December 2013

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OCRkidsConner EasonFallon Bonner

writers

Nabilah FountainNASM Certified TrainerNutrition Coach

Arnel BenawaBlogger / Certified Trainerwww.ocrtube.com

Allan AjoyElite RacerSouth East Region

Matthew O’Leary Obstacle RunnerMRF Mag Publisher

Whats inside this issue?

OCRkids Conner Eason & Fallon Bonner pg 1 “Athlete Spotlight”Allan Ajoy ....................................pg 5

“Fat loss vs. Weight loss”Nabilah Fountain ......................pg 13

Race Review -Electric Run MiamiMatthew O’Leary.......................pg 15

“Forging Unbreakable Athletes”Edgar Landa ..............................pg 25

“Working out Mommy Style”Holly Berkey ...............................pg 30

Superhero Scramble North FloridaArnel Benawa. ..............................pg 31

“Mud Run Fuel”Roger Smith, PhD ......................pg 39

Race MapMud Run Fun ............................pg 43

Roger Smith, PhD. OCR Athlete / Prolific AuthorSouth East Region

Edgar LandaTeam SISUTeam SISI Advocate

Holly BerkeyOCR Athlete / Bloggerwww.muddymommy.com

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Your kids look up to you as

you did your parents. Why not

get them involved in the one

thing you have in common?

The love for crawling, jumping,

sliding and all things muddy!

Join MudRunFun’s campaign

to promote mud running and

fun running to kids everywhere.

With all these opportunities

to promote health and fitness

while having fun, you cannot

lose. Look up events in your

area. Email your local race

directors and request that they

set up a kid’s race. Let’s keep our

kids on the right track. Let your

kid become an OCRkid today!

2

MudRunFun,

Connor ran his first OCR at Superhero Scramble this past weekend. He’s only four so he can’t

write, but this is what he had to say about it.

It was very hard but I had a lot of fun. I really loved getting muddy and my favorite part

was sliding down the slide. I fell a couple of times but I got back up and kept running. I had

so much fun I ran it a second time. I liked everything about the obstacle course. Then I got a

really cool medal and a T shirt that I wore to school so I could show my friends. I keep asking

when I can do it again.

- Connor Eason, 8 yrs

I really liked the superhero scramble. It was my first mud run. My favorite obstacle was

when you went over the walls and nets. I wore a spider girl costume, but it got really dirty.

It was covered with mud and grass, and I almost lost my bib. I got an awesome

medal! It was fun and I want to do it again sometime. I love running. I think

it’s the best exercise ever.

- Fallon Bonner, 8 yrs old  

This magazine wouldn’t be what it is without the support of our partners. Please support them when choosing your next race.

Do you have an event you would like to partner with MudRunFun Magazine?

Contact matthew@mudrunfun.com

This magazine wouldn’t be what it is without the support of our partners. Please support them when choosing your next race.

Do you have an event you would like to partner with MudRunFun Magazine?

Contact matthew@mudrunfun.com

My name is Allan Ajoy and I am originally from Guayaquil, Ecuador. I live in Miami. I am 37 years old and I am an Obstacle course runner, Crossfit fanatic and a Fashion Guru…(lmfao)

Every time I run a 5k, an OCR, a half marathon, or participate in a crossfit event I am alive I feel that I am invincible and always try to give my all no matter what!! Why, why I do that?

I come from a family of 3 brothers, I am the youngest and my brothers were soccer stars, well I wasn’t. In fact I was the weirdo, the one who never played sports and the expectations were so high from the coaches and friends that my whole life in high school was miserable. I was a very bright student but not into sports. Yes I was bullied for being different.

But the only time that nobody couldn’t make fun of me is when I ran. Nobody could catch me and I was always in the top 3. Those moments I was happy. But it was only a few moments.

My college experience was a little better and finally when I got my degree I decided to move to USA. I was tired being different it was time to go. Now I work in retail industry for the past 12 years and my life is like everyone elses. Going to the gym and running on the beach. Almost 10 years doing this and I was still missing something. Yes, I was accepted here for who I was….but I was not happy with myself, I was still being chased by the demons of my past.

Three years ago a friend asked me if I have heard about Crossfit. I joined and it was love at first sight: the adrenaline, the people, the energy, competitive W.O.D.’s everyday, say what!!!?

Running is my “passion” and combining Crossfit exercises I was in heaven but one day I saw a flyer on the

board in my box. The “Tarzan’s cup”, that was my first OCR. I didn’t know anything about this kind of race. I

was dreaming about it everyday, listening from my coach “oh yes those are like “Spartan” “Tough mudder” those

are tough…..you have to train for it” (I had no idea of what he was talking about)…..but yes I did train for it. I

changed my diet and my exercising routines. I was getting ready for my first race.

