRUN.CO.UK

Obstacle Race Magazine 97

SUBSCRIPTION

Y A D O T E B SUBSCRI

9 9 .

9 £2

FROM ONLY

E L B A I L A V A OW N S I P P A R O E TH E R O T S P P A E H ON T WHY SUBSCRIBE?

Get your copy up to a week before it hits the shops | All 6 x 2016 Magazines | Delivered straight to your door | BMF Trial Sessions | Race Vests | Free Race Entries | Muddy Kit Money Off Vouchers | Up to 10% Partner Race Discount | And much more...

For more information visit

OBSTACLERACEMAGAZINE.COM Or call 02476 363 690

O

R

V

SUP PO RTI NG

OC FREE! THE ULTIMATE

YO U TH RO UG H ALL YO UR MU DDY AD VEN TU RES

LETTERS TRA INING

NUTRITIONAL ADVICE

PROFILES GEA R TESTING AN D MUCH MO RE

RACE REVIEWS

MUDDY SUPPORTING YOU THROUGH ALL YOUR

P OSE M E T HOD RUNNING

DELS REVIEW

ISSUE 10 AUG/SEPT

DY ADVE NTUR ES UGH ALL YOUR MUD SUPP ORTI NG YOU THRO

ISSUE #9 JUN E/JULY ‘15 £4.

95

NUTRITIONA L ADVICE RAC E REVIEWS

R SHOE GUIDE - 22 MO

PROFILES

LETTERS TRAINING

GEAR TESTING

ADVENTURES

THS OUGH THE WINTER RACING MON YOUR GUIDE TO MAKING IT THR ISSUE 11 OCT/NOV ‘15 £4.95

ALL YOUR MUDDY ADVEN TURES SUPPORTING YOU THROU GH

WHAT HAPPENS WHEN IT IS ENOUGH N’T

NUTRITIONAL ADVICE

RACE REVIEWS

CRAMP 101

LETTERS

FREE

TRAINING

PROFILES

GEAR TESTING

BEAR LVLIESW YER GR E INT

ISSUE #13 FEB / MAR ‘16 £4.95

5K RACE

TH

2016 BEGINNERS TRAINING RACE DDOO’SN’TANS GDUIDE WALL BEST OCR

ES DDY ADVENTUR H ALL YOUR MU YOU THROUG SUPPORTING

OCR CLUB

nail your race pace FEATURE

FAT DO YOU BURN MORE ACH? OM ST Y PT EM ON AN

PLANNER AINING GOALS IMPROVE YOUR TR TH NG APPS GRIP STRE MOTIVATION ORE M USNQUER CO AND FOC SUFFERINEG COM ON TI W REVIEWED BASE CARDIO ING NN EKLY RU / ISSUE #14 APR

MAY ‘16 £4.95

apps to keep your training on track

dd 1

09>

climb again Never dread a hill

MUDNIFICENT 7 E 2016 DATE RELE5AS FOODS YOU

IN W KITBRIX A GEAR BAG

challenge a fantastic new

ULD EAT SHO arge your diet

THE MONTH a look at the best obstacles on the circuit

Superch

12>

RACING SOCKS REVIEWED

FEATURE

INDUSTRY NEWS out Learn more abstry the indu

9 772053 949001

Obstacle-Race-maga

zine-2015-Issue13-V8

-Split.indd 1

9 772053 949001

sue9-v6-Split.in

BASELAYERS AND h INSerIDE GSe su ing race launc ICEBUTh

11>

azine-2015-Is

BECOME A HEAD TORCH RACING PRO

LAYERS THOSEREVI EWED HILLS OBSTACLE OF 9 772053 949 001

VJ IROCKS

WE SCHEDULE

BUILD E SOLID CORH STRENGT

08/09/2015 16:31

TOUGH GUY ED REVIErW Tough Guy Hottest Winte on record

14

9 772053 949001

TRAINING WITHOUT THE RUNNING if you hate running, you’ll love this

OCR'S FOR

UNDER

£40

A SELECTION OF OCR'S THAT ARE EASY ON THE POCKET

ut Find out how witho hip a gym members

FROM

£29.99

NUTTERS TAKE ON THE ICE TAKE WINTER NUTS PRISONERS

NO

AN

FEATURE : BE AGILE LIKE A NINJA

BE AGILE LIKE A

NINJA Written by: Coach Michael, Obstacle Training & Natural Movement Coach at WildForestGym

INTRO

PRETTY MUCH ANYONE CAN GET THOUGH AN OBSTACLE COURSE AND MOST PEOPLE CAN COMPLETE MOST OBSTACLES. BUT HOW YOU DO IT, IS WHAT OBSTACLE TRAINING & NATURAL MOVEMENT EXPERT COACH MICHAEL OFFERS HIS EXPERTISE AND EXPERIENCE ON. So would you like to optimise your racing and be as agile as a ninja rather than rampaging like a bull? Coach Michael explains how.

