Obstacle Race Magazine Issue 12

WE’LL HELP YOU BEAT ANY COURSE AND ANY OBSTACLE SUPPORTING YOU THROUGH ALL YOUR MUDDY ADVENTURES

NUTRITIONAL ADVICE

LETTERS

TRAINING

PROFILES

ISSUE 12 DEC/JAN ‘16 £4.95

GEAR TESTING

RACE REVIEWS

MAJOR SERIES MAKING A SPLASH IN 2016 GET YOUR RUNNING ON TRACK

TOUGHS LIFE TIME GUARANTEE

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WIN DARN

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THE PERFECT MUDDY CHRISTMAS PRESENT GUIDE

SUBSCRIBE TODAY ISSUE #7 FEB/MAR ‘15 £4.95

WE’RE BACK, AND EVEN BIGGER FOR 2015 – 116 PAGES OF MUDDY INDULGENCE!

T R A I NI NG NU T R I T I O NA L A DV I CE GEA R T E STIN G PRO F ILES R ACE REV IEWS

NEW WAYS TO TRAIN

BECOME AN OCR TOURIST

BEGINNERS GUIDE TO FOAM ROLLING FREE

EVENTS PLANNER

REVIEWED

WOMEN OF OBSTACLE RACING

INOV-8 MUDCLAWS

THE COUNTRYSIDE CODE FOR OCR

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PACKAGES AVAILABLE FROM NUCLEAR RACES

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WORLD RECORD BREAKING NEWS

WORLD RECORD BREAKING NEWS

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THE COUNTRYSIDE CODE FOR OCR

CALF COMPRESSION EXPLAINED

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WOMEN OF OBSTACLE RACING

NUCLEAR RACES

WINTER TOUGH GUY 2015

OCR TRAINING FACILITIES LISTED

NEW LOOK ORM 2015

CALF COMPRESSION EXPLAINED

LE T T E R S A N D M U C H M O R E

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BECOME AN OCR TOURIST

TRAINING PROFILES GEAR TESTING RACE REVIEWS NUTRITIONAL ADVICE

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WINTER TOUGH GUY 2015

LE T T E R S A N D M U C H M O R E

ISSUE #8 APR/MAY ‘15 £4.95

WE’RE BACK, AND EVEN BIGGER FOR 2015 – 116 PAGES OF MUDDY INDULGENCE!

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TRAINING PROFILES GEAR TESTING RACE REVIEWS NUTRITIONAL ADVICE

ISSUE #8 APR/MAY ‘15 £4.95

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WE’RE BACK, AND EVEN BIGGER FOR 2015 – 116 PAGES OF MUDDY INDULGENCE!

LETTERS AND MUCH MORE

16/01/2015 16:45

11/03/2015 13:02

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OBSTACLERACEMAGAZINE.COM

11/03/2015 13:02

MANAGING DIRECTOR Kevin Newey kevin@obstacleracemagazine.com 07932 411592 EDITOR Carl Wibberley carl@obstacleracemagazine.com 01246 241780 ADVERTISING Tom De Planta tom@mud7.com 07747 692080 SUBSCRIPTIONS Caroline Newey caroline@obstacleracemagazine.com 07827 962542 DESIGNED BY RAWWW www.rawww.com 0845 371 0993 PUBLISHED BY Spuddy Media Ltd, 370 Wheelwright Lane, Ash Green Coventry, CV7 9HL PRINTED BY

Printed by Warners 01778 395111

CONTRIBUTORS CHRISTIE WRIGHT Toughest review DAVE PETERS Running for peak performance RENEE LAUREN BETTS Nuclear Race review

WELCOME

THOMAS BLANC BMF Run training SAM WINKWORTH Improve your training JAMES DOWSETT Spartan Trifecta review

The cold, wind and rain season has finally set in. Those of you who have taken the time to start acclimatising in the shower will be out doing shirtless runs in the rain by now, right?

The quieter part of the OCR season is here and it’s now time to get your training on track ready for 2016. In this issue I’ve brought together some really useful pieces to help you get the most from your running. This will help you to progress into the next issue in January where I’ll give you all the information you need to put the new running habits into good use with training plans to add speed to your stride.

Read all about what Toughest has to offer in its inaugural UK race season, and all about just how muddy a race can be by reading the Nuclear Races review.

Looking for the perfect Christmas gift for your mud loving partner? I’ve brought together some of the best gifts which will suit every pocket. They’ve also been put into Tech, Racing and Training categories to help you find inspiration even easier.

ACHILLEA KYRIAKOU Micro dosing / Supplement to aid your running LEE PICKERING (LETS RUN) Ten common mistakes runners make BOOTCAMP REVOLUTION Tap into your primal self / Fight the power JOEL HICKS Always with a smile COACH MICHAEL Run training workouts

COVER COURTESY OF

Epic Action Imagery

SEE YOU IN THE MUD

Carl

(Editor)

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

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

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CONTENTS KIT TESTING

PROFILES

FEATURES

Issue 12 Dec 2015 We have everything from personal profiles to kit testing to deliver your fix of OCR between races.

REGULARS

RACE REVIEWS

FEATURES 8 T-SHIRTS ARE TAKING OVER

Are you getting over run by race t-shirts? Then here are some great ideas of what to do with them

16 MAJOR SERIES MAKING A SPLASH IN 2016

Rebranded, ‘The Royal British Legion Major Series’ share their plans with us for what to expect in 2016

22 STOP THIEF

The number of race jumpers are on the increase, find out how they’re putting people at risk

24 RUN TRAINING WORKOUTS

Coach Michael shares a few times to up your running game

28 TAP INTO YOUR PRIMAL SELF PT EMZ helps you to unleash your primal side

30 TOP TEN MISTAKES RUNNERS MAKE Lee Pickering of ‘Lets Run’ coaching highlights the mistakes we make as runners and offers solutions

84 BUILD UNBREAKABLE ANKLES

Make your ankles bullet proof ready for the unforgivable terrain

90 IMPROVE YOUR RUNNING

Sam Winkworth from thedirtyrottenscramble.co.uk helps you to improve your running

95 5 REASONS RUNNERS NEED A GOOD BREAKFAST Starting race day the right way

102 ‘SPARTAN UP’, FOR THE FORTHCOMING OCR SEASON

Spartan SGX coaches Joseph Brigham and Marc Trussell tell you why you should be training for obstacle races with Spartan SGX coaches

108 HEALTHY RUNNING HABITS

Get a head start on the New Year and get yourself into the healthy habit groove

36 SUPPLEMENTS TO AID YOUR RUNNING The team from KnowWhatSupp share the best supplements to aid your running and training.

38 RACE DAY GIFT IDEAS

We help you to choose the perfect gift for your muddy partner

44 FIGHT THE POWER

It’s cold, it’s dark, day light hours shorten and your body responds with its most basic primal response... TO SURVIVE... but not us, not the hardened OC Racer. It’s time to fight the power... and say NO!

52 MICRO DOSING

The KnowWhatSupp team guide us through more of the supplement mine field

54 COACH MICHAEL RANTING Coach Michael puts the OCR world to rights

70 BREATHING LIFE INTO YOUR RUNNING

Learn how to fuel your body with all the oxygen it needs

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TRAINING GIFT IDEAS We help you to choose the perfect gift for your muddy partner

PROFILES 58 RACER PICKS ROUND UP FOR 2015 We check in with the racers we spoke to at the beginning of the year to find out which were the stand out races

92 SCOTT’S INCREDIBLE JOURNEY

One of the faces of the Decembeard national charity campaign tells how obstacle racing was a significant factor in his recovery from bowel cancer

RACE REVIEWS 40 TOUGHEST OSLO

A review of all the UPS and downs of the course that the Toughest team have put together in Oslo

64 SPARTAN RACE TRIFECTA From Sprint to Beast here’s the lowdown

98 NUCLEAR BLAST AND BLACKOUT All the muddy details from Nuclear Races

KIT TESTING 87 VIRUS COMPRESSION

DARN TOUGH SOCKS

WIN

LIFE TIME GUARANTEE

REGULARS 12 ALWAYS WITH A SMILE

Joel has a little rant but then continues to share all his adventures while raising money for Always with a Smile

20 MUDDY RACE

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

48 MUDTREST PAGES

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

62 HEALTH HACKS

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

72 LETTER PAGE

Share your stories and adventures on the letters page

76 RECIPE PAGES

Great recipe ideas to fuel your runs provided by the team at Mountain Fuel

78 BRITISH MILITARY FITNESS

The BMF team have a great training plan to get your running and racing up to winning form by 2016

107 OCR WORDSEARCH 112 BOOTCAMP LISTING

Listing of some of the best places to train for your next race challenge

114 EVENT LISTINGS

All the events coming up over the next few months

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ALWAYS WITH A SMILE JOEL HAS A LITTLE RANT...

Issue 12 | Obstacle Race

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FEATURE: THE T-SHIRTS ARE TAKING OVER

THE T-SHIRTS ARE TAKING OVER : EN BY EY T T I R W N NEW KEVI

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Obstacle Race | Issue 12

FEATURE: THE T-SHIRTS ARE TAKING OVER

As the night drew in, it became clear that she was fighting a losing battle. This beast had multiplied in size over the past couple of years and was out of control. There was nowhere to hide, nowhere to run... no, we’re not launching a new thriller novel, we’re trying to describe the epidemic that is affecting so many of you with an ever increasing collection of race finisher t-shirts.

After your first couple of races, you’re not aware of the issue that’s going to ensue. You’ll soon notice that those spare clothes hangers in the wardrobe have now been allocated, and the decision moves to relegating an old item to the dusty bin, or shifting your new prized race tshirt to a cupboard or draw. Ten races down the line, and you’ve got a build up. That drawer which once opened and closed without issue, now stops 2 inches from being plush with the drawer above or below. You can take out those holey socks and old pants, but it’s not going to help.

You’ll always have your select favourite few t-shirts maybe it was from your first time or one that just looks and feels right, and on the other hand, you’ll have your stinkers which will get chucked in the back of the wardrobe and never to be seen again.

Here’s our tips on what you can do with your collection.

FILTHY STITCHES e technical earn are of th Most tops we t and train ideal to go ou variety, so are lot of time A . ts en ev other in, or wear to just right, ns ng the desig goes in to getti e nail on th ts hi or ct Dire and if the Race read onto sp t r brand will ge Ram Run the head, thei e Th s. ce ra r for othe point. in event photos se ca n tops are a ov and Reaper Ru om pr ide a ts and Crew Ro Scimitar Spor be credited n tshirts and ca lot of the race designs you e outstanding for some of th see out there.

1.TRAINING

If you just don’ t get the wear out of some of your tops an ymore, but ca n’t bear the thought of pa rting company with them, get them trans formed into a cushion or blanket. Cont act Nancy Littl e through the private m essage functio n on her facebook page , ‘Filthy Stitche s OCR’, and get a superb lo oking blanket from £35, scatter cushio n covers for £5 and she’s also promising ‘Race T Bears’ in the not too distant fu ture. www.face book.com/ FilthyStitchesO CR/

2.TRANSFORMATI

ON

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FEATURE: THE T-SHIRTS ARE TAKING OVER

You also have the charity sh op route.

If you’ve got an OCR obsessio n, what could be bette r than spread ing the love and getting th e sport out to as many homes as poss ible. If you ha ven’t got the time to dr op them off to your local shop, then ha nd them in to the Obstacle Race Magazin e team at any events we’re at. Next up fo r us is Urban At tack on 5th December, an d The Christm as Cracker on 28th Decembe r.

3.CHARITY

Why not don your thinking cap and come up with some new ideas. How about car seat covers? Get them framed and hung up at home or in your local gym. Get in touch with us if you get that ‘dragons den’ idea!

Don’t give in, and with our help, we can beat this OCR problem.

4.GET CREATIVE

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Obstacle Race | Issue 12

REGULARS: ALWAYS WITH A SMILE

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Obstacle Race | Issue 12

REGULARS: ALWAYS WITH A SMILE

AN

open letter

TO THE OCR WORLD… WRITTEN BY: JOEL HICKS, FOUNDER OF ALWAYS WITH A SMILE

I’ve been around the Obstacle Course Racing scene for well over 15 years now, and in that time OCR has grown into something beyond the wildest dreams of even the likes of Mr. Mouse… but for me, right now, there is a crucial (if not critical) decision which must be taken about the direction that this ‘sport’ moves in, as we all go forward.

I usually fill my column inches with what lies beyond the OCR world with tales from my adventures with ‘Always With A Smile’, and in this issue I’ve written about this separately, but it’s worth sacrificing a few words to recognise the aims of AWAS and the parallels that these aims have, or should have, within the OCR community.

I do this as I really believe we are at a time of great reflection…

The first aim of the foundation is to raise money and awareness for charities and good causes. This is not the foundation’s main aim, nor does it take precedence over the other two pillars on which AWAS is built… but it is significant.

I’m proud to say that the OCR community is full of people looking to raise money and contribute in a positive way for the benefit of those in need… whilst many events have

associated charities with whom they work closely.

Yet, as this ‘sport’ has grown commercially, I can testify first-hand at the way some individuals and events have, metaphorically, stamped their muddy feet down on the very people who are trying to make a difference to the lives of others, whilst exploiting and benefiting from the goodwill of these organisations in an attempt to sell more tickets or further their own aims.

I think we’d all agree that, regardless of how business-driven OCR becomes, this is something we cannot tolerate… Our ethos is one of helping people over obstacles (whether it’s a high wall or cancer), and forever should it remain so. The second aim of the foundation is to inspire and motivate people to do something that they have never before considered possible - an aim which should resonate with a significant number of you reading this magazine.

Many, if not all of you, will have come into OCR through a desire to challenge and test yourself against something completely different… and it’s from that desire that you now find yourself in the thick of it nearly each and every weekend.

We, as a community, should never forget that many, if not the majority of, people who take to each and every obstacle course are first time runners… giving it a go ‘for the crack’… and as stalwarts of this wet and wild scene we should all see ourselves as filthy ambassadors, epitomising the core values of the personal challenge that OCR originated from.

What are we promoting when an individual barges their way through a bottle neck, pushing others out of the way because they’re not prepared to wait?

What does it say about those in OCR when used gel-packs litter the terrain we have just spent 4 hours running around?

Whether you consider yourself an elite runner or a last wave wobbler, no one within this community should look to separate themselves from the mob of greenhorns who are the life-blood of this sport, and who would never dream of leaving a fellow runner to struggle so that they can simply achieve a better time…

We need, as a community, to come together and show every newbie what true OCR spirit is… for acts of selfishness cannot become commonplace in our sport or, ultimately, we will go against everything OCR stands for.

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REGULARS: ALWAYS WITH A SMILE

The final aim of AWAS is the overarching principle of making the world a happier place by putting a smile on the face of as many people as possible… and OCR is all about fun!

And whilst I recognise (with the introduction of competitions and world championships and all that jazz) that there was always going to be a slight shift in the emphasis some place on ‘challenging themselves’… nevertheless, glimpsing through the now copious social media chats and threads it seems some of us have totally lost sight of that fact that who is fastest, or who places where, is never more important than who had the most fun!

So someone misses out an obstacle or they don’t go over the obstacle ‘correctly’? So what?!

It doesn’t make them a cheat! Calm the mud down! Everyone runs their own race… how someone runs their race is NOT your concern.

Miffed about where you’re placed, or what your time was compared to last year? When have such things ever been important in OCR? I guess the point that I’m trying to make, through all of these ramblings, is that the murmurings of discontent from those within the OCR community seem to be getting as loud and as frequent as someone asking for a discount code… (And for heaven’s sake RD’s, just get rid of them and set one fair price!).

Yes, I’m sure some want to see our muddy world turned into a business-driven elite competition, but whilst I still have the money left in my pocket for one more costume, I for one, never want to see that happen.

So, how will we, as supporters of this sport, control the direction we now go in? Well, ultimately, through the races that we enter, the money that we spend, and our individual actions as mud runners. But the important thing is that we do not lose sight of what lies at the very heart of OCR… and our journey moving forward has to be a one of a collective effort from the events, runners and supporters of this gloriously muddy world, if we want to see OCR stay true to its values.

EVENT REPORTS Color Run Birmingham, Worthing Birdman, World Bog Snorkelling Championships, World Gravy Wrestling Championships, ITV Central Pride of Britain Awards, Great Gorilla Run, Coventry University Freshers Fair, Major Series Midlands, Sexy Bingo Breast Cancer Night, Ram Run Wild Lambs

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Obstacle Race | Issue 12

So… in the space of just one issue, what does a goodwill organisation like ‘Always With A Smile’ manage to get up to?… Take a deep breath… And… First up, we were back in Birmingham for The Color Run, leading a team of around a dozen people at the NEC who, like hungry white caterpillars, evolved into multicoloured butterflies before crossing the 5k finish line…

Then, with powder still in my ears, I made the trip south to Worthing for the annual International Birdman competition. With my co-pilot Andy Dunlop (President of the World Egg Throwing Federation) unable to join me due to ill health, I was flying solo in a craft aptly named ‘Pigs Might Fly’. This polystyrene biplane had ten or so (blow up) pigs fixed to its frame, and despite high hopes of claiming the £10,000 jackpot prize for a flight of over 100 metres, my plane fell somewhat short… travelling 40 feet down, but only around 8 feet out! Nevertheless, my superb craft, costume and slapstick routine were enough for the judges to award me first prize for the third year running in this fantastic event (and my fourth title overall).

More significantly though, I was also awarded the ‘Birdman Trophy’, a new trophy introduced to commemorate Derek Trotman, a man who epitomised the spirt of the Birdman, and given to those who have shown outstanding commitment to the event.

The August Bank Holiday saw AWAS supporting two events which have played a big part our history.

First up was the World Bog Snorkelling Championships in Llanwrtyd Wells in Wales…

This was, back in 2006, the very first event attended by the foundation… This year, as the event’s first competitor, I wore a rather large shark fin on my back to try and give me added propulsion through the water… Unfortunately, as is often the way with many of my illperceived ideas, I finished a good 30 seconds behind the eventual winner with a belly full of bog water for my troubles!

From bog water it was then on to warm gravy… for (you’ve guessed it) the World Gravy Wrestling Championships in Lancashire.

If there’s one event that defines the antics of AWAS it has to be the slippery carnage of the world’s messiest food fight. As a two-time World Champion, I’ve played an important role in publicising the event, and this year we had more entrants than ever (both male and female). I was appearing as ‘Gandalf the Gravy’, and somehow I found myself not only fighting for World Title glory once again but winning the World Gravy Wrestling Champion for the third time!

This was even more remarkable given the open challenge I’d issued during the interval.

The challenge was for any child to wrestle me ‘one on one’ in the gravy… and if anyone dared to meet the challenge I’d donate a further £200 to the hospice.

The response was incredible as more than 20 children later… I literally crawled out of the gravy battered and exhausted by the brutal assault I’d been subjected to by a host of vicious minors’ hell bent on drowning me in

gravy! It was great fun though, and to see the smiles and laughter on the faces of all those kids taking part (and their families watching) was simply indescribable…

With the smell of gravy still radiating from my curly hair, I was then down to London for the Great Gorilla Run… an event which sees hundreds of people, all dressed as gorillas, raising a minimum of £400 to help save a species on the edge of extinction.

My costume was slightly different as I was physically being carried along the 8km course in a cage by a gorilla (probably the best place for me!). The looks and comments I received as I took to the capital’s streets were hilarious, and the conductors on both the buses and the tube were simply left speechless!

After a few days at Coventry Universities Fresher Fair, with whom the foundation has established links in preparation for world pillow fight day next year, I found myself leading a crack team of commandos around the 5km Major Series course in the Midlands.

The AWAS team, who had managed to raise more than £1,250 for Dementia UK, was full of first time runners of all ages and abilities, but we stayed together on a course which provided a lot of fun and laughter (as well as mud and water) along the way!

A midweek trip to Tamworth, to raise money for Breast Cancer Now through a Sexy Bingo night (hosted by yours truly), was then followed up (almost finally) with The Ram Run. Now, as some of you may be aware, I’ve been struggling with an ankle injury for a while, and (on doctors’ orders) I’m being forced to take it easy… (Honestly, I’m trying!). And so, instead of taking part in the full Ram Run event, I once again elected to take to the arguably fiercer challenge of running with the Wild Lambs - the next generation of OCR athletes!

It is an absolute pleasure to work with Iain Exeter and the guys at The Ram Run, and to see our so-called ‘console generation’ of youngsters full of energy and vigour as they tackled the mini obstacles along the course was just wonderful. With one horn missing from my costume, I ran with the Lambs, fighting many (at great personal physical cost) in the water trenches - my bum still wears the scratches!

On a final note, as some of you may know, I was very kindly nominated for the ITV Pride of Britain Fundraiser Award this year for the Central region, and was selected as one of four nominees for tour area. Although I didn’t’t make it through to the national awards, it was a wonderful honour and I’d like to say that my nomination was not a reflection on what I have achieved but instead it was a tribute to all of those 'Smilers' out there who have taken the AWAS philosophy to heart and made 'putting a smile on the face of as many people as possible' a main focus in their life...

IT IS YOUR SUPPORT THAT MAKES AWAS THE WONDERFUL ORGANISATION THAT IT IS...

REGULARS: ALWAYS WITH A SMILE

Issue 12 | Obstacle Race

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FEATURE: MAJOR SERIES MAKING A SPLASH IN 2016

THE ROYAL BRITISH LEGION MAJOR SERIES 2016 WRITTEN BY: CARL WIBBERLEY

The Royal British Legion Major Series... remember the name as I have no doubt that you’ll be hearing a lot about it in 2016. The Major Series has always been one of the more well known obstacle course races since it launched in 2011. This has mainly been down to the fact that they put together a fun filled course that will test you and offers everything you’d expect from OCR. Everyone from beginners through to seasoned racers can get their OCR kicks at these races.

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Obstacle Race | Issue 12

The Major Series and its ultimate collaboration with British Military Fitness (an outdoor boot camp that caters for all fitness levels) means it’ll never be short of runners. The BMF brand and The Major Series go hand in hand perfectly. One gets the participants race fit and the other one tests their race readiness. The growth of the race series has gone from 1,500 runners in 2011 to 20,000 in just 5 years making it one of the largest obstacle races in the United Kingdom. Attracting 55% female participants and ages ranging from 17 right through to 70 it can be truly described as a race for everyone.

The name change and the hint of big changes coming up for 2016 made it the perfect time to get down to the nitty gritty and interview someone at the newly named Royal British Legion Major Series.

The person who fell into our sights for such an interview was Alex Stanley the Race Director of The Major Series and also the head

of events over at British Military Fitness. Alex is the newly appointed supercharged man who’s been given the task of implementing the new exciting plans for 2016.

Alex started off his events organising career at sports management company IMG who are known for putting on some of the UKs biggest events. In fact Alex was at the helm as race director when 17,000 runners ran the London Colour Run event in 2015. Now you don’t get much bigger than that!

To get all the inside information on the plans Major Series have, we met Alex in the place we would both be most comfortable....out on a muddy course. So I made a trip up to their Northern event at Branham Park, Leeds as Alex was on the site the day before the race. I didn’t know what was more exciting the fact that I get to hear all the exciting plans for 2016 or that we have a whole course all to ourselves.

FEATURE: MAJOR SERIES MAKING A SPLASH IN 2016

First of all Alex we know you have BIG plans for The Major Series in 2016, can you tell us more about those?