OMG!!!!!!! The day came and I couldn’t believe it….hundreds of people dressed in costumes, screaming and

getting ready for a run and mud!! I was like what the heck?? Can we do this? Can we jump in the water, do this

slide, do this monkey bars??? I was in paradise!!!! I got second place that day!!! I couldn’t believe my inner kid

was speechless…Finally I got to do something that made me happy 100%, that made me feel equal because there

was no gender, religion or anything involved it was only mud, run and fun!! (yes MUDRUNFUN)!!!!

I started checking in the internet for more races in Miami and I did it for around 6 months until I found

“Savage Race” my first Central Florida race, 2 years ago. I went with my (original crazy Miami team) Geishelle,

Ricky, Eddie and Mark. That race was fun and tough, yes the obstacles were tougher and the competition

stronger!..but the people we met that day were the best!!!

https://www.facebook.com/racepacephotos

done. I was very nervous because it is the mother of the races “Spartan Ultra Beast” and I felt I was not prepared but I did train for it and I needed to conquer it!! I needed to get my confidence back and yes I did finish and only can say it is so far the best experience in my life! That day I finished I cried so much, Finally I let it go….I thought about myself being bullied when I was a kid and conquering this I was finally getting me some respect! My self respect! It was the best therapy I had!

Enough of the sad days. NOW I am grown man that enjoys life 100% everywhere I go, I have family and the best part I can be me!!!!!!….we are family that have fun running, conquering obstacles, tears of joy when crossing the line!!!! That my friends you cannot buy anywhere!!!

I think my life was designed to be just like the way it was and with my example to bring some inspirations to whoever wants to do something different! HEY IT’S FUN!

Elite or not Elite everyone that does something out of their comfort zone is a winner. Everyone who trains hard, who take care of themselves is a winner. Everyone who accepts people just the way they are is a winner.

I don’t run for me anymore. I run and enjoy life for all those people who left us early in this life, I run for all those people who are battling cancer, I run for those people injured and probably could never run again…..for me it is not about being top 3 anymore…yes winning is amazing I cannot lie , but honestly I have been there and done that. Running with my friends Mike, Haidar, Deater is creating memories we can pass to our future generations and say yes that was us “the originals”, meeting new people every time that teaches you something that I value more than a trophy!

We had the pleasure to meet Stephanie Magee

Magnuson that day and she said to us…”OMG

you guys are perfect for our little FB group called

“mudrunfun”” I was like, wait what? What is that?

A secret society that only talks about OCR and they

even offer you codes for discounts, and you can ask

for tips, and you can just be crazy meaning they

are crazy people just like you!! She was like “yes,

exactly!” I want in!!!!

It took me minutes when I joined the MRF FB

page to feel I was home I was finally somewhere I

could be myself and actually feel normal next to a

bunch of weirdos like James, Doug, Chris, Jason,

Kelly, etc LOL

The day I met Damion and Tracy was at FLRoc

event. It was so amazing not even because they

were awesome and so welcoming!!! I was already

representing them as MRF runner, I was so proud!!!!

Same day I got to meet Joselito and Troy and ran

together and we won!!!

I said to myself I think can do this for a long time….almost 2 years non stop….Spartan, Superhero scramble, Tough Mudder, Run for your lives, Hog Wild, Squish Squash, Muddy Buddy, Down and Dirty, Armageddon Ambush, Highlander, The Challenge, etc all the Miami 5k’s you can have and all the half marathons you can count….I was running OCR every weekend….it was insane!!!!

This year I stopped a little bit due to some healthy issues but I am back!!!!….I decided

my comeback with probably one of the toughest races I have

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http://www.virtualfitnesschallenges.com

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Friends from Karma, Team

Eata, Crossfit 305, Legacy

Fit, IRun you guys have make

me better not a better runner

a better person. The people I

have met thru these groups,

it has been such an amazing

experience! so many stories to

tell…I admire each one of you!

MUDRUNFUN Family you

guys rock!! I have no words

to describe how grateful I am

to be part and considered

part of this family!! You guys

rock!!!!!!! LET’S RUN!!!!!!!!!

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When it comes to dropping those unwanted

