Mud and Adventure gets a nice plug in the Miami Herald. Check out the full story.

The post Miami Herald: Obstacle course craze has Floridians getting down and very dirty appeared on Mud and Adventure.

The post Miami Herald: Obstacle course craze has Floridians getting down and very dirty appeared on Mud and Adventure.

The post Tough Mudder: The obstacle courses for adults that are now worth $250m appeared on Mud and Adventure.

Read on by clicking the link below

The post Tough Mudder: The obstacle courses for adults that are now worth $250m appeared on Mud and Adventure.

The post Mud Runs vs. Obstacle Course Races What’s the difference? appeared on Mud and Adventure.

The post Mud Runs vs. Obstacle Course Races What’s the difference? appeared on Mud and Adventure.

Being a kid is all about wonderment; marveling at our heroes and filling our imaginations with their adventures. A big reason why most of us love obstacle course racing is its appeal to that kid still living inside of us. Rolling around in the mud and doing all of the things our parents told us not to do growing up (like jumping off of things that could hurt us) gets our motors going. For those that love the competitive aspect of racing, the clock suddenly becomes an arch enemy waiting to be vanquished! Others are simply motivated by the beer, bands and good times waiting for them at the finish line. Sean “Ace” O’Conner, founder and CEO of Superhero Scramble, has used his special powers to make all of this happen in one race.

“I really want people to have a good time,” says Sean. “We have a lot of people stay for the party aspect much longer than at other races and that is because we want to make the Click to read the rest of the story.

The post OCR’s Masked Man of Mud – Superhero Scramble’s Sean “Ace” O’Conner appeared on Mud and Adventure.

In a quick, consumable fashion here are the rest of my thoughts.

• They are a little heavier than my X-talons and Trailrocs, but not horribly so.
• There seems to be a little less proprioception, but just a tad bit.  I love using the word “proprioception”…makes me feel smart!

Read the rest of the review at OnMyWayToSparta.com.

The post Inov-8 Roclite 295 Review appeared on Mud and Adventure.

My 8-year old daughter raced in the second wave.  Despite my injuries, I got caught up in the excitement and decided to “rabbit” this race — meaning starting out in front of the kids and leading them around the course.  The emcee got the kids all revved up.  The energy in the little corral was palpable.  When the race started, they shot out like little bullets.  Read the rest of the race review here.

The post Indiana Spartan Kids Race Review appeared on Mud and Adventure.

Obstacle racing offers several new challenges and tests. Get ready to take on these new tests by starting in the weight room. Building strength and circuit training are the main ingredients to performing successfully in these types of races. It takes more than running to be prepared for these events—you also need strength, power, balance, coordination and strategy. 

Here are eight exercises that will help you master obstacle-course races. Learn these exercises one at a time and, once you have the technique down, try grouping 3 to 5 of them together for a circuit. When focusing on strength, use heavier weights and perform fewer repetitions. When circuit training, use lighter weight and do more reps. Read on, click on the article below…

The post 10 Exercises to Get You Ready for an Obstacle-Course Race appeared on Mud and Adventure.

link to Marie Claire article below…

The post marie claire: Hit the Dirt: The Latest Workout Craze appeared on Mud and Adventure.

The post Forbes: obstacle racing – one of five must watch fitness trends this summer appeared on Mud and Adventure.

Obstacle Racing challenges us to go beyond what we think is possible intellectually, physically, and emotionally.  Obstacle Racing is about Mind, Body, and Heart. 

I Lost 100 Pounds in the late 1990’s & Fitness changed my Life!

Quick note about me for those of you new to my background: In the late 1990’s I lost over 100 Pounds and it positively changed my life for the better!  I gained back control of my life and found the real “Me” and new self-confidence!  I love all sports and have always been an athlete, yet didn’t look like one! Lol!  Since I was a kid I have played, Basketball, Baseball, Ultimate Frisbee, Soccer, Football, Karate, Tae Kwon Do, Akido, Greco Roman Wrestling, Free Style Wrestling, Grappling, MMA, Boxing, Running, Skydiving, Repelling, Rock Climbing, and more BUT no sport has touched my life like the sport of Obstacle Racing!  I now compete and train with other Elite Obstacle Racers in the toughest challenges and wildest environments in the world and will continue to work to improve myself everyday and inspire more and more people to stop hesitating, blaming, and making excuses in life and just go for it!  Life is what we make of it!

In the Health and Fitness world (after losing 100 pounds) I have been a top Trainer and Writer (sponsored by VPX Sports www.vpxsports.com & www.Bodybuilding.com “Elite” brand workout clothing & DRMC Danville Regional Medical Center www.danvilleregional.com & Wilkins & Co. Realtors www.wilkinsandco.com & Attorney Mark B. Holland www.markbholland.com ) for over 16 years and constantly see people make amazing changes in their bodies and get great results only to STOP when they get where they want to be.  Listen… Just because you feel, look, or move good today doesn’t at anytime mean to stop adhering to preventative techniques or challenging and bettering yourself.  We have all heard the phrase “Use It or Lose It” and it’s absolutely true with our Minds, Bodies, and Hearts. 

Just Because you are Better Doesn’t mean Stop!

Just because your back isn’t hurting anymore, doesn’t mean to stop strengthening it.  Just because your weight and body fat level is down about to where you want to be, doesn’t mean to stop exercising, practicing proper nutrition, and getting plenty of rest.  Just because you are stronger with dealing with an addiction issue, doesn’t mean to stop being aware and building even more defenses for later challenges thrown your way.  Just because your marriage or relationship is fun and comfortable, doesn’t mean to stop working on it making it even stronger.

Too many times we all just get comfortable and let our guards down and that “Thing” creeps back into our life again.

We have to constantly challenge ourselves intellectually, physically, emotionally, and consistently build our resistances up to negative mind, body, and heart issues to withstand future let-downs.

We have a choice to be pro-active in our own lives and we have to because no one else will do it for us.  No one else knows us better than we know ourselves so we have to constantly be strengthening ourselves for our future life obstacles and to cross over those barriers.

Problems are always lurking around the corner so we have to always be strong, capable, prepared, and ready.

Just because we are good runners and can whip a 5K, 10K, Half Marathon, or Marathon doesn’t mean we stop there.  Don’t stop, get it get it!  We can get into Ultra Marathons.  If it’s not distance we seek then we can get into the sport of Obstacle Racing where we will challenge our same run distances with obstacles interwoven for challenges in Total Body Strength and Endurance.  Then when you feel you have gotten good with the smaller Obstacle Races, with short distances, then try the longer distance Obstacle Races, then like a few of us you can work up to Ultra Marathon Elite Obstacle Races (if you really are ready physically, intellectually, and emotionally) combining way more running than a marathon with way more intense obstacles laid-out across primal, raw, and rugged landscapes with magnitudes larger than any of the normal courses (Such as Fuego Y Agua’s Survival Run & Hunter Gatherer). 

Right when we get comfortable with something and accomplish it and feel we have the upper hand, then we need to make the choice to get out of our comfort zone and get challenged again and again and again.  Obstacle Racing does that in so many facets.  

I started with a simple 5k run, but over the years have gone thru many races to have grown into Elite Obstacle Racing that combines the toughest, most challenging obstacles with Ultra Marathon distance running.  I absolutely love this sport and how as I grow and challenge myself it has something bigger, badder, better, and more intense to keep me getting stronger.  Obstacle Racing never gets old.

Doing the Same Thing Over and Over Expecting Different or Better Results!

I have an old client who’s been MIA for a while, the reason I haven’t called to bug him is he’s 86 years old and I am respectful of how he wants to spend his time.  This old client told an existing client the other day “tell Dave I’m still doing all the same exercises…but I’m not getting any stronger.”  Look he’s 86 and was training with me 2-3 hours per week and I love him and hearing his words of wisdom as he trained pretty darn hard, actually harder than 75% of my clients.  He’s a joy to be around!  He wanted to get into training with me because he was just walking 3-4 times per week and felt like he wasn’t getting anywhere or any stronger.  Well he was doing the same old thing over and over and expecting different or better results…it didn’t happen.  Now he has taken what he’s learned, which was challenging and still continues those exercises, BUT now he’s back to doing the same old thing over and over expecting different or better results.  He’s not with me learning new, better, and more challenging exercises and training techniques so his body has gotten bored again.

We are like that in life, we keep doing the same work/job routine over and over for 30 years and expecting things to change.  We keep doing the same workouts and keep getting the same results.  We keep doing the same old things, same old routines, same old attitude and our Bodies, Minds, and Hearts get bored and growth stops.

Look we can be pro-active and make positive changes for ourselves or life will force us to change in ways we probably will not like. 

We have the choices to constantly better ourselves, improve our minds, strengthen our bodies, and better our hearts.  It’s our own free will and choices that make us who we are.  We will define our legacy here on earth from the choices we make during our existences.

Adapt & Overcome!

You won’t Believe what Your Body, Mind, and Heart can handle!

Only a few years ago, after only running, I was being challenged with my first Warrior Dash, then second, third, then Tough Mudder at Wintergreen Resort up monster ski slopes, then a GoRuck Challenge in VA Beach in April in freezing water, thunderstorms, cold temps, swamps and worse running missions and obstacles for 15-18 miles and 14-16 hours non-stop…as my body, mind, and heart adapted I overcame those challenges and went on to bigger, badder, and better.  For example I did a few Tough Mudders last year within a few months of The World’s Toughest Mudder just for obstacle training purposes.  I was working so hard with my own strength training, endurance training, cold water training, trail running, and recovery, but needed the actual Obstacles to get my mind straight before World’s Toughest.  My body, mind, and heart were ready to go after covering all my bases and I was adapting and overcoming in all ways!  As a side note: the only area I didn’t prepare for was a 55 degree late November day in New Jersey and I only brought 7mm total body wetsuits to run in thinking temperature would be 35-19 degrees:) fatal mistake on my part as I quickly completed my first lap without a wetsuit in 40 degree water but the 55 degree out of water temps just killed me once I put the 7mm suit on to get thru the 100 yard swims again.  Then came training for the toughest, rawest, most primal Elite Obstacle/Ultra Marathon 70K Race the Survival Run in Nicaragua on the Isle de Ometepe (incorporating Ultra Running, climbing, swimming, jumping, Obstacles, and more extreme landscape than ever before) and on the same weekend as top Ultra Marathoners from around the world competed in 25K, 50K, & 100K Ultra races which apparently was almost the toughest in the world because of our terrain there on that hot volcanic jungle island in Central America.

What used to be Tough years ago…wasn’t Tough anymore.  I do 10-12 mile Obstacle Race events as training days and just working on techniques for rings, bars, ropes, walls, swims, jumping, climbing, and testing footwear, clothing, gear, supplements etc.  It’s not just me, but all of us adapt and overcome and look for the next toughest, grittiest, rugged, challenging event because we are all getting tougher!

Persistence Equals Progress!

We are capable of so many intellectual, physical, and emotional applications all at once and Obstacle Racing challenges us in all these ways!  As long as we keep persisting and never give-up, we will keep progressing.  When we are combining our minds, bodies, and hearts in an Obstacle Racing event we become a jack of all fitness trades and masters of none!  Our Brains calculate so much during a race in conjunction with our Bodies, then on top of all that energy output and mental/physical calculation…we are able to help our fellow man up and over a wall, up Everest, or overcome a fear of heights or water…that’s Heart, then we keep on keep-in on running through to the next challenge! 

Obstacle Racing…there’s nuthin like it!

-Dave Gluhareff

The post Obstacle Racing – There’s nuthin like it appeared on Mud and Adventure.

As I’m the (self appointed) Jerry West of obstacle racing they offered me a free race entry. I told them I’m probably already busy that weekend or something.

But truth be told I don’t know if I could make the cut (something about you will have to make your own shoes and needing to bring a water purifier). So I’m offering my race entry to the one deserving bad ass that thinks this has their name all over it.

If you think you’re up for the challenge and if the small chance that the race director agrees (the event is application only and for good reason), you could get a free race registration on the house.  

When applying, be sure to include the phrase “I love Mud and Adventure.” Hint: that better not be the only thing you put down. Out of the applications received with the above phrase included, and out of any of those who are accepted to register, one application will be picked to register for free.  One sick, twisted very tough individual will be picked and  notified around May 31.

Apply here.

The post 100KM (+) Obstacle Race – Do you think you have what it takes? appeared on Mud and Adventure.

Spartan Race @ Citi Field Fittest Gym – EPIC Hybrid Training Center, NYC

Out of the numerous Spartan Races I’m participating in this year, this was the big one.  I’m not sure if I showed it or not, but leading up to this race I put tremendous pressure on myself to do well.

Most of EPIC Hybrid Training was participating in this Spartan Race.  I had friends and family traveling to watch, I was the defending champ from the last stadium race in Fenway…it was all building up and I was determined to have this pressure fuel my training.  I did burpees for breakfast, lunch and dinner to prepare for an EPIC battle with some of the best obstacle racers in the world.

Hunter McIntyre, Dave Magida, Miguel Medina and Alexander Nicholas battle it out.

The elite wave was broken into heats of 15…I was up against Hunter McEntyre, Dave Magaida, and Miguel Medina and many other studs from across the country.  I wasn’t so concerned with winning as I was with navigating an effienient race and avoiding the burpees.  If I could manage that, the rest would take care of itself.  The race started at a furios pace.  I knew I had to get out early and try my best to stay in Hunters back pocket.   He rarely screws up obstacles, but I knew if I could keep him in my sight, I would have a chance.  Well, my plan was great in theory, but it didn’t work out exactly to plan.  Problem being that Hunter runs 4 minute miles and I

Read more of the original post here 

Team EPIC- From a racer’s point of view!

This is an excellent montage produced by Veego Films (veegofilms.com) Special thanks to Chris! Awesome work!!!

Veego creates immersive videos of life’s coolest adventures with professional editing and GoPro camera equipment. You work hard day after day so that a couple times a year you can cut loose. You conquer that mud run. You shred the slopes. You check one more item off the bucket list. On these days a photograph or a story just isn’t going to do it justice. You’ve earned those moments. And Veego helps you capture them in dramatic fashion like never before. You do cool stuff too. Show it off. Relive it. Own it forever! www.veegofilms.com

Where You Go, Veego

The post Reebok Spartan Race Tackles the Big Apple in an Epic Way! appeared on Mud and Adventure.

About The Human Death Race documentary

From all walks of life athletes converge to risk their lives in an extreme competition of will and power. It’s called the Death Race, and participants must push beyond their physical and mental limitations to survive the 60-plus hour event in the forbidding mountains of Pittsfield, Vermont. The Death Race sets participants on a grueling journey of endurance beyond anything they have experienced before. Those who are brave enough to take on the challenge of the Death Race walk away stronger, with a powerful new way of seeing the world. The Death Race is a life-changing experience that transcends the physical and evokes the spiritual. Now, for the first time, the thrilling intensity of the annual Death Race is revealed. We examine the psychological process of how fear can be converted into excitement, how the impossible can be transformed into ecstasy, and how a better quality of life can be achieved.

After being in the entertainment industry for over twenty years, and an awarding-winning documentary under my belt, I spent several years looking for an incredible and unique topic for my next project. A little over a year ago Spartan Race emerged during a casual conversation with a family member, which immediately peaked my interest. I love all things Spartan, but I had no idea what these races were about. 

After further investigation, I discovered the Spartan Races are progressive obstacle course races that implement challenges with blazing fires, mud, water, barbed wire, and gladiators standing between the competitors and the finish line. I discovered anyone including couch potatoes can get off their bum and participate in a Spartan Sprint. The race is an entertaining, thrilling, and an addictive avenue to make the transformation to a healthy lifestyle. From there, participates can progress to bigger and more extreme challenges with the Spartan Super, followed by the monsterous Spartan Beast. These races are not easy even for accomplished athletes.

As a filmmaker, the Spartan Races intrigue me due to the large number of people giving credit to these races for changing their lives, and I asked myself, why? I knew the answer would help put the purpose of the documentary in perspective.

I became extremely passionate about this project when I discovered the Death Race, which blew my mind! The Death Race goes far beyond the Spartan Races to the ultimate extreme and verges on being totally insane! I have always been fascinated by human behavior and the social sciences.

The Death Race is a 100% mental challenge and a psychology and sociology research lab. Participates are challenged to push beyond impossible limitations they have placed upon themselves, and in the process, they transform to a higher quality of life. From there, the purpose of the documentary became clear. I still had no idea how in-depth the psychological process of this transformation really was until I traveled to Pittsfield, Vermont for the winter Death Race.

A week before the winter Death Race, the co-founders of Death Race, Joe DeSena and Andy Weinberg invited me to the event. I had plans of filming the main Death Race in June with a full production crew, but I accepted their invitation and showed up with one cameraman to acquire some footage to make our Kickstarter reel. Joe, Andy, and the competitors are the most incredible and inspiring people! Not only is the Death Race intriguing, but the psychological process of how people’s lives transform from the experience makes this an important film in the world of sports and social sciences.

The co-founders of Death Race, Joe DeSena and Andy Weinberg, are supportive of this documentary, but they are not directly involved with The Human Death Race documentary, which is an objective observation of this sporting event. We did credit Peak Races in the trailer. They are giving us unlimited access for film production and granting us permission to use their Death Race trademark in the title. 100th Monkey Productions is very grateful for their support!

The post The Human Death Race appeared on Mud and Adventure.

For all that passion and fire we as the racer carry with us this is a sport. It has a unique community of athletes from all different walks of life. There are those who show up to earn a spot as an “elite” every weekend. Others come to combat their inner demons week in and week out. They celebrate with one another the accomplishment of crossing the finish line. Some fight themselves, some fight physical illness that would attempt to keep them down and out. Their exists within all of us a sense of camaraderie that stems from reaching the finish line.

Yet this is not all of OCR. This has become a business. Lines are being drawn, organizations attempt to guide and shape the world of OCR in the image they choose/ So which one is right? Where are they trying to take our beloved sport and why? The corporate partnerships are received with mixed reviews. The push to become a legitimized sport has created an almost Civil War style mentality among those within the sport, dividing sides and pitting once tight partners against one another, while forming yet even more alliances out of those ashes. 

“Down, Dirty, and Driven” will bring all of this to the big screen. Our tireless efforts to get to events, speak to race directors, and spend time in the mud with the racers themselves will create a true labor of love. This project depends highly though on the amazing community of individuals within OCR. The teams, the elites, the fans, the organizations. The more support means the more time we are able to spend on the road reaching each and every corner of the US and even beyond to bring this film to life. Check out what we have done so far by going to Filmbreak.com and looking up “Down, Dirty, and Driven”. Hype up the film to it gets noticed (just click the little “Hype” button). Go to Kickstarter.com and find us there. Tell everyone and if you want to find a way to be part of the film email us at film@obstacleracermagazine.com. 

Your passion is our passion. This film is because like you we love this sport and want to see it grow and stick around for a very long time. 

Sincerely-

John Ziegler

“Down, Dirty, and Driven” – Official Documentary on Obstacle Racing

The post “Down, Dirty, & Driven” – Official Documentary on Obstacle Racing appeared on Mud and Adventure.

Mud runs and obstacle races are basically the same thing. Both involve some amount of running and require participants to traverse either natural or man-made obstacles throughout the course. Mud runs are heavy on the mud with varying amounts of obstacles involved while obstacle races will usually take you through the mud once if not several times throughout a more obstacle rich course.  In this piece I’ll just refer to them all as obstacle races moving forward (even though some are considered challenges and not races). 

I could go into the nitty-gritty of describing each of the different race and event series out there and and how they‘re all different (from 3 mile fun runs to ultra distance races and things like zombie and fire fighter themed events in between) and what kind of person should do which but there are literally entire books being written about this. Instead I’ll tell you what draws me to them and why I enjoy them.

After I fell (got jolted down) in the mud at the last obstacle (Electroshock Therapy) at a Tough Mudder event. I was perfectly clean up until the last five seconds!

Like the average American runner I did a lot of 5k road races. Occasionally I’d do a four or five miler. I really dislike, er, disliked, running any further I and still do if it’s on the road or by myself in the trails.  I was in the Marine Corps and a timed three-mile run was the basis of our fitness test. Now years past since I got out of the military, organized 5K road races have provided what I thought was a fun way to continue to gauge and pursue a general, and what I think is respectable, level of cardio vascular fitness.  I liked the energy of large crowds running together. The bigger the race, the more energized I got. But I was never motivated enough to run further for longer races.  That all changed around 2007.

My first obstacle race was a hybrid 10K trail run in down in Miami. It followed the same trails I’d normally ride my mountain bike on. The organizer threw in a couple of natural obstacles such as stream crossings and had a tiny obstacle area set up at the end of the course (a wall that had to be climbed over and some logs I had to crawl under).  Despite the race being of a distance that I would normally hate to run I was hooked on a new sport and I didn’t even know it.

Who needs ropes? Scaling the wall at my first real obstacle race @ a Down2Earth Trail Run

That first obstacle race was a small race with maybe thirty people in the group that chose that distance. I didn’t get to feel that energy from thousands of runners running alongside me that I got and wanted from a road race – the same energy that I’m sure  motivates many others to the starting line of road races. But what the race lacked in group energy was more than made up for in personal challenge.  As the runners spread out throughout the course I found myself running at my own pace, not trying to keep up with any group or individual that I had to beat or who shouldn’t be beating me based on any biases towards body types I may have had.  I had one goal in my head – finish. Even though I was in the outskirts of Miami, a short walk to the nearest grocery store, I envisioned myself running in some remote forest qualifying for an elite military unit.  I felt tough just being out there running, let alone finishing (which I did).  

Over the last few years as these types of runs have taken off in popularity and obstacle racing has become more organized, the 5k’s have all but disappeared from my race schedule.  Obstacle races now have the group energy of road races. In fact the energy is much more intense (check out the start line of a Tough Mudder). 

Besides the personal challenge and the energy, OCR brings something else that I didn’t find in regular running – camaraderie. I now have friends all over the world that I’ll often run into randomly on the racecourse.  We’ll talk excitedly about how great or bad a race was (usually depends on the quality of obstacles or logistics such as trail marking or crowd bottlenecks).  Run with someone for a few miles, help each other over a wall, share your race snacks with each other and before you know it you both have new friends. Some people enjoy the camaraderie so much they run the full course with their friends with the goal of not achieving a certain finishing time but that the group finishes together.

Some friends and I at the start line of a recent Spartan Race (and no, I’m not naked)

I used to have a running blog to document my quest, training and just my general struggle to achieve my personal holy grail of running – a 21-minute time for the three-mile. On that site I had a page of upcoming races I wanted to do. Now I maintain Mud and Adventure a whole website devoted to upcoming obstacle races and mud runs broken down by state and country so I and others could find and keep track of which events to do.

Now my race schedule is 95 percent obstacle course type events and I’m actually closer to that coveted 21 minute time than I have ever been before. I still have a while to go but I have found myself motivated to run more – to train for that next event and to be able to test myself further in more challenging events.

