Atlanta Spartan Sprint 2015...3rd place? Cool.

Quick Review: Cold. Wet. Amazing terrain. No penalties. Third place.

A little more detail....

The car said 27 degrees when we parked for the Atlanta Spartan Sprint on Saturday, March 7. By the start of the race, it had maybe hit 31. Maybe. That was probably the coldest it has been at the start of a Spartan Race for me. Dallas in 2014 was cold and windy, but it was at least above freezing.

The corral for the 8:00 a.m. elite heat was packed when I showed up, so I maybe made it to the 3rd row back by the time the race started (about 8:07 a.m.). Unfortunately, even that far back put me behind the herd by the time we reached the first few obstacles including some higher than usual walls. The herd went out fast! And I did not break from the herd until the monkey bars, which were covered in frost. Hooking the bars with my arms saved me, while I overhead the ref say "you guys are dropping like flies."

Next was the memorization board, which they had turned upside down. Well played, Spartan Race. Well played. (Kilo 289-7281)

You then entered the spectator area and hit the Herc Hoist before entering the woods for some amazing on-trail and off-trail running. The Herc Hoist had me questioning life, but a dude behind me said, "Come on, Relentless." I finally hoisted it up, but not before being passed. (Side Note: This was the first race with our Relentless shirts, which have Relentless printed on the backs.)

By this point in the race, I'm in 6th (I think) right behind another guy. I follow the other guy and work on recovering from the Herc Hoist. Once recovered, we hit the rolling mud where I almost go under after jumping out and falling back after landing. I walked the rest of them. Everyone was slow to get going after that water. Think of a diesel engine trying to start in below 0 conditions.

Once the engine warmed up again, I passed another guy and started running with another one. At this point, we were 4th and 5th. Sweet. I'm good with top 5 for the first race of the year, and the top 3 are no where in site.

We knock out the bucket carry and the sandbag carry. We hit some hills. I switch to walking part of the hills while he keeps running...but we stay the same pace. Somewhere in here the gap opened up, and I had a comfortable 4th place.

Coming back into the spectator area you end with 11 obstacles--great for spectators. Crappy if you fail any as an athlete. The new double-up was easy, but I could see how it would freak most people out. Rattled off my memorization word and numbers. "Go!" the spectator told me, so I went! Spear throw. Stuck it. And it was a this point I moved into 3rd due to a failed spear throw by the guy that was in 3rd.

Managed the rope swing. Rolled the barbwire. Froze going under the dunk wall. (I'm sure the spectators loved the look on my face.) Over a couple cargo net obstacles and the rope climb, and I cruised into the finish in 3rd.

Thanks to Vita Coco for the coconut water. I hydrated before and after the race with it.

Lessons Learned

• Don't cut the warm up short. My legs felt tight for the first mile, which doesn't work when it's only 4.7 miles long.
• Keep practicing the bucket carry, pull ups, spear throw, and rope climb.
• Start on the front and be ready to go like mad until the pace calms down.

Rupee For Humanity 2015

Last year, I had the pleasure of running the inaugural Rupee For Humanity 10K. Proceeds from the event provided funding for 18 kids to receive education that they otherwise would not have been able to afford.

The event is happening again this year on Sunday, April 26 in Bangalore, India. Want to go?

At this point, I'm still trying to figure out how I can make this work logistically and financially, but I hope to participate again and support this organization run by young professionals in India.

Register here: http://www.rupeeforhumanity.org/rfh10krun2015.php

Why All Endurance Athletes Need BODYPUMP

Les Mills featured my typical workout schedule in their latest post on Fitter Planet:

Training for an endurance event this year, perhaps a Tough Mudder or Spartan Race? 

You’re not alone – when it comes to sports, obstacle course racing (OCR) has experienced the greatest growth in recent years, with more than 650,000 people expected to compete in OCR events in the US and Canada this year alone. It’s safe to say obstacle course racing is the new boot camp. 

If throwing spears, leaping through fire, aerial traverses over water, challenging rope climbs and barbed wire crawls sound like your idea of fun, than an OCR might be in your future. But you’ll need to modify your training program to ensure you’re adequately prepared for the rigors of OCR battle. Chris Schapman, top ranked OCR competitor and BODYPUMP lover, shares his training schedule so you can get a glimpse at the hardwork and discipline it takes to be a Spartan. 

