How Spartan OCR Racing Transformed My Life with Mario Valentin! Ep125

Richard Conner: [00:00:00] Hi, my friend today, you’ll hear such an inspiring conversation as we’re going to talk about some obstacles in life and overcoming them, but also finding joy in running and fitness, along with some tips to help you get the most out of your experience. Hope you enjoy.

Intro/Outro: Welcome to inspire to run podcast. Here, you will find inspiration, whether you’re looking to take control of your health and fitness, or you are a seasoned runner looking for community and some extra motivation, you will hear inspiring stories from amazing runners, along with helpful tips from fitness experts.

Now, here’s your host, Richard Conner.

Richard Conner and Mario Valentin: Hi, my friend, welcome to inspire to run podcast. I’m here today with Mario Valentin, who is an army national guard veteran, father for captain of super smash bros OCR team. And he started racing in 2014, mainly OCR races, which includes 61 Spartan races, which is comprised of [00:01:00] three ultras and 17 trifectas.

Mario is using fitness to keep them ready for life and wants to inspire others to be their best self through fitness. Welcome to the show, Mario. Hey, thank you for having me. Yeah, this is exciting to have you here and talk about your journey. You know, as I understand it, you didn’t really grow up with fitness and sports when you were younger.

It’s something you got into a little bit later on in life. So love to hear about that. Love to hear about some of life’s obstacles, which is also in your bio. And, you know, just learn a little bit about you and your journey. Sounds good. Yeah. Um, again, I didn’t have any traditional sports growing up, so there was no, uh, school football, basketball or anything like that.

Now, I will say. Uh, growing up, I did think that I was a good basketball player. I mean, that’s one of the things that I would say, uh, my friends and I would get together and we would go out, uh, play at the park. And so I, I would say, um, while I wasn’t in any kind of organized sports, basketball was my thing.

So, um, there was never any running or no track or anything like that. But, um, so I was semi active, we’ll [00:02:00] say, early on, you know, in early teens. And then, uh, as you got older through high school, um, you know, there were other things that, that occupied my time, uh, during that time. Yeah, for sure. And I’m definitely envious because basketball, baseball, all those sports was not on the list for me.

So I joined cross country and I did a little bit of track and those are kind of my sports in high school and the same kind of thing. Like after high school into college, working part time, going to school, working full time, going to school, part time, starting a family early, like just sports took a back seat.

And then I personally got back into it, you know, just about eight, 10 years ago. So, you know, love to hear from you, like. What was that driver to kind of get you back into fitness and sports, and where did that take you? Well, I would say, um, you know, going back to the high school days, and you talk about starting a family early.

I started very early, so that, um, you know, starting very early and then entering into the National Guard to try to, you know, have a way forward for the family, um, that’s kind of what occupied my earlier [00:03:00] years, and then also I had aspirations for other things non related to fitness that we can delve into.

I haven’t talked about it in a long time, but. Back then I was a very different person than I am now. Probably around, um, I’d say 35 years old or so is when I just had this itch to to, um, like the Army National Guard when I was a soldier doing those obstacle courses that we did in training. Um, and then being a soldier was just something that I had fond memories of and the discipline that instilled in me.

I just wanted a piece of that again in my older years, and I was just looking for a way to achieve that. And then There was a race held in Hartford, Connecticut. It was the Down and Dirty Mud Run. And it was, uh, put together by the, I think it was the Army that was running that. So I said to myself, you know, this looks like something perfect that would get me back into, you know, the, the things that I missed, the, the things that I enjoyed.

Um, and I, I, I talked to a, a co worker of mine. I said, you wanna try sign up for this thing? And he was like, yeah, sure. Let’s, uh, let’s sign up for it. I had no idea what obstacle course racing was at the [00:04:00] time. I think it was, uh, So it was 2014, Spartan was already a thing, but I had no idea about it. There was no, I had no information on it, so this was my first introduction to it.

Um, so, that prompted me to start, um, you know, preparing for that, which I had an understanding was like a three mile race, some obstacles. So that’s what got me, like, during lunch break, I would do like a walk around the block, then it escalated to like a run around the block. Um, so that’s what started training.

and then maybe tracking my fitness a little bit by progressing and saying, hey, I was able to run a mile, you know, because I prior to then, aside from the army training, um, I never myself was motivated to just go out and run for no, I used to think that was like silly who goes out, goes out to just run. Um, so it’s never something that I did, but preparing for this race is what got me to start wanting to say, okay, how fast can I run this mile?

And, you know, Um, so that, that’s how it initially progressed. And then doing the race, uh, I, I enjoyed it. I [00:05:00] was like, you know what, this is something I’m gonna do every single year. So that was in 2014. And then, uh, sure enough, in 2015, there was an excitement that was built up. We’re gonna do this Down and Dirty Mud Run again.

It was my friend John and I, as a coworker, uh, he was, I would say, the original Super Smash Bro. We can talk more about the team. But, um, you know, we were all excited about doing the, the 2015 Down and Dirty Mud Run once again in Hartford. And I was saying to myself, you know what, I, I, the first time I did it, I think I, I placed pretty well in my age group.