As a coach I get to meet, coach and observe many runners of different abilities and experiences from fitness buffs to seasoned runners all the way through to elite and age group racers. Up until recently, many seasoned runners and racers have been able to get by with their current skill sets because the technical field hadn’t developed. However, what has been revealed over the last year or so is that OCR has reached new heights in respect to technical skills since the likes of the OCR World Championships, UK Champs hosted at Nuclear Races, Toughest and most recently the European Championships. It is no longer the case that any cross country or marathon runner can lead the pack when just relying on their fast legs to get them onto the podium.

A new breed of OCR racer has been born.

One with desire to develop technical skill and competence like never before…or should we

say those who aspire to be a Jonathan Albon or at least the top of their game in their age group.

Due to the very technical aspect to racing what needs to change is not just developing new obstacle skills, but more importantly is to develop the skills that enable us to be more agile. Agility is the ability to manoeuvre and change the positioning of your body in relation to another part and the wider environment around it i.e. trails, obstacles and hazards. Agility incorporates a number of different elements including: balance, co-ordination, flexibility, ambidexterity, fluidity and speed. With this level of agility you can become more reactive, adaptable and responsive in the way that you fluidly transition from running; up/onto an obstacle; over/through/under/across it; off/down from it and back into your running and so on.

So what we are talking about is developing fluid transitioning skills and these come from

Most people know me for my agility and technical skills, but only a few people know my background of being awkward with my body as a teenager, being thin and lanky at 6ft 2”.

Then from the age of 14yrs being diagnosed and thereafter living with 20 years of spinal disabilities including 3 degenerate discs, Scheuermann's Disease (spinal vertebrae not fully formed), Scoliosis and hyper-mobility.

So I know what it is like to be limited in functionality in a way that you may feel about yourself. But what I can share with you is that I have overcome these limitations and disabilities and have gained the functionality that we talk about. It is these life experiences that make me who I am today and motivates me to share, inspire and help trainees to achieve their full potential by making such similar yet individual transformations.

HOW TO BECOME

aspects to the terrain, obstacles, weather and hazards including humans, man-made and natural ones.

When we look at the foundations of movement I take inspiration from animals, the kings of the jungle when it comes to movement. Just picture a lion or leopard running across the Savanna and watching how their shoulders fluidly move, watch a tiger stalk a prey and the ay it fluidly moves. How a chimpanzee or ape brachiates in the way they swing from branch to branch with ease and elegance. How an insect leaps gracefully from one leaf to another. How gracefully do

you move? Are you fluid or do your joints need oiling and greasing.

Natural Movement Fitness is inspired by animal movements and will help you to develop your agility skills set and maybe you too can transform and be more ninja like.

Following are some suggestions to how to develop your agility skills in order to optimise your functionality. The techniques I am going to suggest move you away from regular exercises in the gym and start to use the natural elements of the forest to increase your agility skills rather than doing repetitive movements or using the same piece of apparatus time after time.

A NINJA As a Natural Movement Coach I started to begin to understand that there is more to movement than being a bull and rampaging over and across an obstacle course. There is something lighter, more tangible, easier and more fun that enables you to optimise your training and racing.

Unlike most track sports obstacle racing requires the ability to adapt to all the unknown

100 Obstacle Race Magazine

SO WHAT NEEDS TO CHANGE?

developing your agility skills.

NEED FOR TRANSFORMATION

FEATURE : BE AGILE LIKE A NINJA

SKILL 1

BALANCE Apparatus Find some fallen narrow tree limbs, could be a twisted in shape and of different girths.

Make sure that they are strong enough, securely supported and not too slippery.

A couple of bungees/ratchet belts in your rucksack could be used to secure them.

Videos Check out balance videos by visiting http:// bit.ly/ormvideotutorials Notes Try the exercises with and without your shoes (see advice box) Exercise 1 Traverse from one end to the other.

