The Natural Running Network

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.

BE WARNED THIS CONTENT MAY BE DISTURBING. On this day, 17 years ago, my wife and I woke up in a hotel room just outside Los Angeles International Airport.  We spent the night there because that morning we were contracted to provide preseason assessments on the LA Kings Hockey Team.  We were preparing for a long day of testing at the El Segundo training facility that is shared between the LA Lakers and the  LA Kings. We had been there the previous two years before but this morning was going to be different. After taking a shower as I was getting dressed, I had turned on the TV to catch some morning news. That’s when I saw it.  It was so surreal, I thought it was some horror movie.  An American Airlines Boeing 767 loaded with 20,000 gallons of jet fuel crashed into the North tower of the World Trade Center Tower.  As I was trying to wrap my head around what I just saw, 18 minutes after the first plane hit, a second Boeing 767–United Airlines Flight 175–appeared out of the sky, turned sharply toward the World Trade Center, and sliced into the South tower at about the 60th floor. Because of our commitments that day, we tried to set this horrific incident out of our minds and headed to the training facility to fulfill our responsibilities.  Once we arrived, we learned that a few of the athletes and a team talent scout were aboard one of the planes.  It was a somber morning, all of us were keenly aware of what had just happened but knew that we need to complete the days tasks.  There we’re fears that another attack may occur at the LA Airport which was less than a mile from us.  It was hard to decide the best course of action given what was transpiring over the course of the day.  We fought to try and keep the televisions off so that the athletes could focus, it was a losing battle.  We learned of the Pentagon attack and understandably we were all on edge unsure if we are at war or what was actually happening. My son who was home alone at 14 yrs of age assumed we were being invaded. Being alone was scared to death. Then the aftermath unfolded and we learned of all the carnage. I was very angry, Im still angry. All these years later and my son has served in the Army for the past 10 years, attached to a Spec Ops unit, he has been in and out of the thick of it ever since.  Today, I wanted to show my respect to those who have fallen and wanted to take this bit of time to help you remember.  I am a proud American and I will never forget. The audio you will now hear is actual audio taken from the 911 memorial site in New York.  I recorded last year.

BE WARNED THIS CONTENT MAY BE DISTURBING. On this day, 17 years ago, my wife and I woke up in a hotel room just outside Los Angeles International Airport.  We spent the night there because that morning we were contracted to provide preseason assessments on the LA Kings Hockey Team.  We were preparing for a long day of testing at the El Segundo training facility that is shared between the LA Lakers and the  LA Kings. We had been there the previous two years before but this morning was going to be different. After taking a shower as I was getting dressed, I had turned on the TV to catch some morning news. That’s when I saw it.  It was so surreal, I thought it was some horror movie.  An American Airlines Boeing 767 loaded with 20,000 gallons of jet fuel crashed into the North tower of the World Trade Center Tower.  As I was trying to wrap my head around what I just saw, 18 minutes after the first plane hit, a second Boeing 767–United Airlines Flight 175–appeared out of the sky, turned sharply toward the World Trade Center, and sliced into the South tower at about the 60th floor. Because of our commitments that day, we tried to set this horrific incident out of our minds and headed to the training facility to fulfill our responsibilities.  Once we arrived, we learned that a few of the athletes and a team talent scout were aboard one of the planes.  It was a somber morning, all of us were keenly aware of what had just happened but knew that we need to complete the days tasks.  There we’re fears that another attack may occur at the LA Airport which was less than a mile from us.  It was hard to decide the best course of action given what was transpiring over the course of the day.  We fought to try and keep the televisions off so that the athletes could focus, it was a losing battle.  We learned of the Pentagon attack and understandably we were all on edge unsure if we are at war or what was actually happening. My son who was home alone at 14 yrs of age assumed we were being invaded. Being alone was scared to death. Then the aftermath unfolded and we learned of all the carnage. I was very angry, Im still angry. All these years later and my son has served in the Army for the past 10 years, attached to a Spec Ops unit, he has been in and out of the thick of it ever since.  Today, I wanted to show my respect to those who have fallen and wanted to take this bit of time to help you remember.  I am a proud American and I will never forget. The audio you will now hear is actual audio taken from the 911 memorial site in New York.  I recorded last year.

What seemed like completely out of nowhere, Rebecca Hammond came on to the Spartan OCR Elite field and made people take notice.  Its almost unheard of for anyone to walk into the Spartan North American Championship course with only 2 prior events under her belt and cause a stir.  Yet, cause a stir she did.  Taking 2nd place among the most competitive pro’s in the sport, she now sets her sights on the Spartan World Championships and no one is laughing.  You’ll have to listen to this episode to believe your ears.  Dark Horse you say?  It will be interesting to see how it shakes out.

What seemed like completely out of nowhere, Rebecca Hammond came on to the Spartan OCR Elite field and made people take notice.  Its almost unheard of for anyone to walk into the Spartan North American Championship course with only 2 prior events under her belt and cause a stir.  Yet, cause a stir she did.  Taking 2nd place among the most competitive pro’s in the sport, she now sets her sights on the Spartan World Championships and no one is laughing.  You’ll have to listen to this episode to believe your ears.  Dark Horse you say?  It will be interesting to see how it shakes out.

There never seems to be an end to the questions that hard working OCR athletes have regarding their training and racing, with the help of one of our friends Jennifer Herring, Coach Richard Diaz tries to offer his opinion and advice on these topics: * Heart rate seems to need a longer pre-race warm up, why? * How do I transition to a zero drop shoe? * Why do I have a hard time with my cadence? * What is enough aerobic training and what is too much? These and many more!  As a reward for posting the questions, we are going to award one of the people that asked the best question a free Virtual video gait analysis, you need to listen to find out who it is!