The biggest change will be that we’ll now be known as the The Royal British Legion Major Series. This is a huge honour for us, because as you know, the Royal British Legion are one of the best known military charities.

This is the first time in their 94 year history that they’ve teamed up with a sporting event. Jointly with BMF we’re looking to raise £250,000 for them.

We’re expecting 20,000 runners in 2016 at our 4 race locations and have huge plans for the people running these.

Oh surprises, tell us more about those?

TONY DANDY FORCES EXPERIENCE: Started in the signals and went on to become a PTI. Has now been a BMF instructor for 7 years.

FAVOURITE PART OF WORKING WITH THE MAJOR SERIES AND BMF: The buzz of race day and the atmosphere . I find it very rewarding seeing all the different fitness levels and age ranges out on the course.

ALEX STANLEY

31

Job: Race Director Major Series & Events Organiser for British Military Fitness

For the first time in the history of the Major Series we are planning on featuring a series of surprise concept zones around the 5 and 10 km courses.

In these zones, runners will be immersed in to amazing military themed experiences that will transport you to another world where your senses will be bombarded with sights, sounds and smells. These will take your OCR experience to another level that it’s never been exposed to before.

At this stage everything is still top secret but I can assure you that The Major and his top planning chiefs are locked away in an underground secret bunker finalising plans for these zones that will be drip fed to you all over the coming months. So stand by as more news will be coming soon. A goal for us is that people who’ve ran a Major Series event in the past will be truly surprised by the changes we have in store for them in 2016.

However I will tell you this- imagine doing a barbed wire crawl that’s not just your run of the mill crawl, you’ll be crawling while immersed in a world of smoke and artillery fire, all while the majors own troops shout encouragement to you all the way through. And that is literally just scratching the surface of what you’ll experience.

With all the changes coming who do you think the all new Major series will appeal to now?

Having cut my teeth as Race Director for the Colour Run I think its really important to say that The Royal British Legion Major Series will truly be an event for everyone. Whether you’re taking on your first OCR or if you’re an OCR veteran and do 20 or 30 of these a year, then I genuinely believe that you’ll leave very happy after your day with us.

NOEL PEARSON

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FORCES EXPERIENCE: 24 years service before retiring. Was part of the British Army in the Royal Irish Regiment.

FAVOURITE PART OF WORKING WITH THE MAJOR SERIES AND BMF: Race day but also getting out into the fresh air on the event build up putting the obstacles together.

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FEATURE: MAJOR SERIES MAKING A SPLASH IN 2016

As with any OCR, the support staff and marshals are fundamental in allowing an event to run smoothly. Now this is a conversation you hear The Major Series mentioned a lot in, as their support staff and marshals really stand out. Why do you think this is?

One of the USP’s of the Major Series has always been that the course is lined with the Majors troops. By that I mean a platoon of 40 strong experienced highly trained current or ex service members of the military. What they offer is completely unique to use compared to any other sporting event in the UK, which is that they are not just there to man an obstacle or ensure health and safety, but they’re there to interact and motivate you . You’ll hear yells from them, they’ll pull you out of the bog if you need it, they’ll push you a little harder. We get this fed back to use all the time that people love this part of their race day experience.

For someone who’s never done a Major Series event before how would you describe it to them?

An absolute giggle!

The Major Series is still a challenge and there’s no getting away from that. You’ll be running through bogs, freezing cold water and up some cracking hills, but you’ll have such a laugh along the way that the miles will fly by. It’s one to bring your mates along to and have a whole load of fun. It will be a truly memorable experience for you. It really is an event for all There are no obstacles that can’t be achieved

with a little time and help from the troops.

That’s the racers taken care of then.

What does the Major Series have to offer the spectators and supports at its events?

For me personally it has always been equally important to ensure that the spectators and supporters have as much of a great time as the racers do. So in 2016 the events village is getting a makeover, which will enhance the experience of everyone on the day. There will be activities for all the family and the majors mess tent will ensure everyone gets their rations.

A lot of attention is paid to making sure spectators can enjoy all the action too. This is why we’ve designated sign posts all around the course to help spectators get to the best points of the course. While on the subject of accessibility I’d like to add that we’re always very proud of getting great feedback that our events are just that - accessable and very good value for money.

That won’t change and we’ll remain good value for money starting at just £35, so grab your early bird entries as they’re on sale now and offer fantastic value for money. Free parking, free spectators, free valuable storage and an awesome goodie bag, t-shirt and medal.

Any closing thoughts to leave us with Alex before we get to go play on the course?

Just that we’re so excited to unveil this new event which promises as the major would put it, NO MUD, NO GLORY !

DATES FOR UPCOMING EVENTS MIDLANDS MARCH 12TH RAGLEY HALL (BRAND NEW LOCATION)

NORTH MARCH 20TH BRAMHAM PARK SOUTH APRIL 9TH ERIDGE PARK SCOTLAND JUNE 4TH CARDROSS ESTATE

ENTER AT MAJORSERIES.COM

SIGN UP AT: WWW.BRITMILFIT.COM/MAJOR-SERIES 18

Obstacle Race | Issue 12

ARE YOU TUFF ENUFF TO TAKE ON FALMOUTH'S VERY FIRST URBAN OCR

CHECK OUR WEBSITE FOR MORE INFORMATION AND PRICING

REGULARS: MUDDY RACE

MUDDY RACE Christmas is coming, and it’s time to plan your wish list. From season passes to top gear, here are some suggestions on what to ask for this year!

RAT RACE SEASON PASS Season passes are by far the best value out there, but when it’s just one event it can get a little boring.

The great thing about the Rat Race season pass is that it’s across so many different events, so you will never get bored. For £300, you will get access to all but one of Rat Race’s events, which includes the 20mile Man Vs Mountain, Dirty Weekend and all Men’s Health Survival of the Fittest Events - a real bargain for 10 events.

Where to buy: £300 from ratrace.co.uk

A DRYROBE Originally designed for surfers, the Dryrobe allows us to get out of our mucky kit and into our warm post-race changing robe, all under the cover of its soft warm embrace. Say goodbye to being cold, or standing naked in a field, and hello to being warm and dry!

Where to buy: £94.99 from dryrobe.co.uk

A GPS WATCH We all love a good stat, and the winter evenings simply fly by when you’ve got hours of training runs to analyse and obsess over. A good GPS watch will keep you on pace when you’re out, and will give you all of the vital information you need when you get back, to make sure you keep on improving.

Where to buy: Amazon

A PULL UP BAR Banish those monkey bar nightmares, with the help of a home pull-up bar. Designed to fit into an ordinary door frame, a few pull-ups every time you walk pass will make sure that 2015 is the year you finally nail those pesky monkey bars.

Where to buy: Amazon

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REGULARS: MUDDY RACE

A MEDAL HOLDER We may kid ourselves that we do OCRs for all sorts of noble reasons – the challenge, the camaraderie, to raise money for charity – but really we know it’s all about the bling at the end. But what do we do with our medals once we’ve finally taken them off at the end of race day? Choose from a variety of inspirational slogans, or personalise it with your own words.

Where to buy: £30 from shop.muddyrace.co.uk

A WORLD CHAMPION TRAINING PLAN World champions, Jonathan Albon and Ryan Atkins, have got together to create an obstacle course training programme that works. For $10 (£6.58) a month, you get a PDF training programme and exclusive access to a Facebook group, which is full of tips and videos to get you race ready. Suitable for both the beginner and advanced.

Where to buy: $10 (£6.58) a month www.obstaclecourse.training

KETTLE BELL Considered by many to be the perfect training partner, a kettle bell can be used in so many ways to achieve a full-body workout. You can carry it, throw it or lift it.

Where to buy: shop around for best price

GRIP TRAINER You may well have looked at one of these in the past and thought, who exactly would use one of these?

Well now is the time to put it to use. Chances are your finger grip could do with being stronger, so just give one of these little things a squeeze once in a while to build up your finger strength.

Where to buy: £11 Amazon

GO PRO That moment you make it the start line is something to be proud of. When are you next going to be up to your neck in mud, crawling under barbed wire or jumping 5 foot flames? Stick a GoPro on your head, and show the world what you actually did this weekend. You can even take stills whilst you’re crawling under that barbed wire.

Where to buy: shop around for best price

FOAM ROLLER When your muscles are sore from a battering workout or conquering beastly hills, often a little foam roll is all you need to work some magic and relieve the soreness.

Where to buy: shop around for best price

NEW SHOES The inov-8 Terraclaw 250 weigh in at 250g with an 8mm drop, and feature a grippy sole. Perfect for beginners, and the more advanced, these shoes offer a little more protection than any of the other Inov-8 in the range.

Where to buy: £99.95 from Sportshoes.com Issue 12 | Obstacle Race

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FEATURE: STOP THIEF!

STOP

THIEF! WRITTEN BY : KEVIN NEWEY

It’s a topic that’s been discussed online on a number of occasions, and it’s an issue with all sporting events, not just Obstacle Course Racing – race thieves!

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FEATURE: STOP THIEF!

I

t may not be the Great Train Robbery, but theft is theft. OCR is an expensive hobby to have, and the overwhelming majority of enthusiasts are honest people with strong morals. However, recently we’ve recently seen an increase in the amount of people turning up to events and just running them, collecting the finisher goodies, but not actually paying an entry fee or registering for the event.

The issue came to a head recently, when a couple were allegedly caught red handed at the end of an event. The Race Director managed to chase them back to their car, and got a couple of mug shots to put onto social media to expose them and their dastardly deed. The smiling faces on the photo’s would have soon disappeared once the OCR detectives tracked them down on facebook and publicly shamed them, and I’m sure, passed on their thoughts to their employers. While we can’t condone witch hunts, stealing races is theft, and should be seen that way by the authorities.

WE’RE ALSO AWARE OF A COUPLE OF RACE JUMPERS AT MUD7 THIS YEAR – SO HOW DO WE ERADICATE THIS PROBLEM? For Mudnificent 7 next year, we’re putting controls in place at the starting pen, so every person will have their wrist band checked to ensure they’re in the correct wave, and are fully registered entrants.

It’s not just a case of it being theft, but it’s also very dangerous. If someone got injured by one of the thieves, by accident or not, where would the RD stand with his insurance policy?

How do we know if the thief has an underlying medical condition that would have been on a registration form and they get injured? How do the medical team treat them?

A lot of small races have very tight budgets.

How would you feel getting to the finish line to find out they’ve ran out of medals and tshirts because of a couple getting the last ones and not paying to enter?

These are all valid points, and we can all play a part by being vigilant at events we go to. Wrist bands are the easiest way to help marshals and other runners see who is genuine. Race numbers can come off, or not be worn.

There’s no perfect answer, and we’d like to know what you think of the issue. Email us at letters@obstacleracemagazine.com with your views and how you would like to see the problem tackled.

Issue 12 | Obstacle Race

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FEATURE: RUN TRAINING WORKOUTS

RUN TRAINING WORKOUTS WRITTEN BY: COACH MICHAEL of WildForestGym

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Obstacle Race | Issue 12

FEATURE: RUN TRAINING WORKOUTS

Coach Michael, of WildGForestGym, gave us 3 excellent running workouts in the last edition of Obstacle Race Magazine. This edition, we invite Coach back to give you even more running workouts to make sure your running gets stronger, efficient and even faster. Lets get running! Over to you Coach Michael.

comfortable, natural efficient, economical and ultimately faster.

So although you can use the following workouts, you may find it difficult to optimise your running if you do not develop your current running form.

As an elite trail running coach, the first thing I focus on when working with a new runner is their running form. Whether you were born to run or have to train to run, it is very difficult for you to be aware of all the different elements of your running form without the assistance of a coach to analyse, break it down and re-build it.

As a coach, running form is the most important aspect to your running whether you are an elite, seasoned and returning to fitness runner. So my advice to you is get your running form analysed, with a competent coach who can develop your technique. If you find yourself in Essex, or want to to invest in your running, drop me an email at info@wildforestgym.com and I will be happy to discuss how I can help you to develop, fine tune and optimise your running.

In the last edition of Obstacle Race Magazine, I gave you 3 excellent running workouts that included a Force Workout, Speed Workout and Endurance Workout. In this edition, we expand the range of running workouts so you can start to take your running up to the next level.

But first, I want to talk to you about running form. Running form is the foundations of your running to make it more enjoyable,

SKILL SPEED WORKOUT WORKOUT THE CATCH UP TYPE FARTLEK

TYPE FORCE WORKOUT WORKOUT HILL PYRAMIDS TYPE INTERVAL

2(30mins/5-10s) (Z2-3 / 2) (5 mins recovery jog in opposite direction)

You will need a metronome for this workout. I have one on my stopwatch. Otherwise you can download an app onto your phone http://bit.ly/1jGbBu8 or 180 PBM music http://bit.ly/1jGdqHF. For all the reps, I want you to focus on being tall and using the metronome at 180 BPM to stride against. Objective to reduce length of stride, increase stride frequency, reduce impact on quads.

This workout requires a training partner and a good forest trail. Set off together at a comfortable pace Z2-3. Periodically, at least one person will turn around and run back between 5-10 seconds. Then they have to stride hard to rejoin the front of the running group.

Periodically, thereafter each person goes back and catches up. If you have a group of more than 3, then more than one can do the run back and catch-up. As far as the run back duration, you will have to set it to the duration that is viable. Do 2 sets of 30 mins catch up and then do a 5-minute recover jog in between.

SKILL SPEED WORKOUT EVADE TYPE FARTLEK This workout is designed to develop your skills at chasing down or evading a racer.

Here is the scenario. You are racing and you have someone on your tail. For 100m/20 secs you are going to do a pickup. Every time your competitor catches you up. You are going to do another pick-up. After 3-4 pickups you will have psychologically broken then down and then will start to give up. So our objective is to be able to recover quickly from each pick-up to then pick-up again.

The other scenario is that another racer tries to lose you with their own pickup, but each time you wind them in and once again it will psychologically destroy them.

WORKOUT Do a normal warm up. Then go into a 30 mins Z3 run.

You will need another runner at a similar pace to you. Find a 400-800m loop. Agree who is going to be the evader and who is the chaser. Run at Z3 together and then the evader does the first pickup. As soon as the chaser catches up, be ready to go off again.

If the evader is not recovered by the time the chaser catches up then the evader makes sure they are before next pickup. However if the chaser recovers quicker then the chaser becomes the evader and the scenario switches around. Do 3 sets of 20 mins with a 5 mins slow jog recovery between each.

Pyramid Hill intervals 5(hill ascent/descent/recovery descent)(Z5a/ Z1) Find a 6-8% grade hill which will take your 3.5 mins to climb.

1 2 3 4 5

1st rep 1 x hill ascent, recovery jog descent.

2nd rep 2 hill ascent with 1 sprint descent. Then recovery jog descent.

3rd rep 3 hill ascent with 2 sprint descent. Then recovery jog descent.

4th rep 2 hill ascent with 1 sprint descent. Then recovery jog descent.

5th rep 1 x hill ascent, recovery jog descent.

Maintain form at all times. The objective is for each hill ascent to be at the same pace. Remember to pace yourself and don’t go out too strong at the beginning.

SKILL EXTENSIVE ENDURANCE & SPEED COMBO WORKOUT PICKUPS TYPE FARTLEK Extensive Endurance with Pickups- (Z2/5a)(race distance/20s) . This workout is used for aerobic maintenance and endurance training.

Insert several 20s accelerations to Z5a. Recover for several minutes between pickups. Maintain proud posture, head up and back straight. Check cadence 180 rpm (30 each leg per 20s).

Every minute or so focus on one element of your posture i.e. shoulders relaxed, chest proud, elongating spine from crown, relaxed hands, hands and arms at 90 degrees going forward, cadence, relax jaw and neck etc, drive your elbow back, shoulder rotations.

Duration - race distance.

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FEATURE: RUN TRAINING WORKOUTS

ZONES ARE YOUR RUNNING SPEEED ZONE

RPE

DESCRIPTION

0

Full recovery

0

Stationary

1

Recovery

6,7,8

Very, very light

2

Extensive Endurance

9,10,11

Very Light Fairly Light

3

Intensive endurance

12,13,14

Somewhat hard

4

Threshold

15

Hard

5a

Threshold

16

5b

Anaerobic endurance

17,18

Very hard

5c

Power

19,20

Very, very hard

RPE - Is rate of perceived exertion. Scale 6-20. 6 Represents no exertion at all. 20 is maximum, all out effort with absolutely nothing held in reserve.

6=heart rate 60 beats per minute(bpm). 20=200bpm

FREE 1-2-1 RUNNING ANALYSIS Coach Michael of WildForestGym in partnership with Obstacle Race Magazine has offered to give an ORM reader a FREE Running Analysis.

To enter the draw visit:

HTTP://BIT.LY/ORMRUNANALYSIS

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Obstacle Race | Issue 12

FEATURE: TAP INTO YOUR PRIMAL SELF

TAP INTO YOUR PRIMAL SELF THIS WINTER WRITTEN BY : PT EMZ OF BOOTCAMP REVOLUTION

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FEATURE: TAP INTO YOUR PRIMAL SELF

SO,

If you’re like us and live out in the sticks, you’ll find that power cuts are a pretty common occurrence, especially during the winter... But don’t fret... tap in to your Primal origins with BC Revolutions fundamentals!

FOOD: Get outside and fire up your BBQ!! Who says it has to be summer to eat al fresco! Get yourself some lean meat and some colourful veg, chuck it on a stick and cook over a naked flame!! It doesn't get any more primal than that :) WARMTH: Layer your clothing, and keep moving! When our heart rate is increased we generate more internal heat! If you have a wood burner at home, then get out with your family or your friends, go on an adventure and gather up some of the fallen branches and heat your home for free :) And the more time you spend outside, the more efficiently your body will adapt to the cold; just by being outdoors for just 30 to 60 minutes every day, your blood will thicken, making you more resilient to the cold! Many of us head inside when the temperatures drop and we don't come out again until spring.

But we're not designed to hibernate! Imagine if you sit inside in a heated 20+ degree office all day long, of course you're always going to be cold when you head outside! But by being active in the great outdoors and exposing yourself to the cold, your body will adapt and make this colder time of the year more tolerable!

ENTERTAINMENT: If you're devastated at the loss of your beloved TV due to power cuts, or can't stand the barrage of mind numbing programming, take a break from the technological age and try a more primal source of entertainment!

Primal families entertained each other through both verbal and artistic, picture story telling. They played games to increase body temperature, especially in colder seasons, and found ways to inspire and stimulate both mental and physical well being. So dust off that old board game, be creative with 'making' and get imaginative with story telling! A great

HERE'S OUR TOP TIPS ON HOW TO BOOST THESE HAPPY HORMONES

excuse to get nostalgic and enjoy some real family time!

And finally, without going in to too much detail, the adults in a pack knew the best, most entertaining and satisfying way to stay warm... and what's more instinct led and primal than the old Jiggy Jiggy ;)

REASONS TO TAKE YOUR WORKOUT OUTSIDE 1

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

2

Because of the varied terrain and all the other reasons above, our bodies have to use more muscles and as a result, you burn more kcals and achieve a higher fat burning capacity!

3

Exercising outside also increases your vitamin D absorption due to the natural sunlight! Plus the added benefits of fresh air, freedom of movement and being at one with nature is so much more preferable to your body.

4

As early man and women, we would have been out, hunting and chasing our food, bashing it over the head and dragging it home ... essentially what we encourage you to do at Bootcamp Revolution!! Ok, it's not food, but we think tyres are a damn good substitute - and where did a gym based, repetitive exercise like a bicep curl come in to Neanderthal daily life?!

* SMILING: even a forced, false smile activates muscles that trigger a chain reaction, which in turn releases happy hormones, so get cheesy! * GO HOT: Eat some clean, spicy food like a good clean curry or chilli, as when the temperature in your mouth rises, and burns, your brain releases endorphins to provide

5

The exercises we recommend at BC Rev are all based on functional movements that you will perform in everyday life situations, so therefore gain greater benefits from performing them! So why not strengthen those muscles in a way that you will benefit you in everyday life!!

6

IT'S MORE FUN!! There's no escaping it!

So tap in to your inner child and get dirty!

ARE YOU S-A-D? A lot of people find that they suffer from a seasonal depression known as Seasonal Affective Disorder, which comes as a result of decreased exposure to sunlight and the Vitamin D it provides.

BUT DID YOU KNOW...

When you pump, jump or participate in any physical exercise, your body will benefit from a surge of happy hormones!!

THESE NATURAL WONDER DRUGS ARE: * Serotonin; it balances emotions, elevates your mood, alleviates and prevents depression & pretty much makes you feel like you're on Cloud 9! * Endorphins; they induce an all round sense of 'I'm at peace with the world, and everything's cool'' kind of sensation! Endorphins also reduce your anxiety and stress levels, as well as reducing your sensitivity to pain!

relief! The spicier/hotter the food, the more endorphins produced!! * SOAK UP SOME VIT D: The smallest amount of exposure to sunlight (even when it’s grey & raining) causes the brain to release the happy hormones, which is why with the first signs of summer, comes happier, shinier people.

Issue 12 | Obstacle Race

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FEATURE: TOP TEN MISTAKES RUNNERS MAKE

TOP TEN MISTAKES RUNNERS MAKE Written By Lee Pickering, owner of Let’s Run(www.letsrun.info) PHOTGRAPHY BY: EPIC ACTION IMAGERY

It may be believed that running training is easy and simple to do, yet so many people get it wrong and therefore do not run as well as they could. Everybody requires different training and what works for some doesn’t always work for others. However, there are some general principles which all runners should follow, such as combining speed, endurance and strength training for optimal running performance. Running is a huge part of OCRs, and just a few tweaks could see your race performances improve significantly. I have compiled a list of 10 mistakes I see runners making, and discuss how you can fix these problems to improve your running, and ultimately your OCR positions.

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FEATURE: TOP TEN MISTAKES RUNNERS MAKE

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FEATURE: TOP TEN MISTAKES RUNNERS MAKE

1. OVER TRAINING I often see people training 7 or more times a week, or even two times a day, but struggling when it comes to racing, whether it be, “I’m too tired.” or “I don’t seem to be getting any faster.”

That’s when you should start to ask yourself why, and question the quality of your training.

Don’t get me wrong, there are times when I train twice a day but it will be in different areas of training, such as running or strength to allow my body to recover. If you don’t allow adequate recovery time, you will just be running empty miles and you won’t see any progression.

I train more than 6 times a week too, but I ensure each session works on a different element, for example, speed/endurance/ strength. I hear all too often of people simply completing long, slow runs, one after the other and then wandering why they have no speed. If you train your legs, lungs, energy systems and your mind to run slow, that’s what will happen when you race. It is vital to train in 3 simple ways: At race pace, slower than race pace and faster than race pace. This equates roughly to a tempo/fast run, a long run and some interval training. Each of these is equally important, but most concentrate on the long run only.

I have so many clients who come to me for a schedule and realise I often lower the amount of training they have been doing. Many are obsessed with the amount of miles they run a week, thinking that more is better but this is simply not the case.

2. INCREASING LOAD TOO QUICKLY The biggest risk runners take is increasing their training far too quickly. I have had many runners come to me with shin pains or a niggle here and a niggle there, and it’s mainly down to the fact they increase mileage far too quickly.