1. Using the posture technique (see box).

2. Focus your eyes 3-4 ft in front of you on the tree limb.

3. Keep your head over the midline of the tree limb.

4. Stand on your left foot on the tree limb, allow your other leg and/or arms to counterbalance where necessary.

5. Allow a slight bend in the knees.

6. Feel that your body weight is stacked over your supporting ankle.

7. After a few moments touch the ball of your right foot on the tree limb.

8. Slowly body weight transfer onto your new supporting foot.

9. Make sure you don’t leave your hips behind as this will take your body weight onto your heal.

10. Move slowly and don’t rush.

11. Allow the feet and toes if you are barefoot to relax around the tree limb and grip with the toes.

12. Continue to traverse the tree limb.

Exercise 2 Reverse traversing 1. Follow the instructions to exercise 1.

2. As you cannot rely on sight your will have to rely on touch. So the nonsupporting foot needs to slide along the side of the tree limb so you can feel the shape of the limb behind you.

3. Then place the foot behind you on the tree limb, and so on.

Exercise 3 Split squats 1. With both feet on the tree limb one behind the other raise the rear heal facing along the length of the tree limb.

2. Squat down steadily and slowly trying to keep your spine as straight and upright as possible.

3. Slowly come back up.

4. Be mindful of how fluidly you move. It should be smooth from top to bottom to top like a piston rather than jagged.

REVERSE TRAVERSE

Exercise 4 Traverse and Split Squats This is combining exercises 1 & 3

Obstacle Race Magazine 101

FEATURE : BE AGILE LIKE A NINJA

SKILL 2

SKILL 3

CO-ORDINATION

FLEXIBILITY

Videos Check out co-ordination videos by visiting http://bit.ly/ormvideotutorials

Videos - Check out flexibility videos by visiting http://bit.ly/ormvideotutorials

Exercise 1 Hand n Foot Crawl 1. From standing using good posture (see box) squat down.

2. Place your hands and feet in the following position. Left hand and right foot ahead of right hand and left foot.

3. Keep you back nice and long.

4. Lower your knees so they are just off the ground.

5. When you go to move you are going to use your opposites so your right hand is going to move first; then your left foot, then your left hand, followed by your right foot and so on.

6. Keep knees and hips low at all times.

7. If you feel the arms are doing more work then slide your hips back slightly, similarly if the legs are doing more work slide the hips forward. These adjustments will help you to centre your body weight equally over all 4 limbs. If you are doing this exercise on uneven ground, which is most ideal then you will need to continually adjust the hips accordingly.

8. If you find your hand having to be thrust to the ground to stabilise you, then this is because you are not transferring your body weight from 4 points of contact to 3.

So remember to adjust the position of you hips so you feel balanced.

Exercise 2 Throwing 1. With a training partner find 2 sticks 1 to 2 ft long.

2. Stand opposite each other approximately 6-8ft away.

3. Each of you hold a branch in your right hand.

4. One at a time throw it to your partner and catch with your left hand.

Exercise 1 Low squats 1. Stand with good posture (see box) with your feet facing forward and hip width apart.

2. Keeping your spine as upright and straight as possible squat down as low as you can go keeping your heels on the ground.

3. If you can’t keep heels on ground then put a small stick under your heals to do an assisted squat.

4. Go down rhythmically, fluidly and slowly like an oiled piston.

5. Rise again pushing into the balls of your feet.

6. Resist your knees turning inwards/ outwards.

Exercise 2 Unders 1. If you have an area of forest with low tree limbs perfect. If not set up some light eight long branches balanced safely in between trees. You want them to be from 3-4ft off the ground and a few 4-5ft off the ground. Using a wide side squatting stance sweep your leading leg under the tree limb.

2. Bend from the knees with low hips.

Follow though under the branch with the rear leg and out the other side.

3. Avoid major adjustments with your neck i.e. keep eyes and head facing forward rather than hooked and down.

4. Don’t allow a large curvature of the spine or hunching of the shoulders.

5. Only move under one limb to the next at a pace that you can retain form. If you loose form slow down to re-instate it.

6. Fluid movements.

7. Sweep through with your arms making it a whole body movement.

Variations 1. Throw at the same time 2. Catch with the same throwing hand or opposite.

3. Only catch with one hand.

4. Stand on one leg while doing any of the exercises.

5. Stand on a secure tree limb/stump when doing any of the exercises.

Additional Techniques Try mixing and matching with tasks in your day such as following suggestions using the opposite hand. This will help with coordination as well as ambidextrous skills as well as dexterity skills.

