Overcome And Run

This week, I spoke to Veejay Jones, Spartan's youngest pro-team member and a strong contender in their championship series. We start with Veejay telling her all about the championship race in Chicago where Veejay placed second, conquering all the mud out there and beating out some top contenders. That leads us to discuss the different challenges of each of the races in Spartan's championship series, and Veejay tells me what he's expecting with Tahoe and how he plans to tackle it. He also shares what has helped him climb the ranks over the past two years, and he talks about the importance of recovery and his methods for it. I ask him about his plans for the next several years when it comes to OCR, and he tells me how he plans on maintaining his trajectory. Veejay tells me about how he's got his eye set on the North American OCR Championship race, which leads us into a discussion about mandatory obstacle completion and penalty loops.  Lastly, he shares his goals for 2019, and talks about the lessons he's learne

Today Jay talked to Mark Batres about his new endeavor into coaching. Mark shares some great information about: The goal for miles to run in a week  Using a bike to replace running during an injury or to reduce strain on joints Training to both aerobic and anaerobic capacity How to run more effeciently Training to be in the right mental space for a race You can find Mark on Facebook and Instagram to get more information about hiring him as your coach! 

Continuing our coverage from last weekend's Spartan race in Seattle, we were there on Sunday for the Sprint and spoke with some of the top competitors (and the course manager!) from the race that day, including: -Veejay Jones -Ian Hosek -Alyssa Hawley -Steve Hammond - Allison Tai We spoke about the Championship race the day before, the competition and the conditions at the Sprint, and more! 

Last weekend, we were in Washington State for the second Super race in Spartan's National Championship series. We tackled the extremely wet and muddy course, and then spoke with some of the top competitors from the race, including: -Ryan Kent -Rea Kolbl -Faye Morgan -Robert Killian -Glenn Racz -Rose Wetzel-Sinnett We also grabbed interviews from the Sunday's Sprint, so stay tuned for that episode coming out later this week!

This week, I brought Yancy Culp back on the podcast to talk all about TMX, training topics, and the top OCR competitors in the 2018 season. We start by talking about the Sacramento Tough Mudder X competition, and Yancy gives me a breakdown of the event from his perspective, from the athletes, to the layout of the course in comparison to last year's invitational event, to the competition. He talks about the importance of running with this course in particular, and he shares his thoughts on what impact TMX may have on the sport of OCR as a whole. That extends to a conversation about the impact that OCR is having on fitness and gyms in general, and I ask Yancy to tell me which sport truly has the fittest athletes on earth: Crossfit or OCR. We also talk about the top athletes in OCR, and whether it's genetics, training, or a combination of both that gets them to that level. From there we dive into training topics, such as finding a balance between running and strength training, finding your speciality (whether it

Last Sunday, the Overcome and Run team was in Sacramento for Tough Mudder X, Tough Mudder's 1-mile competitive race complete with both obstacles and functional fitness stations. This was the first TMX event since last summer's invitational TMX event, and is one of three events that Tough Mudder is hosting this year. We grabbed tons of live footage while we there (all available to watch on our Facebook page), and when we weren't filming live, we were grabbing interviews! Heather spoke with: -Mack Roesch -Ryan Kent -David Tyson "Superman" Perry -Isaiah Vidal -Hunter McIntyre -David Magida -Jen Munro -Alexandra Walker -Corinna Coffin -Michelle Ford We talk about the strategy between preliminary and final waves, short courses, the competition, how this year's course compares to last year, training for this type of race, and so much more!

This week, the Overcome and Run podcast hits its 100th episode! We wanted to do something special, so we reached out to you, the listeners, for any and all questions you have for us about OCR, training, or our own personal OCR experience and goals. We start with a discussion about whether or not we see OCR in the Olympics, and what that might look like if that does happen. We then discuss nutrition, training, and Jay and I share our most memorable race experiences, and the lessons we learned from them. We also went live on our Facebook page while we recorded this episode, and fielded some last minute questions and comments! If you are looking to get a wetsuit for your next Toughest Mudder, or are just preparing early for Worlds Toughest Mudder, check out Xterra Wetsuits! You can get your Overcome and Run race jersey made by MudGear in our Gear Shop. Make sure you are following everything we are doing by taking a look at our Instagram, Facebook and joining our mailing list!

