Table of Contents

Part I: Basics of Obstacle Racing

Chapter 1: Benefits of Obstacle Racing

Chapter 2: Training Your Body

Chapter 3: Gear Recommendations

Chapter 4: Fueling for Training and Racing

Part II: Training Exercises for Obstacle Racing

Chapter 5: Knowing the Obstacles and Challenges

Chapter 6: Endurance

Chapter 7: Mobility and Balance

Chapter 8: Power and Strength

Chapter 9: Grip Strength

Part III: Workouts and Training Plans

Chapter 10: Workouts

Chapter 11: Training Plans

Part IV: Preparing for Your Race

Chapter 12: Choosing the Right Race

Chapter 13: Injury Prevention and Management

Chapter 14: Mental Training

Chapter 15: Countdown to Race Day

About the Authors

About the Author

David Magida is the founder of Elevate Interval Fitness, which provides group classes focusing on high-intensity interval training. Magida is certified as a group fitness instructor with the American Council on Exercise and has spent years teaching obstacle race training classes. He regularly provides expert commentary on obstacle race training for Men’s Fitness. He is a founding member of the Spartan Race Pro Team and serves as the host of NBC Sports “Spartan Race."

Magida has been racing OCR since 2011. In only his second race he reached the podium for the first time and realized he had found his calling. That day Magida realigned his focus from training for road running and triathlon races to training for OCR.

Over the next two years Magida ranked in the top 10 nationally in the Spartan Race Points Series (9th in 2012 and 5th in 2013) as well as other race-ranking systems. He was one of the first 10 men in the United States to receive professional status. With 17 podium finishes and 7 victories in Spartan races during his career and more than 30 podium finishes in OCR events, including more than a dozen victories, Magida has consistently proven himself to be a threat every time he toes the line.

Magida operates Elevate Interval Fitness facilities in Washington, DC and Northern Virginia. He has also been a guest blogger for the Spartan Race Blog and Obstacle Racing Media.

Melissa Rodriguez is a fitness trainer, industry analyst, and obstacle racing enthusiast. She has held a personal training certification through the National Academy of Sports Medicine since 2003 and a certified strength and conditioning specialist designation from the National Strength and Conditioning Association since 2005. Although she trains clients with a range of fitness levels and athletic goals, she has a passion for coaching beginners. Rodriguez also has undergraduate degrees in English and biology as well as a master’s in business administration.

Since 2008, Rodriguez has served as a research analyst, report writer, and project manager for the International Health, Racquet & Sportsclub Association (IHRSA). As IHRSA’s senior manager of research, she regularly presents research findings and opportunities at national and international conferences and is a regular contributor to IHRSA’s Club Business International magazine.

In recognition of obstacle course racing’s potential, Rodriguez started following the sport in early 2011 when she trained and prepared a client for the Tough Mudder. Since then, she has maintained a blog on her website, MyExerciseCoach.net, which offers fitness and training guidance focused on obstacle course racing for beginners. She also maintains ObstacleRaceWorld.com, a website dedicated to tracking and analyzing the business of obstacle racing. Rodriguez is the author of the book 12 Weeks. 22 Workouts. Your First Obstacle Race and Obstacle Race World: The State of the Mud Run Business, the first-ever industry report on obstacle racing.