TRAVERSE ONE END

102 Obstacle Race Magazine

1. Brush your teeth 2. Washing up 3. DIY – screwdrivers, hammering with caution 4. Cutlery

UNDERS

FEATURE : BE AGILE LIKE A NINJA

SKILL 4

SKILL 5

AMBIDEXTERITY

FLUIDITY

Videos Check out ambidexterity videos by visiting http://bit.ly/ormvideotutorials Exercise Jumping Everyone has a jumping leg just like they have a dominant hand. With this exercise we are looking to develop your less dominate leg so that you are more equal with use of both legs, so that both are built the same and both take the same impact.

Plus when running up to a jump you are able to adapt to it rather than you having to adapt your body’s needs.

1. Set up a running jump with 2 branches. One to indicate where you take off, the other is where you're going to land. Make sure the landing stick isn't too thick as you could land on it.

2. In the centre of the jump you can have a log

3.

4.

5.

6.

7.

that is about 1-2ft high to encourage you to raise your legs.

Take another stick and place it where you are going to run from. Say 20 ft away from the jump.

Check no hazards are in the way.

1st of all stand behind the start stick and place your left foot inline with the start stick and your right foot behind. Take a run up and jump.

This time switch and place the right foot inline with the start stick, run up and jump.

Did you find yourself altering your feet to jump off your jumping leg? Did you do a double step?

What should become noticeable is how you adapt your feet or whether you lengthen your stride to take off on your jumping leg.

Objective To try to evenly take off on either leg without adjusting your feet or stride.

Videos Check out fluidity videos by visiting http://bit.ly/ ormvideotutorials Exercise Transitioning Take exercises from skills 1-4 and focus on the transitioning on/off, under etc. Be mindful of how each limb works in combination or separate to another limb or body part. Fluidity is what we are looking for. The hardest thing about gaining fluidity is the fact that we are human and therefore we need to think animal movement.

Other exercises you can be mindful of: 1. How you walk.

2. The moment of transitioning from running to obstacle.

3. From obstacle to landing.

4. From landing to running.

5. From one monkey bar to the next.

6. From sitting to standing.

HAND AND FOOT CRAWL

JUMPING

LOW SQUATS

Obstacle Race Magazine 103

FEATURE : BE AGILE LIKE A NINJA

SPEED

AGILITY & NATURAL MOVEMENT CLASSES

Speed is at the bottom of the list as far as priorities when it comes to developing agility. I am not saying it of no importance. It does have its place but the priority initially is developing good form and agility skills. Speed comes later on once you have laid those foundations. Remember only develop speed when you are ready. Always remember that to reduce speed when it affects agility, and only build it up again when you are ready.

You can join Coach Michael for private or group session where he will explore how you can become more agile and how you too can optimise your movement skills. For details on private and group sessions visit www.wildforestgym.com email info@wildforestgym.com call 07517 604601 and Coach Michael will transform you more into a ninja.

SKILL 6

GOING BAREFOOT It may feel a bit alien to you however going barefoot is how you can optimise your agility skills when undertaking certain exercises. Undeveloped toes, feet and ankle muscles and limited dexterity, cause most ankle injuries. Wearing shoes is like having plates underneath your feet and leave your feet underdeveloped as the shoe does more work rather than the foot. Where suitable and where it is safe to, try to do some of your training barefoot.

DISCLAIMER Coach Michael, R4C Health Solutions Limited t/a WildForestGym is not liable for any injuries or damages that individuals might incur by attempting to perform or copy any of the exercises, techniques demonstrated, depicted or discussed on this website. Any individual attempting to does so at his or her own risk. Consult with your doctor before beginning an exercise programme.

LOSING FORM Distance, time and quantity are not the key to developing good foundations and form. My rules is the moment you lose form is the time to stop that exercise.

POSTURE Always make sure you are mindful of your spinal alignment. From the crown of your head elongate the spine leaving your shoulders and arms relaxed. Feeling taller? See video instructions by visiting http://bit.ly/ormvideotutorials

104 Obstacle Race Magazine

PL AY WITH GRIP SPEEDCROSS 4 GTX ® The 4th edition of an iconic and aggressively lugged trail runner for tearing through technical, soft ground with speed – featuring a GORE-TEX® bootie construction for weatherproof protection.

PREVIEW : BIG BRO RACE

BIG

BRO RACE

INTRO

SO AS OBSTACLE RACERS IT GOES WITHOUT SAYING THAT WE’RE ALWAYS UP FOR A CHALLENGE AND ACTIVELY SEEK OUT BIGGER AND BOLDER TESTS EACH WEEKEND.

We spend hours in the gym or on the trails pounding out the miles and lifting weights until our grip gives out.

Well for those of you who are always up for a new challenge then this could be a perfect mix of new and familiar for you.