Obstacle course racing requires a variety of skills and strengths, so Chris includes a variety of activities in his typical weekly training schedule. To fulfill his strength training requirement, Chris relies on twice-weekly BODYPUMP classes. “I love BODYPUMP because it is efficient and effective,” says Chris. “In one hour, I can exhaust all of the major muscle groups and walk away confident I am improving my body. As an added benefit, the lower weight and higher reps increases the heart rate during each track, so my heart is also getting a workout. Love that REP EFFECT!” 

Here’s what a typical week’s worth of training looks like for Chris.

Continue reading here:

http://fitterplanet.co/2015/01/14/why-all-endurance-athletes-need-bodypump/

This was the plan I used leading up to the Spartan Race World Championships last year. This year will likely stay the same, but I think I'm going to need to focus on flexibility more (yoga...here I come).

Basic rope climb setup

My MudGear Challenge - 5 burpees 5 rope climbs for time video prompted some questions about my rope climb setup.

Thankfully, it's pretty simple. Here's what you'll need:

• Two 4 in. x 4 in. x 16 ft. Pressure Treated Timber
• One 4 in. x 4 in. Pressure Treated Timber cut to 54 in.
• Two 1/2 in. x 8 in. Galvanized Hex Lag Screw
  
  Note: I think the screw is a 1/2 in. and was at least 8 in.
   
• Two washers (one for each lag screw)
• Two bags of concrete mix
• Rope (see details below)

Once you have the parts, start digging. I used a post hole digger to dig a hole 2 ft. deep and maybe a foot in diameter for each of the posts. The posts are roughly 46 in. apart, so you could eventually make a salmon ladder out of it also.

To secure the three pieces of timber, drill through the short 4x4 into the center of the top of long 4x4s. You'll screw the Lag Screw through the short 4x4 into the long 4x4. I did the drilling on the ground. Here's what the screw looks like when assembled...

Now that you have the holes dug and the two holes drilled, assemble the frame on the ground. If you have two people, you can probably lift the fully-assembled frame into place. Unfortunately, I was working alone, so I took one screw out and lifted each side of the frame into place individually. Then I climbed a ladder to screw the second screw back in.

Level the frame. I used some extra gravel from my bucket carry gravel to level up the bottom of the holes. And then I added a few supports in each side to keep the frame in place (remove the supports before you start training).

Finally, dump the concrete into the holes and mix while adding water. (This was the first time I mixed concrete on my own...considering the frame is still standing, I think it was a success.)

After the concrete has hardened, throw your rope up there and start training. Here's what it the frame and rope look like:

The Rope

I ordered the rope from Knot & Rope Supply near Toledo, Ohio. The order included 20' of 1.5" Polyester Combo Rope, 3 Strand Eye Splice (which used up a few feet of the rope), and Heat Shrink End.

Questions? Comments?

Feel free to post questions below or contact me on Twitter.

The Video

Finally, here's the video...I need to work on my time...

OCR Strength and Conditioning Group Training at Ignition APG

Ignition APG in Mason, Ohio (just north of Cincinnati, Ohio) is starting an OCR Strength and Conditioning Group Training class on Tuesday, December 16. The class is offered three days a week.

First session is free.

More information below...

EFS Liquid Shot...yep, I recommend it!

Another First Endurance product review for you...

Introducing EFS Liquid Shot. Many of you runners have probably tried a "goo, chew, or block" while running. I have and let's just say those runs don't end well. Thankfully, EFS LS is different because it's not a gel and doesn't mess with my stomach.

EFS Liquid Shot comes in a refillable flask that’s easy to carry. A full flask contains 400 calories, amino acids, and electrolytes. One flask was even enough to get me through Spartan Race’s Vermont Beast this year.

Anyways, if you've got some long training runs coming up, consider EFS Liquid Shot. You may end up feeling like you can run a lot farther than planned. That's usually how my training runs ended. Enjoy!

http://firstendurance.com/nutrition/efs-liquid-shot.html

BODYPUMP for OCR Training

Les Mills recently asked me about my BODYPUMP training for obstacle course racing (OCR), and they've posted the first article (in what I hope becomes a series of articles):

"After four plus hours, 16 plus miles, 8000 plus feet of elevation gain and 25 plus obstacles, Chris Schapman jumped the fire and crossed the finish line of the 2014 Spartan Race World Championship race in Killington, Vermont on September 21, 2014. At any given point in the race, he was either running, crawling, rolling, slipping, swimming, climbing, hiking, jumping or falling or doing one of 95 burpees. 

In the end..."

Read the full article here: http://fitterplanet.co/2014/10/03/bodypump-for-ocr-training/