Swamp Dash | April 2015 | Alachua, FL

Swamp Dash - April 2015

I attended the Swamp Dash in Alachua, Florida for the first time on April 4th, 2015. There's something about these small, local races that I really love. It might be because of the nice personal touches, and the small family type feel.

Watch Full Race Video Below!

I'm not quite sure, but I believe that this was the 3rd year running for the Swamp Dash, and I've heard a lot of good things about the event, so I just had to check it out for myself. I was on my way up to Pensacola, Fl from Tampa and I decided to stay overnight in Alachua (just outside Gainesville, Fl) on Friday night. I arrived at Rembert Farms (the event site) around 7:30 am on Saturday morning. It was pretty foggy out, but I was told that it would clear up around 9:00 am, right after the competitive wave (8:45 am).

Obstacle Course Race Training with P90X

I spent most of the day filming and running the event, and I had a blast. I think I probably got in about 5-6 miles that day. I was told that the course was about 4.3 miles give or take. I've been doing a lot of trail running and P90X as usual to keep me in shape to film these races, so I did not feel tired at all during this event. I actually consider these events training for me since most of the time I am out there running after people, as well as the elite runners. I don't often do all the obstacles just because of liability purposes (when I am strictly attending as media), so sometimes I will have a registered runner use one of my GoPros to film a certain obstacle.

Running with some OCR Royalty =)

I haven't run competitive in quite some time, and I would have to say that I miss it. But there is something about filming and just running these events. I get the best of both worlds, my passion for making race videos, and running to stay in shape =). I reckon I'll have to put my Gopro down at one point to challenge myself like I used to when I first started obstacle course racing. Here's the thing, you are never to old for OCR, and the sport isn't going anywhere. I will continue my training, and use my time filming races as part of my training, and once I decide to run competition again, all I'm saying is that they better be ready, ha ha! =) Training doesn't ever stop even if I am not running competitive. Health and fitness is a lifestyle for me, which is why I probably love going out to these races and running in the woods. Being as Full Time Beachbody Coach helps a lot with that too =)

Top 3 Elites

Jose Rivera 1st Place (left), Troy King 3rd Place (middle), Jay Flores 2nd Place (right)

Top Females

Guadalupe Merlos 1st Female (left), Karen Harbaugh 2nd Place (right)

Angela Howe 3rd Place Femalre

Check out the video that I made, it was a blast, and I will definitely be back!

Swamp Dash - Alachua Florida - April 2015

Watch more Obstacle Course Racing Videos!

Take the Beachbody Challenge - Free Online Coaching from me!

Starter Spartan Workout

Starter Spartan Workout - Spartan Training

Are you looking for a workout to start training for an upcoming Spartan Race or other obstacle course race event? Here is a good one to try out. As with any training program, it's all about consistency, listening to your body, using proper form over speed, nutrition, and not over-training.

As a Full-Time Beachbody Coach, I have helped many people accomplish huge health and fitness goals, as well as conquering an obstacle course race. I consistently host online fitness challenges specific to elite Beachbody Fitness, running, and cross-training. Feel free to message me, and I would be happy to assist you with your goals.

Starter Spartan Workout:

WARM UP
- Jog for 5 to 10 minutes or Jump Rope 3 to 5 minutes

MAIN SET: (3X)
- 10 Burpees
- 10 Crunches
- 30 Second Plank
- 30 Second High Knees
- Run/Jump Rope 2 minutes
- Recover 1 minute

COOD DOWN STRETCH

Check out one of my OCR Beach Workouts incorporating Beachbody Fitness:

Hosted by Pensacola Fit Club

Coach Arnel's Free Fitness Accountability Group

Coach Arnel's Online Fitness Accountability Group

Do you need some heath and fitness motivation? What about some FREE accountability?

That's what my Online Fitness Accountability Group on Facebook is all about. I understand the lack of motivation and encouragement everyone can have, I've been there! There are only a small percentage of people who consider themselves as self-motivated, and I was not one of them. It took me some time, but I surrounded myself with some amazing and positive people. People who actually cared about my success, and now I'd like to pay that forward by helping you!

Who can join?
Anyone and everyone! We have a mix of beginners to elite athletes, from Crossfit gurus to Zumba Instructors, and from yogis, P90Xers to Ultra-Marathoners. We even have people who just want to eat healthy! My online group is for everyone! It doesn't matter if you are fit or not, my goal is to create a positive atmosphere for anyone who only wants their best life now.

So what are your goals? It's good to know what you want to accomplish.
- Lose weight
- Become a better athlete
- Tone up
- Bulk up
- Eat Healthier
- Get motivated

Do I have to sign up for anything?
You don't have to do anything that you don't want to =) All you have to do is get a FREE Team Beachbody Membership by clicking here, and you will get added to my Free Fitness Accountability Group on Facebook. This allows me to be your Free Coach and offer you tips, motivation and advice.  No products are ever required to purchase, it's up to you, if and when you want to invest in your health.