I think I was like 7th or something in my age group for the first time, so I had an itch of, of, you know, I, I can be good at this. And, uh, I trained for the next year, um, did a lot more running, uh, during lunch breaks and then after work I would, I would get into running. Uh, we did the 2015 Down and Dirty Mudder and had a blast, so certainly 2016 we were gonna do it again, but.

That company, I don’t know if they went out of business or what happened, but that event was no longer in Hartford. So we had to [00:06:00] find something to fulfill that, that itch. Now, you know, we’ve been doing this for two years. It’s been a yearly tradition. So what, what do we do? And then Spartan kind of came into the picture.

I think my friend John might have introduced me to Spartan. And we signed up for a beast in New Jersey, which at that time I had no idea what this was. I just know it’s a, It’s like, hey, we’re going to try this Spartan thing and, and that’s where the, the journey began in 2016. Okay. That’s awesome. And when you’re talking about the beast in New Jersey, just brought back fond memories of when I did my first trifecta probably first and only at this point, but, uh, yeah, I did the beast, um, which culminated my season there and mountain Creek, I think it was kind of the same.

And I think a lot left part of my soul on that mountain, but I’m happy to be done with that. Yeah. So. Again, I mean, if, if the listeners are familiar, I know this is Inspired to Run, but I, I think that you reach a diverse group of, of, you know, athletes or people that, that strive for fitness. So, I’m sure that some of the listeners out there are [00:07:00] familiar.

So, when I say the first thing I chose was the Spartan Beast, people are like, why would you choose that? Right. But, we really didn’t know. Um. But when you talk about leaving your soul there, that’s exactly what happened. So, um, leading up to that race in New Jersey, there was a lot of, um, you know, I was like, okay, this is a Spartan and, you know, they do a really good job of marketing.

So I was saying to myself, I’m gonna, I’m gonna prepare for this. So I was doing, um, you know, I go to local playgrounds and get on the monkey bars. Um, or I try to practice, you know, whatever strength training I can. I wasn’t in the gym at the time. I think I ended up signing up for a gym, uh, Planet Fitness, which is, um, You know, it was, it was economical.

It was, uh, there was flexibility because I can go to a local Planet Fitness or I was traveling back and forth for work. So, I can go, when I was traveling to New Jersey for work, I can go to the Planet Fitness there. , But either way, I was, uh, increasing my runs. So, I, I would, I would do, you know, 5K and then I got to a point where I was even running, uh, like, like 6 miles or seeing how far I could go, knowing the distance was going to be 13 miles.

, I, [00:08:00] my proud moment at the time was being able to do, like, a 10 mile. 10 mile run. It was a place called Week Way Park in Newark, New Jersey. It’s a beautiful park out there. , and just being able to get to a 10 mile run was a huge achievement for me at the time. And I was like, Okay, I’m I’m ready for this Spartan race.

I can’t wait. And then, um, I learned quickly that, you know, road running or running on flat ground is absolutely nothing like, you know, running on, you know, mountainous terrains. And, um, that that mountain humbled me. My first Spartan was was, uh, It was, it was a learning experience. I’m not going to call it a failure.

, it was a learning experience. It took me, it took me nine hours on my first beat. So, you know. Looking back on it now, I’ve improved a lot, but that’s what it’s all about. It’s about trying something for the first time and then seeing how you can improve over time. But I mean, I set the bar so low on that first run, but I had some, some, um, I had a knee injury to deal with probably around mile nine.

[00:09:00] And, and then just after that, I was hobbling to the finish line. And, , you know, that, that first finish line, my first finish line experience on the Spartan race was, was crossing it and, and like, Almost being in tears with my buddy kind of carrying me over the finish line. But it was a tremendous achievement and it was very rewarding.

So in the moment was was miserable. But then when you look back on it, like I was on a high for just saying I completed that. So that’s that’s what some of these events offer to me. And for a lot of people is that that sense of achievement and it’s it’s attainable. You know, it’s it’s if you think about somebody who starts their journey or, you know, whatever it is, um, a lot of times they say, well, I can’t do that.

That’s 13 miles and when I, when I look at the person I was when I did that first down and dirty, that person would, would not, would not think that they can achieve that, you know, 13 mile, uh, probably 15 or 16 mile beast. Uh, cause Spartan miles were different earlier, you know, when I first started in 2016, it was a little bit different.

, but I just mean like, [00:10:00] you know, even, even when I did that down and dirty, there was another option. I think it was a six mile option. And I remember thinking to myself, wow, I just did this three mile race. Look at those guys doing the six mile race. That’s incredible. You know, so even then, that was a tremendous thing to where now, you know, I’m in a position where, you know, six miles is a regular occurrence.

You know, it’s part of training now, but it just goes to show that, you know, if there’s something that you got your eye on and you want to try it, it’s it may seem big, but if you take one step forward, um, anything that’s big, if you break it down, you into small steps, you can eventually achieve those goals, you know?

So that’s probably what I would say to people who are looking at, you know, trying to sign up for their first big thing, either it’s a OCR race or a road race or a marathon. Yeah, 100%. Because like you said, if someone hasn’t run a 5k before or a half marathon or marathon or a beast, it does seem daunting.

