The Beast Report: May 2019

Issue 18
May 2019

By Kim Collings

1. Beast Profiles

2. Seven Pillars

3. Nutrition

4. Looking Ahead

1. Beast Profiles

Articles and interviews dedicated to reporting on the amazing people and stories of Your Beast Team!

Meet one of your new 2019 Ambassadors…..Jeannie Nieman!

What was your first OCR race and what made you decide to try it?

Spartan Washougal – a friend of mine saw an advertisement and we thought… well that looks interesting.  So since 2012 I have been exploring all different OCR events from Spartans to Rugged Maniac to Tough Mudders.

How has OCR helped you overcome challenges?

The biggest challenge for me is running. I have always been a bodybuilding style weightlifter.  I could bike for days but running, whole different ball game. To get better in OCR events I must get better at long distance running. So in the past few years I have really worked on stepping up my running game.

What do you love most about the OCR Community?

Mostly the community and groups looking to help each other with fitness goals. Being in the fitness and exercise industry, it is hard to keep people (including myself) motivated. OCR groups have really helped new and seasoned folks stay into fitness. It is that motivational factor that gives training a reason.

Who inspires you?

There are many who have inspired me. My Dad was one of them. Being a poor, uneducated person to create a thriving business from nothing taught me a lot and showed me I can do anything. My Grandma also was a great part of my life, childhood and taught me so many things. A glowing women until the day she died, I will always look up to her and all that she gave me.

What is your favorite OCR memory?

Slip n Slide – OMG that Washougal slide first time in 2012 knocked my top off; literally. That obstacle hooked me big time into the fun of mud racing. Since then too many other memories to count.

Tell us something about yourself that few people know, whether OCR related or not.

First off I do not like dirty water my OCD hates that. But personally not many folks know that I have a black belt in TaeKwondo and taught for a decade until changing a little into other self defense styles.

What are your goals for 2019?

OCR goal – be stronger and faster. I have already conquered a huge running goal – 15K. And personally working on staying positive with myself. I am getting a little older and beat myself up a bit when I cannot do something ‘as good’ as I once could.  I want to work on competing with ME today and not thinking about me 10 years ago or competing with someone else. I want to be better than me and do better than the day or workout or race before. In the end having fun since, without fun, I don’t think I would continue racing.

Photo credit: Jeannie Niemann, Spartan Race

2. Seven Pillars

Endurance   Strength   Athleticism   Recovery   Nutrition   Mind   Code

We work hard to improve our physical selves which is important in racing and a healthy life. I wanted to also focus on other aspects that can help us be well rounded in our racing and personal lives. Each month I’d like to choose a topic from the Spartan Seven Pillars above and then offer a challenge to you. You have an entire month to work on it. Research shows that lasting changes often occur when you take things slow and do one step at a time.

This month we are going to select Strength.

“What a disgrace it is for
a man to grow old
without ever seeing the
beauty and strength of
which his body is
capable of.” -Socrates

Spartan SGX quotes, “Strength is the ability of an individual or group of
muscles to produce force in a one time maximal effort. Simply stated the muscular capacity to move heavy objects. Power is the ability of a muscle or group of muscles to produce force at a high speed. Power is the ability or capacity to perform or act effectively or exert control. Strength also means empowering others and developing personal strength. Empowerment
creates change and instills motivation.

To build your physical strength there are different methods we can undertake such as body weight exercises, functional, or weight lifting. These can all be scaled up or down to the level of the person’s current fitness level and then gradually increased by using sandbags, slam balls, and other implements which create instability. For pure strength and power, heavy resistance training can be implemented. Including both in your workouts can be a winning combination in OCR races.

Homework: Take a walk (or run) and find something in nature you can use in a strength exercise. It can be a rock you pick up and do lunges with. It can be a log you can carry on the trail, a stump you can do step ups on. Get creative and see what you can find and how you can use it to improve your strength.

3. Beast Nutrition

Coconut Water

Coconut water can be used (in emergencies) as a substitute for blood plasma.

The reason for this is that coconut water (the water found in coconuts – not to be confused with coconut milk, which comes from the flesh of the coconut) is sterile and has an ideal pH level. Coconut water is liquid endosperm – it surrounds the embryo and provides nutrition.

Coconut water has long been a popular drink in the tropical countries where it is available fresh, canned, or bottled.

Coconut water has been shown to prevent and eliminate kidney stones, since it is high in potassium and magnesium.

Compared to typical sports drinks, coconut water has fewer calories, less sodium, but higher amounts of potassium.

Dubbed “Mother Nature’s sports drink” by marketers, the demand for coconut water in the United States is skyrocketing. 1

Recipe:

Coconut Water Tropical Juice

1 orange
2 C pineapple
10 medium strawberries
1/2 C spinach
8 oz coconut water

put all ingredients, except coconut water, in a juicer. Add coconut water and blend well. Pour over ice and enjoy.

Photo Credit: https://milkandeggs.com/blogs/food-health-and-eating/what-is-coconut-water-and-what-are-the-benefits

1 https://mobile-cuisine.com/did-you-know/coconut-water-fun-facts/

4. Looking Ahead