Goofing off after a full extreme day of filming and running
Tallapoosa, Georgia? Do you mean Tallahassee, Florida? HA HA, that's exactly what I said when I found out that the BattleFrog Atlanta event was not actually in Atlanta, but over an hour away from the city. At any rate, the Foxwoods venue in Tallapoosa was the perfect setting for a butt-kicking good time! WATCH VIDEO BELOW
The guys who make BattleFrog Series one of the Top OCR Races in the World
I was there filming for my Not-For-Profit media project OCRTUBE.com along with my fellow partner in crime, and Beachbody Coach Amanda Nelson. We had an absolute blast chasing some of the BEST athletes in the world. We took full advantage of our Beachbody PerformanceHYDRATE to ensure that we could last all day, and trust me, we KILLED some RECOVER soon after, well.....after we took a shower at a truck stop lol. That's how you get the MUD off when you travel from race to race. Ok, maybe you don't understand ha ha, so maybe just enjoy this beautiful bean footage from this amazing, but brutal OCR event.
I am really enjoying the BattleFrog Series events because they are very well-organized, the people and the staff are courteous and seem very passionate about what they do. On top of that, the obstacles are high quality, meaning that they have spent some considerable time on them, unlike other events where the obstacles seem unsafe, and just put up to make some quick money. The one thing that I really look for is how a company treats and manages their employees and volunteers. I don't think that there was one obstacle that I went through without a volunteer trying to push and motivate my team and myself. This is what people will remember, a lot more than the obstacles, people will remember how they were treated, and how much you care. I overheard one of the BF staff members talking to a couple volunteers, and this is what he said to them:
"You have to remember that these racers are being challenged, they are tired, and maybe on the verge of quitting. We cannot let that happen, we have to motivate them, push them past their comfort zones, and help them find out what they are about"
I really liked that, and I will always remember the BattleFrog Series in that way.
The Elite and Masters Wave Start Line
The BattleFrog Atlanta event was hosted at the Georgia International Horse Park in Conyers, GA. I was very familiar with this location as this is where I did one of my coldest races in my career, the Georgia Spartan Sprint. The layout for the BattleFrog was totally different which I really liked, but there seemed to be a lack of hills this time, but the back to back obstacles definitely made up for it. I really enjoy fast courses, and this event had some good trail runs.
If you haven't signed up for a BattleFrog Event, I encourage you to make a point to do so. They have courses for every fitness level including children and even a place for the extreme endurance athlete. I think there were a couple people who did 6 laps around the main course which totaled to about 32 to 34 miles, and that's with some extreme obstacles, pretty impressive if you ask me. My team "Team Dynasty OCR" did 3 laps and earned their BattleFrog Extreme Medal, it was amazing to be there and witness their struggles and their triumphs. That is what our team is all about anyways, it's not about just one person, it's about TEAM.
So anyways, I made a quick 5 minute video of the event, so feel free to watch and share so hopefully we can get more people off the couch and start getting active, because that's what we were all meant to do with our lives. We're all naturally primal, so get out there and be yourself, push your limits, see what you're made of, and most importantly, have fun!!!
Arnel Banawa is a Star Diamond Beachbody Coach focused on ending the trend of obesity and helping the sport of obstacle course racing grow worldwide. Connect with me - click here!
The BattleFrog Central FL was held on March 14-15 at the Rock on Adventures Ranch. This was my second BattleFrog Series event, and I would have to say that this company definitely puts out a great race. The event hosted elite waves from a 15K distance, 5K's for everyone, a College Dash, a kids race, and even an extreme race for the strong-willed, super human endurance athletes, BattleFrog Series has something for everyone.
I spent all day filming the 15K elite and open waves, so I probably ran almost a half marathon on Saturday first filming the elite start and finish, then going out on the course to film everyone else. It takes a lot of strength and endurance to film these races because I am out there longer than most athletes, and crossing the finish line multiple times. I have to give it up to Beachbody Fitness for keeping my health and fitness on point to do what I do.