LBs, many people opt for the restriction on calories

method. You know…Calories in vs. calories out. And

until recently, this has been what most nutritionists

and even medical doctors have recommended

to their clients. The problem is this philosophy is

geared towards weight loss and really has no impact

on fat loss. Why? Before we go into the why let’s

discuss the difference between the two. Weight loss

encompasses pounds dropped during a dieting

cycle. There is no real focus on body composition

because the main concern is watching the scale

needle move to the left. With weight loss you are

primarily losing muscle and water with a minimal

amount of fat being burned. When muscle is broken

down due to lack of nutritional support and exercise,

you are essentially breaking down your metabolic

machinery that burns fat and disrupting hormones

that aid in the fat burning process. This is why

calorie restricted diets result in, for

the most part, a huge regression

in progress. Fat loss, on the

other hand, focuses on body

composition; body fat and

circumference measurements. Weight isn’t the main

focus and is only used to calculate body fat and track

for proper body compositional changes. With a fat

loss approach, you will have longer lasting results and

an increased metabolism that will continue to burn

fat efficiently throughout the day. Now let’s go back

to “why” calorie restricted diets are geared towards

weight loss and has no real impact on dropping

stubborn fat. When you restrict calories, you

dramatically influence hormones that synergistically

work together to help balance and stabilize your

metabolism. Disrupting these hormones will

result in increased hunger, decreased energy and

uncontrollable cravings. All of which are not

conducive to fat loss. Eating for fat loss means eating

fat loss foods. Foods rich in protein and fiber, not low

calorie garbage. Keeping your insulin regulated is

also important because when insulin is present in the

body it acts as a fat lock hormone which means excess

calories will be stored as fat and will not be used

for energy. Finally combining a safe and effective

workout with a well designed fat loss program will

not only have you burning fat like wild fire but keep

your metabolism stoked for years to come.13

http://liveintheskinny.wordpress.com

Nabilah Fountain

http://www.bswarms.com

The Eletric Run - MiamiSaturday, November 23rd 2013Matthew OLeary

The first time I went to The Electric Run was

in Southern California. It was their first event.

10,000 people as far as the eye could see, dressed

in blacklight responsive colors and armed to the

teeth with glowsticks, necklaces, bracelets and even

eyeglasses. Carmen Electra was on the mic, keeping

everyone waiting to run amped up, which was a

good thing because I was in the middle of those 10k

people waiting to run and it took hours before we

got to the start line. Wave after wave was sent off.

The energy was high. The anticipation was electric.

Everyone could feel it. You couldn’t help but smile at

strangers standing beside you.

Tracy Trombley (MudRunFun) had also been to

this race before in Georgia. So when I heard there

would be one in Miami we really had no choice, we

had to go again..

An hour and a half from Orlando to Palm Bay

and then three hours south to Miami we arrived

shortly after the gates opened. With roughly 6,000

runners this was no small event, although not as

packed as the SoCal event. In my heyday (yes I said

it) I may have spent a weekend or two at a rave. And

I have to say, this race is a rave disguised as a 5k. Let

me tell you why.

From the moderate experience I have in the

rave scene I have to come to understand that

local governments do not want raves in their

neighborhoods, and for good reasons. It disrupts

traffic, requires a police force for large crowds,

centralizes drug use and usually violates noise

ordinances. Now let me say right here that The

Electric Run is NOT this type of rave. I did not see

any drug use or anything like that. What I did see

was one KICK-ASS PARTY. And that is what sells

this event.

Are you into psychedelic visuals? Do you like

trance, dance and electronica? Then this is the

race for you! 3.1 miles of dance music to keep you

in a motivated, rhythmic run. Colors, visuals and

lighting effects that will entrance. And where do you

end up at the end? A stage with a DJ and one crazy-

ass group of people.

The Miami event had a more teen to early 20’s

people than I see at mud runs and obstacle course

runs. I saw some families and even some strollers.

Unlike the SoCal event, I did not see many people

running. In fact, so few people were that I jokingly

called this one The Electric Walk. And that is my

next reason this is a rave in disguise, this crowd was

not here to run. Well, at least most of them.

If the SoCal event was 5 stars I would give this 4.

The next one is in Orlando Florida in February and

I WILL be there. I hope you will to and make sure

you register as team MudRunFun!

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http://www.sleefs.com/?AffId=11

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Facebook North East

https://www.facebook.com/groups/345499792229163/

North West

https://www.facebook.com/groups/346549892093878/

Mid West

https://www.facebook.com/groups/368390809896037/

South East

https://www.facebook.com/groups/342706172412258/

South West

https://www.facebook.com/groups/224920700964320/

Get Social28,000 + Members!

Have a group of your own?

Get exposed to 28000 + subscribers by joining the MudRunFun social network

Email matthew@mudrunfun.com for details

Meetup NorCal

http://www.meetup.com/Bay-Area-Mud-Run-Training/

Texas

http://www.meetup.com/Obstacle-Runners-Racers/

Virginia

http://www.meetup.com/Mud-Race/

Twitter MudRunFun

https://twitter.com/MudRunFun

Matthew@MudRunFun

https://twitter.com/masteroleary

Team Highlight

By Edgar Landa - The Early Days

A few short years ago Team SISU co-founder Daren De Heras signed himself up for the Spartan Death Race in Pittsfield, Vermont and began training for what is arguably one of the most physically and mentally challenging endurance races in the country. He ultimately DNF’d at his first Death Race but little did he know that the seed for what Team SISU would become had been planted.

