Page 7 - June_2014

TREK

SCOTT

GIANT

Her Bike!

Racers help each other over a suspended log on the "Gut check" at Shale hill. Photo by Paul
Kipphut

self several months ago who may have races, he didn’t need to alter his train-
been too hesitant to get over,” he says. ing regimen.
“They can see how far they’ve come and “It wasn’t like I needed to train spe-
cifically for it,” he says. “I was already
can get right over. It gives them quite a
sense of accomplishment.”
training for it. I was kind of made for it.”
He and his wife regularly compete The combination of cardiovascular
in the races and were joined this year by endurance and physical power requires
their son.
different kinds of skill sets, Nacel says,
********** ones not easily built in a conventional
gym setting. Nacel says people too often
Back in Benson, Rob Butler com-
peted in his first obstacle race in 2009. focus on the running aspect of the race PADDLE THE MAD RIVER!
Inspired, he went home and designed and use whatever energy they have left
and constructed a few of the first ob- to power through the challenges the ob-
stacle features that are now on his farm stacles present.
KAYAKS A
L
property so he’d be better prepared for “I’ve seen two people running next NIIQ
to each other at a race, but the two people CANOES OU
his next race. Today, Shale Hill has GID
two loops with more obstacles in half are running completely different races,” AL
the distance of some of the longer and he says. “One person is really succeed- SUPS
ATO
well-known races. The full course is 6.3 ing, the other may be a stronger runner, SALES PG
miles long and is rated among the hard- but they’re getting hammered on because GEAR
• IC
they’re not doing the challenges.”
RENTALS L •
est in the country by “Obstacle Race DEMOS
CLOTHING ELFL
Magazine,” an accolade Butler says is Nacel’s classes rely heavily on de- INSTRUCTION
RU
warranted due to the frequency and in- veloping the skills for those challenges FOOTWEAR
RID
tensity of the obstacles, not the length of and are entirely outside and held year- GUIDED E •
the course.
round.
TOURS
M A
“On this course, you don’t have to For a person accustomed to run- • S
ning an occasional 5k race, Jen Grant, VATR
be the fastest runner,” he says. “You’ve EA
got to be a universal athlete. You’ve got of Lyndonville, says she was “scared as TL
to be able to pull and push, tug and use heck” when Nacel encouraged her to go • • I
every part of your body in order to suc- for her first 13-mile Spartan Beast race. ER
ceed.”
Standing 5-foot-4, Grant says her larg- AN •
est obstacle was summoning the mental CW
BEYOND THE GYM
strength to go up against some of the RIER
RN
Becoming that “universal athlete” also more intimidating obstacles, like a three- UE
takes place outside of courses or gyms. foot high wall of fire or crossing a pond HR
Skye Nacel has been a personal trainer suspended by a rope. Using the strategies • •
for 15 years and is certified through and skills she had developed with Nacel, NSH
she was able to overcome whatever was WR
MovNat, a style of training that em- OE
phasizes the rudiments of human thrown at her.
N
A
D
C
I
E
U
G
S
I
&
N
C
R
E
TD
movement — running, jumping, climb- “I felt prepared,” she says. “I’m A
1
E
9
G
7
5
D R
ing, throwing, carrying heavy objects someone who always feels nervous on OLEA
like sand bags, balance and swimming, race day, but I felt great. A common com- • D
among other natural activities.
plaint of the people that train in your E Y
standard gyms was there was no way to L •
Nacel says a well-rounded athletic OY N
ability is what prepared him for races prepare for the hills, but I felt the exact DRS
like the Spartan Beast at Killington or opposite.”
clearwatersports.com
the Death Race at the Aimee Farm in Jane Coffey, of Middlesex, trained
Pittsfield. When he first heard of the
4147 Main Street, Waitsfield, VT • 802-496-2708
Continued on page 24

JUNE 2014
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