Races are coming back and it’s not long until the Superhuman OCR event. As we look towards the event, here's 5 tips from OCR racer and Spartan Pro member @smiley_spartan_racer to prepare you to nail your race!

Make Your Fitness Functional.

Stay away from those static machines at the gym and make sure that your training is functional. The OCR event will require you to navigate objects and pick up and carry different items, so make sure your training reflects this. Get used to dragging heavy stuff and carrying things in an awkward way. The event page lists some exercises that will be included on the day so why not add these into your training sessions? The more movements you’re familiar with on the day, the more prepared you’ll be! No gym? No issue! Grab a backpack and fill it with some water bottles or start lugging around a bag of sand!

Compromised Running Is Key.

Being able to run 5km is great, so is being able to smash some reps out in the gym, but how well can you do them together? A compromised running session is going to be your most valuable session each week. Pick a few of your favourite exercises (don’t forget to add in some heavy carries!) and mix them up with some running. Get used to sprinting into those exercises.

A compromised running session from my coaching (@teamgrit.ocr) might be something like:

5 Rounds For Time:

5 pull ups

250m carry

10 burpees

10 snatch per arm

500m run

10 push up

10 KB Swing

Another great one to get you feeling the burn is heading out for a 5km or 10km run and every 5 mins drop and do 10 burpees.

Train Hard, Recover Harder.

If you're training hard, making sure you get to race day healthy and injury free is key. For me, sleep is the most important factor and I’m pretty strict about getting 8 hours a night. Make sure your diet is set up to help you recover with good quality protein and lots of whole foods. The best lesson I learnt when I started training is that the gains are made on the rest days- so make sure you take them! Sometimes it’s tempting to think that we just need to keep training harder but nothing was gained from overtraining so make sure you listen to your body.

Learn To Embrace The Suck.

If you’re planning on racing hard during the Superhuman OCR event, it’s going to hurt - so don’t let that be the first time you’ve experienced the suck! Make sure you add in some harder training sessions where you’re hitting a high heart rate so you get used to pushing hard. I love doing my hard sessions with a friend and turning it into a competition (loser buys the pizza 🍕 ), a bit of healthy competition is always a good way to get you pushing to your max!

If you’re looking for a more detailed training plan, reach out at @teamgrit.ocr. We work with OCR athletes worldwide and have a range of training plans all focused on OCR that combine my experiences as an elite athlete with those of my husband who is a fully certified personal trainer / SGX coach.

Have fun!

Whether it will be your first OCR event, or you’re aiming for a podium, you’ve got to make sure it stays fun! It all comes down to having fun! If you’re not enjoying your training and the event then you’re doing it wrong. Train hard but remember to check in regularly with why you signed up in the first place and don’t let the nerves take over on race day- it’s all about doing your best and enjoying the process!

If you’ve got any questions or you just want to chat all things fitness feel free to drop me a message at @smiley_spartan_racer. I was so nervous for my first OCR but I’ve been hooked since day 1 - it was the best decision I ever made. See you on the day!

By Jessie Montague

Instagrams: @smiley_spartan_racer @teamgrit.ocr