And I could tell you from my own experience, Like I didn’t start running really long distances up [00:11:00] until about four years ago, right? When I started to do these longer Spartan races and then just the other day, I was talking to somebody else like, yeah, you know, I have to go run 15 miles this Sunday for my long run and they’re looking at me like only 15 miles.

I was like, yeah, it’s no big deal because in my mind I just did 18 miles a week before. So I’m like, yeah, 15 miles. This is going to be a walk in the park. Right. What I’m really worried about is 21 miles a week after, because I haven’t done that yet. So for me, like that’s the next step. So like you said, it’s really just taking it step by step so you can get to, you know, your goal.

But I think another thing that’s important for us who are, are moving forward and we’re looking to get better is always having an understanding of where other people are. And, and, um, so I’ll take an ultra, for example, so I don’t like to do the Spartan Ultra, you know, and I have reasons for doing it. , I don’t necessarily like that long distance, but I do it for other other things.

So I had, , you know, I know I talked with you a little bit earlier about my Achilles injury. I had that Achilles injury prior [00:12:00] to that injury. I did. I did the Spartan Ultra and it was just because it was a bucket list thing. I wanted to try it. , and it was a one and done thing. I was certain I was like, I’m never gonna do that again.

, but then after the injury, uh, in 2018, I, I at some point wanted to work back to it. So it took several years, but, but doing the ultra again was more of a redemption for, you know, recovering from the Achilles, going through all that work. And then I was like, you know what, can I, can I do an ultra? And so I did it for that reason.

But there are people that are, you know, for, for them, a 5k is their ultra. And I respect that. You know, I respect anyone who’s like, um, you know, they’re not active, but they’re saying to themselves, you know what, I want to get myself to a 5k. And, you know, they are taking that same leap of, leap of faith that, that I’m taking when I join an ultra, or that, uh, you know, person doing a hundred mile race is taking.

You know, they, they’re at a certain fitness level and they’re, they want to take on something bigger. So, my bigger, uh, Is different than your bigger. And so that’s, we, we [00:13:00] have to respect everybody’s, you know, uh, commitment and, and appreciate that they’re, they’re having a willingness to, to, to leap forward and try something new.

100%, 100%. So let’s talk about, you know, other parts of your journey. So we talked a little bit about your injuries, so we can, you know, talk more about that. And also love to hear about your team. The super smash bros team. So the injury first, let’s talk about the injury. Um, all right. So I think 2018, uh, was a year where I was.

Uh, 2017 I had done a whole bunch of races. I tried, um, like a, I tried Savage Race, City Challenge, I tried Rugged Maniac, Bone Frog, I was branching out. So it wasn’t just Spartan races, we were, we were just trying different venues. Uh, really enjoyed the, you know, the vibes that, that you get at the different start lines.

And, um, I think that might have been the year where I started doing competitive. So initially we started out in the open. And then I, I, I jumped into the competitive waves just because it, it just, I wasn’t necessarily competing against anyone. you know, fellow racers, I was, I was competing against my prior [00:14:00] self, but that atmosphere was, was, you know, it suited me to be kind of at the start line with people.

Um, as I’m running, you know, everybody beside you is whether they’re chasing a podium or they’re chasing their own P. R. S. It just has a different feel when you’re in the, in the competitive wave. So 2018 I did, you know, several races. Um, and I was, I was feeling good. I think I was at the height of, you know, what I thought was the height of my, my fitness.

And, um, it was a year where I was also looking to do endurance. So I think I did a, um, I did the Spartan Ultra, and then I did some Hurricane Heats, which are a different type of event, um, but my goal was doing an endurance trifecta, meaning I would do an Ultra, uh, a 4 hour Hurricane Heat, and a 12 hour Hurricane Heat.

That’s what it was at the time. Now there’s all kinds of different levels, 24 hour, I’m not interested in, in that. Um, but, you know, so I was feeling strong, and then I also started doing some Ninja. So. courses out in, uh, I think it’s in Windsor. In Windsor Locks, there’s a, there’s a ninja gym out there, which is still [00:15:00] running today.

Um, but they had all these obstacles, and I was like, let me try ninja. You know, so I, I, I went out, uh, signed up for some classes, and, uh, it, it was fun. It was, it was a fun thing to do, you know, branching out, and the warped wall that they have there, um, you know, I, I remember tackling the smaller wall, and then progressing to the bigger wall, and then they had like a 15 foot, you know, warped wall that I was like, alright, I’m gonna get that.

And there was one day when I was there training, and I think we focused primarily, like, we did our warm up, then we focused primarily on upper body stuff, and then, like, before I left, it was like 10 minutes left, and I was like, alright, you know what, I haven’t tried that 15 foot wall today, let me give it a shot.

And that’s where it happened. I was running towards the, uh, the warp wall, and as I was running, um, I just heard this loud, Sound pop. It sounded like a like a two by four. Somebody just dropped it on the ground. That’s what it sounded like And and I remember running towards the wall, uh falling on my face I looked back because there was a coach that was going to spot me like as I run he would [00:16:00] you know, whatever he’d spot me and I looked back like What’d you hit me for because I thought somebody hit me and and I think when you talk to people who have an achilles injury They they have similar uh stories of feeling like they were just hit with something.