Marrying together the challenges of obstacle course racing and triathlons into one epic event.

The event is being put together by obstacle course racing and training veterans Nick Smith and Phil Smith of the Playground outdoor OCR training centre and Laura Hudson volunteer for Breast cancer NOW charity. So we caught up with them all to find out more about this fantastic new event.

Nick came up with the name… and he’s the older brother!

Where did the idea for this race originate from?

The Suffolk group of Breast Cancer Now is continually looking for fresh/innovative fundraising events to capture people’s interests. Laura approached The Playground, with the idea that there are lots of obstacle races about these days, but very few – if in fact any triathlons that incorporate obstacle courses, and so the idea was born!

What do competitors have to do to complete the challenge of the Big Bro Race?

So guys tell us more about the Big Bro Race, first of all where did the name come from and what does it stand for?

mud & water. And of course there is the obligatory medal bling on offer too!

The event is donating all the entry money to Charity, can you tell us more about the charity and why you chose it?

Breast Cancer Now is the UK's largest breast cancer charity. Laura has been a volunteer for them for just over 9 years now.

Every 45 minutes a woman dies from breast cancer, and whilst survival is better than ever, more women are being diagnosed than ever. The charity is dedicated to funding the research into this disease, and this is where Laura’s passion lies. The charity believes that through this research by 2050 everyone who develops breast cancer will live.

22km bike ride (on the road) - 4km run (multi-terrain) - 25 obstacles When is the race & where can people sign up?

We are proud to say that ‘The Big BRO’ will be our first race/event at The Playground since we opened in April and are delighted that it will raise vital funds and awareness for Breast Cancer Now. It’s an acronym for Bike Run Obstacles! It’s also fitting – but completely unintentional – that

106 Obstacle Race Magazine

Are you targeting a certain sort of person to take part in this race?

We’re targeting EVERYONE! It’s especially suitable though for those individuals that love everything ‘OCR’! We’re offering something different from most races by including a bike & run element before hitting the obstacles,

The race will take place at The Playground on Sunday 25th September 2016. You can sign up via the website www. theplaygrounduk.com/the-big-bro Places are limited to 100, so act fast so you don’t miss out!

PREVIEW : BIG BRO RACE

Obstacle Race Magazine 107

PREVIEW : THE BRITISH OPEN

THE

BRITISH OPEN Now, “What’s this?”, we hear you ask… Well, we currently have the OCRA UK Championships to feed the hunger of the best of the best in the country. But what about a good old fashioned Open to all race to the finish. Winner is whoever gets over that line first. No qualification or criteria to meet for you to worry about, just a competitive blast out on a course with a wave full of other OCR nuts. Sound like your cup of tea? Then the British Open from Brass Monkey Events is for you. We caught up with the Race Director behind this new offering, Alex Potter, to see exactly what he has in store for you all.

So Alex what first inspired you to come up with this concept?

Two reasons really: 1. The concept was born out of frustration of listening to loads of people in the OCR world that were getting a bit annoyed at the all the elitism that was coming through the British Championships and I wanted an event that was inclusive for all to enter despite ability. The paying public lining up on the start line with the best the world has to offer. (Without them, there would not be elite waves as there would be no events.) There is no pre-qualification, which means, a saving on the pocket with no pre qualification events, which in turn gives the runner an annual event he/she can look forward to entering every year as a national event.

2. A couple of comments made to me (from prominent figures within the OCR scene) about the long term location of the British Championships kind of got to me as I travel the length and breadth of the UK to attend events. I’m sure I’m not the only one who has no issues doing this as I have made some amazing friends along the way and its always great to catch up. But the UK is

108 Obstacle Race Magazine

bigger than south of London.

The Open as an event will locate to a different country each year and my hope is that one of the "smaller" OCR events will pick up the mantle for 2018 and invest a bit of time and money to keep this event in the OCR calendar for 2018. Thus far, we have attracted over 12 countries from all over Europe with more entering every week.

OCR is an inclusive sport, and in my eyes, it should have at least one event per year that encourages this.

The birth of the non-bureaucratic OCR British Open which gives back as much as it takes to the runner at an affordable price…. is a must in my eyes. We don’t need to charge a fortune to put on a great event if the numbers are good. What we are offering for 2017 for only £55, I think, is great value for money.

Are there any restrictions on who can enter?

There are absolutely no restrictions on who can enter. You enter and take your chance at the start line. Mass start, the fittest will win but all will start with the same conditions and the same level playing field.

Is there prize money available for all the podium spots?