Shortly after that first experience in Vermont a

few Southern California racers contacted Daren to

pick his brain about the Death Race the following

year. Being the gregarious person that he is, Daren

invited them to train together in preparation for

the 2012 race. Over the course of the year they

ran together, carried heavy and awkward items up

and down mountains, and tested their endurance

by going on 12-18 hour overnight rucks in the

mountain areas around Los Angeles. A few more

people joined the fledgling Facebook page and

before long they had 30-40 people regularly joining

them on adventures with tires, sledge hammers,

axes, bricks, logs and sandbags.

Team SISU arrived at the Summer 2012 Death Race prepared and confident. AND supported…by a phenomenal crew of Team SISU members, who also made the trip to Vermont from Los Angeles and other parts of the country. It became evident that SISU had become more than just a name on a t-shirt. They were seeing the camaraderie and training pay off. They became aware that a team can accomplish so much more than an individual. They inspired each other to push beyond their limits. A number of Team SISU finished the 2012 Death Race, but more importantly for Team SISU, Daren De Heras talked…a lot…to lots of people. Gab is Daren’s gift. He talks, and yaks, and gabs. And he gets people excited. By the time they got home Team SISU had grown and many folks were asking

http://www.sisuteam.com

about getting a SISU Team going in their neck of the woods. And so, the seed that had been planted just a year earlier had grown into something Daren

could now see had potential for even more growth.

The Weeple-SISU ConnectionAround this same time Daren met Weeple Army

founder Dave Huckle. For those that have been living under a rock for the past few years the Weeple Army has become a force to be reckoned with at obstacle course races and other race events across the country. The Weeple Army members show up en masse in their green and black Weeple Army race gear waving the Weeple flag. They come to run together and help each other out on the course. No Weeple is left behind. This ethic has attracted athletes of all levels and ages and encouraged them to get off the couch and challenge themselves with the support and encouragement of their fellow Weeples.

The Weeple reach is both near and far. In 2012, the Weeple Army was crowned the Biggest Team winner by Spartan Race.

The relationship between Team SISU and the Weeple Army is symbiotic with lots of crossover in membership. The two groups actively seek ways to collaborate and the partnership has solidified recently as Team SISU has officially become the “extreme training branch of the Weeple Army.”

SISU NowAs Team SISU has grown, so have its aspirations.

What began as a rag tag group of a half dozen people has expanded to over 1,000 people spread across the country, over four SISU chapters: SISU West (the original), SISU East, SISU Midwest and SISU Texas. Each chapter is led by a SISU ambassador with the freedom to organize their own local events. The SISU

brand is run by a core group led by Daren De Heras and Spartan racer/promoter/coach, Matt Trinca.

One of the unique characteristics of Team SISU: not only is it a team that trains and races together, it is also a group that creates and runs its own events. And they are becoming more popular, not just because they are designed for bad-asses, but also because they also make room for athletes of various levels to test their endurance and fortitude. Some events vary the weight requirement of objects to be carried, and others have different distances to cover, or time spans to survive. Regardless of the

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great attitude is required. Be careful what you eat beforehand, because you might be seeing it again on the way up, after a few rounds of this workout!

And, of course, there are the SISU capstone events. These are the ones that Daren De Heras, Matt Trinca and the rest of the Team SISU Leadership Council plan and prepare for months in advance. They pull the best aspects of the many races and events they have collectively done and include the Team SISU brand of gut testing and encouragement…even as participants are being pushed to their limits.

The SISU F.O.R.G.E. – The inaugural event will be held on March 1, 2014 and will be a simultaneous team ruck in four different parts of the country. Each SISU Chapter will be organizing their own 13-hour urban/rural adventure ruck in what organizers are calling the “Fraternal Overnight Ruck Grand Event” or “F.O.R.G.E.” for short. Despite the word “fraternal” in its title, this is an adventure for both men and women. Teamwork will be required. Team weights will be provided. And of course, the SISU brand of hurt will be dished out.

And then there is the grand-daddy of all SISU events, celebrating its 3rd consecutive year in May 2014…The SISU IRON.

The SISU Iron – The third annual Iron will be begin on May 2, 2014 and, depending on the level chosen by the athlete, will end on May 4. There are snakes, bears, steep hills, single track trails, creeks and waterfalls. This event is done in partnership with the City of Monrovia at Monrovia Canyon Park. This is definitely rugged, wilderness terrain. There are three levels to choose from: the 10-Hour Ralph Macchio Level, the 20-Hour Chuck Norris Level, and the 30-hour Bruce Lee Level. Regardless of the level chosen, the Team SISU organizers are

difficulty level, Team SISU events strive to support and encourage all participants, even as they are put through pain and suffering!

“We want to make our brand of extreme more accessible to the masses…in essence, bring everyone their own version of the Death Race,” says Daren De Heras. “That’s why we make all our workouts and events scalable.”