But anyway, that’s that’s when it happened. Um And in that moment, uh, I remember it was, it was sharp pain at first, but then there wasn’t really a tremendous amount of pain. I just couldn’t stand up. Um, you know, went to the doctor, they confirmed what happened. And I, I, I remember sitting there, um, in the, in the hospital, uh, when one of the doctors was kind of giving me the news.

And he was like, yeah, you know, it’s an Achilles rupture. It’s, and he was just feeding me like a lot of bad news. And I think that they, Um, have to be very careful when they have someone, um, in the, in, in the room there and they’re evaluating it. They don’t crush their hopes and dreams because it was sounding like, yeah, you know, you’re, you’re not likely going to get back to, to, to running the way you were.

And, um, I wouldn’t expect to rebound. And, and it was just things that I didn’t need to hear at that time that really kind of was like, all right, well, Spartans are probably [00:17:00] over and running is probably over based on what he’s telling me. Um, but, but then it just was a, um, a point in my life where I, I said, you know what, this is one of life’s obstacles that we, that we talked about.

Um, and a lot of people I think would find themselves in a point where they would, they would give up completely. But I was like, no, I think that while I’m limited here with my injury to my leg, I’ll just start focusing on upper body work and I’ll start focusing on things that I can do. One of the things that also is, I would say good advice for anyone out there.

is always focused on the things that you can do when, um, when life gives you challenges. So if you have a lower body injury, you can always work on the upper body. It’s good for you. You can’t, you can’t allow yourself to be sedentary. Um, and you can’t let a certain moment in your life define, define you either.

So, um, I learned that through that experience and I’m, and I’m better for it. Um, it was a, it was a long recovery process. I remember, you know, being worried that, you know, will I be able to get back to this, um, you know, [00:18:00] where I was. And I would say that after, you know, some, some, some good, uh, recovery time, I think it was about six months.

I was already back to, you know, doing some running, um, getting back involved in some, in some races and, and tackling obstacles again. So, it was a, it was a setback, but again, I think that, um, it was just a testament to, to being able to overcome challenges, uh, so, life’s challenges. So, um. You know, anybody out there who’s suffering a similar injury, uh, it does get better, you know, and, uh, but I think the only way it gets better is by, you know, taking control and, and, um, not letting it, uh, you know, sideline you completely.

Cause I don’t think it does us any good to, you know, have something happen and then we just sit back and, you know, let the couch take over. Yeah. Yeah. Well, thank you for sharing that story. And, you know, I love what you said about like, don’t let those specific moments kind of define you. Yeah. So that’s really helpful to kind of think about, you know, what else can I do?

Even though I’m limited in one particular area, what are the other things I could do to kind of keep moving forward? So I appreciate that [00:19:00] and kind of as we were talking before I personally didn’t realize this like I know Injuries are quite common like whether you’re doing fitness or not injuries happen and you have to kind of work through them But Achilles injuries is actually a little bit more common than I thought and you know, I know folks that are listening have either gone through it or maybe going through it now.

So this is really helpful, you know, to hear your story and kind of how you work through that. Yeah. And just real quick on the Achilles injury. It’s um, when I talk to doctors afterwards, it’s uh, you know, you, you ask a lot of questions, especially me as an engineer. I have a lot of questions that I have for everything in life.

So I’m asking the doctor, how can I have prevented this? What can I have done? Um, and, and when something like this happens to us, we often beat ourselves up thinking to ourselves, you know, what, what could I have done better? Like I always think back to the day it happened, you know, and I say to myself, well, I remember working on upper body and, and maybe my lower body cooled down and, and I decided to just go, you know, uh, full on with the run and that’s when it popped.

Um, but, but ultimately it’s, it’s one of those [00:20:00] injuries that you, you can’t necessarily, uh, it just, it’s one of those things that happens. There’s not really a, something that you can do to prevent. Um, so certainly stretching and, and making sure you have your mobility, that’s always key to prevent any injuries, but um, this has happened to some of the top elite level athletes.

Like if you’re looking at the NFL or NBA or even baseball, uh, you’ll, you’ll see top like Kobe Bryant is a prime example of someone who the Achilles happened to him and you know, you know, Kobe Bryant’s on top of his training, right? So if it can happen to the elite level athlete, it, you know, it’s, it’s something that likely it’s, it’s not something I did wrong.

It’s just. and you just gotta gotta move forward, you know, now I’m not, that’s not to say that things aren’t preventable. So by all means in my older years, I know that I need to stretch before I do any kind of workout. I think stretching post workout is also beneficial and these things do help recovery.

I know that you got coach Kevin probably telling you that recovery is key. And I know I’ve listened to as a matter of fact on your podcast recently. He talked about the benefits of recovery and prioritizing. So, [00:21:00] um, And I’m not a doctor and I’m not a physical, uh, I’m not a trainer or anything. So, um, my, my thoughts on injuries are, you know, that you can prevent injuries, but this one in particular, don’t beat yourself up if it’s something that happened to you.

Yeah. Yeah, for sure. And yeah, I appreciate you sharing that. Yeah, Coach Kevin does emphasize, you know, recovery, and he has a lot here, you know, so today we’re actually recording in Kevin’s gym, in the underdog gym. Yes, we’re in the, we’re in underdog fitness, and we have some of the top level athletes here today actually training, so it’s pretty inspiring.