There are more podium places than at any other race I know of and the minimum prize will reflect the amount of entries: Male under 35 Ten podium places Male over 35 Ten podium places Female under 35 Ten podium places Female over 35 Ten podium places 10% of the entry fee will go towards the prize fund which currently sits at £1000 and is rising on a weekly basis.

Where exactly is the Open being held in 2017 and do you plan to move it around each year?

The Open in 2017 will be held at MacTuff Scotland on January 8th. As I’ve said before, I sincerely hope that on the back of its success, that the baton will be taken across whatever border wants to host at whatever venue.

(Conditions set out are a must) Lets create a home grown event that can match that of the "Big Hitters" in the OCR scene. But each venue needs to up their game and provide an experience and a challenge that will challenge and inspire the runners.

What should runners expect from the course?

We have built on our experience this year and have invested in new and innovative obstacles. I will add, that each and every obstacle will be achievable by all.

The mantra of the Open will be; Terrain, Elements and Obstacles. Master all 3 and you’re a winner... despite where you finish. I can think of no better place to kick off 2017 than the OCR British Open @ MacTuff, it will have all 3 in abundance.

Where can runners find out more information and sign up to the event?

More information can be found at: www.mactuff.co.uk www.brassmonkeyevents.co.uk If you want to know more or have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact me via Facebook or by email at info@brassmonkeyevents.co.uk

PREVIEW : THE BRITISH OPEN

ALEX’S BACKGROUND • • •

20 years teaching Physical Education 7 years moderating Sports and Outdoor Leadership All of us involved with BME have full time jobs. I for one love my day job, and we do this, not for the money, but for the smiles and the opportunity to see people progress physically and mentally.

(Don’t get me wrong, we hope to be making a small profit in a few years but for now, if we break even at every event then we’re happy.) Those that know us will know this to be true.

IF YOU WANT TO FIND OUT ABOUT OUR COMMUNITY OCR PROGRAMME, SCHOOLS INITIATIVE OR MAYBE ASK WHY WE ARE NOW GOING INTO SOME OF THE COUNTRIES TOUGHEST PRISONS TO PROMOTE THE QUALITIES THAT ARE INHERENT WITHIN AN OCR RUNNER, THEN JUST GET IN TOUCH.

