Obstacle Race Magazine Issue 1

O B S TA C L E R A C E F O R A L L M U D A N D R U N N I N G E N T H U S I A S T S

TRAINING TIPS

NUTRITIONAL ADVICE

PROFILES

RACE REVIEWS

GEAR TESTING

SPARTAN RACE SEASON ROUND UP DUMMIES’ GUIDE TO CROSSFIT TOUGH GUY BLOG TOUGH MUDDER 2014 SEASON PREVIEW

INSIDE

FREE RACE CALENDAR

ISSUE #1 JAN 2014 £4.95

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TRAIL SHOES TESTED

9 772053 949001

EDITOR’S LETTER Well what can I say.

First of all I want to say a huge thank you. The very fact that you’re reading this means you’re probably one of the awesome people who have subscribed or ventured out to a WHSmiths to grab the first ever issue of Obstacle Race magazine. Without you this magazine wouldn’t have even have made it off the ground. So once again thank you.

It really has been an amazing few months of writing and racing that have led up to this first issue. In that time we have collected together the best team in OCR to bring you all the latest news, reviews and information from not just the United Kingdom but also from around the world. Also as you will have seen we also like to share a few bits and pieces on our web page to keep you going between issues.

We have searched high and low for the best stories and subjects for this issue such as the inspirational James Simpson who has battled the odds to get his Spartan Race Trifecta medal.

So finally I hope you enjoy reading this issue and I’ll see you on a course soon!

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Nutritional column Good 4 u

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marks OCR piece

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WFG Interview

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Cross fit kev Nam rernatem quatis ea acesequo

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CONTRIBUTORS Fay Kelly Fay is one of our army of race reviewers who will do anything to spend a weekend getting down and dirty on an OCR course. This issue she has written all about her adventures at the first ever Dirty Dozen race.

James Lodge James is another one of our army of race review contributors. He’s just itching to get out into the countryside and scare a few spectators with his muddy hugs. This issue James has written two awesome reviews about his experiences at Total Warrior and Rock Solid Race.

RAWWW All design has been implemented by Rawww.com a creative agency based in Coventry.

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

ISSN 2053-9495 CONTACT DETAILS TO GO HERE

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Spartan season round up

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Dirty dozen race review

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No.1 OCRacer

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Battle Oats Advertorial

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Total warrior race review

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laura messner FC

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hobie call interview

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X-bionic review

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rise of the sufferfest

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Inspiration- James simpson

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WFG Cold weather

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Letters page

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Faye Caley Beauty and the Beast /Beauty

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Sam Briggs CrossFit interview

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Spot The Difference Pic Issue 1 | Obstacle Race

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MEET THE TEAM We thought it would be a good idea to introduce ourselves with our first issue and share our plans for Obstacle Race Magazine in 2014. We’re going to be building an online and physical community for OCR here in the UK over the next twelve months - culminating in both an OCR expo and Christmas Ball at the end of the race season. We have a dedicated team of writers, guest writers, experts and STIGS who will be secretly reviewing the good, the bad and the muddy, just for you. In the mean time, here’s a bit about us and we look forward to seeing you out on the courses and at the finish line!

Carl Wibberley

Features Editor and Main Contact Carl has mud in his veins. Having completed numerous OCRs, Carl is part of the fabric of the OCR community. If you don’t know Carl, it can only be a matter of time. Carl writes with passion and integrity, he is the heart and the lungs of OR magazine. He also likes to run in a dress for the right amount of facebook likes and shares.

Carly Irwine

Race Reviews and Fitness Consultant Originally a student of Performing Arts in Leicester, Carly chose a career path in Fitness and became a PT and fitness professional at One Leisure and C&C fitness in Cambridgeshire. She is a full time gym instructor, trainer and teacher. Carly will be regularly testing kit, running OCRs and she will tell it how it is.

Ross Edgley

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

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Kevin Newey

MD and Advertising Sales Kev is a selling machine. Kev met publisher Mark Petrou in 2007 and wanted to exploit Mark’s online community and magazine. He ended up owning half of it and now runs OR magazine with Mark. Kevin is the guy you would want on your team to get things done.

He competes in OCRs and is trying to wind the clock back by testing CrossFit boxes for you.

Michael Cohen

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

Michelle Butler Nutritional Advice

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

Mark Petrou

Publisher, Media and Events Co-ordinator Originally a lard-arse from Lewisham, Mark studied Business and Marketing at Greenwich University. After building a chain of fish and chip shops, started a magazine for his industry in 2006 with Kevin. A book followed in 2010.

In 2011 Mark met Chris O’Neil - course director at Spartan UK (both their wives are professional cake makers) and discovered OCR.

Ryan Wells

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

Chris Harlock

Product Testing and Sport Chris originally studied at Peterborough College to gain his NVQ level 3 personal trainer qualification. Chris came over to OCR from Triathlon and has so far had a few top ten finishes in Elite class OCRs. Currently at One Leisure and C&C fitness, Chris runs advanced classes that are not for the faint hearted. Expect to see him whiz by but you can catch him in our tent.

BEHIND THE CURTAIN OF OCR

INOV-8

In each issue we will be bringing you a peek behind the curtain of OCR. These pieces will be your chance to take a look at all the businesses that help to make your race day what it is.

For issue one we wanted to interview a brand we don’t really think about too often but is guaranteed to make one of the biggest impacts to your race. We introduce to you inov-8. inov-8 have been around for just over ten years and started off life as a shoe maker who wanted to bring innovation to our feet. Over the years they have turned into one of the most loved shoes for racers all around the world.

To get a real inside view of the workings of the company we contacted PR and Communications coordinator Lee Procter who pulled on his favourite inov-8s and came running to our assistance.

So Lee, not so long ago it was inov-8’s 10th birthday, did you guys do anything nice to celebrate?

WE REMAIN SHARPLY FOCUSED ON OFFERING TRULY INNOVATIVE PRODUCTS 8

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We celebrated the day in typical inov-8 style - by smashing a mountain run in the Lake District. And yes, we found plenty of mud to throw ourselves into!

As a company born out of one man’s genius idea and his passion for innovation, we are of course immensely proud of what we have achieved in our first ten years.

Our focus, however, is on the present. We remain sharply focused on offering truly innovative products to the committed athlete across the globe.

Would you be able to give us a brief history of inov-8 to date for the readers who haven’t come across your brand yet?

Founded in 2003, we are an agile international brand that manufactures innovative, stripped-back gear for committed athletes wanting to run naturally fast on all terrains, smash hardcore workouts and challenge everything.

Born in the UK, we now trade in over 60 countries around the world and deliver the ultimate unrivalledgripping footwear for mountain, trail, obstacle course and functional fitness athletes wanting to push boundaries.

We also launched our first mountain running apparel range last summer, and continue to manufacture ultralightweight, innovative packs for carrying kit and fluid.

The company is the brainchild of Wayne Edy, a former consultant in the outdoor industry, who spotted a gap in the off-road running market for innovation. Initially operating out of a coach house in his garden and then an old church hall, both in the North East of England, Wayne launched his first shoe, the Mudroc 290.

Aimed at fell and mountain runners, it weighed just 290g and delivered outstanding grip through an aggressive outsole.

Zimbabwe-born Wayne quickly became a regular at offroad races across the UK and Europe, selling the shoe out of the back of his pickup. Later that year, New Zealand athlete Melissa Moon won the World Mountain Running Association Trophy in a pair of Mudroc 290 shoes she borrowed on the day of the race in Alaska.

THIS REVOLUTIONARY SHOE BECAME AN INSTANT HIT Since then inov-8’s stripped-back, lightweight footwear range has gone from strength-to-strength as athletes across the globe continue to discover the brand.

Obstacle course and mud racing athletes worldwide are among those to have discovered us. Mud-hungry and boasting unrivalled grip, our aggressive outsoles have made shoes such as the X-Talon 212 and 190, weighing just 212g and 190g respectively, as well as the Mudclaw and Bare-Grip, the first choice for the elite.

We see that recently inov-8 has launched an apparel range which looks fantastic. Are there any plans to design some obstacle racing specific clothing lines?

Our first apparel range, which is now on sale, has been designed for mountain and trail runners. All garments, from our reversible thermoshell through to our DWR (Durable Water Repellent) treated shorts, are ultralightweight and athletic-fitting.

International mountain runners tested all the new jackets, base layers, tees, tights and shorts on the UK and Europe’s most challenging trails, summits and ridges.

I tested our Race Elite 140 Trail Short and Base Elite 160 short-sleeved zip tee when placing top-10 in the Total Warrior 10k obstacle course race in the Lake District in August. Weighing just 140g and 160g respectively, both got soaked and caked in mud. Both dried fast and remained super-lightweight.

We have exciting plans to broaden our apparel range to meet the needs of even more committed athletes in their boundary-pushing sports and fitness disciplines.

Earlier this year we watched enviously at the exciting updates on the official inov-8 Facebook page following your adventures in the mountains, it looked like great fun.

You got to go to some amazing locations in the Alps. Was it as much fun as it looked?

It was awesome. We held our first-ever athlete retreat in the Alps this summer. inov-8 athletes from across the globe tested exciting new product, including our spring/summer Issue 1 | Obstacle Race

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2014 Race Ultra pack series, and trained alongside their international team-mates at altitude.

During the retreat, we stamped our name all over one of Europe’s toughest mountain marathons, placing five runners in the top 10 men and women of the 2013 Mont Blanc Marathon.

The race attracted a world-class field of 2,000 athletes, all of whom departed Chamonix, France, on a gruelling Alpine course that involved 2,500m of brutal ascent and 1,500m of daredevil descent.

In the men’s race, Alex Nichols (US) stormed to a seventh place finish in a time of 3:48:54, with Florian Reichert (Germany) ninth and Oli Johnson (UK) tenth.

The race, which was part of the Skyrunner World Series, reached a highest point of 2,201m altitude at Aiguilles des Possettes and finished with a leg-sapping climb to the spectator-packed summit of Planpraz.

In the women’s race, Anna Lupton (UK) finished seventh and Shona Stephenson (Australia) placed ninth.

Check out our videos from both the Mont Blanc Marathon and the Mont Blanc Vertical Km race on our website at www.inov-8.com.

The 2013 Skyrunner World Series recently reached its conclusion, with a race in Italy. We placed third in the overall team standings – not bad in our first full skyrunning season and a building block for 2014.

Here at the magazine inov-8s are definitely one of our favourite pairs of shoes to race in, specifically the X-Talon 212s. What’s your goto shoe from the inov-8 range when racing or training?

You know your shoes! Our X-Talon 212 is also my (joint) favourite. Weighing just 212g, precision-fitting and with talon-like grip, they feel insanely fast and give me the confidence to attack all terrains, no matter how steep or muddy.

For autumn/winter 2013 we launched an updated X-Talon 212 model, which now boasts an injected EVA midsole for increased comfort and Rope-Tec on the outsole for greater traction and protection when climbing and descending

ropes. They have also been DWR treated to keep out water and mud.

When I’m not wearing my X-Talon 212s, I have our Mudclaw 265s on my feet. The Mudclaw is an off-trail running legend and has an even more aggressive outsole than the X-Talon.

The 265 is the lightest Mudclaw ever. Weighing just 265g, it is the racing model in the range and boasts a reduced 3mm drop (heel to toe differential), thus taking you even closer to the terrain for a fast, responsive ride.

I wore our Mudclaw 265s for the Total Warrior obstacle course race in August. They clawed through the mud and, thanks to the quick release cleats, came back up mud-free and begging for more!

We design all our shoes from the outsole upwards and pride ourselves on delivering unrivalled grip.

I would recommend obstacle course and mud racers to have a pair of both the X-Talon, either 212 or 190 model, and the Mudclaw 265 in their kitbag.

What have you got in store for 2014? We know the inov-8 team was looking for new sponsored athletes for, and we know you had loads of interest from the UK obstacle racers. Have any of them made the cut?

2014 is set to be a really exciting year for inov-8, both in terms of innovative new products and our team of committed athletes.

For spring/summer 2014, we are launching our first products in the new Race Ultra range, aimed at ultradistance runners. The standout product in the range is the all-mesh, body-tight Race Ultra Vest pack. It is crammed with unique features and has already drawn rave reviews in the media.

Our 2014 team will again consist of mountain, trail, obstacle course and functional fitness athletes across the globe wanting to push boundaries and limits. For the first time, we hope to include a high-profile obstacle course racer from the UK in that team.

SPRING/SUMMER 2014 RACE ULTRA RANGE

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We will also be ramping up our presence at 2014 UK obstacle course races, including Judgement Day, which we are the official footwear sponsors for.

CLEAN UP YOUR DIET

HERE ARE A FEW SMART TIPS TO BEAT THE WINTER BULGE AND GET YOU READY FOR THE SEASON AHEAD.

1.

SEASONAL is best. A high-quality diet helps to promote satiety in a calorically efficient way. Buying seasonal vegetables has the bonus of making sure they’re at their peak. Try to buy your veggies locally and make sure you stock up on kale, cabbage and carrots around this time.

On your next shopping trip, fill your basket with these pungent powerhouses.

Broccoli sprouts: Rich in sulforaphane (up to 50 times more than mature broccoli), an anti-cancer compound which helps mobilise the body's natural cancer fighting resources and reduce the risk of developing cancer

See more at:

WWW.GOOD4U.CO.UK/SHOOTS. HTML#BROCCO-SHOOTS Artichokes: Skip the can and learn to cook them fresh, because artichokes contain cynarin and a probiotic called inulin. They help with digestion and actually make other foods taste better by stimulating your taste buds.

Asparagus: Packed with vitamin K, vitamin A, protein and folate, this spring green helps transport calcium to your bones and boosts your immune system.

Rocket: A great addition to salads because of its peppery flavour, rocket is a source of magnesium, which helps strengthen bones, keeps your immune system going strong and aids in muscular health.

Radishes: Eaten with broccoli, they work together to ward off cancer. They’re also a great source of vitamin C in their own right. The leaves are also edible and may be even better for you, with even more vitamin C, calcium and protein.

Spinach: Popeye would be proud. This leafy green is an unexpected source of vitamin C, as well as folate, betaine and lutein. It helps ward off age-related eyesight issues, gives you more energy for exercise and boosts your immune system.

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2.

HYDRATION. Effective digestion and absorption of nutrients relies heavily on hydration. People often confuse hunger with thirst so before you reach out for that 200kcal snack try a glass of water first and see how you feel in 15 minutes.

4.

Maintain a healthy RELATIONSHIP with food. Selfcontrol and conscious diet decisions must come into play but it’s important not to be too obsessive and to enjoy your food. Pay attention: Do not eat just because you are used to eating. Ask yourself "Am I hungry or is this just a craving?" Your body will need less fuel now so try not to eat out of habit. 

5.

EAT OFTEN: Eat every 3-4 hours to make sure your energy levels are maintained and to prevent you overeating later in the day. Smaller snacks and meals more often keep your metabolism active and fast.

6.

Eat dense: Try to eat NUTRIENT-DENSE FOODS that have high nutrient profiles but are low in calories.

Examples of these foods are sprouted seeds and pulses, such as Alfalfa, Lentil Pea and Bean Shoots, leafy greens, pulses, fruit and lean proteins like fish, tofu and chicken breast are all great ways to fill up without filling out.

CARB CRACKDOWN. Don't rid your diet completely of carbs, but instead chose sensible portions and wholegrain carbs such as granary bread, oats, sweet potato, brown rice and quinoa. This is the one food group that people tend to over consume and portion distortion can be a real issue with carbs. Refer to manufacturers’ guidance for what a true portion really looks like. Prepare to be shocked!

8.

Fill your plate with vegetables and protein. Aim for the 50/25/25 RULE. 50% of your lunch and evening plate should consist of veg or salad, 25% lean protein and 25% carbs.

9.

SELF-MONITOR weight on a regular basis (twice a week and always first thing in the morning). If significant weight gain has been an issue for you before then catch this before 1-2kg turns into 5-6kg.

10.

Keep a FOOD DIARY. This is an important part of successful behavioural change and allows you to keep track of your dietary intake and eating patterns.

HAPPY NEW YEAR from the Good4U Team. Stay tuned for more tips on nutrition basics for race prep and recovery. But for now let’s work on smashing January.

One day at a time.

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@Crewroom

3.

7.

www.facebook.com/Crewroom

Always start the day with BREAKFAST and aim to include foods such as porridge, wholegrains, eggs, cottage cheese, seeds, fruit and yoghurts.

