There can be no question that Emily is one of the most friendly members of the OCR community. From her role as an SGX coach, where she encourages others to be the best versions of themselves, to her own impressive performances in both age group and elite, she champions all the best parts of OCR. If you’ve ever seen Emily at a race we’re sure you’ll have been charmed by her ‘can do’ attitude and happy vibes and we are lucky that she’s taken the time to share some of her experiences with us.
Name: Emily Astiz
Age: A lady never tells ;) but I’m 30 if you really insist knowing!
How did you first get in to OCR?
I’ve had two introductions to OCR now in my life. The first was back in 2013 in Malibu, California at a Spartan Sprint. I did the open heat with some friends from work. I had NO idea what I was getting myself into. I literally learned the rope climb 10 minutes before the race started and managed to ring the bell at the end! I absolutely loved it... but sadly I didn’t do another race until I moved to Singapore.
Fast forward to 2017... I started working with Shrek... those of you in Singapore know Shrek (don’t ask where he got his name). He started to explain “OCR” to me and how it had changed his life. I was totally bought in. A few months later we did the Urbanathalon which was a city race with a few obstacles, I was hooked after this! My next race was a Spartan Super and Sprint on the same day (what was I thinking?!).
From then on, the rest is history! It’s been a way for me to have fitness goals about being a badass woman versus having a fit life just to “lose weight”. I’m so grateful for what this sport has done for me and it has truly made me a better version of who I am :)
What is your favourite race or OCR experience?
Looking back on all of the races, I’d say the community is the best part! There isn’t a specific moment or experience, but a combination of hundreds of interactions with racers from all over the world. I love seeing them during the mass workouts while I’m coaching or chatting on Instagram then seeing them again on race day to hear about their experiences! My heart fills with joy watching others reach their full potential. I’ve got to remind us all that we all start somewhere and with a little hard work we can keep progressing... so that some day we’ll hit that spear or make the rig ;)
Favourite obstacle?
Mud... does that count as an obstacle?! :) I used to avoid the mud and the puddles because running with wet feet made me panic..but this is now just a fact of life when racing in OCR. I’ve come to embrace the thing I once hated. I also love the heavy carries... I love feeling strong during the sandbag carry... and it doesn’t hurt to pass some boys while I’m at it!
Biggest achievement?
Wow! Definitely the Spartan Ultra in Sarawak in 2019. This was my first Elite race as well as my first Ultra distance Spartan race. I trained really hard for this and simply wanted to make sure that I finished it. I learned so many lessons from this race about both my body and my mind. I built my confidence up in so many ways and the cherry on top was placing second place for the Elite women.
OCR must have item?
Trail shoes and my water backpack! Trail shoes are obvious... all that mud!! As for my running water bag, I use this for anything longer than a Sprint distance. I sweat a lot... gross I know... and in the South East Asian heat... this means I sweat even more! Fun fact, I lose lots of salt too, which is why I’ve cramped in previous races. It’s nice to be able to have water and salt tablets on hand. Now that I’ve worn my bag for a while, just feels pretty normal really:) I use a running pack from Osprey with a 1L bladder.
Favourite post race snack?
Salt and vinegar crisps with a side of gummy dinosaurs!! Salt and sugar for the win!!
When is your next race and why did you choose it?
Next race will be Vietnam Spartan Sprint. It’s the first race of the SEA series as well as the first race in Vietnam, so should be pretty fast and fun!
What is your workout mantra / favourite saying when things get tough?
“Come on Emily, You’ve got this”... Nerdy, but I definitely talk to myself while on course... out loud in fact. But when it gets really hard, I just have to take it one step at a time:)
