Featured Athlete: Nele Schulze

• Name:

Nele Schulze

• What is your day job, and do you have other hobbies?:

I’m a Developmental Specialist. I work with adults with severe developmental disabilities and teach very basic skills at a day hab in Danvers. I also work part-time at the lab of cognitive neuroscience and perform neuroimaging on ADHD children. I’ve just applied for my PhD in cognitive neuroscience here in Boston.

• Age:

27

• When did you start obstacle course racing? Tell us about your first race.:

I started in June 2012. My first race was Ruckus on June 16th 2012. It was so much fun! 4 miles with a load of obstacles. I’ve been addicted since.

• What was your biggest accomplishment at an obstacle course race? What made it your biggest accomplishment (overcame a fear, injury, disability etc?):

I think completing the traverse rope at the VT Beast was my biggest accomplishment. My hands hurt and I was worn out and I really was so close to giving up. I’ve never been closer in fact. But I had a dear friend with me help me and I pushed through it and completed the obstacle. No burpees for me.

• What attracts you to obstacle course races? Why do you keep coming back?:

The need to push myself and better myself. OCRs allow me to work on all areas of my body as you need all sorts of strength and cardio to complete. The community is also wonderful. It’s a very close community, especially here in the Northeast. I’m very fortunate to have met all sorts of amazing people.

• What are your training and/or diet routines? Do you have other athletic pursuits?:

I train 5-6 days a week, for at least 90 minutes a sessions. I don’t follow a specific training plan, I just work on areas where I feel I need improvement at that time. I push myself to the point of exhaustion. I make sure to run. A lot. My diet is not fantastic. I try to eat healthy, and generally I’m pretty good at it. I don’t eat dairy, and I’m debating the whole gluten thing. But lots of protein. A protein shake every morning and after every workout. And lots of water.

• Were you always athletic? If not, what athletic changes have you made to keep up the obstacle course race lifestyle?:

I was athletic back in my teenage years. I used to compete internationally in rollerblading. Then I picked up skateboarding. Since I moved to the USA (4 years ago) I hadn’t really been doing exercise, and I had been realising how much I missed it. Then I signed up for ruckus and my life changed. Before April 2012 I couldn’t run a mile. Now I can run 14+ and do exercises I’ve never been able to do before.

• Who, alive or dead, would you invite to run an obstacle course race with you?:

Tough question…. Very tough question. Probably my very best friend Lauren. She doesn’t race (yet) and I know that the 2 of us would have a blast racing. It would be more fun than competitive.

• Tell us a fun fact about yourself that we may not know!:

The British accent is fake

• What are your goals? Next race, next season … what’s in your future?:

To win. It’s that simple! To be the best I can possibly be.