Inspire to Run Podcast
Inspire to Run Podcast
How Spartan OCR Racing Transformed My Life with Mario Valentin
#125 - In this episode, Mario Valentin, an Army National Guard veteran and founder of the Super Smash Bros racing team, and I discuss overcoming life's obstacles and transforming them into personal growth experiences.
Mario opens up about his past, where responsibilities like starting a family and serving in the military took precedence over sports. Yet, these very experiences instilled in him a discipline and camaraderie that would later ignite his passion for running and obstacle course racing. Having conquered 61 Spartan races, Mario's story is a powerful reminder of the opportunities that fitness can bring into our lives.
Topics Covered:
- Mario’s start into obstacle course racing
- Overcoming the challenges of his first Spartan Beast race
- Coping with and recovering from an Achilles injury
- The importance of community through the Super Smash Bros OCR team
- An emphasis on making fitness a fun and lifelong commitment
Today’s Guest
Mario Valentin
Mario Valentin, a 45-year-old father of four from Waterbury, CT, is a testament to resilience and transformation. Despite not engaging in sports during his youth, Mario found his calling in obstacle course racing (OCR) after serving in the Army National Guard. Since 2014, he has completed 61 Spartan races, including three ultras and 17 Trifectas, alongside events from brands like Bonefrog, Savage Race, and FIT Challenge.
A proud captain of the Super Smash Bros OCR team, Mario has also excelled in hybrid fitness, with achievements in DEKA and plans to tackle HYROX. His journey hasn’t been without challenges, overcoming a ruptured Achilles in 2018 and managing osteoarthritis.
Mario’s determination has earned podium finishes, including a Savage Race AG win and a 2nd place in City Challenge Masters. His mission: to use fitness as a tool for readiness and to inspire others to achieve their best selves.
Follow Mario Valentin:
- Instagram - @supersmashbrosocr
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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.
Speaker 2:Welcome to Inspire to Run Podcast. Here you will find inspiration, whether you are 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.
Speaker 1:Conner. Hi, my friend, welcome to Inspire to Run Podcast. I'm here today with Mario Valentin, who is an Army National Guard veteran, father of four, 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 three ultras and 17 trifectas. Mario is using fitness to keep him ready for life and wants to inspire others to be their best self through fitness. Welcome to the show, mario.
Speaker 3:Hey, thank you for having me.
Speaker 1: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 I'd 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.
Speaker 3:Growing up, I did think that I was a good basketball player. I mean, that's one of the things that I would say my friends and I would get together and we would go out play at the park, and so I would say, while I wasn't in any kind of organized sports, basketball was my thing. So there was never any running or no track or anything like that, but so I was semi-active, we'll say early on, you know, in early teens. And then as you got older, through high school, you know there were other things that occupied my time during that time of my life.
Speaker 1:Let's say 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?
Speaker 3:Well, I would say, you know, going back to the high school days and you talk about starting a family early, I started very early, so that you know, starting very early and then entering into the National Guard to try to, you know, have a way forward for the family.
Speaker 3:That's kind of what occupied my earlier years. And then also I had aspirations for other things non-related to fitness that we can delve 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. Uh, 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, uh, doing those uh obstacle courses that we did in training um and then, and being a soldier was just something that I had fond memories of and the discipline that it 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.
Speaker 3:And then there was a race held in Hartford, connecticut. It was the Down and Dirty Mud Run and it was put together by the I think it was the army that was running that and it was 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 things that I missed, the things that I enjoyed. And I talked to a co-worker of mine and said you want to try, sign up for this thing? And he was like, yeah, sure, let's, let's sign up for it. I had no idea what obstacle course racing was at the time, I think that. 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.
Speaker 3:Um, you know, preparing for that, uh, which I had an understanding was like a three mile race, some obstacles. So that's, that's what got me. Like during lunch break, I would. I would do like a walk around the block and escalated to like a run around the block. So that's what started training and then maybe tracking my fitness a little bit by, by progressing and saying, hey, I was able to run a mile. You know, because I, prior to then, aside from the army training, I never myself was motivated to just go out and run, for I used to think that was like silly who goes out goes out to just go out and run, for, no, I, I used to think that was like silly who's goes out to just run. Um, so it's. It's never something that I did, but preparing for this race is what got me to to start wanting to say, okay, how fast can I run this mile? And um, so that that's how it initially progressed. And then doing the race, uh, I, I enjoyed it. I was like you know what? This is something I'm going to do every single year. So that was in 2014.
