Andrew Thomas is a Registered Holistic Nutritionist, elite obstacle course racer, rock climber and all-around outdoors enthusiast. As a self-professed “nutrition nerd”, Andrew’s passion is relentlessly researching and combing through the mass of information out there to separate fact from fiction.
As our sport continues to grow and evolve, innovative companies are getting creative with course designs, themes and obstacles.
First, there was mud. Ice cold water, fire and barbed wire soon followed, and an entire race industry was born. OCR's have grown exponentially over the past 4 years, and themes abound - from zombies to warriors - but one of the constants has universally been mud. With the newest wave of OCR's, mud has taken a backseat, and in some instances isn't even a part of the event.
mudrunguide.com co-founder Brett Stewart was recently interviewed by SPRY Magazine on Mud Runs, here's the transcript:Tell me about your personal experience with mud running. How many mud runs have you participated in? How did you get into the sport? My background is in road racing and triathlons, in total I’ve completed well north of a hundred events of all lengths from a 5k to Ironman triathlon and ultramarathons. I got my start in mud runs or OCR’s (Obstacle Course Racing) through adventure racing back in the early 2000’s. OCR’s take a lot of inspiration from adventure racing, and there are many athletes who embrace both. Adventure racing has been around for decades, and was actually a discipline in the original X Games in the early 1990’s. Mark Burnett (of Survivor fame) factored heavily into the creation and proliferation of the sport.
Well-Trained Warrior's Evan Dollard explains the best techniques to develop your upper body and core strength in order to conquer the infamous Salmon Ladder.
Death Race is different than any other event; it emulates life. The event is completely designed to break people physically and even more so mentally while every other event is designed for you to finish. Those races have aid stations, directions, volunteers giving you a pat on the back and cheering you on and hand-holding the entire time. Death Race is a full-on mind-fuck from the beginning to the end. We don't tell you when the race is going to start, when it will end, how long it will be, what to wear, bring, eat, shit, sleep… we have designed it to be just like life; there are no set answers and you have no idea what you're doing until you get there. Death Race starts the minute you sign up, months before the event; the uncertainty will consume you, enrage you and get in your head to knock you off your game. Death Race will piss you off weeks before the gun goes off. Everything is today and perfect in today's society, but man has been walking this planet for hundreds of thousands of years before we had drive-thrus and hand sanitizer. Society today has no idea how to react to the adversity like any of our ancestors faced throughout history, each day you fought to survive and life was never perfect. It throws a monkey-wrench into our lives when we have to face challenges that we don't expect; losing a job is not comparable to the hardships every other human had to endure for us to get to this point.
Organizing and starting your own event takes a lot of work - so you'd better be ready. We have some tips and plenty of things to consider if you're looking to step up and put on an event of your own.
Thinking about or signed up for your first mud run or obstacle race? Congratulations!! Committing to doing it really is the hardest part. We know that you might have some questions before (and after) the race, so we've tried to lay out a few answers here for you.
99% of Mud Runs & OCR's are designed to accommodate men and women of all ages, size & fitness levels; high school wrestlers are in the same heat as 50 year-old housewives, athletes and fitness models rub elbows with the dorky guy from your IT department and Tiffany from HR. The inclusiveness is sometimes part of what makes these events great, but at the same time there is surely a need to break some accomplished athletes into different waves - say, the "elite" start times and make room for all the normal guys and gals to compete with others on their same level. Sometimes, you can make something really special through the simple math of "addition by subtraction". Yep, I said it - cut the guys out of the equation and you have an even more enjoyable event for women the world over to enjoy. Are these "easy races fit for the girls?" Not necessarily - but they are created specifically for women (usually by women) and are exciting, challenging, and fun events that growing like wildfire in the world of Mud Runs & OCR's!
Each event is unique - even if they share a lot of the same obstacles! Every different event has its own personality, given to it by the race director, volunteers and the overall "vibe" of the event. Some are great, some notsomuch... it happens. I've read hundreds of different reviews for the same event where some participants had a great time and others hated it! Don't let that deter you, each event has a bit of fun, adventure and excitement and if you enjoy it for what it is, you'll most likely have a great time - they are a chance to challenge your strength, agility and physical ability over daunting obstacles (sometimes mud, water & fire!) over a 5k to 12-mile distance. Here are a couple distinctions between "the big three"
Running is a commitment of time, physical and mental energy, but it's far more important than a simple pastime to pick up. A fitness and running regimen is an investment that you make in yourself, and the potential dividends are many: a healthier, happier life; a sense of accomplishment by reaching your goals; the fortitude that comes from learning from mistakes and fighting through setbacks to keep your goals in sight. There will be many ups and downs during your running career, and you’ll learn valuable lessons from each victory and many more from any failures and stumbles along the way to hit your goals. Some training sessions will feel like a trip to the dentist while others will feel like a day at the spa. To adopt a runner’s mentality means to embrace the good with the bad and keep an open mind to all the things you'll learn along the way. I personally never envisioned becoming a runner. I cherish all the memories I’ve made “on the run” and look forward to the experiences I’ve yet to have.
