The Natural Running Network

I have always believed that a solid runner will always have a fighting chance as an elite in the sport of OCR. Nell Rojas came on the scene mostly out of peer pressure from her friends many of whom are elites in the sport. The conundrum for Nell is, does she take her eye off her potential to make the Olympic team and represent the USA in the marathon or does she take a shot at this new fledgling sport of Spartan Racing. Listen as Nell and I take a hard look at what lies ahead for her as a runner and OCR athlete.

I had to think long and hard before posting this particular episode because, for some, it may seem a bit “infomercial-ish”. Once I started the edit process, it occured to me that this is information that many of you may appreciate hearing in that explains a few projects that we have in the works. If you are not one of those… we will return to our normal training tip oriented format along with interviews of people that I think you would be curious to hear from. Now that I have warned you, what I wanted to do is share some of the success we had with a recent training project and explain what I have in mind for future projects. If you have been suffering from running related injuries, need some help with “How to” organize your training, this episode is right up your alley! Laura Messner was happy to help out and I am forever grateful!

The 2019 Spartan Race season is warming up and most of the elite field are paying pretty close attention on the competition to try and get a sense of who to watch for. In previous years, there had been a stir of optimism regarding the potential of one young athlete-VeeJay Jones. At the conclusion of the SoCal Spartan Races that went off on January 25-26, it was clear that VeeJay is a serious threat to the best in the elite pro field. Join us as VeeJay and I discuss his thoughts of the upcoming season, his thoughts on the Arizona event and what he feels were the principal influences over his recent success in his training.

If you enjoy a challenge and have done your share of Tough Mudder or Spartan events, it’s time you stepped up to an obstacle course event that was designed by Navy Seals fashioned after they types of challenges they face in Navy Seal training. It’s not too late to register for the Austin Texas event which is coming very soon. However if you want to try your hand at the mother of all Stadium style events, check out Talladega, I promise you its not what you think. I brought back Brian Carney founder of BoneFrog (also a Navy Seal) to share whats coming and I have also made a commitment to help bring their races West. Ya gotta listen to this one!

One thing is certain, when the elite women’s field contains Rea Kolbl and there are mountains to climb, there is reason for concern.  Rea Loves to climb, the longer the better.  Having won 2 back to back World’s Toughest Mudder‘s and infamous for her 100 mile weekly workouts (without a day off), Rea is always a threat. I wanted to finally get her on to chat with her, try and figure out what makes her tick.  The short answer is; running and competition in Spartan races and Tough Mudder makes her happy.  She is not motivated by income, had that been the case, she would not have turned her back on her Masters degree in engineering to pursue a career as a full time athlete.  The rest you’ll need to hear from her, have a listen!

Interview with the Co-Founder of Stick Mobility. This episode sheds light on a training tool and training concepts that can make a tremendous difference in your ability to perform in a Spartan Race, as a runner and an athlete in common.  I speak a lot about the role that stability and mobility plays in athleticism because in the absence thereof, there is only injuries.  Full disclosure I am not sponsored by or paid to introduce these concepts or products on my show.  I personally believe this is a tool that can truly make a difference if you follow the education they provide.  I have invited Dennis Dumphy the cofounder of stickmobility on to share this info with you.

This is an episode that every athlete needs to hear! If you run, if running is painful, if your running volume is limited by issues with your feet, ankles, knees, hips or back, it’s because you left out some very important elements in your training.  I’ve brought back Dr. Emily Splichal a world renowned Podiatrist and Human Movement Specialist to discuss these issues and what you can do to rectify the defects in your training.  If you and I have ever met or you plan to attend one of my OCR Run Clinics, I highly recommend you listen to this podcast and share it with your friends! www.stickmobility.com/run-injury-free www.nabosotechnology.com  

They moved the venue to Georgia, nobody expected the event to be harder than it has been… but it was.  Much harder.  It was cold, very, very cold however still 100 miles were logged among two fierce competitors yet Kris Mendoza prevailed.  This is an interview with Kris just after he’s had a chance to recover and collect his thoughts regarding the race frostbite and all!  Another World’s Toughest Mudder is in the bag and a new champion has arisen!  Kris Mendoza shares his insights, training prep and much more.

Once again we invited folks to come on the show, pose questions on topics related to Obstacle Course Racing, Running or anything of that nature.  Our guest is Jay Bode of the Overcome and Run Podcast.  Someone you may have seen out on the race courses with his wife Heather.  Jay is planning to run his first official Ultra marathon and had some questions regarding his training approach, recovery techniques and running shoe selection.  This is a good place to start if you are planning a long distance race yourself!

Recently I posted an offer for someone to be my guest and to pose some interesting questions regarding training and Obstacle Course Racing.  An old friend/client Beni Gifford reached out with what I felt was some solid questions and here is what he wanted to know: * I hear a lot of differing views regarding the concept of taking an off season and what it might look like, I am curious to get your take on this subject? * How does periodization training fit into OCR? * If someone (like me) wants to focus on developing “winning” speed for a 3K event such as NORAM, what should be the approach? This is just a sample of what we discussed, to find out my answers and more, you’re going to have to listen to the whole episode!

Few people you will ever meet in your life have ever challenged themselves as extensively as Charlie Engle. He is most famous for his “Running the Sahara” in where he and a few other braves souls crossed the Sahara Desert, some 4500 miles of the most unforgiving terrain in the world.  It is never a dull moment with Charlie and now he is shouldering up with Spartan Race to provide some of his energy.  You have to listen to learn what’s coming.

You may not know the name but for sure you’ve heard the many twisted fables credited to the infamous Death Race.  Johnny Waite, for lack of a better term, was an early adopter, having participated and on occasion even won the Death Race. He has acted as Race Director and creator of some of the most heinous challenges imposed on the participants, over the years and now sits in charge of Spartan Race in Canada.  This, is an interesting interview you don’t want to miss!

If you were to look into the future of OCR you are certain to find these fine young athletes in the thick of Elite Competition at the Spartan World Championships.  The Cast of athletes we fondly refer to as “The Young Guns” are made up of Cali Schweikhart, Veejay Jones, James Nair and John Penland. Richard Diaz asks them hard hitting questions regarding training, strategy and what they hope the future of the sport holds for them.

The Natural Running Network and Host Richard Diaz was invited to conduct interviews pre-race at the Spartan World Championships.  This is interview #1 with Elite Pro Faye Stenning in a series of 4 Podfest interviews.  In the interview, Faye shares her preparation leading to this event, her thoughts on the competition, her terrible running shoe selection practices and much more!

Once again, the Spartan World Championships is upon us.  The Series was highly competitive with the usual suspects taking the podium along with a few surprises along the way.  If you’ve been following Spartan Races you may already have your favorites but in this episode I beg the question… Who is going to win?  Will it be the Atkins family?  Will it be a few visitors from across the pond?  I asked Elite OCR competitor Ryan Woods to offer his opinion, he answered with a resounding ME!!!  I think that’s fair, he certainly has a shot.  Listen in to hear how we see the competition shaking out for 2018.