• 4 to 8 hay bales
• Metal saw
• Drill
• 3/8″ (1 cm) wood spade bit
• Hammer
I like to use a 52″ (132 cm) handle. It’s common to find, and the hole in the end is just slightly smaller than my 3/8″ (1 cm) wood bit. Also the nail fits nice and tight without any glue. Find a handle that has the hole drilled in the center. This will help keep the wood tip from breaking while practicing. Remember to wear eye and hand protection when using hand and power tools.
1. Use your metal saw and cut the head off the nail. This will be the end you pound into your handle so the cut does not need to be perfect.
2. Drill the hole deeper in the rake handle. This will create a deeper hole for the nail where the wood is thicker in the handle. Make sure you keep your hole straight because this will create a nice straight spear point.
3. Using the hammer, tap the nail into the handle. Place the cut end into the handle first and tap the tip of the nail until you hit the bottom of the hole. Make sure the nail is all the way seated into the handle. You should have about 6″ (15 cm) of nail showing out the end of your handle.
Spear practice in the backyard…
…helps you nail it on race day.
SPEAR WORKOUT
Spartan Race doesn’t reveal exact dimensions for their obstacles. Conventional wisdom states the distance for the spear throw is somewhere between 20 and 30 feet (6.1 and 9.1 m).
1. Stand 25 feet (7.6 m) from your hay bales and start throwing.
2. Vary your style of throwing. There is overhand “javelin” style. There is underhand “pool cue” style. There is also the “tomahawk” end-over-end style. It’s best to practice various throws to find out what works best for you.
You can just throw that puppy all day and increase your accuracy, or you can play some fun games. The most popular is a version of HORSE that is typically played with a basketball. You and your friend line up and attempt to throw the spear into the hay bales from various spots in the yard. When you make it, your friend has to make the same shot. If he/she misses, they get the first letter in HORSE, the “H.” You keep going until someone spells HORSE. You could change HORSE to PIG to shorten the game. You can get very crafty if you put your mind to it. You can call “left-handed,” “eyes closed,” or choose various spots on the hay bales to aim for, such as “top left” or “bottom quadrant.”
There is a saying that it takes 10,000 efforts to master something. So get started!
Tree plus rope equals rope climb practice.
Creating Your Backyard Course
Being able to work out and practice various aspects of obstacle course racing is lots of fun on its own. However, you can take it up another notch by staging your own mini obstacle race with all of your OCR friends.
Here is a sample obstacle course that I made in my backyard and neighborhood. I invited several friends over for a barbecue/obstacle play day. We had a lot of fun competing with each other for the best overall times. You can adjust your course, based on your own yard, neighborhood, and homemade obstacles.
• Start with your hand touching the back fence.
• Run under the 10-foot (3-m) wall.
• Flip the tractor tire three times forward and three times back.
• Run to the front yard.
• Pick up the sandbag, run down the street to a mailbox a few houses down and back.
• Drop the sandbag, pick up the tire.
• Run with the tire all the way to the nearby children’s playground 0.25 miles (0.4 km) away.
• When you get to the playground, do the monkey bars.
• Do three hill repeats before exiting the playground.
• Run back to the house.
• Enter the backyard, drop the tire, jump the fire pit.
• Throw the spear; get a burpee penalty for missing.
• Climb the 10-foot (3-m) wall and run through the finish line.
DOWN AND DIRTY TAKEAWAYS
• It’s cheaper than you think. With minimal investment, you can make yourself several training tools that will improve your OCR performance.
• Invite friends. Bring your OCR buddies over to help you build obstacles. Also, invite them over for spear practice or full-on obstacle course races.
15 ADDING CROSSFIT TRAINING
Kettlebell swings are a staple of many CrossFit workouts.
Featuring CrossFit box owner Janice Marie Ferguson
I’m dedicating an entire chapter to CrossFit because I have heard from so many people in OCR who have received benefits and excelled at OCR after training at a CrossFit box (a.k.a. gym). Like plyometrics, which we discussed in an earlier chapter, CrossFit can benefit your overall fitness as it applies to conquering obstacles.
Janice Marie Ferguson tried CrossFit and, in a very short time, realized amazing benefits as it relates to obstacle course racing. I asked her to contribute this chapter to give you some background on CrossFit and the benefits to OCR.
Before we begin, we have to get a few things straight about CrossFit. You’re probably reading this chapter with one of three preconceived notions:
1. You love CrossFit and have already witnessed the amazing level of fitness attained through practicing it.
2. You’ve seen others getting super fit, strong, and fast, and you want to know more about CrossFit.
3. You hate CrossFit, or perhaps you don’t see any value in it, for various reasons.
I hope anyone who falls into the third category will read this with an open mind and walk away with a more enlightened perspective. I am contributing this chapter in this book because I believe that CrossFit can be one of many tools that anyone uses to improve their obstacle course racing ability.
