Training the Dark Side – Does it really work? A revolutionary approach to training that has shown to be highly effective for a variety of athletic pursuits. Richard Diaz, author and host of this podcast, decided to reach our to Larry Caldwell an enthusiastic Spartan Race competitor who has taken on the project to see if the program really works. This conversation is an unvarnished review of his experience. Along with this training system there is a supplemental 30 day training plan which...

OCW World Championships in 2021, is it going to happen? Who better to share these goings on then the founder of OCRW himself, Adrian Bijanda. It’s no secret that 2020 was a bust for virtually every type of mass gathering all over the world, Obstacle Course Racing was no exception. Leading into 2021 with hope and a solid game plan, OCRW is scheduled for late September and Adrian promises that with the lay off, they had nothing to do but plan for the most epic event in their history! If you...

Everywhere you turn these days you’ll find CBD for sale the acronym for “cannabidiol”. CBD is the active ingredient derived from a cannabis plant, yes, Marijuana .  Over the past half decade, marijuana dispensaries have cropped up all over the country. The medicinal benefits prove to reduce stress, improve sleep, reduce inflammation and pain associated with over-exercise.  we explain when to take it, what to expect and why it really works? As an endurance coach and clinician...

There is much controversy that surrounds the choice of running shoes and how they may or may not protect you from injury. Some say they won’t run on pavement because it hurts their knees or gives them shin splints. In this interview, I speak with Dr Emily Splichal a world renowned board certified Podiatrist and founder of Evidence Based Fitness to debunk some of the confusion surrounding the topic.

Two of the Fittest Women in the World Some may argue, that the fittest athletes on the planet are CrossFit athletes.  I am not going to argue for or against the prospect.  What I will defend is that Lauren Fisher and Jen Ryann have shown the world on many occasion that they belong on the short list!  Lauren, a seven time Crossfit Games competitor and member of the 3rd fittest Crossfit team in the world and Jenn Ryan the 2019 age group champion at the Crossfit Games in 2019  work hard...

Things suck these days if you yearn to compete.  The Corona Virus has everyone around the world in lock down mode.  Finding an outlet for your competitive drive has been a challenge onto itself this entire year.  With so many race companies struggling to stay afloat, not many have given a care for the athletes, whom many, have already struggled to eek out a living from the sports they love.  Enter Hunter McIntyre, an early adopter in the OCR profession.  Aside from the beat downs he’s...

Breathing – Best practices for performance! Everyone has at one time or another, pondered the idea: What would be the best way to breathe while running?  There are so many opinions on the subject, it’s no wonder so many are confused.  Veejay Jones – Elite OCR athlete and I (Richard Diaz) thought it would be entertaining to discuss some of the popular theories on the subject and offer up our own opinions.  Are you a chest breather? Have you ever heard of diaphragmatic breathing?  Do you get...

Coach Diaz and Elite OCR Athlete Veejay Jones share details of their OCR Performance Project a virtual group training program for aspiring Spartan competitors.  Aside from this, Coach Diaz also shares some insights into his freshly released book- TRAINING THE DARK SIDE. This book is a great read for any endurance athlete hoping to better understand RUNNING FORM and TRAINING THE ENERGY SYSTEM to develop unstoppable ENDURANCE and through an incredibly unique approach. We’re going to have some...

Veejay Jones (pro obstacle course athlete) and I Richard Diaz (his coach). Discuss current affairs, home exercise options and what's the best treadmill to buy for your budget.

The Dark Horse program is a highly innovative approach to training for CrossFit and other High Intensity competitions.  Behind the research Coach Diaz has invested in anaerobic metabolism and lactate tolerance training, the reveal is Dark Horse II an 8 week training program. The question is often raised, will this type of training be beneficial if I’m only interested in fitness or is it appropriate for the new Hyrox competition?  The big question was, why heart rate? Does heart rate...

Who knew?  One day as I was surfing social media, I hear Ryan Atkins mention that Platinum Rig is bringing a 24 hour competition to the states!!!  Like most enthusiasts, I’ve heard of this line of rigs and how formidable they were. Does anyone remember Battle Frog?  They introduced some of these rigs in their events before they said goodbye.  As inquiring minds want to know, I reached out to these folks to learn more.  They kindly responded and set up an interview with one of their people. ...

Arguably the most reliable ass kick ass piece of cardio equipment, the Concept2 rower, has been embraced for decades in sport.  It has been a staple in Crossfit and now with 2 additional pieces, the Bike and Ski erg these devices are world renowned for delivering a workout that is… shall I say “setting the bar high” not only in Crossfit but now in Hyrox the new fledging OCR style indoor fitness challenge.  Because there has been so much scuttle butt on how to approach these devices to turn...

Veejay Jones and I discuss… * How the race season is shaping up* Training Secrets I won’t share* Spartan World Championship moves to Abu Dhabi* Hyrox, is it the new thing in OCR? Yes, we covered a lot of ground in this episode. How Veejay took down The Spartan LA Super and Sprint, the season openers for him. Lots of opinion, some cool heart rate training information and politics of the sport, all in all a pretty entertaining podcast… also an opinion.