The inclusive nature of Team SISU have made them attractive to many people. Some fail, and some succeed. Some realize they actually have more fortitude than they gave themselves credit for. All walk away with a sense of accomplishment, knowing they tested their limits and survived.

SISU EventsSISU sponsors events year round but some of its

more popular ones include:

The SISU 24 – A 24 hour adventure race in the mountains and beaches of Malibu, California. Sand in your shoes and cold water are the least of your worries at this race!

The Upstream Challenge – Who would be crazy enough to follow-up a 4-hour boot camp with a 25-mile bike ride with 2,000-ft of elevation gain? And THEN have an obstacle course race? Team SISU, that’s who!

The SISU Triathlon – This is a triathlon done SISU style! The Rose Bowl Aquatic Center, and the trails around the world famous Rose Bowl, provide the paths to pain and suffering. Buckets and sandbags are mandatory. Crying is optional.

How to F*ck Up A 5-Miler – A 5-mile track run…with hundreds of burpees, squats, pushups, sit-ups and sledge hammer drills every ¼ mile. How many circuits can you complete in 3 hours? A

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cooking up a tough event that will challenge, break, and lift all participants! Participants are given a mandatory gear list, but other details about the event are kept secret, so as not to ruin the surprise. The SISU Iron has athletes flying in from around the country and is aiming to become the premiere adventure race in the Los Angeles area.

One Log At A Time

As the popularity of Team SISU has grown, so

has interest in its events. Daren certainly imagined

a team SISU that was more than just a bunch

of friends training together. What he did not

anticipate was the immense interest in the Team

SISU brand of pain and suffering equalized by

support and encouragement from fellow members

and racers.

With the addition of Matt Trinca and its

Leadership Council of dedicated volunteers, the

team’s organizational structure and media presence

has also grown. You can find Team SISU on

Facebook and on its new website (www.sisuteam.

com) where visitors can find information and

register for events and load up on Team SISU gear.

Additionally, Team SISU has partnered with Spartan

Race and SoCal OCR Fit in Long Beach to sponsor

local Spartan Race 300 WODs. Team SISU boasts

several sponsored Elite Spartan Racers including

Miguel Medina currently training in the cold and

snowy mountains of Vermont. And in December,

Team SISU members and Death Racers will attempt

to raise money for a charity (and break the Spartan

record set by Daren last year) by running 8-10

laps of the Malibu Spartan Sprint, each lap with a

different weight or physical restriction.

A lot is happening for Team SISU but Daren and

Matt could not be more excited for the adventure

that lays ahead…one step, and one log at-a-time!

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http://www.muddymommy.com

Regular workouts are great, but sometimes the

best (and most fun!) way to burn calories is with

your kids!

Recently my son Mason and I had a blast

“working out” together by simply playing around

the house!

So here’s our little workout, courtesy Mommy and

Mason:

Run around the house for several minutes with

child riding piggy back. This is especially fun if you

have pets to chase you, as this results in hysterical

laughter from child. The pets also get a great

workout in as well.

Do the airplane! You know this one! Lay on the

floor and lift child up in the air pretending they are

an airplane. Alternate using arms and legs for lifting,

and feel the burn!

Okay, time to get serious. Teach child what push-

ups, crunches, wall-sits, and planks are! It’s super

cute to see them try, plus you get a nice workout in

as well!

Next up? Bathroom dance party!!!!!! Seriously.

Mason and I like throwing on some fun party tunes

and jamming along during bath time! It’s a lot of

fun, give it a go.

Time to wind down. Kidding! Watch an episode

of Yo Gabba Gabba and dance along the whole time!

Finally, it’s time to brush teeth, but afterwards

be sure to fly your child like superman through the

house and into bed.

End the night by taking silly pictures, sharing lots

of giggles, read a great story, and finish with a hug

and kiss goodnight.

Whew! Now that was a workout! Rehydrate with a

glass of Chardonnay.

Great job Momma (or Daddy… this one’s fun

for all)! You just burned a few calories while also

enjoying a fun night bonding with your

kiddo! 

~Holly

http://www.ocrtube.com

Superhero Scramble - North Florida 2013 - VIDEO and Athlete InterviewsPosted by Arnel Banawa on November 18, 2013

Wow! I had the opportunity to experience the

Superhero Scramble North Florida Event this

past weekend, and I’m going to say it again, the

Superhero Scramble is one of my TOP 3 when it

comes to the most challenging, organized, high-

quality, and fun obstacle course races (OCR).

I spoke with OCR Athletes Ken Corigliano (1st

Place Overall) who is the Air Force Athlete of

the Year, NCAA Top Div II Athlete of the Last 40

Years (40th Anniversary Tribute Team) 2013, and

Finished 45th in Triathlon at the World Military

Games 2012, Paola Reategui (1st Place Female), Troy

King (4th AG, 10th Overall), and 53 year old OCR

Coach Steve Miller(2nd Place AG Open), about

what they thought about the event. Check out what

they had to say:

ARNEL BANAWA: What did you like best about

Superhero Scramble North Florida 2013?