A good rule of thumb is not to increase the mileage per week by any more than 10%. So if you run 20 miles one week, you shouldn’t go over 22 the next.

I have seen people try to run a marathon with less than a month’s training in their legs, then ask why it hurts so much afterwards. It’s about letting the body adjust to the training load, and then increasing it bit by bit. It’s a gradual process that you have to be patient with. It is also important not to increase your long runs too quickly. For example you shouldn’t go from a 10 mile run straight to 15 miles in one week, as this is too much for your body to take and could result in injury.

3. INTERVALS As mentioned previously, intervals are of huge importance. Most runners who come to me have not run intervals at all, or have run them

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FEATURE: TOP TEN MISTAKES RUNNERS MAKE

The recovery can completely change a session and it is vital you complete sessions with a range of recoveries.

incorrectly. Every OCR competitor should complete at least two interval sessions a week; one flat and one on hills. I complete 3 interval sessions a week- one on hills, one where I concentrate on speed intervals and one with a focus on endurance intervals. It can be difficult to plan interval sessions, which is part of the reason people miss them altogether.

THEY ARE TRICKY AS THERE ARE MANY ELEMENTS TO EACH SESSION. You need to think about the distance of the intervals, the quantity and the recovery.

All of these factors can significantly change a session. For example, a session I often complete is 16 x 200m. You may think this is a speed session but it isn’t. For a speed session, 16 efforts is too many. For pure speed, you might be looking at a maximum of 8 efforts, possibly as low as 3.

I run this session with a 25 seconds recovery, which is slightly less time than the speed I run the 200m in. So, this session works on speed endurance, running efficiency and aerobic effectiveness, which will improve your ability to run faster over a short distance, recover quickly, and then do it all over again at the same speed. Intervals train your body to run, but also to recover quickly.

A longer interval session I may complete is 4 x 2000m with a 5 minute recovery, which allows me to run each effort fast; or I can run the same session with a 90 second recovery.

We tend to think of recovery as time between sessions/runs but it is equally important within a session. The recovery can completely change a session, and it is vital you complete sessions with a range of recoveries. Quantity is also important; you may only run 3 efforts but flat out or you may run as many as 20, possibly more for more advanced runners. It is useful to remember in OCRs that you sometimes run them as intervals: run, stop, run, stop, for the duration of the race so it is important to train your body to do this as well as running for long periods of time.

Another factor to consider varying is the terrain you run on. (point 10) Hills should be a large part of your training, and with that there is a massive variety of training you could do, from uphill sprints with long/short recovery, to longer efforts up and down. Don’t forget the important of running downhill too, this is a skill that needs working on just as much as uphill does.

4. REST As discussed earlier, too many people underestimate the importance of recovery and rest. This is the period where your body adjusts to the training loads you have placed on it, and is vital for you to be able to improve.

Without taking adequate rest, not only will you not improve, you are putting yourself at risk of injury. One mistake I see people make is training hard one night and then again the next morning. This is not enough time to recover, and you won’t be able to train as hard as you would if you had left it a little longer.

I often see people train 3 days in a row, then have 4 days off as they are tired or have achy legs. You need to spread out your key training sessions with rest days or recovery runs in between. This is where a schedule (point 10) is important, as you can pre plan your training and minimise your risk of over training. I always train in blocks or cycles, which include 3-4 weeks of hard training followed by what I call a pullback week. In this week, I cut my mileage and intensity of training significantly.

This allows my body to have a break and it maximises the benefits from the training loads I have subjected it to. My schedule also differs leading into a race for tapering.

I can’t race hard if I have trained hard all week, and so getting tapering right is paramount, but also tricky. It is also important to adjust training immediately after races to allow your body time to recover. If you want to improve your performances, you may find you need to lower the number of races you do, as for me, I don’t train properly when I have too many races. I have made that mistake recently and it is definitely one I have learned from.

With very little training, you can’t expect your body to perform at a high level. I got away with it for a few weeks, but then started to struggle and had to cancel a few races.

Sometimes you can use races as training, and it is important to get ‘race fit’ through competing, but to be a serious competitor, training is where the work is needed.

to increase your strength, such as using body weight exercises or attending a bootcamp, both of which I do. Many people train using cross fit, cycling, swimming or in another sport such as boxing. Any of these types of training can help your running, and can be hugely beneficial.

However, the side people don’t consider is classic running strength. If you are a strong runner, this suggests you can keep running at the same fast pace, while maintaining your form. It may feel that these runners come through at the end of races, when in reality it is that they are able to keep going at their original pace with little tiring. This comes through many years of running training, and serves as a base to all other training. A session such as 8 x 100m builds, and long hard runs help to build strength.

6. EQUIPMENT One of the biggest risks of injury arises from wearing incorrect trainers. A gait analysis should always be completed by a professional every time you need a new pair of running shoes, as we can run in different ways meaning we need differing support and cushioning.

Shoes need to be replaced once a year or every 3-500 miles. After this, any cushioning in the shoe could be worn down leading you to be more prone to injury.

Running in anything cotton is not ideal; instead you should wear technical clothing as it allows the body to breathe and wicks away sweat leaving you more comfortable throughout your run. For ladies, a good sports bra is essential and should be changed regularly alongside your running shoes. A GPS watch is a bonus and can have massive advantages, but these can be expensive.

Try not to carry your phone as this prevents you from running naturally; there are many phone carriers available to save you from physically holding it. In OCR, a good pair of trail shoes are essential as they provide you with better grip and hold less water. A good pair of socks made from merino wool are a great plus as they don’t hold water which could lead to cold feet and blisters.

5. NOT DOING RUNNING STRENGTH WORK 7.

THROUGH INJURY All good runners do strength work; it is a myth that runners are not strong. Being good at running is not enough to do well in OCR, you must train in both areas. There are various ways

Throughout this article, I have mentioned some of the dangers that can lead to injuries such as over training, increasing mileage too quickly,

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FEATURE: TOP TEN MISTAKES RUNNERS MAKE

not having enough recovery or rest, wearing incorrect foot wear or running too many miles on the road.

The important thing to bear in mind with running through pain is whether the pain is an ache or an actual injury. If both legs ache in the same way, this is most likely an ache rather than a serious injury. The secret is knowing your body and listening to it so that you rest when your body shouts for it, but continue training if your legs are a little sore from a session 3 days ago for example. This gets easier with time and you have to remember to be kind to yourself.

Training on an injury can cause a much more serious injury, and could stop you from running for a much longer period of time than if you had rested originally.

Avoiding injury is of huge importance, nobody wants to be injured, but there are many ways you can reduce your chances of this happening. Listen to your body, make sensible, informed choices, wear correct footwear, allow yourself to rest and recover, and if you do pick up an injury, seek medical advice such as through a physiotherapist as soon as possible.

The most common advice for injury is to use a combination of heat and cold (ice) treatment, with rest. Compression wear may help to reduce lactic acid and is something I use. An important rule I follow is if I need pain killers to get through a run, I simply do not run.

8. FUELLING You need to eat healthily to run well, it’s that simple. I don’t stick to a strict diet, but I do ensure I eat lots of good foods. I tend to have carbs with each meal as I run so much, and I consume high amounts of protein through eggs, tuna, chicken, beef and milk. I eat fruit and vegetables each day and I try to drink 3 litres of water a day. I eat good fats and bad fats, but I do try to limit these.

However, I don’t calorie count or weigh out portions etc. I don’t tend to carb-load for most races as I consume carbs regularly, but

everybody is different. I train myself 10-14 times a week covering 40-65 miles and then I run alongside all my 1:1 clients so I can hit 100 miles a week, meaning I have to take in plenty of carbs and protein.

I recommend consuming carbs 2 hours before a run, such as porridge or toast with something such as a banana. I find it hard to run first thing in the morning, but you may find that’s when you run best. After a run, I consume carbs to replenish my glycogen stores and protein so as to aid my muscle recovery. I do use mountain fuel as an extra energy boost and as a recovery aid, so that I can train hard again quickly .This work well for me, as I don’t run well with energy gels or tablets, and it means I don’t feel heavy from carb-loading.

9. RUNNING ON THE ROAD Many of us (I’m guilty of this too) complete all of our running on the road, as it’s easier to run fast and is much more convenient. However, the OCRs we run are not on road and so we are doing our body an injustice to train it to do one thing, but then ask it do something entirely different come race day.

At least some of your training should be completed on grass, as we use our muscles very differently when running on softer ground. Enabling our body time to adjust to grass running is hugely beneficial, as it can strengthen our ankles among many other things which are crucial for OCRs. Grass is much softer than roads, and so it cushions our running and minimises our injury risk as opposed to running on concrete. If you have trails or a park nearby, these would be ideal for your training. I try to simulate races too, so I might run through ditches, across streams or through woods etc.

I do like to complete some of my runs on road and tarmac track when I am working on speed, but the majority is on grass.

Once you’re used to running fast on grass,

Lee is the captain of, and competes, for Team Muddy Kit. He regularly finishes in the top 5 of OCRs and has run under 3 hours for the marathon and 75 minutes for the half marathon.

He owns a running business called Let’s Run and is based near Braintree, Essex where he trains runners on a 1:1 basis and through group sessions.

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races will become much easier, enabling you to run quicker and finish higher up the field.

Minimising injury risk by running on the grass is another huge advantage to off-road running, as many injuries are caused by running too many miles on the road.

10. NOT HAVING A PLAN One of the biggest mistakes runners can make is simply going for run after run with no plan.

It is important to carefully schedule in all the types of training mentioned above. Going out the front door and deciding to run 6 miles, for example, will help your running to a degree but you could improve so much more with some focused training.

Any schedule should include different types of runs such as short, tempo, long or recovery as well as interval training such as speed, endurance or hills. Your schedule should also map out when you complete your strength training or any other training you do, such as spinning, swimming or technique work.

A schedule should be written backwards, so it will begin with a goal (such as a race) and then work back from it. One of the many advantages to planning ahead and forming a schedule is it allows you to complete the set training, knowing there is an aim for each session and that by completing them, you are heading in the direction of your ultimate goal.

I find I am so much more disciplined when I have a schedule to follow. It can be all too easy to tell yourself you’re tired and reduce your training over many days, which can very quickly add up and before you know it, you’ve not trained hard for a few weeks and your performance has dropped.

It can take time to write a schedule, but once it is written, and if you take into consideration all of the above points, you can be confident that following it will result in huge improvements in your running.

He also offers a popular service online where he writes bespoke running schedules costing just £50 for a 10 week personalised plan.

He is a fully qualified UK Athletics Endurance Coach and has been coaching for 5 years and running for over 20 years. To find out more, go to www. letsrun.info

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FEATURE: SUPPLEMENTS TO AID YOUR TRAINING

SUPPLEMENTS TO AID YOUR RUNNING Written by Achillea Kyriakou & Danny Lowney of knowwhatsupp.com - comparing supplements made simple

Many people ask us, ‘should I use supplements?’ and the honest answer is, it depends. There are a lot of products out there and the supplement market can be very confusing. This is where knowwhatsupp.com can help. There are three supplements we believe you should be using to aid your running.

1. WHEY PROTEIN 2. VITAMIN D3

3. CURCUMIN

A question many people ask and a topic many people don’t fully understand. What is the main function of protein? In this case, the funtions of protein shakes, are to deliver amino acids to muscle cells, helping them to recover, repair and grow after strenuous workouts.

Protein Shakes are an efficient and convenient way of gaining the protein needed, rather than having to eat large amounts of high-protein foods straight after exercise. Pop one in your bag and its ready and waiting once you cross that finish line! *Dosage: Minimum 20g per serving

Vitamin D has several important functions.

Perhaps the most vital are regulating the absorption of calcium and phosphorous, and facilitating normal immune system function.

Getting a sufficient amount of the vitamin is important for normal growth and development of bones and teeth, as well as improved resistance against certain diseases. It is not uncommon for people to be lacking in this vitamin in ‘sunny’ old England, especially now winter is approaching and many of us are spending more time indoors.

So supplementing can be very beneficial. *Dosage: 1,000 - 6,000 IU

Highly anti-inflammatory, this makes for an ideal supplement with runners. Reducing inflammatory markers associated with joint inflammation, with positive backed research this really is a must. its potent antiinflammatory effects also seem to be quite protective against some forms of cancer progression, and are being heavily researched for future cancer treatment. However, it seems the uptake of this nutrient is poor, so taking it with other ingredients like Pipeline enhances uptake. *Dosage: 80-500mg (with piperine)

Have a question? Get in touch! www.knowwhatsupp.com

Twitter: @knowwhatsupp Email: hello@knowwhatsupp.com

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FEATURE: TRAINING GIFT IDEAS

RACE DAY GIFT IDEAS STAY WARM

X-FORM TOP £25 VIRUSPERFORMANCE. CO.UK

DRYROBE

The Men’s STAY WARM Coffee Charcoal X-Form Posture Control Long Sleeve Compression Top (SiO5x) was specifically designed to keep the high endurance athlete warm in harsh weather conditions. The STAY WARM fabric

INOV-8

RACE ULTRA™

£95 MUDDYKIT.CO.UK Dryrobe® the outdoor change robe, has a water-proof outer shell fabric, with enough space to pull your arms in through the sleeves to get changed inside it. Ideal for cold OCR’s & fast becoming an essential bit of kit. Now you can change anywhere, staying warm (and without flashing your bits) in the process. The dryrobe Advance features a chunky YKK(R) zip, deep softlined pockets and a zip-up internal pocket for car keys, MP3 player or a phone. Leave it on over your clothing or Kit while wet or dry to stay warm. You can re-use it multiple times throughout the day without the dryrobe ever feeling wet or cold. Get dry, cover up and stay warm with dryrobe.

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has been engineered to provide warmth and circulation to combat inflammation and decrease pain. This Long Sleeve STAY WARM Compression Top focuses on contributing to the compression of the wrist to the top of the torso, allowing superior range of upper-arm and core motion. The Biomechanical X-Form design reinforces posterior muscles, and also combats fatigue by promoting good posture while in motion. The Biomechanical X-Form is constructed with a 0.3 mm NeoSkin that reaches from the middle back to across the shoulders. There is an added inner-fabric lining that has been incorporated into the piece for additional comfort and support.

INOV-8

BASE ELITE™

£25

£65

INOV-8.COM

The ultimate chafe-free short for male athletes pushing their bodies to the limit in ultra and long distance races. Supportive inner tight works in tandem with 4-way stretch, DWR treated overlay fabric for outstanding comfort and ventilation.

Features mesh and zipped pockets to the rear for storing kit and essentials.

INOV-8.COM

Born in the UK in 2003, inov-8 manufactures specialist sports products in the off-road running and fitness markets. Renowned for designing lightweight footwear boasting the ultimate in grip, inov-8’s shoes can be found on the feet of the world’s most demanding competitors and adventurous athletes.

Main body S.Café and polyester mix / Naturally odour resistant, fast drying, moisture wicking and UV protection Open mesh to natural cooling zones with Polygiene® anti-microbial permanent odour control. Dual collar with inner rucksack / pack comfort band. Flatlocked stitched construction. Multi-angle reflective detailing.

FEATURE: TRAINING GIFT IDEAS

Are you looking for a nice Christmas surprise for a racer addict? Getting the right kit for a racer is always a mine field when buying for someone else. Here we’re share with you tried and tested kit that will put you in the good books for the rest of the year.

MERRELL

ALLOUT TERRA

VIRUS

CALF SLEEVES

SALOMON

SPEEDCROSS 3

£20

MUDDYKIT.CO.UK

Salomon’s iconic running shoe that brought speed to the trails! Light, fast, and featuring a super precise fit, the Speedcross 3 provides the ultimate grip in all conditions. The Salomon Speedcross 3 Trail Running Shoe combines a lightweight, anti-debris mesh upper. The Speedcross 3 features a wider heel across the sole area than previous versions, creating a greater contact surface which is altogether more stable. In addition, the Quicklace slider has been reduced in size, as has the ‘garage’ pocket, meaning that weight is significantly reduced and stowage is more compact.

The Speedcross 3 benefits from a lightweight injected EVA midsole, which is supported by Solomons Lightweight Muscle and molded EVA, which gives better underfoot cushioning and foot protection.

The forefoot has been reduced by up to 50 percent, meaning that the wearer’s foot is lower to the ground and therefore more likely to gain a better purchase, thereby reducing the chances of twisting the ankle.

The outsole utilises a blend of softer, harder and grippier Contagrip® compounds to yield the perfect mix of performance and durability. The aggressively appointed outsole tread featuring deep chevron shaped lugs provides an equal blend of comfort and grip in wet, sloppy trail conditions.

£100 MERRELL.COM The mud will soon be fuel for your determination with Merrell’s new Allout Terra Trail, o ering 360° protection from rocks and trail debris as you dig into unconquered terrain with a built-in sock liner and deep, diamond patterned lugs.

Merrells new offering to the off trail and OCR market. To ensure maximum traction the 6mm deep Vibram outsole will keep you glued to the ground and excels at shedding mud. A UniFlyTM foot wrap then stays in continuous contact with the 3 main arches of the feet. Relaxing the foot, conserving energy and resulting in increased mobility.

ALL TERRAIN

SUPER 2.0

£34.99 VIRUSPERFORMANCE.CO.UK The Stay Cool Compression Calf Sleeves Pair (UCo21) have been constructed with the Cool Jade fabric. The sleeve opening is lined with an elastic-silicone band that keeps the sleeve stable during physical activity. The sleeve also provides ultimate SPF 50+ sun protection. The Compression of the sleeve increases blood circulation to the muscles to assist in reducing muscle fatigue & muscle damage. The UCo21 was intended to be used during functional fitness training including: cycling, running, even weightlifting.

VJ SPORTS

IROCK

£100 £90

REEBOK.CO.UK

Quick, slick and rugged, the All Terrain Super is a versatile race ready masterpiece.

Terrain Skin, drainage ports and rope guards make it tougher than tough and light on the run. Not convinced? Let the water, mud, ropes and walls prove how great this shoe is for you.

MUDDYKIT.CO.UK

Jonathan Albon was photographed wearing these whilst romping home to his Tough Guy win back in January. Since then they’ve sold in their hundreds. Just like with most of the shoes we adopt into the OCR circuit the VJ Sports Irocks are designed to meet the needs of a competitive racer. The Irocks have been made to adapt to as many different conditions as possible, making them perfect for OCR .

Issue 12 | Obstacle Race

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REVIEW: TOUGHEST OSLO

TOUGHEST OSLO REVIEW WRITTEN BY: CHRISTIE WRIGHT PHOTOGRAPHY BY: MAT SZU - MATEOGRAPHY.COM

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REVIEW: TOUGHEST OSLO

CHRISTIE WRIGHT

Toughest

Location: Oslo Distance: Sprint 8k Number of Obstacles: 40+ Sort of Terrain: Mountain Level of Mud: 1/10 Difficulty: 9/10

S

tanding on the start line in the drizzling rain I could see my breath. It was cold, Norwegian cold, and in a matter of minutes I was going to be racing in it. Normally I don’t get nervous, if anything I get far too excited and can’t stop smiling but this wasn’t just any race, this was a Toughest race and I was in the Elite wave.

Pulling my green bib into place and adjusting my compression kit, I looked around at the women next to me. You could see the focus on their faces, feel their desire to win, this was OCR on a whole different level to back home. The atmosphere was electric and the commentators made sure that we, and the spectators knew who the front runners were.

I felt privileged to be standing alongside them on the start line, unsure of how long I would be able to keep up with their pace.

Then before I knew it the countdown had begun, a pulsing, throbbing sound that seemed to vibrate through me, steadying my heartbeat and slowing my breathing... Now I was the one who was focused, now I was ready. With the final shout from the commentator we were off and running.

Initially a tarmac run that quickly turned to trail, uneven ground and moss covered rocks, I soon realised that concentrating on my footing was going to be key to keeping my speed steady and I needed to stop worrying about what obstacle was coming up next! Running in my Inov-8 190s I felt confident on my feet and managed to keep pace with the front runners whilst the terrain was relatively flat(ish).

It wasn’t long before we hit our first obstacle and a huge smile spread across my face when I saw it… parallel bars, one of my favourites!

Jumping up and manoeuvring myself along them with ease, I felt my confidence growing.

It felt so good to see some of the other runners having to complete the penalty run whilst I carried on up the hill. This was how easily a race could be won and lost, fail every obstacle and it doesn’t matter how fast a runner you are, the penalties would seriously slow you down.

Unfortunately my lead gained on some of the faster runners was soon lost, as they powered past me as we gained elevation. I thought I had improved with my hill running, the Norwegian terrain and skill of the elite females however, showed me I still had a long

way to go! Still managing to keep pace with the majority of the pack we rounded the next bend and my eyes set upon the first rig of the race… rings.

Again, another favourite obstacle of mine but one that in the UK combined with mud and rain can soon become slippery and impassable.

The rain continued to fall as I climbed up to the slow lane, not daring to try the fast lane option where the rings seemed to have great cavernous gaps between them. Grabbing hold I pulled back and swung forward, the grip from the taping on the rings and my new Toughest gloves was unbelievable. I swung from ring to ring, skipping some as I trusted the grip in my gloves and hands.

It was only when I reached the other side that I wished I had been brave enough to tackle the fast lane, as even though I had completed the obstacle I still had the penalty of the log carry up a hill. Toughest races reward those racers who are more skilled and confident in their abilities. If you chose to do the fast lane then there is no penalty, the slow lane has a carry following it and if you fail either lane you have what I would consider a ‘double penalty’ which usually involves a run and a carry. After completing my penalty and dumping the log back on the pile, I continued on up the hill I had just run down.

The rings had spaced us out by now, so that we were each a few metres apart allowing us sufficient time at each obstacle without holding each other up. A steep ramped wall was next, which carried no penalty. After all, if you can’t run up a steep ramp unaided, then surely you shouldn’t be racing in the elite wave...? Gulp!

The rain had made it ridiculously slippery, but my training with Camilo a couple of days prior to the race paid off as I ran at the wall with the confidence he had given me. Up and over in seconds, I was soon back running.

Following the hills downwards, I could soon see the water! The idea of plunging into the crisp Norwegian water didn’t exactly thrill me, but the rig I was facing didn’t give me much option... The easy lane consisted of sideways shuffle bars followed by suspended triangles, which you had to somehow swing across.

The fast lane involved downwards facing grip bars and some other crazy hanging device.

Once again my gloves and grip kept me dry for the first part, and I made it to the end platform to then be told to jump in the water and swim to the other side of the lake.

Damn that water was cold! I struggled to catch my breath as I swam, mentally having to tell myself to steady my breathing as I made my way to the shoreline. Climbing out the track, I was led round to the left and up a rather steep hill, one of only two times in the race that I had to walk. Speeding down past the uphill runners, I managed to get blood back into my legs and arms, full length compression was a good choice!

Hurdles, crawls and hay bales followed.

Leading to inclined monkey bars (and flying monkey bars for the fast lane) which, again, had amazing grip. Toughest organisers want you to improve your skill on obstacles, it isn’t about trying to get people to slip off at the first rung, as it’s covered in mud and grease, the skill needed to complete the obstacle itself is enough of a challenge. This was followed by more hill running, walls and hurdles as I made my way to one of my now favourite obstacles…

The Dragons Back.