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

Y WEIGHT JACKET

TOP RATED

inov-8 Trailroc 235

inov-8 MUDCLAW 265

The Trailroc 235 has to be the best stripped-back shoe we’ve tested. It has everything you need but still gives you that running-in-your-plimsolls feel. We’ve tested these to death over the last few months and taken them everywhere from groomed trails to mud up to your ankles fields and they coped with it all with no trouble at all.

The rubber of the soles can deal with all surfaces from wet rock and wood to the muddy trails with ease. After a quick rinse under the tap they are ready for your next day of running adventures.

These have to be one of the best get-out-and-train shoes we have tested. So if you’re looking for a stripped back shoe to train in with a zero drop these have to be our number one choice. Inov-8 also have a 255gm 6mm drop and a 245gm 3mm drop version which unlike the 235gm version have an added rock plate for extra protection.

The inov-8 MUDCLAW 265 is the new racing version to join the MUDCLAW fleet. The originals weigh in at 300 grams and 6mm drop, while these are the stripped down version with a 3mm drop and weigh just 265grams.

These tweaks have made the shoe an awesome racing choice which we found out when we tested them at Rock Solid Race.

80% RRP £100

95% RRP £90

A fantastic training and functional fitness shoe

Awesome OCR shoe with grip that will never let you down

It sounds crazy but the triangular shaped pointed cleats literally felt like claws on our feet with the way they gave us tremendous grip levels. This was helped by the way the sole sheds mud and DWR (Durable Water Repellent) coating repels mud and water from the shoe’s upper.

To sum them up for you, while you’re racing in them it always feels a little like you’re cheating.

inov-8 X-Talon 212 90% RRP £95 You can’t go wrong with this racing shoe

If you’re a super speedy obstacle racer who wants an incredibly lightweight shoe, then look no further. The shoe X-Talon weighs just 212grams and has recently been updated to give it the DWR (Durable Water Repellent) coating which helps to shed mud from the shoe really well.

While testing we found the cleats to be just as fantastic as the MUDCLAWS. However, the slight difference in design and shape seemed to make these shoes more responsive while you’re really pushing the pace. The rubber is also super sticky so those slip ramps will be no problem at all.

The X-Talon has a 6mm drop making it a pretty good allrounder shoe as regards to distance and mixed terrain.

These also have the great little extra in the shape of rope tech which really does help you get grip on ropes.

This shoe has a huge following from the racers that we meet and we can see why. One of the UK’s best racers Jonathan Albon wears these so they must be pretty special.

As a round up we would say the only reason you wouldn’t choose these is if you have wider feet and in that case go for the MUDCLAWS.

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ORM2014 Issue 1 | Obstacle Race

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THE BEAUTIFUL SIDE OF OCR In a hunt for the biggest and best of obstacle racings personalities we have scoured the world from top to bottom to bring you the most interesting of guys and girls. Laura Messner has to be one of obstacle racing’s most interesting personalities, and with a smile that attracts all lenses in her direction at every race, she was perfect to show us the beautiful side of OCR in the USA.

A NEW SEASON BRINGS NEW GOALS AND I AM EXCITED

So, Laura please tell us a little about yourself.

What do you do when you’re not racing?

Currently when I am not racing I am working on building a new career for myself. I recently joined an online course to become a NASM Certified Personal Trainer. I will admit it has been a struggle since I have not done any studying or anything school related since I left high school in 2008.

I know the end results will be amazing though so I try to keep a positive mind about it!

Before I decided to pick a different career path I owned my own business for three and a half years years as a freelance traveling model and singer. It was a great experience; I met and worked with a lot of wonderful, talented photographers, models and artists, but I knew I couldn't live the lifestyle forever. I wanted something different, something not based around appearance, where my personality and heart were the traits that came first. I found that with my experiences in OCR. So, basically when I am not racing I am studying, training at Relentless CrossFit, and spending a lot more time just hanging out with friends. With owning your own business and traveling all the time you'd be amazed at how isolated from your friends you become and how alone you start to feel. It’s nice to feel the earth again.

Sounds like you've led a pretty exciting life so far. So what made you decide to do your first OCR? Have you always been a keen runner?

Actually to be honest, I hate running. Weird, right? So reading that there would be obstacles to split up the running in a race really piqued my interest. Originally I was supposed to do a Tough Mudder as a team with my boot camp class in Providence, RI but then I moved back to NH so training with the team would have been almost impossible.

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I always say that everything happens for a reason though.

It was that summer my friend Jay asked if I would do the Spartan Race in Amesbury, MA with him which gave me my first taste of the OCR world.

Running in the open heat I placed I believe #117th out of 6,000+ and never doing anything like that I was very pleased. I instantly became addicted, not just for the fun of getting covered in mud and working out, but by the amount of self discovery I was experiencing throughout each race. Truly life changing and I am a better person because of it!

Once you have done a race the OCR bug can definitely take hold of you and make you an addict. Talking of racing, what sort of gear do you like to race in, like kit and shoes?

Speaking of addictions, OCR Gear is another huge addiction of mine. I used to be a New Balance shoe girl, but then before The Spartan Race World Championships this year I fell in love with the Salomon's FellRaiser trail running shoe. These are not the fastest to dry, but have the best grip on the uphills and downhills.

As far as clothing, just something dry fit and snug fitting.

I’ve always been a fan of Nike capri pants with good compression socks and a sports bra. The less material you wear and the more tight fitting it is the less likely it will be that you will snag it on barbed wire or have it weigh you down once you hit the water.

For the longer races I found the "bum bag" CamelBak works as the best fuel kit. It’s easy to manoeuvre, stays tight to the body, has lots of room for gels and energy boosters, keeps the straps off your shoulders to prevent chafing and can sometimes assist in helping carrying heavy objects. It’s also an amazing fashion accessory,

naturally!

It sounds like you are single-handedly bringing the bum bag back into fashion. What does 2014 have in store for you, do you have any big challenges lined up?

2014 holds a lot of exciting challenges. It will be my first full year giving OCR racing, particularly Spartan Race, 110%. I’ll be putting in more hours of training, being blessed with more opportunities to travel, and I am very thankful to be gaining more support through sponsorships from Elite Performance Team, OCR Gear, Relentless CrossFit, X Race Wear. I would say my biggest challenge and goal is to make it in the top 10 in the women's elite Spartan Race world rankings for 2014.

Last year I was able to come in at 15th, but a new season brings new goals and I am excited to see just how far I can push myself.

Sounds like 2014 is going to be your year of domination. What has been your best placing at a race so far?

My best placing for a race has been the Spartan Race in Amesbury, MA and the Citizens Bank Park Spartan Race in PA, both placing 1st for the women.

It’s an unreal feeling seeing as my first podium finish was not that long ago in July at the PA Spartan Race getting 3rd place. I never imagined I would be standing up on the podium with some of Spartan’s amazing athletes.

Just goes to show you dreams can come true. I cried like a baby when I passed that finish line. I find it incredible to look back and see how far I have come in just a short period of time and I am looking forward to seeing how much more I can grow in the 2014 season.

That's amazing! We can only dream of getting those sorts of placings. Even more impressive as you’re probably probably racing five to ten times the athletes we do in our heats.

So, Laura, if people would like to follow some more of your future adventures where should they look?

Thank you!

It is certainly like a dream being able to see just how much hard work with a positive attitude can pay off. I would say Facebook and Twitter are the best ways to follow my journey on a more day to day basis:

FACEBOOK.COM/ LAURA.MESSNER TWITTER.COM/ WICKEDLMESSNER To read up on my racing blogs you can also check out my website: lauramessner.com and of course there’s always Instagram too @WickedLMessner.

Thank you so much for taking the time to talk to us and we look forward to seeing you out on a course soon.

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AN INTERVIEW WITH MICHAEL COHEN

ORM

ORM

DO YOU NEED TO HAVE TRAINING IF YOU ARE ENTERING AN OBSTACLE RACE?

DOES THIS MEAN A LOT OF CONTENDERS ARE UNDER PERFORMING? COACH MICHAEL

Any contender can enter a race trained or not. So the answer is NO.

Simply, YES. At a recent training camp I had elite and seasoned racers unable to effectively climb or traverse a rope, or even do leg raise exercises or monkey bars. It is about teaching contenders good foundation techniques that they can progressively develop through practice and experience. In short, training isn’t just about fitness.

ORM SO WHY PROVIDE OBSTACLE RACE SPECIFIC TRAINING? COACH MICHAEL

ORM

Contenders are starting to wise up to the fact that OCR’ing is challenging and down right dangerous when you have not got the basic skills to be safe, competent and confident. As a racer I know myself how many contenders injure themselves, because they are not versed at just dealing with the terrain and weather, let alone technical obstacles.

WHAT DO YOU MEAN?

COACH MICHAEL The primary safety skill I teach all my trainees is how to jump, land, crawl, climb, mud run and bog traverse.

Most importantly safety rolls and falls, not just on mats in the gym, but out on the rutted and rooted terrain.

With all the event organisers turning up the difficulty level you can’t just assume you can deal with it.

SO HOW DO YOU TRAIN FOR THE UNKNOWN? COACH MICHAEL For starters, contenders need to also include in their training some simulated racing environment training outdoors, such as in the forest. Then you get to experience the seasons, weather, the undulating terrain, the natural obstructions, hazards and obstacles. That’s for starters. Then you have the wild aspects to training such as lifting logs. And if you practice lifting using lots of different stances, hand grips and hand domination, then you start to develop your muscles in a multilateral way. This enables you to deal with the unknown and adapt to the obstacles and changing terrain with confidence and in control.

WHAT DO YOU MEAN JUST DEAL WITH IT? COACH MICHAEL

ORM WHAT WOULD YOU SAY IS THE MOST IMPORTANT TRAINING SKILL FOR UP AND COMING RACES.

WHAT CAN THE MORE SEASONED RACER GET OUT OF TRAINING? COACH MICHAEL

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Fitness is just one aspect. It is important to find a coach that will teach a trainee about their body, how it communicates, connectivity and flow. It’s about functionality rather than specialised exercises, sets and reps. Once you are out on the OCR course it is all about the unknown and unknowable in regard to the terrain, weather, obstacles and the thousands of contenders around you.

YOU SAY SAFETY, WHAT DO YOU MEAN?

Every slip, or poor judgement decision leaves contenders vulnerable. It is not like there are safety mats under the obstacles or clear water pools that you can see what obstructions are perilously beneath. Not forgetting when you are fatigued then anything can happen and it might not be at your instigation. It could be one of 2,000 other contenders that cause you to fall.

TO GET YOUR FREE WEEKLY LAKE WATER TEMPERATURE ALERT SEND AN EMAIL TO INFO@WILDFORESTGYM.COM AND IN THE SUBJECT LINE INSERT ‘ORM LAKE WATER TEMPERATURE ALERT’

COACH MICHAEL

ORM

Welcome to the official Obstacle Race Training Column for ORM by our OCR training expert Michael Cohen, of Wild Forest Gym & TEAM Wild Forest Gym. Professional training in the world of obstacle racing is very new. It’s a continuous subject we see on Facebook, so here are a few questions posed to Coach Michael.

COACH MICHAEL

There is an assumption that a lot of seasoned racers know what they need to do as far as training when it comes to running and going to the gym. For sure, fitness training will get them through. However, contenders decide to seek out obstacle race training because they want to optimise their racing. You see a lot get by being a good runner. However when it comes to agility, balance, carrying, lifting, throwing, jumping, climbing (all functional movements) they are penalised.

COACH MICHAEL Cold Water & Cold Weather Acclimatisation Training is number one on the list. You would not believe how many racers suffered with hypothermia in last year’s winter races, even in March this year. So many contenders minds and bodies go into shock when they have not adjusted their body’s thermostat and mental perception of being in such a frigid environment that they will be exposed to over the winter. Even elite racers suffered with hypothermia, because they were under trained and incorrectly kitted out. See the article on Cold Water and Acclimatisation Training on page 78.

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TOP RATED

Salomon Speed Cross 3 70% RRP £85 A great shoe for training

89% RRP £85 a fantastic racing shoe if you need that little extra support

Most of you will have seen a pair of Salomon Speed Cross 3s at an OCR at some point even without knowing it.

They are one of the most popular pairs of shoes within the obstacle racing community, as they are a great all-rounder shoe. What we mean by this is that you can not only race but train in these which really helps if you are only doing a couple of OCRs a year.

As with the XR missions they are suited better to the racers who like a good amount of support and cushioning. The Chevron pattern grip on the soles can handle most terrains with ease but does start to struggle on the muddier. The rubber compound is quite a hard one which makes them more durable when it comes to hitting a little tarmac on your training runs, but this does make some of the hard surface obstacles a little slippery. Overall, we would say these are the shoe for you if you require a good amount of support and cushioning to help you race at your best.

Salomon Fellraisers Salomon have come up with a great middle ground shoe with the Fellraiser. They’re perfect if you want a shoe with a minimal drop but plenty of support and cushioning. The chevron pattern grip provides more than enough grip in mud and on steep slopes. Unfortunately with every upside there’s a down side. They don’t have much mesh in their construction, which means they don’t shed water and mud very quickly in turn making them a rather heavy shoe.

Salomon XR Missions The Salomon XR Missions were designed to make it possible for you to run straight from your door all the way to the trails you love. They’re equally good on hard pavements as they are on the rough trails. You can feel the quality of the materials used to make these from the minute you pick them up. You will probably spend a good ten minutes or so playing with the laces when you first see them. The laces are a great addition to any Salomon shoe and even through the harshest of courses stay nice and tight. These are probably one of the best pairs of shoes you could choose for use while training on mixed terrain, especially if you are the sort of racer who needs a shoe with plenty of support and cushioning.

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As a round up, if you are looking for support and cushioning but also want to be close to the ground then these are the perfect choice for you.

90% RRP £95 We can really see why its one of the most popular OCR shoes

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This is the one name you can always use when you are trying to explain what you do. We all used to the conversation where somebody asks you what your hobbies are and you then proceed to say I run obstacle course races. The inevitable answer follows “What’s that?” Well, the way we explain it is “you know like Tough Mudders”, they answer “oh yes my … Has done one of those”. This is the way it goes 99% of the time. This just goes to show the huge reach of this enormous brand.

As 2013 was such a fantastic year for OCR with TM getting 85,000 racers running their event in the UK, we wanted to ask one of the biggest races out there how they thought it had gone so we looked no further than John Fidoe the European marketing director for TM just how great it had been for them.

So, John, Tough Mudder has continued to grow at a crazy rate, what do you feel is the brand’s secret recipe for success?

I feel that the high quality of the TM events have a huge part to play in our success. The testing obstacles we bring to the masses that promote team work and also push you face your fears are also key to what keeps people coming back for more. We have some really fantastic followers who are part of the Mudder Nation and I just love to look at what’s going on in there, it never fails to make me smile.

What our European readers really want to know is where next, where in Europe, are TM planning on setting up in 2014?

Well as your readers read this we are already putting on our German races thoughout January which will be huge.

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The Germans have been crying out for their own runs for a while now so we are happy that we can bring them what they want.

We have heard a rumour that Tough Mudder has some great new obstacles planned for 2014 and this is something that makes all OCR racers ears prick up. Especially after we have seen the new obstacles at the World’s Toughest Mudder like the Leap of Faith. So can you tell us more John?

To be honest it’s a little early to tell you anything about the obstacles yet as it would spoil the surprise. But what I can tell you is that they are ones that are already part of the courses in the US and have been a huge success. I hope this is enough of a clue for you, but if not then you will just have to get yourself to the London West and the Midlands runs to find out.

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So what have Tough Mudder got planned for the future to top the success of 2013?

I really am glad you have asked that because this is a question that I love answering because we have so much on the cards for you in 2014. For example, we will be rolling out camping at every event; and this was decided after it went down so well last year. Also as an added bonus for the campers we will have hot showering facilities and there will be parties to keep that festival feel going on until 11pm, with loads of catering to choose from.

Well, John, after that I think everyone will be just as excited as you about the coming Tough Mudder UK season. Let’s hope it is another massive year for obstacle racing.

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The sounds of thumping music filtering across the car park, and an upbeat voice getting people hyped up was the first thing that hit me as I walked to the sign-in tent, and very much set the scene for the day.

I quickly passed through registration picking up my bib and timing chip and walked onto a well populated village of tents and eager racers ready to go up against Rock Solid, the music loud and infectious putting a very upbeat feeling in the air. When we were called to action for the first heat we were funnelled into a holding area where we were put through our paces with a long warm up session set to loud and thumping music. It was a warm up that really got people pumped so when the count down finished a small horde of cheering and shouting runners were set loose on the course.