Obstacle Race Magazine 109

EVENTS

Events page

August - September ‘16 For a more comprehensive list of upcoming events go to

WWW.OBSTACLERACEMAGAZINE.CO.UK/EVENTS

1 Total Warrior 10km & 10 mile

8 Tough Mudder

15 River Rat Race

6th & 7th August 2016

6th & 7th August 2015

5km/10km

The Lake District, CA10 3NB

Yorkshire, BD23 3AE

20th August 2016

www.totalwarrior.co.uk

www.toughmudder.co.uk

Stockton on Tees

From £59

From £115

www.ratrace.com/stocktonrrr2016

2 The Lanrick Challenge 6km/12km

9 Mudnificent 7 & Expo 7km+

6th August 2016

13th August 2016

16 The Adrenaline Rush 5km/10km

Perthshire, FK16 6HJ

Heart Park, Coventry, CV7 8DX

20th August 2016

www.lanrickchallenge.com

www.mudnificent7.co.uk

Brighton, BN1 9SE

From £35

From £60

www.theadrenalinerush.com

3 The Adrenaline Rush

10 London Rat Race

5km/10km

13th August 2016

17 Dirty Dozen Race

6th August 2016

London, E16 1XL

6km/12km/18km

Manchester, M25 2SW

www.ratrace.com/londonratrace2016

20th August 2016

www.theadrenalinerush.com

From £55

Essex, CM11 2UD

From £39

From £50

From £35

www.dirtydozenraces.com 11 Trailtroopers 12km

From £60

4 Tough Mann Adventure Challenge 10km

13th August 2016

6th August 2016

Lanark, ML11 0RH

18 Tough Mudder 10/20 miles

Isle Of Man, IM7 5EE

www.trailtroopers.co.uk

20th August 2016

www.toughmann.com

From £30

Cirencester, GL7 6JT

See Website

www.toughmudder.co.uk 12 The Adrenaline Rush

From £115

5 Iron Run 6km/12km

5km/10km

6th August 2016

13th August 2016

19 Dash Of The Titan

Kettering, NN14 4AL

Bristol, BS10 7QS

12 Hour Endurance Race 5km+

www.ironrun.co.uk

www.theadrenalinerush.com

27th August 2016

From £41

From £50

Nottinghamshire, NG22 9EP

6 The Gauntlet Games

13 Brutal 10, Congo Stream

5km/10km

5km/10km/20km

6th August 2016

13th August 2016

20 Man v's Mountain 20 miles

Crawley, RH17 6DS

Surrey, GU24 0DN

3rd September 2016

www.thegauntletgames.co.uk

www.brutalrun.co.uk

Snowdonia, LL55 4UR

From £40

From £12

www.ratrace.com/manvsmountain2016

7 Beer Belly Running

14 Bear Grylls Survival Race

5 miles

5km/10km/30km

21 Bing Blazer 5km/10km

6th August 2016

20th August 2016

3rd September 2016

London, EC4A 4BL

Hertfordshire, SG8 0BW

West Lothian, EH49 6PL

www.beerbellyrunning.weebly.com

www.beargryllssurvivalrace.com

www.bingblazer.co.uk

See Website

From £60

From £45

www.dashoftheditan.com From £75

SOLD OUT

110 Obstacle Race Magazine

22 Spartan Race

30 Primal Games 2km

39 Pukka Races, Only Fools Ride Horse 4/8 mile

5-6km

10th September 2016

18th September 2016

3rd September 2016

Bristol, BS41 9UL

Essex, CO7 6PA

Peterborough, PE8 6SH

www.primalgames.co.uk

www.pukkaraces.co.uk

www.spartanrace.uk

£169.99 for a team of 4

From £33

From £52 31 Grail Quest Race 10km

40 Mucky Mayhem 5km/10km

23 Bear Grylls Survival Race

10th September 2016

24th September 2016

5km/10km/30km

Somerset, TA10 9NJ

Suffolk, IP17 3QT

3rd September 2016

www.grailquestrace.co.uk

www.muckyraces.co.uk

East Lothian, EH34 5AT

£45

From £38

32 Bog Commander 6km/12km

41 Tough Mudder 10/12 miles

10th September 2016

24th & 25th September 2016

24 The Gauntlet Games

Hertford, SG14 3NW

West Sussex, RH12 4SE

5km/10km

www.bogcommander.co.uk

www.toughmudder.co.uk

3rd September 2016

From £50

From £129

www.thegauntletgames.co.uk

33 Warrior Adrenaline Race 5km/10km/20km

42 Bear Grylls Survival Race 5km/10km/30km

From £40

10th September 2016

24th September 2016

Hertford, SG14 3NW

Manchester, WA16 6QN

25 Run The Elements

www.warrioradrenalinerace.co.uk

www.beargryllssurvivalrace.com

5km/10km

£45

From £55

Surrey, RH5 4RP

34 Primal Stampede 4km

43 Tuff Enuff, Above & Beyond 8/16km

www.runtheelements.com

11th September 2016

24th September 2016

From £27.77

Leeds Dock, LS10 1PZ

Cornwall, TR19 6DL

www.getprimal.co.uk/stampede

www.tuff-enuff.co.uk

From £40

See Website

3rd & 4th September 2016

35 Nuclear Blast/Nuclear Blackout 5km+

44 Born Survivor 10km

Surrey, RH5 4RP

17th September 2016

24th September 2016

www.thenutschallenge.co.uk

Essex, CM15 0LA

Manchester, SK11 9JX

From £75.99

www.nuclear-races.co.uk

www.born-survivor.co.uk

From £59

From £69

10km

36 Mud Fit Mud Kids 2.5km