I’ve gotten to the point where I’ll do a 13-mile race and during the last few miles I’ll tell myself, that after this, I’m never running a race longer than 8 miles again. What do I of course do after that? I signed up a for a 75K ultra survival/obstacle race in the middle of Nicaragua on a (double) volcanic island.  So a few months later and miles and hours up the side of a volcano there was another long moment there that I said never again as well.  A fellow racer called it race amnesia. A month after the race I am now signed up for the same race again next year in Nicaragua.  This time I am motivated to train more than five miles at a clip. Heaven forbid I finish the whole thing. What will I want to do after that??! Maybe one day it won’t be as much about the personal challenge as much as it is about the competition – coming in first and winning. For some it already is.  There are a lot of things, many, many unmentioned, that draw people to this new sport.

Dragging a log in Lake Nicaragua @ Fuego Y Agua Survival Run

While I’m not a true lover of running (hm, maybe I am?) , I like to challenge myself and I love climbing things.  Obstacle racing gives me a fun environment to be both – where its perfectly acceptable and even encouraged to feel like a kid again – totally carefree and focused on the task at hand. 

If you are reading this and have never done a mud run or obstacle race and this all sounds really intense and perhaps intimidating, I suggest you do short well-organized race like a Warrior Dash or a Spartan Sprint at a stadium with the sole intention of showing up and going through the course at your own pace.  These are gateway races – because if you enjoy one of these you’ll be among the hooked. 

Some dirty but happy finishers at a recent Spartan Race

even kids can get in on the obstacle race action

The post Mud Runs and Obstacle Races – Dirty Fun! Why I choose to get dirty – by Paul Buijs, founder @ Mud and Adventure appeared on Mud and Adventure.

The post On the Road to a Triple Trifecta appeared on Mud and Adventure.

In June 2011, Dirt in Your Skirt started out as a personal training blog of founder Margaret Schlachter. It initially chronicled her daily training and racing leading up to the 2011 World’s Toughest Mudder. Overtime Dirt in Your Skirt grew and became a community for women to turn to for inspiration in sport and life. Throughout this process Dirt in Your Skirt has recognized we needed to grow beyond our founders personal journey.

In fall 2012, we opened applications for our first team of Dirt in Your Skirt Ambassadors. We received over fifty applications and narrowed it down to eight ambassadors for the upcoming year. Our eight ambassadors were hand picked by the Dirt in Your Skirt team. Each women brings a unique voice and background to the company and we are excited to watch their year.

READ MORE…

The post Dirt in Your Skirt Adds New Contributor – Run Faster Mommy! appeared on Mud and Adventure.

Epic Hybrid Training Center and Mud and Adventure
present: Discounted Race Entries & Luxury Box VIP Tickets

In celebration of Mud and Adventure’s one year anniversary, and one of our favorite obstacle race series, Reebok Spartan Race, coming to our hometown, we are cosponsoring a set of luxury suites at the Spartan Race Citi Field event with our favorite obstacle race training facility, EPIC Hybrid Training Center (www.epichybridtraining.com).  

We are inviting up to 35 of our friends (25 racers and 10 spectators) to join us in our box.  Proceeds will go to the Starlight Children’s Foundation (www.starlight.org) and medals will be donated to Medals for Mettle (www.medals4mettle.org). We ask that each attendee who will be joining us for this unique obstacle race experience kindly donate one race medal – either the one earned from the race or bring one if you don’t want to give up that special Spartan medal.  I will personally donate my ENTIRE medal collection to this great cause.  Both charities benefit children with debilitating illnesses.

Box hours and access will be from 0730 AM to 7 PM. All race registrants will receive a code allowing them to sign up for their desired heat time. 

Come join us for luxury box access, Reebok swag, special photo ops, food, and more! We will be giving away a few Mud and Adventure performance shirts throughout the day and a custom Mud and Adventure medal holder designed by Chad Weberg of We Plaque LLC. The festivities continue into the evening with a post race after party at Keats Bar, 842 Second Ave, New York, NY 10017 (www.keatsrestaurant.com)

Join us at the Reebok Spartan Sprint in our Citi Field luxury box!

We will be giving away Mud and Adventure performance shirts throughout the day!

We will give one of these custom medal holders with donated medals to Medals for Mettle and another to a lucky attendee.

The post Reebok Spartan Race Tri-State Spartan Sprint at Citi-field – Luxury VIP Suite Tickets appeared on Mud and Adventure.

Click here to buy now! 

SUPER CRUNCH – “The Obstacle Racer’s Protein Bar!” Powered by Smart for Life®
Peanut Butter Chocolate Protein Bars

More protein per calorie than other leading brands with 20 Grams of Protein!

When you live an active lifestyle, that post-exercise hunger can make you eat more calories than you burned exercising. Other protein bars increase hunger due to high sugar, high carbs and high fat content. The Smart for Life® natural protein bar will eliminate post exercise hunger.

Our Protein Blend provides you with a balanced amino acid blend from many sources to help you gain muscle and keep your hunger under control. We only use Organic Canola oil – an oil packed with Omega-3 Fatty Acids that’s actually good for you and your heart. We use triple filtered water to keep heavy metals found in municipal water from entering our products. We never use food coloring or preservatives.

Ingredients
Soy protein nuggets (Isolated Soy protein, Tapioca starch and Salt), Doctors Protein Blend ™ ( Kosher Gelatin, Whey Protein, BCAA, Glutamine) Marshmallow (Corn Syrup, Egg white, Vanilla extract, Tripled filtered Water), Organic Rice crisp (Organic Brown rice flour, Organic fancy Molasses, Calcium carbonate), Peanut butter, Vegetable Glycerin, Defatted Peanut flour, Food gums (Thinadventure™ Fiber blend), Organic Canola oil, Organic Chocolate (Organic Sugar, Organic Chocolate liquor, Organic Cocoa butter, Organic Soy Lecithin, Organic Vanilla), Flaxseed, B12, Pomegranate, Vitamin E mixed Tocopherols.

Gluten Free
Allergy and intolerance information: Contains Milk, Soybean, Eggs, Peanuts

K-Dairy

*These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.

Click here to buy now! 

The post Super Crunch Bar – The Obstacle Racer’s Protein Bar appeared on Mud and Adventure.

We’re all familiar with the importance of good sports nutrition to fuel your training efforts leading up to an event. Your obstacle race training nutrition plan follows some of the general guidelines applicable to all athletes:

• Choose the whole foods over processed varieties,
• Lean cuts of meat,
• Adequate fruit, and
• Plenty of vegetables.

On race day, your pre-race meal should be customized for the energy demands for your race — sustaining enough to help you endure and dominate the challenge. But what do you have after the race, when, thanks to vendors, you may be surrounded by a limited variety of food options? What do you eat after (or with) your free cup of beer? Here are some guidelines and tips for your post-obstacle race fuel.

Post-Race Meal General Guidelines

1. Enjoy the Free Alcoholic Beverage

You’ve worked hard for it, and if it’s a beer worth having, guzzle it down with no remorse.

2. Balance Carbohydrate and Protein Intake

The general rule of thumb is a 3 or 4:1 carbohydrate:protein ratio following a strenuous physical challenge like a hard workout or sporting event. Aim for this with your post obstacle race meal. It will help boost recovery, enhance muscle repair, and replenish energy stores.

3. Don’t Skimp On Sugar

You’ll need some sugar to replenish your energy stores. Chances are you won’t need to look far in order to find sugary food sources from event vendors.

Read more on myexercisecoach.net.

The post What To Eat After Your Obstacle Race: Post Mud Run Meals appeared on Mud and Adventure.

This first ever Fuego y Agua Survival Run was billed as an application only ultra OCR (obstacle course race) that would take a maximum of 50 participants 70 K up and down a remote Nicaraguan island with two volcanoes, through jungles and scorching tropical heat – a race no one would finish.  Leading up to the start of the race nothing was disclosed. Rumor was the expected pass rate was 15% (Navy SEAL type number there) and that the distance would be more like 75-ish K. Packet pick up was at the ferry docks the day before the race. We were unexpectedly told to retrieve our bibs from a boat about four hundred meters out in the water. I think 36 went in the water. 35 would officially start the race the next day.

At the 4AM start we were each handed a live chicken. I ran with Edwina the chicken for a few miles to the first checkpoint.  I said goodbye to Edwina and was immediately placed in handcuffs. Ran in those for a few miles  (which were to be the easiest of all mileage for the day).  The sun came up.  I got to the start off another challenge, handcuffs were removed, was given one of four potential medals for the day (four unique medals that when combined spell I DID NOT FAIL – with NOT being the last medal) and told to make a bundle of sticks at least 50 pounds. I carried 53 pounds up down about five miles of varied terrain. That sucked. Somebody said they saw the three time Spartan Death winner Race Olaf running with his stack for portions of that section. I got to drop the sticks at the next aid station where the next challenge was waiting for me.

Was tenth or eleventh at this point, supposedly right behind Pak, of all people. I had to climb a tree which had a bracelet attached to a high hanging branch. I like climbing things, including trees but the branchless tree and the height of the wristbands messed with me mentally in a big way. After a couple of attempts I thought I was done for the day. Finally, after almost an hour, I tried another approach – shimming up a side tree and then reaching over to the tree with the bracelets.  This method was then followed by anyone else having the same difficulties. 
I ran (slow, slow jog or speed walk at this point) for the first time without any additional things to carry – beside my hydration pack with 2 liters of water and miscellaneous gear – to the next challenge. Was given a 50 – 60 pound log and told to bring it the next check point a couple of miles down the beach. Took off my shoes, tied a rope to log and went in the water to drag the log behind me. Got about half way and unexpectedly found a set of rocks with my foot. Expletives yelled. As I fell over and hit the rocks with my other foot I lost the rope in the surf. Tied the log with parachute chord and continued on.

I got to the spot where I could get rid of the log and was told I could dig a couple feet down in the sand at a marked spot for my second medal. There I picked up Sturdy plastic bag filled with empty plastic jugs. I was pointed to a point of land that curved into the lake about a mile – mile and half away. I was told I could either follow the rocks along the way, which were described as pretty treacherous or swim.  I was told I was not allowed to go into the woods to avoid the rocks. Swimming seemed like the most direct route and a nice chilling break from humping in the sun. Zip tied the plastic bag with containers to my pack and got started.  Biggest mistake of the day. I swam against the current for about an hour and a half. When I finally got to the rocks close to the point that I had been told to go around, I sat down and collected myself. I put my sneakers back on and had a protein bar.  Had to pee but didn’t even have the energy to get up and wade into the water. So I just pissed myself while sitting on the rocks.

Got rid of the plastic bag at the drop off point a quarter mile along the rocks around the other side of the point of land and started hoofing it along the route to whatever was next in the line up of challenges. Seemed like we almost always doing something. Route was not so clearly marked. On the road I came across four survival runners coming towards me with their plastic bags and jugs. They were told they just had to get to the point, not how. Someone said they were told just don’t swim.  Kind of rubbed me the wrong way. I think in the end there was only three or four of us that had swum even though the plastic jugs were clearly for buoyancy.  I watched a few people pass me on a land route while I was struggling against the current. Not the fault of the runners – but one of a few discrepancies I had with the first time race.

I asked a few locals if I was going the right way. Somehow I got to the next aid station. I was given about a forty-pound bamboo stick that measured about 20-25 feet in length that I needed to carry along the trail about one fourth of the way up Medero Volcano.

Another runner came to the aid station a couple of minutes after me and we decided to join forces and hang our bamboo poles into the straps of our hydration packs – each of us supporting a bamboo pole on both sides, one of up front and another in the back. When a little while up, another runner, Cole, came up on us and quickly passed us carrying his pole, I said to my bamboo partner maybe it better we split forces go up individually and I followed Cole up. 

When I got to the next challenge area I had to lean my bamboo pole against a tree, climb that pole into the tree up a little higher and retrieve another wristband. Then while in the tree I had to pull up the bamboo pole up from where it was leaning, pull and throw the close end of it over to another y point in a tree about 15 feet away so that pole spanned both y points of the two trees. I shimmied the span of the pole to the second tree climbed up and grabbed another bracelet and pulled the pole back through the second tree to climb the pole back down on the other side.
I climbed one more tree to earn what would be last wristband for the day (there was one more that I would never earn for the third medal).

At that point in the race I was told I had two choices. Due to where I was at in regards to time, I could either end the race where I was and climb to the top of the Maderas Volcano and head right to check out the lagoon within Maderas, or I could climb up to the top of Maderas and head left climbing back down the other side of the volcano towards the next aid station and challenge and go for the third of four medals knowing that I wouldn’t be allowed to continue further. With my sights on the third medal I began the trek up the remaining ¾ of Maderas.  

view from Maderas – just 1/4 of the way up!

Climbing up Maderas I quickly started bonking, having to take more and more frequent rest breaks to catch my breath. I wanted to get to the top thinking there was an aid station where I could call it a day at and get a ride back. I don’t know what I was thinking there.  About three hours later, right before sunset I reached the top.  The lone volunteer at top with a radio and no other aid supplies (no water or nourishment) told me the only way back to civilization was back down. As I ate a protein bar (I still had plenty of my own water and calories) Pak came cruising up the volcano from the other side. He asked how far ahead Johnson Cruz, the current leader, was? Johnson was an hour ahead at that point. Already going full speed, Pak turned it up a notch and continued towards the lagoon.

I put on my headlamp and began the descent down the volcano along the path where Pak had come from – in the direction of the aid station where the challenge for the third medal was supposed to be – some kind of tree chopping challenge.

About a half hour after Pak had passed me the other way I came across a group of four runners coming up the Volcano behind Pak (Vidal, McKay Olof and one other). My solo trek down the steep muddy path took me about two hours. I encountered in total about 10-11 runners going up the volcano in chase of the coveted fourth medal and race finish. All but one (Shannon Hulme) was in a group of sorts. 
After a couple of hours descending the trail in the dark and without seeing any race course markings I came to the bottom of the volcano.  I came across my first sign of civilization. A local pointed me to a path going right and said to go ten minutes in that direction.  About twenty minutes into the trail (which was starting to go back up) I came across the headlamp of another runner, Cole. Cole who was about 20-30 minutes ahead of me was sent the same way. Having gone even further into the “10 minute” trail than I, had he had turned around. We hoofed it back together to that first building we had come across to call a cab. 

While waiting for the cab we were approached by a large group of, mostly female, extended tourists who were very intrigued with the two muddy, sunburned crazies coming out of the woods and the race that brought us here. I almost let Cole take the taxi back alone. We would never figure where that coveted checkpoint was with the third medal challenge. Supposedly we were only a few hundred meters away.

Side story: Olaf inadvertently missed one of the challenge points and made it to the bamboo/tree climbing challenge area before any Survival Runners were expected there and thus no volunteers were present yet on site. Olaf continued to drag his bamboo pole up the volcano and back down the other side. This physical feat blows my mind. 

With only two official finishers, the local, Johnson, who came in first (watch out Hobie and Cody) and the well known Pak, who finished twenty minutes behind, I don’t feel the least bit discouraged by my own performance (two medals, 55K+ of terrain covered and all kinds of previously unthinkable physical feats).  My lack of sun protection for my head (the resulting sunburn line on my head is quite the conversation starter – to put it nicely), zero training and the time wasted on the swim are what did it in for me.  I do know I could have made it further if I hadn’t wasted so much time in the water.  I would have liked to have seen more of the beautiful island of Ometepe (especially the lagoon) – but I would have never saw any of it if it wasn’t for Fuego y Agua.

In the end only two of 35 starters finished (6 %) the almost 80K race.  About 11 or twelve people were able to get three of the four medals needed to officially finish and were in the hunt for the fourth. Cutoff times were pretty strictly enforced.  For safety, competitive and logistical reasons I think that was the right thing to do.  I heard from a few runners that volunteers were pulled off critical spots of the course, i.e. the top of Maderas, before all competitors had passed through for their final ascents – leaving a couple of them to run out of hydration and justifiably a bit bitter.  It is a miracle no one got hurt. This was definitely a big boy and girl’s race. I ran (and swam) for hours by myself. Quite a few multi hour volcano ascents and descents were done solo at night. 

One runner said the Fuego y Agua Survival Run was tougher than Tough Mudder’s annual year-end grand finale, the 24-hour World’s Toughest Mudder. Pak (the winner of both of the two World’s Toughest Mudders held to date) said he thought Fuego y Agua was mentally and technically harder than WTM but that WTM was physically more challenging.  Forgive me if I misquoted this, as it was late in the night and we were several beers into the after party.

From Fuego y Agua – Nicaragua, posted by Paul Buijs on 2/14/2013 (85 items)

Generated by Facebook Photo Fetcher 2

The post Fuego y Agua Survival Run – A true once in a lifetime adventure (a race recap) appeared on Mud and Adventure.

We all have our favorite tech shirt to run or work out in. My ST300 shirt from Koar is by far my favorite. When the folks at Koar offered to load me up as a racer on product (it’s one of those happy sponsorships) I said ST300′s please!!!!!!!!!!!!! I now have like six of them that I wear like a uniform. A couple of weeks ago I ran two obstacle races in a day. A six miler and, well what turned out to be a four or so miler lost in the woods. This was in Miami, in the heat, which I like, but am no longer familiar with being up here in New York City.  I ran shirtless as I usually do for the first race  (gotta look good for those, uhm, race pics). For the second event I tried something new. I donned my white ST300.  I had given it my all at the first race and showed up at the second race to do one of those things one must do now and again – simply prove something to myself. While I wasn’t flying through the trails, I was able to keep a good steady pace. I really believe if it wasn’t for the shirt I would have been passed out from heat exhaustion somewhere waiting for a big thermometer to get stuck in my butt by a rescue crew. 

So when I finally nailed down our new logo, which I’m really proud of by the way, I absolutely had to get it printed on the best shirt out there. Price be damned.  Well folks, Koar hooked us up in a big, big way. We’re offering the shirt for $30 (shipping included)!  That’s a huge discount off what the shirt normally goes for (and now with the badass logo symbolizing your love for all things obstacle racing) . I’ll probably have to take down this post once my supplier sees it. Reordering more shirts when we’re out? Does lightening strike twice? Well we feel pretty lucky.

repping the Mud and Adventure shirt at my gym (EPIC Hybrid Training Center in NYC)

Shirts are Men’s/unisex XS – XL

Get yours now!

The post The Mud and Adventure Performance Shirt appeared on Mud and Adventure.

Look good.  Feel good.

These are two simple, attainable goals that we all want at the end of the day.  And yet, sometimes, it can seem so far from your reach.  The difference between hope today, and accomplishment tomorrow, is motivation.  How do you get motivated?  You lean on your friends at Spartan Race because we’re here to help. Sign up for an event with some friends.  The rest as they say, will become history.  Yes, it really is that simple, just take the first step.  The founders of Spartan Race have been doing this for years.  First, you commit to change with friends and people that support you.  Next, you start going to bed earlier, waking up earlier, training more, eating healthy.  You will push and your friends will push harder.  T.E.A.M. Together, Everyone Achieves More.

Every day, alongside your friends, you will find a drive and motivation the likes of which you have not known.  You will be inspired every day to stay on track, and when you fall, your friends will be there.  Peer Pressure, is an amazing training ally. Never underestimate your capacity for accomplishment.

The Atlantic Magazine just reported that, “the Köhler effect occurs when weaker individuals, when placed on a team, perform better than they would on their own.” And not just a little bit…up to 200% better. When you strive to match others, you’ll achieve your goals twice as quickly.

How can a Spartan Race help you drink less beer and shrink your waist you ask?

It’s simple; we make you commit to sweat.  Signed up for our WOD (Workout of the Day)? Get signed up and get a daily dose of Spartan training.  You only have one body and the healthier it is, the better it will reward you and function as a precision tool.  It is not hard to comprehend that once you remove processed foods out of your diet, start raising your heart rate, and work your lungs, liver etc. you will see dramatic improvements.  The body will dispel the toxins and reward you for your efforts.

Once you embrace the Spartan lifestyle, the ultimate reward will come from the mind.  Sounds will never be more audible, thoughts more clear, goals once seeming impossible will be within reach.  With the proper fuel, you become focused to a level you cannot fathom.  Functionality will increase and stress will decrease.

We all set resolutions at the beginning of the year.  And the sad truth is that 70% of New Year’s resolutions will fail.  Now that’s science, not marketing, but it got your attention didn’t it!  Want a permanent resolution that will last the whole year?  How about a Spartan Trifecta?   Finishing a Spartan Sprint, Super and Beast in a Spartan season represents a goal that only a few thousand people have accomplished.  The Spartan Trifecta medal is a coveted point of pride for everyone from elderly racers, to extreme athletes.  The common ground for everyone, is commitment.

Need more than a medal?

There are plenty of additional side effects to exercise. You’ll cut your risk of heart disease by 50%, you’ll decrease your risk of cancer by 20%, you’ll strengthen your bones, you’ll increase your problem solving abilities, your ability to concentrate, live 5-10 years longer (on average) and so many other benefits. It is truly a universal panacea for body and mind. And you’ll become part of a community of like-minded individuals who will inspire you to reach for goals previously out of reach.

Need motivation?

It starts with saying what you want aloud, and it might end with a bet…that simple.  Make a challenge with a co-worker; first one to the finish line of the Spartan Race wins.  It might give you the extra push that you need.  Lay it all out and your goal becomes tangible.  Once everyone knows, you will be constantly reminded and refocused.  You will be amazed with what you can accomplish. You’ll be that much more likely to succeed if you surround yourself others who are working out.

The post Spartan Race Leads The New Year’s Revolution: Look Good, Feel Good in 2013 appeared on Mud and Adventure.

It’s been a little more than a year since I wrote a list of 12 training tips for obstacle racing. In 2013, many of those tips still apply. But if you’re looking to shake up your routine, here are other ideas.

1. Structured Obstacle Race Training Programs

There are more structured obstacle race training programs and manuals heading into 2013 than at the start of 2012.

You can choose from Race Day Domination, Spartan and other WODs, my ebook, an Amazon search, and more!

2. Running Workouts

Running endurance is the cornerstone of obstacle race training. But there’s more to an effective running plan than slow and steady treks for mileage.

If you can already run 3-5 miles without rest, try any of the following workouts: tempo, intervals, hills, trails, and fartleks.

3. Clean Eating

There’s more to maintaining fitness for sport than your daily workout. A healthy diet will help you get the most out of your training and enhance your performance on race day.

You can customize paleo, vegetarian, vegan, gluten-free and other clean eating plans to complement your obstacle racing fitness.

For general guidelines, these 11 obstacle race nutrition tips should help. And remember to customize your pre obstacle race meal so you have enough energy to meet the challenge.

Read on at myexercisecoach.net.

The post 8 Obstacle Course Race (OCR) Training Tips for 2013 appeared on Mud and Adventure.

Download the high resolution calendar for free!