ENOUGH TO LET YOU FEEL THE HEAT OF THE FLAME AND SMOKE IN YOUR FACE Sprinting across the start line in a nicely sized wave it was straight into the obstacles over a number of large hay bale hurdles, a great way to quickly get the blood pumping and even out the field in one easy motion. On from the hurdles and down a slight inclination to a number of wooden beams over a narrow stretch of water, a simple obstacle but made more distracting by the fact that you had to run up the other side of the hill, do a U turn and head back down straight through the broader part of the water not 20ft away.

The shouts and screams of people charging into the cold water was enough to distract a few people so that they got their first taste of water a little earlier than most.

But up the hill we ran and back down again into waste deep water, the first of what was to be a very wet course.

Right from the start the encouragement of the marshals was great, and you could tell they were enjoying watching people charge round the course as much as the people covered in mud and water which added to the feel of the day.

Once we left the field it was a short run to the first of a number of wooden walls, this one relatively short at about 6ft and, once over, onwards to a double fire jump. This wasn’t particularly large in size, but big enough to let you feel the heat of the flame and smoke in your face as you jumped them, and give you the buzz that all fire jumps do.

The next wall climb, quick on the heels of the last, was tall enough to be a challenge, at about 10ft, and lacking in both formal foot holds and the unofficial ones that many of the frames give you in other events.

Wet metal supports gave almost nothing at all and so it was at these obstacles that the underlying nature of obstacle racers came to the fore. Without pause for thought people were given helping hands, and friendly words of encouragement to get up and over the wall, and then with a drop to the floor, onwards again. For first timers and experienced runners alike it’s always a nice sense of achievement to get over the taller walls.

The next few obstacles, standard on many courses, consisted of a muddy cargo net crawl and a few gravel and bark chip mounds placed together in a short succession, which were quickly covered before coming into what I would have to call a military zone.

Rounding a corner within a wooded area, the scene was that of a war zone, smoke lazily drifted through the trees and themed music interspersed with the sound of gun fire boomed out and turned it from a race into a mini adventure. The first obstacles were hurdles created like Issue 1 | Obstacle Race

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huge wooden Jacks which you could go under or over and so given that over is always my fist option, I jumped these and, through a cut out in a chain link fence making you feel like you were actually breaking into the military zone.

Through the fence you were met with the front of a fighter plane, jutting from the trees and giving what was already a great zone an even better feel. No chance to stand around and relax though as the marshal shouted for you to get onto your belly to tackle a crawl through mud under barbed wire, as the smoke continued to drift through the air and the sounds echoed through the trees.

Out of the mud and onto the tunnel rats, long narrow tubes, a personal pet hate for me topping out at over 6ft, but not only were the tubes tight and wet they were at an incline, so slowly I inched forward trying not only to make progress but to avoid losing ground and slipping backwards, but with a final pull I was out and running and over a series of 4ft walls made of stacks of tyres and into the open woods, leaving the military zone behind me.

Out of the woods and into a long stretch with a slight downhill camber, filled with some of the usual suspects, obstacles consisting of a pretty long spiders web of cords to weave through and some alternate metal frames and log walls to go up and over. At the end of this run there was a wooden frame to climb which put you at the top if a waterslide. As obstacles go there is almost no challenge and its all fun, but they can be seen in a lot of races these days and this was a good one by any measure, the shouts of delight and smiling faces attesting to this and, in pairs, racers screamed and shouted their way to the bottom.

A short run on from the slide, brought the next series of obstacles into view. The first and most dominate was very much a show piece, a large cargo net climb strung up between two huge trucks in the middle of a field. No slant or tied down base to make it easy on this course, straight up and over but with only flat ground around you, the height at the top seemed more than it should have been. Some nervous and tentative, struggling to make the flip over the top, others confidently up and down flinging themselves at the top, but all getting over it.

Onward through a short tunnel made from a huge pipe which we would be revisiting later, and then on to a lake crossing on a double rope, one to walk on, one to hold above your head. Most racers managing it without falling into the water, but all still getting wet to the knee at the very least. Straight out and back on yourself over the same lake but this time crossing on 5 wobble boards, tipping in a number of people into the water in just the short space of time I was there.

Without any distance to shake off any water we were doubling back on ourselves but this time over the tunnel we had previously run through, this aided by rock climbing hand grips and a hay bale dismount on the other side. On to two more shallow lake wades to make sure that dry trainers were nothing but a distant memory, the second of the two wades having a sneaky drop in depth halfway through which produced many shouts and gasps as well.

Water obstacles were coming thick and fast and the floating ducks on the next one brought a smile to many faces until they realise the nature of the dunking they were about to get. A cold muddy pond a short distance into the woods, with a telegraph pole resting just on the surface... wading into the water, it was a single breath under the pole and out the other side but such a simple

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SPECTATORS CHEERING YOU ON CAN DO WONDERS FOR YOU TACKLING OBSTACLES THAT MAY NORMALLY CAUSE YOU TO PAUSE

IT WASN’T LONG BEFORE I WAS STANDING LOOKING DOWN AT LEAST 15FT INTO THE DARK WATERS BELOW

obstacle caused a number of people to pause and steel their nerves, before they managed to complete it. But after spluttering and gasps we were done and moving on.

Out of the murky water and into the woods, a chance to run on and get a bit of warmth into cold hands and feet, feeling like it was possibly the first open stretch of the whole course, and foolishly wondering whether I had put the worst of the water behind me. But just after I had started to get into a comfortable stride shouts and screams were heard and it wasn’t long before I was standing looking down at least 15ft into the dark waters below me.

The infamous walking of the plank, as seen on a number of races but something that has both excitement and a touch of fear about it, no matter how many times you do it. This time was no exception, and with the obligatory shout I launched myself into the air letting time freeze for a second as I hung motionless, before the icy water caught up with me at full force.

A short swim to the bank and I moved on frozen, soaked to the bone and loving every second of it, buzzing with a fresh kick of adrenaline that always follows. Riding this out I ran onwards, through a stretch of shallow stream bed, then picking up a huge log which I needed to carry up and down the side of a hill that went on and on. Once I had dropped the log we were directed to slalom up and down the same hill a few more times, hearts pounding from the incline but ever grateful that we had dumped the log at the first turn.

Shortly after I put the hill behind me I arrived at the green mile, and with a short moment to catch my breath I was off. I knew from a scan of the map at the start, that at the end of this timed mile I would be almost home, so I put my head down and ploughed on. After checking my time when I was completed I have to say it was far from my fastest ever mile but given the course I had just run I wasn’t unhappy with it. Towards the end of the mile I started to hear the heavy thump of music in the air and when I crossed the mile marker I could clearly see the crowds and finish line and with just a handful of obstacles between me and my dog tags, so I pushed on without pause.

Spectators cheering you on can do wonders for you tackling obstacles that may normally cause you to pause and it was the same here, up and over a wall without a second thought, comfortably clearing the monkey bars with more speed than grace and heading on into a Gladiator to take a couple of blows before I made my way through on to the last obstacle. No matter how many times you do an ice dunk it always hurts and there is no graceful way of emerging from the tanks, but at the finish line is a great place to have it for all the spectators that have dutifully waited in cold to see you finish, and they are great for a photo,, even if not one of your best looking.

Climbing a hay bale tower to cross the finish line was a great touch, standing the above the crowd after pushing yourself through dozens of obstacles and looking down and feeling like you have really earned your tags is a great feeling and one that summed up the whole race.

The whole event was well organised and there had been a lot of effort put into each of the obstacles and the way the races flowed. For someone who likes an obstacle rich course this ticked every box for me, and with a great medal at the end in the form of a set of dog tags I couldn’t ask for more. I would recommend this race to both the experienced and first timer alike.

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CROSSFIT KEV INTRODUCTION TO

I’d never heard of CrossFit until last September when Carl our editor mentioned that I should give it a go to improve my upper body.

I’ve always had a slim build and because I’ve only ever played football, my legs have always been okay, but my upper body strength has never been up to much. Unfortunately, my football career was brought to a premature end 4 years ago when after two failed arthroscopies on my right knee, I was diagnosed with psoriatic arthritis.

It was hard to come to terms with the fact that at the age of 31, I would be on medication for the rest of my life to keep the pain and swelling under control. Even taking my son for a little kick about in the park would flare it up and leave me in agony for 3 or 4 days.

At the start of 2013, my consultant increased my medication dosage, and within a couple of months, my knee felt pretty good. I felt good enough for me to consider getting off my ass and trying some exercise. I bought myself a treadmill and got my weights out, but without a proper routine, I just didn’t have the willpower, especially without an end goal to aim for.

I don’t know how you got in to OCR, but my journey was through seeing friends uploading their action pics to Facebook. I went along to support a friend and regretted not going prepared to give it a go. I started to look more into the industry, and that’s when Mark and I came across Carl, the font of all knowledge to do with OCR. Mark 32

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and I were working together on a magazine in a totally different industry and saw that the rise of OCR wasn’t being catered for.

Carl persuaded me to enter my first event, and after downloading Runtastic on my iPhone, and doing a few 3km runs close to home, I felt prepared… well… sort of.

I went along to the Spartan Sprint in Cambridge and set off in the early afternoon. I found it pretty tough, and mainly on things like the rope climb and parallel bars.

Both obstacles throwing me the obligatory 30 burpees. I was disappointed in the parallel bars, but the rope climb had always been something I’d struggled with as a kid, and I gave up on it too easy.

This is when CrossFit was put on my radar. A new fitness program aimed at conditioning the whole body, and in particular for me, my core and arms. I searched Youtube for ‘What Is CrossFit’, and gulped. It looked a bit too hardcore for me, but it was too late. I had already mooted ‘CrossFit Kev’ to Carl, and I couldn’t wimp out now.

It was pretty easy to find my local box on Facebook, and I arranged to go down and have a look around CrossFit Coventry. I was surprised at the range of different shapes, sizes and fitness levels of the people that were there. You could tell that some of the CrossFitters were pretty advanced, but everyone was pulling together on the WOD they were doing, and it was great to see that there were NO egos there at all. All of the exercises were

IT LOOKED A BIT TOO HARDCORE FOR ME, BUT IT WAS TOO LATE.

scaled to each person’s ability. This is what CrossFit is all about. It isn’t an exclusive club for meatheads and muscle men who want to impress with big lifts.

I went home and booked up for a taster session, which would give me a chance to try out a few of the novice moves and exercises. We were given a small circuit to complete as many times as possible in 10 minutes.

12 BUTTERFLY SIT-UPS 9 RUSSIAN KETTLE BELL SWINGS 6 WALL BALLS 3 BOX JUMPS Doesn’t look like much does it?....but on my 5th circuit, I hit the wall. I lost one of my wings on my butterfly sit-ups, and the wall ball started to feel more like an atlas ball. I managed to complete 6-and-a-bit circuits in the allotted time, and I was pretty happy with myself. My shoulders and buttocks were hurting a bit, but all in all, I thought it was the beginning of a new exciting journey.

After a nice soak in the bath, and an afternoon on the sofa watching SKY Sports, my body started to seize up.

My back began to feel like someone had stuck an axe

in it and was wiggling it about. I couldn’t move without aggravating more pain. I managed to stagger upstairs and the missus took care of me with deep heat, hot water bottles and whatever else she could do to ease the pain. I considered A&E, but thought I’d leave it until the morning to see how it was. It was the worst night’s sleep I’ve ever had. I always toss and turn in my sleep (yes, I’ve heard all the jokes before), and every movement was agony.

If Sunday was 100% on the painometer, Monday was probably 90%, Tuesday 80%, Wednesday 50%. It took me a full week to recover fully.

My body had been in shock from the non-stop action it had been dealt. Since my first OCR, all I had been doing at home was running more often, and increasing the distance. I hadn’t done anything to my upper body until the taster day. Also, to be fair, I think I was twisting my body a bit on the wall balls which didn’t help.

If you’re still interested in joining after the taster day, you have to attend the foundation course which teaches you all of the correct ways to complete the different exercises, so that you avoid injury. That’s what’s next up for me on my CrossFit journey, and I’m really looking forward to it. The saying ‘no pain, no gain’, couldn’t be truer for me. I know things will improve and if I want to take on more obstacle races in 2014, I need to do something.

So, that’s me and how the journey began. I’ll be reporting back for you in the next issue on how the foundation course goes, and I will hopefully be visiting a different CrossFit Box in a different part of the country over the next few weeks.

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THE DUMMIES’ GUIDE TO CROSSFIT So what is CrossFit? This is a question I get asked on a regular basis, and to be honest it’s not the easiest thing to put into words, hence why my usual response is: Just come and try it, then you will really know what CrossFit is.

For now though I’m going to try and explain what it’s all about, then it’s up to you to get down to your local CrossFit gym (or Box as they are referred to) and give it a go for yourself.

Trust me when I say you will not have experienced anything like this before. You’re going to walk (or crawl) out of there after dusting yourself off, mopping up your sweat from the floor and finally stopping your lungs from bursting out your chest and you’re going to think… that was awesome, I want to do that again.

THE POWER AND APPEAL OF CROSSFIT CrossFit works by training and developing the 10 domains of fitness. These are: Cardiovascular endurance, stamina, strength, flexibility, power, speed, coordination, agility, balance, and accuracy.

It does this by using a combination of the following training modalities: Gymnastics movements, such as pull-ups, push ups, plyometric box jumps, ring dips, and medicine ball throws.

Metabolic Conditioning, such as running, skipping, and rowing. Weightlifting, such as Squats, Deadlifts, Clean & Jerks, Snatches and Kettlebell swings.

Ok, so that all sounds good on paper, but what does it mean and how does it work?

When any CrossFitter walks into the gym the first thing they will do is look at the whiteboard. This contains everything that is going to be in store for them during the session. The looks on people’s faces as they scan over it are usually a combination of dread and excitement.

Each session is taken by a qualified Coach who will talk you through the workout, and demonstrate all the movements you will be doing in the class. They will then spend the session working with you to improve your skills 34

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and correcting techniques.

A session lasts one hour and is typically broken down into several sections.

First you would warm up and do some mobilisation using different kinds of drills and exercises.

Then you will move onto the skill and strength section of the session. This can either be learning or practising a skill such as a handstand walk, or a muscle up, or it could be practicing technique on an Olympic lift such as the snatch, or a strength session on a powerlifting movement such as a deadlift.

Once this has been completed you will move onto the ‘WOD’, this is the workout of the day and it’s where the real hard work begins.

On average it usually only last around 12 minutes (they can be much shorter or longer though), but believe me, that is all it takes.

These workouts are completed at 100% intensity and the aim is to go as fast as you can with as little rest as possible.

The key to these workouts is that they are always measurable, which means you will always finish with a score, this could either be how fast you completed the workout, or it could be how much work you completed in a set time. The whole point of this is so that you can record your score, compare it with your friends and then in the future when the same workout shows up on the whiteboard again, you can see exactly how much you have improved.

This is then a true measure of fitness, not what it says on your bathroom scales or how you look in the mirror, you can actually see if your fitness has improved by the amount of work you completed and what your score was.

An example of a WOD could be something like this, 5 rounds for time of:

5 X BOX JUMPS, 10 X KETTLEBELL SWINGS, 5 X PUSH PRESS This would basically mean that you would have to complete the stated reps of those exercises, and go through the whole thing 5 times as fast as you can!

Your score would then be the time it took you to complete the workout, so you would record it and next time you do this exact workout say in about a month, you can see if you have improved.

If you’re sat reading this and thinking hold on, what If I can’t perform some of those exercises? Don’t worry, this is when we can do something called ‘scaling’.

We can change any movement to make it as easy as we need to but still working the same muscle groups and so suitable for anyone. This is how I can have an Olympian training next to an elderly house wife and both doing essentially the same workout, just scaled to different levels. Just because they both have different levels of fitness, all that matters is that they are both working to their own 100% intensity!

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Once the WOD is complete and you have peeled yourself of the floor and high fived everyone around you for going through and surviving the same thing you just experienced, it’s time to go write your score up on the board and finish with a cool down and stretch. The way that CrossFit works so well and people see such fast improvements is that it is constantly varied, high intensity and functional exercise, the workouts are constantly changing, and it could be weeks or months before you see the same WOD again. This is very different to just going down a normal gym and getting stuck into the same old routine week in, week out.

The other big part of how CrossFit works, and some say is an even bigger part of its appeal, is the CrossFit Community. This is what makes training in a CrossFit gym different to a normal gym, or Globo gym as we refer to them. You know the routine, go the gym, put your headphones in, try not to make eye contact with anyone, finish your workout, and go home. At a CrossFit box, within a week, you will know everyone’s name, and will have more friends in a month than you thought possible.

These new friends and training partners are what keep you coming, and training. Every CrossFit Box actively organises social events and competitions, there are also competitions between other CrossFit gyms, meaning that this isn’t just about keeping fit anymore, fitness is now a sport!

