Take a peek into how a world-class athlete and national team member trains for and bodily recovers from obstacle course races, from the SEA Games to Spartan Races
Some would consider obstacle course racing (OCR) to be the ultimate test of strength, agility, endurance, and technical skill. When OCR athletes have to run, crawl, and swing through all kinds of obstacles on difficult terrain, we can understand why. With these feats of athleticism in mind, this begs the question: How do they manage it?
To lend us insight on this very topic, we interviewed Marites Nocyao, a member of the country’s OCR national team. Notably, she brought home gold after the 2023 South East Asian Games and reached second place in the Spartan Race’s 2023 Elite Series.
Introducing Marites Nocyao
RELATED: Here’s Where Beginners Can Train For Obstacle Course Races
To become an elite athlete, Marites believes it takes staying focused on one’s goal, though she values the support she gets from family and friends as well. She is also a mother of two children, and the type to include them whenever possible. “I love that they too are very passionate about sports such that we can share our passion, exercise, and compete together,” she remarks. Interestingly, it was in raising her two children that she found her start in sports.
“I started as a keen amateur just wanting to get fit after bringing up two young children, so I enrolled at the local gym and did some very basic fitness classes. Then once I moved to Manila. I started hanging out with the Suns Out fitness community, and they encouraged me to compete in my first race,” she says.
Everything snowballed from there. Now, as a member of the country’s national team for obstacle course racing, she follows the strict advice and recommendations of all her coaches and dietitians. Speaking on her everyday workout routine, she says that it typically consists of two sessions: strength and conditioning and aerobics, but it would all depend on where she is on her cycle, how close race day is, and what type of race she’s competing in.
“100M Ninja competitions like the SEA Game require a different program to that of a 21km Spartan Beast. All aspects of my life are carefully balanced, so I can train hard, recover and rest properly, and eat the appropriate fuel for optimum performance,” she explains.
RELATED: Explaining the Biohacking and Whole-Body Cryotherapy Trend
Speaking of recovery, she mentions that she uses a Theragun personal massager on a daily basis, both before and after every workout —apart from the occasional and highly beneficial cryotherapy session. Marites also notes that, with her position on the national team, she has access to professional sports therapists who give her physical therapy sessions after races.
Photos and Videos: MARITES NOCYAO (via Instagram)