After running up a 10ft inclined wall, this obstacle involved jumping from one platform to another set over 2 metres apart. Aiming for the scaffold pole opposite, I began to remember by training from the Toughest Lab with Camilo. Camilo would stand leaning across, shouting words of encouragement to me and James, such as “stop being a wimp” and “ you’re being a wimp”. And soon, without really thinking about it, I was jumping for the first bar. My foot slipped but I made it! More confidence I told myself, as I tried for the next one, which I landed perfectly. Five platform jumps later, and I was back on solid ground and heading towards the event village, where the platinum rig was waiting for me.

Having completed the rig the day before, I was happily swinging between rings, monkey bars and ropes. But, I had underestimated the toll the race would have on my grip strength, as despite my best efforts I slipped just before the last one. I was so annoyed with myself, as I ran to grab my sandbag penalty, which was followed by an incredibly low bear crawl.

Back on my feet and running out of the arena, it was the rope climb next. Suspended underneath a bridge, it made for an impressive climb and I was happy to ring the bell at the top. After sliding down, I ran to the Bulgarian bag carry, where both men and women had to carry the same weight. I was getting a satisfied feeling as I gained places on a couple of guys at this point (for once my pacing of the race

Issue 12 | Obstacle Race

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REVIEW: TOUGHEST OSLO

paying off!)

However, that satisfied feeling was short lived as I then went on to tackle the Sternum Checker, This involves two logs (with one set low as a step and the other at about headheight) and is named Sternum because of its ability to crack a rib or two if hit incorrectly.

I managed to avoid the sternum knock, and genuinely thought I had made it over the log until my momentum began to pull me backwards and I came crashing down to the ground. Landing with all my weight on my right forearm and then falling back to hit my head on the hard ground, I was fighting back the tears. A kind marshal and racer came over to check I was ok, at which point I genuinely thought I had broken my arm but I wasn’t willing to admit that to them, I wanted to finish this race and was not going to DNF for anything. I saw green bib after green bib run pass me as I picked myself up and turned into the woods for my penalty run.

Thankfully there was no carrying involved, as I was struggling to even straighten my arm at this point. Slightly disorientated and in pain, I overran the penalty by 50-metres, and annoyingly lost more places. For me it was at this point that the race turned into a survival to finish rather than placing highly in the elite women’s rankings.

Clutching my arm I ran on to the obstacle I had been looking forward to most, a 100m waterslide. The fastest slide I had ever been on, to the point where I couldn’t keep my eyes open due to the speed and spray. Later I learned they had closed it soon after my run due to how fast it had become. I still consider myself to be incredibly lucky to be one of the racers who got to complete it.

More running, walls and hay bales lead to the final 1k of the race and another new obstacle for me… slack lines. Toughest had given us permission to cross these with feet on one and legs on the other, using core strength to keep the lines together. Stepping onto the lines, I knew this was going to hurt but thankfully by this point my arm had become nearly numb from the cold, and once I managed to lock it out straight it didn’t really hurt too much. I eased my way across slowly and managed to make it to the other side, only

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having to tell one guy off for making the lines shake too much .

Now we were back running on concrete and I was able to get my speed up, somehow managing to get over another wall and Irish table with a bent immovable right arm. The wonders of adrenalin and the Norwegian cold!

Every step I took now resulted in a shooting pain that went right through my arm, but only a spider wall and peg board was left between me and the finish straight.

Jumping from the trampet onto the wall my right arm just couldn’t support my weight and I slid down to the ground, where I was only too happy to pick up my sandbag penalty. Onto the peg board and I knew I was beaten, without hesitation I again picked up my sandbag and started running with a new found energy as the giant ski slope was in my sights.

Finishing the penalty involved sprinting down the base of a ski slope, which just seemed to get bigger and bigger as I got closer to the bottom. I initially intended to try and run up, but it was at this point that I realised both my arm and fitness weren’t going to let me. Instead, I got my head down and started to walk upwards using the beat of the music to keep my pace steady. Before I knew it I was over half way, marshals perfectly placed on the slope shouted words of encouragement in Norwegian (or at least that’s what I think they were saying!) as I neared the top.

With the finish only metres away I decided to try and sprint. My legs burned and my arm throbbed as I dug deep and attempted to pick up my speed (in reality I would compare it more to a slow jog than a sprint) towards the commentator who held out a hand to meet me as I crossed the line.

As I caught my breath I was greeted by hugs and high fives from other racers, some of whom I didn’t even know. As a young girl stepped forward to place the Toughest fist medal around my neck, I felt on top of the world. My arm was pulsating underneath my compression and the Norwegian cold was making my whole body tingle and shake, but I had done what I came to do. I had completed a Toughest race and in doing so, without even trying, had extended my OCR family further around the globe.

REVIEW: TOUGHEST OSLO

AWESOME RACE, AWESOME PEOPLE AND SUCH INCREDIBLE TALENT. Issue 12 | Obstacle Race

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FEATURE: FIGHT THE POWER

FIGHT THE POWER GET OUTSIDE, EMBRACE THE ELEMENTS AND USE OUR 6 QUICK BLAST WORKOUTS TO FIGHT THE POWER WRITTEN BY: PT EMZ OF BOOTCAMP REVOLUTION PHOTOGRAPHY BY :SCOTT LUXTON

It's cold. It's dark. Day light hours shorten and your body responds with its most basic primal response... TO SURVIVE. It strives to build up winter fat store, stay warm, reserve fuel and hibernate!!

But not us, not the hardened OC Racer, it's time to fight the power, and say NO! We will not give in, we will not give up! It's time to fight back, take control of your survival and use this harshest of seasons as your number one weapon to becoming a beast!!

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FEATURE: FIGHT THE POWER

WORKOUT INTRODUCTION In keeping with the festive period and Christmas party games, we've created 6 workouts.

Simply roll a dice every day, and what number it lands on, that’s the workout you’ll do! If you really fancy a smash up, then roll the dice twice and do a couple.

HEALTH NOTICE: We recommend you seek the advice of your doctor before commencing any new fitness program. Please ensure you warm up sufficiently before undertaking any exercises.

Please see our suggested warm up:

THE WARM UP BEGINNER 30 seconds of each INTERMEDIATE 45 seconds of each ADVANCED 1 minute of each Jog on spot Star Jumps Heels to bum Sprint forwards 10 meters / jog backwards to start point Repeat x 3

THE WORKOUTS

NUMBER 1: SMASH IT Cardio / Endurance / Stamina / Agility The Kit: Stop watch or timer Distance markers or lampposts Pen & Pad The Plan: SET TIMER for 60 seconds Sprint 10 meters then rest for remainder of 60 seconds RESET TIMER Sprint 20 meters then rest for remainder of 60 seconds RESET TIMER Sprint 30 meters then rest for remainder of 60 seconds Continue until you reach a distance you cannot complete within the 60 seconds NOTE down your distance achieved and attempt to smash that total when you next repeat the workout

NUMBER 3: TAB-ATTACK Based on our popular class of the same name, here's brilliant strength building challenge The Kit: Stop watch or timer The Plan: SET TIMER to 60 seconds PERFORM exercise 1 for 45 seconds.

REST for 15 seconds PERFORM exercise 2 for 45 seconds.

REST for 15 seconds PERFORM exercise 3 for 45 seconds.

REST for 15 seconds REPEAT B: x5 I: x8 A: x10 EXERCISE 1: V Jump out • Assume Plank Position with arms fully extended and get together, with hands set in line with shoulders as wide as possible

NUMBER 2: TOTAL TUCK JUMP Cardio / Endurance / Stamina / Strength / Core The Kit: Stop watch or timer Pen & Pad The Plan: B: 20 I: 30 A: 50 Time how long it takes you to complete the amount of tuck jumps shown for your ability.

Note down your result and attempt to smash that total when you next repeat the workout.

• In one explosive movement, thrust hips skywards, jump feet upwards and outwards, landing with feet set in a wide stance.

Creating a V with the legs • In another explosive movement, repeat move but return feet back to start point

EXERCISE 2: SUMO SQUAT • Stand with feet as wide as possible but I'm a comfortable position (with toes set at 11 & 1 on the clock) • Keeping knees over ankles and slowly lower yourself in to the deepest squat position you are able to achieve, while still maintaining good form and ensuring knees do not protrude further forward than the toes and knees, and that feet point in the same direction (11:00 & 1:00) • Push tail bone out, with pelvis tucked under, maintaining an up right position with upper body and shoulder back and down • YOU'RE AIMING TO GET YOUR ARSE TO GRASS AND GET AS LOW AS POSSIBLE • Driving heels in to the ground, push upwards returning to start position, with legs extended but without locking knees EXERCISE 3: ELEVATED AB CRUNCH • Sitting on your bottom, with body upright, bend knees into stomach and keep both feet lifted off floor. Keep arms extended either side of legs • Slowly extend legs away from body and lower back towards floor, keep legs lifted at all times

Low impact version - Step right foot out wide Step left foot out wide Step right foot back in Step left foot back in

• Return to start position, bringing body back to upright position and knees back in to body Beginners: keep feet on floor and slide feet away from body and then back in on the return to start position 4

Issue 12 | Obstacle Race

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FEATURE: FIGHT THE POWER

NUMBER 4: YOU GOT MITCH SLAPPED Cardio / Endurance / Stamina / Strength / Core The Kit: Stop watch or timer Pen & pad The Plan: SET TIMER for 5 minutes, start stopwatch

• Fingers should be pointing forwards • Slowly lower chest towards floor, taking elbows out wide, ensuring body remains inline

• Place foot firmly on floor out in front at a comfortable distance, toes pointing forward

• Push upwards returning to start position

• Maintaining an upright position with the torso, bend both knees to a 90* bend in each, lowering body, raising back heel off of floor

• In one explosive move, jump both feet in towards the body, aiming the knees to the stomach

• In one explosive movement, launch upwards, simultaneously switching legs, to land with the back foot forward and the front foot behind

• In another explosive move, launch the body skywards with arms above head, so body is straight and jumping vertically

EXERCISE 3 Ab crunches

PERFORM 1 rep of each exercise PERFORM 2 reps of each exercise PERFORM 3 reps of each exercise Continue increasing rep count by 1 each time and see what rep count you can achieve in the 5 minute time frame.

NOTE down your result and attempt to smash that total when you next repeat the workout.

EXERCISE 1 Press up burpee • Assume plank position with arms fully extended, with hands set in line with shoulders with hand directly below shoulders

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• Lay on back • Place hands back in floor in a crouched position • Jump feet back out so legs are fully extending, returning to start position EXERCISE 2 Plyometric Lunges

• Make sure your feet are planted firmly on the floor and about hip-width-distance apart.

• Keep your knees comfortably apart.

• Place finger tips lightly on temples • Tighten your abdominal muscles

• Assume start position: standing tall, shoulders back and down, feet at hip width apart, tail bone tucked under hands on hips

• Raise your head and shoulders off of the floor aiming lower ribs towards hips

• Step out right leg, keeping knee inline with hip

• Lower back down to return to start position 5:

FEATURE: FIGHT THE POWER

NUMBER 5: THE FINAL COUNTDOWN Cardio / Endurance / Stamina / Strength The Kit: Nothing required The Plan PERFORM each exercise starting at B: 10 I: 12 A: 15

• Assume Plank Position with arms fully extended, with hands set in line with shoulders and hands in line, directly below.

• Fingers should be pointing forwards • Slowly lower chest towards floor, taking elbows out wide, ensuring body remains inline • Push upwards returning to start position

THEN, WITH NO REST, perform each exercise B: 9 I: 11 A: 14 THEN, WITH NO REST, perform each exercise B: 8 I: 12 A: 13 Continue decreasing your rep count by 1 until you reach 1 rep of each exercise EXERCISE 1 Plyo Lunges (as previously described) EXERCISE 2 Press Up Squat Jax

NUMBER 6: THE BIG BEAST Cardio / Endurance / Stamina / Strength / Core

• In one explosive move, jump both feet in towards the body, aiming the knees to the stomach • In another explosive move, launch the body skywards landing with feet I wide squat stance • Quickly jump feet together then back out to squat position • Return hands to floor jumping feet back in to plank position

PERFORM exercise 2 NO REST

EXERCISE 1: Bear crawl

PERFORM exercise 1 The Kit: Nothing required The Plan PERFORM exercise 1 PERFORM exercise 2 NO REST PERFORM exercise 1

PERFORM exercise 2 NO REST for 60 seconds for 10 seconds for 50 seconds for 20 seconds for 40 seconds for 30 seconds Continue decreasing each set of exercise 1 by 10 seconds. Increasing each set of exercise 2 by 10 seconds until you reach 60 and 10 seconds again

• Place hands on floor, assuming a crab position • 'Scramble' across floor in a forwards direction (similar to a bear) as fast as possible without falling flat on your face!

EXERCISE 2: Burpee

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REGULARS: MUDTREST

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

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REGULARS: MUDTREST

Issue 12 | Obstacle Race

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REGULARS: MUDTREST

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REGULARS: ORM SELFIE

THE ORM KIT

SELFIE

HAVE YOU GOT AN AWESOME PICTURE YOU WANT TO SHARE? To get your picture on to our ORM kit selfie wall, email us with your name and a description at the address below:

LETTERS@OBSTACLERACEMAGAZINE.COM

GET YOURS TODAY! Issue 12 | Obstacle Race

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FEATURE: MICRO DOSING

MICRO DOSING

Written by Achillea Kyriakou & Danny Lowney of knowwhatsupp.com - comparing supplements made simple

MICRO DOSING... WE DON'T THINK SO! In recent years, some brands have made a point of noting that their pre-workout (amongst other types of) products only require small servings, implying they are extra potent, 'concentrated' and free from filler ingredients.

In many cases, this is a genuine benefit. For example, take the serving size for a product like NO XPLODE (up to 3 large scoops) against that of another like PNI Prodigy, which required up to one medium sized scoop.

That said, we have recently noticed a few

cases where companies are using the positive perception of small servings to their advantage.

We are currently reviewing Con-crét creatine. Their 'micro-dosing' is a euphemism for the tiny little scoop inside the tub.

ISN'T IT AMAZING HOW YOU CAN GET 48 SERVINGS IN SUCH A SMALL TUB!?

NO. This is called under dosing. What is 750mg of Creatine going to do for you? Not a lot at

HAVE A QUESTION? GET IN TOUCH! WWW.KNOWWHATSUPP.COM

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all. They base their dosing on body weight, as well as what type of training you do (Normal or Intense).

With that in mind, the average user would be using 3-4 'micro' servings per serving, meaning what was once a 48 serving product is now only good for as little as 12 servings!!

DON'T BE FOOLED BY THESE LITTLE/‘MICRO’ TRICKS.

TWITTER: @KNOWWHATSUPP EMAIL: HELLO@KNOWWHATSUPP.COM

FEATURE: COACH MICHAEL RANTING

COACH MICHAEL

RANTING

By Coach Michael of WildForestGym

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FEATURE: COACH MICHAEL RANTING

Have we caught Coach Michael on a bad day, or has he got some very valid rants to make as we see OCR turn into a sport that has standards, rules, safety measures and fair play. Since the birth of TEAM WildForestGym, the UK’s first elite obstacle racing team, Coach Michael has been central to the UK OCR scene,

and with the recent launch of his WildForestGym in March 2015 he has had an unrivalled exposure to a broad spectrum of elite racers and seasoned runners whom he has coached. Having witnessed and listened to the words and feelings of the community, Coach Michael feels informed to make such RANTS. Let’s see how he hopes to

shape the sport of obstacle racing.

It is rare that you will here me rant in the way that this article unfolds.

TARGET 1

I cannot tell you the amount of racers who are doing 2 or possibly 3 races in a weekend.

permitted or not, and therefore there are un/ intended unfair play on the course. If it was just a fun run that wouldn’t matter, but here we are talking about league tables, podiums and prize money.

RACE DIRECTORS & OCRA RANT : OBSTACLE & HAZARD SIGNAGE Because of the unique aspect to every obstacle and every race, there is a major element of the unknown when it comes to racing. This is quite different to virtually any sport where sports associations set standards and rules in regard to layout and construction.

In OCR, with every race director building innovative obstacles, such standards will never happen and neither would it be wanted.

We love this aspect to the sport but safety has to be paramount. Too many runners are getting injured due to the unknown aspect of jumps, landings and in particular water jumps and crossings. Racers are breaking bones just like when Thomas Blanc jumped into a foam pit, which had a concrete base or in other cases racers breaking legs when falling off monkey bars into shallow water when they expected it to be deep.

ACTION: OCRA - I would like to see the implementation/ design of standard hazard signs that race directors are required to install, like road signs at relevant obstacles indicating the danger, for example ‘Water 1ft deep’, ‘Shallow Water’ ‘Rubble under water’ or ‘Hard Landing’.

TARGET 2 SEASONED RACERS RANT : DOUBLING AND TRIPLING RACE WEEKENDS

It’s all very well wanting to race with your mates/team or not wanting to miss out on an exciting, challenging or new race. But guys and girls, how many of you are getting injured…it’s shocking. I recently sent out personal messages to invite runners to the WildForestJam. I cannot tell you how many couldn’t come because they were carrying an injury. It’s madness. But of no surprise as OCR doesn’t have on/off sessions.

ACTION: RACERS – Over racing will lead to fatigue and make you more susceptible to injury. You need to create your own seasons and find the balance between racing, training and recovery.

Just because others are doubling or tripling on the weekend, it doesn’t mean you should or can. Start to listen to your body and look at the bigger picture i.e. your season/year.

TARGET 3 OCR LEAGUES & RACE DIRECTORS RANT : RACERS WANT TO KNOW THE RULES All sport governing bodies, associations or leagues require all races to follow the same rules. At the moment, you can turn up to one OCR race and go across the monkey bars with your hands and legs, and in another get a forfeit for using your legs.

Other occasions you jump off an obstacle earlier and run off, and in another case you get 30 burpees. Racers do not know what is

However, for those who know me I can be quite expressive, because of my passion for OCR becoming a sport with standards and rules alike.

I am sure some of my rants will be contentious but I hope valid.

ACTION: LEAGUE ORGANISERS -Just like other sports, all league events should be running the same rules across the board at all events. These should be published by both the league and the race director prior to race day. Any variants should be be similarly published and emailed to all racers ahead of the race, so that they know about what the rules are and the criteria for forfeit and disqualification.

TARGET 4 RACE DIRECTORS RANT : ELITE WAVES TO BE QUALIFYING At the moment, any runner can enter an elite wave whatever their ability. However, some are not suitable and in some cases it excludes elite wave racers from entering when waves get over-subscribed. As a sport, we should be standardising.

ACTION: RACE DIRECTORS & OCRA – Elite wave applicants should be required to submit race results from another OCR race that proves their worthiness. The criteria is something the OCRA should become involved with.

Similarly, by having the elite wave as the only wave that can qualify for the podium, means that it is easier for the race directors to vigilantly marshal, and puts every racer on an equal footing.

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FEATURE: COACH MICHAEL RANTING

If a race takes place in a wet and muddy season which in the UK can be any time of the year this can bring havoc...

TARGET 5

TARGET 7

SEASONED RUNNERS RANT: NOT COMPLETING OBSTACLES OR CUTTING THE COURSE

RACE DIRECTORS & OCRA RANT: HOW MANY INJURIES CAN BE PREVENTED WITH CORRECT SHOES

I cannot tell you the amount of racers I hear moaning, because he or she experienced another runner not completing an obstacle or cutting a section of the course.

If a race takes place in a wet and muddy season, which in the UK can be any time of the year, this can cause havoc and increase injury rates, as well as cost more of the race director’s time, cost and first aid resources.

ACTION: SEASONED RUNNERS – As much as I can suggest race directors improve on their marshalling I put it back to you. Honour and integrity should be the foundations of our racing endeavours. I urge you to look at yourself in the mirror and ask yourself how you currently race.

Can you lift your head high and say you play by the rules. There will always be cheats in every sport, but the majority, I hope, agree that we need to tidy up our game and encourage good sportsmanship across the board.

TARGET 6 RACE DRIECTORS RANT: WHY DO ALL RACE DIRECTORS REWARD THE LONGER DISTANCE RACES

ACTION: RACE DIRECTORS/OCRA – How many accidents can we prevent if each race director was to state that trail shoes are a requirement?

It doesn’t have to be major expense for the runner, as entry level trail shoes come in at £15-20.

However, I feel that if a race director wishes to expose its runners to mud, slippery terrains and water, then trail shoes should be a requirement.

Runners deserve no less, and shouldn’t be exposed to unnecessary injuries and accidents.

TARGET 8 OCRA

Simply put, is Usain Bolt any less of a racer then Mo Farah just because he only runs 100m? Each runner has a different skill set and a favoured distance. The importance of a race should not be based on distance, prize or medal. In the case of Bolt, he is the highest paid of all for running for less than 10seconds.

Are you going to tell him he doesn’t deserve it?

ACTION: RACE DIRECTORS - If, as a race director, you have multiple distances on a race day or weekend, it would be good to treat all races equally. That means there are multiple podiums, medals, trophies and prize money where applicable, which will naturally needed to be shared out.

Looking at it from the sport and the future point of view, we can build both cross country and track running athletes. This way OCR runners can optimise their strengths and skills. Similarly as a sport, we can build sprint, mid distance and endurance racers.

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RANT: DOES OCR NEED ANOTHER DEATH With every opportunist jumping on the bandwagon and launching their own OCR race, we are now finding that individual race ticket sales are falling as more racers are widening their choice of races. When ticket sales are low, this means the race director has to make cuts or work with limited budgets. This can be in the case of construction or route building to have huge risks when it comes to suitability, construction integrity and safety.

ACTION: OCRA – If we do not start to self-police our sport then someone else will do it for us. It may be too late if we wait for another death or life changing injury before we take action. Even the big boys, who invest heavily into races, suffer from injuries and accidents. However, the public are even more exposed by the opportunist as per the above reasons. OCR should be like other sports. May it be an athletics or football club, they are required to be a member of an association/ governing body and therefore the association/governing body can lay down

guideline and rules and in the case of safety undertake random/regular course inspections.

TARGET 9 SEASONED RACERS RANT: IF YOU DON’T LISTEN TO YOUR BODY YOU WON’T MAKE THAT FULL RECOVERY

All sports have risks, however OCR has more because of the very nature of the obstacles and the terrain. Plus, OCR doesn’t have an off seasons, meaning injury rates are high.

The implications are that most of the time we make decisions to race based on our heart and money, rather than what is necessary best for our body. The common thing I hear from seasoned runners, is that they’re injured but still plan on racing because their mate has already bought a ticket.

ACTION: SEASONED RACERS – If we ignore the body, then at some stage our body will fight back and refuse to do what we want. The key implications of this rant is that unless we listen to our body, are prepared to miss a race, or lose money on a race ticket, then we will pay a price for not listening. If you don’t make a full recovery, you’re more likely to suffer from more injuries, and inevitably a body that just won’t play ball.

PHEEW …

I feel a bit lighter now that I have finished my RANT. I am sure I will have hit on some delicate, controversial or popular subjects and will see many a conversation pop-up on Facebook.

RACER PROFILES

RACERS BEST

FOR 2015

At the start of the year, we asked a group of OCR fans which races they were most looking forward to in 2015. With the season almost complete, we’ve gone back to them to see which three events actually topped the billing for them. There’s a real mixed bag here, and some events you might not have expected to see. All in all, this gives you some food for thought when planning in your 2016 events.