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THE BEST ADVICE I CAN GIVE IS TO FIND YOUR NEAREST BOX, GO CHECK THE PLACE OUT, SPEAK TO THE COACHES, DO A CLASS, AND FIND OUT FOR YOURSELF WHAT CROSSFIT REALLY IS. Ryan Wells CrossFit Coventry, Head Coach and Owner.

SUPPLEMENT

THE PERFECT RACE By www.theproteinworks.com Sports Scientist Ross Edgley It’s widely known in the Strength and Conditioning community that obstacle racing is one of the hardest and most physically demanding things you can do.

As a result endurance experts will typically recommend a strict training regime of heavy running, 5-6 times a week for at least 16 to 22 weeks to increase your VO2 max (lung capacity), specifically designed high volume weights routines to improve strength and muscular endurance as well as specially designed apparatus so you're able to practice the biomechanics of the obstacles themselves.

But as well as the training itself, studies show there are certain supplements, tips and tricks that can help. Here Head Sports Scientist Ross Edgley from THE PROTEIN WORKS™ rounds up the latest research on endurance nutrition so you're able to supplement the perfect race.

TIPS TITLE!!!

carbohydrates are an athlete’s primary source of fuelUdignitaquam quis doluptatur adi simenti sit landeliatur?

Loraeperitem eum re, cullabo reratum explatur? Ucipsus arum haruptus as ipsuntur, conseri busanderro officabore veribusam dollaut earit rae.

TIP #1 Carb Up

A study conducted at Loughborough University in England found that runners who consumed a high carbohydrate diet 7 days before a 30km treadmill time trial were 10% quicker than those who didn’t ‘carb load.’ Put simply carbohydrates are an athlete’s primary source of fuel so having a sufficient supply before a race is absolutely essential to reducing fatigue and improving sports performance. An idea echoed by A. Bean et al, 2003 who in ‘The Complete Guide to Sports Nutrition’ states marathon runners need 5-7g of carbohydrate per kilogram of body weight or 60 per cent of your daily calorie intake from carbohydrates. This usually works out at around 1,500kcal from carbohydrates per day for most women and 1,800kcal for men or for a 75kg runner that works out at between 600g and 750g of carbohydrates per day.

One of the best food sources to carb-load with is oats due to its low Glycemic Index (GI) *1kg of Pure Fine Oats from THE PROTEIN WORKS™ is £2.79 www.theproteinworks.com/products/ powders/carbohydrates/pure-fine-oats.html

TIP #3

TIP #2 Get A Cup Of Coffee As strange as it sounds a cup of coffee could hold the key to a better marathon time. Researchers at Yale University found that caffeine (found in coffee) actually helped increase your resistance to fatigue by stimulating the production of the neuro transmitter beta-endorphin, which studies show can reduce pain and perceived fatigue.

Therefore a cup of coffee pre- may help you resist fatigue during the latter stages of the marathon. Furthermore caffeine has also been shown to have muscle glycogen sparing properties too. Since during long periods of exercise your body uses glycogen for fuel and when glycogen runs out, exhaustion sets in. Caffeine helps prolong your glycogen stores by encouraging your body to burn stored fat as fuel, saving the glycogen for later.

This all takes place early in the exercise. According to Dr. Mark Jenkins of SportsMed Web, you may use as much as 50 percent less glycogen during the first 15 minutes.

But this leaves larger stores intact for the rest of the event, delaying the point of exhaustion.

TIP #4

Reduce Cramps

Eat Your Greens

With only a few weeks left to train you can’t do too much to prevent muscle cramping because of poor muscular endurance and lack of training. But you can ensure you maintain the correct electrolyte balance in the body to prevent any unwanted cramping mid-marathon according to a study conducted at Sanford USD Medical Center.

Primary ions of electrolytes such as potassium (K+), sodium (Na+) and magnesium (Mg2+) are all needed to regulate your body's fluids, help to maintain a healthy blood pH balance and ultimately reduce the likelihood of getting cramp. Plus, according to the Human Performance Laboratory in New Delhi, ‘an electrolyte drink can increase endurance performance as well as enhance lactate removal and thereby delaying the onset of fatigue.’

(G.L. Khanna and I. Manna, 2005.) *250g of Electrolyte Powder

For those looking for something a bit different to boost performance, a recent study at the University of Thessaly in Trikala in Greece discovered that the green algae known as spirulina could improve an athlete’s resistance to fatigue by as much as 25%. The new research published in the journal 'Medicine and Science in Sports Exercise' theorised that the chlorophyll content in the Spirulina improved the oxygen carrying capabilities of the blood therefore allowing the participants to exercise longer. Try adding 5g of spirulina to your water bottle before race day.

is £9.99 from THE PROTEIN WORKS™ www.theproteinworks.com/ products/powders/minerals-vitamins/electrolyte-powder.html

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TIP #5 Reduce Lactic Acid

At Florida Atlanta University it was found that Beta Alanine and creatine improved the endurance and aerobic capacity of athletes after only 4 weeks of supplementation.

Researchers believe its Beta Alanine’s ability to positively affect a substance called carnosine in the muscles which produced this improved performance since a similar study at the University of Tsukuba found that high levels of carnosine could help to reduce lactic acid build up in the muscle (the burning sensation you get in the muscles when you’re running hard.) *100g of Beta Alanine from THE PROTEIN

TIP #6 Get Some Iron At the University of Missouri it was found that iron supplementation significantly improved the endurance capacity of trained male athletes since iron is an essential component of haemoglobin (the protein that carries oxygen and carbon dioxide in the blood.) Without it you simply cannot efficiently produce ATP, the body’s primary energy source, and you certainly can’t run a marathon in any decent sort of time. So try and incorporate more beef liver, spinach and lentils into your diet.

WORKS™ is £6.49 www.theproteinworks.com/products/powders/ amino-acids/beta-alanine.html

REFERENCES: M K Ranchordas, P Pattison (2011) ‘Effects of carbohydrate and caffeine co-ingestion on a reliable simulated soccer-specific protocol.’ British Journal Of Sports Medicine, 2011, 45

Sports Medical; 31 : 701-15.

Clapp AJ, Bishop PA, Smith JF, Mansfield ER (2000) ‘Effects of carbohydrate-

M. Doherty and P. M. Smith (2005) 'Effects of caffeine ingestion on rating of

electrolyte content of beverages on voluntary hydration in a simulated

perceived exertion during and after exercise: a meta-analysis.' Scandinavian

industrial environment.’ Am Indus Hyg Assoc J; 61 : 692-9.

Journal of Medicine & Science in Sports, Volume 15, Issue 2, pages 69–78, April 2005

Chryssanthopoulos C, Williams C, Nowitz A (2002) ‘Influence of a carbohydrate-electrolyte solution ingested during running on muscle glycogen

D. Essig, D. L. Costill and P. J. Van Handel (1980) 'Effects of Caffeine

utilisation in fed humans.’ Int J Sports Med; 23 : 279-84.

Ingestion on Utilization of Muscle Glycogen and Lipid During Leg Ergometer Cycling.' International Journal Of Sports Medicine.

Fallowfield JL, Williams C, Singh R (1995) ‘ The influence of ingesting a carbohydrate-electrolyte beverage during 4 hours of recovery on subsequent

G.L. Khanna & I. Manna (2004) ‘Supplementary effect of carbohydrate-

endurance capacity.’ Int J Sports Nutr; 5 : 285-99.

electrolyte drink on sports performance, lactate removal & cardiovascular response of athletes’ Indian J Med Res 121, May 2005, pp 665-669

Bilzon JL, Allsopp AJ, Williams C (2000) ‘Short-term recovery from prolonged constant pace running in a warm environment: the effectiveness of a

Sanders B, Noakes TD, Dennis SC (2001) ‘Sodium replacement and fluid

carbohydrate-electrolyte solution.’ Eur J Appl Physiol; 82 : 305-12.

shifts during prolonged exercise in humans’. European Journal of Applied Physiology; 84 : 419-25.

Gisolfi CV (1983) ‘Water and electrolyte metabolism during exercise’. In: Fox EL, editor. Nutrient utilization during exercise. Columbus: Ross Laboratories;

Rehrer NJ (2001) ‘Fluid and electrolyte balance in ultra-endurance sport’

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p. 21-5.

SPARTAN TRIFECTA JOURNEY

By Ian Poulton

SO, HERE I AM. The morning of my first Spartan Race has come and gone. I had set myself the goal of getting the Spartan Trifecta medal in 2013 and now that Spartan Season has started in the UK I guess it’s time to get it done.

I wouldn’t call myself a pro when it comes to running by any means. After signing up for the Jane Tomlinson Leeds 10k on a whim back in 2009 I’ve been running on and off ever since. My training has been hit and miss but to date I’ve ran in 16 planned events, both obstacle and not, and collected a nice array of medals and bright orange sweatbands! One thing, however, has eluded me up until now, the Spartan Trifecta. And that’s why I’m here today.

Now it’s not most people’s idea of a great way to spend a weekend. If you’d have asked me a few years ago “Do you want to spend a weekend running up and down hills, through rivers, under barbed wire, over walls and carrying sand bags” I’d have told you where to politely go.

Nowadays this sounds to me like a perfect way to use my days off work, and I love the fact that I’m not the only one!

After purchasing the Spartan Race season pass I had planned to enter the Spartan Super and Sprint in the Midlands then finish the Trifecta off with The Beast. But when the chance came to get my journey started early and with the chance to add an additional 2 Sprint medals to my journey I thought “Why the hell not.” I didn’t actually know my journey was starting until about 5:30pm the night before, so the last couple of beers on Friday night were probably not the best idea I’ve ever had!

FUN IN THE SUN? Setting my alarm for 5:30am took a minute or two to get my head around, and after actually waking up at 3:30am due to excitement, I picked up my bag and headed off to mine and Carl’s meeting point.

After driving for a couple of hours through rain and fog we arrived at Pippingford Park. Due to a minor technical hitch that delayed the entry and registration we missed our wave start time but this did not detract from what was a thoroughly enjoyable and well planned day.

Hidden behind the veil of fog was the hill which turned 42

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out to be the first natural obstacle. A nice steady 1km incline over the bounciest bridge I’ve ever ran across!

The African drums underneath provided a nice musical accompaniment to the race. By the time we reached the top and had passed the water and kettle bells the mist had cleared and the weather had made it a nice day to run in Over the next 6.5kms I encountered mud, mud and more mud! The mix of man-made obstacles thrown in with the natural terrain made this one of the most difficult races I’ve ran, but this should not put people off who are considering entering an Obstacle Course Race (OCR).

Although missing the spear throw by a matter of inches was a slightly sour point in my day helping a couple of first timers like myself up the rope made me feel better about failing the rope climb myself. The camaraderie between racers was felt all the way through, however I do think the person who left there Tractor wheel half way round owes me a pint for bringing it back to the start!

The obstacles, location, planning and course which took us back into the start/finish area all made this both a fun race to run in as the extra adrenaline from a cheering crowd helped people (myself included) push through to the end. Although I say this with a bit of trepidation…I can’t wait to be back here in November for The Beast!

Spartan Medal Count: 1 Sprint Burpee Count: 60 (Spear Throw, Rope Climb)

ON TO CAMBRIDGE Now when I signed up for my season pass and planned my Trifecta journey I had only scheduled the Midlands Super & Sprint and the London Beast to earn the Trifecta.

So being at my second Sprint of the season and one which I hadn’t even envisaged being at was a nice addition to my medal collection.

The Cambridge Sprint is my ‘local’ Spartan race, but at over an hour away still isn’t close by any stretch of the imagination. The support pack of my girlfriend, Linda, and her parents, Sue and Jon was a nice accompaniment as I

was running this race solo and their cheering and shouts as I was on top of the A frame really helped out over the second half of the course.

The obstacles were the same as at the London Sprint however there was a lack of mud being due to the fact of a few weeks of red hot weather and taking advantage of the military bases roads and trails. Looping round the military base was fun and as in London the course managed to maximise the crowd’s view of the obstacles towards the middle and end of the race.

Spartan Medal Count: 2 Sprints Burpee Count: 30 (Rope Climb. Again.)

MIDLANDS MADNESS Here’s where the journey got real for me. I had never thought I was ready for back to back races over two weekends but I powered through and finished London and Cambridge fairly well. Now I was doing back to back races over consecutive days and looking forward to the challenge.

I set off early on the Saturday morning and entered the 10am elite heat. After saying hello to a few regular faces I noticed the current dominant force, Thomas Blanc, had pitched a tent for the weekend. I wasn’t that hard-core and was glad I was staying in a local bed and breakfast for the night!

The elite heat was just that. I’m used to being left on the start line in the later heats but the speed in which these guys went off was insane. There was a couple of issues in this heat further back where the obstacles bottle necked the runners so much the marshalls offered us burpees

instead, however I declined and thought I’d have enough to do later on so I persevered with my Ammo case.

After the snaking up and down the hill carrying various items the course was nicely spread out and people were able to get into their stride. The lack of mud was a bit of a disappointment and being at a Watersports park there were no challenging water obstacles. I later found out that this was not Spartan Race fault but due to the lakes being man-made there was no natural banking so getting out would have been impossible to monitor and keep everyone safe.

Towards the end of the course is where I got lapped, and I’m not surprised it happened; I was expecting it earlier. The pace the front runners went past at was lightning fast, even with a brick! What was a bit of an unsavoury moment is when one of the elites missed 2 obstacles and neglected his burpees. The truth did come out however and additional time was added. Lesson 1 people: Do your burpees!!!

Lap 2 was awful. Plain and simple. I have finished other obstacle races but never ran a second lap or distance with a brick. Difficult to carry, sharp & rough edges and having to keep it with you at all times was a real pain. Better that than the consequence of not taking it with me. Disqualification. This was not an option as the Trifecta would have been gone.

I finished with a flurry and ran through the Gladiators laughing and asking them to hit me harder. They did, so lesson 2: Don’t laugh at the Gladiators. It’s up to them if you finish in one piece or not! The Blue medal was mine and I was fully aware I had run the Super to get it. The next day was going to be a breeze after this, right?

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WRONG. After a disputed night’s sleep underneath the landing path for Birmingham Airport I arrived again in plenty of time.

Saying hello to the usual suspects was interesting as each one said “Are you back for more?”

I again was in the 10am heat and the usual surge of competitors went off into the distance in a flash. The issue of bottle necks today was better as the Monkey Bars were shorter and with more of them and the snaking up and down the hill was reduced to break up the field.

An interesting surprise was during the middle part of the race. The long stretch inbetween the 2 lakes towards the Tractor Pull was flat and you were able to pick up the pace as the field was stretched out by this time. Today however Spartan HQ threw a curve ball. 2 bricks. My arms after this section were on fire. It’s amazing how much carrying 1 brick disrupts your running but 2 is a nightmare!

After negotiating the Spear Throw successfully again and the final obstacles I was the owner of another Spartan Sprint medal.

Soaking up the atmosphere after I finished was amazing. Even though I had ran these races for the most part on my own I never felt lonely as there was always someone saying well done, and if you were like me and a few others who wore both the Super and Sprint medals earned that weekend you shared a silent but mutual respect for what you had been through.

I’m not going to lie to you; this weekend was a real wake up call for me in relation to my training. The Beast I can imagine is going to be exactly as the name suggests and having already ran the terrain of Pippingford Park anyone who neglects it will not finish.

Spartan Medal Count: 4 (3 Sprint, 1 Super) Burpee Count: 120 (90 Saturday Spear Throw, Monkey Bars & Rope Climb. 30 Sunday Rope Climb).

Do you think I need to work on my Rope Climbing?

BEAST BY NAME… With this being my 9th Obstacle Race of the year I’ve got my planning and regime pretty much sorted out. Bag packed the night before, good carb loading for the couple of days leading up to the race and alarm set. This time it was for 4:30am due to driving to Cambridge and meeting up with fellow Spartan Alison Balcombe who had been kind enough to offer me a lift to complete my Trifecta.

Today would see the culmination of the Spartan Race UK Season and all the big names had turned out to see if they would be crowned Winner. Thomas Blanc, who had won every race prior to this, was a strong contender.

However, with the likes of Jonathan Albon (2012 Beast and Rat Race Dirty Weekend 20 mile winner) and Ross McDonald in the field this was always going to be a test.

Arriving at Pippingford Park just after 9am I was able to see the terrain which was hidden by the mist back in August. Unfortunately a demonic structure which housed the 25 foot rope climb which turned out to be the final obstacle slightly ruined the view!

After saying hello to Carl and the Obstacle Race Magazine team, Tim Lovett and seeing Thomas Blanc during his final race preparations I was in good spirits and looking forward to the challenge ahead. Then the rain came and boy did it make a difference.