45 Shropshire Mud Run Series Round 4 10km

3rd & 4th September 2016

17th September 2016

24th September 2016

Warwickshire, CV33 9BG

Surrey, RH4 3EQ

Hawkstone Park, SY4 5JY

www.thewolfrun.com

www.naturalfitnesscompany.co.uk/event/kidsobstacle-course/

www.fitnessexperience.co.uk/events

www.beargryllssurvivalrace.com From £55

Manchester, M25 2SW

3rd September 2016

26 Summer Nuts 7km/14km/21km/28km

27 The Wolf Run

From £49

£10 28 Tough Mudder

From £30 46 The Playground, The Big BRO

10/12 miles

37 Devil Mud Run 8km

10th & 11th September 2016

17th & 18th September 2016

Bury St Edmunds, IP29 5AX

Cheshire SY14 8HA

Cheltenham, GL54 5HE

www.theplaygrounduk.com/the-big-bro

www.toughmudder.co.uk

www.devilmudrun.com £45

From £45

From £125 29 Total Warrior

38 Back 2 The Trenches, No Mans Land

12km

5/10/20km

10th & 11th September 2016

18th September 2016

Edinburgh, EH39 5NY

Suffolk, IP17 3QT

www.totalwarrior.co.uk

www.back2thetrenches.co.uk

From £65

From £55

25th September 2016

Continue on page 112 Map of locations on page 112

Obstacle Race Magazine 111

EVENTS

2

21

23

29

11

1 24,

15

4 8 34

3 42,44

20

19

28 45

22

9 27

5 38 46

14 37

32,33

30 31

13

18

6

10, 25,26,36

16

41

112 Obstacle Race Magazine

17

7

12

35,39

41

40

BOOTCAMP LISTING

Bootcamp

LISTING Find your perfect OCR place to train situated near you with our handy listing.

Would you like to be included in this listing? For more information on how you can do this contact carl@obstacleracemagazine.com

NORTH

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

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

NORTH WEST

2. PRIME HEALTH & FITNESS Ellesmereport CH65 1AE 07885764077

info@primehealthandfitness. co.uk Facebook: Prime Health and Fitness 3. Origin Inspired Origin OCR South West Manchester 0161 973 6479

www.origininspired.co.uk

114 Obstacle Race Magazine

MIDLANDS

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

Facebook: The Obstacle GYM

WEST MIDLANDS 5. O.P.T OUTDOOR PHYSICAL TRAINING Redditch, Bromsgrove, Rubery, Alcester RFC, Droitwich RFC 07885 416446 outdoorpt@hotmail.co.uk

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

EAST ENGLAND

6. FORTITUDE FITNESS CENTRE Highfields Farm, Caldecote, Cambridge, CB23 7NX 07876635234

fortitudefitnesscentre.co.uk Facebook: Fortitude-Fitness-Centre

7. Fit 4 OCR Hertfordshire SG7 5EN 07720 82611

www.fit4ocr.com Facebook: Fit 4 OCR

WALES

8. STEVE WALL PERSONAL TRAINING & MOTIVATION Rhondda, Merthyr Mawr Dunes, Caerphilly 07940 343387

Facebook: Steve Wall

SOUTH

9. BOOTCAMP REVOLUTION OBSTACLE COURSE Rayne, Essex 07963202339

bootcamprevolution.co.uk Facebook: TheBootcampRevolution 10. ENERGISE MUD RUNNERS LTD Milton Keynes, Buckinghamshire 07592750709

mud-runners.co.uk Facebook: EnergiseMudRunners

SOUTH WEST

11. HODGE HEALTH & FITNESS BRISTOL 07855 465 872

hodgehealthandfitness.co.uk Facebook: hodgehealthandfitness

SOUTH EAST

12. WILD FOREST GYM OBSTACLE TRAINING CENTRE Nuclear Races, Brentwood, Essex 08454561336

wildforestgym.com Facebook: Wildforestgym 13. WELLFIT OUTDOOR FITNESS

18. 5 STAR BOOTCAMPS 07525 843326

fivestarbootcamps.co.uk Facebook: 5STAR BOOTCAMPS 19. PT BARN Kelvedon Hatch, Brentwood, CM15 0 07515 413906

theptbarn.co.uk Facebook: The PT Barn

NATIONWIDE 20. FIT CAMPUK Ltd

Redditch, Wythall / BIrmingham, Edgbaston & Solihull, Sutton Coldfield, Tamworth, Lichfield , Barton / Burton Upon Trent

Turnbridge Wells, Kent

07966 638 009

07886 035773

fitcampuk.co.uk Facebook: Fitcampuk

wellfitoutdoorfitness.com Facebook: Wellfit outdoor fitness 14. SAM WINKWORTH ACADEMY “BOOTCAMP EXTREME” The Vine Cricket Ground, Kent 07817403398

samwinkworth.com

21. BRITISH MILITARY FITNESS Outdoor sessions in 140 Parks Nationwide 020 8996 2220

britishmilitaryfitness.com Facebook: britishmilitaryfitness

15. IMMORTAL FITNESS MARLOW/HAMBLEDEN/HENLEY 07792 881255

immortalfitness.co.uk Facebook: Immortalfit

1

3 2

16. GUARDIAN FITNESS OCR TRAINING SE London 07584 414206

5

guardianfitness.co.uk 17. SPARTAN GROUP X ORPINGTON ORFC Leesons Way, Orpington, Kent, BR5 2QB 02037315351

toughlove.mobi/sgx Facebook: sgxorpington

4 7

6

10

9

8

18 11

16

15

17 14

12

19

13

Obstacle Race Magazine 115