Ken Corigliano: Had two fast guys, one was an

Olympian other finished 34th overall at the Boston

Marathon Two really tall obstacles

Paola Reategui: My favorite part about Superhero

Scramble came down to two  things: 1) it was more

of a runners race for the first 2 miles giving me an

advantage to open up the lead on other competitors

and 2) i loved their new obstacle where we had to

climb the ladder and hop down the haystacks. It was

a bit scary, at times I felt I was going to topple over

with one of them.

(Paola Reategui)

Troy King: The best part of SS (Superhero Scramble)

for me, is the Scramble Gamble (Elite Wave with

Prize Money Eligibility). It always brings out the

best competitors to measure myself against.

Steve Miller: I really liked the obstacles they were all

challenging but not impossible and they tested your

endurance.

ARNEL BANAWA: Which obstacle was the most

challenging?

Ken Corigliano: Probably Mounds of Doom, it

had five or six deeply dug holes with huge piles of

dirt in-between, we all were gassed after those for a

few seconds.

Paola Reategui: The most challenging obstacle had

to be the rings and the last rope climb up the wall.

Troy King: The rings challenged me the most. I love

them, don’t get me wrong, but they gave me hell this

time. I lost my rhythm and ended up “two handing”

each ring. I finally completed them after losing two

spots.

ADVERTISEMENT: Use P90X2 Training for

Obstacle Course Racing - Click Here!

Steve Miller: The rings. My hands were wet and it

made it slippery.

ARNEL BANAWA: Did you complete every

obstacle, if not which one(s) did you not complete,

and what do you feel went wrong?

Ken Corigliano: Of course.

Paola Reategui: No, unfortunately I was not able to

complete all of the obstacles. I had to complete two

penalties. The first one was the plank walk (balance

beam). It was very upsetting because that was the

first time I failed at that obstacle. I lost focus once

the planks starting wobbling, lost balance, and fell

over. The second obstacle I was not able to complete

were the rings. That part was most frustrating to

me because I know I can do them, however, my

hands were wet and when i tried to swing my hands

automatically slipped off the rings.

Troy King: I did complete all obstacles - so no

burpees or spins =).

Steve Miller: I fell of the balance beam. I need to

work more on stabilizer muscles and focus better.

My balance is shaky!

(Coach Steve Miller)

ARNEL BANAWA: How do you train for Obstacle

Course Racing?

Ken Corigliano: I do a lot of brain training to

increase my proprioperception and ability to

quicky (and unconsciously) place my feet, hands

and adjust my center of gravity. I think anyone can

get fast, pretty easily, but not many people can do

physical exertion and deeply think at the same time.

Especially with this new generation that has a large

percentage of them that can benefit from learning to

focus on one thing for long periods.

Paola Reategui: I have not been training for Obstacle

Course Races. I have currently been training for

track & field. However, I feel that very similar

training applies for cross country runners and OCR

runners. The best way to go about training for an

OCR’s is to build a good base first. There are no

needs for excessive amounts of speed workouts.

Nice long easy runs are the best way to go and

after a few months of building a good base, then

incorporate tempo and light interval workouts. Then

of course, definitely include the gym about 3 times

a week which I have to say this has been my greatest

weakness as I have not lifted a weight in months.

Troy King: I train for OCR with intense upper body

circuits in the gym. I always superset push and pull. 34

Ken Corigliano: Overall I give the SS North Florida

a 6.5 out of 10. First let’s go through the dirty stuff:

• Pricewastoohigh

• Waves/Heats wentoffatrandomand

unannounced time

• Moreenergyintheannouncerandmusicbefore,

during and after the event

• Have foodforfinishers

So anyway on to the good stuff:

After the initial awkwardness of start times changing

a few times, and the first mile or so being 180

degree turns, I was pleasantly surprised to see some

killer wooded sections of the race. I LOVE running

through areas with no trails, be it jungles, woods,

swamps or rainforests. There I dropped about eight

And the key is a lot of running. You have to be fast

to stay at the front - period. Strength only gets one

so far.

Steve Miller: Training is fun for me. I combine

home workout programs Insanity, Asylum, P90X,

and Body Beast along with some gym workouts and

Spartan WOD’s. I also use my environment and run

sand trails along with nature trails locally.

ARNEL BANAWA: Please give me your overview

from the event (organization, obstacles, competition,

food, etc.

guys and closed in on first and second place. They

ran off course so I caledl out to first place to let him

know. Nonetheless I felt confident in my ability to

catch them.  