How do I connect with you on Facebook?
Right here =)

What can I get out of joining?
- Free motivation
- Free accountability
- Free tips and advice
- Meet other like-minded people
- Free workouts
- Free healthy recipes
- Free invites to exclusive fitness challenges and test groups
- Free giveaways
- Free online chats with other members
and more!

Ok, I need this, how do I begin?
It's simple, just get your Free Team Beachbody Membership here, then message me on Facebook. I will then add you to the group, and introduce you to everyone, it's just that simple =)

Can you help me accomplish my health and fitness goals?
Yes, I will send you a Free Fitness Program Assessment, and based on that, I will give you some options that can assist you with your goals.


Looking forward to meeting you!


Get $1500 worth of Beachbody Fitness Programs for free! Beachbody on Demand Free Trial

Savage Race Florida - Spring 2015

Savage Race Florida - Spring 2015

I had a blast at the Savage Race which was held at the Little Everglades Ranch in Dade City, FL on March 28th and 29th, 2015. This was the very same property where I did my very first Tough Mudder, and hosted my first TEAM RUN with my team Team Dynasty OCR, so it was nice to come back. I ended up running 9+ miles filming the event, running the course, and hanging out with some amazing OCR (obstacle course racing) people.

WATCH FULL RACE VIDEO BELOW!

With Margaret Schlachter, Author: Obstacle Race Training

Savage Race does a really great job with their course map, entertainment, and festival layout. They are well-organized, and the staff were very nice and accommodating. It was a 7 mile course with about 26 high-quailty obstacles. That's what I really like about SR, and what I have noticed about their events from the very beginning, they don't just put up rinky-dink obstacles, they are very well-built and well thought out. I would have to say that the Savage Race fits right into my TOP 3 Obstacle Course Race companies of all time. So if you haven't done a Savage Race, then what are you waiting for, you're going to love it!

Beachbody on Demand - Digital Fitness Anytime, Anywhere - Click here for Free Trial 

Here is the Full Race video that I made, it's 7 miles in under 7 minutes! If you need some race motivation, or need assistance in training for a race, please feel free to message me. I am a Full-Time Beachbody Coach and I can give you some Beachbody Fitness Options that can be very helpful during your journey, it has sure helped me =).

Join My Free Accountability Fitness Group - Connect with me here!

Enjoy the video! Savage Race - Florida 2015

Click here for more Obstacle Course Racing Videos from me!

Look and train like an Elite Athlete - Take the Asylum Challenge - FREE Coaching!

Sprint and Distance Running Interval Workout

Sprint and Distance Running Interval Workouts

I'm always researching ways to improve my speed and distance with running. Being an OCR athlete, it is always good to change up your workouts, and find out what other athletes are doing. Just as a reminder though, just because it works for someone else, doesn't mean it will work for you. It's best to work with a Running Coach to get the best advice according to you.

Sprints with my Father

Here are two simple Sprint and Distance Running Interval Workouts that can help you with gaining more speed. I highly recommend that you do this workout at a track location. I have done this workout plenty of times, and I have to personally tell you that it has worked for me, and I hope that it will work for you.

SPRINT:
- One mile warm up, slow pace
- 10 minutes lower body stretching
- Quarter mile sprint (or 1 lap around track), 60 to 90 second jogs after each sprint: Repeat 5X
- Half mile sprints (or 2 laps around track), 2 to 3 minute jogs after each sprint: Repeat 3X
- One mile cool down, easy pace
- Whole Body stretching

Superfood Shakeology Sampler for Athletes

DISTANCE:
- One mile warm up, slow pace
- 10 minutes lower body stretching
- One mile sprints (or 4 laps around track), 1 to 2 minute jogs after each sprint: Repeat 4X
- Two mile cool down, easy pace
- Whole Body stretching

*Workout provided by the US Navy SEAL Guide to Fitness and Nutrition


Look and train like an Elite Athlete - Take the Asylum Challenge!

Y Get Dirty Mud Run - Foley, Alabama (2015)

Y Get Dirty Mud Run - Foley, Alabama  (March 21st, 2015)

Where I am from in Tampa, Florida, there are a lot of mud runs and obstacle course races to participate in. Almost every weekend there is an event that you could run, it's almost like there is no OFF SEASON! It's a little different around Northwest Florida and the Panhandle area. But one day I was hanging out with my brother in Pensacola (my hometown) and I asked him if there were any events coming up, and he told me about the Y Get Dirty Mud Run. The "Y" stands for the YMCA.

Watch the Full Race Video below!