I’ve heard many people describe CrossFit as a cult, passing fad, or even dangerous. I’ve also heard many stories about how CrossFit literally saved peoples’ lives, made them better people inside and out, gave them the freedom to pursue just about any physical and mental challenge, and helped them find a greater purpose in life. I wouldn’t be doing you a service if I didn’t reveal my bias here. I fall into the latter category, if you haven’t noticed already. I also own a CrossFit affiliate. I promise to be as objective as possible while I help you understand CrossFit as it relates to OCR training.
A History of CrossFit
CrossFit was founded by Greg Glassman, a gymnast, in 2000. Glassman defined fitness as three things.
ACHIEVING PROFICIENCY IN TEN GENERAL PHYSICAL SKILLS:
1. Cardio-respiratory endurance
2. Stamina
3. Strength
4. Flexibility
5. Power
6. Speed
7. Coordination
8. Agility
9. Balance
10. Accuracy
PERFORMING WELL AT ANY AND ALL TASKS. This includes competency in doing things you are unfamiliar with. Back flips? Spear throwing? Swinging from rope to rope? Running up endless mountain ski slopes? In essence, a truly fit person would be able to adapt to any of those tasks well.
PROFICIENCY IN THE THREE METABOLIC ENERGY PATHWAYS:
1. Phosphagen, which is high-powered activity lasting less than 10 seconds
2. Glycogen, which is moderate-powered activity lasting up to several minutes
3. Oxidative, which is low-powered activity lasting more than several minutes
The purpose of this three-pronged approach to defining fitness is to create an overall fit individual who has very few weaknesses and no specialty—a jack-of-all-trades, if you will. Glassman has stated many times, “Our specialty is not specializing.”
An athlete chalks up before a CrossFit workout.
With that definition of fitness, Glassman then defined CrossFit as three things in concert: functional movement, performed at high intensity, across broad time and modal domains. In other words, CrossFitters strive to be ready for anything life could throw their way. To get that readiness,
we’re consistently working to improve upon the physical skills. We’re constantly challenging our ability to master those skills with a variety of tasks, and we’re testing our ability to complete those tasks across different levels of intensity/load and time domains.
CrossFit Basics
As a CrossFit affiliate owner, I often get asked, “What is CrossFit? Is that Insanity or P90X?” It’s not like any of those programs. Although CrossFit is definitely high-intensity interval training, like many other forms of fitness, P90X, Insanity, etc., that is not the only thing we do in CrossFit.
CrossFitters want to master everything—from running, to gymnastics, to Olympic weightlifting. We want to know all the tips and tricks to becoming a better rower, swimmer, and power lifter. Learning all the finer points of kettle bell swinging and double unders are a must on our list of things to do. We lift weights. We pick stuff up and put it down—not just barbells with bumper plates, but sandbags, and medicine balls, and atlas stones.
Find a CrossFit box (aka gym) in your town that’s the right fit for you.
CrossFit offers multiple specialty certifications and seminars for people who want to learn more about particular disciplines. Many CrossFit affiliates even offer classes tailored to those specialties, such as CrossFit Endurance.
CrossFitters fancy themselves as scientists or mad chemists in the arena of improving sports performance. CrossFit is data- and results-based. We want to see measurable results in our progress. We also want to dissect what professional athletes have been doing for strength and conditioning and see how it can be improved upon. Resources that were once only available to the top athletes in the country and world on the topics of training, sleep, recovery, performance, and nutrition are now tested and are open-source discussions for thousands of everyday people like you and me. CrossFit means access to what the pros do. This means increased performance for the masses.
CrossFit focuses on efficient movement and proper technique. Efficient movement is one of the hallmarks of CrossFit. We also know that technique must come before load or intensity. This concentration on technique and movement efficiency has great application and transfer for obstacle racing success, or any other sports performance goal. Moving efficiently saves energy. Saving energy saves time. In sports and competitive performance, where every second counts, the most efficient athletes come out on top time and time again.
CrossFit founder Glassman stated many times that the greatest adaptation in CrossFit is not what happens to the physical body, but what happens to a person between the ears—their mentality. I know this to be true. This is the part that makes CrossFit so addictive. Every day in my CrossFit routine, I do something, even small things, better than I could do the last time. I may run a little faster. Or I do one more pull-up. Or I put more weight on my bar. Making gains and progress is very satisfying. It also teaches you the value of hard work in attaining your goals. Over time, you begin to change your mindset. Things that used to seem impossible become possible.
Another aspect of CrossFit is the competitive nature. Every day, you go to the gym, you are “racing” someone. You want to lift more weight, run or row faster, or do more pull-ups. Over the course of nearly four years, CrossFit has prepared me mentally and physically to take on any challenge or put myself to the test in just about any way imaginable. Obstacle racing is just one of those tests.
CrossFit training, according to Glassman’s definition of fitness, has direct application to obstacle racing. It cannot be argued that the ten general physical skills are all necessities for the sport of obstacle racing. It’s obvious that some of those skills are weighted more heavily than others, especially for those who are hoping to stay in the ranks of the elite obstacle racers. However, if you are someone who merely wants to do these races for the sake of completion, you may be able to get away with less focus on specific training, and more general physical preparedness, also known as GPP in CrossFit. In fact, I completed my very first Spartan Race, in 2012, in the midst of a strength cycle—heavy dead lifts, squats, and very short conditioning workouts. It wasn’t just any Spartan Race. It was the Pennsylvania Sprint, which is a tough course located on a ski resort. The climbing was endless, but I was well prepared to complete the race, and I did so with no burpee penalties. I attribute that to CrossFit.