So we talk about inspired to run, I’m inspired to go out and run too, and maybe even do some wall balls like Alex is doing over there. Absolutely. So, you know, um, so he does, he does have a lot of equipment here for recovery, and he does promote that too. I know for me personally, I have. massage boots and I’ve done, you know, some other things for recovery.

And I also try to do a lot with warm ups and, you know, a little bit of stretching. And one of the things I need to get better at is mobility. So I know that’s an area that that I need to get better at. So I appreciate you sharing that. So, you know, [00:22:00] kind of on the same theme of life’s obstacles, you know, let’s talk about some other obstacles that you kind of encountered and how do you work through those?

Um, well, I don’t know. The two things There’s lots of challenges that we have in our life. I mean, we, for example, we might, uh, you know, losing, losing somebody close to us is always one of life’s obstacles, you know? Um, and throughout my life, especially later on, you know, there’s, there’s many people that, um, that I’ve lost and, you know, having to deal with that is obviously something that’s challenging for a lot of people not to bring the show down or anything, but that’s the reality.

Those are some of life’s challenges. Losing your job can be, you know, life’s obstacles. Uh, so I, I haven’t ever lost my job. I think I’ve, I was laid off at one point. Um, so it, it’s just something that happens, uh, you know, early, or earlier on, you’re, you’re trying to navigate through life, pay bills, you know, I, I’ve got kids to take care of and then, you know, you get laid off, it’s like, um, but I would say that, you know, taking on these things for ourselves, like, um, you know, I do obstacle course racing, you know, [00:23:00] for those that, that are trying to tackle a marathon, you know, having a goal, something that you chase it, it’s.

It, it puts you in position for the thing you’re chasing, but then it, it, it also gives you a certain mindset for other things in life. So you know, you talk about those instances that I mentioned, you know, uh, you, you learn, you learn to deal with things and you learn that, that um, things can ultimately get better.

You learn to progress and you learn to stay strong through adversity. So that’s probably one of the biggest benefits that I, that I get from um, you know, doing, doing races, training and staying prepared and, and ready for, for these activities. Um, I, I would say that, um, by, and it’s not just obstacle course racing, it’s whatever you decide to do.

You know, whatever challenge you take on that you say, you know, I’m going to do this, I’m going to work towards this. It just builds that mindset and it opens doors. So I would say that, that, um, this fitness journey has opened the doors to some of the most beautiful places in the world for me personally, because while I’m getting ready and training for this, um, let’s just say there’s an opportunity that presents [00:24:00] itself where it’s like, you know, climb this beautiful mountain.

Uh, that only your legs can take you to. Um, you can’t drive up there if you want to see this, you know, spectacular view. You’ve gotta get up there. And, you know, being able to say yes to so many things that, that, um, I’m grateful for, you know, being able to do that. You know, if, if I’m out, um, like I travel for work a lot, so let’s just say if I’m, if I’m out west in Vegas, is, is one of the things I plan on tackling when I, when I go for a conference, um, in Las Vegas.

I’ve been there a few times already and I’ve looked at the mountains surrounding the city and I’ve said to myself, you know what, I need to hit those mountains, you know, and, and just, I know that, that when the time comes, I’ll be ready to do that. And so I just, I think that there’s something to be said about always being ready to take on, you know, whatever life presents itself, whether it be a challenge, but then also when it’s ready to reward you with beautiful views, uh, times with, you know, good times with good people.

So, um, You know, that’s just, I’m not sure how I got into that direction, but, [00:25:00] um, it’s just kind of talking about how, you know, this, this fitness journey prepares you for, you know, dealing with challenges, but then also accepting, uh, new challenges and new opportunities. And the benefits that come along with it.

And I love that you said that because, you know, I’m thinking about this, my first marathon that’s coming up and it’s in France and I, you know, I may have talked about this on the show. I may not, I’m not sure. So I’ll just tell a little bit of the story. My goal this year was to run my first marathon. And the marathon that I picked is happening tomorrow, right?

It’s in the New York City, New York City marathon, right? So I didn’t get in. I tried a whole bunch of ways. I didn’t get in. So I wanted my first one to be memorable. So I decided to run a race in France that I’m familiar with because I traveled there a lot for in my past life. So it’s called the Beaujolais international marathon.

It’s in a beautiful area, region of the country. And just like you said, you know, I’m going to be able to run in a beautiful area. I’m going to see friends that I haven’t seen in a long time. I’m going to, you know, at some point enjoy wine while I’m there. And I’m just like really excited just to [00:26:00] experience all of that.

Like I’m not running for time. I’m not running for medals. Like I’m really just running my first marathon with good friends and just a beautiful place. So yeah, absolutely. And you know, when I look at people on social media, you kind of see that they take these, um, you know, when they travel to a race, they, they turn those into opportunities to explore.

And they turn into little mini vacations. So you, you kind of tackle two birds with one stone where you’re doing something for yourself, you know, something that fulfills you. But then while you’re there, you know, you’re also seeing, you know, the, the beautiful views that, that, um, you know, that location might have to offer.