Jay 'Blitzy' Martin Romford

Age

22

My top 3 picks for 2015:

1st Dirty Dozen 2nd London River Rat Race 3rd Mudnificent 7

Stevie Cairney Stirling

Age

37

My top 3 picks for 2015:

1st Mighty Deerstalker 2nd Spartan Super Edinburgh 3rd Bing Blazer

Andy Bate Manchester

Age

35

My top 3 picks for 2015:

1st Total Warrior 2nd Born Survivor 3rd Tough Mudder

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RACER PROFILES

Jenny Shackleton Waterlooville

Age My top 3 picks for 2015:

32 1st Mud Monsters 2nd Tough Guy Nettle Warrior 3rd Mudnificent 7 / Ram Run

Carlo Dileone Newport

Age

31

My top 3 picks for 2015:

1st Dirty Dozen Usk 2nd Judgement Day 3rd Ram Run

Rhian Edwards Cardiff

Age

39

My top 3 picks for 2015:

1st Tough Guy 2nd Dirty Dozen Usk 3rd MHSOTF Cardiff

Donna Jenner-Hall Kent

Age

37

My top 3 picks for 2015:

1st Winter Tough Guy 2nd Nuclear Rush 3rd Nuts Challenge

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RACER PROFILES

Matt Stewart Ware

Age

39

My top 3 picks for 2015:

1st Mini Military Mud Run 2nd Spartan Sprint 3rd Mudnificent 7

Rob Di Cuffa Oxford

Age

50

My top 3 picks for 2015:

1st OCR World Championship 2nd Ram Run 3rd Spartan Race

Jon Rose Worcester

Age

38

My top 3 picks for 2015:

1st Eliminiator Marathon 2nd Nuclear Rush 3rd Airfield Anarchy Mud Fest

Sarah Greene Leeds

Age

26

My top 3 picks for 2015:

1st OCR World Championships 2nd Man vs Mountain 3rd Spartan Super Scotland

Mari Weider Lillestrom, Norway

Age:

38

My top 3 picks for 2015:

1st Tough Guy 2nd Spartan Super 3rd Toughest Gothenburg

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RACER PROFILES

Morag Logan Essex

Age

34

My top 3 picks for 2015:

1st Spartan Race 2nd Nuts Challenge 3rd Rat Race Dirty Weekend

Anthony Downes Trowbridge

Age

40

My top 3 picks for 2015:

1st Rat Race Dirty Weekend 2nd Spartan Beast 3rd Mudnificent 7

Charles Brister Glasgow

Age

30

My top 3 picks for 2015:

1st The Major Series (Scotland) 2nd Rat Race Dirty Weekend 3rd Tough Guy

Glenn Coleman Bedfordshire

Age

33

My top 3 picks for 2015:

1st OCR World Championships 2nd Spartan Super Scotland 3rd Spartan Beast

WHAT WERE YOUR FAVOURITE 3 EVENTS OF 2015?

LET US KNOW ON OUR FACEBOOK PAGE.

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REGULARS: HEALTH HACKS

HEAL H HACKS BIO FREEZE Biofreeze is a topical pain reliever. It’s great for sore joints, muscles, arthritis and lower back pain. 100% natural, the active ingredient is menthol, which creates a cooling sensation that ‘channel blocks’ nerve endings close to the skin and pain signals traveling to the brain.

Originally available as a gel, you can now buy the product as a roll-on and spray and handy 30ml (gym bag friendly bottle).

RRP £2.50-£30 BOOTS STORES

RRP £12.99-£22.99 WWW.PURITION.CO.UK

PURITION REAL FOOD SHAKE Purition have worked hard to create a range of exciting, real food shake mixes, that simply aim to make eating real food easier. On top of this, they also aim to provide your body with the nutrients it needs to help you achieve

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your goals. The shake mixes come in exciting flavours, including: Macadamia and Vanilla, Almond, Pistachio, Coconut, Chocolate, Raw Vegan Hemp - they’re all jam packed with seeds and nuts. Each contains a sprinkling of the natural sweetener stevia to balance flavours, not to make it overly sweet, and a protein boost from British whey, produced in Devon, or European grown hemp protein. The result is a real food, high protein, shake mix which can

be added to milk, nut milk or yoghurt to create a delicious nutritional ‘food’, which is ideal for a quick and easy post exercise recovery shake, breakfast on a rest day or pre workout fuel.

When prepared, each Purition provides at least 18-20 grams of natural protein, more fibre than you’d find in 4 slices of wholemeal bread, and enough ‘good healthy fats’ to fuel your body and mind for 4-5 hours.

DR ZAK’S PEANUT BUTTER SPREAD If you thought protein supplementation only involved odd tasting shakes and bars, it’s time to think again. With flavours including White Chocolate & Coconut and Salted Caramel, and a melt in the mouth texture, Dr Zak’s new peanut spreads taste delicious irrespective of the fact they are also jammed full of high quality protein…36g of protein for each 100g serving of the nut butter.

SPLASH MAPS SplashMaps are REAL outdoor maps designed for clarity and accuracy. They are Washable, Wearable, All-Weather Fabric maps. Like all the best ideas, SplashMaps was born of frustration. Failing GPS devices and trying to use wet paper maps outdoors are not great user experiences. With

SplashMaps, we’ve taken our knowledge of mapping, gained from years of experience with mapping agencies, and added open map data from Ordnance Survey and OpenStreetMap to make a product that is entirely designed around you.

RRP: £22.50

WWW.SPLASH-MAPS.COM

LACTIGO GEL A revolutionary new gel promises to help endurance athletes operate harder, and faster, for longer - because it helps stop dreaded muscle cramps. The new supplement, which is rubbed directly into muscles, stops the build-up of painful lactic acid. Currently, scores of top athletes are reaping the benefits of the unique gel. The 100 per cent natural product.

A scientific study conducted by Italian university Universita Degli Studi Di Pavia proved that footballers wearing socks coated in the gel experienced 300 per cent less muscle fatigue and 500 per cent fewer cramps over a 12-day trial.

RRP £24.95

WWW.LACTIGO-EU.COM

RRP £6.99

450GRAM WWW.MUSCLEFOOD.COM

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RACE REVIEW: SPARTAN TRIFECTA

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RACE REVIEW: SPARTAN TRIFECTA

SPARTAN TRIFECTA THE SPARTAN TRIFECTA This is achieved upon completing all three distance variations in one year. There are a few options for the 5km and 10km distances, but currently only one Beast.

JAMES DOWSETT

Spartan Trifecta

Location: Winchester Distance: Sprint 5k+, Super 10k+, Beast 20k+ Number of Obstacles: Sprint 20+, Super 25+, Beast 30+ Sort of Terrain: Sprint - Fields, Woodland, Streams , Super & Beast - A bit of everything!

Level of Mud: Sprint - 2/10, Super - 8/10, Beast - 9/10 Difficulty: Sprint - 4/10, Super - 7/10, Beast - 8/10

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RACE REVIEW: SPARTAN TRIFECTA

CAMBRIDGESHIRE SPRINT This is the entry level distance and advertised as 5km+. First impressions of the venue were great, everything well signposted and loads of staff and volunteers on hand if you needed them.

Registration was quick and easy, and the main camp area was packed out with sponsor tents, food vans, etc, so there’s always loads going on.

A few keen beans had wandered a bit too close to the timing matts at the start so we had a 15 min wait while they reset the chips.There’s no warm up in the elite wave, it’s assumed you’ve sorted yourself out. We do still get the Spartan “team talk” though. I’m not sure who the Spartan MC is at the start of each race, but he’s outstanding – it’s like he’s just been plucked straight off the set of 300. After he’d had us shouting some obligatory “Aroos” we were off. I’d been a bit lapse today and found myself starting a few rows further back than I would normally

be. Immediately I paid the price, and after about two hundred metres, lines were already forming at a sequence of low walls. They weren’t terrible by any stretch, but it got worse a few minutes later as crawling under a small footbridge was resulting in quite a severe delay.

when I got to it. Come on guys, we’ve all signed the waiver, get those flames higher! At the finish I was happy to discover that you get an extra Trifecta medal (only completed when you get all 3), and also they’ve massively improved the t-shirts this year – they looked awesome.

For me the footbridge queue was the only small hiccup in an otherwise great day. The next 5km were packed with obstacles; muddy hurdles, monkey & parallel bars, barbed wire crawls, hoists, rope climbs, log & bucket carries, and spear throws all made an appearance. There was a short swim thrown in for good measure. The old sandbags had been replaced with branded Spartan “pancakes”, and the atlas stones had been updated and were now 50kg monsters.

The race was well marshalled and excellently marked throughout. As usual these events attract a big crowd, and the proximity of the last few obstacles to the finish meant we were getting loads of cheers for the last km or so.

Whilst the terrain was great and varied between fields, streams, and woods, this was probably the flattest obstacle race I’ve done. Don’t get me wrong I’m not complaining but I couldn’t help thinking I’d gotten off a bit lightly.

The end was marked by the usual Spartan fire jump, but unfortunately it was barely smoldering

ONE DOWN AND NOT A BURPEE PENALTY IN SIGHT, BRING ON THE SUPER!

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RACE REVIEW: SPARTAN TRIFECTA

SPARTAN SOUTH - SUPER Driving through the grounds of Ashburnham Place, it was clear I was going to ache a hell of a lot more tomorrow than I did after the Sprint. Not only did it look pretty hilly, I was a little apprehensive about the big lake I was approaching – err… why are there so many buoys and ropes in there?! Car parking was well organised, registration was smooth, and the main area well decked out.

As it happens, I’d beaten a mate of mine (hat tip to Adam Mangan) at the Sprint. It was one of those flukes of nature never likely to be repeated – I normally see him at the start for about 30 seconds before he disappears into the distance like a whippet – nevertheless I’d been ribbing him about it and we’d agreed to race this one. I wasn’t confident about even coming close but burpee penalties can sometimes level the field for slower or bigger guys against quick runners.

So onto the race; after another Oscar worthy performance from the Spartan MC, we were off. Almost immediately we were jumping into a cold, waist-deep stream, then after a long muddy barbed wire crawl and big A-frame, I found out what the buoys in the lake were for… we had a nice big swim ahead. I hate swimming almost as much as burpees, but like everyone else I jumped in and got on with it. I was out the water, over some walls and onto the

monkey bars. Lots of people were failing these, as we were drenched from the swim but I made it across, then hopped back in the water for the second leg of the swim.

At about 3km the field was nicely spaced out, the terrain was hilly but wasn’t too harsh so far.

After the rope climb and pancake carry it got a lot worse. The course had been chewed up by the sprint the day before and was seriously muddy now - up to your knees in sections this made the next set of climbing walls very slippery and there were loads of guys doing burpees here. Spear throw, tyre flips, kettle bell hoist and concrete block-pull out the way, I finally caught a glimpse of Adam as we entered a big field for a log carry. I was way too far behind to catch him, but kept pushing incase he had to make a stop or two at Burpeeville.

After probably 8km, we had to fill a bucket with gravel, before taking it to a marker and back. There was some epic mud here – it was like trying to wade through glue, with the world’s heaviest shopping bag. I knew they’d be checking the load when we got back so daren’t let any fall out. Straight after was another log carry, it was lighter than the first one and I thought they were going soft - then it turned into a huge mile-or-so slog through woods, streams, over several straight and inclined walls.

Finally, I bid farewell to my woody friend, headed up a steep field and smashed a parallel bar obstacle. I saw a couple of guys about 300m ahead and suck me sideways, one of them was Ad! He must have had a stinker somewhere and looked catchable. I reckoned we were over 10km by now, I knew the organisers would add extra distance on but had no idea how much. The sun was out, it was getting hotter and I’d never been so out of breath but I was definitely gaining. As we hit another spear throw, the finish was in sight and I had the gap down to about 20 metres.

The burpee gods weren’t listening to me and he nailed it, I followed suit and was only inches behind at the atlas stones. Not only are these things heavy, they’re a pain in the backside to get a hold of. I got to one end, dropped the stone, and gave the marshal the required payment of 5 burpees. I was ahead for a second but was so tired I just couldn’t pick it up for the return leg.

After three attempts, I had finally got it, but by this time Ad was already over the fire jump.

Despite being a bit gutted I hadn’t beaten Ad, this was my favourite race of the year so far.

The venue and weather were awesome, there were more obstacles than you could shake a stick at, the atmosphere was buzzing and the organisation was flawless.

JAMES 2 – BURPEE PENALTIES 0!

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RACE REVIEW: SPARTAN TRIFECTA

SPARTAN SOUTH - BEAST This is the Daddy race. The fact they’d sent an email around a couple of days before saying if you start after 12 you need to bring a head torch did raise an eyebrow, as did the fact the expected finish times were between 4–8 hours!

First up was a fairly long run over undulating woody terrain, so the field spaced out almost immediately. The first main obstacle was the same mud-fest barbed wire crawl from the Super but twice as long, and someone had had the cunning idea of putting the rope climb immediately after it - fine if your name is Peter Parker, but mine isn’t and I had a serious brown trouser moment at the top when I nearly slipped off. Fortunately, I managed to hang on and haul arse to the bell before heading for a rope traverse over a small water section. The queue here was pretty hefty but fortunately this was the only bottleneck of the race.

As it was the same venue, a lot of the first 8km or so was similar to the Super – the course had been even more chewed up though, so on the early wood sections the mud was an obstacle in itself. For me this was actually a good thing, because concentrating so hard on where my next step was going meant I forgot about how much my lungs were screaming! The double swim was back (oh yippee), and this time they were offering life jackets. This was a good idea for the elite runners, as taking the burpee penalty meant you weren’t eligible for points.

After a long run through some great woody terrain, we were told to remember a long

code sequence (there were 100 variations so conferring was impossible). I committed this to memory and was pretty happy with my subsequent pace before I was stopped in my tracks by a pretty serious bog. There was no way of telling which bits were knee-deep and which waist-deep, and the going was slow and laborious - but I wouldn’t have had it any other way!

I picked up some running buddies for the next 5km or so (hat tip to Alex Lacey and Laura Try).

I seem to always be running solo, so having a bit of banter for a while was a welcome change. After, some familiar obstacles were several carrying challenges – the best was having to negotiate a balance beam, then a set of varied-height stakes, all whilst carrying 2 big tyres. This was followed by another lengthy run, where we were hit with more barbed wire, over some knee-shredding and hard-baked mud. After all this, two marshals requested the code I’d been given an hour earlier. I must really hate burpees because I can still remember mine 2 weeks later (Mike-210-3411).

After another extended run through open, undulating fields we were given 2 bricks and told to hold onto them for “a little while”...

Needless to say this turned into an epic carry through hilly woods, bogs, and streams. They also threw in a series of cutbacks on a short, steep hill which took its toll on my calves (although I think The Suffering Race still hosts the most painful version of this one!).

A chap I passed with a Garmin reckoned we

were over 20km now so I was hopeful we were nearly back. Could this be 3 races and no penalties?! Close to basecamp, and surrounded by spectators, was a rig set up with monkey bars, rings, ropes, and foot rings. If I’m honest I’d already sneaked a go on this the night before and thought I’d be fine, and I was… until I got sent into a spin by another guy who was struggling on the foot rings. I slipped off with a hearty yell of ’bugger!’ and fell foul of the burpee marshal who counted me to the required 30. If I wasn’t knackered before, I was now. Wading under a bridge I noticed the course turned left (err, the finish line is to the right, so why are they sending me left?!).

I was praying this was just a minor detour.

After some more hills, there was a nasty set of balancing stakes in the ground – the mud and height difference in them required massive concentration. I never ask the marshals how far was left because invariably they lie, but I couldn’t help myself as I grabbed some water –‘how far to go mate?’ He replied; ‘you’re about 2 thirds through’. Oh good God, please tell me he’s joking.

Less than a km later, I realised he had been wearing a pair of flaming panties after all and I entered the finish area – which was fortunate because my calves were in pieces! I got past the spear throw and hit the atlas stones. No problems this time, so I headed for the fire jump and grabbed my well-deserved swag from the marshals.

TRIFECTA – TICK!

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RACE REVIEW: BREATHING LIFE INTO YOUR RUNNING

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Obstacle Race | Issue 12

BREATHING LIFE

INTO YOUR

RUNNING WRITTEN BY: CARL WIBBERLEY

As a runner, you need to focus on several aspects of your body and how it responds to your running technique while you’re racing or training. Breathing is one of the aspects you need to focus on and train. It isn’t enough to just let your body do its own thing, especially if you if you want to improve your performance and run longer. A few simple breathing techniques when added into your routine will, over time, make you run better and faster.

BELLY BREATHING

The first thing you need to keep in mind is that when you are running, feeding your muscles the oxygen they need is of paramount importance, and breathing in your natural state, whether through the mouth or nose, is the most effective way to inhale and exhale oxygen. Some runners prefer to breathe through their nose, and others through the mouth. There’s little evidence to clearly suggest one is better than the other, but one thing most experts agree on is that a runner shouldn’t work hard to breathe, so the natural method is the best route to take.

It is also important to minimise ‘chest breathing’ in favour of what’s called diaphragmatic breathing or ‘belly breathing’. Chest breathing is too shallow to bring in maximal oxygen and doesn’t entirely expel all the breath from your lungs when you breathe out. Using your full lung capacity is crucial, so breathe from your belly.

Breathing correctly gives you that burst of energy, giving oxygen to the energy-producing cells in your body allowing your muscles to spring into action when

running or tackling obstacles. This takes time and practice to master: Pull in your abdomen with each exhale. When you inhale, oxygen will rush in through your throat and naturally expand your abdomen. Meanwhile, your chest should remain relatively still. The next time you go running, fight the urge to breathe through your chest and try and breathe through your diaphragm. It might take a few runs to perfect this, but when you do, the ease of running and breathing in this manner will be very apparent.

BREATHING RHYTHM

By definition, breathing rhythms refers to the number of footsteps/falls you take with each foot while breathing in or out. Your breathing rhythm depends on the intensity of your workout/run.

A 2:2 rhythm would mean that you take two steps – one with your left foot and the other with your right – while breathing in and two steps while breathing out.

Keeping this in mind, you’ll notice that a 3:3 rhythm – one step with right foot, one step with left and again one step with right – is the best for warms ups and easy runs.

Plenty of oxygen is allowed into the lungs, used up and expelled without much effort.

In the same vein, moderate to harder runs need a 2:2 rhythm. This allows you to take up to 45 breaths in a minute, which is a good ratio for a steady paced run.

For harder, race- level runs a 1:2 rhythm (one step breathing in, two steps breathing out) or a 2:1 rhythm (two steps breathing in and one step breathing out) is recommended. This will increase your oxygen uptake to 60 breaths per minute, but any higher will lead to shallow breaths.

These rhythms are recommended, but not considered hard and fast rules. Each runner responds to different breathing rhythms differently. If on an easy run you feel that a 3:3 rhythm is making you uncomfortable, then move to something more suitable to you. Breathing rhythms are not about pushing yourself, but about finding the right pattern for each run, and sticking to them so they become an ingrained part of your running.

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YOUR LETTERS

Letters

PAGE

Send us your letters!

Thanks for your letters and photos, we always look forward to hearing what you OCR fans are up to. We’re just sorry there isn’t room to include them all, but here’s a selection of our favourites.

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 I’m new to the ocr scene and having done my first wolf run in April this year, I was immediately hooked and signed up for the rest of the Wolf Runs and the Mud Runner Oblivion. But I had a fall during the summer Wolf, and was on crutches for six weeks, and so couldn’t take part in the Oblivion.

I did spring Wolf, then a week later I did the Muddy Furlong, and I’m now looking forward to the Winter Wolf. The one thing I have noticed with this sport, is just how amazing everyone involved is. The event staff, the marshalls, and most of all the runners. It’s the only sport I know where someone will sacrifice their PB to help someone stuck in the mud, and where you will get neck-deep in stinking mud to find a stranger’s trainer.

It’s also the only sport where you’ll get endless support and encouragement to those struggling (normally me).

I have entered most of the events on my own, but I know once I’m on that start line with everyone else we are all in it together.

You are all crazy, and I’m proud to say that I’m a part of this wacky and very muddy ocr family.

Thanks Gavin page

Hi! I’ve recently started OCR and I LOVE it, #ocr addict! Running is my meditation and I love stretching my limits but it’s a mental battle too! I’ve had a rough past few years and running and OCR’s have made my life heaven again, running is my passion, so is being aware of my health, body and mind!

I’m studying sports injury management level 3 which involves sports massage, nutrition and fitness! I just can’t stop !! This magazine indulges me in everything I need to know about OCR! Here’s my picture of me at the Reaper, I did the day and the night! I really hope my picture gets up, that would make me far too excited! Thanks for the great magazine !

Izzy

YOUR LETTERS

Hi Guys, Another fantastic day of OCR for the Pite boys at Spartan Cambridgeshire.

Will and Preston are taking part in their 2nd of 4 Spartan Junior races this season, Will liking it so much he took up the option of doing a second lap of the 7-10 year old course, this despite picking up his first decent OCR kiss in the shape of a fantastic bruise on his leg after slipping on one of the walls. Even Mum got involved, taking in the 4-7 year old race running with Preston.

Dad (Me) taking part in my 2nd Sprint after the relative niceness of the Allianz Stadium Sprint. Cambridgeshire was a very different animal and despite lots of complaints about changed start times for some, the course was epic from start to finish. I tamed my nemesis (monkey bars) for the second race is a row and nailed the javelin throw for the first time.

Sadly I slipped off the traverse wall, and as usual failed miserably at the rope climb so ended with 60 Burpees overall.

The Pite Family are definitely loving OCR and a bit of mud.

Jason Pite

My son (age 9) wrote this poem for school project after a Nuclear Race and thought I would share it with you... Maybe it’s worthy for the magazine!

Both my sons love OCR- it’s such a great sport and being the only female in the house of 3 boys and a hubby it’s s good job I like Getting muddy!!

MUD Mud, mud, running in a race.

Running through the river.

I’ve got mud on my face.

Mud, mud, my shoes got stuck.

My shoes come off, Oh no that sucks!

Mud, mud, jumping up the hill.

I tumble down like Jack & Jill.

Hi! This is me at the Pukka Race, World War Run :-) Full of cold and a 10 hour night shift ahead of me, but didn’t want to miss it! Ran it on my own, loved every second and didn’t do too bad considering, taking 7th female on the 5 miler course.

Claire Pearl

Mud, mud, I ran really fast.

Slipping and sliding.

I hope I don’t come last!

Mud, mud, hanging on the bars.

Climbing over hay bales.

I love OCR! Regards Nicky Eldred

YOUR LETTERS

Hi guys, In the pic is my good friend Kev Howe and myself at the Spartan Beast in Hastings on Sunday 27th September. Kev all the way over from France (where he now lives) to complete the Trifecta with me, so it seemed fitting to brighten ourselves up a little bit in celebration.

I hope you can print it in the next issue. Thanks for always putting out a great publication too.

Kind Regards, Justin Logan

Hello, I normally don’t write letters to magazines and such, but I had to say a big thank you to your magazine.

I have just finished my first OCR with the Mud Monsters Run, and I can’t tell you what a difference it made to have been a lil bit prepared- your reviews and tips on what kind of gear to wear, etc has been an inspiration. Now mind you- I did find out that I am no where near to what I thought was fit- but boy- what an achievement for me! I didn’t have a team to run with and as in life, most things I have done on my own- but the spirit of camaraderie was amazing.