Brian Gowiski, the first place elite male from last weekend's Greek Peak Spartan Race, joins me on the podcast this week to talk all about that Winter Sprint, World's Toughest Mudder, and all sorts of OCR topics from training, to strategy, to his goals for this year. Brian starts by telling me all about how he got into OCR and how he focused on Battlefrog races when he began, as their emphasis on grip strength played into his proficiency at upper body obstacles.  We then talk about Greek Peak, and Brian tells gives me a recap of the race, from the competition, to the conditions, to how the obstacles were affected by the snow. This leads us to a discussion about training in the elements, from cold and snowy to hot and humid, and Brian shares what he prefers. We then talk about World's Toughest Mudder 2017, where Brian and his team placed first in the relay category. We discuss how his team formed, and what their strategy was for tackling the relay format. We reminisce about the obstacles on the course, and spe

In this episode I talk to Nicole Kifer and Kristofer Raycraft about Platinum Personal Training. Nicole started Platinum Personal Training to help athletes love training like she did and has turned it into a 7 acre ranch outside San Diego with 40+ obstacles where some of the most elite athletes from Southern California come to train. Kris is the strength and conditioning coach for Platinum Personal Training and an avid OCR competitor himself. This is an outstanding episode if you are looking for an awesome outdoors place to train! If you are looking to get a wetsuit for your next Toughest Mudder, or are just preparing early for Worlds Toughest Mudder, check out Xterra Wetsuits! You can get your Overcome and Run race jersey made by MudGear in our Gear Shop. Make sure you are following everything we are doing by taking a look at our Instagram, Facebook and joining our mailing list!

David Hellard, host of the Bad Boy Running Podcast, joins me this week to discuss the OCR scene in Europe, the importance of OCRs finding a balance between accessibility and challenge as they grow, his recent win at the Somaliland Marathon, and the marathon mentality. David starts by sharing how he got started in OCR and the creation of the British Military Fitness team, which leads us into a discussion about the evolution of OCR and the OCR scene in Europe and the UK. We discuss the importance of race brands finding a balance between accessibility for the general public and challenge for the competitive athletes, and how that affects the success of a race. We then talk about this year's OCR World Championships, and how it's new location in the UK will affect the competition. David also talks about his recent win at the Somaliland Marathon, and the difference between race mentality in marathons versus OCR. He shares why he prefers to run marathons, and we talk about the importance of having fun and enjoying y

This week, I tried my hand at my first in-studio interview with Chris Bednar, an elite OCR athlete who has been climbing the ranks in the west coast OCR scene. Chris tells me about how he got into OCR and reaching his first podium at Warrior Dash last year. He talks about training with some of the top OCR athletes and how that affects his performance, what kinds of training methods he prefers, and what race distance he's focusing on. We talk about the US OCR Championship race last September, and what it was like to race against some of the best in the sport for the first time. We also discuss running elite versus age group, the pros and cons of each, and why he prefers to stay in the elite category. Lastly, Chris tells me about last weekend's Spartan Super race in Arizona where he got his first Spartan podium, and we talk about race day mentality.

Last weekend we were in Chino for Spartan's opening Super/Sprint weekend, and on Saturday I grabbed interviews from the Elite podium winners of the Super race. We talk about everything and anything from the course, to the obstacles, to the competition, to the comparison between this year and last year's January race. Veejay also tells me about his focus for this year, Heather and Rea lament with me about the foam grips on Twister, Ryan gives us a pro tip for the barbed wire crawl, Evelyne and I talk about SoCal Spartan venues, and Glenn tells me what the Spartan Open House is.

For this week's episode, I hosted my first round table discussion all about obstacle innovation, how OCR and various OCR brands have evolved over the year, and what 2018 might look like for the sport. I brought in OCR journalist Adam Kwitko and Matt B. Davis of Obstacle Racing Media to go over these topics based on their years of experience and coverage of the sport. We talk a lot about Tough Mudder and it's decision to go down the compeititve road, and other changes they made in 2017. We also discuss other changes and new race formats in OCR, and Matt and Adam reminisce about the early years of obstacle course racing.  Another big topic of discussion is standardization: the pros, the cons, who likes it, and who doesn't, and what it means for the sport. Adam also takes the opportunity to interview Matt and myself about being OCR podcasters, and the three of us discuss OCR and the media.

We're kicking off the new year by talking with Yancy Camp athlete and elite OCR competitor Morgan Mckay all about her win at the Spartan Ultra World Championships in Iceland. Morgan tells Heather all about the inaugural Ultra Championship race, from the overall format, to the penalties, the gear, the competition, and what she found to be the most challenging part. She also discusses how this race compares to other endurance OCRs, and what set this particular event apart. Morgan also talks about her medical DQ at World's Toughest Mudder, and coming back from that to win in Iceland. She and Heather discuss course safety as well, and how race companies handle it. They then discuss goals for 2018, what races (and goals) Morgan is focusing on, and what it is about endurance races that appeals so much to her and why she chooses to specialize in longer distances.