So, um, you know, and you want to be able to take advantage of those things. Uh, the last thing I want to do is be stuck in Waterbury, Connecticut for my entire life. And, you know, we laugh, but you know, I know a lot of people, a lot of my friends, um, that are my age that have yet to really venture out and see different areas and, um, I gotta say that, you know, fortunately for work, I’m able to do that.

But also, you know, fitness has taken me through a lot of different places. Um, so that’s, that’s why I, you know, it’s just something that’s been [00:27:00] beneficial for me. And then also having something on the calendar is important to me. You know, it’s what keeps me accountable. So, um, I don’t, uh, people talk about what it’s a lot of money to do this stuff.

And that’s a valid point. You know, racing can be expensive, certainly. You know, Spartan, when they get my season pass money every year, you know, it’s, it’s, it’s a big hunk of cash, but it’s really an investment. The way I look at it is an investment for myself because I, I don’t necessarily spend a lot of money doing anything else.

I don’t really party. I don’t drink, I don’t do drugs. And when I say I don’t drink, I mean, you know, I drink occasionally, but I’m not, you know, a big drinker. Um, but this is just where my money goes. It doesn’t go to other things. It goes into this and, um, it, it keeps me active. It keeps me healthy. And it keeps me fulfilled.

So, um, you know, I, I implore everybody to find something that they enjoy, especially when, when people say, I’d love to do something like that. It’s like, well, then do it. If you, if you truly, um, [00:28:00] mean those words, then you can do it. You know, if you want to talk to me and find somebody, if you feel comfortable with, but, um, it can be done.

So, so don’t just say, and that’s, that’s, I don’t want to say it’s a pet peeve, but when, um, A lot of times, I’ll post my stuff on social media and people will be like, Oh, I wish I could do something like that. That’s like, don’t say that to me because I’m going to remind you that you absolutely can, if you really want to.

Now, if you don’t want to, then I’m not, you know, I’m not looking to try to convert anybody that’s, you know, that’s not interested. You know, um, if I want to go out on a, on a run, it’s not your thing, that’s perfectly fine, I don’t judge. But if you’re like, Oh, I wish I could do that, then Believe me, I’m going to remind you that you can.

Yeah. And it’s interesting that you said that, cause I’ve been a student of this for the last four years as I’ve had the podcast really to understand, you know, what motivates someone to make that decision to go ahead and, you know, start their fitness journey and run and do obstacle course races and whatever that brings them.

And, you know, some of what I read was really like around habits and just kind of around mindset. And it [00:29:00] was really interesting because something I read was, you know, someone value, someone’s really. Remember exactly how they put it, but they, they’re not willing to lose something over the benefit of gaining something, right?

It’s harder for someone to let go of what they have versus realizing what they could have. Right. And again, it’s not exactly the way it was put, but to your point, someone has to create space, right? Time, money, resources, mindshare to do this type of thing. Um, Which is a change from what they’re doing today.

So, so I don’t, I don’t, it’s not easy to do and you know, they have to kind of arrive at that point in their own time. But you know, what I’m hoping for, for the show is that we’re here with these conversations to help them with that next step. Once they made the decision. And so what you talked about is, uh, one of the, I don’t want to say excuses, but people, people will say they don’t have time and they don’t have money, but realistically, if there’s something that you, [00:30:00] that you truly want to do, you, you don’t.

time. You make time. Sure. Like, like, um, there and, and you talk about creating habits as well. And, um, hopefully people get to a point where this becomes part of their, their life as opposed to, you know, so when you talk about working out or fitness, if you just look at it as one thing that you do that I say, Hey, I gotta get this workout.

You know, if you look at it in a negative way, it’s going to be hard to sustain. But if you just are able to incorporate it into your life in a way that’s manageable, Then it becomes part of your life and it’s just something that you do. So, so, um, like for you, I think running is, is, it’s not something that you, like you have to do.

It’s just, it’s what you do, not you have to do it and it’s this miserable thing. This is what I do, you know. So for me, um, I, I train probably about four times a week. You know, it’s not, it’s not super intense, but it’s, it’s what suits me and it’s just what I do. So, and I don’t sacrifice that. Um, you know, in the same way I wouldn’t, uh, and I, I know people who know me, I bring this up a lot, but it’s like when you wake up in the morning, you brush your teeth.

It’s not something that [00:31:00] you, you decide, well, today I’m not brushing my teeth or I don’t want to brush my teeth. Right. So I know people get tired of me using an example, but it’s true. It’s like you wake up, you brush it. There are things that you do regularly. Um, and if you can find a way to incorporate, you know, fitness or just well being into something that you do regularly.

It’s part of what you do. Um, it’s, it’s just going to benefit you 100 percent and it’s about building a habit, right? You’ve got into the habit of brushing your teeth every day growing up, so you don’t really think about it. It’s almost like breathing at this point. So how do you create those same habits around fitness and how do you create?

You know, the time, the space, the money to do that. That would be the catchphrase is you don’t have time, make time 100 percent simple as that. 100%. So I love that. I love how, you know, we transitioned from talking about some of the obstacles and getting over those things in life to just making a change and creating the space, uh, to do fitness and run and obstacle course races and enjoy all the benefits that come along with that.

