Drywear® Apparel had the pleasure of meeting OCR elite competitor Antonio Pusateri at the Wisconsin Rugged Maniac event this past weekend. After watching him compete, we just had to ask him a few questions about training, passion, and performance:
Antonio, tell me a little bit about what got you started in OCR:
Well, Joe, I have always been a competitive individual and I have always looked for anyway for myself to stay physically active. I was always in sports in high school and I even ended up playing a couple years of semi-pro football about 5 years ago. I saw OCR as that opportunity to push myself, to try something different, and also see how I physically perform. I had been interested in OCR for a few years before I finally pulled the trigger and competed in the Milwaukee Spartan Sprint open heat in November of 2014.
What are your race plans for the rest of the 2015 schedule?
Currently, I have the Tough Mudder on September 12th. Followed by the Vermont Spartan Beast September 19th. Then I have two championship runs in October. The first one is Warrior Dash World Championship October 10thand then the OCR World Championship October 17th.
Give us a glimpse of your OCR training regimen on a day to day basis:
Considering that I do have a full-time job where I am up at 4:30 am and don’t get home until 4:30 pm, I mix up my routines often. Typically, I try to get a little extra work in while doing construction by running up stairs or carrying heavy objects around as well. When I get to go to the gym or my Fitness boot camps I host, I typically do a mix of HIIT (High-Intensity Interval Training) and weight training. Every other day when I don’t lift or do HIIT, I try to run a few miles or do a trail run. Right now I am pushing to consistently run 6 plus miles every other lifting/HIIT day!
At what point did you decide to take your racing to the next level?
I would say after my second OCR ever which was the Milwaukee Spartan Sprint on May 2015. I was 43rd overall and I only failed a spear throw. 6 months prior, I was 510th! Considering I had only been training hardcore for two months prior to the 2015 Sprint, I saw the potential to compete elites for the following year. However, after my performance at Edge of The Ledge where I took second place, I finally made the decision to compete in as many Elite heats as I could, outside of doing Spartan races. I believed (at the time) signing up for those earlier in the year wouldn’t of been worth the extra money. Of course that was before I gained the confidence to take the chance.
What is the hardest event you’ve competed in to date?
That is a very good question. I personally believe they are all difficult but I would have to say it was doing the Rugged Maniac after running the Badass Dash a few hours earlier. Those hills were brutal on my legs, but I still made a killer time! Even though it was in open heat and I had to cut in front of people to keep my time from being slowed too much, I would have placed Top 3 had I been able to do it competitively. I signed up too late for competitive Rugged Maniac, being still really new to the sport and I had only recently discovered how many races were out there around May of this year.
What is the best advice you can give to someone just starting in OCR?
I would tell them, do not hesitate to try to push your limits. I didn’t realize how much progress I would make in such a short amount of time. Also, getting that first race in will give you an idea on how to prepare for the next ones. That first Spartan Sprint in 2014 was the best gauge of my physical abilities at the time. I came out of that knowing what I needed to work on and had more confidence to face another one right away! I also was sore for a week because I wasn’t in the greatest shape for it!
Share your experience training in Drywear® Apparel
I couldn’t be happier wearing Drywear® Apparel. I have worn many different products over the years. Those products are not even in the same league when it comes to comfort and moisture-wicking ability as Drywear® Apparel. I leave the gym almost completely bone dry and my shirts are effective at evaporating the moisture. I have been really impressed!
How does Drywear® Apparel improve your training and performance?
The comfort alone is the best. I can effectively move, jump, press, turn, and not have my clothing sticking to me, especially if it is warm outside! Being able to focus on what I am working on instead of how my clothes are bothering me is a big plus. They keep me cooler than anything I have worn before. I work in the heating and air conditioning field, evaporation is what removes heat. So the shirts wicking and evaporating quickly, does keep you cooler and dryer! I actually had someone ask me today at the gym, “How are those shirts?”. I told him what I am telling you, and he was like “Yeah I need something better than this cotton shirt that I am wearing. Gets uncomfortable after a while.”
Be sure to keep an eye out for Antonio in September and October as he competes in some of OCR’s most intense courses including the Vermont Spartan Ultra Beast, the Warrior Dash World Championships, and the OCR World Championship in Ohio.