Stood at the start with a few hundred Spartans was somewhat different than other races. Possibly due to a few 44

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teething problems Leonidas’ usual rousing battle cry was missing and unfortunately the megaphone also seemed to be playing up meaning the pre-race announcements were not heard towards the back of the starting masses.

However after a slight delay the race started and we were off. Within the first few hundred yards I finally realised my journey would be completed within just a few hours, but what was in store for me and Alison?

The first 15-20 minutes passed through mud (lots of it), log jumps and a water obstacle. After winding on one of the trails through the woods and uphill we came to a series of chin ups, rope ladders and a rope net. The Chin Up bar was completely deserted and the rope ladders were broken. A fellow Spartan was being tended to be marshals on the ground. As not to stop and stare and to keep warm I also bypassed the cargo net and started on my burpees.

Moving further into the woods I couldn’t help but compliment Spartan Race on such a good course. After navigating more water, logs, walls, and tyre carry and tractor tyre pull I came across James Simpson who was just nearing the 8km point and the first loop back into the Start/Finish area. After stopping to talk he told me that he had started at 7am and was expecting to finish long into the night. Not wanting to delay James and also get too cold we bode farewell and wished him luck for the rest of his journey.

As we neared the entrance back to the race village I noticed a lot of runners coming back down the hill and was surprised when they told me that the course directions were not correct and thankfully they had realised after only a few hundred meters. This was not the first time this would happen today and would affect the Elites also.

The A frame , fire jump and spear throw were manoeuvred without any problems, however the extralong monkey bars were really challenging some fitter and stronger participants than myself and I elected for more burpees to save myself some embarrassment! The race then took us along a familiar path which had been used in August so I was quite confident in what the next few obstacles would be like.

One problem which I thought that had been left back near the start was bottle necking at the river crossing after the ice trench. Rather than standing still I took the quick approach and followed Carl through the water and up the hill to stay warm. Watching people follow Carl and my route I noticed some were struggling with the water and lent a hand to help people out before the long jog up the hill. The sand bag and log carry waiting for us at the top were a nice and welcome break.

Through the woods and into unfamiliar territory also brought to me a feeling of fatigue and the Hairbo sweets I had stored in my Camelbak became very helpful. We eventually reached what I believe was the half-way point and the water and bananas again also helped revitalise some out on the course. The barbed wire and cargo nets seemed to go on for what was an age (and so did the loop back to the half-way point) and out again on to the moorland on the far side of the hill. The sand bag carry, monkey bars and balance beams all came and went without too much aggravation apart from a slight bout of cramp which had started to set in.

After tackling the walls at the start of the downward trail on the moors we ventured on towards what was left of the straw tunnels. If any runners actually made it through these before the Ponies had eaten them please let me know!

Moving back to the top of the hill we encountered more water which was nearly game over as I hadn’t anticipated how deep it was and nearly rolled my ankle. After using some words which my mother would tell me off for saying I regained my composure and took my frustrations out on the tyre flip. My bad mood disappeared almost immediately as the Sun decided to show its face for the first time during the race. Warmth. Glorious warmth and being able to see (although not hear the start/finish area)

was just the thing I needed and it gave me the morale boost to finish and finish well.

Coming across a fellow racer who was unmistakeably in trouble and shaking from head to toe I passed on some of my Haribo to him and it looked like all his Christmases had come at once and this gave him a boost also.

Through what can only be described as a tree graveyard and down the long straight trail to the bouncing bridge I had thought we would be sent into the wilderness for another loop but hearing the shouts of spectators saying “Only 500 meters to go” again gave me a boost.

Over the wall and up the diagonal rope climb, not without a bit of a break hanging around at the top whilst the bloke in front of me worked up the courage to slide down the rope and on to the Atlas Stones.

WOW! THOSE WERE HEAVY. If you’ve seen the footage of the ground when the Elites were at this obstacle and saw it a few hours later, it was unrecognisable. The mixture of the stone being dropped countless times during the day and the soaking wet ground made it almost impossible to pick up. I struggled with being unable to feel my fingers properly for a couple of hours and plunging them into think clay and picking up a 30kg concrete ball was never going to happen so I took my 60 burpees (again unable to do the rope climb) and through the Gladiators.

I had finished in 4 hours 46 minutes. The Beast and the Trifecta were mine and I don’t think I’d worked as hard for either medal before. My longest race in terms of time and distance ever and to the victor the spoils were gratefully received.

The winner of the Elite heat was none other than Jonathan Albon who finished in an extraordinary time of 1 hour 58 minutes, the only participant to go sub 2 hours.

The overall UK winner, Thomas Blanc came home in 4th place.

Spartan Medal Count: 6 (1 Beast, 1 Super, 3 Sprints, 1 Trifecta) Burpee Count: 150 (Rope Climb x 2, Atlas Stone, Rope Ladder, Monkey Bars) Over this season I have met some amazing people.

Each and every person that I have met I would now consider a friend as I know what exactly they’ve have gone through this year. Some have raised the bar and gone on to complete multiple races in the same day, most notably James Lodge who successfully completed the Beast course twice. My thanks go out to ORM for letting me write this review. Also to Thomas, Tim, Glenn, Will, Fay (doubly for the Cupcake!), Darren, Karen & Alison.

It has been a pleasure racing with you this season and I cannot wait for 2014 to start!!!

ORM SAYS: The 2013 Spartan Race season was dominated

by Thomas Blanc, winning every race but the final one, where an injury picked up in the penultimate event caught up with him.

We want to say a massive congratulations to Thomas for such a fantastic achievement.

Issue 1 | Obstacle Race

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eaders – r le c a t s b O for cle15 enter obsta

S T N E V E H G U 8 TO IN 2014 15 Feb - WINDMILL HILL (10k) 15 March - BORDON (10k) 26 April - Bagshot (10k) 21-22 June - BORDON (12hr night enduro)

16 August - MINLEY (5k,10k & 20k) 18 Oct - Woolmer (10k) 15 Nov - Long Valley (10k) 27 Dec - Longmoor (8k & 16k)

enter online at brutalrun.co.uk

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What’s on the wall?

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Would you like to see your picture on our Mudtrest wall then send it in to letters@obstacleracemagazine.com with your name and a description.

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Obstacle Race | Issue 1

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start

YOUR

WORLD CLASS TRAINING

SINCE 1984

career in fitness today

M e g a n o’ n

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PERSON AL TRA INER

I’d love to go travellin abroad and work so g with my work wou mewhere hot; qualificat ld b ions are r ecognised e great! My YMCAfit around th e world.

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NOW ymcafit.org.uk/ultrafit 020 7343 1850

YMCAfit has helped to launch the careers of more than 90,000 fitness professionals.

We offer a broad selection of fitness courses including: Personal Trainer Gym Instructor Exercise to Music Yoga STOTT PILATES® Plus over 30 CPD courses.

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DIRTY DOZEN I REALLY CANNOT WAIT TO DO ANOTHER.

The sheep dip... this was insane. A freezing cold, man made pool with three partitioned sections. You had to submerge yourself under the water not once, but three times. And wow, every dunk took your breath away. But more of that later.

On arriving at Paddock Wood, Kent, I took the short walk to the event village. To my excitement, you could see some of the course and obstacles. After having a quick nosey, I went straight to the registration tent. Here I found Doug, the event organiser, adding a personal touch by introducing himself and answering any questions thrown at him. I felt this was a great touch and it helped to make my few minutes in the queue to fly by.

Once in the registration tent they took care of your parperwork and then gave you a sealed bag with your bib number, bag tag, ankle tag, timing chip and identity tag to wear on your wrist. Everything had your name on which was a great idea. I then got ready meet up with my fellow Minions (see Despicable Me for reference!), our fancy dress choice of the day. It was then over to the stage to warm up to a fantastic sound system, and it was at this point the atmosphere was starting to rise. Countdown done, off we went, and before we knew it we were wading through a woody swamp with people losing their shoes left right and centre.

If anyone lost their shoes at this early stage the rest of the course would have been a real adventure. Just around the bend were five trenches named Bitch Ditch. These were too wide for you to jump, so there was nothing for it but to climb in and scramble out the other side. The overhang walls really brought the team spirit out in everyone. As such, there were no problems with waiting around.

Another dose of water was to come with a mid-waist dyke with a wooden type ladder to climb out on, and then off into the woods. A horizontal net, suspended between two trees, seemed to be the only hold up on the course as you waited for people to climb up and down.

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Off running again through more mud and water, before arriving at the sheep dip! Like I said, this was crazy. After dunking yourself three times in a row, you really had a great feeling when you finally emerged at the end. The volunteers (and Doug) were very supportive to everyone, giving advice and spurring you on. At this point I was glad I had my swimming hat and goggles on as part of my costume! Next came the Spider Wall which if you fell from, you were straight in the water. Unfortunately, being on the short side, I didn’t quite make it... SPLASH. A few commando rolls, then 200 meters of tyres to run through. Next came a huge 14 foot wall with a ramp and ropes on one side and slats to climb down the other side. This was followed by an extremely muddy motocross section with plenty of hills and a water ditch too... good thing I love the mud! Then you came across Terror Trench.

This was five underground tunnels, again lots of mud, then Rotten Rafters. This was just like a walk-the-plank.

There was then a 14 foot ladder to climb up and over then another run before hitting the final 12 foot wall. I’ll be honest, this seemed like 100 foot at this stage. Then it was finally, jubilantly, acorss the finish line. Phew.

Overall, I felt that all the obstacles were spaced out nicely around the course. There were also two water stations (bottled water), and the goodie bag was great, especially with a Dirty Dozen tech t-shirt, Dirty Dozen retro bobble hat and some training socks. The free pint also went down very well. The obstacles I felt really were a stand out point for this race, with some of them rivalling the ones put together by the obstacle race giants.

A variety of good quality food stalls and a crazy thing called a Bag Jump (where you jump 7 or 10 meters onto an inflatable bed) were waiting for you at the finish line.

The music also kept the atmosphere pumped all around the events village. So, all in all, it was a great first event for Dirty Dozen. I really cannot wait to do another.

ORM Feedback On The Race: After an amazing first race with fantastic feedback, Dirty Dozen have decided to go full steam ahead with a bumper load of races in 2014, which we’ve listed over the page. With their promise to give you one of the best quality obstacle races, it has to be a must do race.

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DIRTY DOZEN LONDON SOUTH 5 APRIL DIRTY HALF DOZEN LONDON SOUTH 6 APRIL DIRTY DOZEN SOUTH WEST 21 JUNE DIRTY HALF DOZEN SOUTH WEST 22 JUNE DIRTY DOZEN LONDON EAST 16 AUGUST DIRTY HALF DOZEN LONDON EAST 17 AUGUST DIRTY DOZEN LONDON SOUTH 27 SEPTEMBER DIRTY HALF DOZEN LONDON SOUTH 28 SEPTEMBER

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THE UK’S NO.1 OCRACER Most of you will have seen this guy’s face before at some point, whether it be at a race or on a leader board or Facebook post. Jonathan Albon is the United Kingdom’s top obstacle racer. He has stood on the podium of pretty much every race he has entered. This guy loves to race.

So we thought it would be very fitting to interview this amazing guy for issue one.

So, Jonathan tell us a little about yourself. First of all, what are you doing when you’re not winning races?

My day job is as a Building Surveyor but I spend most of my spare time exercising in every way I can find.

Do you have a seriously structured training regime?

Not much structure at all to be honest. What I tend to do is try and listen to my body... when it’s tired I am happy, then I do some more exercise for good measure.

Apart from OCRs, what other ways do you like to keep active?

I run, cycle, orienteer, BMF, do circuits, boulder, swim, roller skate, cross-country ski, snowshoe...

How long have you been running and racing and where did it all begin?

I used to play skater hockey. This was my main sport from the age of 9. At 20 I quit and had loads more time on my hands so I started running a bit. As a teenager I ran but never seriously and I guess I still don't. Since then I have just ran more and more. I ran Tough Guy about three years ago and had a blast. I have always seen OCR as immense fun so carried on doing it. Who would have thought that in that time the sport would have grown so much.

You’re definitely right there, it’s really started to grow rapidly in the UK now. So out of all the races you have done which has been your favourite to date?

I always seem to return to the Nuts Challenge. The lap format puts some people off but having laps means that over similar distances to other races you get four times the obstacles. Men’s Health Survival of the Fittest is also really fun, with the urban feel and a good turnout of racers it’s always a fast race.

So what would you say has been your toughest challenge while racing?

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I guess the thing that springs to mind is at Primal Events’ On Trial when we were instructed to carry a railway sleeper, I never thought we would get it to the checkpoint (over 5km away) by the set time. I never thought we would succeed, if anything I thought it would be impossible. As a team we got it there 2 minutes past the deadline.

That’s what OCR is about, breaking through those walls and finding you can do more. I am always trying to find my limits.

On Trial is a great challenge. We followed their first event which you were part of and felt drained just watching the hell they put you through. You also got to go out to the 2013 Summer Death Race as part of your prize for winning the Spartan Beast 2012. How was that?

The Death Race was like nothing I have done before. It was a massive learning curve, not just discovering what I am capable of and the importance of good kit but also about the Death Race itself. I am more used to strict rules in a race where there is a set format which racers follow, the death race is a far cry from this.

Sounds like a crazy challenge. While we are on the subject of good kit, I’m sure everybody wants to know what kit you like to use while racing?

For a warm, muddy race I normally use my inov8 X-Talon 212 shoes, socks, skins compression top and shorts, my Zeet running shorts and a favourite t-shirt I like at the time.

So what about if it’s a winter OCR? The same as above but with additional layers on top, a buff and possibly a hat. I still haven't figured out what works best and will be giving a neoprene top a go this year. With every OCR being different it's hard to judge what to wear, especially with so many contributing factors.

What sort of events and new challenges are you looking to take on next year?

I haven't planned my one big race for next year but I have plenty of OCRs on the to do list as well as other challenges. I am looking at a 80km ice skating race in Sweden and I also want to run a 100km race and complete an Ironman distance triathlon.

Here's your chance to show off what you have in your trophy cabinet. What wins and achievements have you got under your belt so far?

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2013 Spartan Race Beast: 1st Mens Health Survival of the Fittest(Night/Day): 1st Red Bull Steeplechase: 2nd Warrior Adrenaline Race: 1st TelemarkHelten / HelteLøpet (running): 1st The Nuts Challenge (Summer): 1st Viking Race: 1st Spartan Death Race: DNF On Trial – Finisher Rat Race Dirty Weekend: 1st Virgin London Marathon: 282nd Major Series South: 2nd The Nuts Challenge (Winter): DNF TelemarkHelten / HelteRennet (cross-country skiing): 9th

2012 Spartan Beast: 1st Men’s Health Survival of the Fittest (London NIGHT): 1st Men’s Health Survival of the Fittest (London DAY): 1st The Major Series South: 1st The London Duathlon: 17th The Nuts Challenge (Summer): 1st The Grim Challenge: 1st The Major Series South: 1st

2011 Men’s Health Survival of the Fittest (London): 8th Spartan Sprint: 2nd The Wolf Run: 1st

2010 Tough Guy: 76th We wish you lots of luck with your coming races! Finally, if you can just give us 5 top tips for obstacle racing newcomers to set them on the right track?

Get the right trainers and clothing: having more grip # and less weight will make running easier and safer.

Having the correct clothing will protect you from things like hypothermia.

We’re looking forward to an EPIC year of OCR !

Train: The harder and/or more you train the easier # and more enjoyable event day will be.

Don’t get stuck in the gym or just running on the # road: There are many more aspects to training than

simply making you faster and stronger, training away from manmade environments will expose you to more of these.

Turn exercising into a form of transport: this will up # your mileage as well as get you away from the set

routine of exercising your body has become accustomed to.

Have fun and be safe: It is amazing to see how # reckless people can be when taking part in an OCR. Wearing a superman costume won’t make you invincible and no one has fun when they hurt themselves or others.

To keep up to date with what Jonathan has been up to follow him at

Specialists in sports and action photography

Strava:

APP.STRAVA.COM/ATHLETES/437111 Blog:

JONATHANALBON.TUMBLR.COM 58

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www.epicactionimagery.com

epicactionuk@gmail.com Issue 1 | Obstacle Race

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TOTAL WARRIOR

By James Lodge

I HAD HEARD GOOD THINGS ABOUT TOTAL WARRIOR A LONG TIME BEFORE I ARRIVED. I HAD HIGH HOPES FOR A GREAT RACE, REINFORCED BY THE BREATHTAKING SCENERY AS I DROVE TO THE EVENT. AS I WORKED MY WAY THROUGH REGISTRATION, PICKING UP MY NUMBER AND SORTING OUT MY REQUIRED HEAD BAND AND ESSENTIAL TATTOO, I COULD SEE THAT THINGS WERE LIVING UP TO EXPECTATION...