The Bad Boys of OCR:

January MATTHEW ULTRABEST DOLITSKY TAMPA, FL tinyurl.com/tampasharkschool

February ROB DECILLIS LONG ISLAND, NY http://obstaclecoursetraining.com

March KEVIN “MUDMAN” LAPLATNEY LONG ISLAND< NY The MUDMAN Report www.mudmanreport.com

April M. TODD SEDLAK TUNBRIDGE, VT race-tag.com sgtsedlak.com

May PAULBUIJS NEW YORK< NY Mud and Adventure http://mudandadventure.com

June DAN KRUEGER POTTSTOWN, PA www.dankrueger.com

July MATT B. Davis ATLANTA, GA www.mattbdavisruns.com www.obstacleracingmagazine.com

August DAMION TROMBLEY PALM BAY, FL www.mudrunfun.com

September ANTHONY MATESI CHICAGO, IL www.legendofthedeathrace.com

October JEFF CAIN RICHMOND, KY www.onmywaytosparta.com

November MICHAEL DEATER PALM BAY, FL twitter.com/Panda_Mudrunfun 

December JOE NUARA MILFORD, CT www.instinctrunning.com 

Happy New Year! ANDREW HOSTETLER (LEFT) WORCESTER, MA www.obstacleaffair.com/ ERIC MATTA (RIGHT) SOUTHBRIDGE, MA www.disciplined-chaos.com/ 

The post The Bad Boyz of Obstacle Course Racing – 2013 Calendar appeared on Mud and Adventure.

When I arrived at the humble one room space on the second floor of EPICS’ East 53rd Street space, I was reminded of how grandioze my imagination can sometimes be.  A Muay Thai class was wrapping up in the mat room and I met up with Alex Nicholas who would be leading the Monkey Bar Gym training session I would be sitting in on. EPIC’s site claims it’s Monkey Bar Gym training teaches and trains the four, basic functional fitness skills: running, jumping, crawling and climbing.

Alex and I chatted a bit about obstacle racing. Turns out we both had run the Spartan Race Time Trials at Fenway Park in Boston a few weeks earlier.  He said he won the event and that he really doesn’t run much. He just does training like the Monkey Bar Gym class I was about to experience.   Alex is a BIG (muscular) dude. Honestly, I thought he was either blowing smoke up my butt or was somehow just mistaken, i.e. won his particular heat or age division.  A later, purely hetero, man stalk online and I stood corrected. Dude won the thing. Fastest time, all day, all weekend.

Alex started off the class with writing the exercises we were to perform that day on the white board.  We were to do a circuit of exercises, focusing on hitting the legs and lower back. While I wasn’t going to be swinging from the rafters like I had first assumed, I was happy to see the plan of attack. I was looking for   a training program that wasn’t CrossFit – the idea of snatching weighted bars in unison just doesn’t do it for me (scared my head might just roll off my once broken neck). Plus those rocking things CrossFitters do – they aren’t pull-ups (let the comments begin).

A brief yoga stretch and we got going. Except for the Turkish getups, where I very awkwardly raised a wimpy weight kettle bell, I thought everything was straight forward and not too challenging (meaning I should have left more on the mat room).  A short hour later and we were done and I was pumped up and actually in the mood to work out. For the next three days I was made aware of how under trained my lower back is (I am very proud of my 61 rep pull-up record PR ).  Whew-ee. I though had injured my lower back but in actuality I had just kicked some sleeping muscles’ asses.  My next day’s run despite the stiffness in my lower back was exceptionally hard and fast. Perhaps there was some truth to Alex’s method – which is great because I only run to train for obstacle races. If I find a training program where I actually run less?! …

Quick, but mind blowing, side note: Arielle Child, also a Monkey Bar Gym instructor also participated in the evening’s class (before leading the next hour’s training block). Arielle also took first place among the females at the Spartan Race Time Trials (Sunday). Yeah.  Starting to see a pattern here?

Monkey Bar Gym Instructors Alex Nicholas and Arielle Childs (both took top places at Spartan Race’s Fenway Time Trials)

Tired of working out on my own and looking for some group motivation but wanting to avoid CrossFit and a boring gym membership, I may have to check out some more Monkey Bar Gym classes and see which other muscles I’ve been neglecting.  Plus there’s Muay Thai (which I’ve been wanting to take) and other MMA classes at the same gym. I may very well have found a new indoor training home.

Epic Hybrid Training Center

230 East 53th Street
New York, NY 10022

Telephone:+1 646.450.2405

E-mail: info@epichybridtraining.com

Much thanks to Nicole Comeau of The I on Fashion for helping with photography

Generated by Facebook Photo Fetcher 2

The post Taking Monkey Business Seriously at the EPIC Hybrid Training Center – Obstacle Race Training in NYC appeared on Mud and Adventure.

For discounts to your other favorite races, be sure to check out our Mud Run and Obstacle Race Discount and Coupon Code page for the full list.

The post $15 off any Spartan Race – Limited Time appeared on Mud and Adventure.

Get $10 off entry to a 7SAR event – use code EVEREST

For discounts to your other favorite races, be sure to check out our Mud Run and Obstacle Race Discount and Coupon Code page for the full list.

7SAR – 7 Summits Adventure Race provides a unique experience to the growing market of mud races.  Two extreme athletes, a former US Navy Aviation Rescue Swimmer / Mount Everest Solo Summiteer and a former US Navy SEALs BUD/S Instructor  have constructed an intense 7 mile obstacle course, which emulates the seven continents.  Each mile is a different continent leading up to the highest peak in each distinct part of the world.  7SAR is more than just a mud run it’s an adventure of a lifetime!

Other races are great and we encourage everyone to continue racing and to always live an active lifestyle.  However 7SAR brings more in the form of an overall experience, where the rest will leave you tired and dirty but lacking in fulfillment.  Plus we strive for perfection, which means reduced wait times at the obstacles to ensure a smooth flow throughout the course.

Military Special Operations (SpecOps) and high altitude mountaineering attracts the most elite athletes, 7SAR is the elite in mud races!  Earn your right to stand tall amongst the best of the best!

Do you have what it takes to become 7SAR?

The post Get $10 off 7SAR – 7 Summit Adventure Race appeared on Mud and Adventure.

Go to Rockonadventures.com and register for Yakathon!

Type in MUDCRAZY in the discount spot when registering and you get 10% off!

For discounts to your other favorite races, be sure to check out our Mud Run and Obstacle Race Discount and Coupon Code page.

The post 10% off Yakathon: Use Promocode MUDCRAZY appeared on Mud and Adventure.

Florida, Go to rockonadventures.com and type in MUDCRAZY to recieve 10% off  Highlander IV and Highlander V!

Military and Law enforcement get 12% off use promocode MUDCRAZYFREEDOM roof will be checked at registration.

For discounts to your other favorite races, be sure to check out our Mud Run and Obstacle Race Discount and Coupon Code page.

The post 10% off Highlander IV and V: use promocode MUDCRAZY appeared on Mud and Adventure.

Sean Corvelle, the man with the uniquely inspiring voice at Tough Mudder’s 2012 WTM

Mud and Adventure: Sean, we got to see you pump up the crowd for Tough Mudder’s biggest and baddest season finale – the World’s Toughest Mudder. You really got the crowd going! So many questions for you!

M+A: First, where do you get the energy?!

Sean Corvelle: I love this job. I’m having fun!

M+A: You looked like you were pumped yourself.  Were you? and what pumps up the pump guy before sending 1000+ elite athletes off on an over 24 hour sufferfest?

SC: This was my first WTM. It had a momentum that started at the beginning of the year, and finally here it is. Everyone was pumped. The TMHQ staff, the runners, the spectators, everyone there was excited. You can’t help but get caught up in that energy. It was like the Super Bowl for Mudders.

M+A:  How did you land this gig?

SC: Through Clinton Jackson. He’s our Finish Line and Main Stage MC, I call him the Mayor of Electric Shock City. We’ve known each other forever from our days of doing stand-up comedy in the San Francisco Bay Area. He worked with them first and really enjoyed it and then he got me involved.

M+A: Any other interesting gigs at the moment? I assume you do commercial voice overs – do you? Anything we may have heard that but never put a face to?

SC: Yes, but I haven’t really been able to do much of anything else. Tough Mudder has me so busy I moved out of Los Angeles up to Sacramento to be close to my family when I’m not on the road. Usually this time of year there’s a “Friends” episode I was in that runs, where I sold Ross an armadillo costume instead of a Santa outfit. I start to hear from a lot of people after they’ve seen it. And a lot of them tell me they first recognized my voice.

M+A: Seeing you on stage I immediately thought you were a Marine, probably a former drill instructor. Was I right?

SC: No. Sorry. I get asked that a lot. I think you and I talked about it before in an email. I’ll have to see if I can find it.

Hey Paul,

Thanks for the kind words. No Sir, I am not a Marine. I am always asked that question and am always honored by it’s association. I’m just one of millions of civilians that have love ones, family, and friends, who have served and currently serve in the Military at some capacity. I hope the connection that you and others who ask me this question feel, is the strong sincere appreciation and gratitude for the sacrifices and continued duties that you and our fellow brothers and sisters provide for our country and the world. That’s why you hear me say HOORAH instead of OOH-RAH, or the other different Military call of affirmations. Those are cries of honor shared by you and your brothers and sisters that in time have stood together through experiences that I could not begin to imagine, and would never want to dishonor by exploiting their call. So I’ve adopted HOORAH as my civilian call to people like you, that have given so much for the rest of us, and in part says THANK YOU. YOU ARE MY HERO. I WOULD WALK THROUGH HELL WITH YOU. I GOT YOUR BACK WHETHER YOU ARE HERE OR ABROAD, AND WILL LIVE MY LIFE AS BEST I CAN TO HONOR YOUR SACRIFICE AND SERVICE.

M+A:  Man, as a former Marine, that’s the first time I think I got that wrong.

M+A:  How did you get into this line of work and develop this unique set of public speaking skills? What’s your background? When did you realize you have the right combination of THE voice, the confidence and the passion for getting people excited for something?

SC: I guess the many years of Stand-up played a big part in finding my voice and talking to people. Survive enough road and hell gigs and you’ll start to develop some skills and confidence. Then the time I spent in Hollywood, hosting shows and events just gave it all a little polish.

M+A:  Are you the go to guy for all Tough Mudder events? How do you keep it fresh and pump yourself up for each event?

SC: I hope so. That will be TM’s call. They are blowing up, and there are so many events this coming year… there is no way Clinton and I can be at them all. I think the plan is who ever the MC’s are next year, that they will bring their own unique excitement to the event and still maintain the Tough Mudder brand.

For me it’s about the people. The TMHQ Staff, the Volunteers, the Medics, the Merchants, our Sponsors… but mostly the Runners. Before I began working with Tough Mudder I probably said the word awesome ten times in my life, and now I say it so much. I’m like Eddie Murphy’s Bowfinger character with the awesome, and I mean it. The positive energy brought by the runners and the people that come to support them keeps it fresh for me. Every event and every wave feels like it’s the first.

M+A:  What’s next for Sean C.? Will you be the next Michael or Bruce Buffer (the half brothers known for their voices announcing boxing + UFC events)?

SC:Wouldn’t that be cool.. I hope to continue to become more involved with Tough Mudder and the people around it. I have my own personal projects I’m working on, and I would really like to do more with the Wounded Warriors Project. A great organization working with amazing people. I would very much love to contribute what ever way I can.

M+A:  So here’s the all-important question? You seem really fit. Have you done a Tough Mudder? any other obstacle race event(s)?

SC: Yes. I would not send anyone into a hell that I haven’t done or would not do myself. In fact, I believe all the TMHQ staff has either done or is scheduled to run an event.

M+A:  Thank you so much for being an exciting and gracious part of our world and taking the time to share your story with us!!

SC: Thank you.

The post What Pumps up the Tough Mudder Pump Up Guy? An interview with the man with the VOICE, Sean Corvelle appeared on Mud and Adventure.

2011 Trifecta and HH Medals

As I completed the Texas Super last year, limping across the finish line with a sprained ankle, I was able to say I completed Two Hurricane Heats, Two Sprints, Two Supers and the first ever Beast.  That was just my first year of Spartan Races and I saw myself inducted into the Trifecta Tribe…a really selective group who completed the first ever Trifecta in 2011.  Having just acquired a season pass, I decided that I would set my goals high for 2012…to chase a Triple Trifecta.  I knew there would be plenty of obstacles in the way, the biggest one being the traveling I would have to do in a short amount of time.

My first race wouldn’t be until June and with the race season ending in December, I had just Six months to complete Nine different Spartans.  I would go to all the venues I went to the previous year: New York, Pennsylvania, Vermont and Texas.  The Staten Island Super was moved to New Jersey and with Massachusetts and Virginia within driving distance, it seemed possible.  This left the Midwest Super and the South Carolina Beast looking to stand in the way of my goal.  Attempting to minimize the hassle and cost of flying, I decided that I drive out to Illinois and would fly to SC.  Luckily I have some crazy friends who live in Massachusetts and the Nine of us made the road trip like the Storm Chasers did the previous year.

Ultra Beast & First Trifecta of 2012

Having completed One lap with my shield in Tuxedo, NY, Two laps in PA with the LLS Team in Training and Team Dial for Men and Three laps in MA along with the HH, my Three Sprint requirement was completed early on.  I would follow this up with a HH and a single lap at the Mid-Atlantic race, just Forty-eight hours after taking my NYS Boards exam.  Not wanting to slack off before the Ultra, I ran the NJ Super Three times…being told I was crazy by many of my Spartan Family which is an accomplishment in itself.  So with Two Supers down, I travelled up to Killington to go after my first Trifecta of the year…and my first marathon…

After Eleven hours and Twenty-four minutes of being on that mountain, I crossed the finish line and claimed my Beast, Ultra Beast and Trifecta.  Limping through the SC Beast, my first Beast outside of VT, I was able to claim my Double Trifecta and a Relay Medal while sweeping the course.  This just left One Super and One Beast to go!

2012 Double Trifecta

The week leading up to the Mid-West Race, I decided that I needed to rest my knee and made the tough call to sit out of the Friday Night Hurricane Heat to make sure I could race the next morning.  It may have been near freezing that morning but it didn’t seem to lock my knee up while I ran and I was able to place 40th that day, my best finish at the time.  Super medal earned and Kids Race medal for being the rabbit.  Just One More Race To Go!

Or so it would have been if not for an unexpected race that was announced mid-season.  The Fenway Park Time Trial…the first OCR in a ballpark.  So naturally, I had to be there.  This was more than a race but a chance to get a sense of normalcy after Hurricane Sandy hit my area the day after I returned home from the Mid-West Race.  After Three weeks of debris clean up all around the island and trying to help out as much as I could, it was a nice change of pace being able to race again and be with close friends for a weekend.  I would finish the course Four times that weekend and on Sunday, finished in 7th place overall, my first top ten finish.

Now it has been Six months and I have been to Nine different Spartan Races.  I have had Six perfect race venues, not failing a single obstacle.  I have only failed Three obstacles this year and did an additional Two sets of Burpees during the Ultra instead of getting back in the water (much better option in my opinion).  I currently have Twenty-two medals hanging up on my wall, two Hurricane Heat dog tags and I plan on adding two more from Texas.  It has been a great journey and I am both excited and upset that this amazing race season will be coming to a close. Triple Trifecta…I am coming for you! Earn Glory!

The Wolfpack is coming to Texas

-The Spartan Wolf

The post Chasing The Triple Trifecta – 2012 appeared on Mud and Adventure.

Fenway Park, one of the Big Three of Ballparks, has a rich history of tradition and was home to arguably one of the best hitters in baseball.  When I found out that a Spartan Race was going to be held in Fenway, I wasted no time in signing up.  I had never been to Fenway so what better way to see it?

Unlike previous Spartan Races, there would be no barbed-wire crawl, no fire, no water obstacles and no mud!  Instead, they would be replaced with body exercises, burpees and…stairs…lots of them!  Some of the exercises included ball slams, battle rope jump rope, rowing machines and hand release push-ups.  This race also saw the return of the 50lb sandbag! I was excited to see this as it had been a regular at the 2011 races, my first year of Spartans.  A nice touch was the baseball throw into an angled barrel.  Having played baseball all my life, excelling at infield positions, I wouldn’t have been able to live it down had I missed this obstacle.

Also different to the regular format, only 10 Spartans took off at a time, separated by a minute before the next wave was sent.  After bear-crawling under, jumping over elastic wire  which could whip back quite fiercely if someone got caught on it (imagine if this were barbed-wire?), you were greeted by ball slams, a series of walls and a water jug carry…up and down stairs of course.  This style of running stairs followed by a body exercise then complimented by an obstacle would keep even the most athletic person gasping for air.  For example, after clearing a set of Over-Under-Throughs, you were greeted by 50 jump ropes with a battle rope followed by the Hobie Hop up 5 flights of stairs.  Want to catch your breathe?  Not a chance with another set of O-U-T’s and the sandbag carry up and down the bleacher stairs.

Having originally set out to just run for fun and stay healthy for the Texas Beast in 3 weeks, I would give into the moment and my competitive spirit and ran a hard race on Saturday along with a fun one with friends.  Sunday, I ran my first race with my long time friend and neighbor since it was her first Spartan Race and I wanted to be there with her the whole way as she tackled the course.  Again I thought I was done being competitive for the weekend but once again, the Wolf inside me took over once my friend Shaun Provost told me she knew I could improve from Saturday and put up a really competitive time.  Shaun would run the race with me, making it the fourth time we both would be on the course.

I decided that I would give everything I had left in me from the long weekend and not give in to any pain or exhaustion.  I kept telling myself that there were others out there who are in worse pain than I would be on that course and that it would go away once I finished.  I took off like I never have before, putting myself ahead of the other 9 that started with me and I kept it that way.  Absolutely no short cuts, no slowing down as much as I could help it and trying to keep my breathing under control and my mind calm.  I guess I focused too much at speed and control since I initially missed the turn for the ball slams but I recovered and completed my 20 slams and retook my lead of the pack. Over the walls I flew, carried the water jugs at a quick jog and made sure I completed the rowing machine under the two minute limit.  Every once in a while, I would hear the yell of “Go Freddy! Get that Bat” somewhere nearby as Shaun kept encouraging me to keep pushing.  After she caught up to me at the Green Monster, we made our way to “Burpee-ville.”  I was starting to really feel light-headed but here I knew was where I could really recover.  I hit the spear slightly off center, made my way through the traverse wall and took a running start at the baseball throw like any day in the infield.  Catching my wind here was key with the battle rope and Hobie Hop quickly approaching.

Taking the sandbag over my right shoulder, I just kept moving one leg after the other and breaking into a small jog toward the end. As I got to the bottom, Shaun lead the way to the 8-foot wall and the dreaded burpee station.  I enjoy burpees during a workout but during a race, I make it a point and a goal to go burpee-less during a race.  This mandatory station just seemed cruel especially after being successful on every obstacle.  This proved to slow me down quite a bit but Shaun was there to get me to finish my final 10.  As we made our way past the cargo net, box jumps and gladiators, I got my medal and felt more exhausted at a finish line than ever.

Shaun told me my time and at the time was in 5th place for men, 6th overall.  Later that day, one other person would best my time, putting me at 7th overall for the entire event.  I have to admit, I was devastated after hearing I was only a minute away from being in 2nd.  I kept replaying the run, trying to think where I could have made up time.  I kept asking myself, did I really give it my all?  Why did I wait until my final run to push myself my hardest?  To come so close to that ultimate goal and just fall short.  Eventually I would realize that in fact, I leave it all on the field and made one hell of a showing.  The amount I have improved over the past and now I can say I have a top 10 finish, a top 5 finish in my age group and the knowledge that I can push harder during races.  It would mean I would get that depleted feeling again at the finish line but I wouldn’t trade that feeling for the I didn’t give it my best feeling.  The congratulations from friends and strangers really helped put things in perspective and I am really proud of myself for this race and just knowing that I can continue to improve.  I have not hit my peak, nowhere near.

For those out there who have that dream or that goal or desire that just seems so far away, I want to let you know that no matter how far they seem, you can get closer to it everyday.  You must put the work in for it.  No matter how much the journey is going to suck, embrace it.  The amount of agony, pain, exhaustion or soreness you feel leading up to your goal will amount to nowhere near the feeling of reaching that goal you worked so hard for!  How do I know?  I got to get a glimpse of it, share in the experience.  Was it my experience? No, I didn’t reach my goal.  Shaun on the other hand did!  She not only took first place for the women on Saturday, she won it again on Sunday and put up the 4th fastest time the entire weekend!  Seeing her reaction to the news of her ranking during the afternoons, the nervousness throughout the day as she wondered if someone would overthrow her and seeing her accept both her awards on separate days really makes me appreciate the dedication she has put into her training and the attitude she keeps.  I cannot describe the exact feeling but I do know one thing…I want to know how it feels.  Here is to never giving up and working hard for it!

Fenway and Spartan Race: Thanks for an incredible weekend that I will never forget.  Top Ten Finish, four total laps, first visit to Fenway and the debut of The Wolfpack with Shaun Provost.  Keep a look out for us and more in Texas!

The Spartan Wolf

Check out the Fenway Video at http://spartanrace.tv/?v=boston.

The post Race Recap: Fenway Park Spartan Time Trial – The Experience appeared on Mud and Adventure.

Pre-Race

My family lives near Philadelphia, so my wife and I flew into PHL Tuesday, November 13.  It gave me time to see a few friends, family, go food shopping, and even a little dip in the creek behind my parents’ house to see how it felt with the air so cold.  It’s hard to get cold weather training done in Las Vegas.

I arrived to Raceway Park around 4:15pm on Friday.  My heart was beating so fast.  This is it.  We are here!  There’s the Funky Monkey!  I grabbed my bag and headed over to check-in.  During the hour we waited in line, Jill got me a map of the course.  I knew most of the obstacles, but wasn’t sure of one or two.  Something else I noticed, was the Artic Enema was not an obstacle. It was just a penalty.  Not having the Insane Bolt was a nice thing to see.  We met a few fellow mudders, one of which had a $5 last longer bet with me.  What are the odds?   If I hit my goal of 60 miles, I should win it.  I get my bag, wristbands, and timing chip.  Time to pick a spot for my tent.

Walking around the corner to see the huge World’s Toughest Mudder (WTM) banner and then the finish line and pit area…awesome.  I wasn’t walking, I was floating.  I wondered around for a while in tent city, eventually picking a spot on the right side of the stage.  Tent was set up (with posters made from family) in no time.  We spent the night at a close friend’s house to have a nice dinner, shave, and get some sleep.  I was already lacking sleep the last few nights and really needed a deep sleep.

As we are getting ready to go to bed, Jill was showing me with all the messages she was getting from people, cheering us on.  I logged on to fb and felt the love.  I was so excited; I don’t think I got 4 hours of sleep.  It didn’t matter (at the time).  I was ready for that alarm.  This is the day.  I am ready.

I should have had a Simple Fuel drink, chia seed drink, and some fruit.  Instead, I had a Clif Bar, in the car.  It was nice to see that there was not much traffic to get into the Raceway.  We got there very early to make sure we could park our car near our tent to make break-up/tear down easier.