Until I picked up your mag I had no idea that there is a whole movement out there about OCR. Now I don’t think that I will be a fanatic- but I am definitely a fan and am looking to enter more races. Keep up the great work and a big up to the mud monsters organizers!

Words can’t describe how I feel about finishing the course and getting my medal!!! Without your mag I would have never known, nor had the opportunity to do this!!!!

Thank you!!!

Nicole Ward

Hi mate This is me and my dad Eric Burgess at Only fools Ride Horses. He is 64 years old and started OCR this year with a view of running winter Tough Guy with me in January.

He has seen me run it now 3 times and decided it was something he wanted to achieve before he turns 65 next year.

He has run Dirty Dozen, Reaper Night Racer, World War Run and Only Fools Ride Horses, and he has also qualified for the UK championships.

He had been training hard with me at my RAW Fit sessions and is an inspiration. He is a great example of no excuses and showing it doesn’t matter how old you are that you can still achieve your goals.

Regards Rick Burgess

YOUR LETTERS

Hi, Just wanted to share this photo of my husband Nick Kowalski who is a subscriber to your magazine. This was taken at the September Spartan Race.

Though he has been doing obstacle races for a few years now, I still panic every time he leaves the house for yet another. But photos like this puts me at ease, if he can leap over fire then I’m

Hi Just a quick note to share a great story of my mum who at the age of 70 has completed her first two obstacle races in recent weeks, the Warrior Adrenaline Race 5km in September and the Bear Grylls Survival Race 5km in October.

pretty sure nothing will stop him getting to the finish line in one piece (obviously my heart doesn’t stop going crazy until the love of my life walks back through the door... then straight into the shower). Would love it if you could share this great shot of him wearing your T-shirt Thank you, Rebecca Kowalski

Not only does she enter the races but she runs the whole course and completes most obstacles and finishes a good way up the field. Inspirational for me and my two boys who have also started racing this year and hopefully for all your readers!

Steve Ward, Performance Consultant

RECIPES

LET’S GET COOKING POWERED BY MOUNTAIN FUEL Balanced Nutrition for all your activities www.mountainfuel.co.uk These are delicious recipes in their own right and perfect fuels to take to your events. The first in our series of recipes are Morning Fuel Power Pancakes and Chicken Broth with a Thai variation.

We love these recipes as they are so versatile and each represent well balanced nutrition to help power your activities.

BANANA

& CHOC

PORRIDGE

SERVES 2 I play around with this mix all the time depending on my days activity, this is my every day mix; one I turn to if I’m going on a long lunchtime run. It’s a fantastic balance of slow release energy along with the vitamins and nutrients your muscles require to stay replenished while you run, leaving you feeling much better post run.

INGREDIENTS 140g Chunky oats 440ml Semi skimmed milk 1 sachet of Mountain Fuel Chocolate Recovery 2 table spoon sunflower seeds 2 table spoon of pumpkin seeds 2 table spoon of coconut oil 1 small banana

METHOD Add the chunky oats and milk to a large mixing bowl and microwave on full power for four minutes. (Depending on the consistency you like you may want to go a minute less or more.)

Remove from the microwave and add in your sunflower, pumpkin seeds, coconut oil, a sachet of Mountain Fuel Chocolate Recovery and sliced banana then mix well.

You won’t feel peckish again for hours!

However If I’m racing earlier I simply use a Mountain Fuel Morning Fuel as it absorbs quickly and generating the energy I need straight away.

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RECIPES

PHO GA

CHICKEN NOODLE

SOUP SERVES 3-4

The preparation of good chicken or beef stock for this dish is paramount for the original dish this is derived from (a Vietnamese staple named Pho Ga) however this is much quicker version and it still ticks all the boxes when it comes to taste and satisfaction.

The bonus of this dish is that it is flexible as you can add whatever vegetables you fancy or have available.*

INGREDIENTS 2 pints of stock (homemade is best but shop-bought is fine) At least an inch of fresh ginger, cut across the grain into at least 5 slices A glug (desert spoon) of Fish sauce Dessert spoon of Sugar (brown is better) 1 x Cinnamon stick 1 x Star anise ¼ of a Fresh lime 2 large or three smaller garlic cloves

TOPPINGS At least two chicken breasts or cut of beef of similar size, both need to be sliced small and thinly so it cooks quickly.

2 or 3 large spring onions 200g Mushrooms 1 or 2 nests of Vermicelli or rice noodles of your choice Fresh Basil to garnish (ideally Thai but standard fresh basil is fine) *Siracha sauce is a recommended accompaniment

METHOD Make up a stock, either chicken or beef bring to the boil and simmer.

Add the ginger, crushed garlic cloves (no need to remove the skin as they will be removed from stock before you serve), star anise, a cinnamon stick, fish sauce and sugar. Finally add the sliced lime (or more to your taste).

Simmer all these ingredients together to release the flavours.

The longer the better (ideally the day before to allow flavours to infuse) but if you’re short of time then at least 15 minutes.

Sieve the stock to remove all the solid ingredients then add thinly sliced chicken to the simmering stock and turn the heat up a little to boil the meat, it will cook in a few minutes.

Whilst the chicken comes to the boil prepare your rice noodles (they’ll need to be soaked in boiling water for a couple of minutes but check the packaging) Slice the mushrooms, spring onions and a fresh chilli (I always include the seeds but do as your taste buds demand) In a suitable soup bowl, place a portion of noodles with spring onion and mushrooms on top, spoon the piping hot stock and chicken directly on top (this is the only cooking that the vegetables get).

Then to garnish add the chilli and basil. If desired add a glug of Siracha or you can use sweet chilli sauce if desired. Dig in and then have seconds!!!!

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REGULAR: BMF THE IDEAL OCR TRAINING PARTNER

BRITISH MILITARY FITNESS:

FEATURE: BMF THE IDEAL OCR TRAINING PARTNER

THE IDEAL OCR

TRAINING PARTNER

Still holding on to 2nd place in the Mudstacle league, despite 6 months out from injury, Thomas Blanc greatly attributes his success in OCR to his British Military Fitness (BMF) training. BMF, the leading provider of outdoor fitness, offer some of the most OCR-appropriate training sessions across the country. Here, Thomas talks us through his training sessions with BMF, and how it’s helped him reach the top of the league, whilst his BMF instructor, Tom Frearson, details the core benefits that BMF can offer.

STRETCHING Thomas: I always spend 20 minutes stretching and warming up before every race. I mix up different sets of the dynamic stretches we usually do at the beginning of a BMF session, such as high knees, walking lunges, shoulder circles, hip rotations etc. Then, after every race I take time to do the same static stretches that we do at the end of a class. This helps me to recover better, decrease next day DOMS and get ready to train again as soon as possible. I love the fact that BMF takes stretching really seriously, it is a mandatory part of every session and the instructors always stress the importance of them.

Tom: Stretching is hugely important. Everyone has their own way, but when I see people static stretching before a class I always take time to go over and explain. The dynamic we do at the start of every class is not only comprehensive but is a much more effective way of stretching and warming up. If they have specific issues, I show them how to dynamically stretch that themselves.

At the start of a class we stretch the major muscles we are using within that session. The instructor knows the class coming up, so they will make sure the right muscles are ready to go. This is something Thomas always takes very seriously and sets an example for others!

Post-class we hit the major muscles worked as a group, but I’ll give extra time to those with specific issues, like Thomas coming back from injury, that he can do in addition.

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FEATURE: BMF THE IDEAL OCR TRAINING PARTNER

CORE Thomas: Your core is your foundation for every movement or exercise you do, so it’s absolutely fundamental in obstacle races. The stronger it gets, the better you move. In rehab, I've been able to significantly improve my running speed working on only my core. You’ll never have a BMF class where you won’t use your core muscles, particularly when you’re asked to drop to a plank position at any given moment! The more you develop your core, the more control you have on obstacles – from running and climbing, to jumping and carrying.

Tom: I totally agree. Every movement comes from the core and I’m not talking 6-pack here, I’m talking real core which is made up of more muscles than many people realise. Think of your spine like a ships mast - you need the support in all directions, equally balanced, in order for it to stay upright. That’s your spine. Over-tight on one side and weak on the opposite; the mast falls.

A balanced core will allow all limbs to move in the correct patterns to avoid injury and sail over obstacles.

RUNNING Thomas: OCR events involve running. I know it’s really obvious but we have all seen people turn up to races thinking basic weightlifting training would be enough to carry them around. It’s not.

During a BMF session you will cover anything between 3km to 8km, depending on your level and the type of the class you are attending. That hour on your feet is really valuable as it mimics what you will feel during a course. Even if you are not a big fan of running, you’ll barely notice those miles getting covered, as the instructor will keep you entertained and each session will feel different and varied. Some BMF parks even offer specific running clubs which are great for improving speed and endurance.

Tom: Most people who train can run to some degree in a straight line at their speed for a given period. But stop, start, direction change, up, down, upper body worked, core worked between these running intervals is a whole different ball game.

At BMF we teach the body these energy pathways and how to go from one exercise to running to another exercise; just like obstacles. Sometimes it’s hard to slow Thomas down, so I’ll give him extra reps and then he has to catch up with the rest; pushing him that bit further!

Run club is also a great way to work on your running speeds. This, mixed with regular BMF classes, is a great combination for OCR. You can go for long runs alone, but with us you will be pushed against others of a similar or faster speed for intervals, with short rest periods to overload the cardio system and legs and then reduce recovery time needed.

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REGULAR: BMF THE IDEAL OCR TRAINING PARTNER

JUMPING Thomas: Some races require constant jumping over, into or down from something, so mastering the skill of jumping will not only help you avoid injuries, but also help you get significantly more efficient at it. In a BMF session you’ll soon master squat jumps, tuck jumps, box jumps, side jumps to name just a few. These will get your ankles stronger in no time and develop your fast-twitch muscles; giving you all the power you need to jump over fires, hurdle ditches or get to the top of that slippery ramp.

Tom: This is where a real difference can be made in speed on an OCR course; fast twitch muscle fibres, balance and agility. Now, we all have our own genetic make-up of muscle fibres but developing and strengthening the different kinds we have will allow you to excel in a race. Sure, not everyone is built for jumping, but if you can condition the body for this kind of movement and teach it how to respond then you will save precious time on these kind of obstacles. Thomas is like a ninja here, he is light and agile and makes jumping look effortless.

SPRINTING Thomas: This is key if you want to be really good at OCR! When you go over an obstacle you use more muscles than when you run, and then therefore when you’re back to a running section your body needs time to return to full speed. Your ability to sprint off from an obstacle you’ve just passed will make you win or lose races. That’s why I value BMF sessions so much in my training because I can really improve that skill. During a session, I’ll continuously be doing bodyweight exercises like burpees or squat jumps and then sprint off to catch up with the other levels that are doing fewer reps. I wouldn’t be able to practice that level of physical exertion alone in a gym or a park, but with BMF I always have a real person to chase, which is really motivating.

Tom: Back to my comments on running or squatting, being able to accelerate away from a static exercise is something that will make up valuable time on your opponents. If you do upper body, for example, and then straight into a run, the blood has ‘pooled’ in the upper body and the heart needs to work extra hard to get it back to where it’s needed; thus having to work harder. Training your body to sprint under these conditions or with fatigued legs will make you faster out of the obstacles without question.

This is where Thomas baffles me sometimes, I might produce a circuit that I’m certain will fatigue his legs, only for him to run off completely un-emotional and I’m left shaking my head.

Afterwards however, he will come and tell me how tough it really was and that he was just putting on a brave face!

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FEATURE: BMF THE IDEAL OCR TRAINING PARTNER

CRAWLING Thomas: Barbed wire crawls are one of my favourite obstacles, as it’s where I can make up time. My size definitely plays to my advantage, but I've also been doing bear crawls and crab crawls for years. Since joining BMF I've discovered army and leopard crawls too. These type of exercises are excellent for your core, legs and shoulders. Crawling skills are the base of many movements you use on obstacles – moving under nets or wires, getting up steep and muddy ditches or slopes or even when you do a rope traverse, which is essentially an upsidedown bear crawl.

Tom: Crawling is a primal pattern ingrained into us; it’s the first way we moved as a child. This is where upper body, lower body and core all come together to get you through as fast as possible. Like Thomas says, size does make a difference of course, but if you can learn how to make your body type move as effectively as possible you will glide through these obstacles and come out the other side ready to sprint off. Practice your most efficient method using your strengths and you will see big gains in speed.

SQUATTING Thomas: Last year I was amazed by Jon Albon's performance. A few months before winning the World Championship, he turned up at 2 or 3 mountain races and casually won them! At that time he was only training in London, a city as flat as a pancake, so when I asked him how he pulled it off he said that the 1,000s of squats he did weekly with BMF

definitely helped him to get his legs strong enough to tackle big climbs. If you want to be strong on hills you have to squat. A lot.

Tom: Squatting for me is the most important move and plays a huge part in virtually every session I deliver at BMF. If performed correctly, it works through your feet, calves, hamstrings, quads, glutes, hip flexors and core. This is not only all-round great conditioning, but it will make you stand tall and strong and allow the

rest of your body to work in sync. Fatiguing the legs and then racing an opponent at BMF will condition you to push through the jelly legs, stimulating hills or coming out of a sticky bog. If you can run at a given speed with fatigued jelly legs, then how fast can you run fresh and on the flat? To challenge Thomas and the other greens, I might give them squat jumps with extra reps to make the legs work even harder. They’ll thank me later!

SOCIALISING Thomas: Getting the motivation to train can be hard sometimes - we've all experienced it. It’s so much easier to train with friends. I’ve made loads of friends through the awesome OCR community and, for me, BMF has exactly the same atmosphere.

Everyone is really open and friendly and you get to know people very quickly, well... at least their name and how well they can do burpees! After few sessions you feel that you belong to a group and it becomes mentally harder for you to skip a class than skipping a gym session or a run where no one is expecting you to turn up. All the BMFers I’ve met already like to have fun exercising outside so it won't take you long to get them to share your OCR passion and soon you will have a new mate to travel to all the races with you!

Tom: For me this is the best bit. Being able to work hard then socialise with like-minded people is the best thing about BMF. We run regular sporting events and encourage people to do their own events as well but it can be hard to find likeminded people in our busy schedules to share this with. If you can exercise and race against each other then head to the pub or coffee shop, it’s a perfect combination. For me as a BMF Park Manager it has to be the most enjoyable part, not just being there but bringing people together on and off the field, as a team.

As for comparing burpees…well I can vouch that! Thomas does burpees like the worm dance; with effortlessly smooth flow and co-ordination. I’m still yet to see this on the dance floor though?

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FEATURE: BMF TRAINING PLAN

BRITISH MILITARY FITNESS:

TRAINING

PLAN

Intermediary/advanced (BMF red or green bib) training plan. For runners who can run 10k and are looking to improve their 10-15k OCR / challenging terrain race pace.

SESSION 1

SESSION 2

SESSION 3

SESSION 4

Week 1

OUT AND BACK 20 min

BURPEE RUN 6km steady with 15 burpees every km

BMF or CIRCUIT x 6

LONG RUN 50 min

Week 2

FARTLECK WU 10 min steady 8 x 2 min fast + 2 min slow CD 10 min jog

BMF or CIRCUIT x 8

BURPEE RUN 7km steady with 15 burpees every km

LONG RUN 60 min

Week 3

HILL REPEAT WU 10 min steady 6 x 2 min hill sprints CD 10 min jog

BMF or CIRCUIT x 9

FREE RUNNING 8km

LONG RUN 60 min

Week 4

BMF or CIRCUIT x 10

BEST EFFORT 5k

BMF or CIRCUIT x 12

MAINTENANCE WORK Look out for niggles, stretch, yoga, massage, swim etc.

Week 5

OUT AND BACK 25 min

BMF or CIRCUIT x 10

FARTLECK BURPEES WU 10 min steady 4 x 1km fast 15 burpees 1km slow

LONG RUN 70 min

Week 6

FREE RUNNING 8km

BMF or CIRCUIT x 12

HILL REPEAT WU 10 min steady 10 x 2 min hill sprints CD 10min jog

ONG RUN 80 min

Week 7

BEST EFFORT 5k

BMF or CIRCUIT x 12

FARTLECK BURPEES WU 10 min steady 5 x 1km fast 20 burpees 1km slow

LONG RUN 60 min

Week 8

BMF or CIRCUIT x 8

LIGHT JOG 30 min

LIGHT JOG 30 min

RACE DAY! Get muddy and have fun!

KEY - WU: Warm up // CD: Cool down

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FEATURE: BMF TRAINING PLAN

CIRCUIT Complete x number of sets of each circuit to reach your set requirement each week. Include a water break half way through your workout. If you have any injuries, replace the exercise but retain a similar structure.

CIRCUIT 1 8 push-ups 8 lunges right and left 10 crunches 100m sprint

8 burpees 20m bear crawl 30sec plank 400m sprint

CIRCUIT 2 12 squats 16 mountain climbers 30sec plank 100m sprint

8 squat jumps 20m bear crawl 10 sit ups 400m sprint

LONG RUN A light jog where you’re easily be able to talk. Alternate power walk and running if needed, it’s the time you spend on your feet that matters.

Out and back: Leave your house/office and run for the required time in one direction then turn back. Aim to do the return slightly faster

“FREE RUNNING” Go out for a jog and seek out obstacles: mud, bench, jumps, sprints - whatever you feel like; have some fun!

ADDITIONAL Grip strength: Try to work daily on your grip strength to get your hands used to supporting your body weight.

Hang from everything you can find: door, bars, and trees, get your hand used to supporting your body weight

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FEATURE: UNBREAKABLE ANKLES

FOUR

EXERCISES TO BUILD

UNBREAKABLE ANKLES

WRITTEN BY: CARL WIBBERLEY

These 4 exercises are probably a bit different from what you’ve spent a lot of time on in the past, but it’s well worth the effort to keep your ankles healthy and functional. Work on them one at a time to get some reps and practice in, then chain them together for an efficient and effective ankle workout.

1. SISSY SQUAT

Here, you’ll use the squat to really target your ankles by coming up on the balls of your feet as you squat all the way down and stand back up.

Use a handhold support if needed and go slow and steady in the beginning. Add speed and intensity as you improve and get stronger.

2. DUCK WALK

This may be something you’ve done in your school P.E lessons. But aside from that I know in martial arts classes, these are widely used. It’s a great exercise that provides good resistance through your ankles’ full range of motion in the forward/back plane.

Since this requires good knee flexibility as well, start this just one stride at a time at first and

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use support as needed. A rolling chair or stool is great for that! The key to doing this exercise properly is to keep your head at the same height the entire time.

3. SQUAT ON THE SIDES OF YOUR FEET

This squat variation takes the ankle through a different angle and range of motion than you generally engage in. Lifting the inner part of your feet, you’ll come on to the outsides of your feet, then squat down and stand back up.

The most common ankle sprain is rolling over the outside of your foot. Condition yourself to be stronger and more flexible in this position and you can save yourself some grief.

LEARN TO FLOW AND BULLETPROOF YOUR ANKLES Once you get the hang of each of these exercises by themselves, you can combine them into a flow, moving smoothly from one exercise to the next. This continuous change of angles and stresses along the joint will help make your ankles more resilient and better conditioned for negative stresses down the line.

Play around with different sequencing, changing the speed and position as you see fit and as you feel your body can handle.

4. WALKING ON THE BE UNBREAKABLE BALLS OF YOUR FEET If you want your body to be unbreakable (or This is a good challenge for the arch of your foot as well as the shortened range of the calf muscles. Come up on to the balls of your feet, lifting your heels off the ground, then simply walk forward and backward, keeping the rest of your body tall.

Walking like this is a great combination of active ankle balance and strength and pays good dividends the more you do it!

as close to it as possible), you can’t neglect the joints that take the most force on a daily basis – your ankles. The stronger your ankles are, the more force they’ll be able to handle, and the more you’ll be able to do with your body while racing.

FEATURE: TRAINING GIFT IDEAS

TRAINING GIFT IDEAS ZONDO GLOVES

£44.99 ZONDO.CO.UK

DARN TOUGH SOCKS

£15

FITNESS TREE

JORDAN SANDBAG

XTREME

MUDDYKIT.CO.UK

All the sock you need—nothing you don’t!

This is an Ultra Light sock which is perfect for runners who know less is more. True seamless construction which reduces hotspots and blisters.The ultra high stitch count creates a super comfortable sock with a streamlined fit like no other. No slipping, no bunching, no blisters. Fine gauge merino wool makes this a fast drying and breathable “all weather” sock that stays cool in the summer and warm in the winter. And, since merino wool is naturally antimicrobial, this sock repels bacteria and odour when you’re laying down the miles.

Still made in Vermont - Guaranteed for life.

88

THE

Hands warm in any conditions, even when wet. Maintains heat to natural body temperature. Warmth lasts for the life of the gloves. Vastly improves circulation.

Extremely lightweight.

Palm silicon hexagon grip pad.

Touchscreen compatible. Robust and durable with pull on wrist tab, zip pocket and clip to keep gloves together.

Obstacle Race | Issue 12

£250 FITNESSTREE.CO.UK The Fitness Tree is a piece of equipment designed to help with bodyweight exercises, so ideal for all of those upper body obstacles that we attempt to conquer so often. One of the great things about the Fitness Tree is that it takes up minimal space, and wouldn’t look out of place in any size garden. Especially if you have a very small outside space, then this is the ideal piece of apparatus.

£60

JORDANFITNESS.COM

• Most reliable Sandbag on the market Perfect for home use • Only Sandbag to withstand extensive slamming over a period of time • Available in a variety of sizes and weights to suit any training requirements • Holds up to 22kg • 10 layer “rip proof” handle

FEATURE: TRAINING GIFT IDEAS

Looking for the perfect gift for your mud loving friends, then here’s the perfect list of training themed gifts to steer you in the right direction.

MORE MILE

FOAM ROLLER

SAUCONY

EXO JACKET

£95

SAUCONY.COM

Conquer any weather in the ultralightweight (0.12kg), fully waterproof, Exo running jacket. The jacket ultizes a wind and waterproof FlexShell Ultra laminate which has exceptional stretch and a dry interior feel against the skin. All seams are taped and sealed to keep foul weather out and there’s a reflective trim for added visibility in low light.

Slim, runner-specific fit, drop tail hem, and deep, scuba-shaped hood with high collar keeps you warm, dry, and covered. Bonded front chest pocket for waterproof storage.

PROHANDS

£20

MOREMILE.CO.UK

Self-myofascial release, also known as “foam rolling” something that every athlete should include within their day to day lifestyle, whether or not you are a professional or a weekend warrior it makes absolutely no difference. Introducing the More Mile ‘The Beast’ Foam Roller, the perfect tool for every athlete regardless of your level!! Compact enough to fit into your gym bag, ideal for home use, perfect for short intervals between work especially when becoming stiff from being sat on the dreaded swivel chairs provided in offices these days, or for those who do not stop on the job and need to release any tension, aches or knots. The beauty of More Mile ‘The Beast’ Foam Roller is by simply adapting your bodies position or point of contact with the foam roller you can target specific muscle groups, with the specifically constructed contours by simply rolling over the firm, raised and flexible blocks of More Mile ‘The Beast’ Foam Roller it will gently stretch and knead muscle and fascia in all directions to provide you with your own personalised sports massage.