Speaker 3:And then, sure enough, in 2015, there was an excitement that was built up. We're going to do this down and dirty mud run again. It was my friend, john, and I as a coworker. He was, I would say, the original super smash bro. We can talk more about the team, but you know we were all excited about doing the 2015 down and dirty mud run, once again in Hartford. And I was saying to myself you know what? The first time I did it, I think I placed pretty well in my age group. I think I was like seventh or something in my age group for the first time. So I had an itch of you know I can be good at this and I trained for the next year, 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, dirty, mother, and had a blast.
Speaker 3:So certainly 2016,. We were going to 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 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 do we do? And then Spartan kind of came into the picture. I think my friend John might've 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 like, hey, we're going to try this Spartan thing and that's where the journey began in 2016. Okay, that's awesome.
Speaker 1:And when you're talking about the beast in New Jersey, you just brought back fond memories of when I did my first trifecta, Probably first and only at this point. But yeah, I did the beast which culminated my season there in Mountain Creek. I think it was kind of the same and I think I left part of my soul on that. Mountain Well is kind of the same and I think I left part of my soul on that mountain.
Speaker 3:Well, I'm happy to be done with that, yeah. So again, I mean, if the listeners are familiar, I know this is inspired to run, but 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 familiar. So when I say the first thing I chose was a Spartan beast, people are like, why would you choose that? But we really didn't know. But when you talk about leaving your soul there, that's exactly what happened.
Speaker 3:So, leading up to that race in New Jersey, there was a lot of you know, I was like, okay, playgrounds and get on the monkey bars, um, or I I try to practice, um, 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 for the planet fitness there. But either way, I was increasing my runs, so I would do 5K. And then I got to a point where I was even running like six miles or seeing how far I could go, knowing the distance was going to be 13 miles. My proud moment at the time was being able to do like a 10 mile 10 mile run at it was a place called weekway park in, uh, in Newark, new Jersey. It's a beautiful park out there and just being able to to 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.
Speaker 3:My first Spartan was was, uh, it was, it was a learning experience. I'm not going to call it a failure. Uh, it was a learning experience. It took me, it took me nine hours on my first beast. So you know, like 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.
Speaker 3: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, and then just after that I was hobbling to the finish line. And you know that first finish line, my first finish line experience on the Spartan race, was crossing it 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. Then when you look back on it like I was on a high for just saying I completed that.
Speaker 3:So that's what some of these events offer to me and for a lot of people is that sense of achievement and it's attainable. If you think about somebody who starts their journey or whatever it is, a lot of times they say, well, I can't do that, that's 13 miles. And 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 or probably 15 or 16 mile beast. Uh cause, spartan mile were different earlier and you know when I first started 2016, but I just mean, like you know, even even when I did that down and dirty, there was another option.
Speaker 3:I think it was a six mile option, no-transcript. 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?
Speaker 1: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 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. I was 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. What I'm really worried about is 21 miles a week after, because I haven't done that yet.
Speaker 1:So for me, like that's the next step, so, like you said, it's really just taking it step by step, absolutely so you can get to.
Speaker 3:You know your goal, but I think another thing that's important for us who are moving forward and we're looking to get better is always having an understanding of where other people are, and so I'll take an ultra, for example. So I don't like to do the Spartan ultra, you know, and I 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 to, uh, 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 going to do that again, but then, after the injury in 2018, I at some point wanted to work back to it. So it took several years, 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.
Speaker 3: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 faith that that I'm taking when I joined 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 is different than your bigger, and so that's we. We have to respect everybody's. You know, uh, commitment, commitment and and appreciate that they're, they're having a willingness to to leap forward and try something new.
Speaker 1:100 100, so let's talk about. You know other parts of your journey, so we talked a little bit about your injury, so we can, you know, talk more about that and also love to hear about your team, the super smash bros team okay.
Speaker 3:So the injury first. Yeah, let's talk about the injury. Um, all right. So I think think 2018 was a year where I was 2017. I had done a whole bunch of races. I tried like. I tried Savage Race, city Challenge, I tried Rugged Maniac, bone Frog.