I had the tent organized and ready to go.  Around 8:30am, I put on my 3/2mm wetsuit.  I was fortunate enough to meet Paul Buijs, owner of www.mudandadventure.com.  Easy to spot in the “Got Mud?” shirt!  I was also introduced to Ray Upshaw.  He was telling me how he planned to run the first lap in jean shorts and shirtless and then be the first to run the 24 hours without a wetsuit (he pointed out that it might not happen this year, but he will). The temperature was in the upper 40’s to start.  He was also stating how he was going to run over any mudder that got in his way.

My family was around checking out the pit area and then it was time for spectators to leave and the participants start heading to the start line.

The Race

Sean Corvelle, well-known among TMs across the country, took the stage. He discussed some rules and then got the crowd ready for the start.  After thanking the military for their service and the National Anthem, we were ready to go.  Van Halen’s “Right Now” came on the speakers.  “…3, 2, 1!”  The 2012 WTM had officially begun!

I was one of the last 100 or so runners to enter the starting area, so I was one of the first 100 or so to get out.  I passed by some family, and was feeling good.  After a small run, we had to climb over a white wall (4’) and start running on grass/mud.  My sneaker to start the race was the Merrell Mix Masters.  I wanted a shoe that would drain well since we were in water so much.  I was hoping smartwool socks would be enough to keep them insulated.  First puddle. Wow, that was chilly.  The course bears to the right and we enter into a dirt bike racing track.  Several small hills and a few turns, nothing bad.  Our first obstacle, Cliffhanger, was in this section.  It was a fairly steep hill, but not very tall.  The course then cuts away from the track to the next obstacle, Berlin Walls #1.  These walls are 8’ tall with a small foothold.  It is also the first penalty obstacle.  If you cannot make it over, you must do the Artic Enema (dumpster filled with ice water that you must be fully submerged in).  My plan was to conserve energy for later and use other mudders to help me on these obstacles.  That didn’t work.  I’m tall enough to jump and grab the top of the wall.  All I have to do is pull myself up and over.  Two walls and I’m back on the track.

The next obstacle was the Kiss of Mud#1.  A section that has barbed wire stretched across that you must crawl under.  The barbed wire is sharp! It tore a hole in my jacket later without much resistance.  I would normally try to bear crawl this very low, but the wires are too low.  It had to be crawled or rolled.  I tried the rolling method.  It is faster, but I was getting dizzy and had to stop 3 or 4 times.

After a few twists and turns we leave the track and cross into another area.  It was about 1.75 miles into the course and the first Aid station.  They had Sharkies, water, and a first aid tent.  This was right at our next obstacle, Rock Out With Your Block Out.  The object is to pick up a standard cinderblock and carry it around a designated distance (1/8 mile?).  This wasn’t difficult and could easily be done while jogging (for the first few laps).  This was the first obstacle that I got to see my spectators.  It felt great hearing them cheer for me.

It then heads over to the paved track (we run on the grass next to it) and to the big, dirt hill that has Funky Monkey on the other side.  This is always one of my favorite obstacles.  I decided to take my gloves off for it because I feel that I have better grip.  Getting to the top was not hard, but I was surprised at the distance of the gap of the top two rings. If falling in the water wasn’t bad enough, you have to run a penalty distance.   I got across and avoided falling in.

The course does a small loop to do Trench Warfare (a dark tunnel with water that you must crawl through).  I come out of the tunnel, turn right, d’oh!  We have to cross the Funky Monkey again?  The bars are all muddy from previous mudders and there is nothing to dry your hands with.  I made it near the top before I lost my grip.  The water was chilly, but not too bad.  My feet were cold, but nothing unbearable.  Fortunately, it is not a penalty obstacle going the other way.

It was around this time that the back brace I was wearing was starting to bother me.  I wanted to take it off, but it would have been a pain so I kept on going.

We are led out of the track to another section to the Ladder to Hell.  It is a series of horizontal studs that you must climb up and over.  I’d say it’s about 25’ tall.  I am afraid of heights, but as long as I was focused on my hands and feet, I wouldn’t have a problem.  There is not a mat at the bottom.  If you fall, you will get hurt.  The temperature got low enough that the boards had ice all over them and the top two had been roped off.

Around the 3 mile marker, we enter into another dirt track for distance and for the Devil’s Beard.  It’s a downhill section of the track that has a cargo net laid across that you must make your way under it.  It is not a difficult obstacle, just annoying having to bend over for a while or if you get something caught in the net.

We continue on to the Log Jamming obstacle.  It too, is pretty easy.  You are directed to either climb over or under a series of logs.  I prefer to roll under them, when it is big enough.  Sometimes you have crawl.  There is a small loop that brought us to the Boa Constrictor.  Climbing into the tubes and getting to the bottom is not hard.  You are wet and it is slippery.  Once you make your way across the water you must then climb up a tube.  This was challenging for me because I was having a difficult time getting a grip to pull myself forward.

Our second aid station has first aid, water, and bananas (so green and hard I couldn’t eat them).  Shortly after the aid station is a mud section that has Twinkle Toes on the other side.  You have two choices on Twinkle Toes.  You can try a single board or a double-board with multiple levels.  I choose the single the first lap.  It shakes!  Because it is thinner, it wobbles easier, especially when you are halfway through.  I almost fell, but made it across to prepare for my climb up Walk the Plank.  It’s about a 15’ jump into the water below.  The jump (for me) is not bad, but knowing how cold the water will feel was the problem.  Front flipped into the water and luckily, it wasn’t too bad.  We got directed to do Twinkle Toes again.  This time, I chose the thicker one with steps.  Much better.

Going through another section of dirt track, we do Kiss the Mud#2, Peg Legs, and Smoke Chute.  Peg legs was an obstacle I haven’t done before but was looking forward to.  It is a series of vertical logs that you must jump from one to the next.  If you fall, it is into muddy water.  This was a good obstacle.  I made it across without much problem.  To complete the Smoke Chute, I had to climb to the top of the chute (made from another Everest?) and slide down the tunnel.  It is dark and you can’t see where you will land or if there is someone in your landing area.  Also, no one is telling you when it is clear.  GO!  I look up and there is more family that came.  What a day!

The 5 mile mark is right as we leave the track and head into the woods for the first time. It is a fairly easy trail for a while. The Spider’s Web is the last obstacle in this section of the woods.  There is a cargo net that is tied to two trees for participants to climb over.  Here it is good etiquette to pull down on the bottom of the net for a mudder that was there before you.  This makes the net more taught and easier to climb up and down.  Hopefully, someone will do the same for you.  With assistance, it’s not that hard of an obstacle.  Again, I had my supporters cheering me on.

The third aid tent is right after we came out of the woods.  We are then directed into another section of woods.  This one has a lake that we run around.  On the far side is the next penalty obstacle, Hanging Tough. There are 6 rings on ropes hanging over water that you must swing across.  If you fall, not only do you fall in the water, you must do a 1/8 mile penalty lap.  I made it across without a problem.  This is one of my favorite obstacles as well.  The arrows take us right to another obstacle, the Dong Dangler.  A plastic covered cable is stretched across a pond and you must make your way across.  I chose the same method as most; Ranger style.  I laid on the cable with my right foot on the cable and left leg hanging for balance.  I used my arms to pull me across.  The first half is easy, but the incline part of the challenge gets tough. Getting across the first time wasn’t too hard.  The future laps may be different.

We are running along the lake again for a moment and then we turn back into the woods, hit mile 6 and come up to more cheering family!  The next obstacle, Skidmarked, is also waiting. This was one large quarter pipe.  One side was used for Skidmarked, the other Everest.  On Skidmarked, we had to climb a nylon ladder to the top.  Here is another good spot to hold the bottom for a mudder that was there before you.  All you have to do is slide down the quarter pipe.  No problems.

I’m feeling really good at this point.  I am moving pretty quick and having fun.  As we run around the course, it takes us to Ladder to Hell to complete again and then back to the quarter pipe for Everest.  This, like so many others, is one of my favorites.  With so many friends/family watching, of course I wanted to get up without help.  After making it up, I offered help to a few mudders behind me who were still attempting Everest.  I climbed down the back to the ground and walked over to the next aid station for some bananas (green and solid), water, and to say, “hi” to my friends/family there.  A quick break and I was off. I headed back into another section of woods.

This was one of the more fun sections.  It was insanely muddy.  The Swamp Stomp had mud that was up to our chests.  And I am not talking about muddy water.  This was swampy mud!  The next obstacle was the Log Bog Jog.  It was muddy terrain with lots of branches, roots, and trees in the way.

The 7 mile marker brings us out of the woods onto the edge of the parking lot where we are directed to go to our next challenge.  Electric Eel is just like the Kiss of Mud, except this one has more water and live (up to 10,000V) wires hanging.  When you touch a wire (and you will touch many) you may get shocked.  You never know when it’s coming.  I went through without getting shocked.  Disappointed aren’t you?

We run a small loop to our next penalty obstacle, Hanging Brain.  This an 8’ Berlin Wall that is angled toward you (think of an angled climbing wall).  I am tall enough to jump up and pull myself over.  Again, I was able to avoid the Artic Enema.  It was a very short jog to the next challenge.  This one crossed a corner of the lake.  Island Hoppin is a series of wooden blocks that you must travel across.  If you fall in, you must get on that one and keep going.  This wasn’t too bad.  I made it across without getting wet.

The arrows pointed us to go around another man-made lake to our next obstacle, Pirate’s Booty.  This involves the participants crossing the lake (70 yards?) to climb up a 25’ cargo net to a platform and then climb down.  The water wasn’t too bad on the first lap.  This was really the first time that water had a chance to really get into my wetsuit.  It was cold, but not brutal.  The climb was not an issue, nor was the climb down (at least during the day).

I continued running along the lake, passing the mile 8 marker, and head back into the lake for the next obstacle, Underwater Barrels.  We have to cross the lake again.  This time, there is a series of barrels that we must go under.  Again, the water was cold, but not too bad.

Not far past this was the last aid tent before the finish.  They had Sharkies and water.

As soon as we left the tent we had our next obstacle, Balls to the Wall.  This was an estimated 15’wall with a straight rope and horizontal studs every 5’. Once you reach the top, there is an apex to get over.  On the other side was a rope with a knot every 3’ and no studs on the wall.  It was more difficult getting down than getting up because you have to be very careful so you don’t end up with a preventable injury.

We are on pavement at this point and heading over to a drag strip with lots of tires at one end.  This one is Drag King.  You have 2 choices.  You can take a large and small tire that are tied together with a long rope or 2 smaller tires with a short rope.  I took the longer rope for the first round.  I saw several others that seemed to be doing ok with it around their waists or shoulders.  It was pretty heavy and hard on the quads.  It may have been 1/8 mile, but it felt like much longer.

The course takes us behind the end of the main drag strip and then over to the next long obstacle, the Mud Mile.  It certainly was not a mile long, but it was the longest one I have done.  There must have been 12-15 mounds and pits to climb though.  It wasn’t difficult, just time and energy consuming.

We cross over the 4’ white walls again to run past the 9 mile mark sign and right to the next penalty obstacle, Berlin Walls #2.  This wall has a small foothold, but the wall is 10’ high.  I helped two people over each of the walls and climbed over myself.  If you get a few good steps and jump at the right time, you can grab the top.  Once you have a hold, put your feet on the boards and help boost you over.

The final obstacle was Electroshock Therapy.  You have to run through a small area with live wires hanging. There are also hay bales in the way so you can’t just have a straight line.  I was surprised that this was an opt-out obstacle.  You could complete an Artic Enema instead.  No thanks!  Normally, the Electroshock Therapy obstacle is right before the finish line.  After this one, we had about a half mile run to the finish area.

I crossed the finish line at 2:16 for my first lap and got my brown bandana.  We were given a different color bandana after each lap.  This was way too fast.  I knew I wanted to go slow and steady, but it was just so much fun on the first lap.  I fell into the trap.

Oh well. I went right to my tent for some homemade juice (made from kale, spinach, pineapple, apple, and kiwi), some raisins, and a Simple Fuel that was mixed with almond milk.  I was comfortable enough in the wetsuit and all my gear, so I didn’t make any changes in equipment. I was on to my next lap shortly.

The second lap was very similar to the first lap.  I made every obstacle, except for the second Funky Monkey.  This lap was so much fun.  I am pretty sure that I saw every one of my friends/family that were there.  Every time I came to an obstacle, I heard them cheering me on.  It was such a motivator.  After clearing Everest, I stopped to get some water and I got a chance to talk to some of them.  It was awesome to have so many people say so many nice things.  They came from all over (FL, DE, NY, PA, and my wife from NV).  I left that aid station and was overcome with joy.  I shed a few tears in those woods.

It was on the second lap that I found out it was safer to go on the far right side of Balls to the Wall.  The other side was not as far of a drop.  I also tried getting a set of two smaller tires with the short rope.  Even though you don’t have many options on how to drag it, it was worth the shorter rope. I took the smaller tires for the rest of the race.  I was lapped by Junyong Pak during the Mud Mile.  The man is a beast.

The worst part of the second lap was the cramping I was getting in my calves.  Every obstacle, my calves seemed to be cramping.  I have only experienced cramps similar to that during a 25k RhinO-Course challenge.  This was much worse.  It was suggested that I take some salt so I did at the Berlin Walls #2.  That made a huge difference!  I still got cramps, but not as bad.

My second lap took me 2:50.  This included the rest time after the first lap.

I took another break for some juice, an apple, and some Gatorade.  I wanted to eat more; I just wasn’t hungry at the moment.  I knew that would be a problem later.  The second lap was a little cooler than the first lap and the sun would be going down.  I grabbed my headlamp (w/ additional strobe light) and added a rain jacket to protect me from any winds and to hold my spare batteries and a Clif Bar. I had run the first 2 laps with my 5/3mm scuba hood, but only used it for Underwater Barrels.  This time I had it on the whole lap.

It was during the first two miles of the third lap that my feet started to hurt.  They were painful on the top and outside of each foot.  It got painful enough for me to have to walk a lot more than expected. My feet were getting very cold too.  I wasn’t afraid of frostbite yet, but they hurt!

Being cold, in the dark, alone, and in pain just sucks!  It was still great to have people cheering for me, but I was losing energy, quickly.  It was on my third lap that I got my first penalty obstacle.  I made it to the last ring of Hanging Tough and fell in the water.  I had to do a 1/8 mile loop and continued on walking. There was not much running in me then.  I wanted to. I was freezing.  But my feet hurt too much.   I did all the obstacles, just had to walk from one to the next. When I crossed the finish line, I got on my knees because my feet hurt so bad.  Being exhausted didn’t help.

I was originally hoping to do another lap before a long rest, but I knew I would have a hard time and mentally wasn’t ready for it.  I told my group that I needed time to warm up and take a nap.  The lack of sleep in the previous days was hurting me.  I got a quick, hot shower and went to the med tent for a while to warm up (still in my wetsuit).  The hot chocolate was the best I ever tasted.  I ended up being in there longer than I should have.  It was just so comfy.  I eventually got back to my tent, got out of my wetsuit and into warm clothes.  I tossed some hand warmers into my sleeping bag, talked to my family, and heated my meal in the one microwave.  Luckily, there was not a line.  I wanted to eat fast, sleep for 90 minutes, and go.

I never fell asleep.  I was so exhausted and wanted to.  I just couldn’t.  I tried extending it 30 minutes to try more, but gave up and decided to just get ready.

It was COLD!  The 3/2mm suit I wore was frozen solid (not that I was going to put it back on).  The low was 32^o for the night.  It took me a while to get in the 6mm Farmer John wetsuit.  It is considerably thicker and harder to get on, especially when inside a tent.  I actually worked up a sweat getting it on.

Because my feet got so cold and they were painful, I switched sneakers and socks.  I chose to wear a thin layer of smartwool socks with a 3mm neoprene sock over it. That combination worked great.

The fourth lap was, by far, the slowest.  I think I was able to jog a few times, but that was only because I knew I had supporters around the corner and didn’t want them to know how tired I really was.

I eventually started to walk with two other guys, Rob from Australia, and Ryan from Indiana. This was around the 2 mile mark.   We all had our issues and were stuck walking.  There were on their 5^th lap.

It was cool to be on the course at that time.  You might go a half hour and not see another mudder.  It is almost empty. But, they had spectators, too.  They had 4 people and I had 2-10 at a given obstacle.  They would walk with us, cheer us on, and tell us jokes.

It wasn’t too long after sunrise that questions started to arise.  There was some confusion as to if you could receive a DNF if you crossed the finish line before 10:00am and did not complete another lap.  Two of us had feet that would not allow another lap.  We considered spending time in the med tents warming up and drinking chicken broth to make sure we cross after 10:00am.  After asking two different TMHQ employees, not volunteers, we were told that we were considered finishers if we were on the course at 10:00am, regardless of where.

We decided to finish the lap right away.  We could get warm, dressed, take our tents down, and be good to go at 10:00am to get our headbands and T-shirts (and someone said they gave kettlebells out to people that were leaving after midnight).  As a three-some, we decided we should drop and do push-ups at the finish line.  Not a problem!

We crossed the line at 8:22am.  It was quite a feeling.  They put the last bandana (white) on me and medical asked me if I was ok.  At this time we still thought we couldn’t be touched by spectators, so we waited to exchange hugs. We took a bunch of pictures and enjoyed the moment.

I was extremely happy to complete the last lap without any penalties.  I completed every obstacle.  When I crossed Hanging Tough and the other two guys fell in, I did the 1/8 mile loop with them to show we were a team then.  We helped each other out a lot along the way.  I am also pleased that I made it up Everest every time, without help, on the first try.  I never had to get in the Artic Enema and only had to do 2 penalty laps (one Funky Monkey and one Hanging Tough, both on the 3^rd lap).

The shower was nice and hot!  I got dressed and packed my gear.  It was during this time that one of the guys from TMHQ was walking around so I asked him if I would get DQ’d for having my spectators help carry out my equipment before 10:00am.  He giggled and said that if we were done running, we were finishers.  They could come into the pit and help.  This was one issue I had with TMHQ; the lack of knowledge within its employees.  Two other TMHQ staff members told us we had to be on the course at 10:00am.  So, I found Jill, then my friends/family gathered in the pit area to help carry my bags to the car.  We walked down to the tent to get my black headband and WTM participant shirt.  Having my wife put the headband on me was sweet.  She has been my biggest supporter in all of this.  She put it on and gave me a huge kiss. A few pictures were taken of this moment.  My free Dos XX was downed in 4 seconds.  We hung out for a while in the parking lot and everyone went on their way.

Congratulations to the winners of the 2012 World’s Toughest Mudder.

Male: Junyong Pak. Beverly, MA. 25:21:58 (9 Laps Completed)

Female: Amelia Boone. Chicago, IL. 25:30:54 (9 Laps Completed)

Team: Nine Inch Males. Stanhope, PA. 23:15:35 (6 Laps Completed)

Post-Race Thoughts

Well, I didn’t sleep well leading up to the event.  I was not properly hydrating myself the previous days and paid for it in the form of dehydration and reoccurring cramps.  Eating properly was difficult.  I wanted to eat as many bananas as I could on the course and then eat heavier in the tent.  However, the bananas were gross at every station and I wasn’t hungry for the food I had.  I also didn’t stick to the strategy of using the help of others more often.  I would also change the sneakers I started in.  All of these combined were the reasons I didn’t make my goal of top 10% and 60 miles.  I got 248/1097 (top 23%) and 40 miles.

I am actually very satisfied with my performance.  I made mistakes, but I worked hard.  Despite being freezing cold, in pain, and exhausted, quitting was never an option.  When I changed my training strategy (to focus on leg endurance), I feel it allowed me to be successful. Aside from the cold temperatures and pain in my feet, I feel this training is the best strategy to ensure longevity in WTM.

I have been a part of a few online groups of WTMers. We exchanged tips, strategies, and offered advice.  I felt a little different in regards to training than some.  It seemed that others weren’t running enough and doing too much strength training. I have more about my strategy here.

How could the WTM experience be improved?  I, like many others, was frustrated with various aspects of the experience.

My biggest issue leading up to the event was not that we had to wait for the Participant Package to be available (it came via email 4 days before the event) but that there was no information for the spectators. I emailed them several questions.  They only responded to one of the questions in the email.

About a week before WTM, there was a rumor that you could get in as a spectator for free if you wore a TM headband.  Once this was confirmed, we emailed TMHQ to see if we could get a refund.  We had purchased the Spectator Pass for my wife months ago (actually ordered 2 by accident).  We knew they would refund the one of the passes, without question.  We were hoping they would refund the second because she ran in two TMs this year (Tahoe and Las Vegas) and earned 3 headbands.  Oh yeah, she qualified for WTM in Tahoe!  TMHQ refunded us for one of the passes.  This is trivial, and not really a big issue.  I didn’t expect a refund on both, but thought they might look out for a WTM qualifier.

Waiting in line at the TM registration is always frustrating.  They have a line of tables, under tents, where you stand “in line” by your last name.  It is always a mass of people that just wedge their way to their sign.  They never have ropes or some sort of line dividers to make the lines distinguishable.  Again, not a big deal, but when I got there, I wanted to check everything out, not wait in an unorganized mass of people (I mean “line”) for an hour.

Apparently, one of the tents was giving out WTM kettlebells to participants that were done racing and going home around midnight.  This has many participants upset, but not me.  There have been emails sent and there have been two copy and paste responses.  One stating that it was “first come first serve basis, but not as a prize, but for those who wanted one and came to get it.  We had extras and wanted to give them out to anyone rather than keep them in our warehouse.”  Someone else posted their reply that read, “These were reserve for those who lasted 24 hours. I believe some people got them unintentionally, but only those who lasted 24 hours were supposed to get these.”  Who knows?

At the end of each lap, we were given a colored bandana with the WTM logo on it, to designate the lap we were on.  After a few laps, some participants (myself included) starting getting bandanas that were torn in to smaller shreds.  Apparently they didn’t have enough bandanas so they started ripping them into pieces for more.  We saw a yellow t-shirt was also shredded into “bandanas”.

I would have liked to see more staff members at night.  There were some obstacles, Berlin Wall #1, for example, that did not have a single staff member attending when I went through overnight.  This was supposed to be a penalty obstacle.  There is a need to have a lot of staff for the day because there are so many people, but you still need them at 4:00am!  Participants are tired, in pain, and mentally fatigued, they need to be monitored even closer.

I was under the impression that there would be a spectator village, where they could get food/drinks and get warm.  There was food and drinks available, but there was not a tent for them to get warm in.  Even for those that stayed all 24 hours!  A few of my spectators were able to come into the aid tents on the course during our last lap to get warm, but I am pretty sure they were not supposed to.  Luckily, there are not many people in the tents overnight.

The tents had heaters, coffee and hot chicken broth.  I was disappointed to see that it was chicken broth and not vegetable broth.  I have a plant-based diet and would have chosen that, if it were available.  Maybe next year.  The bananas at the stands were barely edible.

