While you meet people from all walks of life on the racing circuit, the growth of obstacle racing over the years has allowed for a number of distinct groups to emerge. If you have been racing for a while, chances are you have run into one of these folks on the race course. [We love and need them all.]
The Super Mom is sporting her Spartan headband, and is taking turns with her fellow Super mom to babysit each other’s kids, so the other can race. Her kids are signed up for all the Kids races, and have more Spartan and Tough Mudder gear than they do Frozen or Toy Story.
The CrossFitter does… well, CrossFit. He also probably doesn’t eat bread, or peanut butter, and can deadlift a million pounds (which does not do him any good in an actual obstacle race). His longest “run” was that 20 minute WOD last week that included a whole mile. He collapsed on the floor at the end. And ate a steak for recovery.
The Road Runner is wearing her Garmin and road running shoes (which provide zero grip on slick mountain hills). Her nutrition is down to a science – water bottle in hand, and 200 calories each hour. She is confused by all the mud and is shocked when a 5k race takes her almost an hour to complete.
The Cheerleader wears glitter and has a team with matching costumes. She helps everyone, encourages everyone, and is incapable of racing alone. You can find her at the start line, cheering on the elites or at the finish handing out medals.
The Diva is wearing eye liner, and lipgloss. She bought a brand new outfit for the race, and is mostly concerned about the mud aspect. The biggest obstacle – making sure she looks good in the fire jumping photos.
The Desk Jockey works in a cubicle, and wears a business casual attire during the typical work week. He usually runs with a couple of buddies, and has a Tough Mudder headband hanging off the rearview mirror of his car. Beer at the end is the highlight of his race.
The Adrenaline Junkie gets bored quickly and will try everything once. He signs up for the World’s Toughest Mudder on a whim after reading about it on someone’s Facebook page. He has bungee jumped, and skydived, and crawled across Sahara dessert, while holding a boiled egg in his mouth. He is off to climb Everest next, and then to learn how to knit.
The “Elite” Racer always runs in the elite wave (and then runs additional laps after). He races both on Saturday and Sunday, obsessively tracks the points standings, and plans vacations around race locations. He also has an athlete Facebook page. Obviously.
The G.I. Joe believes that the more miserable the race is, the better. In fact, he is probably running the course with a 50-lb ruck and a tire, and is secretly hoping for a thunderstorm. He is not concerned with finishing time – just suffering.
The Mountain Goat has been running on trails and on mountains as long as he can remember. In fact, he regularly runs for three or four hours “just for fun”. He does not follow a formal training plan, but rather goes out and plays outside. After hearing about this new sport that includes few obstacles thrown into what he has been doing this whole time, he shows up to the start and makes top 10 without really trying.
The Coolest Combos?
The Diva + The “Elite” Racer = awesome chick who kicks your ass and looks good while doing it.
The CrossFitter + The Road Runner = probably injured and wearing K-tape.
The G.I. Joe + The Adrenaline Junkie = voted the most likely to NOT die his natural death. Survival Run in Nicaragua, you say? Perhaps, I can do it with 20 pounds of chains around my neck!
The Super Mom + The G.I. Joe = all of her kids have their own patches, rucks and homemade kid-sized weights for rucking. Family outing at its best.
The CrossFitter + The Desk Jockey = vastly overestimates how fit he/she actually is. Ends up with leg cramps three miles into the race.
The “Elite” Racer + The Adrenaline Junkie = any life balance is thrown out of the window, as all life is centred around racing. This is what credit cards were made for!
Which one are you? Perhaps, a combination of two or three?
What other types or combos have you seen on race course?
The opinions in this article are those of the writer and may not reflect those of Mud Run Guide.
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