Overcome and Run

With World's Toughest Mudder only nine days away, this week's episode(s) are dedicated towards 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.

They had so much to share, I went and split the episode into two parts. Part one features two elite OCR athletes, Allison Tai and Evan Perperis.

Allison is an elite OCR athlete who is leading in Tough Mudder's competitive series, and was a runner-up at World's Toughest Mudder in 2014. I talk with Allison about her experience running the Tougher wave in Las Vegas last weekend (where she placed 4th), how Toughest has helped prepare for WTM, and how she trains and gets through this 24-hour event.

Evan is a frequent flier on our show: he is an experienced elite OCR athlete who created team Strength & Speed (they also have a podcast), is a part of the Conquer the Gauntlet Pro Team, and finished 8th last year at WTM with 90 miles. He also writes articles for Mud Run Guide, two of which we reference during his interview:

Five Ways Toughest Mudder Will Change World's Toughest Mudder

Inflated Expectations: What Toughest Mudders Need to Know About World's Toughest Mudder

Evan and I talk about what sets Toughest Mudder apart from other 8-hour races, we speculate on the future of WTM given the rise of other 24-hour events (and about other 24-hour events in general), and discuss knowing your limit.

It's a long one, but full of some great information!

Heather headed up to the Blue Mountains in Canada last weekend for the OCR World Championships, and got a ton of great content while she was there! This week's episode is a compilation of interviews from the weekend (in chronological order), including interviews with:

-Adrian Bijanada

-Vincent Larochelle

-Mark Batres

-Natalie Miano

-Lindsay Webster

-Josh Stryde

-Ryan Woods

-Hunter McIntyre

-Jonathan Albon

-the Mudstacle Machines

-Team Sweden

We also have photos from the 3k competition on our Facebook page, and we'll have a review out early next week!

This week, Spartan Pro athlete Rea Kolbl joins Heather on the podcast to talk all about Spartan, her training, and the United States Obstacle Course Racing Championships (USOCRC) that hosted their inaugural event in Texas last weekend.

Rea shares her experiences from being a Spartan Pro team member, talks about her training and how she maintains her elite level of competition (all while earning her PhD), and all about her experience at USOCRC: the obstacles, the terrain, the biggest challenges and the most fun parts of the course.

We also talk about looking ahead to the Spartan World Championship in Tahoe in a few weeks, and the other races on her bucket list. And lastly, Rea shares her biggest challenges currently in races, and what she's doing to overcome them.

Dan "Nitro" Clark joins us on the podcast this week to talk all about his race, Gladiator Rock'n Run, and his new book F*CK DYING.

Dan talks all about Gladiator Rock'n Run; its format, its history, and what sets his race apart from other OCRs. We then talk about his new book, F*CK DYING, and the lessons he learned from facing death and recovering after a heart attack. We talk about gratification versus gratitude, finding the wins, and what it takes to live a happier, more fulfilled life.

You can find more information on the Kickstarter campaign for F*CK DYING here.

Live from Huntington Beach, CA, Heather grabbed interviews from EPIC staff and elite athletes, and she gives her own thoughts on her first EPIC Series race. She interviewed Veronika Reinert, Bryan "TheGinger" Tremaine, Marc Montano, Robin Legat, and Hugo Frausto all about the unique race series that unites functional fitness with OCR.

We are partners with Icebug to get you a discount on your next pair! Use head over to Icebug.com and use code OVERCEOME12 to save 20%!

Make sure you are following everything we are doing by taking a look at our Instagram, Facebook and joining our mailing list!

This week, Heather spoke with Sara Knight, an elite OCR athlete who placed second at last year's World's Toughest Mudder, 6th at the Spartan Race World Championships last year, and has run every Toughest Mudder race so far this year.

Sara talks all about Toughest Mudder: the differences between each one, what she liked and didn't like, and how she was able to stay healthy and at an elite level between each one.

Sara also talks about her experience with WTM, and her goals for this year. Together Heather and Sara discuss the other 24-hour races that are debuting, and Sara shares what motivates her to keep going in OCR and why she loves the sport.

We are partners with Icebug to get you a discount on your next pair! Use head over to Icebug.com and use code OVERCEOME12 to save 20%!

Evan Perperis sent us his book "Strength & Speed's Guide to Elite Obstacle Course Racing" to check out. We will read it and get back to you with some additional details. In the meantime, head on over to teamstrengthspeed.com and check out their new podcast or order the book.

Make sure you are following everything we are doing by taking a look at our Instagram, Facebook and joining our mailing list!

In this episode I talk to running coach Dennis Welch. We talk about his background in running, how he got into OCR and how he got became a running coach. Dennis is the running coach behind the Endurance Project and helps OCR athletes achieve their running goals.

He talks about what realistic timeframes are for improvement and how or if you could expect to hit a podium. We go on to talk about what a running coach could do for you as an athlete and if 180 steps a minute while running is really as important as you might have heard.

We are partners with Icebug to get you a discount on your next pair! Use head over to Icebug.com and use code OVERCEOME12 to save 20%!

Evan Perperis sent us his book "Strength & Speed's Guide to Elite Obstacle Course Racing" to check out. We will read it and get back to you with some additional details. In the meantime, head on over to teamstrengthspeed.com and check out their new podcast or order the book.

Make sure you are following everything we are doing by taking a look at our Instagram, Facebook and joining our mailing list!

Wesley Kerr joins Jay on the podcast to talk all about Toughest LA and most recently, Canada's Toughest Mudder in Whistler. They discuss the upcoming Tough Mudder X competition as well, and Wesley talks about how he fuels during those races, and how he trains. Wesley also shares why he sticks primarily to Tough Mudder.

Make sure you are following everything we are doing by taking a look at our Instagram, Facebook and joining our mailing list!

This week we talk to Timmie Brann, owner and founder of RUT Camp and elite OCR athlete, with a number of Spartan podiums under her belt. She talks about how her career as a coach got her started with OCR, and how she adjusted her own training to hit the podium.

We talk about endurance races, interval training, and she shares advice for those looking to up their OCR game. Timmie also tells us all about RUT Camp: how it started, who it's for, and what it's all about.

Make sure you are following everything we are doing by taking a look at our Instagram, Facebook and joining our mailing list!

Heather brings Conquer the Gauntlet Pro Team member Ashley Samples back on the show to talk all about her return to OCR and the podium after her time away while she was pregnant with her son. Ashley shares what it was like to be on the sidelines during that time, and the unique experience that it was. She talks about the challenges of returning to OCR after pregnancy, and the lessons she learned in that return.

They also talk about long courses versus short courses, and debate mandatory obstacle completion versus burpees. They discuss Conquer the Gauntlet, Ashley shares her upcoming race schedule, and we briefly touch on Dustin Radney's excellent photoshop skills.

We just partnered with Icebug to get you a discount on your next pair! Use head over to Icebug.com and use code OVERCEOME12 to save 20%!

Evan Perperis sent us his book "Strength & Speed's Guide to Elite Obstacle Course Racing" to check out. We will read it and get back to you with some additional details. In the meantime, head on over to teamstrengthspeed.com and check out their new podcast or order the book.

Make sure you are following everything we are doing by taking a look at our Instagram, Facebook and joining our mailing list!