Combine this within your day to day life and you will never look back!!!

GRIP MASTER

TOPO TRAIL

RUNVENTURE

£65

The Runventure features a strong abrasion resistant mesh and no-sew printing techniques that protect the upper while adding structural integrity. A molded TPU midsole plate and 19 mm platform provide plating protection without sacrificing ground feel. The multi-directional lugged outsole offers traction over a variety of surfaces.

ROCKBANDS

ROCKTAPE

£25 £15

PROHANDS.COM

The GRIPMASTER is Prohands signature model. It’s ideal for any athlete wanting to develop hand strength. Available in four different color-coded models of graduated resistance, GRIPMASTER offers both men and women an opportunity to dramatically increase hand, wrist, and forearm strength.

TOPOATHLETIC.COM

ROCKTAPE.COM

RockBands are RockTape’s take on a durable, affordable resistance band for rehabilitation and mobility. Available in five resistances, they include a thorough movement booklet with corrective exercises. RockBand are not only a very useful training tool for doing resistance training anywhere but also designed to meet the needs of physical therapists and chiropractors who frequently employ therapy bands in the treatment of their patients.

Issue 12 | Obstacle Race

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FEATURE: IMPROVE YOUR RUNNING

IMPROVE YOUR RUNNING WRITTEN BY : SAM WINKWORTH

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Obstacle Race | Issue 12

FEATURE: IMPROVE YOUR RUNNING

THREE “SAMMY” APPROVED WAYS TO IMPROVING YOUR RUNNING With over 70% of obstacle racing being mostly running, it kind of makes logical sense to invest a bit of time and energy into improving our running fitness, right?

But with so much conflicting information out there these days, how do we know what's right for us and what's wrong?

There are plenty of obvious OCR running tips I could give you in this article, for example making sure you base most of your runs on grass, trails & fields, listening to your body & making sure you know when to train and when to rest, including some bodyweight exercises throughout your running sessions to mimic the stop/ start nature of an obstacle race etc.

But below I've highlighted my TOP 3 running tips that I feel will benefit you the most and will impact your running the quickest.

Here goes, concentrate on following these 3 tips over the forthcoming months and watch your running fitness improve considerably:

1) GET FAST One of the biggest reasons why people don't get faster or improve on their running is because most of it is always set at one pace, and when you do lots of 'long slow running’, then guess what, you become very good at running slowly! The exact opposite of what you want.

Make sure your programme is based around making you faster, not slower.

Dedicate 1 or 2 sessions in the week that focuses primarily on speed, commit to an interval training session, smash out a fast 2 miles or maybe enter into your local park run, basically anything that forces you to switch your pace up and get the legs ticking over a bit quicker.

2) GET STRONG Have you ever noticed how many injuries are cropping up in our OCR community currently? You only have to look in all the OCR Facebook groups these days and someone is regularly complaining of an injury.

It's not surprising though, obstacle racing isn't exactly a cakewalk is it, it's a pretty unforgiving sport that we’ve chosen and it requires us to use our body in various ways. The body takes a hell of a battering and if you have any weaknesses then it's going to find you out eventually.

Most injuries occur because there is dysfunction somewhere in the body. Stretching & massage are great up to a point but only really address the symptoms and not the true underlying cause of the problem.

One of the biggest tips I can give you is to get your body strong for running. Make sure you invest some time and energy into strengthening your core muscles and correcting out any muscle imbalances.

Find a physio that you respect with a good level of experience and a certain set of credentials that you can work with and can help you out with a structured

strength training plan. Be pro-active rather then reactive. Do this NOW rather than getting an injury and then going to see him/her.

3) GET SMART! Obstacle racing is fun as we already know, and extremely addictive, but rather than entering a load of different events with different distances, target one single distance/race you want to do well in, and give yourself 10 + weeks where you specifically train for it.

Get a bit of structure into your training plan, dig in for a few weeks and you'll be fine.

4) GET HEALTHY I know I said 3 ways, but I’m in a generous mood so here's a fourth for you:

NUTRITION You don’t have to start doing extreme detoxes or taking a load of supplements or anything like that, just make sure you use a bit of common sense with your diet that’s all. The bottom line is that the lighter you are, the BETTER your running will be and your running economy will improve massively as a result as you’re carrying less weight.

Also bear in mind that your food is your energy, so if you’re always making poor food choices then that will affect your energy levels, your running pace and your endurance too. Make sure you’re drinking plenty of water and basing every meal around protein, veggies healthy fats & low GI carbs as much as you can.

Yes, you can have your ‘dirty burger’ after your next OCR, I certainly will be! But just try and eat a bit healthier during the week that’s all. It’s important to note here as well that when you’re making changes to your diet, strive to implement one healthy habit at a time. If it’s to drink more water, then just focus on that for a while. If it’s to include more protein in your diet, then just focus on that. If it’s more veggies then just focus on that.

Play the long term game with your nutrition. If you try to go too extreme too soon & make too many changes at once then you won’t be able to keep that up for very long I promise you. Focus in on what you feel is the most important change to make and strive to make it a habit before you move onto the next habit.

Okay, and that’s it. Pretty simple really isn’t it? Follow these 4 simple running tips over the next month or so, and if you do, then you’ll be well on your way to improving your running fitness and becoming a faster, stronger ‘sexier’ OCR warrior!

Have fun out there :-)

For more advice on how to train & prepare for your next obstacle race & mud run then visit

THEDIRTYROTTENSCRAMBLE.CO.UK Issue 12 | Obstacle Race

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PROFILE: SCOTT’S INCREDIBLE JOURNEY

SCOTT’S INCREDIBLE JOURNEY One of the faces of the Decembeard National Charity Campaign tells how obstacle racing was a significant factor in his recovery from bowel cancer.

Now Scott Smith is calling on the Obstacle Course Racing community to ditch their razors and go grizzly in aid of Beating Bowel Cancer.

Each December since 2011, the charity has asked men to stop shaving and raise funds to help beat bowel cancer.

This year it aims to enlist 5,000 men to raise half a million pounds.

Scott, is one of the National Ambassadors for Decembeard and featured in the Me, My Beard and Why photographic exhibition, which was unveiled at this year’s launch event.

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PROFILE: SCOTT’S INCREDIBLE JOURNEY

Scott, 36, of South Ockenden, Essex said: “In 2007 I was decidedly average, I was married, I had a full time job and a reasonable social life. After a change in bowel habits and a visit to my doctor I was diagnosed with an IBD Ulcerative Colitis and then shortly after told I had bowel cancer and required a major operation removing my entire large intestine removing the cancer but also leaving me with a stoma/Ileostomy.

“At 28 this was a complete shock and before I had an opportunity to come to terms with this life changing news I was in hospital for my life saving operation. I was soon discharged, my operation deemed ‘successful’, to my normal life but changed forever. The next 5 years were tough, with check-ups and the constant worry the cancer hadn’t been contained and had spread.

I reached my 5 year all clear.

“A few years ago after dealing with some lows in my battle with bowel cancer and becoming an Ostomist (someone with an ostomy bag) I decided for the first time in my life I would get fit. I began running but soon become bored of the roads.

A local forest offered me my first taste of trail running. Someone then mentioned a local OCR race (Nuclear Races) I decided to enter this race to raise some awareness for bowel cancer and my relationship with Beating bowel cancer began.

“Since falling in love with OCR I have competed in over 30 races becoming a bit of a

bling hunter! What I love about this sport is that even if you return to the same race the next year the Race Directors have tweaked the course, added some new obstacles or even mother nature decides that last year’s sunny race will become a wet and cold one this time. You never know what you are going to get in OCR. “When I reflected on this, my love of OCR had begun to mirror my own journey over the last few years and beating bowel cancer. In life, as in many OCR’s, we are running at our own pace relatively comfortably when we turn a corner and encounter an unknown obstacle. We have no choice, we can’t turn back, we have to overcome this OCR/life obstacle. Often whilst being afraid and unsure of just how we are going to get over it. But we try; we give it 100% and often surprise ourselves. It’s an unexpected symbolic activity in my life. Realising this has further accelerated my love for OCR. “The OCR community is also exceptional.

In fact I will go so far to say that the OCR community is more than that…we are a family; our love of mud bringing strangers together. Last year I was invited to join Nuclear Races Team, a significant honour as not only an incredible team of people but also the race where it all began. It was significant milestone in my recovery.

“So in a strange way it is my battle with bowel cancer that introduced me to OCR. It’s

To be part of Scott’s team JUSTGIVING.COM/MUD-BAG-RUNNER-DECEMBEARD-2015/ For more information about bowel cancer, visit WWW.BEATINGBOWELCANCER.ORG

my personal battles that keep me pushing my physical limits and it’s you the OCR community, that keep me coming back.

“The connection with OCR and beards is already there…flick through any races picture gallery and it will be filled with some of my bearded muddy brothers! Personally, I have been involved in Decembeard for the last 3 years and have the honour of being asked to be one of Decembeards 2015 Ambassadors.

“But why did I take part and why should you take part? Growing a beard is a very visual change and often sparks a conversation ‘Why are you growing a beard’ This allows us to share some of the shocking statistics such as every 15minutes someone loses their battle with bowel cancer.

Yet 90% of all bowel cancer diagnosis can be successfully treated if diagnosed early.

“You may think these are just random statistics, But they are statistics that I owe my life to. I was a 90% statistic. I was diagnosed early enough that after my life saving operation I survived, I beat bowel cancer.

“So why grow a beard? Why help raise awareness? Why join me in the 2015 Decembeard campaign raising awareness and contributing to our £500k 2015 target?

“Because awareness of symptoms leads to more early diagnosis, early diagnosis saves lives... I should know, it saved mine! “

If you have any concerns or queries, you can contact their Nurse Helpline on 020 8973 0011 or email NURSE@BEATINGBOWELCANCER.ORG

Issue 12 | Obstacle Race

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PROFILE: SCOTT’S INCREDIBLE JOURNEY

ABOUT BOWEL CANCER

2ND BOWEL CANCER IS THE UK’S

BIGGEST CANCER KILLER EVERY HALF AN HOUR SOMEONE DIES OF THE DISEASE

IT EFFECTS BOTH MEN & WOMEN

EACH YEAR AROUND

IN THE UK AROUND

OF BOWEL CANCER

DIAGNOSED

41000 16000 PEOPLE ARE PEOPLE DIE

BOWEL CANCER IS THE

4TH MOST

COMMON CANCER IN THE UK MORE THAN

90%

95%

OF CASES CAN BE TREATED SUCCESSFULLY. IF DIAGNOSED EARLY.

SYMPTOMS Anyone experiencing one or more of these symptoms for three weeks or more should go and see their GP:

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THE MAJORITY

Obstacle Race | Issue 12

*

WITH BOWEL CANCER EACH YEAR

OF CASES OCCUR IN PEOPLE OVER 50 BUT IT CAN AFFECT ANYONE OF ANY AGE.

Each represents 10 people.

EVERY DAY, AROUND 110 PEOPLE ARE DIAGNOSED WITH BOWEL CANCER THAT’S SOMEONE EVERY 15 MINS

* Bleeding from the bottom or blood in your poo persistent change in bowel habit, especially * Agoing more often or looser stools Abdominal pain, especially if severe * * A lump in your tummy * Unexplained weight loss or tiredness

BEATING BOWEL CANCER

The support & campaigning charity for everyone affected by bowel cancer. We provide vital practical and emotional help - on the phone, digitally and face to face. We campaign tirelessly to raise public awareness of bowel cancer and ensure Governments & health services provide the highest quality care and treatments.

FEATURE: 5 REASONS RUNNERS NEED A GOOD BREAKFAST

5 1

REASONS RUNNERS

NEED A GOOD BREAKFAST WRITTEN BY: CARL WIBBERLEY

Maintain muscle After a night of sleep, your body is in breakdown mode, especially when it comes to muscle proteins. It's key to refresh your muscle cells with amino acids - the building blocks of protein.

Aim for 20 to 25 grams of high-quality protein along with a dose of 50 to 100 grams of carbs to replenish the fuel your muscles need.

4

3

2

Control weight Many studies have shown that people who eat breakfast maintain a healthier body weight and have less body fat than those who skip a morning meal. Research also shows that establishing a routine of eating breakfast can help you make wiser choices, and curb calorie intake later in the day.

Power your brain Circulating carbohydrates (blood sugar) are critical fuel for your brain.

Studies have shown that for both kids and adults, operation on no breakfast short-changes thinking power and can affect maths skills, reading comprehension and memory. Studies with children also show that breakfast eaters tend to behave better at school and have more conducive social skills. (Any adult who has had the deal with a "hangry" co-worker can probably attest that the same is true for grown-ups!)

Improve your diet Breakfast eaters tend to have a better overall diet than breakfast skippers, and a greater intake of an array of essential nutrients like protein, fibre, calcium, potassium and iron. Even opting for a basic bowl of cold cereal (topped with milk of one sort or another) and fruit results in improved intakes of calcium, vitamin D, protein and other vitamins and minerals.

5

Reduce disease risk People who eat breakfast tend to have lower cholesterol levels, which translates to a reduced risk for heart disease. For example, those who choose cereal (particularly porridge and other oat-based options) take in more soluble fibre, which may lower harmful LDL levels. Even morning egg eaters have been shown to have cholesterol levels that are just as healthy as those of people who skip eggs (or breakfast altogether). Eating a meal first thing also helps regulate your blood sugar levels, which may help explain why some evidence shows that breakfast eaters have a lower risk of type 2 diabetes.

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FEATURE: TECH GIFT IDEAS

TECHNOLOGY GIFT IDEAS GARMIN

VIRB X & XE £300

ALPKIT GAMMA

HEADTORCH

£15

ALPKIT.COM

If mega brightness isn’t the be all and end all for you, and an affordable head torch is what you really need, then the Alpkit Gamma could be exactly what you’re looking for. As well as the main Cree light, it has single white, red (rear) and green LEDs to choose from, making it perfect for commuting to and from work in winter.

The Gamma is well balanced due to the batteries being at the rear rather than in the head unit making it less likely to bounce around, giving off a cooler, blueish light.

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GARMIN.COM

GARMIN

FENIX 3

£300

Garmin have announced the next generation of HD action cameras, VIRB X and VIRB XE. Compact and capable of shooting rich, high-definition, wide-angle footage, VIRB X and XE boast an all-new form factor allowing for more mounting options. Waterproof to 50 meters, the updated camera design is even more rugged, and doesn’t require an external case for underwater shooting.

HOPE R1

HEADTORCH

GARMIN.COM

fēnix 3 is designed to assist people during their sport activities and outdoor life. It supports performance sports like running, cycling, swimming, trail running, indoor training, cross country skiing as well as triathlon and recreational activities such as hiking, climbing and downhill skiing. And isn’t scared of getting down in the mud. It measures performance on the go, tracks activities for sharing and navigates the user back home at the end of an adventure. And it does not stop there.

£150

HOPETECH.COM

Amazingly bright for one LED. Overall it’s an awesome bit of kit that will be well worth the investment for any racer or adventure loving night owl. It can easily withstand the rough and tumble we put it though during our night races.

With a battery life of 2.5 hours on max / 50 hours on low its more than enough for any race. Producing a massive 620 lumens!

FEATURE: TECH GIFT IDEAS

Are you looking for a nice Christmas surprise for a tech hungry racer? Tech is always very much an investment due to the fact that most of the time you get what you pay for, so we share with you tried and tested tech that won’t be obsolete within a few months.

GOPRO HERO BLACK

VIVOSMART HR

£119 £409

GOPRO.COM

2x the Performance: With improved image quality, a 2x more powerful processor and 2x faster video frame rates, HERO4 Black is the most advanced GoPro ever. With professional Video up to 4K30 records ultra high-resolution, high frame rate 4K30, 2.7K50, and 1080p120 video.

Fast, Powerful Photo Capture: Captures high-quality 12MP photos at speeds of up to 30 fps.

Built-In WiFi + Bluetooth: Delivers enhanced connectivity to the GoPro App, Smart Remote Durable + Waterproof to 131’ (40m): Designed to withstand extreme environments and conditions. Wearable + Mountable: Enables immersive self-capture during your favourite activities. Compatible with all GoPro Mounts: 60+ mounts and accessories - and counting - for capturing a wide variety of perspective and activities.

GoPro App + Software: Control your camera remotely. View and share your content.

Easily create gorgeous GoPro-style videos.

TOMTOM MULTI

SPORT CARDIO

GARMIN.COM

The vívosmart HR is a touchscreen activity tracker with Elevate wrist heart rate technology that provides a full suite of smart notifications. In addition to 24/7 heart rate monitoring, the vívosmart HR counts floors climbed and measures activity intensity. When paired with a compatible smartphone, users can receive text, calls, email, calendar and social media alerts, control music, and more. The vívosmart HR activity tracker will be available in stores from the start of November.

“This is the first activity tracker from Garmin with Elevate wrist heart rate technology that monitors your heart rate 24/7, offering more feedback on your daily activity, calories burned, workouts and sleep,” said Andrew Silver, EMEA Product Manager, Fitness & Wearables. “Thanks to the vivosmart HR’s always on high-resolution display, you can review your progress against your fitness goals, and stay connected with a full suite of smart notifications while you’re on the go.”

The vívosmart HR’s sleek band is lightweight and comfortable for all-day wear. With up to five days battery life.

£80-£160 MUDDYKIT.CO.UK Heart rate monitoring is the single most accurate means to understand how your body is responding to exercise. The New TomTom multi sport Cardio watch makes this process even simpler. Top Features of the TomTom Multi Sport Cardio GPS Watch: Stay in your optimal heart rate zone - Race Past performances - Track analyse and share your stats - Train in 1 of 5 intensity zones sprint speed, edure fat burn and easy real time running, cycling and swimming performance at a glance, track your distance time pace speed and calories burnt as you train on an extra large display. Get accurate heart rate information without the need for a separate chest strap. Your heart rate is measured through a sensor in the watch that monitors changes in the blood flow in your wrist. This is managed by shining light through the skin and detecting the changing light reflections.

Issue 12 | Obstacle Race

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RACE REVIEW: NUCLEAR BLAST AND BLACKOUT

NUCLEAR BLAST AND BLACKOUT PHOTOGRAPHY BY: TONY JARVIS

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RACE REVIEW: NUCLEAR BLAST AND BLACKOUT

RENEE LAUREN BETTS

Nuclear Blast & Blackout Location: East London Distance: 5km per lap

Number of Obstacles: 30+ Sort of Terrain: Very Muddy farm land Level of Mud: 10 Difficulty Level: 8/10

After being surrounded by family and friends that are completely obsessed by mud for the last two years, I quickly realised that Nuclear Races are favoured by many because of the shear level of muddiness and subsequent fun at each and every one of their events.

This was why I wanted my first ever OCR to be one of their events!

I have heard it said many times, that a race without dirt and mud just does not quite feel as much of an accomplishment as the ones where you’re hardly recognisable in the finisher’s photo because of the mud smeared over your face and body! So, if the level of mud is an indicator of a good race, then Nuclear Blackout would have to score top marks!

Saturday 19th September saw an epic day for Nuclear with both Blast, the day race, and Blackout, a unique event hosted after sunset running side by side. The format for both races is identical - the aim is to complete as many of the 5km laps as you wish in 2 hours or under.

When arriving at the Secret Nuclear Bunker, we

were shown to the complimentary parking by the local Air Cadet Corps before following the signs pointing towards registration. It was a reasonably short walk (although felt a little longer in the dark after racing) through the first car park and past camping before we arrived at registration. This was quick and easy and ran smoothly. We were then shown where the free bag drop was located and left to roam the event village as we wished.

Shortly before 10am the first wave of excited racers approached the start line. There was a quick race briefing, a fun warm up, and then with two jets of flames in the air they were off, disappearing down a gentle slope and into the woodland to the sounds of cheers, whistles and cow bells.

With waves set off in the same manner every 30 minutes, it became clear that this race was well organised and planned with prompt start times so every racer got optimum mud time!

My day was spent roaming the event village and absorbing the unique Nuclear atmosphere.

There was a vast range of stalls providing various services such as the Nuclear Shop with all of the Nuclear merchandise; outdoor obstacle training centre Wild Forest Gym; Muddy Kit providing last minute race necessities; the Boom Bar; and finally, a variety of food outlets.

Also in the village was a small range of practice obstacles (provided by Nuclear Races, Rope Runners and Wild Forest Gym), mainly used by the children who tagged along with parents or were there for the Nuclear Rookies Race, which included a rock climbing wall and rope climb

alongside a few others. Furthermore, there was a stage with music being played all day and also a live performance from a local band. As the day drew to a close and the air started to catch a chill, there were also fire pits plotted around the village where people could stand to warm up. Overall, it is very clear that Race Director James Parrish takes great pride in this Event Village, as with every one of the Nuclear Events.

7.00PM

It was time for me to put on my race gear and ditch the make-up.

7.15PM

I reluctantly took off my new Nuclear DryRobe, and started to slowly edge my way to the start line alongside the brilliant Nuclear Team, where the warm up and race briefing took place.

7.30PM

The start gun blows. Flames are thrown into the air. As I trip over the start line, it is clear how the rest of my first race is going to be.

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RACE REVIEW: NUCLEAR BLAST AND BLACKOUT

Surrounded by the Nuclear Team, we took off.

We jogged down a gentle slope, scrambled over a collection of small hay bales, slid down a steep bank, and staggered into some woodland; my first race had well and truly began.

Although this was my first experience running at an OCR, I had attended many other events, both Nuclear and otherwise, and one distinguishable feature at all Nuclear races is the atmosphere and the unique feeling of being a part of a big, dirty family. At each and every obstacle, no matter how small, there was always a hand outstretched before you to help you up, there was always someone (whether that be a racer or spectator) cheering you on - this was especially the case for me at Blackout as I was running with the amazing Nuclear Team member Tracey Webb, who seems to know just about everyone!

The 5km course contained overhanging walls, The Back Scratcher: a sheet of tarpaulin overlain by net with water spouting over it where you use the net to pull yourself through while laying on your back, countless ditches to clamber though, Vertigo: a scarily high slatted wall which would scare even those with no fear of heights, The Rack: you ascend a staircase of hay bales to a set of vertical bars to slide down into mud, lots of water based obstacles, and of course, a lot of mud!

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The obstacles were numerous and all very different. Each of them required different skills to overcome - some you had to climb, others weave, others you simply had to survive. In-between the recognised obstacles novice runners such as myself (although not much actual running happened) and also the more experience OCR lovers, had to tackle the elements. With low hanging branches, lots of thorny bushes, and of course lots of mud, it is inevitable that accidents happened. The mud had been churned up all day by Blast runners and the first Blackout wave, which meant that it was lovely and sticky by the time it was my turn.

My struggle with the mud was a continuous problem throughout the race, but I was pleased to notice I wasn’t the only ‘Bambi’ on the course that day (this being the nickname I earned from Tracey during the race because of how much I fell over). Everyone was slipping and sliding around, and when someone did take a topple, there would always be someone around you to extend a helping hand and ask if you were okay.

Once you had completed your first 5km, you had the choice of crossing the Finish Line, or continuing into the Nuclear Bunker for another lap. I happily finished my race after my first lap, feeling lucky I’d even survived that after never

running that far before in my life! As I was coaxed

by Tracey to run, actually RUN! over the finish line, I collected my medal with pride and headed to get my finisher’s picture.