The information packet said there would be microwaves available for the 1300 participants.  Rumor has it, there was only one working microwave.  I don’t know if this is true.  My side of the pit (~650 participants) had one microwave.  I was lucky that no one needed it at 2:30am when I did.  I am not sure if the other side had a microwave or not.  It would have been better not to advertise that they would provide microwaves.

My biggest issue was with the lack of communication from TMHQ.  We asked two employees about the rules for DNF and they both gave us the same wrong information.  A friend of mine was told when a team mate of his had to drop out; they were all done and could not continue.  Another team had a guy drop out and the other 3 continued.

Looking back at the rules, after the race, it makes more sense now.  I, like many others, thought this was a 24 hour obstacle course.  You finished, if you lasted 24 hours.  This was not the case.  WTM 2012 was a 10 mile obstacle course that you could attempt as many times as you wanted for 24 hours.  If you were still on the course at 10:00am, you had 4 hours to finish, if you wanted to.   If you wanted to leave at 12:00am, pick up your headband, t-shirt and go home, you were done.  A one lap completion minimum was all that was necessary to be a “finisher”.  I feel that TMHQ wasn’t really effective in describing the difference.  They stated that the “finisher” status was gone, but we still felt like it was a 24 hour race.  I also take blame.  I read the rules and swore it said we “have” to finish the lap we are on at 10:00am, but the rules handed out state we “may” finish the lap we are on.  I guess I was putting too much focus on the 24 hours.

I am pretty sure that TMHQ will be receiving a lot of emails about WTM and they will be more prepared and organized next year.  They have become a huge business and if they want to maintain what they have, or expand, they need better customer service.

I listed a few reasons why I was disappointed with TMHQ, but I will also say that I had a blast!  My mission was to train for a year and test my body in this event.  The course was a little harder than a typical TM.  It has 32 obstacles listed with 3 obstacles being done twice (Funky Monkey, Twinkle Toes, and Ladder to Hell).  It was just lacking in the change of elevation.  It did have more water obstacles than other TMs.  That made gear selection crucial.  TMHQ did a good job on the course.

The atmosphere among the mudders was what you’d come to expect from TM events.  Most of us are going to help each other out at the obstacles, cheer for each other when we get up Everest, and move over when someone new comes in the aid tent for some air from the heater.  The mud was awesome, the electric shocks were almost non-existent, and there were a lot of photographers on the course.

Would I do it again? 

As soon as it was over, I was sure that I didn’t need to do it again.  I had spent a year focusing on this.  My wife and I are ready to move on to new things.  That is, until we started talking about the experience and having people there cheering us on.  It was such an incredible feeling.  We discussed my strategies, strengths/weaknesses, and emotions.  Jill was not too interested in this event because of the cold temperatures.  A few hours later, she says, “You know, there is not much cold weather training in Las Vegas.  Maybe I should try on some wetsuits while it’s still cold out.”  I’m not committing to it, but I’m not saying we won’t.  I am sure on one thing.  If she doesn’t do it, I won’t either.  That’s not a decision that we need to make anytime soon.

Many thanks to all the volunteers, military, spectators (especially mine!), EMTs, behind the scenes people, and to my awesome supporters.  It’s been one heck of a year!

Be Well Professional Therapies

Bensalem Chiropractic Center

Hoo-Rag

North River Body Therapies

Past 2 Present Photography

Mudandadventure.com

A.M Volunteers

The post Race Recap: World’s Toughest Mudder – 2012 appeared on Mud and Adventure.

Much thanks to Nicole Comeau of The I on Fashion for helping with photography – in addition to running her first OCR!

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The post Team Got Mud? Takes on Boston’s Fenway for Spartan Race’s One of a Kind Time Trials Event appeared on Mud and Adventure.

I got to finally meet Matt B. Davis from the Matt B. Davis Runs podcast. We took a few pics of the start as well. Much, much thanks to Nicole Comeau of The I on Fashion for the photography. We would have loved to have covered the full event like Matt did but we had some racing to our ourselves up in Boston at Spartan Race’s Time Trials at Fenway.

Congrats to Junyong Pak, founder of forth coming  EPIC Racing Arena and Amelia Boone the two bad ass Mudders who took it all for the win a full day later!!

Wondering how many laps the crazies in the speedos made it before either getting medically disqualified or coming to their senses and donning a wetsuit…

Much respect to Amelia Boone for chicking all but one male in a heavily male dominated event (greatest gathering of testosterone ever – said our smiling photographer Nicole) and nearly accomplishing what I think would be the biggest thing to happen in sports ever.

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The post Mud and Adventure Captures the Start of Tough Mudder’s 2012 World’s Toughest Mudder appeared on Mud and Adventure.

I have changed my strategy for this event more than once.  At one point, my strength training was about 2/5 of my routine.  Running was the other 3/5.  As time went on, I started to really look at the obstacles from last year and the breakdown of the 3 types of obstacles.*

• “Must Complete” Obstacles: These obstacles are physically possible for all participants and must be completed in their entirety. Examples include Kiss of Mud, Boa Constrictor, etc.

• “Must Attempt” Obstacles: These obstacles may not be physically possible for all participants but must still be attempted. The obstacle will have a built-in penalty for those that fail to complete it. Examples include Funky Monkey, Ball Shrinker, etc. (failure of obstacle results in full submersion in water).

• “Opt Out” Obstacles. These obstacles will feature alternatives for those that cannot physically complete them. Examples include Berlin Walls, Everest, etc. Note that the alternative options will be significantly more challenging than the obstacle itself, e.g. an additional Arctic Enema, a one-mile out and back run, etc.

*From www.toughmudder.com

My plan was focusing too much on strength training and not enough on running.   First, I didn’t want to gain weight.  The heavier I am, the more weight I have to carry around for 24 hours.  At my heaviest, I was 175lbs.  That’s not much more than I weighed earlier, but it did make the wetsuit a little too snug.  As I looked at the description of the 3 types of obstacles, watched videos from last year, and use previous Tough Mudders (TM) experience, I realized that running will be imperative to making it 24 hours. It is much more important than strength training.  Here’s why:

I believe that all of the “Must Complete” obstacles are ones that everyone should be able to complete, no matter what lap they are on.  Everyone can do the Boa Constrictor and Devil’s Beard.  The “Must Attempt” obstacles will be able to be completed by most participants the first lap or two, but the penalty is “just” falling in the water.  Rumors from last year were that one of the top finishers was not even attempting those obstacles (would jump as far as they could on the Funky Monkey to save time).  I will not do that.  I am here to challenge myself.  I will attempt every obstacle, every lap.  If the “Opt Out” obstacles can’t be completed, the penalties certainly can be done.

So, it’s my opinion, that having legs that can go the distance, is the primary focus.  If my legs won’t let me go past 40 miles, it’s over.  If I can’t do a Berlin Wall (8′ or 12′ wall), then I get someone to help.  My decision was to focus on getting my legs strong and to get them to used to a lot of miles.  I want to use my legs as much as possible during the event.  All climbing will focus on using my legs, as opposed to upper body.  Every Mudder out there will be my new best friend.  My ego is not going to get in the way.  I can get over the Berlin Walls by myself and have done Mt. Everest with ease (not greased, though!).  I plan on getting help as much as I give.  We are all one, big team, just moving through the course at different speeds.

It was around November ’11 when I found out about the WTM ’11.  I wanted to do it so bad!  My wife and I just finished our first marathon and did a TM earlier that year (SoCal #1).  We were setting goals and reaching them.  I knew that WTM ’11 was not going to happen, so I set my sights on  WTM ’12. The first event that I could attempt to qualify on was SoCal #1 in February.  It was my first time running in the first wave.  I loved it!  The first half mile was uphill to a set of Berlin Walls. I started the run with 2 others, but they told me to just go when we got the walls.  They knew I was feeling it and I wouldn’t qualify if I stayed with them.  So I did.  I had the course to myself for the majority of the run after that.  I caught up to 2 guys dressed as lumberjacks (in tights) and decided to work with each other to improve our times.  They set the pace for uphills (my weakness) and took I charge of the downhill.  This worked well until around the 9 mile mark.  One of them was slowing down and having a hard time on one of the obstacles so I had to go to make sure I could get a decent time.  I ended up getting 1:55.  It was enough to qualify.

So I have spent the rest of the time training. I was already in decent running shape.  I had done a full marathon in Death Valley February 4 and did this TM on February 25.  Since then, I did the Scorpion Warrior (8th place, but my timing chip malfunctioned), Red Rock Canyon 1/2 Marathon, RhinO-Course (1st place-Extreme Endurance-Most Laps/Obstacles), XTERRA 21km Trail Race (3rd in Age Division), Kaiser-Permenente Colfax Marathon in Denver, CO, 4th of July 5k Blast (13th overall), RhinO Night Course-25k Extreme Course (3rd overall), Lake Tahoe TM (ran it twice), Las Vegas TM (ran it one and a half laps), the Warrior Dash (8/3202) and most recently ran a half marathon dressed as Wolverine (part of a 54+mile weekend).  I am pretty sure that I am somewhere near the 1000 mile mark.  I can check if I feel like adding it up.

I did most of my training on a budget.  I do not belong to a gym.  I have spent more time running in Red Rock Canyon than I can imagine.  I am very fortunate to have it so close.  The Iron Gym that hangs in my door frame of my bathroom has been one of the most used pieces of equipment I own.  If there is something on Groupon or Living Social that I feel will be helpful, like a months membership at an indoor rock climbing center, I may purchase it.  You don’t need to have a lot of money to be in shape.  Be creative.  I am lucky enough to have several playgrounds within 3 miles of my house.  I have run to 3 or 4 on several occasions to get a workout at each one.  You don’t have to pay for a gym membership.  When I had my tires changed, I asked to keep them so I can use them for training.

After the legs, actually, maybe even before the legs, is the core.  You must have a strong core to be able to do this.  There is going to be a lot of bending, twisting, climbing, and crawling.  A strong core is what will keep you from hurting yourself.  I do a lot of leg lifts while doing pull ups and various forms of planking.

The biggest change that I made was my eating habits.  I read a few books this year and they really made me look at my eating habits and decide to alter them.  The books I read were “Born to Run” by Christopher McDougall, “Finding Ultra” by Rich Roll, and “Eat and Run” by Scott Jurek.  I’m not going to get into detail about all three, but essentially, eating healthy allows your body to do amazing things.  My wife and I have essentially taken out animal products from our diet.  Some will call it Vegan, but I prefer plant-based.  And yes, I cheat, on occasion. Since we made the switch, the improvement was very noticeable.  I could go out for a 15 mile run and be able to do it again the next day.  My legs (almost) don’t get sore anymore.  I have even been taking on a lot more hills to get my legs stronger and to work on my endurance.  The plants help!  I don’t use energy drinks or gels.  I’ll take some trail mix and some sliced oranges!

I have my bags ready to go, my shirt with my supporters is printed, custom HooRags are being made, and I am done with training.  I am still spending time doing Bikram Yoga, stretching, getting massages, and light running. But the hard stuff is over!

Now I have to worry about the weather.  The forecast is 51/40.  I am hoping to use my 3/2mm wetsuit for the whole race.  If the temperatures end up getting higher than that, I may have to try running in thermal tights, neoprene tights/vest.  I have a 6mm farmer John, but I really don’t want to have to put that on.  For one, it is heavy and a little cumbersome.  Second, if I’m wearing it, that means it’s REALLY cold!  The rest of my equipment is pretty standard. 2 waterproof headlamps w/ extra batteries, strobe lights, 2 waterproof jackets, waterproof pants, 3 gloves (2 neoprene), scuba hood, 2 wetsuits, 4 sneakers, smartwool socks, thermal and moisture wicking tights for under wetsuit, and plenty of food (fruit, juice, Clif Bars, and Simple Fuel).

So what are my goals?

Ultimately, I want to do as many miles as my body will let me.  Setting an actual “number of miles goal” is a little intimidating.  I want to say that I will be able to do 60+ miles.  That’s a lot considering the winner did 64 last year.  I am be not going to this competition with any expectations other than knowing I will be miserable for 20+ hours.  I have gone back and forth with my plan for running quite a bit.  Do I try to go slow and steady the whole time and try not to sleep or do I run hard and sleep.  I kept telling myself that I need to take it easy on the first lap.  It will be very easy to get caught up in the excitement and just run hard.  I have to conserve energy.  However, the very first obstacle, most likely, will be the Insane Bolt.  A 1/4 mile sprint to a wall that closes around 2 min 30 sec.  It might be worth it to make the dash because those that don’t make it, have a penalty right off the bat.  Making it through in time will also help reduce bottle-necking at obstacles past the wall.  Sleep…I am not planning on it right now.  In training, I have hit the wall around 6:30 am and had taken a 2 hour nap.  I was refreshed and crushed the remaining 11 miles when I woke up.  So I can’t rule out taking a nap.  I will eat something in between each lap, but don’t want to stop for an extended break until my 3rd lap.  It should be getting dark around that time and I might have to change wetsuits if it gets too cold.  I’ll be carrying Clif Bars and fruit with me on the course, no hydration packs.

I am very fortunate to have a lot of support.  My biggest supporter is my wife.  She has been there by my side through all of this.  She has run marathons with me, done hundreds of miles on the trails together, she is my massage therapist, created workout routines for me, driven the car while I ran through out the night, and always did it with a loving smile.  Thank you, Jill.  I wouldn’t be here without you.  I love you so much!  We are going to tear it up!

Good luck fellow Mudders!  I look forward to meeting you!

Here are some pics from the last 10 months:

Feel free to check out some of my supporter’s web pages:

Be Well Professional Therapy

Bensalem Chiropractic Center

Past 2 Present Photography

Hoo-Rag

North River Body Therapies

MudandAdventure.com

A.M Volunteers

Follow me on my facebook page: My Journey to the World’s Toughest Mudder

The post Preparing for World’s Toughest Mudder 2012 appeared on Mud and Adventure.

How does a historic ball park celebrate it’s 100th anniversary? With a Spartan Race, of course! The Green Monster is no match for the thousands of Spartans that will invade on Saturday November 17th and Sunday, November 18th 2012. Spartan Race, the world’s leading obstacle racing series and Outside Magazine’s Best Obstacle Race in 2012, is joining yearlong festivities to commemorate Fenway Park’s 100th anniversary with an event as unique as the two iconic institutions themselves. For the first time ever, Boston’s cherished ballpark will be transformed into an obstacle racing venue for the Spartan Sprint Time Trial presented by Dial For Men, Saturday, Nov. 17 and Sunday, Nov. 18, 2012.

“Spartan Sprint at Fenway Park will be an experience no one has ever seen in the world of obstacle racing,” read the rest here

The post Spartan Race Headed for Fenway Park November 17 and 18 appeared on Mud and Adventure.

At his gym, Tony Weathers was known as Weatherman—a ripped demigod who could curl 225 pounds and run a mile in under 5 minutes. Outwardly he was a humble sort, but inside, down to his bone marrow, he hated to lose. If his fitness class was assigned one sprint around the gym in 15 seconds, Weathers ran two. If a coworker beat him in table tennis in the company break room, he challenged the victor again and again until he won. So on Saturday, April 14, as Weathers paced around the starting line of the Original Mud Run in downtown Fort Worth, Texas, he was probably synchronizing every cell in his body to win it all. Even if he didn’t finish first, he told his friends, he would be among the top 10 finishers. Just wait. (Are you competitive to a fault? You might share something in common with this veteran baseball player.)

The starting line sat atop a levee that managed the occasional flooding of the Trinity River

Read more at Men’s Health: http://www.menshealth.com/health/mud-run-risk-factors?fullpage=true#ixzz2BTov6mTj

The post A Race to the Death – Mud runs are the new rage, but their popularity could be their undoing appeared on Mud and Adventure.

The post Get $5 off Rugged Maniac with code MUDANDADVENTURE appeared on Mud and Adventure.

Run this monster of a race just $50 and for a good cause! Here’s how:

Run the Spartan Race for Operation Rebound for just $50! Spartan Race has given 250 slots for both the Sacramento and SoCal Spartan Races to CAF Operation Rebound to provide our supporters a great event at less than half the cost of a regular entry. All proceeds benefit CAF Operation Rebound. Please share with others.

Date: 27 January 2013
Location: Temecula, CA
Race: Super Spartan
Registration Link: http://www.spartanrace.com/socal-obstacle-racing-super-spartan-2013.html
Registration Password: CAF
Registration Code (input at checkout): CAF

Challenged Athletes Foundation’s® (CAF) Operation Rebound® (OR) program www.operationrebound.org provides unparalleled sports opportunities and support to our troops and veterans of any branch of service and first responders who have served honorably and have suffered permanent physical injuries.

Help our injured troops and first responders get from the Frontline to the Finish Line by racing in the Spartan Race.

Info submitted by Nico Marcolongo

The post Run the SoCal Spartan Race for Challenged Athletes for just $50! appeared on Mud and Adventure.

Turns out there was a common theme to this race among those who had also competed in either the Beast or Ultra Beast just three weeks prior in Killington, Vermont.  Conversations went like this:  ”So how are you feeling?”  ”Oh, my knee/ankle/hip/body is still hurting/recovering/in pain.”  I personally took all three weeks off from running and limited any leg exercises since my left knee still had a significant amount of pain and swelling.  Even though this race wasn’t on a mountain or ski resort, we were all still feeling the effects from one; and the rolling hills and technical terrain would prove to be a challenge.

Jeff and I gearing up before the race

Although usually a slow starter, as we were released to the chants of AROO, I took off much faster than I had anticipated.  Guess the excitement took over me.  I eventually settled into a good pace with Jeff Rondina as we set out to conquer the course.  We had the pleasure of running a few miles along side Margaret Schlachter (from www.dirtinyourskirt.com) and Shannon Hulme.

At about the six mile mark, we returned to the festival area.  Here we tackled the rope climb with ease but then something occurred for the first time since the Texas Super last December…I failed the Traverse Wall.  I have always had trouble with this obstacle, moving slowly and carefully across…but I had still been successful all year long.  I found my grip wasn’t very secure and my footing felt weak and before I knew it, I was on the ground.  I was stunned and upset I hadn’t taken a better approach.  After doing thirty pretty angry Burpees, we were on our way.

After the Barbed Wire Crawl, Jeff and I were really starting to feel the familiar pain from the Ultra Beast.  Jeff had it worse than I did with three points of pain in his legs to my one.  After the Hobie Hop, we slowed our pace down and walked a bit to allow ourselves some recovery while in the creek bed.  Little did we know we would be back in this creek bed almost 9 hours later with our headlamps on while sweeping the course.

Uphill Barbed Wire Crawl

Once we completed the Sandbag Carry, we agreed to push ourselves harder for the final mile and a half in order to have a strong finish.  This was when we reached the uphill Barbed Wire Crawl.  This is one of my favorite obstacles and I was able to move through it with some decent speed.  Feeling energized from the crawl, I sprinted down the hill and ran until I reached the festival area again.  Clearing the Eight-Foot Walls, I stepped up to the Spear Throw.  I wanted to keep this success streak alive.  The last time I missed the Spear Throw was during the Hurricane Heat at the Staten Island Super last year.  I hit the Spear dead center.

Barbed Wire – Dove Under. Slippery Wall –  Climbed Over.  Fire Jump – Flew Through. Gladiators – Got Pummeled.  I crossed the finish line in 3:02:35 and claimed my second Beast medal and second Trifecta of the year.

This wasn’t the end of our day, not by a long shot.  Contemplating whether or not to do the Relay Race, Jeff and I were asked to Sweep the course by Race Director Mike Morris.  Seeing as though we most likely were not going to be able to be competitive, we decided to help out and be Sweepers.  Joined by Jason Henline, we set out after the last racers and proceeded to take down all the course markings and any garbage left by racers.  Please, if you bring some kind of nutrition with you such as Gu Gels, Shot Bloks or anything else, put the wrapper back in your hydration pack, belt, socks or wherever you stored it in the first place.  For guys who just completed 13.2 miles, we made our way through the course quickly and we caught up to the final racer and the volunteer with him at mile ten in the creek bed.  With our headlamps on, we helped him to finish the course despite wanting to quit from exhaustion, pain and cold.  Seeing him cross the finish line was a great feeling, knowing he truly earned that finisher’s medal.

Jeff and I crossed the finish line as Sweepers as well as officially the last place relay team.  Total miles done for the day: 26.2 miles.  Jason had to leave early so he wouldn’t keep his riding waiting but was a major help in catching up to the final racer.  We were exhausted but it was all well worth it.

With South Carolina in the books, only three more Spartan Races are left on my agenda.  The Road to the Triple Trifecta is at its final leg with the Midwest Super up next.  Keep a look out for a write up on the Road Trip to the Midwest and reflections on past races, including the Spartan Ultra Beast and logging 26.4 miles or more at 3 different Spartan Events.

South Carolina Ultra Beast Medals

Freddy Rodriguez – Spartan Wolf

http://www.facebook.com/TheSpartanWolf

The post Race Recap: South Carolina Beast – The Double Trifecta appeared on Mud and Adventure.

First-ever guide to America’s hot new fitness challenge — hardcore, extreme obstacle courses

Crawl face down in mud. Slog knee-deep in frigid water. Leap through walls of fire. Hurl teammates up and over tall barricades. Extreme obstacle courses offer thrill-seekers a new kind of fast-paced fitness adventure that goes far beyond older events like marathons and triathlons. With step-by-step instructions and extensive course summaries, the training program in this book gives readers the ability to develop the full-body physical strength and fearless mental endurance needed to conquer every obstacle on any course. Modeled on Special Forces training blueprints, obstacle course events have attracted millions of participants over the past ten years. Their popularity continues to surge: in 2012, over 100 events are scheduled across the United States, Canada, and Britain, ranging from kid-friendly short sprints to the extreme 48-hour Spartan Death Race. In this one-of-a-kind book, the authors, veteran obstacle course racers, show readers how to gain the fitness, dexterity, and confidence needed for course challenges such as mud slopes, climbing ropes, and log hauls. Covering all the major obstacles and providing tips about race-specific events like Tough Mudder’s “Electroshock Therapy” and the Muddy Buddy bicycle sprints, this book is a must for anyone looking for instruction and inspiration to release their inner champion.

$10.61 Get the book!

The post Ultimate Obstacle Race Training: Crush the World’s Toughest Courses – Brett Stewart appeared on Mud and Adventure.

Company Info: KOAR.  Koar.com. KOAR Performance, LLC.  2114 Pico Blvd.  Santa Monica, CA 90405. 1-855-767-KOAR. customerservice@koar.com

Mission Statement/Objective: KOAR.  The Evolution of Sport.  Next Generation Athletic Apparel.

Product Claims/Uses*:

• Endurance: May help to maximize training and performance by potentially improving blood circulation and oxygen delivery to your muscles.
• Moisture Management: Helps keep you dry  by wicking moisture away from your body.
• UV Protection: Helps protect you from UV radiation that can cause irreversible damage and aging to your skin.
• Visibility: Helps increase your visibility at dawn or dusk with reflective garment details.
• Recovery: May improve your lactate threshold which could help reduce fatigue and muscle soreness.