Cause it’s not just pain and agony, which it’s, you know, some points it could be, but you get a lot of really good benefits. [00:32:00] I’m a fitness. So love that. So, so let’s talk about super smash bros. I’m really curious about the team and how it started and kind of what you guys are doing there. Okay. Super smash brothers is just something that I created.

So as I said, I started, um, in 2014 with my buddy John and we were doing races together, probably in 2017, 2018. Um, We were, we were doing most of our races together and, you know, he kind of branched off because I think he, he took a different path in terms of, um, you know, for work and, uh, you know, work can be a burden on, on us and, and makes it harder to do some of these things when your weekends aren’t free and then when, you know, you have children that you have to take care of.

So, um, but Super Smash Brothers, my name is Mario. Okay, so growing up, it was Super Mario was always something that, that, um, I played and then it was very popular and people always ask me where my brother Luigi is. So it was just something that was irritating, but at some point I learned to embrace it, you know, especially in my older years.

Um, but you know, Super Smash Brothers is a game that’s, that’s the main character is Mario and then there’s all [00:33:00] these other different characters in the game. So I was like, just trying to find a way to, to, to get my, my guys to tag along and, and try to feel like they’re part of something. So, uh, my guy, Jesse, who’s part of the Super Smash Bros.

team, you know, he picked the character Link, you know, his favorite game was Zelda, he picked Link as his character, and it just was a cool way to get people to join the team, you pick a character, You throw it on the back of your shirt, and that’s, that’s your character. You get to embody that character, and that was gonna be my way of, of creating this big team.

Um, it didn’t necessarily happen, but there’s probably about ten of us that each have their own different character on the back of their shirt. You know, I try to get my, my, my son has a character, um, I obviously am Super Mario. And, um, you know, so the Super Smash Brothers team is comprised of, of a core group of, of guys that, you know, we go work out together.

Um, You might see, you might only see me and Jesse at the races, but you know, you come to the workout, you probably see more of us participating and it’s just a way of, hey, we’re going out training who wants to come with us and [00:34:00] you know, you can be, you can be part of the group and anybody’s included. Um, so I’ve, I’ve run races and I don’t even want to say honorary smash bros because you know, it’s like, hey, we’re running a race together.

You’re, you’re part of the, you’re part of the squad, you know, so it’s um, that’s, that’s essentially in a nutshell what the team is about and what, where the name comes from. It’s It’s from the video game. I love that. I love that. So, you know, that was my childhood as well. Kind of growing up with those, those games and cartoons and all of that.

Fun fact. I am absolutely terrible at super smash brothers. The game, like it’s that fighting game. Um, my kids, they, they’ve never showed mercy. Right. I’ve made the attempt, especially after creating the team. I said, you know, I probably should get good at this game. And every time I make an effort to, like, play Super Smash Brothers, they have no mercy.

It’s similar to when I used to play Street Fighter as a kid, and anyone would come into my room, like, they would get demolished. I had no mercy. Older brothers, uncles, uh, no mercy. Um, so the same thing, they, they, they absolutely destroy me, so I’ve never been able to get good at that game. I, [00:35:00] I have Um, and I have yet to record a victory, um, as a player in that game.

So, oh, well, you’ve got some work to do and that, well, it all depends. So when you say you got work to do, we all have work to do and it’s what you choose to work on. That’s not going to be something I prioritize. So, um, it may be for some, you know, I’m actually, I’m not a gamer, but, um, I used, I used to play games that I just, it’s just not something that I, I’ve done.

And, uh, I don’t knock anybody, but, um, I, I prioritize, uh, getting out there and, and, and trying to train with the time that I have. Cause again, We do have limited time. Um, I have a career that I have to focus on. You know, I have kids, I have to focus on and we have to carve out that time for ourselves. It’s extremely important and you prioritize what you’re going to do with that time.

And as we get older, um, I know that sometimes we lose relations, we lose touch with people that we have relationships with. So there’s a lot of friends that, um, you know, they say, hey, I haven’t seen you in a long time. It’s like, well, you know, I’m, You can always come to join me for a run and they’re like, well, I don’t want to run.

It’s like, okay, well then I [00:36:00] probably won’t see you because I’m going to go run. I’m not interested in going to the bar, you know, it’s, it’s, it’s, um, and there’s a happy medium too, because obviously that you have good friends, you have to, you have to find ways to, to, to keep those relationships as well. But, you know, right now where I’m at is, um, I enjoy, you know, doing activities outdoors, hiking, you know, running, biking, whatever that is.

And, um, anybody’s more than welcome to join. And it’s always fun when it happens to be friends that’ll come in and join you for a hike. It’s always, uh, it’s always a good time. 100%. And I love how we hit on each of the pillars for Inspire to Run podcast, where we talked about mindset a bit, we talked about, uh, movement, and now we’re talking about motivation and part of motivation pillar is around community.

Like, how do I stay motivated? To keep moving and how do I motivate others? And a lot of that’s through community. And I love how you created this team. Like you have, you know, 10 of you that pick your character and you get together and you inspire and motivate each other to, you know, stay fit and, you know, in, in talking on motivation, it’s, um, it’s, I really enjoy when I’m going out for a run, like, um, I [00:37:00] go to sleeping giant, right?

