Interview With Hunter McIntyre: Top-Ranked Spartan Racer & Obstacle Course Competitor
Marc Pro Athlete Spotlight: Hunter McIntyre
You loved creating and racing through obstacles as a kid, but Hunter McIntyre is actually living the dream by making Spartan competition his lifestyle. A vocation as well as a race, Spartan courses have three formats:
- The Sprint, a three-five mile race with 20 or more obstacles
- The Super, which includes 8-10 miles and 25 obstacles
- The Beast, a grueling 12-14 mile run with 30+ obstacles
Complete all three in a calendar year, as Hunter’s been doing since 2012, and you earn the coveted TRIFECTA accolade. He excels at Spartan racing, finishing Third in the 2013 World Championships. Hunter also earned two Firsts in the Men’s Division for the 2014’s US Elite Series and World Open Series, as well as a Second Place in that year’s World Elite Series. He’s ranked third in the 2015 World Elite Series.
But Spartan racing is quite unlike other extreme sports, like triathlons and Ironman events. So what does Hunter do to prepare for competition? CrossFit Endurance, which focuses on nutrition, strength training, conditioning, and skill. He also dedicates time to muscle recovery after a grueling session, which is essential to avoiding injury and easing aches and pains. Hunter was willing to share his thoughts on recovery as a component to his training.
Chatting with Hunter McIntyre
Chatting with Hunter McIntyre1. What’s your muscle recovery routine?
My main focus for recovery is hydration, mobility, and using the Marc Pro in my travel or down time. The majority of my time is spent running and lifting, [and] my body knots up quickly if I don’t constantly stay on top of my range of motion after a workout. I have also made the Marc Pro part of every day during my down time so that my body is fully refreshed before my next workout.
2. Can you share any tips on how to use the Marc Pro?
I think that using heat is a great tool to pair with the Marc Pro. I will soak a small towel with hot water and apply it to a spot that needs some extra attention; after I leave it there for a few minutes, I dry off and apply the pads to make the magic happen.
3. What does a typical training session look like?
I’m constantly [challenging] myself in every mountain sport I can get my hands on while also spending a ton of time strength [conditioning] my body. The amount of volume in my training is above 20-30 hours a week, [so] I try to match at least half my training hours with recovery techniques. [The Marc Pro] is my go to recovery method. With the volume of training I put in, [it] keeps me always moving forward.
4. What do you like about the Marc Pro device?
I love how easy it is! Sometimes when you’re beat up from a lot of training the last thing you want to do is spend more time in the gym stretching. With the Marc Pro, I just stick it on and pass out while trying to finish a book… My good friend and podcast partner Ben Greenfield helped me find out about this awesome product and the science behind it… I believe that the least talked about thing in the strength and conditioning world is the recovery, [and the Marc Pro] tool is a really big part of recovering to perform your best when needed!
Whether you see him taking on the mountains or hitting weights at the gym, you can be sure that Hunter will be finishing off his session with the proper post-workout recovery. Marc Pro, rest, and proper nutrition are all part of the routine.