The first tough obstacles came up were Mounds of

Doom which were very tough. Initially I try run

only as fast as I can with just breathing through my

nose so it keeps my heartrate from skyrocketing or

going lactic. But on these things, wow I was gassed,

especially because I was only a few feet from first

and second. So I was more focused than usual. I was

breathing heavily but was hoping they similiarly

experienced this.

We emerged from the woods to the spectator area

where we then ascended the Leap of Faith obstacle

and several bystanders shouted to me that the front

guys looked tired. When I got up on the LoF I

looked down to see the other two swimming with

their heads were fully up and mouth open breathing.

My heartrate was low enough to continue easy

breathing. Then I knew soon it was going to shape

up in my favor.

As we pushed through the spectator area and

approached the lake, I jumped in and assumed first

place with quickly pulling the cable while my head

was down and buried in the water. First place was

breathing heavily and may not have been able to put

his head under, assuring far slower progress across

the water.

After the water section, first place faded back to

third me and another guy went back and forth

first and second until this super long mud section.

I chose to conserve energy up until this section

at which I went all out and put some measurable

distance between him and I. At the Arach-Net-

Phobia, we separated for the final time and then

decided that I open up all the speed I could

muster without blowing up. I dove straight into the

swim section and breathed only a few times across

the ~80m swim section. It all paid off.  

At the finish I was 1:05 ahead of second place from

at one point being nearly 20 seconds behind.

(Ken Corigliano)

Paola Reagetui: Overall, I feel that the races are well

put together. Throughout this 2013 year, SHS has

definitely improved with starting races on time.

The competition has gone down a little bit but I

believe that is due to their location. I don’t think

they choose prime locations whereas choosing

a bigger city will definitely draw in masses and

therefore increase competition. My team went out

there to face good competition and win money

but we were the only team to sign up. This was a

disappointment because they offered no money

since there were no competitors which of course is

understandable but again, it’s due to their locations.

Overall, the environment at the race is always fun.

They play great music and always have a great live

performance at the events.

Troy King: I always enjoy Superhero

Scramble. Sean does a great job of creating a great

atmosphere and a challenging course. I want to see

him succeed, because it is always a blast

to run the gamble.

36

Steve Miller: I thought the event was well organized,

They could improve on course marking and

the course marshalls were not the greatest.The

competition was outstanding I met some of the

elites and ran the competitive wave with them.

Improvements on locations such as showers would

be great. I inquired at 3 locations and nobody could

tell me where they were.

ARNEL BANAWA: When is your next race?

Ken Corigliano: Bad Ass Dash, Punta Gorda, FL

Paola Reagetui: My next race will be the Superhero

Scramble Worlds in Miami, January 11, 2013.

Troy King: My next major race will be the jax bank

marathon dec 29 for a Boston qualifying time of sub

3:05. Ss Miami is my next OCR in jan 2014.

Steve Miller: My next race is the Spartan Military

Sprint in Tampa Feb. 15th and I am looking forward

to my first Spartan Trifecta!

CLICK HERE TO WATCH THE VIDEO -

SUPERHERO SCRAMBLE NORTH FL 2013 (This

OCR video is not playable on mobile devices due

to music copyright laws, please view on your PC/

MAC)

~ Arnel Banawa is a P90X Coach, Internet

Entrepreneur, OCR Athlete and Blogger.Connect

with him on facebook!

For more OCR Reviews, please check out my friends

at MudRunFun.com

38

The Mud Run Blueprint for Fitness

by Roger Smith, PhD

Run 3 miles, 4 miles, 5miles, 8 miles, or 12 miles. Climb walls, ropes, and trees. Crawl through foul black mud, creeks, and shock wires. That can burn a lot of fuel. How do you pre-fuel before an event? How do you re-fuel during and after an event?

The traditional methods are (1) spaghetti dinner the night before, and (2) sports drink during. But these are like your dad’s old tennis shoes. They don’t really work that well, but they were all he had 20+ years ago. Athletes and scientists have learned a lot since then, one key thing being that spaghetti and salty punch are not very good performance fuels. Eating spaghetti the night before a race gives you some available energy from the carbs. But it mostly gives you a stomach full of pasta that you have to carry with you through the race. And anything that is still in the stomach and digestive track has not transferred its energy (calories) into your muscles and blood stream yet. The energy stored in your body primarily came from foods and water that you consumed over the previous several days.

Sports drinks provide sugar, sodium, and potassium – all good things. But simple sugars burn too fast in your system and drop you off a cliff after a couple of hours. These drinks are also easy to “over drink”, putting too much salt into your system, which will suck water out of your muscles into your stomach. Then the digestive process will reverse that effect by pushing the salt into your tissue where it will hold extra water and create water-swollen hands and feet.

So pasta and salty punch are not necessarily bad, they are just easy to do wrong. So how can you pre-fuel and re-fuel better than your dad did?