Speaker 3:I was branching out, so it wasn't just Spartan races, we were just trying different venues, really enjoyed the. You know the vibes that you get at the different start lines, and I think that might have been the year where I started doing competitive. So initially we started out in the open and then I jumped into the competitive waves just because it just I wasn't necessarily competing against, you know, fellow racers, I was. I was competing against my prior self, but that atmosphere was was, you know, it suited me to 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 PRS. It just has a different feel when you're in the, in the competitive wave.
Speaker 3: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, of what I thought was the height of my, my fitness and um. It was a year where I was also looking to do an 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 I, my goal was doing an endurance trifecta, meaning I would do an ultra, uh, uhhour 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 that, but you know. So I was feeling strong. And then I also started doing some ninja courses out in I think it's in Windsor, in Windsor Locks. There's a ninja gym out there which is still running today.
Speaker 3:But they had all these obstacles and I was and it was fun. It was a fun thing to do, you know, branching out and the warp wall that they have there. You know I remember tackling the smaller wall and then progressing to the bigger wall and then they had like a 15 foot, you know, warp wall. That I was like all right, I'm going to get that. Like we did our warmup, then we focused primarily on upper body stuff and then, like before I left, it was like 10 minutes left and I was like all right, you know what? I haven't tried that 15 foot wall. Today, let me give it a shot.
Speaker 3:And that's where it happened. I was running towards the, uh, the work 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, you know whatever, he'd spot me. And I looked back like what you hit me for? Because I thought somebody hit me.
Speaker 3:And then, 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 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.
Speaker 3: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 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 talked about, and a lot of people, I think, would find themselves in a point where 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, and one of the things that also is, I would say, good advice for anyone out there is always focus 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, 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, I learned that through that um experience and I'm, and I'm, better for it.
Speaker 3: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 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, getting back, involved in some races and tackling obstacles again. So it was a setback, but again, I think that it was just a testament to being able to overcome challenges, so life's challenging. So you know anybody out there who's suffering a similar injury. It does get better, you know, but I think the only way it gets better is by, you know, taking control and not letting it. You know, sid, 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 does us any good to, you know, have something happen, and then we just sit back and, you know, let the couch take over.
Speaker 1: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. So it'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 can do to kind of keep moving forward. So I appreciate that 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.
Speaker 3:So this is really helpful, you know, to hear your story and kind of how you work through that Just real quick on the Achilles injury. It's when I talk to doctors afterwards it's, you know, 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? And when something like this happens to us, we often beat ourselves up thinking to ourselves you know, 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 maybe my lower body cooled down and I decided to just go, you know, full on with the run and that's when it popped.
Speaker 3:But but ultimately it's, it's one of those injuries that you can't necessarily. It just it's one of those things that happen. There's not really something that you can do to prevent. So certainly, stretching and making sure you have your mobility that's always key to prevent any injuries. But this has happened to some of the top elite level athletes, like, if you're looking at the NFL or NBA or even baseball, you'll see top 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, you know that likely. It's not something I did wrong, it's just something that happens and you just got to move forward.
Speaker 3:Now 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 you know and I'm not a doctor and I'm not a physical, I'm not a trainer or anything so 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.
Speaker 1:Yeah, for sure, and yeah, I appreciate you sharing that. And yeah, coach Kevin does emphasize, you know, recovery and he has a lot here, you know so.
Speaker 3:So today we're actually recording in Kevin's gym, 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, right. I'm inspired to go out and, and and run too, or maybe even do some wall balls like Alex Alex is doing over there.
Speaker 1:Absolutely. So you know um, so he does, he does have a lot of equipment here for recovery and he does promote that. So I know, for me personally, I have a massage boots and I've done you know some other things for recovery and I also try to do a lot with warmups 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 I need to get better at. So I appreciate you sharing that. So you know, 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'd you work through those?
Speaker 3:Well, I don't know. There's lots of challenges that we have in our life. I mean we, for example. We might, you know, losing, losing somebody close to us, is always one of life's obstacles, you know, and throughout my life, especially later on, 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, so I haven't ever lost my job. I think I was laid off at one point, so it's just something that happens. You know, earlier on you're trying to navigate through life, pay bills. You know 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.