In double-blind testing of 14 trained male and female athletes, ages 17 – 53, using the ergospirometer the following 4 major parameters were measured:

• Oxygen consumption
• CO2 production
• Ventilation
• Heart rate

The results were positive in all areas.

First Impression:   When I took the top out of the box, I realized that it was different from the usual dry-fit shirt.  It was noticeably thicker in the chest.  The texture is also different on the inside where it’s thicker.  The tights had the same impression. The thicker areas were on the front/inside of the legs.

Background Information: I do a variety of workouts.  Most of which, are done outside.  Trail running is my favorite form of training because I would rather be outside than stuck in a gym.  I did not tailor my workouts to gain the most benefits out of the outfit.  I did what I normally would do, because I feel that would be the most beneficial to those of you reading this.

KOAR supplied the products tested.

Testing the Product:

My first run was done at night with a temperature around 85^o.  3 miles felt like a good distance to go for the first time.  Long enough to get warmed up, but not long enough to develop any major irritations (none developed).  The sweat was absorbed pretty well in the chest area.  It does feel like the shirt is ventilated.  Any little breeze, and you feel the sweat evaporating on your skin.  Without a doubt, this helps lower your body temperature.

I did a few runs in the mornings for the following two weeks.  It gets pretty hot in the desert so there was a lot of sweating and a lot of evaporating!

On 9/22/12, I put the KOAR to much harder test.  It was going through the Lake Tahoe Tough Mudder, twice.  This proved to me how effective it really was at wicking moisture and lowering body temps.  I ran in the 8:40 am wave and it was still a little chilly.  Throw in water obstacles (Arctic Enema included) and trees to block the sun, and you find yourself wanting some heat.  That’s when you realize how good KOAR is.  The outfit is drawing away all the moisture (that has been warmed up by my body) and cooling me off faster!  I could tell exactly where all the wicking material was on the outfit.  That area would get a cooling sensation on every step.  The good thing is that I had a black outfit on that heated up pretty nicely in the sun.

The second lap seemed to be more ideal conditions for the use of the outfit.  The air temperature was high enough that you wanted to be cooled off instead of heated.  It was a nice welcomed feeling.

Since the Tough Mudder, I have gone on several trail runs (3-8 miles long) in various conditions.

Result:

Honestly, I have no idea how my body was able to deliver O₂ better or if my legs had more or less lactate in the muscles.  I am lucky and don’t get too sore.  The Lake Tahoe Tough Mudder in the KOAR was no exception.  I do know that the ventilation works like a champ!

Is the KOAR gear for those that do OCRs? Well, yes and no.  It depends on the conditions.  You have to realize that even though KOAR is active wear, it is designed to cool you off.  If you are doing a mud run in the winter, KOAR should not be your first choice.  For all other times, the KOAR is great.  It is perfect for in the gym or on the field.  If you plan on wearing it in the summer, in the sun, consider getting a color other than black.

I was impressed by the durability of the top and pants.  They went through 22 miles of Tough Mudder that included a lot of crawling on rocks, logs, and near barbed wire.  Throw in several trail runs in the desert with a lot of sharp plants, and the only wear I have is one, small hole above the knee (tip of a pencil small).  The elastic in the waistband can get twisted in the wash, but it only takes a minute to straighten it out.

Overall, a very solid product!

*from koar.com

The post Gear Review: KOAR Performance Apparel appeared on Mud and Adventure.

The November issue of Outside Magazine has a feature article covering the explosive growth of obstacle racing – cementing what we already knew: the sport has gone mainstream.  The magazine officially hits newsstands October 8th but can already be found if you look for it. Definitely an interesting read considering the mud being flown around (sorry I couldn’t help it).

Here’s a teaser trailer of what’s in store:

got my copy!

The post The Obstacle Race Industry, It’s Dirtier Than You May Think – Check Out Outside Magazine’s November Issue appeared on Mud and Adventure.

   Simple Fuel® and Simple Granola

Company Info:

   Simple Brandz, Inc 1-855-BESIMPLE  

Mission Statement/Objective: 

“Creating healthy foods to have a Natural, Simple Lifestyle is our mission at Simple Brandz, Inc.

Simple Brandz, Inc offer products of All Natural BodyFood®.

Simple Fuel® is a nutritional supplement and Simple Granola is gluten, dairy, soy free packed with protein and energy!”

Product Claim(s): 

   ”Simple Fuel® is loaded with a proprietary blend of Superfruits, SuperGreens, SuperProteins, SuperHealers, SuperMetabolizers, SuperPrebiotics in an easy powder form just for YOU! 

   Each blend was designed to give you a piece of what you need to eat everyday like omega’s, fibers, and antioxidants to keep you simply healthy and energized!

   Simple Fuel® is a powerful all natural proprietary blend of SuperFoods including SuperGreens, Superfruits, SuperMetabolizers, Natural Healers, and Prebiotics infused with a simply chocolate taste.  This combination gives you the antioxidants, chlorophyll, amino acids, essential fatty acids, digestive enzymes naturally in each serving.”

   Simple Granola: “A gluten, dairy, soy free packed with protein and energy.”

First Impression: 

   I agreed to review this product because I am conscious of what I eat.  I try to eat as much organic fruit and veggies as I can.  GMOs, processed food, and excess sugar are things that I try to stay away from. So I went to the webpage, read the mission statement, and assumed it was fine.  

   When I opened the package and read the ingredients, I was immediately impressed.  There are so many different superfoods in the Simple Fuel®.  If you are not familiar with superfoods, I highly encourage you to check out documentaries like, “Food Matters.”  You will be amazed at the correlation between diet and disease.   They are called superfoods for a reason.  Here is just a sample of superfoods in the Simple Fuel®: whey protien, spirullina powder, blue green algae, chlorella, organic wheatgrass, acai freeze dried powder, blueberry, ginger root, flaxseed powder, acacia fiber, dandelion, chia seed powder, and much more!

Background Information:  

   The Simple Fuel® is advertised as a meal replacement, not an energy booster.  I chose to use mine for breakfast on a normal day.  Breakfast for me is usually fruit, cereal, or oatmeal.  I did allow myself to drink as much water as I wanted, just no food for the morning.

   The Simple Granola is for energy so I chose to eat them before a morning workout (the day after the Simple Fuel).  There was not an indication as to how much granola was a serving size and how much I was provided with.  It was not advertised as a meal replacement, so I did not change my eating habits for the day.

   Simple Brandz provided all testing samples.

Testing:

   Simple Brandz website has a few different suggestions on how to eat/drink the Simple Fuel®.  I chose to mix mine with almond milk.  The serving size is for 8oz, but I chose to add a little more almond milk.  Even with extra almond milk and putting a tsp of water in the glass before the powder, it still had some clumping at the top.  If you have ever had a protein shake before or made instant hot chocolate, then you know what I’m talking about.  The taste was fine.  It was similar to a protein shake.  The good thing about this drink is the ingredients.  Healthy ingredient after healthy ingredient.  It may have been the placebo effect from knowing all the good ingredients, but I felt great!  

   After eating the Simple Granola and working out (~60 minutes of circuit training) I can’t really say that I got a big energy boost from the granola.  It tasted great, it wasn’t dried out or too crunchy, and it wasn’t too sticky and covered in honey like others I have tried. 

Feedback:  

Do I think it is worth it?  I will be ordering Simple Fuel®.  I am not going to make this my daily breakfast, lunch, or dinner, but I will use this when I am running late and don’t have time to eat.  It really packs a lot of nutrients in a glass.  Maybe they will make a vanilla flavor (if it can be done without the use of processed ingredients, of course).  It may seem a little expensive (currently $52 for a container of 24 servings), but that is just over $2 a glass.  Remember that it is a meal replacement, and is most likely, more healthy than what the average person consumes.  It is well worth it.  ”The food you eat could be either the safest and most powerful form of medicine or the slowest form of poison.”  Dr. Ann Wigmore.

Simple Granola is perfect as a hiking snack or if you’re at the office looking for quick hunger fix.  I wouldn’t necessarily rely on it for high energy boosts, but it tastes great and the ingredients are even better.  

The post Product Review: Simple Fuel and Simple Granola appeared on Mud and Adventure.

If you’ve been training consistently for your next obstacle race, you may already integrate core exercises in your current program. Core training will help you with your obstacle racing prep. A strong core will help you meet head on the challenges you’ll face in an obstacle course race. To complement your obstacle racing goals, below is a core training workout.

The work bout of this obstacle racing core session consists of 9 exercises. From start to finish, including the warm-up and cool-down, the workout should take you between 45-60 minutes to complete.

You can include this routine into your current program in a few ways:

1. Beginner-Intermediate Core Workout. If you’re new to obstacle race training, it may help to complete this routine once or twice a week. You’ll establish a solid foundation for core strength that will help with all of your other obstacle racing workouts, including running and strength. Start with 2 sets of the circuit and build up to 3 total sets.
2. Core-Metabolic Routine. If you’re an intermediate-advanced level athlete, you can complete the core training circuit below as a metabolic routine. Do as many rounds possible of the 9 exercises in 20-30 minutes. For some that may be 2 trips, for some it may be 5. You can start slowly then pick up the pace once you master form.
3. Active Recovery Session. As an advanced obstacle athlete, you can integrate the following core exercises into a lighter training day or as part of your active recovery session. Try 2 sets of the circuit. Work in an active recovery session once every 1-2 weeks.

Warm-Up

Do 3x
1. Supermans — 10x
(Start) Lie face down with your arms extended overhead.
(Move) Squeeze glutes and pinch your shoulder blades together. Squeeze abdominal muscles and lift your arm, chest, and legs off the floor. Return to start and repeat.

2. Push Ups — 10x

3. Floor Bridges (Double Leg or Single Leg) — 10x

Single Leg Description:
(Start) Lie with your back on the mat, knees bent, hands by your side. Squeeze your abs and glutes. Lift your right foot and straighten out your leg so that your right knee is parallel to your left.
(Move) Lift your butt and back off the ground and hold for one second. Return to start and repeat.

Obstacle Racing – Core Training Circuit

1. Single Leg Deadlifts — 10x each leg

2. Single Leg Squats with Touchdown & Shoulder Press — 10x each side

(Start) Balance on your right leg with your left leg off the floor. Hold a dumbbell with your left hand. Be sure to squeeze your abs and glutes (engage the core) to keep your balance.
(Move 1) Bend your right knee and lower your glutes towards the ground. Reach the dumbbell towards your toes.
(Move 2) As you return to start position, bend your left elbow as you lift the dumbbell to shoulder height and then overhead. Be sure to keep balancing on your right leg as you do this. Return to start and repeat for a total of 10 reps. Switch legs.

3. Push-Ups with Rotations — 24x

Read more on Melissa’s website, MyExerciseCoach.net.

The post Obstacle Racing – The Core Workout appeared on Mud and Adventure.

Company Info: Sudden Rush Guarana email: info@suddenrushguarana.com.au

Mission Statement/Objective: “Sudden Rush Guarana Shot is a health product developed by Jungle Pty. Ltd., a Swiss company founded in 2006.  Jungle Pty. Ltd. wants to give consumers an alternative to the countless other energy drinks made up of synthetic energy. Sudden Rush Guarana is offering pure energy from the finest wild grown Guarana.”

Product Claim(s):

• Up to 6 hours of healthy and 100% natural energy
• Highest concentrate energy shot
• 100% natural.  No taurine, artificial caffeine, added chemicals.
• Highly improves: alertness, concentration, energy, physical performance, mood, memory

First Impression: When communication started about this review, I was given some info on the company and was very impressed.  They get their guranana from Brazil and give 10% of the profits go to The Atlantic Rainforest Institute.

This is NOT an energy drink.  It is an energy shot.

Background Information:  I generally try to stay away from energy drinks/shots.  I don’t like consuming that much sugar and I really don’t know the long term effects of many of the ingredients.  I eat as much organic, non-GMO, non-processed food as possible.  If this were the typical energy drink, I would have passed on doing a review.

The 2 samples used were provided by Sudden Rush Guarana. The samples were used on two separate occasions.

Testing:

The card that came with the sample said to take 10 minutes before physical activity.  It can be taken straight or it mixed with water/drink.  I took it straight.  It has a very strong coffee-type of taste to it.  Not the best taste, but I don’t drink coffee.

The first sample was used before a very challenging run.  It was only an 11 mile run, but it was during the day, in August, and I live in Las Vegas, NV.  The temperature was 105-110° (first problem).  I took the shot and started running 20 minutes later (I got sidetracked).  I definitely felt the shot about 5 minutes before I left.  I had not eaten much for breakfast (second problem), but had consumed about a liter of water.  It ended up being one of the toughest runs I had done in a while.  The sun took just about everything out of me.  I had to stop a few times (it’s not good when you get goosebumps).  So, I can say that I did notice the shot, but I was also asking a whole lot from it on this day.  I was completely drained.

After the first sample, I decided that I should try it on a much easier day so that I can feel the effects more.  I took it before doing some work around the house, food shopping, and going to work.  This reaction was much more effective than the first.  I did feel more energized during the day.  Not so much that I felt stronger, just more alert.  Honestly, it is hard to say how long it lasts for.  I got a solid 3 hours out of it, but there is no crash, so it’s difficult to say when it stops working.  About 10 hours after taking the second shot, I went for a 5 mile run and circuit workout.  I felt great!  I don’t know or expect that it was still the Guarana, because it states that it lasts for 4-6 hours, but felt the need to include it.

Feedback:  I am not sure what the price of shots are. I am going to take a shot in the dark and say that I would expect to see them sell for around $2.50-$4 each.   If you rely on energy supplements, or would like an extra boost every now and then, try Sudden Rush Guarana.  I would recommend Sudden Rush over the sugar energy drinks any day.

The post Gear Review: Sudden Rush Guarana appeared on Mud and Adventure.

If you’ve been training with a purpose, then you know the importance of proper obstacle race nutrition. Fueling adequately and properly plays a critical role in helping you endure your rigorous workouts and recovery afterwards. But what you eat before the race is just as critical.

Your pre-mud run nutrition will vary depending on your race length. If your run is less than one hour, what you normally eat before your workout should provide enough energy for your event.

A longer race like the Tough Mudder requires more sustenance. You may need to have both a pre-game meal and a snack right before and/or during your race like an energy shake or gel.

Overall, your pre-race meal is not the time to focus on getting ripped or weight loss as you will need more carbs than protein to fuel your race. Try to have your pre-race meal about 3 hours before your event. Be sure to keep in mind your travel time.

Here are 19 pre-race meal ideas.

Pre-Obstacle Race Meal Shakes

If nerves may get the best of you before a race, you may consider having your pre-game meal in liquid form. I prefer making my own at home. You can get better, less processed nutrition from a homemade shake.

Keep in mind your pre-race meal isn’t the time to experiment with new foods and food combinations. If any of these shakes are new to you, I’d recommend trying them as a pre or post-workout meal first to make sure they sit well with you.

These are some of my picks.

1. Banana Shake

1 Banana
Protein Powder
1 Tablespoon peanut or almond butter or 1 Tablespoon flax or chia
1 c low-fat milk (cow, soy, or almond) or 1 c water

Bananas are often listed as the go-to food to include in most pre-event meals. Why? They have a high potassium & carb content, and you’ll need both to fuel your obstacle race.

If you decide to substitute another fruit for your pre-race meals, keep in mind these two components. There’s about 422 mg of potassium in one medium banana. Other high potassium fruits:

Cantaloupe (473 mg per cup)
Kiwi (520 mg per cup)
Honeydew (404 mg per cup)
Fresh apricots (401 mg per cup)
Papaya (360 mg per cup)
Oranges (300 mg per cup)

For protein powder, I usually use Jay Robb Whey Powder.

2. Nutella Shake

½ -1 whole Banana
1 T Nutella
Protein Powder or ½ c low-fat cottage cheese
1 c low-fat milk (cow, soy, or almond)

3. Kiwi-Blueberry Shake

1 c Kiwi
1 c Blueberries (frozen or raw)
Protein Powder or ½ c low-fat cottage cheese
1 Tablespoon Flax or Chia
1 c low-fat milk (cow, soy, or almond) or water

You can also substitute a banana in place of kiwis.

FYI: 1 c of blueberries have about 100 mg potassium.

Read more on Melissa’s website, MyExerciseCoach.net.

The post What to Eat Before an Obstacle Race: 19 Pre-Race Meals appeared on Mud and Adventure.

Featured Runner: Andi Hardy

Name: Andi Hardy

Age: 43
Hometown: Atlanta, GA
Occupation: teacher
Mud runs and obstacle races conquered to date: Merrill Down & Dirty, Spartan Race, SuperHero Scramble
Favorite event so far: Spartan Race

Bio: athlete in high school and college (basketball & softball) ran a few 5k races for fun, always athletic, loved to play sports, but never really good at any sport until discovered OCR at age 42

Twitter: andaviking

The post Featured Runner Profile: Andi Hardy appeared on Mud and Adventure.

Photo by Eli Christman

Let’s face it, you’ve got to be able to see to get through a Mud and Obstacle Run, but glasses and prescription sunglasses are begging to get lost, broken, or just covered in mud.  So contact lenses are the only reasonable choice left, but how do you safely wear them to a mud run without damaging your eyes?

You might say, “Who cares?  The Honey Badger wears his contacts however he wants!”  As an Optometrist, I care, and I’ve seen enough people with infections who abused their contact lenses to know that a Mud Run is just a corneal transplant waiting to happen.  A Corneal Transplant?!?!? Yes, the kinds of bacteria that reside in mud and untreated water can eat through your cornea within 48 hrs, especially when trapped underneath your contact lens.  So here’s my 7 tips for wearing contact lenses to a Mud Run:

1.  Wear Disposable Contact Lenses

Soft, disposable contacts are great because, well, you can throw them away as soon as you’re done with the mud.  Use a pair that is at the end of their life and you won’t feel guilty.  If you don’t have disposable lenses, talk to your doctor and ask for a free pair.  We get free samples all the time and he/she will gladly reward you for being responsible with your eyes.  Just be aware that they’ll hassle you if your prescription isn’t up to date.  Also, the daily disposable lenses are single use lenses that were made for things like mud runs.

2.  Bring the Right Supplies

Having a fresh pair of lenses or just bringing your glasses to your race is a great idea.  Bring your contact lens case (an old one that you don’t mind losing), and some disinfecting solution.  You may also want to have some cheap saline wash to rinse your eyes after getting muddy.  There might be mud in your eyebrows and eyelashes that is harder to rinse off.  Bring a bottle of fresh water, a clean dry towel, and some liquid soap for washing your hands.  The last mud run I ran had none of these things.  I also brought a sample of powerful antibiotic drops as an insurance policy, but never ended up using them.  If you explain your muddy obstacle challenge to your doctor, they might be willing to give you a small sample bottle to use in case you get a lot of mud in your eyes.

3.  Bring Backup Glasses

When your mud run is over and your contact lenses are out, you may not be clean enough to put in a fresh pair safely, so having your glasses with you is a must.  You also run the risk of losing lenses in the mud when you rub your eyes, or possibly ripping them during the race.  This is a worst case scenario, but bringing your glasses with you during the challenge in a waterproof, shock-proof case that you can clip on somewhere, is always an option depending on how bad your uncorrected vision is.  You’ll have decide for yourself if this is necessary or practical for the type of mud and obstacles that you might encounter.

4.  Close Your Eyes When You Hit the Mud and Water

Keep your eyes shut tightly when you get into the mud and water.  Once you’re out, wipe your eyelids lightly and resist the urge to rub your eyes.  Rubbing could cause mud to get into your eyes or your lenses could fall out.  As soon as you can get the chance, rinse your eyes and face with water.  Maybe there’s a volunteer with a hose or a water station, but try to get your eyes clean.

5.  Consider Goggles

If there is a lot of water obstacles you may want to consider goggles.  Water won’t make the goggles dirty and they’ll protect your contacts from funky streams and ponds.  You can hang them around your neck during the running portions of your race and the straps shouldn’t be strong enough to strangle you if you manage to get them caught on an obstacle.  If there’s a lot of mud, goggles might not be all that helpful after they get dirty.  You’ll have to research your venue and decide whether the goggles are worth wearing.

6.  Wash Your Hands and Your Face

When all the running is done and the mud and obstacles have been conquered you’ll need to get clean before touching your eyes or your contacts.  Rinsing your hands and face with clean water is essential, but soap and water is preferred before removing your muddy lenses.  If you plan to wear new contact lenses after your mud run, you MUST use soap and water.  Alcohol based hand sanitizer will damage contact lenses, so using it before removing your old lenses is ok if you have nothing else, but DO NOT use hand sanitizer when handling your new lenses.

7.  Throw Away the Contact Lenses That You Used During Your Mud Run!

After you get the mud cleaned off, you may be tempted to keep those stanky lenses.  Don’t.  There are certain types of bacteria and parasites in mud and untreated water that can survive soft contact lens cleaning solutions and disinfectants.  Disposable contact lenses were made to be thrown away so don’t think you’re saving money by keeping them, when really you’re just risking your vision.  Toss them in the garbage and go get your beer!

The post 7 Tips for Wearing Contact Lenses to a Mud Run appeared on Mud and Adventure.

The Spartan Race Sprint held at Blue Mountain Ski hills in PA was about the toughest physical and mental challenge I’ve had in my life. I wanted to see how far I could push myself and this race did just that. The hills were very steep, the obstacles challenging, the tempurature and humidity high, and the competition fierce. Spartan Race had convinced its top women racers, and outside elite athletes to join this epic event for a mini-World Championship type of challenge.

Feeling both excited and extremely nervous I approached the staring line in fear of the first hill that lay right before me. Not even 20 meters away was one of the steepest inclines I had ever tried to run. The women all looked strong. The men’s field was also stacked with the best of the best in Spartan OCR. They were to begin 10 minutes after us. Three Aroos (Spartan Race tradition) were chanted and we were off to face the biggest, baddest inclines I had ever faced.

At the midsection of the first incline right off the start line were 4 foot walls to scale. On the first desent were walls to scale, go under, and through and briefly following a rope climb starting in a deep mud pit. By now the sun was shining brightly adding the element of heat. Racers were pounding it hard. Up another incline to a bucket brigade, where we filled our big orange buckets with rock. Women 1/2 full, men 3/4 full. As if we thought that was challenging, off again to encounter an incline so steep, a rope was needed to assist getting up, then run through woods to the ugliest, steepest hill of all.

Running was no longer an option for most. Many of us had to hike (or walk) it, each in pure misery. This is where I had to push thoughts of giving in to pain out of my mind. I had to find another level of consciousness to get through. It was steep. It was hot. It was long. But somehow from within I found strength to carry on. One foot in front of the other, keep moving I told myself and others who were also struggling to keep going.

Once to the top of the mountain and nowhere to go but down, I regained my momentum at a few obstacles. Downhills are my specialty. Take advantage of the help of gravity. But these downhills are not exactly easier either. Loose shale, mud, twists & turns. More obstacles to challenge the strength and stamina: 8 foot walls to scale, cargo nets, barbed wire mud crawls, tires to flip, water to cross while diving under barrels, cement blocks to hoist and drag to name a few.

