Blog Post

Are you ready for OCRWC?

jasonrulo • Oct 11, 2017

The Obstacle Racing World Championships are almost here! 2,000+ athletes from 67 countries will descend upon Blue Mountain Resort in Ontario, Canada with an ultimate goal of bringing home a medal for their native country. For most this is but a dream; however, that doesn’t mean the masses will give anything less than his/her best. That being said should a competitor underestimate mother nature and how much she can affect a race then that racer could be in for a long day. I fully believe in the motto “plan for the worst and hope for the best,” so you can bet that I will come prepared. I put this blog together in hopes that I can provide a little bit of clarity as you contemplate your OCRWC race(s).

Things you SHOULD have done to prepare:

Lots of hill sprints!
Planned out your gear so you have items like a hat/ swim cap, wind breaker, Neptune Thermoregulation System or Frog Skin, etc
Practiced your obstacle skills at you local Ninja Warrior Gym like KoR Komplex in St. Charles, MO and various grip hold types to prepare you for the Platinum Rigs and other obstacles.
Practiced gripping items in the rain or while they are wet!

Items to bring (these will vary based on your experience level, conditioning, resistance to cold, etc)

Windbreaker/ Rain Jacket (this is a must if you are not an elite who is moving FAST). I recommend the Frogg Toggs Pro Action Jacket. This jacket is light and packable but still pretty durable. It is also relatively cheap so you can discard it if necessary. The biggest reason this is a great choice is it’s design. The fabric will not compress and stick to your skin when it’s wet. This means it will keep you warmer in the wind! It will also help trap in your body heat. As a last resort if it’s raining hard you could always start the race in a trash bag and then discard it at the first trash can your see.
Neptune Thermoregulation System. If you are wet and you happen to get stuck at an obstacle then you will wish you had one of these to keep you warm especially if it’s windy like it is supposed to be. In addition to warmth, the pouches of the Neptune are designed to block wind so even if you choose not to use the warmers this system will still come in handy!
Gloves. The expected rain will make gripping all of the obstacles a little dicy. This is where having a pair of grippy gloves with you may be necessary.

Things to consider on race day

Wet clothing will make you colder than no clothing at all… except (see below) , so your race wear needs to be quick drying
Less clothing means more exposure to wind you may want to have that windbreaker in your plan especially if you are racing early in the morning.
Being cold causes the body to retain blood in the core of the body in order to stay warm. This lack of blood flow to the arms weakens your grip
The more obstacles you fail the more cold you will get because in general I have found that using the following rest formula works well to ensure you have recovered enough to make another attempt at a grip based obstacle:
-Wait 5 min after your first failed attempt to try again
-Wait 10 min after your second failed attempt
-Wait 15 min after your third fail and add 5 minutes for each subsequent fail until you reach 30 minutes of rest. After six attempts you will likely need up to 30 minutes between attempts but remember you will eventually be pulled from the course if you cannot finish by the event cutoff.

Understanding how all of the above will play into your race is the key. Planning for this is your duty because if you “fail to plan then you plan to fail!” I see my role in this process as educator. Providing you the information so you can perform at your best. I remember the line from G.I. Joe when I was kid “knowing is half the battle!” Now you know so go out there and crush the course!!! I will see you in Canada ehh!

Godspeed!

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Cold Water Swimming

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BROCR Podcast (Racing in the Cold)

By Jason Rulo • 25 Sep, 2019

On the BROCR Supercast we discuss the current world of OCR (Obstacle Course Racing), the people in it, and hot topics of the week. The BROCR Supercast is a no frills dive into the mud for the die hard athletes that are the OCR community. 9/23/19- This week's episode= It’s getting Cold in here- so put on all your clothes WRONG! Join Jacob and Leah as they speak with Jason Rulo- the inventor of the Neptune Thermoregulation System, and expert in cold weather prep! Headed to Tahoe this weekend? Or perhaps the upcoming Sweden Ultra or World’s Toughest Mudder? You won’t want to miss this episode to learn all about what you can do to prepare for the cold and ensure you finish your race as intended! Find the podcast on Google Podcast here: https://podcasts.google.com/?feed=aHR0cHM6Ly9hbmNob3IuZm0vcy85MzIzZjgwL3BvZGNhc3QvcnNz&episode=NjM0N2E3MDUtOTM0Yy02NzVkLTM1ZGUtOTJhZTFlZmY2YTBh

New Age of Thermoregulation

By Jason Rulo • 04 Aug, 2019

When the Neptune Thermoregulation System made it's debut at the 2016 World's Toughest Mudder it marked a new age of temperature regulating clothing. Until that time nearly all of the clothing that provided external assistance in thermoregulation was outerwear in the form of a jacket, sweater type long sleeved shirt, or a down jacket/vest. The Neptune base-layer brought in a new type of product and still the only waterproof option. Wearing temperature assisting clothing close to the skin allows for a lot more flexible clothing options by selecting more traditional apparel to wear over it if necessary. Companies love to use technology to address this issue...even if "high tech" may not be the best approach. Sony has recently developed a new product called the Reon Pocket through their crowdfunding site. This product claims it can lower your body temperature 23 degrees F or raise it by 14 degrees F. This of course isn't actually true. Dropping your actual body temp by more than a few degrees puts you on the road to hypothermia and is really no fun at all. On the opposite end, you would not be able raise your body temperature much over 100 degree F before triggering a heat related illness response. They aren't painting the entire picture. Probably a better way to describe the effect of the Reon Pocket is that it lowers/ raises the SKIN temperature AT THE SITE OF THE DEVICE. The Neptune will actually produce AT LEAST similar results but it utilizes a much more low tech and more reliable method... Why? because I can never seem to find a charging port out in the woods or on a race course when I get that dreaded low battery warning! The method of application is another topic. However, given the fact that the Neptune shirt can actually hold up to six body warmers or even six Reon Pocket devices and the fact they are around the core only serves to increase the benefit. I will caution users that the more insulation you put over a warming device the more localized heat will be retained. At localized temperatures over about 115 degrees F you can burn the skin. I am guessing Sony limited the heat output of the device to help prevent this. However, I hypothesize the unit could get hotter than the 115 degrees F unless it has it's own "governor" if you will to prevent it from continueing to produce heat above a certain measure temperature. This is actually why we recommend our customers place the body warmers in the pouches during EVERY use even when when they will not be getting wet. I actually also question the cooling claims as well given the fact that in order to use the Reon Pocket you must wear the undershirt. Wearing a shirt under a shirt automatically makes you warmer because it both limits airflow around the skin as well as providing another layer in which to trap air thereby making the environment inside your shirt warmer. The Reon Pocket now has to overcome this in order to make you cooler. One might argue that simply wearing a lighter shirt and no undershirt might be a better choice. Bottom line, I believe thermoregulatory clothing is here to stay. Heck you can even go further than base layer clothing if you are looking for a heating or cooling effect. There are even cooling bras for women as well as underwear for men . Consumers really need to look into some of these options when they are shopping for solutions. That being said, potential customers do need to beware of ridiculous claims (see the Eddie Bauer claim in the pic below where it's impossible for there to be less heat loss in arms than that of the core in the non Evertherm jacket). Just know there are options out there. If you have questions about these products feel free to contact me. I am happy to help in any way I can. Godspeed and happy trails!