Remember when Spartan added in all the age groups into competition for 2018. One group was particularly vocal, the 40-49 age group. Jack Bauer dives in to find out if that age group should really be split into two age groups using data from past races.
I am 15 years old and I am just finishing up my freshman year in high school. I’ve been active in team sports since I was 5 when I joined my first soccer team and I continue to play with a local select team when I am not training for my high school cross-country or track teams.
OCR keeps me active and is a fun community to be a part of. It gives me something to push towards and keeps me reminded there is always room to grow. OCR forces you to be adaptable and constantly seek self-improvement. I think all of these things are important for a balanced life.
Never let someone else tell you, “This is what you have to do.” You’ll most likely fail. Get angry at yourself. This is the best drive you will ever get. Self-motivation was my secret weapon in becoming who I am today. I’d be a VERY, VERY rich man if I had a dollar for how many times someone told me, “You should probably lose weight,” and I never went to the gym the next day.
I will be honest and say I have a lot of anger, or did. I couldn’t figure out why bad stuff kept happening to me. The child hood stuff was still painful, the divorce ruined me, and then I tried to date and it just got worse. I finally realized I needed to work on myself before I was ever going to be able to love someone else. I hated myself. So, I turned to lifting.
I played football for a few years in high school, but that’s where my athletic career began and ended. My focus turned more towards music, videography, and photography. After high school, I began shooting and editing music videos for local bands around town. That eventually evolved into photography and through various contacts, I started shooting sports around town ranging from high school all the way up to college and professional MLS and NHL teams.
When I moved to Colorado my friends introduced me to Spartan and Tough Mudder. I had never run anything like this before. I never had the desire, but I needed something in my life to motivate me to get out of bed and get to the gym and improve my health. I compete in OCR not only because it has turned into a passion, but it keeps me fit both mentally and physically.
Almon R. Cox is this week's Faces at the Races spotlight. Cox hit rock bottom when he found himself in jail for substance abuse. Since that time he has used obstacle racing as a path to a fit and healthy life. Read his story in this week's spotlight.
OCR is great physical and mental challenge and every race feels like an adventure. There’s an element of surprise where you can’t predict with absolute certainty how everything will play out.
I began my fitness journey in August of 2013 by going to the gym by myself, walking the treadmill, or slowly easing along on the elliptical. I decided to set a goal to give myself something to look forward to. I signed up for a colorful 5k and also started dabbling in yoga because I was so fascinated with inversions. I am now 4 sizes and 60 pounds down from when I began, and I continue to train and work on my physical fitness.