Just when you think you’re home free and can run to the finish there is something else to conquer. At the end a traverse wall to stay on, a spear to throw to a target and a fire to leap over. Done yet? No, gladiators with bugle sticks to get by. If any obstacles are not completed with success, well 30 burpee penalty. 30 burpees don’t seem like much but when your legs are screaming, you are thirsty, and your mind is spent those 30 trecherous jumps seem like eternity to pump out. All in all, this race was the best I’ve ever done. I’ve been challenged in many races, but this one pushed me to my very limits.

On July 14th, 10 of the fastest female Spartans lined up to take on the “mini-Beast” in the mountains of PA to see who would emerge in the top spot!

The post Race Recap: PA Spartan Sprint “Mini Beast” 7/14/12 appeared on Mud and Adventure.

- Sean
Founder, Superhero Scramble

From the moment Superhero Scramble decided to compete in the fast growing obstacle race industry, it had a mission to legitimize the sport and create the Obstacle Race League.

With their unique creation of the SCRAMBLE GAMBLE, a competitive wave that pays out a cash prize, and the team competition in the Obstacle Race League which also pays out additional cash, they have harnessed an opportunity that allows the best athletes to turn their hobby into a career.

Here’s how the two work:
SCRAMBLE GAMBLE
Think you got what it takes to win? You wanna take a shot at up to $3,000 in cold hard CASH? If you do, then put your money where your fitness is. Introducing the Scramble Gamble™. For an additional $30.00 you can compete in this first of its kind event for a chance to win a cash prize. The entire $30.00 goes into a pot (thats right, no funny business). The cash prize is split between the top 3 males and females. These are the only 2 divisions, there will no age separation. The winner will get 60% of the pot, second will recieve 25% and 15% for third place (the purse will be separated by gender).

Obstacle Race League
Team Format
3-4 Runners Per Team (Male & Female Divisions, No Co-Ed)

Score Format
Best 3 Times will be added up to determine the winner.

Wave
Scramble Gamble 8:20 am

Prize
Cash Prize,Trophy and all the bragging rights that come with it.

History will be made at the inaugural Obstacle Race League event on July 28th in North FL.

Get all the details at http://superheroscramble.com/events/north_florida/ and if you want to partake or simply be a part of the action, make sure to register by July 23rd.

The post Obstacle Race League Inaugural Event appeared on Mud and Adventure.

Company Info: Mikios Natural Body Scrub LLC. 225 Main St, #855.  Hiram, GA 30141

Mission Statement/Objective: A healthy choice of quality body scrubs at an affordable price.

Product Claim(s): Removes dead skin cells, relieves muscle pain and cramps, flushes out toxins, fights bacteria and acne, enhances skin color and texture, moisturizes and soothes skin, improves use of insulin, contains antibacterial ingredients, antioxidants, speeds up healing of the skin, and no need for lotion after use.

First Impression: The products smell great.  I was pleasantly surprised by the size of the container that was sent.  It wasn’t just a small sample (3 other smaller samples of flavors were provided). The containers did have some of the oil/lotion on the outside of them, but nothing a paper towel can’t fix.

Background Information:  I don’t use body scrubs or moisturizers, just sunblock.  I live in Las Vegas, NV which is very dry and dry skin is a problem.  My week generally has 2-4 days of cross training and 2-3 days of running.  This product was provided by Mikios Natural Body Scrub.

Before/After:

As previously stated, I have dry skin to start.

Immediately after: My skin is very smooth were scrub was applied.  It feels like a lotion/oil was applied.  The peppermint is not overwhelming (was a minor concern).

1 hour later: Skin still feels very smooth.

8 hours later: Surprisingly, it is still smooth.  Not nearly as much as before, but still much better than before it was applied.

1 week later: (3 uses) My skin feels overall much healthier than before.

Feedback:  Going back to product claims…there are several on here that I simply can’t say, “yes” or “no” to (i.e. improves use of insulin, flushes out toxins, fights bacteria, reduces pain, etc.).  For those I could determine (no need for lotion and removes dead skin cells), it worked great.  My skin definitely feels better and looks healthier, even after the first use.  Is it a “must have” for mud runs?  Not really.  However, if you live in a dry place like I do and spend a lot of time outdoors, then I would suggest giving it a try.

The post Gear Review: Mikios Body Scrub appeared on Mud and Adventure.

Company Info: Hoo Rag. 1016 Clemmons ST Suite #301. Jupiter, FL 33477.  888-834-9344. info@hoorag.com

Mission Statement/Objective: N/A

Product Claims/Uses:

Wrap the Hoo Rag around your forehead to keep hair and sweat out of your eyes, and make yourself look like John McEnroe.  Which is awesome.

Cover your mouth and nose with your Hoo Rag to prevent dust, dirt, and non-toxic paint from getting into your lungs.

The Neck Warmer style is the perfect way to look stylish while keeping your neck and throat warm.

First Impression: It is exactly what I was expecting.  No more.  No less.  Very light-weight.

Background Information:  I will sometimes wear hats or bandanas when working out. It usually depends if my hair is long enough to be in the way or not.  My hair is short right now, so the need is not there.  I generally don’t care too much about sweat on my face.

Testing the Product: I used the Hoo Rag for a few weeks. In that time, I used it while running, strength training, rock climbing, swimming, hiking, yoga, and riding a motorcycle.  I also made sure to wash it several times to test durability.

Result: The Hoo Rag did not disappoint.  It was tight enough to stay on my head while swimming, but not so tight that it gave me a headache (even after 5 hours of wearing it).  I generally didn’t get bothered by sweat in my face before.  Now that I have tried the Hoo Rag for a while, I like the change.  I only used it as a face cover once while on the motorcycle.  Lucky for me, these do not hold the odor of sweat very well because I forgot to wash it before using it.  There are plenty of styles to choose from and they have customization available.

If you have longer hair or don’t like sweat in your face, then I highly suggest you try a Hoo Rag.  It is more comfortable than a bandana and absorbs sweat like a headband.

The post Gear Review: Hoo Rag appeared on Mud and Adventure.

Game Changer; Race Specific Skills

Baseline fitness will carry you to an obstacle. But it’s the race-specific skills that will take you over, around, or through them.  Training specific energy systems, movement patterns and athletic skills tested as part of an obstacle race will transfer to successful execution of challenges encountered on the course. 

First, think about the typical obstacles featured as part of a race; monkey bars, cargo net, rope climb, barrier wall, mud pit, or low crawl.  Then, structure your training program around the exercises and movements that adapt the body to these disciplines.

Get Specific

• Strength relative to body weight
• Grip strength
• Core strength/stability
• Dynamic, explosive, athletic movements
• Carry, pick-up, drag a heavy or awkward load

Try This

Grip Strength:  A strong grip enables you to lift heavier weights, perform more repetitions, and carry or transport heavy or oddly shaped objects.

• Towel pull-ups: loop a towel over a pull-up bar and perform pull-ups gripping the towel.  The same method can be used with a rope.
• Farmers walk:  Gripping a dumbbell, kettlebell, or  plate in each hand, retract your shoulders back and down, then walk in a straight line or zig-zag pattern for 25-50 yards. You will feel the burn in your hands, but you will also be training anaerobic capacity, upper back, traps and oblique strength.

Agility and Balance: Train dynamic and athletic movements that promote biomechanical efficiency while running, climbing, jumping and landing.

• Jumping, hopping, or bounding for distance or height
•  Box jumps and step-ups
• Jump squats, jump lunges, and burpees
• Medicine ball tosses and slams
• Jump rope and agility latter drills

Unilateral strength:  To protect the knees and strengthen the glutes, hips, core, and low back include single leg and lateral movements.

• Lateral step-ups and box jumps
• Single leg squats and split squats
• Lunges and lateral lunges

Transport an awkward load or object: Build true functional strength that is nearly impossible to train through traditional weight training techniques.

• Weighted vest: hike or hill climbs with a weighted vest or backpack
• Tire flip: Take a large heavy equipment tire and flip it end over end
• Sled pulling or pushing: Move a heavy object by pulling/pushing/dragging for a specific distance or time.
• Sandbag, keg, or stone loading and carrying: Pick up a heavy object and put it on a raised platform, lift it overhead, or carry for a designated time / distance.

The post Game Changer; Race Specific Skills appeared on Mud and Adventure.

This was my 2nd Tough Mudder and the feeling of confidence going into it compared to the 1st one is really awesome. When people ask you if its your first Tough Mudder and you tell them “no”, their eyes light up. They begin to ask you questions as if you have been to heaven and back and know what its like.

As much as I would like to think that I am some sort of wise sage, the coaching ends up being the same to everyone you talk to:
“Have fun, ask for help, help others, enjoy the journey”

My first Tough Mudder was in Georgia last February. That day started at 20 degrees. This time around I was looking forward to a pleasant, warm day which I would make a really fun and challenging event even more enjoyable. Observing the Saturday runners on a day that was in the mid to high 60s, I was thrilled. I was going to get my wish the next day when I ran my heat.

No such luck.

When I checked the weather that evening I was alarmed to find out it was going to be 35 degrees at the 8am heat start time and only get to the high 40s by the time I was finished.

Totally bummed as arctic enema and several other water obstacles loomed ahead. Some people fear electroshock therapy, I don’t sweat that one at all. I just don’t want to be cold for 3 hours straight.

I am not going to describe each obstacle in detail as there are many blogs and places on the web that you can find long descriptions of that type for Tough Mudders.

Death March Hill

I will tell you that less than a mile into the race, we were faced with a huge hike that had one dude throwing about 1000 yards up the the hill. (A sign of a great event, wouldn’t you say!?)

Prior to this event, everyone was warning me about the Colorado mountain elevation. A guy I sat next to on the plane on the way over was telling me that “going up a flight of stairs” will cause you to lose your breath. How was I supposed to tell him that I was about to hike 5000 flights of stairs? By the time we reached the top of that first hill, I was thinking “Great, it’s flat, I can run now”. I tried running but could not. Along with being terribly winded, my thighs and calves were killing me from the huge hike up.

The first “real” obstacle other than the hill itself was Shocks on the Rocks. This is crawling under electroshock wires on about 6 inches of water. I realized I was not crawling low enough as my butt was shocked right away. So I got really low and crawled as quickly as I could. Somewhere towards the end, I got zapped and actually lost conciousness for what must have been 1 second. It was extremely bizarre though because my body kept moving forward so in that 1 second, I moved about 10 feet from where I was. It was like traveling in time in the movies. I closed my eyes and was one place and opened them and I was somewhere else.

I also decided to take off my shirt at each water obstacle so that I could put a dry shirt on afterwards in an attempt to keep warm. The tradeoff is really scratched arms and chest, but I will take that tradeoff as I mentioned I am not a fan of being cold. I highly recommend this method during cold day runs. You can always find a volunteer or random participant who is willing to hold your stuff while you do an obstacle if you ask nicely. Worse case scenario, you can just put your stuff on the ground, do the obstacle, then run a few feet back for it.

The remainder of the race was made up of, somewhat challenging, and fun, standard, Tough Mudder obstacles with a few special snow based obstacles as well. The team at Tough Mudder had built a few hills made of snow to climb over. Those were fun, except where they had a dude blasting you with a water hose. (If I ever get to run on a warm day, these will probably seem pleasant I am sure).

Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed this course. I spoke with the lead Tough Mudder course designer and he told me that it was “the hardest one yet”. It was 12 full miles and we climbed almost 3000 feet of elevation twice. I am proud to say that I did in a little less than 3 hours and 45 minutes.

It was also interesting to run the event solo. I had run my first one with good friends in a team of ten. Even though that team of 10 broke down to a team of myself and two others by the last 5 miles, we were there to talk, laugh, and encourage each other all along the way. This time around, I did it alone which means finding people to help me up 10 foot walls and Everest. That is not difficult with the atmosphere that is created. However, the mental aspect is completely different running it alone. I found that I had to dig much deeper when I was winded or wanted to walk, as the constant camaraderie and unspoken teamwork that comes into play when you run it with friends was not available.

I had lots of fun both times and felt personally challenged both times. There are just different sets of lessons doing it along or with a team. I would reccommend that if it is someone’s first event, be safe, and do it with a team.

This original blog post can be seen here at Matt B. Davis Runs Blog Page.

The post Race recap: 6.10.12 Colorado Tough Mudder appeared on Mud and Adventure.

These 13 are some of my favorites for obstacle race training.

They’re in no particular order and the utility for each one varies: some will help you build strength, some will improve your running time, some will boost your endurance, and some may address a little bit of everything.

1. The Barn Workout

The Barn Workout is a great WOD to build strength and endurance. This workout is better suited for intermediate-advanced exercisers.

Inspired by the Spartan blog WOD newsletter, I condensed the warm-up originally appearing on the blog in case you, like many of us, are short on time.

Warm-Up

Easy jog for ½- 1 mile (or as much distance as you can cover in 5 minutes)

Stretch for 5 minutes, focusing on major muscle groups:
Hamstrings
Glutes
Quads
Back
Chest

Circuit

1. 30 Burpees
2. 30 Burpee/Pullups
3. 30 Pullups
4. 30 Box jumps
5. 30 Medicine Ball Squat Throws
6. 100 Jumping Jacks
7. 300 crunches
8. 30 body weight squats
9. 30 side kicks (each side)
10. 30 jumping lunges
11. 30 curls
12. 30 Tricep overhead presses
13. 30 frog jumps
14. 30 squat jumps
15. 3 x rope climbs

Cool-Down

Stretch major muscle groups, holding each stretch for 20-30 seconds.
Hamstrings
Glutes
Quads
Back
Chest

2. 300 Burpee Challenge

The 300-burpee WOD is best for all fitness levels. If you’re a beginner, you can break down the challenge into smaller tasks like 6-10 burpees at a time followed by a 1-2 minute rest break. If you’re of intermediate or advanced fitness level, you could probably crank out twice as many (maybe more) before taking a short break and getting right back into it.

The other good thing about this workout is that you can split up the challenge throughout the day. It’s a good one to include in your arsenal for days when you may not be able to allocate a complete hour to work out. You can work in bouts of burpees throughout the day.

Be sure to warm-up for your first segment of the day with bodyweight exercises like squats, push-ups, lunges, and stretches.

3. Deck of Cards

The Deck of Cards WOD is a good total body circuit that will add variety and intensity to your training. You may also find it kind of fun, too.

Read more on Melissa’s site MyExerciseCoach.net

The post Top 13 WODs for Obstacle Race Training appeared on Mud and Adventure.

Name: T. J. Kerner
Age: 33
Hometown: Las Vegas, NV
Occupation: Poker Dealer

Mud runs and obstacle races conquered to date: Mad Mud Run ’11, Tough Mudder SoCal ’11, Tough Mudder SoCal #1* ’12, Scorpion Warrior ’12, Still ahead in ’12:Tough Mudder Tahoe, Las Vegas, and World’s Toughest Mudder

*Qualified for World’s Toughest Mudder ’12

Favorite event so far: Tough Mudder SoCal ’11. It was the event that made me fall in love with mud runs.

Bio: Never a runner, or even an athlete for that matter. Two years ago, my wife said she wanted to go out for a run so I joined her. It started at 0.6miles and then we signed up for a 5k. Then we just keep going. We skipped half marathons and did our first marathon in Valley of Fire. And this year we have already done 2 full marathons and 2 halves. I’m looking to do ultras now that I am training for the World’s Toughest Mudder in November. Eating right and exercise is a huge part of my happiness.

Website: https://www.facebook.com/MyJourneyToTheWorldsToughestMudder

The post Runner Profile: T.J. Kerner appeared on Mud and Adventure.

Taking on an obstacle race will present you with a number of unique challenges.  While there is almost no way to predict exactly what these challenges will be, I am certain they will have at least one thing in common. Leg or lower body strength will be essential to successfully dominating these barriers.

Try completing the 5 mile course, uphill, over, around and through obstacles with weak legs dragging you down.  Not how you envisioned the race going?  Avoid the embarrassing experience of having to be carried off the course by properly training your legs to carry you to the finish line.

Here’s how.

Obstacle athletes and mud runners should complete hybrid workouts that combine strength and cardio into one workout that will build leg strength and athleticism.

Start with functional and dynamic movements like kettlebell swings and explosive movements like jump squats, burpees and box jumps.

Next, pair these strength based movement with running intervals, hill sprints or bleacher climbs.

Then, add in exercises that will improve the skills you will need to call upon during the race.  Look to include sled pushes/pulls, tire flips, farmer’s carry, rope climbs and bear crawls in your workouts.

Finally, train outdoors in a setting similar to the race.  Try running on trails, through the mud and creek.

When you are ready, give this workout a try.

3-5 Rounds

Weighted Sled Push @ 50 yards

Run 400m

20x Kettlebell Swing

Weighted Sled Pull @ 50 yards

Run 400m

20x KB Thruster

Weighted Sled Bear Crawl @ 50 yards

Run 400m

20x KB Swings

Weighted Sled Backwards Drag

Run 400m

20x KB Thruster

The post Obstacle Race Training: Strong Legs, Strong Finish appeared on Mud and Adventure.

Many people have asked so many questions about the race and I wanted to expand on it.  Here is my version.

All I can say is,  Wow!! That was race amazing and not finishing even more amazing!!  It is probably one of the worst and best things that has happened to me. I have been racing skis, bikes, feet, anything I can find and I have never learned so  much than I did in these 30 hours of chopping wood, carrying heavy logs, being in 40 degree water and trying to outguess the organizers.

I could make this report all about the race, the events, the obstacles, the stuff carried, the hills climbed, but that is not what this race is about.  It is about learning what you can and can’t do( or what you perceive you can’t do).  How to be resourceful and to conquer the weaker part of your brain.( which I have never really done,  to the extent that this race brings you to.)

Quitting, this is something I have never really thought about until I  participated in the Death Race.  After a day and a half of rain, cold, sunshine, mud, thunderstorms, I dropped out.  When I quit, it seemed easy.  The pain would stop, I would be clean, in a nice shower and have a couple of beers.  What I didn’t know was that the race consumes you and it is more torturous after the race, than the race itself.  The next morning as I was having a cup of coffee and the next two weeks after the race, I started to ask myself a series of questions to figure out why I dropped out, or why I didn’t keep going:

Why did you quit? What do you need to do in order to keep going?  In order to take the next step what did I need to do? If I quit, how am I going to feel? Did I fail, or did I go further than I have ever been? Was I prepared for this point of the race? How would I do it differently next time?  Am I going to do it next time? Why am I doing this? Do I really want to do this? What is on the line?

Yes I was physically and mentally exhausted. I have never done an overnight race before, let alone not sleeping for 42 hours. I had chaffing like you couldn’t imagine, and I could no longer pull my axe out of the wood I was chopping, but the questions and voices in your head will beat you up about quitting, like nothing I have experienced.   It screws with your entire being.

The funny thing is that all of these questions started to go into my head after the race, they weren’t questions  that I had ever pondered before I went in.

When I go into a race like this or any other race, I expect to be on the podium,  at least the top 10. I have been in races when in have flipped my kayak in 35 degree water, dislocated my shoulder and still finished in the top 6.  It didn’t really cross my mind that I won’t be finishing and maybe I took that for granted.

Additionally In every event, race, business scenario, family life, I can be extremely resourceful and figure it out, but this time I had never experienced mental or physical fatigue like this. Physically maybe I could have made it a bit further, but emotionally I didn’t have 12 more hours in me to compete for the win or the podium.  Maybe I could have taken a nap and stayed on the course until they decided to call it, but I wanted to race and the race was out of me.

My focus in life is to do everything extremely well and extremely fast. I don’t like to not be efficient, in the lead or stalled.  And that is what this event was about.  Yes I was I still in second place when I decided to call it quits, but I still  quit.  I believe that this race is a true metaphor for life and to see if can you handle what is thrown in your direction.  As said on the Website “The adventure starts when everything goes wrong, which God will be on your side?” how will you handle that?  That is a big question!!

Yes it would be nice to win, but that is not the focus of this race or life.  In life sometimes you need to be steady and pace yourself, you will eventuyallly get there.  Also sometimes it is not all about winning, but being proud of what you did or maybe it is just toeing the line, and going into the unknown.

I don’t know what it is/was. But it was a Fucking blast and I will definitely be back next year with all my questions answered from above.  I am also going to answer all these questions in all aspects of my life when in move into a new challenge, race or task.  It is all about be prepared and not taking anything for granted!!

The physical preparation is easy, the mental and emotional preparation is what separates you. I would like to congratulate all of the finishers and you should all be extremely proud.

If you have never pushed yourself to the point of the unknown, I suggest you do!  You will find out some amazing things.

Cheers.

Ken

The post The Death Race – What I Learned appeared on Mud and Adventure.

Why?

People are always asking me why?

Why do you do these sports?  Why do you push yourself?  Why do you do these events?

And the question that always comes up, are you crazy?

Let me answer the last question first. I don’t know if I am crazy, but I love to see what I can and can’t do. I thrive on trying things that others would never consider and I love completing things when I had no idea if I would fail or triumph.

My name is Ken Lubin I am an Executive Athlete, Executive Recruiter, father and husband who loves to push the limits of physical and mental endurance.  I love to see what the body and mind can achieve and intentionally put myself in difficult circumstances.

That is why I am going to conquer “The Death Race” this year and “I will finish”.   Only 10-20% of the 200 competitors will finish in a  given year.

The death race is “a challenging race that may kill you”  with a website called  www.youmaydie.com  I knew I had to try it.  Having competed in Division 1 Ski Racing at Colby-Sawyer College, bicycle racing at a National and international level, and completing many multi hour endurance races; Tuckerman Inferno and Sea to Summit Races, and deciding to do the Boston Marathon the morning of,  I knew I had to give this a try.

“ The Death Race” is a race that you have to qualify for, need to train extremely hard for, and you don’t really know what events or obstacles that you are going to face.

“In the weeks before the competition last year, participants received a mysterious list of items that they would need to bring, including a post hole digger, 10 pounds of onions, a Greek dictionary, an axe and $50 in pennies.”

People always ask me how I am going to train for this.

On a daily basis I am running, cycling, lifting, skiing and always adding an unconventional twist.  For example, some of my training has included;  running  9.5 miles to work in 3 degrees wearing a 20lb weight vest while doing 20 push ups every 15 minutes.  I Hike to Tuckerman  Ravine at 5:00am with my skis on my back before skiing for the day with my friends and family and additionally I will do Olympic style lifting  in my basement while getting on the tread mill at a 12.5% grade at 3.6 mph with 25lbs in each hand.

Why?  Because I love this!!  There is no better feeling in the world

As a prerequisite for this year’s Death Race, each of the participants must spread the word about “The Death Race, training, and finishing by being published. If a participant is unsuccessful there are penalties that will occur.

