Your First Mud Run, and Why “I Can’t Do It” is Complete BS

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:

1. 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!”
2. 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)
3. 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.”
4. 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.
5. 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.

Share this post!