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The entrance to the start line involved a short crawl through hay bale tunnels with pumping music in the background. This set an upbeat mood and tone for the whole race. After a brisk warm up to get things moving, our wave was off and straight into a series of steep slalom hill climbs. This was a great first obstacle and proved the maturity of the event. Not only did it get the legs burning and blood pumping, but it helped spread the wave out, with the fittest heading the pack and those wishing to enjoy the scenery a little more heading to the back. This meant that throughout the event, waiting for obstacles was at an absolute minimum.

Running on, we crested the top of a hill and saw the miles of rolling countryside beow. We could see the next few obstacles: a fire run; our first of many stream crossings; a knee-deep muddy bog; and a nice steep hill with some monster tree trunks to hurdle, or climb over, depending on your preference.

After a reasonable distance were three man made muddy rises, interspersed with muddy pools to ensure that if you hadn’t been covered in the previous bog, you had no choice but to embrace the mud. This was the first of a number obstacles which kept you plastered, no matter how much you washed yourself off in the river crossings.

Mud-covered and now truly immersed in the race, we carried onto the next obstacle. Here we were given a log to carry around a short course, but with the added challenge of having to carry or roll it under a cargo net and up a short hill. This was unique twist that only added to the pleasure of handing over the log to the next lucky person.

After this obstacle the race split. The shorter 10km race carried straight onto the next obstacle. The 10 mile race which we were doing we headed out for a 4 mile trail run into the open countryside. This was a welcome chance to enjoy some of the amazing views.

The run was a simple trail, of about two and a half miles of boggy, wet and hard-going climb. There was the odd patch of harder trail that just lulled you into the sense that you could get some speed up, before being dropped back into the softer wet ground that sapped the strength in your legs as you carried on up. This finished

with a relatively steep climb and superb view of the route, back over the rest of the course with the tents of the finish line in the far distance.

Once we had reached the top of the hill - a small mountain by the standards of other parts of the country - it was a faster run downhill for about a mile and a half through more boggy ground. That helped to wake up the legs and shake out the burn ready for more traditional, but no less taxing, obstacles.

The next obstacle was the joining point for both the 10km and the 10 miles. We were straight back into the mud for a barbed wire crawl, the first of three extremely muddy obstacles. These started off easy but got lower and lower, forcing you from a comfortable hands and knees crawl down on to a full belly slide at the very end, reminding you that mud was indeed your friend in this race.

The following similarly muddy obstacles involved wading through hip-deep mud with three spread out hurdles which, even in the short time I was there, saw at least one lost trainer and someone having to be pulled from the mud by his teammates. Then a hands and knees crawl through a covered muddy trench, and out and up through the long tubes which are a personal pet hate of mine.

Over the next few miles the obstacles, both manmade and natural, came thick and fast. These were of a traditional nature such as walls to climb, spider’s webs to manoeuvre through, and further log carries to sap already failing energy levels, as well as a number of welcome water crossings. These water crossings ranged from streams that came to your knees to rivers that were so deep you needed swim them. This was all great for washing off the large build up of mud that never abated throughout the whole course.

By the time we started to feel like the end was in sight, we were met with one of the most simple but possibly most energy sapping obstacles on the course; a muddy hill, churned up, slippy and steep enough so we were incredibly grateful for the cargo net that covered its surface. This led to a half-pull-half-climb ascent that got the heart pounding and legs burning, as well as a huge sense of relief... That was, until you turned the corner and saw the wooden frame littered with live-electric hanging cables.

You just knew that with burning thighs from the climb this was going to be tough.

After negotiating that with just the odd shock, the rest of the course seemed to fly by. There was a great water slide with accompanying screams of elation, a challenging wooden 90 degree mountain that had to be climbed and became very much a team obstacle, a further log carry, and a final river crossing that allowed you to remove the layers and layers of mud that had built up.

Leaving the water, you were faced with the final steep hill and then at its top the final climb. This was one last wooden wall that took you from open field, over a stone wall, and right into the finishing area and last obstacle.

This was a reasonable run of monkey bars, with the motivation of a pool of water just to give it that little edge.

Loud music, cheering supporters and a stream of encouragement gave you that extra determination to swing home and cross the finish line. So, with a bottle of water and optional beer in hand, I was filled with an enjoyable sense of achievement that I had comfortably pushed myself through a very challenging and hugely enjoyable race, taking in some breath taking scenery along the way. This is one that I will most definitely be repeating next year.

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3D BIOICSPHERE SYSTEM DITCHES THE HOT MOIST AIR AND HELPS VENT IN COOL AIR These two pieces of kit are something no runner or racer should be without. The X-bionic range of gear is huge and they have a piece of kit designed for nearly every sport.

With twelve years of innovation behind them and a team who are always looking to push things forward, X-bionic really are leading the pack.

Precisely designed in Switzerland and manufactured in a state of the art factory in Italy the quality of these garments is undeniable. The list of awards this company has won is huge, one of them being the “Most Innovative Brand Award” which they have won for 5 consecutive years.

When you first put this stuff on and look in the mirror it kind of reminds you on the “TRON” look like something from the year 3000. X-bionic have a team of biologists, medical practitioners, engineers, scientists and professional athletes.

Taking examples from nature with each subject teaching them something new from the desert fox to sharks. Your immediate reaction to it is that it fits really nicely, tight in all the right places and with plenty of give where you need it. With a lot of compression gear and base layers you find that they can restrict breathing and sometimes even manoeuvrability. This isn’t the case with the X-bionics, with all the panels of different amounts of compression it makes for a perfect fit. Every single fibre in the gear has a function in making them what they are.

The 3D Bionic Sphere system that appears on the chest and the back is like little tiny pipes woven from the fabric that help circulate the air around your body. Sweat traps help to draw away most of the sweat from your skin but at the same time leaving just a thin layer behind to help with cooling. Once you have tried X-bionics you will never go back to normal base layers again.

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RISE OF THE SUFFERFESTS American journalist Scott Keneally has been making waves in the obstacle race world ever since “Playing Dirty,” his investigative feature about Tough Mudder which landed on the cover of Outside (Nov. ’12). The story focused on the startup’s bitter legal battle with the UK’s decade’s-old Tough Guy, and gained worldwide media attention. It also led to other assignments for mainstream media outlets like 60 Minutes Sports and The Wall Street Journal. But the project that has the OCR community most energized at the moment is Rise of the Sufferfests, a feature documentary that Keneally is writing and directing.

The film explores the history of the sport, the psychology behind it, and asks what the phenomenon says about the world we’re living in. And if the promotional videos he has released on Sufferfests’ Facebook page are any indication, this is going to be one hell of a movie. We reached out to the filmmaker to ask him about it.

What inspired you to make a movie about obstacle racing?

Initially, I was planning on making a documentary about Mr. Mouse, the creator of Tough Guy. Not only is he endlessly fascinating, but as the mastermind behind the industry, he’s left a massive mark on our culture. And since almost nobody knows about him, I thought it was important to celebrate this unsung hero’s legacy. This movie will still do that, but the scope has broadened quite a bit.

So who else will you be following in the film?

While I don’t have all the characters figured out just yet, I know I’ll be featuring some mazing standout characters like The Painted Warrior, Spartan World Champ Amelia Boone, and three-times Tough Guy champ James Appleton. I’ll also be interviewing a select group of brilliant people from bestselling authors and also TED Talkers to help shed light on the phenomenon.

Fantastic line up Scott. So where can people find more about your epic adventures as they unfold along the way?

We just launched a website at TheSufferClub.com. This will be the official home for the film, and I’ll be updating it frequently with fresh and exciting content. Also if you feel as strongly as me about making this happen then please go to www.indiegogo.com and search Rise Of The Sufferfests: A Documentary.

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HOW TO

CRAWL LIKE A BEAR

Bear Crawl Technique

Safety Benefits Reduce risk of knee contact injuries. In particular skin cuts and abrasions.

Step 1

Animal Movements are part of the functional natural movements that we teach at Wild Forest Gym Obstacle Course Racing, which are key skills when obstacle racing. In this edition of ORM we look at the bear crawl, which is a quadrupedal movement i.e. a movement that uses all four limbs.

Practice on a flat soft surface in order to develop correct technique.

Position yourself on your hands and knees.

Position your left hand underneath your left shoulder and your right hand about 6" forward of your right shoulder.

Position your left knee under your hip and your right knee positioned about 6� behind your right hip.

Tuck your toes under.

Next engage your core and abdominal muscles to position your spine in a straight, neutral position and stabilize your pelvis. As you engage your core raise your knees approximately 1-2" off the ground.

Now rock forward and back until you find your general centre of mass equally between your hands and feet.

Step 2

Physical Benefits

Obstacle Racing Benefits

First of all lets look at the physical benefits:

Done correctly it is effective, efficient fast and safe form of locomotion that is required in obstacle racing. Crawling techniques are a vital skill in many obstacles such as:

Development of propreception skills i.e. the awareness of how your body parts connect and move.

Increase in range of movement to your ankles, hips, wrists and toes.

Cargo and camouflage net crawling.

Pipe crawling.

Coordination of hands and feet.

Stream crawling

Development of core abdominal strength.

Mud trenches.

Strengthening of quads, arms and shoulders.

Challenging hill ascents when steep, slippery, muddy, wet or loose stones

Strengthening and dexterity of fingers and hands.

Claw and gripping slippery ground or surfaces.

Or simply when you are too fatigued to climb or walk any more

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Powering on The bear crawl will enable you to gain control and power up a slope or under cargo nets. On all 4's you are a total powerhouse, using all 4 limbs just like a jaguar would.

Nothing gets in your way. We recently undertook a hill scramble test with a team of Spartans. The terrain was steep and it was loose underfoot. First of all we got them to run up normally.

Then we got them to combine running and crawling.

The key was to only resort to crawling when the terrain required them to. In 100% of the cases each Spartan found the combination of crawling more efficient, more effective and less fatiguing than running.

The key factor when scrambling uphill is that by resorting to all fours your general centre of mass (GCM) is lower to the ground, which also reduces air resistance.

Plus the Ground Reaction Force i.e. resistance against the ground, is nearly doubled by using all four limbs.

Keep your core engaged for the entire exercise.

Keep your knees at all times within 2" of the ground, but not touching it. This will stop your hips from rising. By also having your hips low will enable you to look ahead.

Together move your left hand and right foot forward.

Then do the same with the right hand and left foot.

You now have a forward movement.

Make sure that your knees and hips do not turn out to the side.

By Michael Cohen Head Coach

WWW.WILDFORESTGYM.COM Issue 1 | Obstacle Race

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© 2013 Reebok International Limited. All Rights Reserved. REEBOK is a registered trademark of Reebok International Limited.

INJINJI SOCKS PADDED UNDER FOOT FOR EXTRA PROTECTION DOUBLE ELASTIC CUFF TO KEEP STUFF OUT

CONQUER ANY OBSTACLE.

REEBOK ALL-TERRAIN SERIES Born from the trenches of obstacle racing, the Reebok All-Terrain Series is strategically designed with drainage ports and 360 degrees of traction, making you unstoppable on any course.

Learn more at reebok.com/spartan

ARCH SUPPORT TO KEEP THEM IN PLACE Socks are one of those pieces of kit that gets forgotten about by most people. That is, until race day, when you finally peel your footwear off to reveal the horror. With blisters and raw skin everywhere this is when you realise you should’ve taken more notice when choosing your socks.

Injinji socks, pronounced In-gin-ji, are here to make blisters and sore feet a thing of the past. They have the ultimate fit of a toe sock, with a band around your foot that stops any movement. This eliminates skin on skin and skin on fibre friction. The Injinji Socks we tested were the Performance 2.0 RUN - Midweight Mini Crew.

They’re made from Nuwool, Injinji's own Merino blend made from the finest Australian wool. This is compact spun to provide superior durability and prevent itching. Nuwool 70

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RRP £10 also provides maximum temperature control, odour resistance and it wicks moisture away from the foot. It’s also got high density padding for maximum cushioning.

With a design for every occasion you will easily find a style to suit you.

When putting the toe socks on for the first time they do take a little getting used to. But after a good run in them you will never want to train without them again. Mud, stones and water are really no problem at all in these as they have just the right thickness to prevent irritation.

We’ve done about 30 races and countless hours of training in them and there’s no sign of wear appearing yet. You obviously pay a little more than you would for just an ordinary sports sock but we have to say they are well worth every penny of investment.

#LIVEWITHFIRE

ORDINARY YOUNG LAD SEEKING FUN

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Inspiration can come in many forms, with a lot of us seeking it out to help fuel our own daily lives. It can be found in so many places and an example of one such place is YouTube, if you type ‘inspiration’ into the search engine on there you’ll get everything from Rick and Dick Hoyt sharing races to speeches from great leaders of the world. If you ask someone why they are looking for inspiration their answer will usually be Motivation.

Motivation is the fuel to our engine to keep us ticking over or even to push ourselves just that little bit further, but inspiration is the spark that ignites this fuel to help break our PB’s.

So what we have here is not your ordinary racer profile but this racer we feel will help to ignite your tank of fuel and make the next few days run at full throttle.

Let us introduce to you James Simpson a man who is full to the brim with the electricity you need to make that spark happen. James will be the first double amputee to complete a Spartan race in Great Britain and not only that he will be the first to complete all three distances to get the much sort after trifecta medal. But let’s go right back to the beginning of where all this started and tell you a little more about James.

Growing up James was just an ordinary fun seeking young lad, never in the house always off having an epic adventure, with a gun shaped stick in hand and mud on his cheeks. He always knew he wasn’t office job material and needed more to satisfy his thirst for adventure and the outdoors. As soon as he turned 17 he enlisted and before he knew it he was knocking on the door of The Infantry training centre Catterick Garrison.

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Once there he was pushed to the limit daily but flourished in this environment, so much so that he counted down the days until it was time for his active service to begin. The following summer he was sent to Bosnia as part of a peace keeping force where he witnessed entire villages with not a single man left in them as they had all lost their lives in the civil war. Two years after he had started active service he decided that the sniper platoon was the path he wanted to follow.

After a tour in Iraq he was sent to Afghanistan, upon arrival he could see that the army had a huge task ahead of them. By this time the Taliban had started using improvised explosive devices or IED’s which had made it a whole new ball game for the soldiers. The Taliban would fire round after round in the general direction of patrols in the hopes that they would run for cover and in the process step on an IED, which they had hidden in the general area of the cover the soldiers were hoping would protect them.

The day James was injured started off like any other day for him and his patrol. They were out doing the usual checks when at 11am they came under fire. The patrol knew what sort of threat running for cover posed so they decided to just keep on moving forward, moments later James stepped on an IED that at least half the patrol had already marched over without knowing.

He found himself in a cloud of dust shouting for his fellow soldiers to alert them to his position, hoping they could find him in all of the chaos. James did some quick checks while he was waiting for assistance, left arm ok, right arm not good, left leg oh god, right leg felt in a right state. Though out it all James says he didn’t really feel any pain which he puts down to the adrenaline coursing through his veins, the one thing he could feel though was the awful feeling of the sand in his wounds. The next thing James knew he was waking up some time later in England, it turns out he was put into a medically induced coma and flown back to England straight away to be treated. From the second he opened his eyes he had a one track mind and that was to get better and get back to work, get back to what he knew and loved and that was the Army. James had lost both his legs above the knee.

Over the coming months James experienced some great days, but also experienced some of the darkest of his life, during this time he met many other soldiers who were further through their treatment than he was and they didn’t let him suffer his dark days alone. It wasn’t that they gave him time or the fact that they gave him sympathy, oh no, when James was having a dark day they would do anything they could to get him out and about even if it was just the cinema. They accepted no excuse and didn’t understand the words ‘I can’t’, this attitude has stuck with James and the words ‘I can’t’ hold no meaning to him now.

Once James was well enough he was back to work,

and he said the Army had been amazing as they had converted a room for him and done everything within their power to make sure he could stay in the Army. But unfortunately it just wasn’t the same, James missed the thrill of active service, after all this is what drew him towards this career path in the first place. So James left the Army not to long afterwards and this left a big gap in his life that the regiment used to fill, this void is now filled with wheel chair rugby and long hikes in which he explores the moors with his hammock at the ready to take it easy in the quiet of the countryside.