Using CrossFit for OCR
Now that you know what CrossFit is, and how it can benefit your training, it’s time to implement it. To maximize the benefits of CrossFit, there are a few things to consider.
SET SOME GOALS. Do you dream of ranking among the elite obstacle racers? Or are you happy just completing the races and improving every time?
If you have dreams of toeing the start line with today’s top racers, you’ll certainly need to have a more purposeful or specialized type of training. A great program tailored for endurance athletes with the benefits of CrossFit is known as CrossFit Endurance. I highly recommend this program, or at the very least taking components from it and adding them to your training. While CrossFit can certainly be used as one of many tools, you will definitely need to spend some time in sport-specific training, especially with the caliber of athletes who are racing and will be racing in the future.
Improving strength through weightlifting is not required for OCR, but it may help.
If you’re happy running the race for the experience with friends, a generalized CrossFit program designed to maximize your GPP, mixed with some longer efforts for practicing race-day nutrition, electrolyte replacement, and hydration could very well be your ticket to success.
CHOOSE YOUR TYPE OF TRAINING: INDEPENDENT OR SOCIAL. If you’re an independent, do-it-yourself type of person, you might want to try CrossFit on your own and integrate it into your own exercise routine. The CrossFit and CrossFit Endurance websites are great places to start. Also, the online CrossFit Journal has thousands of articles and resources, and you can connect with other CrossFitters on their online message board. Brian MacKenzie, of CrossFit Endurance, has a host of videos and even a book, Power, Speed, Endurance: A Skill-Based Approach to Endurance Training, that would be a great place to start for someone looking to implement CrossFit into their obstacle course race training routine. You don’t need to go to a gym to do CrossFit. You can work out in your very own garage or at a local park. A jump rope, sandbag, and kettle bell can take you a long way.
On the other hand, if you crave a social experience or need extra motivation or instruction, you might want to join a CrossFit gym. If you choose this route, it’s paramount that you do your homework and shop around, so you can find the best fit for you. Take a look at the work-outs for a couple of weeks at the gyms in your area. Most CrossFit affiliates post their workouts daily for the members and public to see. What kind of work are they doing? Look at the pictures on their websites and social media channels. What type of events do their members frequent? Ask to try the gym out for a few days to see if you fit in, and if you are receiving the kind of attention and instruction you need from the coaching staff.
All CrossFit gyms are different. That is the beauty of CrossFit. Each affiliate owner has the freedom to express fitness in his or her own way. Find the gym that fits you and your goals. No matter which gym you choose, though, you should expect high-quality instruction and programming no matter what the focus: endurance, weightlifting, gymnastics, etc.
DOWN AND DIRTY TAKEAWAYS
• Mix it up. CrossFit’s specialty is not specializing.
• Focus on technique. Technique must come before load or intensity. Learn to move correctly so you minimize injury risk and perform at your best.
• Maximize your genetics. Believe it or not, we are not all born the same. However, CrossFit can help you maximize what nature gave you.
• Set goals. Figuring out your goals can help you decide which training regimen will best suit you.
• Shop around. Each CrossFit gym is different. Explore some different places. Most of them offer a free one-day trial. Find out what works for y
ou.
Janice Marie Ferguson, head coach and owner of Bandit CrossFit, is a wife and mother with a passion for obstacle course racing and CrossFit. She is a 2012 South Central CrossFit Games Regional Individual Qualifier and a two-time Spartan Race podium finisher. She also races for Team Obstacle Racing Media, which finished as the first-place team in four straight Superhero Scramble races in 2013. Learn more on her website at www.janicemarieferguson.blogspot.com
CROSSFIT RESOURCES
CrossFit Theory and General Information Websites
CrossFit: www.crossfit.com
CrossFit Endurance: www.crossfitendurance.com
CrossFit Journal: http://journal.crossfit.com
CrossFit message board: http://board.crossfit.com
Injury, Mobility, and Efficient Movement
Mobility WOD: www.mobilitywod.com
Pose Running: www.posetech.com
Olympic Weightlifting Sites
Catalyst Athletics: www.catalystathletics.com
USA Weightlifting: www.teamusa.org/USA-Weightlifting
CrossFit Gyms and Other Sites I Follow for Workout Ideas:
Outlaw CrossFit: http://outlawcrossfit.com
Gymnastics WOD: http://gymnasticswod.com
Travel WODs/WODs with minimal equipment: http://stayforevercrossfit.com/extras/wods-to-go/
Spartan Race WOD: www.spartanrace.com/wod/
Nutrition
Eat to Perform: http://eattoperform.com
Robb Wolf: http://robbwolf.com
Loren Cordain: http://thepaleodiet.com
The Zone Diet: http://www.zonediet.com
Whole 9: http://whole9life.com
Down and Dirty Page 11
