NuGo Athlete of the Month: Kris Mendoza

Kris Mendoza is an obstacle course runner, who finished 3rd at the World’s Toughest Mudder in 2016 and became the 5th person to ever run 100 miles at the extreme event. Kris was stuck in the ordinary for most his life, rarely pushing himself to his true limits until he decided to run the most extreme obstacle course race he could find.

Since then, obstacle course racing and trail running have consumed his life. He continues to compete in multiple Spartan Races and Tough Mudders, and is looking to face the new challenge of ultra-marathons and adventure races. He continues to push himself beyond what he thought was possible. He competed in the 2015 World’s Toughest Mudder and after he completed 80 miles and finished in 8th place, he had his sights set on bigger things in 2016.

In 2016, Kris was poised to hit 90 miles and beat his mileage from the previous year. He was lucky enough to be chosen as part of Team Goat Tough, a group of 13 individuals chosen by Jim “Da Goat” Campbell. “While I wanted a strong finish, I would have never guessed that I would have completed 100 miles.” He finished 3rd in the individual male competition and became the 5th person to ever run 100 miles at WTM, something that was only done once before this year.

His favorite NuGo bar is NuGo Stronger Caramel Pretzel. He also really enjoys the NuGo Slim line for a healthy snack on the go. For the past few years, Kris was busy traveling and was searching for high quality foods on the run. This was especially hard for him due to a food allergy to wheat/gluten. He found NuGo bars as a healthy alternative to other options while on the go. He says, “they are a simple and healthy snack I can always rely on.” Since then, he discovered the NuGo Stronger bars and love them to fuel his workouts.

“I can easily throw them in my bag and know they will help get me through the hardest workouts. They are easy enough to throw into my pack if I go out for a long run and help keep me going for hours. As an added bonus, they taste amazing, so I will often eat them as a dessert treat!”

This will be a big competition year for Kris. He is competing in the brand new Toughest Mudder series in addition to World’s Toughest Mudder. He is planning on running a few Spartan Races, preferably the Ultra-Beast distance and depending on his schedule; he is hoping to run 1-2 ultra-marathons and possibly an adventure race. He says, “I always like to try new things and think they will help me become a better well-rounded athlete.” His current goal is to continue to improve every day and try new things. He strives to do his best and have fun!

Kris is a dental anesthesiology resident at the University of California, Los Angeles. He recently joined Crossfit Los Angeles and has loved training there with a community of people who push him to be his best. He also enjoys getting out into nature on hikes in the mountains. Follow Kris to his next race on Facebook and Instagram.