This week's episode is live from the LA Spartan Sprint at Castaic Lake last Saturday! I spoke with Ryan Kent, Veejay Jones, James Nair, Timmie Brann, Lauren Taksa, and Natalie Miano all about the race, the competition, and what their goals are for the 2018 season. Elite Podium: 1st: Timmie Brann & Veejay Jones 2nd: Natalie Miano & Ryan Kent 3rd: Lauren Taksa & James Nair

This week, Green Beret Challenge Pro Team member Deborah "Debo" Arrieta joins me on the podcast to talk all about the Green Beret Challenge and their upcoming championship race next summer, and what she's been doing to prepare for the Spartan Ultra World Championship in Iceland next weekend. We start by talking all about the Green Beret Challenge, from their race formats to what sets them apart from other OCRs. We also talk about their recently announced championship race happening next July. We then talk about Spartan's new 24-hour championship race happening in Iceland next weekend. We talk about everything from the format to the rules, and Debo shares how she has been preparing for this race in particular, and what sort of cold weather gear she'll be bringing. We also discuss the age old debate of burpees versus mandatory completion, and the pros and cons of both.   Voting for Mud Run Guide's Best of OCR awards is now open, and Overcome and Run has been nominated for Best OCR podcast!! Voting ends on Decem

This week, Yancy Camp athlete Beni Gifford joins me on the podcast to talk all about The Warrior Race in South Africa, Tough Mudder X, and why the mental game is so important to your race. We start by talking all about the Warrior Race, from the format, to the obstacles, to why he considers it one of the most difficult races he's ever ran. He shares his experience and talks about his 5th place finish in the Black Ops race, what is what like to be the first international athlete to complete the course, and what the competition was like. We also go into Tough Mudder X: Beni tells us about his experience at the debut event last July, and we discuss what the future of TMX will look like as it opens up to the general public in 2018. Lastly, Beni talks about why he prefers short courses, which leads us into into a discussion about mental strategy and why it's so important to your race. The book Beni referred to is The Science of Running.

After running World's Toughest Mudder myself, I was able to grab some live interviews at the Champions Brunch the Monday morning following the event. I spoke with Wesley Kerr, Rea Kolbl, Deanna Blegg, Allison Tai, Ryan Atkins, Kris Mendoza and Austin Azar, and Will Dean himself. We talk about everything from the course, to the competition, to the highs and lows of the 24-hour race. I also kick off this episode by recapping a few of my own thoughts about my race. Will Hicks gives a short recap of the WTM winners in his latest episode of the World's Toughest Podcast here. Mud Run Guide has opened nominations for the Best of OCR Awards, and we would love it if you voted Overcome and Run for Best OCR podcast! You can submit your nominations here.

This week, I got the opportunity to head up to Thousand Oaks, California to check out DojoBoom, the new trampoline park that just opened last week and that's managed by Kevin Bull, a well-known competitor from American Ninja Warrior. After a tour of the gym (and the chance to play around on the climbing wall and the Ninja rig), I sat down with Kevin to ask him about American Ninja Warrior and his run that launched him into national attention, his experience on two seasons of Spartan: Ultimate Team Challenge, and all about DojoBoom. I also documented my gym tour on Obstacle Racing Media's Instagram story, and I posted the whole video on our website!

With World's Toughest Mudder only nine days away, this week's episode(s) are dedicated to Tough Mudder's pinnacle 24-hour event. From discussing the top competition, to tips, to the mindset needed to complete the grueling 24 hours, I brought in five experienced World's Toughest Mudder competitors to share their thoughts about this event. In Part two, I talk to Kris Mendoza, Will Hicks, and Amanda "Pinky" Neil. Kris is an elite OCR athlete who placed 3rd at World's Toughest Mudder in 2016 with 100 miles. Kris and I discuss the upcoming WTM move, he talks about his switch from a two-person team to a relay team and we talk about the relay format overall. We also chat about the community on the course, variety in OCR, and Kris shares how WTM got him launched into OCR, his biggest challenge at WTM, and how it felt to hit 100 miles last year. Will Hicks is a WTM veteran and expert, and the host of the World's Toughest Podcast. He's been following the Toughest competition closely leading up to World's Toughest Mudde