A trip around Circuit of America’s Grand Prix race course - how bad could it be? Seems simple enough. Bonefrog was kind enough to find a centrally located site to the Texas Metro areas. Some hills but nothing that comes off as too drastic. Oh, they now have that #EffNorm charm? There’s no mountain so he’ll be neutralized. It is April so it will be comfortable. Oh, wait, it is going to 90+ degrees with 80%+ humidity? Okay, this will be an interesting 12 miles or so.

As time has progressed and we’ve gotten to know some of our fellow OCRAddicts, we have begun to receive lots of questions about what we use to be ready for and be successful on race day. From our gear, our shoes, race day nutrition, and lately with our partnership with Tiger Fitness we are getting asked about supplementation. After some deliberation and pondering, I decided I’ll dive into a multi-part series of the surprisingly personal category that is supplementation as well as going through my primary stack, 'supplemental' supplements, and some items that will find their way with me on race day. Please note I am not, nor do I pretend to be a medical doctor in any capacity. So please consult a medical professional before starting any physical and/or supplement regime.

People talk about epic failures at Spartan, Tough Mudder or Warrior Dash constantly: medal size complaints, being bored by the “same old obstacles,” a delay in getting the photos or results. These are all things I have personally had to defend as a volunteer for these race series, yet people still gladly pump out $140 to $245 for an event selling them out in mass, thousands, even tens of thousands, racers being reported as the official registration numbers. Then an imaginative new upstart has an issue with getting results posted, photos out, or not being a fan of a new finisher medal and the masses call for their heads, demanding that no one ever try one of these races. All while paying as little as $40 or so for an equivalent distance course with some obstacles new to the community, or even worse a $60-$80 race that is a superior product, well executed and no they cannot get more than a few hundred people to show up.

This is a deeply personal piece for everyone, but we have been getting a lot of requests for this as we approach our next Ultra Beast in the great Garden State (NJ). In this, I will cover my race day usages and recommendations as a baseline. It is up to you on how you would like to tinker with the specifics, or what you use.

The Green Beret Challenge, the time had come once again for me to take on a different iteration of this challenge. This time I would toeing the line with a Spartan World Champion who we also know as a Green Beret. Having tackled the Commando and 24 Hour Versions of Mark Ballas’ concoctions I knew that whatever laid before me, ‘easy’ was not going to be the term used to describe it.

If you got Savage, or took part in a southern Spartan this fall, you probably strolled by a large white RV in the festival area. That RV belongs to IV Hydro Pros, it is a division of Mobile Healthcare Solutions LLC that primarily focuses on the emerging market of IV hydration therapy, primarily serving the state of Texas out of the DFW Metroplex. What makes them unique is that they are mobile and can be booked for events, as well as provide concierge services; bringing hospital treatments to the general public. “Our IV stations have a spa-like atmosphere and are relaxing spaces for all IV'ers to enjoy. Receive your treatment today in a comfortable, sterile, and upscale environment.”

Reveille Peak Ranch has been a very popular destination. From various OCR races series to other popular trail running series. Who can blame them though? Being less than an hour from the nearest airport, it opens you to the Hill Country with some magnificent views full of potential. This year though the interest came from the buzz about what Spartan had cooking course wise. Spartan looked to reinvent this Spartan classic venue. The addition of the Time Trails Friday rejuvenated the weekend.

You see the event name and you know you are in for it, but what does that actually mean? Endurance/Adventure races for the general OCR community are still fairly new and everyone venturing into the field has a different take. Spartan was the first to stumble into the concept when a Hurricane literally made them have to do a tear down in short order. What, at first, was a large volunteer/racer participation, was the birth of Hurricane Heat. Since then, we have seen the 12 Hour join their ranks, which is more driven towards purposefully breaking you. It is attempted by participants doing some things that at times feel like they have no purpose outside of getting you to say “that’s it I’m out”. Next, we saw the advent of BFX, which gave you a minimum threshold to hit, but ultimately, for most, it was about you tapping out, then BattleFrog saying, “you are done” and you still get the medal.

There is nothing worse than running the race of your life and you take a slip, smash your knee or clip your arm and knowing you are going to be limping along the course or won't be able to grab onto an obstacle. Sleeves and leggings only do so much, mainly slight compression and cosmetic appeal, and most pads out there are bulky; while helpful they can be their own hazard as they are more likely to snag onto something like barbed wire. However, I found something new. Something came along that has a shot at meeting all my needs: sturdy, takes a hit, and keeps a low profile to avoid snagging.

We’ve all been there; we overdid it on Leg Day, on race day, or just not giving our bodies time to recover and now it hurts with every stride. After BFX San Antonio, I couldn’t run more than a 5k before I had to shut it down. Rest, ice, and stretching were not doing the trick and I was quickly growing frustrated. It was just the start of race season and having to shut down my cardio was not an option. I wanted to explore. I found the Opedix KneeTec Leggings and everything changed quickly. These are not your normal leggings and it shows, or more appropriately, it feels.