Every mud run attracts hundreds of people who are all at a very different place in their fitness and competition journey. There are the top competitors who train daily and may be winning marathons in their off days. Then the dedicated mud run athletes do this every Saturday and are above average in fitness. And finally, the newcomers who have seen the videos, been pumped up by a friend, and have no training at all in preparation. The fuel plan here will support most people, but it won’t turn a newcomer into a superhero in the week before a race.

Pre-FuelThe food you consume during the three days

before your race will be the fuel in your system that determines how well you can perform. During those days you should eat the way you know you should be eating all of the time – fruits, vegetables, grains, lean meats, eggs, and nuts. Avoid fried foods, big doses of sugar, and strong alcohols.

Be conscious of your water consumption. The best method is to carry a water bottle with you throughout the day and consciously consume 64 ounces each day.

You should have six small meals each day with a focus on protein, complex carbohydrates, and fibers. Most American diets come preloaded with enough fat, sugar, and salt that there is no reason to plan to put more of them in your pre-race meals.

As the race clicks closer you can switch out a protein serving for a complex carbohydrate serving so you are eating more carbs each day as the race approaches. Every fitness book and magazine provides some form of diet plan. These are full of great meal ideas and most of them are similar for the days leading up to a triathlon, marathon, long obstacle course, or other multi-hour competition.

The day of the run, have a protein drink for

breakfast, made with some juice, almond milk,

protein powder (preferably whey isolate), cinnamon,

and nut butter. Follow that with a half cup of oatmeal

if you have more than an hour until the race starts.

On the drive to the race drink water for

hydration. But stop drinking about an hour before

the race; you are less likely to be looking for a

comfort stop in the middle of the race that way.

If the time since breakfast is over 2 hours, then

eat another piece of fruit or a fruit sauce packet.

Do not consume complex foods like protein bars

immediately before a run.

Re-Fuel

Your body is constantly burning fuel and

refueling itself from internal stores in your stomach,

muscles, and fatty tissue. Most people are surprised

to learn that these two processes do not happen at

the same rate. Your body has the ability to ramp up

performance and fuel burning by as much as a factor

of 10X. But, it does not have the ability to change the

rate at which is absorbs new fuel. If you think about

how the body is constructed and what it needs to

perform for survival, this makes complete sense.

Your body-machine converts very roughly

packaged energy into a form that can be stored so

that it is available for quick use and long-term use.

The chemistry that is necessary to accomplish this is

complex and governed by the laws of physics. Every

food takes a certain amount of time to breakdown

and to then transfer that energy into the muscles,

bloodstream, and fatty tissue. This process cannot

be speeded up just because you ran for your life for

ten minutes (from a tiger) or for an hour (in a mud

run). The process happens continuously and steadily

throughout the day and night with some small

variations.

In general your body can refuel itself with fluids,

electrolytes, and calories at the following rates:

•Fluids16-28oz/hr

•Electrolytes100-400mg/hr

•Calories150-280cal/hr

This does not speed up just because you are

burning fuel faster than this. So you cannot improve

your performance by pouring more fuel into your

stomach faster. That bulk material will just become

extra weight for you to carry and it will unbalance

They all look something like this.

42

your body causing cramping, nausea, and possible

vomiting to get rid of the material that cannot be

used.

You should refuel your body at the rate at which it

can absorb the fuel, not at the rate you are burning

fuel. The two are seldom balanced during your day,

including when you are on a mud run.

Assuming that you have pre-fueled your body and

your run is less than an hour, you can get through it

with the water stations along the way. Those 4-6 oz.

cups are usually available every mile, giving you 16-

24 ounces in a four mile race. The electrolytes and

calories can be replenished at the finish line with a

couple of pieces of fruit and a small bag of peanuts.

But if this is a longer 6, 8, or 12 mile run like the

Savage®, Spartan®, or Tough Mudder®, then you

might find the need to carry a little fuel with you on

the race – but just a little. It should require only two

gel packs or fruit sauces and an electrolyte tablet for

each hour you will be on the course. These will give

you the amount of fuel you can actually absorb and

put to use, without dumping bulk into your stomach

that is going to create a negative effect.

For a long race I like to use a PowerBar®

“Performance Energy Blends”, which is just fruit

sauce, and a Hammer Nutrition Endurolyte™ tablet.

A couple of these in a pocket are more than enough

for a 12 mile race. Then after the finish line have

an apple, banana, and peanuts to top you up and

prevent a post-race crash. This is usually followed

by regular eating and drinking like it was any other

weekend.

For best results, train more, worry less, and come

to the race planning to have a good time.

Dr. Roger Smith is a researcher at Florida

Hospital, author, and avid mud runner. He competes

with the old guys in every mud run around Central

Florida. This column was drawn from his book The

New Blueprint for Fitness: Mud Run Edition, which

is available at Amazon.com.

http://www.NewBlueFit.com/

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