2018 Expectations: OCR Do’s and Don’ts
Rejoice, OCR enthusiasts, the season is here! We’ve had a long winter, but the first mud has been cleaned off of our collective sneakers after Spartan Race’s SoCal Super and Sprint weekend!
The Captain Kaufmann Fit Challenge: Keep Pushing Yourself in 2018.
How’s that resolution holding up? Are you as dedicated as ever, or are your workouts becoming stale? You finished last month’s challenge, but have you neglected the teachings of the one before? It’s imperative to keep yourself motivated, and with that comes the issue of developing a plan that hits all of your key muscles, without sending your fitness routine into autopilot.
The OCR Beast Grip Strength Challenge: Do You Even Hang?
If you haven’t tended to sore hands, massaged burning forearms or checked Instagram in December, you probably haven’t heard of one of the most grueling training challenges proposed to OCR enthusiasts. The brainchild of OCR Beast founder and coach, “Spartan” Spencer Mahoney, the Dead Hang Challenge focuses on developing improved grip strength and of course, those epic “Popeye forearms.”
Facility Review: Urban Warrior, Portland, OR
Obstacle course racing and American Ninja Warrior, well, the fitness lifestyle in general, continues to explode throughout the world. Your typical athlete role model isn’t just the 300 professional football player or seven-foot basketballer. Your neighborhood gym no longer exclusively offers grimy treadmills and bulky weights. We are at the cutting edge of a complete fitness shake-up, and to be completely honest, I love it!
Gear Review: DolfinPack
“Do I need to use a hydration pack?” This is the question thrown around OCR message boards for every race, no matter the length or weather conditions. Before I dig into this gear review, my answer to that beloved question is, “sometimes.”
We Don’t Whine, Kids Whine.
If you’ve ever run a Tough Mudder, you know its credo is recited before each race. My favorite line from that inspirational speech goes a little something like, “I don’t whine. Kids whine.”
Race Recap: Spartan Race Big Bear Debut
Hopes were high for the first Spartan Beast held at Snow Summit in Big Bear, California, literally. The 4,000 feet of elevation gain in 12.2 miles did not disappoint. Well, it actually did disappoint a few competitors, who suffered the elevation, dust and tricky technical terrain.
Race Recap: Warrior Dash Oregon
After years of missing this event due to conflicts in personal, business or racing schedules, I was finally able to take on Warrior Dash Oregon, a muddy 5K that continues to attract thousands of participants each every year. It’s always a great day for OCR when you can eat breakfast before and shower after the race at home.
Don’t Sleep on Local Events!
We’re all fans of Tough Mudder, Spartan Race, Warrior Dash, and BattleFrog (RIP), but there’s a type of race that can never really compare to the massive marketing Goliaths taking over the obstacle course racing world. This type of race continues to entertain both competitive and everyday mud runners who crave the next challenge but are not ready to drop another 200 bucks to play in the mud.
Race Recap: Seattle Beast and Sprint Weekend
Forget the shoe-swallowing mud of Spartan Race Seattle’s past. This Seattle Beast and Sprint events were held once again on the beautiful terrain of Snohomish, Washington, under beautiful skies, a slight smell of smoke in the air and completely dry terrain. Perfect race conditions are a rarity in the Pacific Northwest, but the Meadow Wood Equestrian Center was pretty close!
