Spartan started with the obstacles right from the get go on this race. After the initial climb, you had a ridiculously long barbed wire crawl through mud and water. It felt like a quarter mile, but the water felt great with the heat. My arms and knees were torn up after this one. The next obstacle was the monkey bars. I gave them a shot, but I couldn't hold on, since the “bars” were more like pipes, and I have tiny hands. So on to the burpees for me.
Grit ‘N Wit was a combination of physical obstacles and mental challenges. The idea was great and the execution was pretty good for a brand new race. Unfortunately, turn-out was not high, but hopefully we will see this race back again next year as there are plans in the works for a spring race.
The Spartan Sprint was held at the Mohegan Sun Casino. There was plenty of parking, picturesque views and a challenging course. The obstacles were well spaced out of the course, with an exciting pile up of six obstacles right at the end. Due to the venue, the course itself was a combination of trail, grass and road. There was definitely more road than many were used to seeing at an obstacle course race, which usually tend towards trail.
Despite my limitations, I had a great time. The course was not as challenging as the Spartan Sprint, for example, but the obstacles were fun and interesting. There were several low crawls, two under barbed wire and one under a fence. The barbed wire crawl was a pit of muddy water, so the wire was high enough from the ground that you weren't forced to put your face into the water.
Tough Mudder is one of the major names in obstacle course racing, but it’s not a race, it’s a *challenge*. It is 10-12 miles, untimed and group focused. Obstacles are designed to be conquered together, by helping one another through. My best friend has been inviting me to do the Tough Mudder for several years now, and I have declined all opportunities to participate. This year I caved and signed up. The sheer distance had been the major factor in my decision, but also unnerving were two of the legendary obstacles: “Walk the Plank”, a 15 foot jump into water, and “Electroshock Therapy”, where you run through active electrical wires and risk a jolt of electricity that is enough to make your knees buckle beneath you.
I just got home from Unleashed Obstacle Fitness & Functional Training Center. I am sweaty, dirty and even bloody. My EVERYTHING hurts; in a good way. The plan was to drive two hours from central Connecticut to Unleashed in Rhode Island and spend a couple hours improving my obstacle skills. The reality is that I am now an Unleashed fanatic after spending nearly 8 hours there today.
BoldrDash holds an annual event on a beach, and this was it. It was fun, but challenging, though not too hard for a newcomer to obstacle course racing. In places, the obstacles allowed you to select a harder or easier challenge, such as the ten foot walls. You had your typical ten foot wall, then on the side was a wooden ladder climb for the majority of us.
I am just an average Joe. I can run 3 miles on a good day. I don’t lift weights, use the machines at the gym or otherwise train seriously. But I love a challenge and fell in love with OCR immediately. My philosophy is: I may not be the best runner, but I WILL do all the obstacles.
Muckfest was a fun course, but it rained ALL DAY.