So that’s where I go to train. It’s, it’s when I want to get some elevation and that’s, that’s where I go. So I, you know, the trail, well, it’s about an hour Uh, mile and a half up to the tower, and there’s times where I’ll run up, uh, and then I’ll run back down, and, and as you go up and down a couple of times, I, I kinda like when people are just like, wow, you’re, you’re going back up there again, and, you know, it’s, you, you’ll hear people say, you know, I’m, I’m gonna get to a point where I do that, or, or, um, I, I, I’ll be on a track or something, and, you know, I’m just doing my, my runs, my miles, and then maybe I’ll do some hill repeats, and then you see someone who will, you know, just come over and say, you know, I’d like to get there someday, and, and, and And you want to, oh, I always want to remind them, you can, you know, you, you can do it and, and it’s okay, um, to start off slow, like, they’ll say, I’ll never be able to do something like that.

And, and sometimes you have to encourage them by saying, well, you’re out here right now, walking, and, you know, you, you have to let them know that that’s, that’s taking a step. Uh, sometimes people think they have to do that, you know, three times up and down, or they have to do that big thing. It doesn’t always [00:38:00] have to be that big thing, you know, meet yourself where you are.

Uh, if you don’t walk at all, going out to the track just for a walk is beneficial for you. It’s gonna help improve your quality of life. So, you know, and it’s something that, that should be celebrated. You know, if you’re out here on the track walking with your family, you know, and kudos to you, you know. So, um, you know, you talk about motivation.

I’m motivated by, you know, right now what I see. I see, uh, I come to Underdog to get, I, I get motivated. You know, it’s, it’s, it’s, um, coming to the events whenever they hold the DECA, the DECA Strongs. Um, the community that, that they’ve built here is, it’s motivational. I draw from that. And it doesn’t stop there because there’s people who are inspired by me.

There’s, there’s people who are inspired by you out there right now listening. Um, you might not think so. But, um, sometimes your actions speak louder. And you don’t always get people telling you that you inspire them. But, uh, when you put a post out there, um, You’ve inspired somebody and you might not even know it.

So just, just do the work. Um, stay inspired, you know, find your inspirations, but understand that [00:39:00] you are that inspiration for somebody, whether you know it or not. Love it. Love it. Mario, I’m thoroughly enjoying this conversation. You shared a lot of insights with us and inspiration. And I’d love to, you know, a couple of questions for you as we kind of wind down here.

Yeah. So the first one is kind of what’s your proudest moment in your fitness journey in the fitness journey? That’s hard to say. I would say obviously doing doing the ultra is I’m proud of that. Um, but then also, uh, you know, I remember thinking to myself, well, I’ll never get on on a podium for anything.

It’s never been a goal. Um, and then this year I’ve been able to get on on two, which was, it’s super exciting. And you would think that those are like the proudest moments. But the reality is just the, I would say, you know, Constantly improving, being able to look back and and I record a lot of data and I think we all should, you know, whether you have a fitness watch or you’re using Strava, I think it’s important to just kind of record where you are and and um and and be able to look [00:40:00] back.

And I would say there’s not one specific moment, but just as I, as I progress looking back and say, wow, I’ve been able to maintain and continually improve. And for me, I’m proud of that of not having given up, um, and, and, you know, continuing. So that, that’s probably the proudest moment is, you know, I don’t know if it’s a particular event.

I can’t really name one. Okay. All right. No, that’s cool. I love that. I love that. So last question here is how can our listeners find you follow your incredible journey online? It is at Super Smash Brothers OCR and mostly on instagram is where I’m, you know, uploading videos and So, if you go on Instagram, you’ll see that I also put together a lot of uh, content where we’ll do a race and then I’ll record it and put a montage together, uh, showcase some races.

But at super smash bros OCR for Instagram, I have a tick tock, but it’s, you know, I don’t really follow it. There’s usually it’s just stuff that I put on Instagram also goes there. [00:41:00] Um, I don’t really do Facebook. So Instagram is the main one. Uh, and then YouTube as well at super smash bros OCR YouTube. Um, and I, I share, um, Some content there where we’re doing some race.

One of the coolest things is when you go in a typically a city challenge. So when we go to city challenge, oftentimes they go to Jesse and they say, Jesse, you’re the guy from that video. Cause a lot of times people who are, you know, looking up a race, they might say, Hmm, what’s this race all about? And then they’ll, they’ll see one of our videos and we just go through the course and they’re just like, uh, thanking us.

Like, I’m glad you put that video together. I wasn’t sure what this was going to be about, but. You know, seeing your video, I was able to see, and, and, you know, Jesse likes to feel like a celebrity too. We’re, we’re actually both, uh, we both former artists, which is, we could leave for another, another day, but that was the past life, you know?

So. Very cool. Very cool. Well, I’ll put that information in the show notes for our listeners to find and follow you and Mario, thanks again for coming on the show, sharing your fitness journey, sharing your life journey and all the insights with our listeners. Yeah. And thank you for putting the [00:42:00] show together for us to inspire to run

Intro/Outro: That’s it for this episode of inspire to run podcast. We hope you are inspired to take control of your health and fitness and take it to the next level. Be sure to click the subscribe button to join our community. And also, please rate and review. Thanks for listening.