The sprint which takes the average racer about one hour to complete the five kilometres, had taken James four hours all together that day, the day was a huge test both mentally and physically. He was swapping and changing his prosthetics as he did the course to see which ones worked best and he found his “stubbies” as he likes to call them, were best due to their very short length which made him more nimble in the mud. Upon completing the course he was met by a huge standing ovation from the whole crowd which was a great moment for everybody who shared it. The Super went very well for James and with the course being a little over twelve kilometres he was out there for around eight hours. For the Beast James ramped up the distances he was hiking and preparing to be out on the thirteen mile plus course for at least twelve hours.

The day of the Beast was here and a very early start was on the cards and so were head torches to contend with the very short day light hours in November. The cold weather which had fast closed in on us was now also playing a huge factor in his race that day. James layered up to help stay warm but also so he could strip off the layers for the water crossings. Unfortunately this particular piece of the story doesn’t go so smoothly. James had to cancel his attempt that day after hours of being on the course the elements and terrain got the best of him. Fast forward just a few weeks and James wasn’t going to let the Beast beat him so he hopped on a plane to Texas ready to confront it once again. This time the conditions were a little better than the UK’s beast that had beaten so many just weeks earlier. After 11 hours out on the course he had don’t it. He could now call himself part of the trifecta tribe.

James has so far raised in excess of five thousand pounds for the SSAFA which is a national armed forces charity and hopes to add so much more to this before his challenge is over. When you ask him why are you doing this James he simply replies “because I can” like we said, he doesn’t understand the words I can’t anymore. He has his sights set on doing a film making degree in the near future so he can pursue another passion in his life which is action movies. But is it just us or is he already living a real life action movie?

FUELLING INSPIRATION 74

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54% - PERCENTAGE OF BRITISH SOLDIER DEATHS IN AFGANISTAN CAUSED BY IEDS 170% - ENERGY USED WALKING FOR AN ABOVE-THE-KNEE AMPUTEE COMPARED TO AN ABLE-BODIED MAN NUMBER OF AMPUTATIONS BY YEAR: 2006—7 2007—5 2008—25 2009—51 2010—78 2011—56 2012—46 If you would like donate to James’s fundraising then please donate at

WWW.JUSTGIVING.COM/JAMES-SIMPSON13 Issue 1 | Obstacle Race

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: Hi Obstacle Race Magazine In May 2013 I lost my Nan to cancer and just a few months later still heartbroken, in September 2013 I lost my mum to cancer. Two of the most important people in my life. I decided it was time to step up and do something!

I set up a fundraising event to raise as much money as I could for Cancer Research. I am doing so by running 1000 miles of obstacle races! So far this year I have done a Spartan sprint, super and beast, a Tough Guy, a Tough Mudder, a Shropshire Mud Run, The Grim, A Wolf Run, and a Rock Solid Race! It is more or less one race every weekend, sometimes two!

My friends are all getting involved by taking part in their races, my work mates are getting involved because soldiers can’t resist getting muddy! My body is in pieces already, but I have met some amazing people so far and received emails and donations from people I have never met saying its inspirational, and it makes it all so worth it.

If running 1000 miles means I can help one person with early diagnosis, then i'd run 1000 miles every year to help! So far I have run 100 km and raised £1300.

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Sarah Newey www.sarahnewey.co.uk www.justgiving.com.sarahnewey

Email your story and photo to into@obsticalracemagazinw.com

Awesome Achievements Sarah!!! Keep us posted on your progress in 2014

Hi ORM This time last year if anyone asked me what Obstacle Racing and trail running was I would have said “What’s that?” The most exercise I did at that time was walking to the shops and being on my feet at work.

In January 2013 I made a New Year’s Resolution to get myself fitter as I was fed up of how I looked and felt about myself. I joined my local Pure Gym, starting to get an interest in different classes and my sister's boyfriend suggested we should do a run with a difference called Zombie Run UK. A 5K run whilst being chased by zombies looked a bit of fun being a big fan of Shaun of the Dead, the only problem was that I couldn’t run more than to the bottom of our street. In 3 months I went from the position of not being able to run at all, to being able to complete a 5km long event alternating between running and walking.

I also stumbled across another race on Facebook called Spartan Race after my personal success with the Zombie Run and saw it as a new challenge. After a bit of research on the internet and YouTube I was sold on the idea that I wanted to be a “Spartan”. There was an upcoming Spartan Sprint four months away which would involve a 5K + race with 15+ obstacles to navigate round.

It wasn’t going to be easy! I had previously been training simply to lose weight but that simply wasn’t going to be enough as I’d need to build strength and wanted to finish the race. I took advice from the personal trainers at the gym on training techniques and started to get involved in boot camp sessions. A friend also helped me with my running technique. He’d take me out into Sherwood Forest onto the trails. Those first few hills almost broke me but I persevered.

Come race day felt I prepared as best as I could and completed the race in 1hr 45 mins and found out later the race was 7.1K and 25 obstacles. There was a brief moment of panic on one of the climbing frames and simply couldn’t hold the monkey bars, however I was elated at the finish with what I had achieved in such a relatively short space of time.

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Dear Obstacle Race Magazine,

My new goal now is that I want to get my Spartan Trifecta in 2014. I have managed to lose 12 Kg and nearly 6% body fat mass in less than a year so the sky’s is the limit. I have some big targets in terms of weight loss and fitness to achieve which obstacle racing is helping to give me focus.

Jemma Bates There is nothing more fitting to say to this apart from AROO!!!

In April 2012, I was hit by a stolen vehicle in a police pursuit. I have been a runner and cyclist for years, so when the doctors told me I would probably never run properly again after breaking my back and leg, I was devastated. However, determined not to let two car thieves ruin my life, I chose to defy the odds. I started racing again six months after the accident in a Tri-Adventure event and won it. That day, I decided that it doesn't matter if people tell you something is impossible - when you put your mind to it, you will achieve what you set out to do.

The toughest event I entered was the Rat Race Dirty Weekend - given that my back still aches every day and I'm missing a ligament in my knee, running 20 miles was a challenge in itself, before even thinking about the obstacles. I entered with a friend, who I lost about a mile in, but never felt alone once. The best part about obstacle races is the support you get from complete strangers.

It was an incredible event, and I've done many more since. These races have been an essential part in both my physical and mental recovery.

I wanted to share my story to encourage those who have doubts about their abilities to complete these races.

You can achieve anything when you dream big, and the feeling when you finish is indescribable. If you're hesitating about booking a tough race, never doubt yourself. Just go for it - it will be one of the best decisions you ever make!

Jackie Stretton Thank you so much for sharing this with us Jackie, the morning we got this through you inspired every one of the ORM team to go out and smash a run. We feel there’s a bigger article in the air...

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COLD WEATHER & COLD WATER ACCLIMATISATION TRAINING

By Michael Cohen Head Coach

www.wildforestgym.com

Then…into a cold shower. Brain freeze!!! But otherwise the insulation of your clothes should keep the frigid cold from your hands and chest, which should be your main areas of concern.

Still wet go out for your training.

If you fingers get really cold and yellow this is a sign of poor blood flow. Pulse your fingers. If necessary shake them out in between pulsing the hands. You should now see blood back into the fingers… good sign!

Cold weather training for an event can be very daunting if you haven’t done one before. We are in the UK, so we have to be prepared. At Tough Guy on January 29th 2013 it was -10 degrees in the water and the ice was 1cm thick. In March it was no better at The Nuts Challenge, it was frigid. Hundreds of contenders at last winter’s OCR events around the country experienced hypothermia. Many were miserable and just cold.

Where’s the fun in that!

Cold Water Temperatures Just to give you an idea on change in water temperatures.

On 13 October 2013 lake water temperature in Berkshire was 16.6°. By the 28 November it had dropped to 7°.

From here on it is going to get colder and colder.

So have you got balls of ice or steel?

Be assured there is nothing that will beat cold weather acclimatisation training under coached supervision. Please note cold-water acclimatisation training should not be looked at lightly and neither should it be attempted without coach supervision to reduce the risk and incident of accidents and cases of hypothermia.

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Stage 3

How trained and ready are you for this winter’s events?

Buy some thermal kit. Suggestion based on my own kit are Tribord surfers top £19.99 with 0.5mm neoprene, Tribord thermal shorts £11.99 and Tribord 2.5mm neoprene gloves £12.99.

Stage 4

Training Techniques:

This stage is really going to test you on how far you can push your boundaries in preparing for your cold weather and cold-water obstacle racing.

Stage 1 From one month before your race start to wear shorts only around the house to start changing your body thermometer and also to adjust your perception of colder temperatures.

Keep your house radiators off when possible.

Otherwise at a low temperature.

Then you need to lock away hats and jackets and start to go outside in shorts and vest tops.

Stage 2 Next stage is to slowly lower the temperature of your showers.

!

WARNING – This training should only be undertaken under the supervision of a coach. Please tell other people at home what you are doing so they can be aware and help. Signs of your body going into shock is that you can’t get your words out, feeling of nausea/claustrophobia, purple and numb body parts. Always seek medical assistance if you do not make a full recovery within 10 minutes of showering.

Put the suggested kit above, plus leg compressors and some arm sleeves, and a fast wicking muscle top over the neoprene top. These layer deals with in and out of water thermoregulation.

After 20 mins find a safe bit of water or large puddle, or use a hose. If very shallow roll in it, do press-ups and sit-ups all the way down so your clothes and shoes are completely re-soaked. Do this every 10 minutes, which will simulate getting in and out of water.

The hardest work is with your hands, pulsing and shaking and loosing movement and grip when racing.

Guys, you may need to check that Jimmy down below is still there.

Finish workout. Go home strip off and get into the shower. If you can’t undress get in the shower fully dressed until you can gain control of your hands and remove your clothes item by item.

VERY IMPORTANT – DO NOT TURN THE SHOWER ON FULL HEAT. Instead start very cool and very slowly increase the temperature up. Otherwise your body will go into shock. DO NOT stand around in cold wet clothes, talking you risk hypothermia setting in really quickly.

Then have hot drink / food.

Stage 5 Plan your next cold water & cold weather acclimatisation training session.

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You’ll have probably already seen Beauty and the Beast, the great social network idea from Spartan Race. They invited ladies and gents to show off a picture of themselves looking at their best in black tie, next to an awesome picture of themselves covered in mud with a big OCR smile on their faces. This was hugely popular with racers from all over the world. It was while looking at these pictures that we came across the lovely UK racer Faye Caley. Her motto of ‘train insane or remain the same’ really makes her our sort of racer.

So, Faye, please tell us all a little about yourself.

What are you doing when you’re not getting muddy?

I have a ten year old daughter who is a proud Spartan Kid herself. She’s probably my up and coming competition as we often train together. I work full time as a Registered Nurse, which was my lifelong dream and I love my job which is so important! I also do a lot of not so muddy events such as the London Triathlon. Next year I’m doing the Brighton marathon and London to Paris bike ride for a Charity called Cure Rett. It's been proven that Rett Syndrome is reversible, so the charity raises money to make treatments and a cure possible for all children affected by Rett Syndrome. It's great to be a part of that hope.

BEAUTY AND THE BEAST BEAUTY

We love that kids are getting so included in OCRs. It’s what the sport need to push it forward and give it a long life span. Right, so back to your muddy side. How long have you been obstacle course racing and how did you first find out about it?

My cousin did a Spartan Race in the States while he was working over there and convinced me I should try one here in the UK! So I gathered some friends together and signed up to a Super Spartan and Spartan Beast in 2012! We completed them and I loved it, but I did a lot of burpees and some walking around the courses. So I decided to up my training and do better the next season... and I have.

We can see from your photos that you like to inject some fun into your races by dressing up.

Have you got any fancy dress races planned for next year?

Absolutely! I love fancy dress, the greek goddess outfit made for such a fun race. As a huge Katy Perry fan, I'm going to go as her for one or two and also might do a Captain America… Who knows what else, I'll surprise you!

What races do you have planned for next season, or are you a last-minute-booker sort of girl?

For the first time in life I've been organised and have a long list of events I can't wait to take part in! The number of obstacle races alone is not far under 20! It's going to be a big year and I'm looking to be more competitive as well as enjoying lots of mud! I'll be mainly taking part in the Dirty Dozen Races and hopefully taking an army of ladies along. I’m also doing the Spartan Races again and I’m really excited about Judgement Day and a few others.

If people want to keep up with your racing adventures where can they follow you? Do you have a blog?

I spend too much time training to keep a blog but I will be sure to be sharing many pictures and rating all the races on my Twitter @CaleDawg27 80

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RECEPIES

So you have survived Christmas and the New Year and with the excesses of this time of year you are now probably one of 99% of people whose resolution is to trim a few pounds. But before you sign up to the next fashionable shake based diet let just think about this. Do you really have to go down this route or could you just clean things up?

Ingredients 1 lb Plaice fillets (Also works fantastic with Cod or Tuna Steak) 1 cup Almond flour Sea salt (to taste) Freshly ground black pepper 1 egg, beaten 1 Tbs coconut oil

OBSTACLE RACE MAGAZINE DELIVERED STRAIGHT TO YOUR DOOR

Instructions Rinse the fish and then pat it dry with a paper towel.

Season the almond flour with sea salt to taste and add the freshly ground black pepper. Give it a really good stir to combine it all together.

Dip each of the fillets in egg and then straight in to the almond flour mixture, making sure the fillets are completely coated.

Meanwhile, put a frying pan on to a medium-high heat, adding the coconut oil when pan is hot.

Fry fillets in coconut oil for 2-3 minutes per side, or until fish flakes easily with a fork.

Serve with the vegetables and new potatoes.

6 ISSUES FOR THE PRICE OF 5

ALMOND CRUST FISH

WHEN YOU SUBSCRIBE ON LINE

Ingredients 1 cup chocolate protein powder 1/3 cup of sugar 1/2 cup natural peanut butter 1/2 tsp baking soda 1/2 tsp sea salt 2 eggs 1/2 to 3/4 cup milk 1 tsp pure vanilla extract Âź cup coconut oil Nutella Instructions Preheat oven to 350 F or 180 C degrees.

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Mix together all the dry ingredients:- Protein powder, sugar, baking soda and salt.

Whisk all the wet:- Eggs, vanilla & milk together.

Add the wet mixture to dry mixture and then add the coconut oil and peanut butter.

Mix really well.

If the mixture seems a little too dry and doesn’t seem to be coming together then just add a tiny bit more of the milk until it is nice and smooth/thick.

Pour in 8 x 8 greased baking tray and bake for 18-20 minutes. Allow brownies to cool for 1 hour. Cut into individual slices and add Nutella to taste.

VISIT WWW.OBSTACLERACEMAGAZINE.COM FIND US ON

1,254 – THE NUMBER OF FOLLOWERS THE WOMEN OF OBSTACLE RACING FACEBOOK PAGE HAS

Just before the issue you are reading now was about to go out we came across and awesome young lady called Katie Marie Charlotte Perry who we felt had a story really worth telling. It is one that we can all in the OCR community relate to in a way. Her life had hit a stretch that seemed full of obstacles. So what did she do? She came up this this… Climb over it, swim through it, wade through it, crawl under it, climb over one side and fall off the other and end up with concussion. Either way I'm conquering it.

So Katie please tell us a little about yourself, what do you do when you’re not running and racing?

Well I am 29 and live in surrey. I'm a police officer which I have done now for nearly 8 years. When I am not running I am working or spending time with my son Nathan who is nearly 4. I am very close to my family and have an amazing group of friends who I love to spend time with especially if it's shopping to extend my ever growing running trainer collection.

A police officer? Great job and we bet the fitness you have picked up from doing all these races can come in handy.

Also a shoe junkie, so what are your favourite pair at the moment?

It certainly helps with having to wear and carry the kit that we do. I also never have any concerns with the annual fitness testing. Ooh my favourite pair at the moment. That's tough as I currently have 17 pairs to choose from. I think for road running it would have to be my Mizuno Wave Inspire 6's, i have two pairs of these. My Off road choice definitely has to be my yellow inov-8 300 MUDCLAWS. Ah MUDCLAWS, there one of our favourite to. So Katie tell us about this challenge of 100 medals in a year you set for yourself, why did you decide to do this?

Well I have to be a little bit careful with what I say about my reasons behind it but what I can say is this in May 2012 I was unwell and suffering with depression after being in an abusive relationship for a number of years, I was eventually diagnosed with Post traumatic stress disorder due to this. In January 2013 I also received some soul destroying news in relation to my job.

This left me feeling further down and depressed. The only thing that really made me happy and confident other than my son of course, was lacing up my running shoes and heading out for a run. Running for me is like what drinking or smoking is to others. My addiction and my adrenalin rush. I'm a firm believer in a healthy body, healthy mind.

So I made the decision to set myself this challenge.

