Anna Landry Loves Talking All Things Obstacle Course Racing

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Anna Landry is joining me on the show today to dive into all things OCR.

She is the co-host of the OCR Talk podcast and isn’t afraid to get dirty.

I am looking forward to going a few easy miles, filled with obstacles of course, with Anna Landry.

Variety Is the Spice of Life

Once Anna discovered OCR she was hooked.

It has only been in the past few years that she has been competing in these events.

After having 2 children, Anna found herself out of shape and overweight.

She began running in her neighborhood as a way to shed some of the excess weight.

Anna signed up for a nearby 10k to give her a goal to work towards.

Because as Anna said, “You can never do just one race,” she promptly began searching for other races after she completed her first one.

In her search for local races, she kept coming across Spartan race ads.

The idea of combining obstacles to break up the run intrigued Anna.

A Whole New Challenge

Anna wasted no time signing up for her first OCR which was a Warrior Dash.

She was hooked after completing the race and hasn’t looked back since.

In 2016 Anna signed up for the competitive wave in the Spartan Dash for the first time.

The Warrior Dash is a good beginner variety OCR according to Anna and the Spartan offers a variety of skill levels.

The Spartan Races operate 3 waves options for competitors depending on skill level and goals:

• Wave 1 is for elites hoping to place or score points.
• The second wave is for age group competitors.
• The final wave is the open group which includes all different skill levels and people that want to compete for fun.

The elite level in the Spartan series has a point system and the points go toward qualifying for a Championship Series.

The Championship is typically held in Tahoe and Anna has done quite well in the past with top 5 and 10 age group finishes.

A Team Affair

OCR events often have team races available.

Each series generally has slightly different rules surrounding team competitions.

The Spartan series team events have one person doing the endurance portion, one doing the multi-rig obstacles, and another doing strength and speed.

Whether doing an OCR event solo or as a team, Anna stresses that a participant must be prepared for anything.

Anna practices in a Ninja style gym to prepare for anything that is thrown at her.

Even in the midst of a race, there is trial and error when it comes to how to approach obstacles.

Anna’s approach during races is to try every obstacle because she sometimes surprises herself.

Strategy plays a large part in OCR events.

All-Inclusive

Anna knows how intimidating OCR can be but wants everyone to know that it is for people of all skill levels.

There are various race series that are more beginner-friendly for someone just starting out.

Anna recommends when training for an OCR doing a little bit of everything.

Training should include:

• Running and cardio
• Weight/strength training
• Grip training

Anna works on grip strength by hanging from a pull-up bar and continually switching her grip.

Anna’s passion for OCR extends beyond just racing.

She is also the co-host of OCR Talk podcast and has been doing that for almost 2 years.

For Anna, OCR keeps her coming back because of the community and the way it challenges her both mentally and physically.

 

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Mentioned In This Episode:

• OCR Talk Podcast
• Conquer The Gauntlet
• Spartan Race
• Warrior Dash

Stay connected with Anna Landry by following her on Instagram.

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Anna Landry is the co-host of the OCR Talk Podcast and a competitor herself. She is passionate about getting all skill levels to participate and to embrace the challenge. Click To Tweet

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As Always, I’d Love to Know What Stood Out to You From this Episode! Let Me Know Your Takeaway in the Comments Below!

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