I originally had plans to attend an event in Central Florida, but was not able to make it, and so without any other plans for the weekend, I decided to make a point to check out the Y Get Dirty Mud Run and see what it was all about. I normally try to either run or film an Obstacle Course Race event every weekend if I can when I am not spending time with my family, daughter, or traveling somewhere around the world.

I woke up around 6:30am and started getting my GoPro equipment ready. From Pensacola, it's takes about 45 minutes to Foley, Alabama where the Y Get Dirty Mud Run is located, so it was pretty close. I arrived around 7:45am at the Graham Creek Nature Preserve in Foley, and the property looked untouched and clean =), at least for now it would be.

The event was organized by the Snook Family YMCA and the proceeds benefited the Y Campaign for Youth and Families. From the moment I introduced my self to the race director/organizer, I believe her name was Mykala, I had a very good first impression of the YMCA team, and the people who were running it. Even the volunteers were very helpful.

Train for your next race, or just get into shape - Take the Beachbody Challenge!

It was probably the smallest mud run that I've ever attended. There were only two waves. One elite wave at 9:00am which was 4.5 miles, and a Fun Run 5K at 9:30am. There were no chip timers, so they were pretty old school and used a timer at the finish line and gave out placement cards as the runners flew in through the finish line, and trust me, there were some really fast runners. Top Runners and Top Teams were awarded prizes which were nice little baskets of all kinds of things. I didn't see what were in them, but all I can say is that it must have been put together by a girl because it looked all pretty =)

I ran and filmed with the first elite wave, and went back and took as much footage as I could from the Fun Run as well. I ran about 8+ miles that day, but I loved every minute of it. This is one of the reasons why I love what I do because I can run and get some exercise, and also motivate and coach people while they are racing. It's something natural for me as a Beachbody Coach, so I enjoy doing this at the events.

A lot of people ask me why I film and attend races almost every weekend, and how I can afford to do it. Not to turn this into a book or anything =), but I started OCRTUBE.com which is a network portal for OCR (obstacle course racing) athletes to meet and network with each other, it's also a website for me to showcase my racing videos. The mission for OCRTUBE.com is to help the sport of obstacle course racing grow worldwide. I tend to to focus on more race motivation versus news and drama. I really don't care about what goes on with anyone's business, my focus is to get people off the couch and start living the active lifestyle, and that's what I focus on with my OCRTUBE.com project, as well as my Beachbody Coaching business, which is my full time gig. I am currently a Star Diamond Beachbody Coach, and help people with all fitness levels from weight loss goals to becoming a better athlete.

So without further ado, here is the video that I made from the Y Get Dirty Mud Run in Foley, Alabama. I had an absolute blast, and I definitely plan on coming back one day!

Y Get Dirty Mud Run - Foley, Alabama 2015 (Full Race with Elite and Fun Run)

More Obstacle Course Racing


Take the Beachbody on Demand Challenge - Free Coaching from me!

How Much Protein Do I Need?

How Much Protein Do I Need?

Many people enjoy eating high-protein foods because they believe that protein will make them grow big and strong. Is that what you think? Let's take a look at what protein really does.

Unlike carbohydrates and fats which contain only carbon, oxygen, and hydrogen, protein also contains nitrogen and other elements essential for life. Proteins are made up of several amino acids which are building blocks that are hooked together. Although there are many different amino acids (at least 20), only 9 are called essential amino acids because the body cannot make them; they must be obtained from the diet. That's why we must eat protein to take in the essential amino acids.

How much protein should I eat?
Most people consume about 150 to 200 grams of protein each day which is more than enough. Protein needs are determined by the following factors: age, body weight, and activity level.

Many athletes think that if they eat more protein their muscles will get larger, but this is false. Excess calories from protein can be converted to fat and stored. Not only that, the liver and the kidneys are put under a lot of strain when processing large quantities of protein.

How much protein do I need?
Suppose you weight 175 pounds and are doing both extreme strength and endurance training. Your protein needs would be 0.6 to 0.8 grams per pound of body weight. Check out the examples and how to calculate your protein needs below:

Protein Requirements for Strength Training:
Research has shown that the protein needs of strength athletes and endurance athletes are quite similar. The calculations are the same as the above.

The excess protein in an athlete's diet, not required by the body, is often around 100 grams per day. Because muscle is 20% protein, the additional 100 grams of protein per day should result in a gain of 500 grams of muscle per day, or about 1 pound of muscle per day.

Concerns with Very High Protein Intakes:
- Increases the work load of the kidneys and in the extreme cases result in kidney failure. In some individuals this practice has resulted in hypertension.
- Can be dehydrating especially during endurance events if additional fluids are not consumed.
- High intake of free amino acids may cause diarrhea and abdominal cramps.
- Creates imbalances of the essential amino acids.

*Information provided by: US Navy Seal Guide to Fitness and Nutrition


Try Shakeology Super Sampler!