I have been filming and running OCR (obstacle course racing) since 2011, and I have a lot of people always asking me what I take out there when I am filming races. Here is a quick list of what I typically take with me when I am filming the races, and not running competition:
Foods and Hydration:
- CamelBak for hydration (depending on the distance of a race, I will add a little P90X Recovery Mix into my camel bak for added electrolytes and calories)
- Liquid calories like Vega Sport Gels
- Cliff Bars and even Peanut Butter sandwiches on wheat
- Mustard Packets to help with cramps =)
Equipment:
- At least 2-3 GoPros
- GoPro Stick for extended shots
- 1 Extra GoPro Battery
- 1 GoPro Head Strap
- iPhone with waterproof cover (for emergency purposes and course map)
The above can change anytime depending on the race, but that's pretty much it. I try to bring the least amount of items so that I can run fast when I need to so that I can keep up with the faster athletes.
Now for the video. Check out the video that I made, and feel free to comment below what you thought of the event, your toughest obstacle, overall experience, and the type of training that you are currently doing.
BattleFrog Central Florida - 2015 (Full Race)
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Do you need some OCR and Fitness Motivation?Connect with me here, and I'll add you to my exclusive fitness group on Facebook. I understand how motivation and accountability can play a key role in life and training. Beachbody Fitness along with OCR has changed the game for me, and I am just paying it forward, and I'd love to help you.
See you at the next race, and stay active my friends!
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BattleFrog Series Miami - 2015 (Full Race Video below)
I had the opportunity to check out the BattleFrog Series Miami event on February 28th, 2015 and it was nothing short but amazing. I've heard a lot of my friends rave about how it was BETTER than Spartan Race, so I had to check it out myself.
There are a few things that I look into before considering to participate, or film a obstacle course race. Here are some things that I look for:
- How they market themselves, do they have a decent marketing budget, or is this a fly by night gig.
- Do they take care of their employees, and do they have a good field team in place.
- Are the obstacles quality, well built, and unique?
- Are the courses a good mix of running and obstacles, and are the obstacles fair to all athletes with all fitness levels
- Do they have a elite point system for elite athletes, and offer prize money or incentives
- Do they give back to the community, or are they "GREEDY"
Those are just some of the things that I am curious about before considering an obstacle race event. I not only want to make sure that the event is safe, but I also want to make sure that there are good people behind it. I've been involved with some shady people in the OCR industry, wealthy people who are just in it for the money, and not for the purpose of making a difference and giving back to the community. Oh yeah, I understand that it's a business =), but there are businesses based on integrity, and then there are the "other" ones that are just focused on one thing, to just take advantage of you.
I was definitely impressed by the BattleFrog Series Miami event, and I look forward to running and filming more of their events. If you are still on the fence about registering, all I have to say is just go for it, you will have a blast!
Here are some picture from the event. I also posted a video below, so feel free to check it out!
Hanging out with my Beachbody Coach Team and Friends
TOP 10 Finishers: Ashley Overcast and Jay Flores
BattleFrog Series CEO Don Mann and I
TOP Elite Male Finishers (15K)
Isaiah Vidal (red shirt) 3rd Place Overall, Ryan Atkins (yellow shirt) 1st Place Overall
Jose Rivera (2nd Place Male Masters), Morgan Wright (3rd Place Male Masters)
With Glen Nakamura (right) 1st Place Male Masters
So here's the BIG QUESTION, is BattleFrog Series better than Spartan Race? My answer to this question is that I love both of them. Both Spartan Race and BattleFrog are great companies, and I will continue to support both of them. I am a big supporter of OCR in general, and I am focused on helping the sport grow through my OCRTUBE.com project which is a FREE OCR Community focused on connecting athletes worldwide, educating and training people to participate in global events.
Watch the BattleFrog Series Miami (2015) Full Race Video:
