If you already love the sport of OCR, there's probably nothing too exciting in the Brett's TotallyFIT Radio interview for you… but:
If you have friends who have never run an OCR or Mud Run before and give you the same old “No way, I can't do that” excuse, then share this post with them!
Here are a few simple OCR/Mud Run facts:
- Excuses are like buttholes, they stink and everyone has at least one.
- Obstacle Course Races and Mud Runs are for everyone. If you can get from Point A (start) to point B (finish), then the barriers to entry in this sport are virtually nonexistent.
- OCR is the fastest-growing sport in the HISTORY of organized sport; in 2014 alone there were more finishers of obstacle races and mud runs than triathlon (nearly 40 years old as a sport) and marathons (since the days of Philippides, 490 BC) combined! Remember; the sport of OCR has only been around for about 5 years!
- Electric shocks suck, and are totally, completely, optional. Tough Mudder is famous for Electric Eel and Electroshock Therapy; and both may either be live (shocking) or not (sound effects of zapping). In either case, you can avoid them as you wish, with no penalties – so “I'm not getting shocked” is not a valid excuse!
- Jumping over fire is about as difficult as hopping over a sleeping dog or any of the obstacles you face in real life; don't let the fact that it's a relatively small pile of flaming logs freak you out! You're either coming directly out of a pit and soaking wet, or hosed down to make sure you are soaking wet (and completely flame-proof) before you jump – you're not going to get burned.*
Here's the scenario: Your friend/co-worker/spouse/mailman says “I can't do one of those races…” below is a little tutorial in how to turn 'em around with the truth about our sport.
Here are the normal excuses:
- I can't run 5k without walking, and everyone will laugh at me.
- I'm going to look stupid, and everyone will laugh at me.
- I'm going to come in dead last, and everyone will laugh at me.
- I can't get over obstacles, I'll get stuck, and everyone will laugh at me.
- There's no $%&^ way I'm running through fire and getting $&%$ SHOCKED! (see Electric Shocks and Fire bullet above)
OK, here goes:
- No one will laugh at you. Every age, sex, body type, and adaptive athletes are represented at Mud Runs. Go to a course and you'll find a small group of washboard-abbed men and women in the competitive heat, followed by everyone from adaptive athlete combat veterans to grandmothers, co-eds, and beer-bellied dudes. The only laughing that happens is that AHA! moment when you realize: “Hell, if they can do this, I can too!”
- You do not have to run the whole thing, most people don't. The obstacles are a nice way to break up the run/jog/trot/walk from obstacle to obstacle. YES, the competitive athletes can put down 4:10 miles, and book around the course… and YES, that's probably not your speed. (psst: no one will laugh if you walk)
- There's no such thing as coming in last. For real, I can guarantee you will NOT finish last. Why? Because of wave starts. Between 100 – 300 athletes will go off on a cadence of about every 15 minutes (varies from race-to-race) and there is absolutely no way a bystander can tell what wave you were in, and quite frankly – they don't care. Folks will root for you just the same as the speedy guys and gals in the lead wave who were already done & showered before you even got to the starting gate. In other words; you are not being compared to “real bad-ass athletes.”
- Yes, you're going to look stupid – and so will everyone else! Do we even need to go through this? Everyone is slipping, falling, and crawling in the same mud. Wee all look like fools, embrace it.
- Obstacles have been put in your way to slow you down – sometimes you will need help to get over. Luckily, there are hundreds of other athletes there willing to lend a hand and help you over. Need some help? Then ask. Too afraid to ask? Then start by offering someone else a hand, and get the reciprocal benefit. Once you've tried, sought help and still not made it over – just walk around the stupid obstacle and take a good, long stare at that sonofa^&*. Wag your finger and shout: “Imma get you next time!”
So, questions answered – now are you ready to SIGN UP YET? MRG's here to make it even easier:
Discounts to Events | Worldwide Event Map | Event Calendar | Events By State | Events by Cities/Major Metro
Now that your excuses are dead and you've signed up for your first race, give a listen to Brett's interview on TotallyFIT Radio below, and check out his FREE Training Plan to get you started!
*Our lawyers want us to remind you that you CAN get burned if you trip and fall or do something stupid like a front flip while trying to take a fire-jumping selfie. Be smart, safe, and don't be a moron. PLus, you signed a waiver, so your safety (for the most part) is up to you.