100 MEDALS IN 1YEAR

by Katie Marie Charlotte Perry

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A RECORD 9.6 MILLION LADIES FINISHED A ROAD/OCR RACE IN 2011 AND WOMEN NOW ACCOUNT FOR 55 PERCENT OF ALL ROAD/OCR RACE FINISHERS IN THE U.S.

97% OF WOMEN ASKED “WHAT WAS THEIR REASON FOR TAKING ON AN OCR?” ANSWERED “TO BE HEALTHIER” Wow so running really has been a form of therapy for you. So how many of those shiny medals have been earned at OCRs then?

Sadly not as many as I would like, I think it's around 10.

It's fair to say I was initially just a road runner but an OCR in March changed my mind completely and set me another personal challenge. As these don't just push you physically, but mentally and emotionally too. I definitely find these a lot a harder than road runs mainly because of my lack of upper body strength. But this is something I can work on and I look forward to doing a lot more in 2014.

10 OCR races, that’s fantastic! So which has been your favourite so far?

For me it has to be Tough Mudder in Wales. Although I have enjoyed all the OCR races I have done and each have their positive and negative points. Tough Mudder was the most challenging for me and despite falling off a 12ft wall and getting a concussion I was still able to pick myself up and complete it.

So when this interview goes out in January and you will have completed your challenge as you’re already at 96.

What challenge have you set yourself for 2014?

To start with I have 2 marathons in the space of a week as I have places in both London and Brighton marathons in 2014. I have done them both previously but not in the same year so I am thrilled to have places in both and to be raising money for Medical Action Research. After these I am going to concentrate on OCR's. I have endured 4 stress fractures since I took up running again 4 years ago so the off road races will give my legs a rest and You never know, a 25ft rope climb next year may just be something else I achieve.

It sounds like 2014 is going to be a busy one for you then. Are you planning on doing any of the challenges for charity?

Yes I will be raising money for 2 charities. The first is for Ironcoppers. This was a team created by a colleague made up of serving and retired officers and police staff from all forces. All monies raised through Ironcoppers goes towards Cancer research. You may have seen me at The Back 2 the Trenches run in March this year wearing one of our very distinctive running vests. I will be running The London marathon 2014 for Medical action research (running for tiny lives). This is a charity very close to my heart after losing a baby of my own and losing my niece who died of meningitis at just 6 months old. Medical action research is an amazing charity that does so much to help sick babies and children. I feel very honoured to have been selected to run for them.

Great causes you have chosen Katie and please keep us in the loop so we can share the links to your fundraising.

Thank you so much for sharing this with us and we all look forward to seeing you in the mud.

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Squatting is one of the most fundamental functional movements, yet it is so understated in training. In the case of obstacle racing, good squatting technique is essential. Poor quality and ability will affect your range of movement, strength, power and output when it comes to running, jumping, landing, climbing, crawling, leaping, lifting and carry.

Runners, I know you are probably saying aah ooh, as I used to! But I can assure you, we will have you stretching those hamstrings until you can eventually get your butt and feet to the ground!

Self-test 1. Stand up eyes forward.

2. Look down at your feet. Are they underneath your hips?

Do your feet turn in or out? Do your knees lean in or bow out?

3. Start to squat as low as feels comfortable. How straight and upright is your back? Is it painful? Are you balanced?

Can you heels go all the way to the ground? Are your knees turned in or out? Were your knees wobbly? Was the movement smooth?

4. Stand up.

Phew, I am sure that a few of you are pleased that is over!

How to Squat 1. Stand with your eyes looking forward.

2. Imagine you have a piece of string attached to the crown of your head connected to the ceiling, cloud or tree top above you. Allow the string to lengthen your vertebrae so you now feel tall. Relax your shoulders, arms, hands and fingers and let them hang long.

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3. Check your feet. If your foot is turning inwards or outward do not adjust your feet. Instead from the muscle in your groin adjust the leg rather than turn the foot. This technique will start to build memories in the muscles to gradually realign your legs with your upper body.

Self Evaluation How upright do you feel?

How close are your heels to the ground?

Is it comfortable?

How relaxed are you?

This is just the start to a proper squat.

Now it is time to practice.

4. Nearly ready to squat.

5. Take a breath and keep relaxed.

Tips

6. Looking forward slowly allow the knees to bend. Keep looking forward. Keep your back as upright and as straight as you can.

1. Try hard, but do not try too hard so that you injure, strain or get frustrated.

7. Don’t let your knees wobble or turn in or out. Feel solid, balanced and in control.

8. As you lower yourself, allow your arms and head to come forward to counter balance your body’s General Centre of Mass (GCM), which has just changed.

9. And down we go. Only go as far as you feel comfortable.

2. Breathe and relax.

3. However far you can correctly squat down to is fine.

Each day you practice your technique will improve.

4. Practice with a friend by asking them to stand facing you holding your hands as you lower. This will help you to keep your balance.

5. Alternatively hold onto something secure in front of you as you lower down. Or stand away 1 ½ to 2 ft from a wall with your back to it and slowly slide don it.

Benefits 1. Good squatting will improve your running, jumping, landing, climbing, crawling, leaping and your ability to effectively complete most built obstacles.

2. Stretches your hamstrings, calves, quads and shin muscles.

3. Improves your range of movement in your ankles.

4. Improves your balance and your propreception i.e. your perception or the relationship and connectivity of your body parts.

5. Increases your awareness of your body’s GCM. 6. Re-aligns your legs and upper body.

7. Stabilises your knees.

8. Learn to use your body in a controlled and flowing movement.

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OCR FOR FUN? OCR FOR FITNESS? OCR FOR FILTH? WHATEVER THE F WE’VE GOT THE OCR SCENE COVERED

THE DEBUT OF BATTLE OATS ICON Nutrition are launching “Battle Oats,” a 100% natural high protein flapjack fortified with vitamins, minerals and electrolytes. They’re a leading UK-based manufacturer of sports nutrition supplements, and are set to enter the convenience market with their latest offering, a high protein natural oven baked flapjack containing electrolytes and fortified with 22 vitamins and minerals.

“Life’s a battle” says Kevin Smith Director at ICON Nutrition, “ and proper nutrition is a constant struggle for many. Battle OatsTM take the hassle out of thinking about what to consume before or after your workout that tick the right energy and recovery boxes. They also make for a great back- pack snack to consume when you’re out cycling, trekking or climbing, for example.”

The 22 vitamin and mineral fortification which includes vitamin C, D and B12, delivers per bar 25% of an adult’s RDA, making this flapjack a convenient and healthy snack on the go. Battle OatsTM also boast over 21g protein per 100g bar and provides a great source of slow-releasing energy due to the high oat content. The bar is 100% natural containing zero trans fats, no refined sugars, and is suitable for both vegetarians and vegans.

Battle Oats undergo a strict and unique baking procedure to ensure minimum denaturing of the vitamins

and minerals. “We understood that the heat from the baking process and the time and length of the bake required can denature some of the vitamins and minerals and we accounted for this process by over fortifying each flapjack with precisely the right amount to give us that 25% RDA figure we were aiming for,” commented Kevin Smith. Further, he highlights that “the proteins used in the bars are bake-stable from both a length of baketime and temperature perspective to ensure zero protein denaturing.”

Battle Oats are suitable for a range of athletic individuals such as climbers, triathletes, marathoners, mud runners, crossfitters, and muscle builders. They will be ready for purchase from the end of November and will be available in two delicious flavours, Oats ’N’ Honey and Dark Choc Chip. The bars have a shelf life of 12 months.

The bars will be available across the UK from various shops, gyms and online stores.

If you are interested in reselling Battle Oats please contact the trade team trade@iconnutrition.co.uk

TRAINING TIPS NUTRITION TECHNIQUES EVENTS DATES COMMUNITY REVIEWS NEWS, KIT & SHOES VISIT WWW.OBSTACLERACEMAGAZINE.COM

For more information about the brand, please visit

WWW.ICONNUTRITION.CO.UK OR FOLLOW their dedicated twitter handle

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FIND US ON

By Michael Cohen Head Coach

www.wildforestgym.com

Rope crossings are a regular obstacle in most races. It usually involves a river crossing. This can be quite daunting and challenging for newbies or the less experienced. For starters the fear of falling into the water can be paralysing.

Plus the chaos and hazards of having to cross whilst other contenders are sending you off balance can be nerve wrecking. For those racing then training brings with it efficiency and effectiveness that leads to speed and power.

There are a number of techniques that can be utilised for traversing a rope crossing.

TRAVERSE TECHNIQUES

TRAVERSING A ROPE CROSSING

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Commando Crawl This technique involves mounting the rope with the upstream foot hooked on top of the rope and the knee bent close to the buttocks; the downstream leg hangs straight to maintain balance. The military forces more often use this technique. It is very effective and you can retain control as you traverse and it doesn’t slaughter the arms.

Is it effective for obstacle course racing? NO. Firstly, the technique involves sliding the supporting leg and the stomach along the rope. As most obstacle racers do not wear tops or trousers this is going to cause rope burns to the stomach, legs and ankles. Secondly, it is a very slow technique. Lastly it is very easy to be knocked off balance by other contenders who are also on the rope. The Monkey Crawl This technique is where you hang below the rope suspended by your hands with both heels crossed over the rope.

It is the most efficient way to traverse a rope crossing for obstacle racing. Firstly, you are in total control and other contenders do not affect your stability. Secondly, if done correctly there should be no friction or ankle burns.

Lastly it is very fast and efficient. You can minimize energy use and maximise output, this leads to power and speed for those racing. For those fun contenders then they can save themselves from a water plunge.

MONKEY CRAWL TECHNIQUE This technique requires you to suspend yourself by your hands and both heels crossed over the rope.

The direction of movement will be backwards i.e. head first. Your right hand is in synch with your left foot and visa versa. The arm movement is most effective and faster if there is a bend in your arms.

Contract your abdominal muscles so as to prevent your back from drooping (this also makes your body feel lighter rather than hanging heavy). With a solid core it will be easier to keep you body close and inline with the rope.

This is fast and efficient.

DO NOT slide your feet. You will get ankle burns, even through your socks! Lift each foot instead.

!

Each step with your foot should land ahead of the other foot on the rope. Do not allow your legs/ankle to land on each other you will get knotted up. Stay relaxed and remember to breathe.

MONKEY CRAWL STRENGTHENING EXERCISES Monkey crawling fundamentally is about being able to efficiently and effectively carry your own body weight upside down. Here are some upper & mid section body strengthening exercises to develop the technique.

Pull-up / Chin-on bar Classic pull-up and chin-ups will help you to build strength in your arms.

Leg Hang These exercises will develop your hand grip, forearms, upper arms, deltoids and latimus dorsi muscles. Literally hang for 10 seconds and slowly increase the length of time. When you grip the bar or rope cup your hands all the way over the top otherwise your hands can slide down the side. Try different hand grips i.e. hands facing towards you, away from you, one hand towards and one away and side on…

Leg Raises Always use variations to the technique to develop multilateral development of your core abdominal and oblique muscles. So feet up in front, feet to the left, feet to the right, feet half way up, legs straight at 90 degrees. Advanced technique is to take feet up to the left.

Holding onto the core sweep the legs under the bar and up to the right in one move.

Finger Strength It doesn’t matter how big you biceps are if you have weak finger strength then your biceps are worthless. Try out the Prohands Pro. I have been using it on and off for a few years and they are effective and easy to carry around in your pocket.

Warning Always remember make sure that whatever you are hanging from is secure, safe and fit for the purpose of chin-ups. Always start with fewer repetitions and slower movements rather than fast or high quantity of poor quality reps. Quality is far more important than time or quantity.

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10k obstacle challenge 25 military style obstacles designed by ex british forces

have you got what it takes?

While a varied and healthy diet is the best source of nutrients, for many young adults, their hectic modern lifestyles and constant demands of study, work and partying can make it hard for them to find the right balance. That’s where new BOOST BUDDY comes in, the first truly personalised multivitamin range specially formulated for young adults and their busy, buzzy lifestyles. We believe that you’re the expert on how your body is coping with your hectic lifestyle, so we have made it quick and easy for you to select the best multivitamin supplement to support your individual needs.

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Simply select any 4 from 12 unique formulae and create an individual multivitamin that best supplements your diet.

And we will wrap them up and deliver them to you by post every week, every fortnight or every month. For less than £1 a day your essential nutrients are sorted, hassle free, not a plastic tub in sight, and all in recyclable packaging.

We have taken the guesswork out of supplementation by giving each formula a name, like “Chill”, “Pep”, “Shine”, “Immunity” and “Brain”, that best describes the health benefits of the active nutrients. Our brand mission has been brought to life by our carefully selected brand mascot, Buddy the Bloodhound. Bloodhounds are loveable dogs, famous for tracking by scent and are known to prefer the chase to the kill. They are great companions, though notoriously difficult to obedience train! Boost Buddy’s Buddy is an independent free spirit. He’s smart and funny, incredibly energetic and is always the last one standing, dancing, laughing. In fact, Buddy’s secret is his vast reserves of energy, prompting those in his thrall to repeatedly ask ... “What’s he on?”

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All Boost Buddy formulae are designed so that, whatever combination of multivitamins is taken, the recommended daily allowance of any individual vitamin or ingredient will never be exceeded.

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Press Release

XRUNNER LAUNCHES THE 2014 RACE SERIES CALENDAR

BIGGER BETTER MUDDIER AND WETTER

Are you ready for a Muddy New Year?

Four busy and successful events in 2013 ended on 08th September with our flagship event the Wild Thing where almost 3000 runners experienced our most memorable muddy good run yet. Going out on a high, we are already straight into the planning stages for the 2014 events calendar.

New for 2014: Serious investment in custom designed new obstacles Xrunner expands to two day events New race time selection option Introducing Elite waves for serious competitors Brand new event: Wild Run, Osmaston Manor Estate Brand new V.I.P tickets go on sale Team discounts if running with friends So what can we expect for next year?

Bigger, better, muddier and wetter is the order of the day for our mud hungry Xrunners – so that’s exactly what we will do! Plans to make some serious investment in brand new purpose built, custom made obstacles are already taking shape. Introducing ‘The Final Frontier’ a huge obstacle incorporating four challenges ‘Avalanche’, ‘Labarynth’, ‘Vertigo’ and ‘Drop Zone’.

All our previous events sold out weeks ahead of event day so 2014 will see us expanding events to a two day affair.

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Historically Xrunner has always been on a Sunday but from now on we will be open for business on Saturday and Sunday so you can choose which day is best for you.

Not only can you come on the day of your choice but also new for 2014 you can now choose your preferred race time when you register online.

Another new addition to the registration system is the option to select one of the ‘Elite Waves’. Here you will pay an additional £10.00 but you will be guaranteed one of the first waves which are reserved for serious competitors only. There are no team entries here and spaces are seriously limited to minimise the number of people on the course, giving you zero congestion and maximum opportunity to get the best time possible so you can be in with a chance of winning a serious cash prize!

Xrunners are now able to upgrade their entry to include a VIP pass which will get you a lovely hot shower, fresh towel, changing area, separate secure bag storage, complimentary refreshments and lounge area to chill out after the race. All entries will receive an X-Runner Gym Bag, Technical T-Shirt, Finishers Medal, Silicon Wrist Band, Electronic Chip Timing, Drink, Snack, Gift Voucher and possibly the best day of your life!

Looking forward to seeing you all in 2014 for some Muddy Good Fun at the Ultimate Adventure Playground so book now at www.xrunner.co.uk or email your enquiries to s.black@x-runner.co.uk Issue 1 | Obstacle Race

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a future worth getting excited about...

CAPTION COMPETITION

BECOME A PERSONAL TRAINER WITH THE EUROPEAN INSTITUTE OF FITNESS

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THE BEST CAPTION SENT TO LETTERS@OBSTACLERACEMAGAZINE.COM WINS TWO SETS OF XRACE WEAR RUNNING GEAR. Issue 1 | Obstacle Race

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COMING NEXT COMING NEXT ISSUE ISSUE TBC

In the next issue we have something very special for you. Issue 2 will be a charity special that will be looking at how the race organisations work together with charities for the greater good.

Also we will be taking a look at what you the racer does for charity and the lengths you go to raise money for your selected charity. If you have a charity challenge or adventure you want to share with the world then please send it to letters@obstacleracemagazine.com.

DON’T MISS OUR RACE DIRECTORS SPECIAL OUT 20TH FEBRUARY

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

RAC DIRE E SPEC CTORS IAL

FIND AN OCR STOCKIST NEAR YOU:

WWW.OBSTACLERACEMAGAZINE.COM

Issue 1 | Obstacle Race

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

inov-8.com