Page 26 - June_2014

Obstacle Course - cont. from page 9
Open Water Swim - cont. from page 23
with Nacel in preparation for her first Death Race
last June and has completed Killington’s Spartan rac-
es. She is currently ramping up her training in prepa-

ration for her next Death Race this summer and says
she’s feeling confident with her plan, even though she
hasn’t set foot inside a gym. Instead she relies on a
tractor tire, a backpack full of bricks and a pile of
cinderblocks. On her rest days, she goes on hikes in
the White Mountains.

“You have to get used to being on your feet and
training on hills,” she says. “You’re not going to be
running on the flats. Burpees help too (also known as
squat thrusts).”
“In any endurance sport, consistency is one of the biggest
In the world of obstacle races, participants are factors in terms of improvement,” he says. Swimming
technique is something that can be lost if not exercised
penalized for failure to complete a challenge (like not regularly. If you skip a few weeks, your technique won’t
being able to get over a 10-foot-high wall) – usually return like riding a bike, Spinney says.
by having to do extra push-ups or burpees. In order
to avoid penalties, racers need to be comfortable and “In biking, you have contact points with the seat,
confident doing the obstacles with hands that are the pedals and the handlebars to help with your tech-
numb with cold or while doing obstacles in shin-deep nique,” he says. “In running, you have your contact with
the ground. But swimming doesn’t have any
mud.
contact points, so that makes it more technical.”
Developing that gritty determination is what
Nacel, Stawinski and Butler all emphasize. The key A highly technical sport means you’ll need to prac-
to OCR, they all agree, is building physical and to just sit in front of a computer screen.” tice your technique often, so by keeping up on training,
mental toughness by completing challenges similar Stawinski says the allure of the obstacle race is
you can expect better results.
to those of the races regardless of weather or season.
something more elemental, a reminder of a simpler
Step 4. Consider a wetsuit
But the benefits of such training and of obsta- time.
cle course racing go far beyond just getting in great “The attraction is that it makes you feel like a Like a well-fitting pair of running shoes, the wetsuit is a
physical shape. Nacel says the races are also a good kid again,” he says. “You’re doing things that most piece of equipment that can increase your efficiency. The
opportunity to break out of an every day routine. people haven’t done for years, and now you’re doing wetsuit will improve your posture and in colder water
“If you talk to 100 people at a race, I would venture them and it feels really fun. You’re never bored and will help insulate you. Suits designed for triathlons and
that 70 to 90 of them work nine to five, sitting at
there’s always something around the corner waiting open water are thinner at the shoulders and thicker at
a desk looking at a screen under artificial light,” he to challenge you.”
the legs to make the body more buoyant. When you’re
says, adding that OCR helps participants feel active “And,” he adds, “It gives you a lot of great con- putting it on when dry, it should feel small – almost too
and acutely alive. “As humans, we weren’t designed
versation for the ride home.”
small. When wet, the suit will expand slightly. A suit that
is too big will expand too much and fill with water, in-
OBSTACLE COURSE RACES AROUND THE STATE
creasing drag.

Step 5. Plan ahead and go with support
T
When Brynn swims somewhere new, she asks local h is spring and summer BENSON BEAR OBSTACLE SPARTAN RACE
guides, coaches and other people familiar with the body features a host of opportu- RACE SERIES September 20 – 21, Killington, Vt.
nities to run hard and get June 21, August 2 and September 6, This year’s Spartan Races at Kil-
of water about the conditions. When she swims in the dirty. For a reward you can expect
ocean, local experts tell her about tides and currents. In Benson, Vt.
lington will feature three distanc-
fresh water, she asks about the surface of the lake bottom a t-shirt, a hard-earned beer-ticket The Benson Series, held at Shale es: the Sprint, (4 miles), Beast (12
and the conditions on the shore. When out on the water, and the pride that you’ve complet- Hill Adventure Farm in Benson, miles), and Ultra Beast (26 miles).
swim in groups and with a kayak or boat for support.
ed some of the toughest challenges is a series of races on a fixed, year- As one of the top-level obstacle
out there. Bring your painkillers, round course. The course, designed courses in the world, this is one
a dry set of clothes and a friend to
Step 6. Relax
drive you home afterwards.
and constructed by Rob Butler weekend of racing that will appeal
“People always swim better when they’re relaxed,” says (who also holds the course record), to all levels of OCR athletes. No
Spinney. If the idea of a longer distance is too daunting, features more obstacles in a shorter maps or details on obstacles will
start small and then add distance gradually to build your Here’s a list of the toughest obsta- distance, earning it recognition be provided; just show up and hope
cle races around the state.
as one of the toughest courses in for the best. www.spartanrace.com
confidence. The more out in the open water you are, the the Northeast. Races are typically
more relaxed your subconscious brain becomes, he says, DEATH RACE PITTSFIELD FARM THROW-
adding that stress drains your energy stores more quick- smaller and offer 5 or 10k distanc- DOWN
ly. To prevent this, Brynn pays attention to areas of her June 27, Riverside Farm, Pittsfield, Vt. es, making this a good first race
body that are feeling the best, thinking positive thoughts While other obstacle races say if you’re new to the sport. www. July 12-13, Riverside Farm, Pittsfield
they’re going to push the limits of shalehilladventures.com
This is a different take on the ob-
and thinking beyond the next stroke.
your physical abilities, the Death stacle race category. New this year,
Bosch says when she’s practicing on the Chittenden Race pushes the body and mind to XIP BYPASS MOUNTAIN
reservoir, she often finds herself breaking down distanc- exhaustion until only a few com- CLIMB SERIES the Throwdown is two days of in-
es into numbers of pool laps.
tense workout competitions in co-
“If I’m going toward the island and it’s 200 meters plete the race. Death Race partici- Single Bypass June 14, Double By- operation with CrossFit Hail Fire
pants are told only a meeting place pass July 5, Triple Bypass Septem- of Orwigsburg, Pennsylvania. Ex-
away, I know that it’s eight laps,” she says. “That way, I and a list of items to have with ber 6, all in Lyndonville, Vt.
pect barbells, Atlas stones, Kettle-
know I can make it.”
them, which may include a post- bells and a time trial race straight
Bosch says she also plays mental games with herself hole digger, a book of Greek lit- The Bypass Mountain Climb Se-
to quiet her thoughts. She sings and if she starts to feel erature and fifty pounds of onions. ries, presented by XIP training up Joe Mountain. www.peak.com
nervous, she’ll count to herself. It took Bosch 17 hours to in Lyndonville is a series of three
The items are then used in chal- rugged and challenging adventure XMAN RACE AT MONT SUTTON
complete her first Kingdom Swim, a challenge she said lenges designed to break body and races held at Burke Mountain in May 31 – June 1, Mont Sutton, Quebec
that was as mental as it was physical.
mind. Last year, just 10 percent the Northeast Kingdom. The se- The XMan race, held across the
“You’re so alone in your own head,” she says. of the registered participants were
“You don’t have much interaction with anyone and you still standing after the event ended. ries increases in difficulty with one, border in Quebec is a 7km race
really have to keep yourself going."
two and three ascents of Burke with obstacles running up and
This year, just 300 elite level ath- with added obstacles that are only down the trails of Mont Sutton
Relaxation, combined with good swimming tech- letes are competing and organizers revealed the day of the race. www. Resort. www.montsutton.com/ac-
nique, helps get you through the distances you set as your expect a similar finishing percent- xiptraining.com
tivities
personal goals.
age. www.peak.com

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VTSPORTS.COM
JUNE 2014