Speaker 3:You know I do obstacle course racing. You know, for those that that are trying to tackle a marathon, you know having a goal, something that you chase, it, it it puts you in position for the thing you're chasing, but then it gives you a certain mindset for other things in life. So you know, you talk about those instances that I mentioned. You know you learn to training and staying prepared and ready for these activities. I would say that 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.
Speaker 3:So I would say that 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, let's just say there's an opportunity that presents itself where it's like you know, climb this beautiful mountain that only your legs can take you to. You can't drive up there. If you want to see this, you know, spectacular view. You've got to get up there. And you know being able to say yes to so many things that that I'm grateful for. You know being able to do that.
Speaker 3:You know, if I'm out like I travel for work a lot, so let's just say if I'm, if I'm out west in Vegas, is one of the things I plan on tackling when I when I go for a conference 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 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 um it's just, it's just kind of talking about how you know this.
Speaker 1: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. Yes, and 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 a story. My goal this year was to run my first marathon, and the picked is happening tomorrow, right?
Speaker 3:It's a New.
Speaker 1:York.
Speaker 1:City marathon right, so I didn't get in. I tried a whole bunch of ways, I didn't get in. So I was like 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 I'm gonna be able to run in a beautiful area. I'm gonna see friends I haven't seen in a long time. I'm gonna, you know, at some point enjoy wine while I'm there and I'm just like really excited just to experience all 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.
Speaker 3:So, yeah, absolutely, and you know, when I look at people on social media, you kind of see that they take these. You know, when they travel to a race, they turn those into opportunities to explore and they turn into little mini vacations.
Speaker 3:So, 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, and you want to be able to take advantage of those things. Uh, last thing I want to do is be stuck in Waterbury, connecticut for my entire life and you know we laugh.
Speaker 3:But you know I know a lot of people, a lot of my friends, um, that are my that you know.
Speaker 3:Fortunately, for work, I'm able to to do that. But also, you know, fitness has taken me to a lot of different places, um, so that's that's why I, you know it's it's just something that's been beneficial for me. And then also, uh, uh, having something on the calendar is is important to me, you know it. It it's what keeps me accountable. So, um, I don't, uh, people talk about what, what's a lot of money to to to do this stuff, and it's, that's a valid point. You know, uh, 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 cash, but it's really an investment.
Speaker 3:The way I look at it is an investment for myself, because 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. But this is just where my money goes. It doesn't go to other things, it goes into this, it keeps me active, it keeps me healthy and it keeps me fulfilled. So, um, you know, I, I, I implore everybody to 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 Right. If you, if you truly um mean those words, then you can do it. You know, if you want to talk to me, find somebody if you feel comfortable with, but, um, it can be done.
Speaker 3: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. That's not interested. You know, if I'm going to go out on a run, that's not your thing, that's perfectly fine, I don't judge. But if you're like I wish I could do that, then, believe me, I'm going to remind you that you can't.
Speaker 1:Yeah, and it's interesting that you said that, because 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 you know brings them.
Speaker 1:And you know, some of what I read was really like around habits and just kind of around mindset. And it was really interesting because something I read was you know, someone value someone's really I don't 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 right 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, mind share to do this type of thing, which is a change from what they're doing today. 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 Right.
Speaker 3:And 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 that you truly want to do, you you don't have time. You make time 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 got to 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.
Speaker 3: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 and I don't sacrifice that. Um, you know, in the same way, I wouldn't, uh, and I, 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 you, you decide. Well, today I'm to brush my teeth, right. So I know people get tired of me using that example, but it's true, it's like you wake up, you brush your teeth. There are things that you do regularly and if you can find a way to incorporate, you know, fitness or just wellbeing into something that you do regularly, it's part of what you do.
Speaker 1:It's just going to benefit you 100% and it's about building a habit. Right you 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 this.
Speaker 3:That would be. The catchphrase is you don't have time. Make time 100%. Simple as that 100%.
Speaker 1: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 to do fitness and run and obstacle-first races and enjoy all the benefits that come along with that, because 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. Um, 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.
Speaker 3:Okay, super Smash Brothers is just something that I created. So, as I said, I started in 2014 with my buddy, john, and we were doing races together, probably in 2017, 2018. We were doing most of our races together and he kind of branched off because I think he he took a different path in terms of, um, you know, for work, and you know work can be a burden on on us and it 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 asked 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, my older years.