#1 – Drop out of the race.   You will not start the race.  (this is not an option)

#2 – Show up clean shaven from head to toe.  All body hair must be removed by 6:00 p.m. June 24th.  This includes eye brows, pubic area, and head.  ALL hair must be removed and if that is done you will not have a penalty.  You will start the race with everyone else.   (This option is better, I am used to shaving my legs from cycling, however my wife and kids prefer I keep my eyebrow)

#3 – You accept your penalty and you move a hay bale from Amee Farm (800 feet elevation) to the top of the mountain (2,300 fee elevation) via “The Ravine”  Hay bale must be on top of the mountain by 5 p.m. on the 24th to allow you to get to the mandatory meeting by 6 p.m. on the 24th.   (Rumor has it that this could take 6 hours to complete before the real race even starts)

Professionally I work with ZRG Partners, In Westborough, MA and am a Managing Director in the Financial Services business. This role like life and The Death Race” has extreme swings and for some reason, I continue to take the challenge

“Fun” for me is completely different than for most people, pushing the limits to see what is possible and going full speed is what I live for.

Cheer me on.

The post The Death Race – Why? appeared on Mud and Adventure.

(1) You need a race that millions of people are going to want to watch on television. People want to see intensity and obstacles. Races that are 3+- miles fit this bill perfectly. Just long enough that there is running and endurance involved, but obstacle intense enough to keep viewers interested. As difficult and enjoyable as longer events may be for some athletes, the slower pace, lower intensities and long jaunts between obstacles will not keep viewers interest.

(2) If you want true success, you need to get all of the main obstacle racing organizations involved. You do this with team racing. Each team consists of an obstacle race organization. You can’t be a professional sport with one team. Also, basketball teams don’t compete against football teams, they compete against other basketball teams. Obstacle racers shouldn’t compete against a Crossfit team. Crossfitters don’t make good obstacle racers, obstacle racers make good obstacle racers.

Getting other organizations involved will be much easier than people think. I keep hearing that TM and Warrior Dash don’t want anything to do with racing. That doesn’t matter. You create a race, offer $50,000 for the 1st place team, $40,000 for 2nd, $30,000 for 3rd, $20,000 for 4th, $10,000 for 5th, and I guarantee teams are going to show up. The athletes will demand it, and organizations will have to appease their athletes.

Getting $150,000 prize money will be easy once sponsors realize just how big this event will be. TM alone is popular. Spartan Race is popular. Warrior Dash is popular. But get these 3 organizations and others together into one event, and it will be much larger than any marathon or triathlon on the planet. And viewers will actually enjoy watching it. As hard as they try and as much money as they pump into televising triathlons and marathons, they just aren’t enjoyable to watch. This race would get 10X the viewers easily.

(3) It also has to be team racing because that would enable there to be a few dozen professional athletes instead of just 3 or 4. Instead of the “race” being over once the first few people cross the finish line, now all of the sudden 20th and 21st place really matter also. If you’ve ever watched XC racing, you’ll understand what I mean.

–Someone, somewhere is going to see the genius of this setup, realize just how successful it will be, and make it happen. So you doubters go ahead and doubt, those of you who don’t want anything to do with “racing” go ahead and resist, but any organization that wants to be successful will get involved in the end. It’s where the sport is heading and nobody can stop it.

–He who makes the race, makes the rules. That’s the glory of a new sport. Ready…Set….Go!!

published by Mud and Adventure with permission from H. Call

The post The Best Way For Obstacle Racing To Become A Professional Sport: By Hobie Call (conqueranycourse.com) appeared on Mud and Adventure.

By Joel Getty

Starting Line of Warrior Dash May 2012

This was my first ever mud/obstacle run, so I’m basing a lot of my review on the race experience as compared to years of triathlon and 5k type races and overall organization. If you skip ahead and just look at the numbers you might think I’m being a little harsh, but first and foremost, I had lots of fun! I raced with a friend and that made the whole experience exciting, challenging, and cool. My total impression of this Warrior Dash was fun, way cooler than a road 5k, and as physically challenging as a triathlon. I will definitely keep trying Mud/Obstacle challenges, but now that I’ve done a Warrior Dash, I think I will probably stick to more local venues and try out the different races including the smaller brands, not just Spartan and Tough Mudder.

The Warrior Dash seemed well done overall, with great swag, and at 5k, with easy obstacles; pretty much anyone could conquer this course with enough time. Going into this I had ear and chest infections, but I felt well enough to run anyway. I was not about to waste that $65 entry fee! Volunteers seemed a little sparse, but helpful, which was needed because there seemed to be few signs telling you where to go. The vibe was pretty low key and the crowds seemed to keep to themselves. At over 16,000 participants in two days, it was definitely a little crowded at times. A major bummer was the lack of a live band, but at least the music wafting over the sound system made me want to groove.

The opening start was anti-climactic and the narrow trail covering the first mile made the race feel cramped at first. Luckily, once the obstacles started, the course opened up into the motocross park and people spread out. The obstacles were pretty easy, just mostly climbing up and down a combination of wood and cargo nets. As a sick person, it was incredibly tiring and I found the biggest challenges to be the hills, which had me walking between most obstacles. I loved the super waterslide and the mud pit at the end was exhausting. In the end, everyone had a muddy smile for the cameras.

The fun stopped there for me as the inability to get properly clean and poorly marked tents made it hard for me to get my free beer. There really was no reason to stay and party, because of the expensive food and beverages, plus the complete lack of live bands. We left shortly after meeting up with my friend’s wife and went out to eat instead. In the end, I was challenged and had lots of fun with my friend, but was it the “Craziest freakin’ day of my life”? Sorry, but no.

Warrior Dash Muddy Finish

Below is my scoring for the Warrior Dash. Continue on past the final score for the breakdown of my scoring opinions…..

All Ratings are out of 10. 10 being the most Mudtastic and Obstaclerific (Take that, Spellchecker!)

Pros: Fun, First-timer friendly race, Super Waterslide, Cool Swag
Cons: Unable to Clean-up, Over Priced Food and Beverages, Lack of Live Bands, Poorly Marked Tents

Scoring Breakdown

Venue and Course: 7
Budd’s Creek Motocross Park was very cool. Offering some deep-woods, muddy trail running with plenty of parking, and challenging terrain, but ultimately the trail portion of the race was crowded, narrow and lacking obstacles for the first mile. Coming to the halfway point so quickly as a result, was a little bit of a let-down, but otherwise the course out on the motocross park itself, was very hilly, fun, challenging and well-marked.

Traffic and Parking: 6
Getting into the park was easy and parking was plentiful at 2pm when we arrived. I carpooled with a friend to save on the $10 fee, which was a downside because I’m never, ever paid for parking before. Another downside was getting out of the park after the race on a tiny dirt track with bumper to bumper traffic.

Registration and Tent City: 6
While the registration process was fairly quick and easy, I found the entire tent city to be poorly marked with irregular crowd flow and had to ask several volunteers where the starting line was. Also it took us several tries and multiple questions to get our free beers after the race. A couple of large signs could have easily fixed this and aided crowd flow.

Vibe/Starting Line/Entertainment: 5
Near the starting line there was some cool Dance music and an MC was trying to get us pumped up, but the crowd wasn’t really feeling it. The biggest letdown was when the gun went off, everyone simply walked under the banner and carefully navigated a stream on the other side. If I had seeded myself toward the front I could have started running right away, but having a wider trail would have also fixed this. They’re lucky to get a 5 here only because the music on the PA system was bumpin’, but the complete lack of live bands was a major lapse here, and I thought Warrior Dash was all about the live entertainment. I was there on site from 2pm to about 4:30 and would have figured that with the last waves going out at 6pm, it would be prime time for some bands to tear the roof off the place. Nope.

The Obstacles: 6

Muddy Finish to Warrior Dash DC May 2012

Considering that I really have no basis for comparison, I still found most of the obstacles to be a little too easy and unimaginative. Most consisted of wooden structures with various combinations of 2×4’s and cargo nets, to climb up one side and down the other. My favorite obstacle by far was the super waterslide which had a little bit of a backup, but provided a cooling adrenaline rush that brought me back to my childhood. The weakest obstacle was definitely the balance beam that didn’t even require putting my hands out for balance, just ran up an over. To their credit, the Warrior Dash had plenty of tough hills. At the end of the race I did a sweet mid-air 360 over the flaming logs, much to the delight of the crowd and the photographers, but just when I thought I had hit the finish line, I was crushed by the mud pit. The most difficult obstacle of all was definitely the 30 yard mud-pit just before the tape. With barbwire over my head, slogging through oatmeal-thick goop, the mud sucked out every last bit of my strength. I crossed the timing mats sucking wind and grabbed my knees completely covered in the soppy mess of awesomeness.

Clean – up: 4
Maybe I’m missing the point of mud running, but I like to get cleaned off afterward, and there was no way of accomplishing cleanliness after the Warrior Dash. I felt bad mostly because of my friend’s brand new car, but also because I had a four hour drive home. The clean-up area was hundreds of yards away from the finish line and the mud in my eyes began to really hurt. Before you call me a cry-baby, keep in mind that I’m an eye-doctor and keeping my eyes healthy is a little more than an obsession for me. The “showers” consisted of three chauvinistic males on top of giant water trucks, who were more interested in spraying down women’s boobs, than actually getting anyone clean. After standing in front of two different guys and having them spray everyone else around me I gave up, and on my way out of the cleaning area some d-bag purposely kicked mud up at me, so I was basically back to square one. Having a line of showers where people get in, get clean and move out, would be much more efficient and less discriminatory.

Food and Beverages: 4
The free Miller Lite was to be expected, but I’ve had a lot better free beer after triathlons. Also, I’m used to getting some pretty good post-race recovery food including bagels, various fruits, hoagies, and sports drink. Besides the free beer Warrior Dash provided only water on course and at the finish line, plus a table full of muddy bananas. No Thanks. I can’t review the rest of the paid food and beer because it was based on Disney/Movie Theater Pricing and I didn’t feel like paying $6 for a hotdog.

Swag: 9
The post-race medal and Viking hat were pretty cool and the t-shirt was comfortable and stylin’. I would have given a 10 here if the shirt had been 100% poly (moisture wicking) or made in the USA OR a little thicker (you can see right through it, so it seems cheap and thin).

Participants: 7
Other racers mostly kept to themselves and their groups, so there was little socializing outside of that, but maybe no one wanted to talk to me because I was wearing a speedo. Also, I was a little ticked by the guy that kicked mud at me and a drunken dude who cut the line in the clean-up area by shoving girls out of his way. Most other racers at 5ks and triathlons I’ve been to have been very talkative and friendly, at least until it was go-time. I get the sense that other “Tough” challenges cultivate a sense of camaraderie within “Mudders” that I did not sense at Warrior Dash, but again, I have no other mud/obstacle experience so I could be wrong.

Over-all Race Organization: 8
While I didn’t see a lot of volunteers, there must have been a lot of work going into setting up this Warrior Dash, because it seemed to run itself. The race was contained well in properly fenced-in areas and participants moved freely throughout the venue without any major lapses in security or crowd control.

Total Score: 62

Ready for Warrior Dash Obstacle Mud Run

The post Race Review: Warrior Dash DC/MD/VA May 2012 – by Joel Getty appeared on Mud and Adventure.

A few weeks ago, in my own backyard here in New York City, I had the privilege of sitting in on a presentation given by Tough Mudder founders Will Dean and Guy Livingstone.  It was a great presentation that gave an insider’s view to Tough Mudder’s humble beginnings with a minimal investment and what they did with that. TM’s phenomenal growth and success has since played a huge role in taking the sport of mud running and obstacle racing  mainstream, basically creating, and in essence, becoming the face of the sport – in just a whopping two years.

I came away with a lot of great ideas for this site and wish my friend, a Superhero event organizer could have been there to as well. I’m thinking many of you would have enjoyed the experience as well. Thanks to Mike Howe of Escape the City for putting on the event and making the video available to all!

Original event literature:

Event Details

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If you want to be ready for the Tough Mudder, Spartan Beast, or other obstacle race, integrate as many of these activities to reach peak form.

1. Running

A running program should be your first stop for building endurance for an obstacle race, especially if you have your sights set on the Spartan Beast, Tough Mudder, or other longer run.

If you’re new to running, you can start with the Couch to 5k or other beginner’s programs on coolrunning.com.

If you’re more of a seasoned runner and you’re looking to stay on track with your program, consider joining a local running group or club.

2. Races

What’s your goal in 2012 and when is your obstacle race?

If you’re starting with a local 5k dash or sprint, you can use a traditional 5k race as a test for endurance. You can also participate in the Metro Dash to work through challenges similar to what you’ll face.

Planning for a long run, try a shorter race like the Warrior Dash or Ruckus beforehand as a milestone in your training.

Lastly, if you’re an OCR die-hard, train to take on all three Spartan day races: Sprint, Super, and Beast.

3. CrossFit

CrossFit is a strength & overall conditioning program that incorporates bodyweight training, kettlebells, powerlifting, plyos, and other modalities to get you in great shape.

It’s been called “the brother of obstacle racing” since many military and elite forces utilize this training system, the same masterminds that developed race courses.

Read more on Melissa’s site MyExerciseCoach.net.

The post Top 12 in Obstacle Race Training appeared on Mud and Adventure.

Last year saw a couple fatalities and serious injuries over the summer months for obstacle course races. More recently, one mud run participant’s body was found near the course.

Although fatalities and serious injuries are extreme and rare scenarios, we know the hazards of the challenges posed by obstacle races.

But we’re still going to help our fellow mud runners scale steep walls, crawl through muddy tunnels, and race our way to the finish line of our favorite obstacle races.

The best we can do is prepare for the hazards and reduce the chances of injury. This starts your training program and extends to your mudder.

Here are some tips for preventing injuries. Even though they’ll come in handy for your Tough Mudder training and other obstacle race workout programs, they’re good to keep in mind for all your athletic pursuits.

Injury Prevention: In-Gym Training

The warm-up: it’s more than arm swings and a few jumping jacks.

To warm-up properly, be sure to include two segments: 1) a general warm-up like a jog or simple body-weight exercisers for 5-8 minutes and 2) a specific warm-up with some flexibility and easier versions the exercises you plan to complete during your workout.

Why both?

Read more on Melissa’s site MyExerciseCoach.net.

The post Injury Prevention – Obstacle Race Training appeared on Mud and Adventure.

Fueling properly for your mud run or road race is critical in order to be in peak form! The right nutrition will also ensure that you have the energy for your tougher workouts down the stretch.

So how do you have a healthy diet or eating plan for your next Tough Mudder or half-marathon?

Here are 11 rules of thumb to keep in mind.

Pre-workout

1. Keep it light, but make it sustaining.

Your pre-workout meal should be low in fat with a some carbs and protein.

Think a shake with bananas, whey protein powder, and water. Or if you’d rather have breakfast before your morning workout: a hard-boiled egg and ½ cup of oatmeal.

2. Don’t skimp on carbs, but don’t overdo it.

A pre-workout meal is not the time to think about carb-cutting. You’ll need some carbs to fuel your workout.

3. Eat at least one hour before your workout.

After filling up your tank with healthy fuel for your workout, the last thing you want to do is let a stomach cramp inhibit your workout. Give yourself enough time to digest.

I personally prefer waiting an hour and a half to a couple hours before a workout. More than two means having to put up with an empty stomach during burpees.

Read more on Melissa’s site MyExerciseCoach.net.

The post 11 Rules to Fuel Your Run appeared on Mud and Adventure.

In light of  the recent and sad loss of obstacle racer Tony Weathers, Paul “Mud Run Maniac” Philips reflects on course safety

The MudRunManiac website has enabled me to share my passion for mud running with thousands of folks looking for an excuse to have fun and get filthy. In ways, I’ve positioned myself as a spokesperson for this niche that has rapidly navigated itself to the edge of mainstream. As an advocate of filthy fun, I believe I have a responsibility to share not only the awesome aspects of mud running, but also the parts that really need improvement.

If you haven’t heard the news, this past weekend we were saddened to learn that we lost one of our own. Tony Weathers died while he was participating in the Original Mud Run held in Fort Worth, Texas. His body was recovered in the Trinity River crossing early Sunday morning. Known to his friends as “Weatherman,” Weathers was an elite athlete who could run a mile in under 5 minutes and was a regular in a twice-a-week “boot camp” class. An exact cause of death has yet to be determined

Now in its 14th year, the Original Mud Run is held annually in Dallas/Fort Worth and Houston. The race features a competitive and non-competitive division. Participants of the competitive division are required to wear “boots and utes”: a military-style boot with “some combination of leather and mesh” and “camouflage utility trousers or long pants.”The format of the Original Mud Run is similar to that of Tough Mudder, as read more on Paul’s site Mud Run Maniac

The post It’s Time for a Change of Course – A reflection on course safety following recent death appeared on Mud and Adventure.

This is part II of my recap of the 2012 Georgia Spartan Sprint-Hurricane Heat. Last time around I was talking about how I did not want to embarras myself as the only one not able to climb a rope. If you missed it…Quick-Go back and read Hurricane Heat-Part One.

So there I was, cheering my new teammates on as they were making their way up the rope. There was a lot of yelling and screaming as all of the teams are quickly going up and down these things with relative ease. Some guys don’t even use their legs. They just pull themselves up on arms alone.

Ok-My turn. Immediately, I am relieved, as there are large knots on the ropes to step up and onto. I am able to pull myself up and stand on each knot with relative ease until I get to the last one. My arms are starting to give and I can’t quite ring the bell at the top of the rope. I swing wildly several times before finally nicking it with my knuckle. The nicking still makes a nice loud CLANG and I descend down.

I avoid being embarrassed and as I read the rest at Matt’s blog

The post 3/10/12 Georgia Spartan Hurricane Heat Recap appeared on Mud and Adventure.

Bio: With roots in high school swimming, I became a competitive age group triathlete in 2008 when a friend convinced me to sign up for the fat tire (mountain bike) division of a local sprint triathlon. I won the division series and have been racing competitively ever since in triathlons, swimming and running events. I am honored to have been able to compete at the national level in swimming and triathlon events as well as place in the top 1% in my first marathon (Marine Corps Marathon, DC, 2011).

I continue to seek out new challenges while maintaining that delicate balance between work, home and triathlon though let me be honest: I work to live! I love swimming with the sharks, riding my bike alongside alligators, and running on the beach at sunrise! I love competing whether it’s a swim race, a marathon, triathlon or any-thon. My motto: try and keep up!

Website: http://triswimrob.wordpress.com/

The post Runner Profile: Rob DeClercq appeared on Mud and Adventure.

Name:

Bio: I work at a college by day, train for mud runs at night, run a website in the wee hours of the morning and live primal in-between. Oh, and I love being a daddy to my daughter and love nothing more than my beautiful wife.

Website: www.mudrunmaniac.com (Your source for mud run training and tips!)
Twitter: @mudrunmaniac

The post Featured Runner Profile: Paul W Philips (aka: Mud Run Maniac) appeared on Mud and Adventure.

Name:

Website: TripleSprint.com

The post Runner Profile: Joel Getty appeared on Mud and Adventure.

Margaret Schlachter aka Dirt In Your Skirt

Name: Margaret Schlachter aka Dirt In Your Skirt
Age: 28
Hometown: Killington, Vermont
Occupation: Head of Admissions for a Boarding School
Mud runs and obstacle races conquered to date: Spartan Race (Sprint, Super, and BEAST), Tough Mudder, World’s Toughest Mudder, Warrior Dash, Tough Mountain Challenge, Rugged Maniac, Shawnee Peak Challenge (run by Ruckus), Run For Your Lives, Renegade Playground Challenge
Favorite event so far: Spartan Race – Vermont BEAST

Bio:

Margaret entered Obstacle Racing in its beginnings. She kicked off her obstacle racing career entering the first ever Spartan Race in May of 2010. From the first race she knew she was hooked. After a moderately successful season in 2010 she blasted onto the scene in 2011. She never finished out of the top ten for women in any race she entered. This former NCAA two sport varsity athlete found her stride in of all place the mountains and mud. She harnessed years of training for Alpine Ski Racing and Women’s Lacrosse and used her skills honed over years as an athlete to navigate even the most challenging of course.

Highlights of her 2011 season include a third place finish for females in the first every Spartan Beast held in Killington, Vermont where she not only dominated the women’s field but also showed many men just why she is a founding member of the Spartan Chicked Campaign. She followed up this performance with a second place finish in her age class and 6th overall for women just seven days later in the Warrior Dash in Windham, New York. Throughout the fall she branched out a bit and participated in class 063 of the GORUCK Challenge this class was held in NYC on 9/11 and commemorated the 10th anniversary of the towers coming down. She was one of the last women standing at World’s Toughest Mudder and battled through over twenty-one hours of freezing temps and massive obstacles. Her season was chapped off with a sixth place performance at Spartan Race World Championships in Glen Rose, Texas.

When not competing Margaret writes her own blog at www.dirtinyourskirt.com and is a member of Team Gaspari, a CW-X athlete, Mocean Mate Tribe, Garuka Bars. She also is a volunteer EMT for her town and volunteer women’s lacrosse coach for a local high school team. When not working or volunteering she can be found on the trails of Vermont running in the woods or throwing around a large rock or log. She is looking forward to what her 2012 season holds in store. As always she is motivated by “Just get(ting) outside and explor(ing)”.

 Website: www.dirtinyourskirt.com

The post Featured Runner Profile: Margaret Schlachter aka Dirt In Your Skirt appeared on Mud and Adventure.

The post Adventure Races Sweeping The Nation appeared on Mud and Adventure.

Name:

Bio: I’m a former U.S. Marine and am currently a web developer specializing in sites for endurance and race events that require online registration and results posting.  I did my first obstacle type race in 2008 (Down2Earth Off Road Challenge) and loved the change of scenery from a flat rather boring 5k road race. Since then I’ve enjoyed mud and obstacle runs so much I decided to build this site to celebrate the new sport. I’m hoping to do a Tough Mudder this year. I’m also a big cyclist.

Website: http://titaniumeffect.com

The post Runner Profile: Paul Buijs appeared on Mud and Adventure.

Hello Mud and Adventure team!

I am the Casting Producer for NBC & G4′s tv show “American Ninja Warrior” We are now searching the country in hopes of finding the most athletic competitors yet! American Ninja Warrior 4 is looking for male and female fitness buffs, hikers, firefighters/military/police officers, gymnasts, rock climbers, coaches, moms & dads, college students, parkour runners, extreme athletes and whoever thinks they can beat the course! Why would anyone do this? YOU COULD WIN $500,000.00!! Spread the word to your friends and family. This year is guaranteed to be the hottest show of the summer! I would love for your members to represent and dominate on the show! If you and your members want to compete on the show, the casting call link ishttp://www.g4tv.com/anwtryouts OR they can email me directly at mercedesanw4@gmail.com

Feel free to contact me at my office number below. All of us on the casting team appreciate your help on ANW’s Season 4! This year promises to be bigger and better than ever before!

I look forward to your feedback.

Thank you!
Mercedes Collazo
Casting Producer
American Ninja Warrior- Season 4
818-847-0444 x 152

The post G4 and NBC Now Casting-AMERICAN NINJA WARRIOR appeared on Mud and Adventure.