Beyond The Race - Matt "The Bear" Novakovich

Is Elite Obstacle Course Racing on your ‘Dying To Try List’? Or maybe you’re a seasoned vet on the course, wanting to push a bit further. I bet you have questions, doubts, even fears, the biggest being, how to cram twenty-nine hours into your twenty-four, with the effortless calm that the Elites and Pros seem to have in everyday life. Easy, right?

Secrets out. It’s not!

Whether you’re dealing with the all too common Clark Kent OCR Syndrome or already neck deep in the fitness world, either way, you’re realizing that the imprint on the couch from your sedentary days has long since disappeared, but weighing life in all its aspects has become somewhat of a daily reprieve. It’s time we go beyond the race, taking a deeper look into how the Professionals got from where you are … to where they are … and stay there.
Fortunately, Spartan Race Pro, Matt ”The Bear” Novakovich, sat down with us to shed a bit of light.

Matt’s Bio:

Born and raised in Alaska
Business degree from Brigham Young University
1 College Steeple Chaser
Mountain Marathon Champion
Owner of an Alaskan roofing company
Father of four beautiful children

After graduating BYU, Matt headed back to Alaska with his college sweetheart and future wife, a drive to build his business and a growing desire to compete. Unbeknownst to him how far this competitive hunger would go, Matt found his way into mastering the art of incline training, aiding in his multiple Mountain Marathon successes and OCR Spartan victories. No, the man who rigged a treadmill to a 40% incline will not accept the Alaskan Mountain terrain availability as an excuse. When there’s a will. There’s a way.
So how does a resume like this happen? Yes, insane training played a part, but, persistence in achieving positive balance in daily living is where the real credit is due. Utilizing the patience and diligence learned from his sport, among a few other tricks, and applying it to struggles that, more times than not, are what most of us can all too easily identify with.

When failing to meet race expectations in his final Mountain Marathon, Matt stumbled into OCR. Not expecting it would bring more than the satisfaction of getting out of a rut. Who knew that all that incline training and the endless hours of climbing would pay off big on these, not just new, but foreign course designs. Finishing first at one of Spartan Races hardest courses, the 2013 Virginia Wintergreen. A new sport romance was born.
Making it a family affair, Matt aided in peaking the interest to his then wife, who lead on her way to becoming a top female competitor on the course, thus broadening the opportunities for their mini athletes. Sadly, for the Novakovich family, competition took its toll and constant traveling to different venues ended up adding too much strain on the marriage. What started as an exciting and fast-paced new adventure, Matt was now finding himself in the middle of a divorce. The words “The best things are not always the most glamorous” proved to not just apply to his roofing company any longer.
So how does a 41-year-old, business owning entrepreneur, recently single father of four, Pro OCR athlete keep it going you might ask? Well, according to him “Balance. It’s a lifestyle.” Made up of merely four pieces:

social interaction

physicality

mentality

spirituality

“…You have 6 hours a day for each of those… technically”
Suggestions from the Bear on this balancing act, if you want to watch TV and play video games, that’s fine, get on your treadmill and do it or take advantage of those commercial breaks. There is no reason why the little ones can’t join in it too. Yes, on the course it’s a competition and being prepared is key, but make sure to set aside time for friends and family, hikes are great and you don’t have to ALWAYS be training at 110%.
Now for nutrition, eat what makes you happy. If that’s simple sugars, go for it! Just keep in mind you don’t have to finish your plate. As long as you’re not literally in a training session or on the race course “it’s okay to be hungry.” Matt makes sure to keep his body fueled during workouts so that he can successfully reach his competitive goals, outside of that you really don’t have to stress so much.

One of his absolute favorites is the McDonalds Fruit & Maple Oatmeal.

By making sure to leave anxiety at the door and choosing what is important to you at each present moment, your goals, whatever they may be, are more than in reach. Life isn’t about sacrificing one thing for another and shouldn’t be either.

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Brittany Corbett

Brittany is an Elite OCR competitor, Ultra Racer, Reebok Model and Fitness Professional. She believes that the world is one big adventure just waiting to be explored, so whether helping a fellow wanderer, creating new twists in the kitchen, or finding fun ways to sweat, as long as your happy keep doing it! Life's meant to be enjoyed