Speaker 3:Um, but you know, super smash brothers is a game, that's that's. The main character is mario, and then there's all these other different characters in the game. So I was like just trying to find a way 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 brothers team you know he picked the character link. You know his favorite game was zelda he picked, he picked linked as his character and it just was a cool way to 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, you get to embody that character, and that was going to be my way of creating this big team. It didn't necessarily happen, but there's probably about 10 of us that each have their own different character on the back of their shirt. You know, I've tried to get my my, my son has a character.
Speaker 3:I obviously am Super Mario and you know so the Super Smash Brothers team is comprised of a core group 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, um, you know, you come to the workout, you probably see more of us, uh, participating and it's just a way of hey, we're going out training. Who wants to come with us? And you know, you can be, you can be part of the group and anybody's included. Um, so I've run races, and I don't even want to say honorary smash rolls, 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 where the name comes from. It's, 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.
Speaker 3: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 more older brothers, uncles, no mercy, so the same thing they absolutely destroy me. So I've never been able to get good at that game. I have yet to record a victory as a player in that game so Well you've got some work to do well, it all depends.
Speaker 3: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.
Speaker 3:You know I'm actually I'm not a gamer, but, um, I used I used to play games. That it just it's just not something that I I've done and I don't knock anybody, but um, I I prioritize, uh, getting out there, there and trying to train with the time that I have, because, again, we do have limited time. 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.
Speaker 3:And as we get older, I know that sometimes we lose relation, we lose touch with people that we have relationships with. So there's a lot of friends that you know. They say, hey, I haven't seen you in a long time. It's like well, you know you can always come to join me for a run. And they're like, well, I don't want to run. It's like, ok, well then I 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 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's happens to be friends that'll come in and join you for a hike.
Speaker 1:It's it's always, 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 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.
Speaker 3:I love how you created this team, like you have yeah, you know 10 of you that pick your character and you get together and you inspire, motivate each other to you know, stay fit and you know, and, and talking on motivation, it's, um, it's I really enjoy when I'm going out for a run like um, I 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 the trail. Well, it's about a mile and a half up to the tower and there's times where I'll run up and then I'll run back down. And as you go up and down, a couple of times, I kind of like when people are just like, wow, you're, you're going back up there again and you know it's a track or something, and you know I'm just doing 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 you want to. I always want to remind them you can, you know you can do it, and it's okay to start off slow, Like they'll say I'll never be able to do something like that. And sometimes you have to encourage them by saying well, you're out here right now walking and you know you have to let them know that that's taking a step.
Speaker 3: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 have to be that big thing. You know, meet yourself where you are. If you don't walk at all, going out to the track just for a walk is beneficial for you. It's going to 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.
Speaker 3:So, um, you know you talk about motivation. I'm motivated by now, right now, what I see, I see, uh, I come to Underdog to get. I get motivated. You know it's, it's, it's coming to the events whenever they hold the deck, the deck of strongs, 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. You might not think so, but sometimes your actions speak louder and you don't always get people telling you that you inspire them, but when you put a post out there, you know you've inspired somebody. You might not even know it. So just do the work, stay inspired, you know. Find your inspirations, but understand that you are that inspiration for somebody, whether you know it or not.
Speaker 1: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. I remember thinking to myself well, I'll never get on a podium for anything. It's never been a goal.
Speaker 3:And then this year I've been able to get 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, constantly improving, being able to look back, 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 and be able to look back specific moment. But just as I, as I progress, looking back and say wow, I've been able to maintain and continually improve and and for me, I'm, I'm proud of 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.
Speaker 1:Okay.
Speaker 3: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 is where I'm, um, you know, uploading videos, and so if you go on Instagram, you'll see that I also put together a lot of 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 Rose OCR, for Instagram, I have a Tik TOK, but it's, you know, I don't really follow it. There's usually it's just stuff that I put on Instagram. Also, those there, 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 are doing some races.
Speaker 3: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 day, but that was the past life, you know.
Speaker 1: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.
Speaker 3:Yeah, and thank you for putting the show together for us to inspire to run.
Speaker 2: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.
