It’s that time of year again when resolutions are made and habits are both relinquished and started. We’re on the bridge of a new year and obstacle course racers around the world are busy with off-season training and planning for the upcoming race season.
2018 is already round the corner. And if you are like the average Joe, you probably have some New Year's resolutions. Let me guess? Your New Year's Resolutions are probably something like "lose weight" , "get fit", "run faster" or "lift heavier". Which is most likely what you had last year too. And did you make it all the way through to December? Probably not. (If you did, kudos to you)
The end of race season is bound to be a difficult time for most racers. We have had a blast jumping over walls, running up and down mountains, and wading through the mud. When your season is over it can leave you suffering from OCR withdrawal symptoms.
That title, despite sounding so dramatic, is absolutely not click-bait. People have been hospitalized as a result of over-hydrating, sometimes with life-threatening issues such as cerebral edema (your brain swelling) and pulmonary edema (fluid in the lungs) both of which are fatal if untreated.
The racecation is a great planning method when trying to fit in as many races/trips as possible into your schedule. It’s also especially handy if you are a racer at heart, but perhaps your significant other or family members are not because the racecation allows you to compromise and share that precious weekend time.
I like pushing my limits and finding boundaries so in 2016 I set out for OCR America a 7 day, 7 venue, Ultra-OCR spanning from Vermont to Oklahoma (read about it here). In 2017, I decided I would try for what I called the “Ultra-OCR Grand Slam”. The plan was to do every 24 hour OCR In the world and not just finish but do well (either podium or top ten).
For the past three years, I’ve compared the course of the Las Vegas course for World’s Toughest Mudder (WTM). After forgetting to write the article for the last couple of weeks, it finally dawned on me that I had not written one for this year. This was, in fact, the last year in Vegas on the course we know as noted by land adjacent/on previous year's course undergoing construction.
If you're on Mud Run Guide looking for tips and do's and don'ts for your first OCR you’re in the right place. Let me tell you about what the great sport has done for me.
So, you want to bring a friend to their first Obstacle Course Race? Well, you are in luck! There have never been more options out there for a racer to pick from. All you have to do is tell your friend, pay your registration, show up, and get your medal and shirt.
Finishing up the weekend of World’s Toughest Mudder (WTM), which was also the same weekend as Veteran’s Day, I went to make an Instagram post highlighting both. That’s when I realized the number of military veterans on the podium for WTM.