There never seems to be an end to the questions that hard working OCR athletes have regarding their training and racing, with the help of one of our friends Jennifer Herring, Coach Richard Diaz tries to offer his opinion and advice on these topics: * Heart rate seems to need a longer pre-race warm up, why? * How do I transition to a zero drop shoe? * Why do I have a hard time with my cadence? * What is enough aerobic training and what is too much? These and many more!  As a reward for posting the questions, we are going to award one of the people that asked the best question a free Virtual video gait analysis, you need to listen to find out who it is!

By now, everyone is aware that OCR is here to stay. Some thought it to be a fad, if that’s true, I know of over 13,000 dedicated athletes in one single group who might argue the point. What I believe to be true is that the everyday athletes and fitness enthusiasts who have been drinking the Kool Aid and making it out to races around the world are what makes the sport, not the gifted few who reside on the podium at the key races.  I asked Ameer Haroun, the director of all things Spartan 4dash0 on with me to share the story.  How he and his cadre were able to build a social media group and racing presence of over 13,000 members strong in less than 3 years.   If you love Spartan Races races and want to attach yourself to like minded people who share your enthusiasm, you need to hear this episode!

By now, everyone is aware that OCR is here to stay. Some thought it to be a fad, if that’s true, I know of over 13,000 dedicated athletes in one single group who might argue the point. What I believe to be true is that the everyday athletes and fitness enthusiasts who have been drinking the Kool Aid and making it out to races around the world are what makes the sport, not the gifted few who reside on the podium at the key races.  I asked Ameer Haroun, the director of all things Spartan 4dash0 on with me to share the story.  How he and his cadre were able to build a social media group and racing presence of over 13,000 members strong in less than 3 years.   If you love Spartan Races races and want to attach yourself to like minded people who share your enthusiasm, you need to hear this episode!

Coach Diaz, who also happens to be the host of this podcast has asked VeeJay Jones  Elite Spartan Pro to return to share some insights on training. * Learn a few valuable tips on cutting precious time from your racing * Get a sneak peak into the infamous Tuesday Morning Training Sessions  * Learn how to get a ton of quality training done in less than an hour * Learn about a new online training plan is in the works guaranteed to bring your running skills to an incredible level next season Finally we’ll share some details regarding the 2019 Opening Season Super Clinic to be held on Coach Richard Diaz‘s home turf along with testing, evaluations and lecture time at The World Famous Secret Lab.  Along with this episode is a video of what happens in the Off site Training Lab that is not so secret!  #youcantwinifyourunlikeshit

Coach Diaz, who also happens to be the host of this podcast has asked VeeJay Jones  Elite Spartan Pro to return to share some insights on training. * Learn a few valuable tips on cutting precious time from your racing * Get a sneak peak into the infamous Tuesday Morning Training Sessions  * Learn how to get a ton of quality training done in less than an hour * Learn about a new online training plan is in the works guaranteed to bring your running skills to an incredible level next season Finally we’ll share some details regarding the 2019 Opening Season Super Clinic to be held on Coach Richard Diaz‘s home turf along with testing, evaluations and lecture time at The World Famous Secret Lab.  Along with this episode is a video of what happens in the Off site Training Lab that is not so secret!  #youcantwinifyourunlikeshit

My good friend Matt Fitzgerald is back with a new book The 80/20 Triathlon.  This training principal is a winning formula for most any endurance sport and I highly recommend that all of my listeners pay attention to this episode.  It works for OCR too!  Once you understand how important it is to partition your training with a high percentage of aerobic conditioning and when and how to apply intensity you’ll start to see progress in all aspects of your program. Ya gotta go slow to get fast!

My good friend Matt Fitzgerald is back with a new book The 80/20 Triathlon.  This training principal is a winning formula for most any endurance sport and I highly recommend that all of my listeners pay attention to this episode.  It works for OCR too!  Once you understand how important it is to partition your training with a high percentage of aerobic conditioning and when and how to apply intensity you’ll start to see progress in all aspects of your program. Ya gotta go slow to get fast!

Some months ago I did a podcast with what I referred to as the “Young Gun”, VeeJay Jones, the youngest athlete to win an Elite Spartan Race.  As a coach, I saw him as the future of the sport, worth nurturing and certainly a prospect for greatness in the sport.  However, he is not alone in his quest for the podium.  Young Cali Schweikhart has been making her self known and respected among the elite ranks in the Spartan Race series and if I don’t miss my guess, also not far off from being an “A” tier competitor.  I was pleased to have Cali on as a featured guest to share her experience thus far in this new sport and how we worked together to bring her into the lime light.  This is worth a listen for anyone that is wondering what it takes to achieve the level of performance that Cali has invested in her future. Cali is evidence of the importance in honing running skill to succeed.

Some months ago I did a podcast with what I referred to as the “Young Gun”, VeeJay Jones, the youngest athlete to win an Elite Spartan Race.  As a coach, I saw him as the future of the sport, worth nurturing and certainly a prospect for greatness in the sport.  However, he is not alone in his quest for the podium.  Young Cali Schweikhart has been making her self known and respected among the elite ranks in the Spartan Race series and if I don’t miss my guess, also not far off from being an “A” tier competitor.  I was pleased to have Cali on as a featured guest to share her experience thus far in this new sport and how we worked together to bring her into the lime light.  This is worth a listen for anyone that is wondering what it takes to achieve the level of performance that Cali has invested in her future. Cali is evidence of the importance in honing running skill to succeed.