After a long and tough race it felt like heaven to jump into the hot showers at the finish, before collecting my bag from the well-organised Bag Drop and heading to the heated changing area, with my cup of tea in a lovely Nuclear mug.

The event was brilliant, from start to finish.

It was very well organised and the success is clearly down to the dedication of Race Director James Parrish, Events Coordinator Damian Williams and Penny Jackson in charge of Sales and Marketing, as well as the whole team. My personal experience was made special by the whole of the Nuclear Team, but especially Tracey Webb who refused to leave my side through the race. The atmosphere at the event was unbeatable - everyone was very friendly and it was lovely that while they must clearly have been very busy James, Damian and Penny were always happy to have a chat about nothing important, simply to ensure that everybody enjoyed their day racing and spectating. Nuclear Races are amazing events with a brilliant atmosphere that simply cannot be beaten, and I look forward to racing with them again. #LOVEMUD

RACE REVIEW: NUCLEAR BLAST AND BLACKOUT

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FEATURE: ‘SPARTAN UP’, FOR THE FORTHCOMING OCR SEASON

SPARTAN UP Written by: CARL WIBBERLEY

FOR THE

FORTHCOMING

OCR SEASON

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FEATURE: ‘SPARTAN UP’, FOR THE FORTHCOMING OCR SEASON

JOSEPH BRIGHAM

MARC TRUSSELL

Hertfordshire based gym and coaching facility, Fitness Hub & CrossFit LGC, located in Letchworth Garden City has become the very first gym in the Home Counties to be given Spartan SGX accreditation.

As a result, their very first 12-week Spartan SGX training programme was launched in September and they’re already getting ready to pre-sell spaces for the next course, which kicks off in January.

With the strap line 'building better humans' the Spartan SGX training programme has been developed to help you become fitter, stronger and leaner in just a short amount of time. Designed for everyone to unleash their inner athlete, the Spartan SGX programme will see you push yourself in ways you've never pushed before, but with awesome consequences.

Speaking of their joint accreditation, Spartan SGX coaches Joseph Brigham and Marc Trussell said, "We both come from an obstacle course racing background so it's something we're both incredibly interested in. Between us we've

competed in countless races over the past few years, so we certainly see ourselves as OCR warriors! We totally agree with the Spartan message of pushing yourself out of your comfort zone and have seen first hand the effects of this type of training. We also love the versatility of the programme and how absolutely anyone can get involved and see themselves transform both mentally and physically."

Spartan SGX training is a unique group exercise program designed to create an exhilarating and community driven group atmosphere of fitness, nutrition and performance that changes the mind and body from the inside out.

It’s not about bicep curls, pec-decs or leg extensions, it’s about pushing, pulling, stretching, jumping, crawling and climbing; exactly what

your body was designed to do on a daily basis.

Consisting of three phrases: function, fitness and performance, each Spartans can take part in two one-hour training sessions per week and expect to get fitter, stronger, leaner and ready to take on the courses that you choose to master.

Already a huge success with members and non-members alike, the team at Fitness Hub is already starting to take pre-bookings for the course that starts in January.

Spaces are limited so if you’re interested in joining the next group of Spartans and be in with a chance of joining their team for the One True Grit course in Hertfordshire you’d better join now to avoid disappointment!

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FEATURE: RUNNING FOR PEAK PERFORMANCE

RUNNING

FOR PEAK PERFORMANCE WRITTEN BY: Dave Peters - Lead Coach at Energise Mud Runners

Getting the balance between ‘racing’ and ‘running’ is a fine art, and as the ‘sport’ of OCR has grown, so have people’s goals with it. From the very beginning, OCR has been difficult, and rightly so, it is after all what attracts people to take on the challenge.

However, more and more you hear of people not just wanting to complete a race anymore, not just make it through the tough stuff. Each week I am at a race I hear of people smashing a PB or running the fastest lap they ever have. We have just seen the 2nd World Championships and the 1st UK Championships. OCR is becoming more and more competitive in terms of racing. We are seeing professional racers in teams and with sponsorship, huge prize money and individual governing bodies applying for recognised sport status. So what is more important, the challenge of OCR and its ability to provide a platform for success to thousands of muddy faces, or a racing environment which grows world champions from amateur athletes? The truth is I don’t have the answer to that, but I would bet that in order for OCR to carry on its upward spiral it will need both. Without fun and a challenge it will lose its appeal to the masses, the charity runner and man trying to lose a few pounds. Without competition, it will probably lose its core of weekly runners and growth in coaching and obstacle development.

So how can you as an amateur athlete benefit from not only racing well, but also enjoying OCR for its challenge and fun. How can you peak in the correct races in terms of performance, and still find time to enjoy a good old fashioned knees up, in the mud without risking injury, fatigue and poor performance?

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In order to answer that question you have to look at the professional athletes. Professional athletes will go through training phases or periodisation in their training regimes, which are aimed at peaking in performance at key races, qualifiers and championships. As an amateur athlete, we don’t do this so much and because of love for OCR many of us throw ourselves into races every weekend. I have found myself looking up races to go and sign up to on the day to run! So, how can an amateur athlete benefit from both the fun and challenge, and peak in our performance at the same time?

Firstly you have to understand how many races it will take you to blow off cobwebs and start to implement the good habits in your OCR running. On the most part I would say you can pick 3 or 4 races a year that you can peak for. You should aim for around 2 to 3 races building up to an event you want to hit peak at and split them every 2 weeks apart. So as a basic rule for peaking in performance it would work something like this: WEEK 1 - 7 Training cycle WEEK 7 Lead up race WEEK 7 - 9 Training cycle WEEK 9 Lead Up Race WEEK 9 - 11 Preparation Cycle WEEK 11 Peak Race WEEK 11 - 12 Recovery Week The training cycles should be built around improving the weaknesses of an athlete and maintaining the strengths, all the way from cardiovascular endurance through to strength and technique. Good training regimes can be built around a multitude of training methods, and while we hear a lot about

FEATURE: RUNNING FOR PEAK PERFORMANCE

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FEATURE: RUNNING FOR PEAK PERFORMANCE

training outside in the natural environment (I advise this myself) there are also big advantages to training in a gym or even in your home gym with improving strength! Bootcamps can help to lift the intensity and bodyweight strength improvements, and then there are technique sessions at specialist training centres, all of which make for an all rounded OCR runner.

Every individual is different and so will need to tailor their training individually, there are many articles you can find on how to do this or seek out Personal Trainers and alike to help you along the way.

Lead up races should be picked carefully. Try to pick races of a similar distance and style. If you’re running a long event with obstacles find a similar event (keep in mind the distance isn’t too far). If the event you want to peak at is obstacle heavy, try to find obstacle heavy lead up races.

You are trying to run a race here at near peak performance, where you can find a good rhythm.

A lead up race needs to be similar to that you are peaking for.

Preparation weeks should include carbohydrate loading and eating a generally good diet, where required (although I would encourage you to do this as routine anyhow). You should include neuromuscular activation at a lower intensity. Work through movement patterns in preparation for the race, but don’t add too much load or intensity. Actively rest your muscles and keep the body loose. Mentally prepare for the challenge you have set yourself and find a positive mind frame. You have put the regime in place to succeed and you will.

Recovery weeks are important after peaking.

You have been through a long cycle of training and racing, and so will need time to rest and recuperate. I’m not saying stop altogether, but take the distances down on runs, lower the intensity and maybe take on some different forms of training, maybe cycling or swimming and have some fun! Eat well and ensure you keep the body moving at a low intensity.

Now of course all of this is focused on peaking at a particular race. I mentioned earlier that you probably have time for maybe 3 to 4 races to be targeted, although you have to factor in where these races sit in the calendar. It may be that they are not evenly distributed throughout the year for 3 or 4 training cycles. It could be that you have to find other races to focus on, as in the space of 3 weeks may be 2 of the ones you wanted to build towards. Prioritise your races and pick carefully.

Build in other races you want to do in the year as training runs in your training cycles. Lower the intensity and go for fun. Use it to cover your mileage without pressure of performing, and even team run with a bunch of people in fancy dress.

DO NOT LOSE THE ELEMENT OF FUN FROM YOUR OCR RUNNING! We are also of course talking amateur here.

Don’t be too pent up on pressuring yourself into peaking and performing well. Pick one or two, but also remember why you do OCR. Don’t lose the enjoyment that you get, don’t take away the smaller successes you have, because you might not win, and make sure that you never feel like you lose. If you don’t win, you only learn.

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OCR CROSSWORD

1. BIGFOOT 2. BURGER 3. CARGONET 4. DISTANCE 5. FIRE 6. FIVEKM 7. HAY 8. ICE 9. JONALBON 10. LOG 11. MAJORSERIES 12. MARSHAL 13. MENTAL

14. MONKEYBARS 15. MUD 16. MUDTREST 17. NUCLEAR 18. OBSTACLEMAGAZINE 19. OBSTACLES 20. RACER 21. REEBOK 22. RIG 23. ROPES 24. ROPESWING 25. SLIPRAMP 26. SPARTAN

27. SPEED 28. TASK 29. TENKM 30. TIME 31. TOUGHMUDDER 32. TRAIL 33. TRAINERS 34. TYRES 35. WALL 36. WATER 37. WOOD 38. WORLDCHAMPS

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FEATURE: HEALTHY RUNNING HABITS

HEALTHY RUNNING HABITS WRITTEN BY: CARL WIBBERLEY

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FEATURE: HEALTHY RUNNING HABITS

The benefits of healthy habits spill over into a better life beyond running so here are the top healthy habits to embrace over the coming quiet racing months.

BECOME A MORNING RUNNER You meant to log those five miles today, but between family, work, and social obligations, it just didn’t happen.

The solution: Put running first on your agenda. “People who start to run early in the morning get hooked on that feeling of having accomplished so much before others are even awake, as well as the extra energy they get from that morning rush of endorphins.

Make It Routine • Start with one or two days per week. Knowing you have the other five mornings to snooze makes getting up early less painful. Make sure you can get to bed on time the night before a crack-of-dawn call, or you risk skimping on sleep.

• Set out your clothes, shoes, water bottle, and reflective gear the night before to eliminate excuses and get out the door quickly.

• Nothing keeps you from going back to bed like knowing someone’s waiting for you. Good conversation with running friends almost makes you forget that you’re running.

• All habits feel awkward at first. Since it requires resetting your body clock, morning running may require a little longer than most--at least three or four weeks--to sink in.

CROSS-TRAIN REGULARLY If you’re struggling to squeeze in three or four runs per week into your schedule, you shouldn’t worry about adding in other aerobic activities. But once you have a steady running habit, workouts like swimming, cycling, or rowing can boost your fitness without the impact stress of running. And by engaging different muscle groups, you can correct muscle imbalances and net a stronger, more well-rounded body.

Make It Routine • Sticking to a regular class at the gym is an easy way to automate cross-training. Even if you go solo, set up a regular date and location.

• Don’t set yourself up for failure by choosing a class you’ll have to rush to attend. Search for an option that suits your schedule.

• Gunning for a PR? Go with a type of crosstraining that mimics running, such as crosscountry skiing or pool running. If, however, your goal is overall fitness, select an activity that’s very different, like swimming or cycling.

• Treat cross-training like an aerobic recovery day; schedule it after hard running days and keep your effort level low enough to carry on a conversation.

WARM UP BEFORE A RUN;

STRETCH AND FOAM-ROLL AFTER The repetitive motion of running tightens muscles, increasing your injury risk. Dynamic stretches before a run prep your body for more intense activities. Afterward, static stretching can

return your muscles to their prerun length, even if you don’t actually gain flexibility. And foam rolling, either immediately postrun or later in the day, loosens tissue in ways that stretching alone can’t.

A 10 to 15 - minute warmup routine: start with leg swings (first front to back, then side to side), then walk, march, and skip before you finally run.

Postrun, stretch your hip flexors and hamstrings (which tighten during running and sitting), calves (to prevent Achilles tendinitis and plantar fasciitis), and your chest and shoulders. We don’t think about using our arms during our run, but they can also get very tight. Foam-roll any area that still feels tight, holding for a few seconds on tender points to help release them.

not only permeates your running, it affects your work life, your family, your relationships. While you snooze, your body and mind recharge, repairing the damage done from hard training, releasing human growth hormone to build muscles, and strengthening connections between nerves and muscles.

Regularly shorting on shut-eye has been linked to everything from limits on your muscle glycogen storage to injury risk and moodiness, weight gain, diabetes, and heart disease. Most people need six to nine hours per night; if you regularly feel like you might nod off during meetings or if you conk out immediately when you hit the sack, you’re probably not sleeping enough.

Make It Routine • Don’t kick things off with a 30-minute full-body elongation session. Start with 10 to 15 seconds of a single stretch after a run.

• Buy your own foam roller instead of relying on your gym or training buddy. Keep it in a visible spot near where you’ll use it, and have a massage stick in your office.

• If you have a 45-minute run on your training plan and exactly 45 minutes to do it, chances are you’ll rush into it without the dynamic stretches.

Adjust your schedule so you have a full hour for your workout, or consider decreasing the mileage to accommodate the warmup.

Make It Routine • Start with a month-long commitment to add between a half-hour and an hour more to your regular sleeping time.

• During that final hour before bed, shut down all your screens, including phones, TVs, tablets, and computers. The blue light they emit dims production of the sleep hormone melatonin.

Designate an old running-shoe box for electronics--at the appointed time, plonk your devices inside and shut the lid until morning. Do something relaxing, like reading a book.

• Rethink that late-afternoon latte. A caffeine jolt as long as six hours before bedtime can disrupt your slumber, decreasing the restfulness of your sleep without you even realizing it.

ADD A WEEKLY LONG RUN Efforts of an hour or longer build endurance, grow capillaries that carry nourishing blood to your muscles, strengthen bones and ligaments, and prepare you for races of any distance. Newer or low-mileage runners first need to focus on running regularly three or four times per week, then building up to an hour on one of those runs.

Designate one day a week as your long day, even if that means 20 minutes of run/walk instead of your usual 15. Then add 10 percent to your longest run per week, but never any more than a half-mile at a time.

Make It Routine • Write out your long-run progression for the next month or two in advance, then sit down each Sunday night or Monday morning and plug your long run (and the others) into your schedule.

Be flexible--if you need to reserve weekends for family activities, try early Friday mornings for long runs.

• Drive to a nearby trail or forest. Varying your surroundings will make the hours or miles pass more quickly.

• A support system helps any new habit take root.

But groups provide added benefits as the miles add up--safety, distraction, and an opportunity to develop bonds.

GET ENOUGH SLEEP Few habits have as much of an impact on your running and your health. Everything is so much worse when you don’t have enough sleep; it

SIT LESS Even runners spend an average of 10 hours and 45 minutes per day with their butts parked in chairs. As you rest, your hip flexors and hamstrings tighten and your posture slumps, boosting injury risk. And the research on the health harms of sedentary behavior has grown so alarming that many experts call the problem “sitting disease.”

An exercise habit alone won’t save you from consequences like weight gain and heart disease, but research also shows that standing or walking breaks can make a big difference.

Make it Routine • Log your sitting time or strap on an activity monitor - manufacturers like Polar and Garmin now make models that double as GPS devices.

Then consider this: Six to seven hours of total daily sitting time harms your fitness about as much as an hour of running helps it.

• Use that tracker to look beyond your total daily step count, which is skewed by your runs. Most devices tally the hours you spend sedentary; aim never to log more than two in a row where you’re getting fewer than 1,000 steps.

• Make rules for your workday: Rise each time someone comes into your office, pace on every call, hover in the back of the room during meetings. Anchor it to what you’re already doing and you’ll find it easier to remember, and over time, the first behavior will become a trigger for the new habit.

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REGULARS: CAPTION COMP

Caption

COMPETITION PHOTO BY: Epic Action Imagery

WIN

DARN TOUGH SOCKS Provided by MUDDYKIT.CO.UK

SEND YOUR CAPTION FOR THIS PICTURE TO COMPS@OBSTACLERACEMAGAZINE.COM LAST ISSUES WINNER:

Winner of the Alpkit Gamma headtorch was Lee Kingston with “‘Marshall to race control... I think we have our first OCR baby on its way”

TERMS & CONDITIONS Closing date for entries is the January 1st 2016. Entries will also be taken on the Obstacle Race Magazine

Facebook and Twitter pages also when this picture is posted.

Photo credit: Epic Action Imagery

BOOTCAMP

LISTING

Find your perfect OCR place to train situated near you with our handy listing.

North

East of England

UK OUTDOOR FITNESS “BOOTCAMPS AND OBSTACLE TRAINING”

FORTITUDE FITNESS CENTRE

Leeds, Bradford, York, Sheffield, Castleford, Huddersfield

07876635234

0796 478 7981

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

North West PRIME HEALTH & FITNESS

fortitudefitnesscentre.co.uk Facebook: Fortitude-Fitness-Centre

Wales STEVE WALL PERSONAL TRAINING & MOTIVATION

WELLFIT OUTDOOR FITNESS Turnbridge Wells, Kent 07886 035773

wellfitoutdoorfitness.com Facebook: Wellfit outdoor fitness SAM WINKWORTH ACADEMY “BOOTCAMP EXTREME” The Vine Cricket Ground, Kent 07817403398

Ellesmereport CH65 1AE

Rhondda, Merthyr Mawr Dunes, Caerphilly

07885764077

07940 343387

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

Facebook: Steve Wall

IMMORTAL FITNESS

South

MARLOW/HAMBLEDEN/HENLEY

Midlands

BOOTCAMP REVOLUTION OBSTACLE COURSE

THE OBSTACLE GYM

Rayne, Essex

Lutterworth

07963202339

0726912988

bootcamprevolution.co.uk Facebook: TheBootcampRevolution

info@reaperevents.co.uk

Facebook: The Obstacle GYM

West Midlands O.P.T OUTDOOR PHYSICAL TRAINING Redditch, Bromsgrove, Rubery, Alcester RFC, Droitwich RFC 07885 416446 outdoorpt@hotmail.co.uk

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

112

Highfields Farm, Caldecote, Cambridge, CB23 7NX

wildforestgym.com Facebook: Wildforestgym

Obstacle Race | Issue 12

samwinkworth.com

07792 881255

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

guardianfitness.co.uk ENERGISE MUD RUNNERS LTD Milton Keynes, Buckinghamshire

SPARTAN GROUP X ORPINGTON

07592750709

ORFC Leesons Way, Orpington, Kent, BR5 2QB

mud-runners.co.uk Facebook: EnergiseMudRunners

South East WILD FOREST GYM OBSTACLE TRAINING CENTRE Nuclear Races, Brentwood, Essex 08454561336

02037315351

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

fivestarbootcamps.co.uk Facebook: 5STAR BOOTCAMPS

BOOTCAMP

VISITS

Over the coming issue we’ll be visiting the bootcamps in the listing to checkout exactly what they have to offer you.

South West HODGE HEALTH & FITNESS BRISTOL 07855 465 872

hodgehealthandfitness.co.uk Facebook: hodgehealthandfitness

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

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

britishmilitaryfitness.com Facebook: britishmilitaryfitness

ENERGISE MUD RUNNERS TELL US WHAT YOU THOUGHT: I am a regular at the Energise Mud Runners sessions which Dave Peters/Dave Loveridge run on a Saturday morning and Tues/Thurs evenings (they also run special sessions when required to help with specific events).

This particular one was aon a cold and very wet Saturday morning session at the Energise training ground in Swanbourne.

There was a good mix of seasoned OCR’ers, fun runners and some starters which made for a very friendly and welcoming atmosphere.

After an initial warmup, we were split into 3 teams of equal ability, each team given a 25kg sandbag and was told the team needed to move it around the course and then back to the start.

Would you like to be included in this listing? For more information on how you can do this contact carl@obstacleracemagazine.com

The course consisted of the normal OCR obstacles such as cargo nets, walls, rope climbs, monkey bars/rings, mud crawls, water jumps, etc and was a very good simulation of a real OCR. On each obstacle Dave Loveridge provided good technique advice and “encouragement” when required.

The effort, determination and togetherness of each team was remarkable (given the foul weather and course difficulty).

Once training was complete it was time for a friendly post-session discussion, hot tea/coffee and cake (this is only similarity between the sessions as the session content always varies).

The amazing course, expert coaching, friendliness of the participants and value for money just made the whole session an extremely enjoyable experience.

Thoroughly recommended.

QUALITY OF OBSTICLES 19/20 As close to a real race as you can get.

AVAILABILITY OF COACHES 18/20 Excellent technical advice and motivational encouragement TERRAIN 19/20 Very wet, muddy, undulating. Perfect VALUE FOR MONEY 20/20 Excellent. The first session is free (as a taster session) and then you can choose to payas-you-go or join as a full member (monthly payment).

ACCESSIBILITY OF LOCATION 17/20 A number of outdoor locations are used which all have good road access and parking.

Total : 93/100

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REGULARS: EVENTS LISTING

Events page

Dec ‘15-Jan ‘16 For a more comprehensive list of upcoming events go to

WWW.OBSTACLERACEMAGAZINE.CO.UK/EVENTS

Grim Challenge 8 miles

Rudolphs Rampage - 7km

The Winter Sprinter

5th & 6th December 2015

20th December 2015

10th January 2016

Aldershot

Gloucestershire

Norfolk

www.grimchallenge.co.uk

iamoutdoors.uk/cotswold-allrunners/cotswoldallrunners-events/rudolphs-rampage/

www.lokievents.co.uk

From £27

From £17 Winter Rocket Race - 5/10/15km

From £25

5th December 2015

Seven Sins Run - 7 miles

Brooks Hellrunner, Hell Down South 10 miles

Somerset

27th & 28th December 2015

16th January 2016

www.rocketrace.co.uk

Forest Of Dean

Hampshire

From £40

www.trimaxevents

www.hellrunner.co.uk

From £25

From £27.50

Urban Attack 5th December 2015

The Immortal Sinner - 14 miles

Muscle Acre, Winter Warmer 5/10km

Manchester

28th December

17th January 2016

www.urbanattack.co.uk

Forest Of Dean

Guildford

From £45

www.trimaxevents.com

www.muscleacre.com

£25

From £31.50

6th December

The Christmas Cracker - 5km

Brutal Run, Women Only 5/10km

Staffordshire

28th December 2015

23rd January 2016

www.kickassendurance.co.uk

Daventry

Hampshire

From £20

event.bookitbee.com/3376/muddy-furlongchristmas-cracker-ocr/

www.brutalrun.co.uk

KickAss Endurance 10km

Judgement Day Goes Nuts 6km+ 12th December 2015 Surrey www.judgement-day.co.uk 6 places for £270 Rudolphs Dash - 2km 20th December 2015 Gloucestershire iamoutdoors.uk/cotswold-young-runners/ rudolphs-dash/

McTough Guy - 15km

Obstacle Race | Issue 12

From £12 Brutal Run, Men Only 5/10km 24th January 2016

3rd January 2016

Hampshire

Dunfermline

www.brutalrun.co.uk

www.brassmonkeyevents.co.uk

From £12

£75 Winter Ram Run - 8/12/24km

Winter Tough Guy® 31st January 2016

9th January 2016

Wolverhampton

Warwickshire

www.toughguy.co.uk

www.ramrun.co.uk

From £69

From £25

£8

114

£35

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