Elite OCR/Fitness Athlete Ryan Kent Here we are at the conclusion of 2019 and change is in the air.  I can recall when Spartan Race first made a splash and inspired millions to get off the couch.  Is it possible that from this movement a new challenge has spawned from this rave?  Enter Hyrox, coined as a functional fitness challenge with multiple challenges divided by eight 1K sprints.  It seems perfectly suited for those who have wet their whistles on Obstacle Course Racing. ...

Really enjoyed fielding questions during our Black Friday Q&A Show! As always, it’s hard to get to all of the many questions. Fear not! Some people that may have felt left out either got a private response to their questions or STILL WON A GIFT!  If your name or IG tag is in this list, send us your contact info (email will suffice) and we’ll see to it that you get your gift! During this episode VeeJay Jones and Coach Diaz spoke about Running injuries, Training volume, Black toenails and a...

Mark Falcone Ever wondered what it would be like to have Coach Diaz provide a Virtual Gait Analysis? With the permission of Mark Falcone, we share the experience with you! Unvarnished conversation between a real life client and Coach Diaz discussing the outcome thus far. Like Mark, a lot of Spartan Race Athletes identify that they have much needed work on their run game if they hope to get onto the podium. Mark decided to take a shot to see if in virtual reality can a good...

“Coach” Richard Diaz and his protege/client – elite Spartan Pro Veejay Jones. In this The First Episode, we discuss changes in Spartan Race course design leading into the 2020 season.  Big changes are afoot! Standardized distances and number of obstacles.  What are your feelings on this massive change? Are you for or against?  Once that’s done, we share thoughts on Off Season approaches.  Do you have an Off Season?  When and how do you approach it?  Two hot topics discussed by a well...

If success is a measure of suffering, those who braved the course at the Spartan Lake Tahoe World Championships have much to be proud of.  Alison Haase was successful.  She did not only challenge herself by braving the Ultra beast in weather conditions that caused many to bow out, she went on to take the win!  You might be asking yourself… Alison who? Know she is not one of the high profile athletes on the circuit, she is just someone who put in the work, trained hard, followed direction and...

It is surprising how many athletes i know who are using CBD’s for a variety of reasons. The more I investigated the more I came to realize that CBD’s are nature’s anti-inflammatory solution and that is only the tip of the iceberg! This episode is a very in depth interview with Jay O’Hare founder of Venga Endurance an extremely high quality manufacture of CBD products and an Ultra distance runner who gets it. I know a lot of people who either shy away from the idea of taking a hemp...

Before you freak out, no, I am not turning tail on OCR or endurance training programs!  If you follow my work, you know that recently I developed a program in collaboration with Ryan Fischer an extremely talented CrossFit Athlete.  This program has been out for a mere 5 weeks and meeting with rave responses.  An OCR athlete would do well to consider this process as the theme of the project is “Winning the Battle with Fatigue”.  It so happens that an early adopter who has been in the program...

Charlie Engle is one of, if not the most entertaining guests we’ve ever had on this podcast and generally has incredible stories to tell. Story telling aside, Charlie Engle has hitched his wagon to The Spartan Trail Running Series. Few are aware of this trail running addition to Spartan Race. If you love to run trails and have a competitive streak, it may benefit you to listen to this episode because there are big bucks on the line come December this year! Listen for more details!

Coach Diaz & Ryan Fischer’s program Hunter McIntyre was the hero of Spartan Racing. He brought color and attitude to the competitions and basically made things fun. Today he has retooled his skills with focus on an attempt at The CrossFit Games. He needed a miracle to get in, he needed to become a different type of athlete to even have a chance. Now, with 3 weeks out from the Games, he earned both. As a long time friend and coach, we know each other well enough to have an...

What happens when you mix one badass CrossFit athlete with Coach Diaz in The Secret Lab?  Answer: You get a hybrid training program that is sure to set the CrossFit community on fire!  I know what you’re thinking… Coach Diaz and CrossFit?  Had you asked me a year ago if this were ever likely to happen, I would have serious doubts.  It took an introduction from Hunter McIntyre to bring Ryan Fischer and I together and I have to say, I was intrigued. Ryan is one of the fittest athletes I have...

There is a reason why your grip fails you and your back hurts when you carry a heavy bag or bucket up a mountain. In this interview I discuss this and many other entertaining topics that have to do with making YOU a better Spartan or OCR Athlete. Julien Pineau, is a world renowned Human Movement Specialist who took the CrossFit community by storm with his innovative approach in coaching to lift heavy and endure while minimizing injuries. You don’t need to be into CrossFit for what he...

I have always believed that a solid runner will always have a fighting chance as an elite in the sport of OCR. Nell Rojas came on the scene mostly out of peer pressure from her friends many of whom are elites in the sport. The conundrum for Nell is, does she take her eye off her potential to make the Olympic team and represent the USA in the marathon or does she take a shot at this new fledgling sport of Spartan Racing. Listen as Nell and I take a hard look at what lies ahead for her as a...