I have often wondered why people are getting into the OCR sport, or why those that used to love it and did as many races as possible, are now stepping away from the sport or retiring.
Obstacle Course Race (OCR) training and racing can be expensive, there is no question there.But what if…you had an unlimited budget to spend on OCR? What would your training look like if the cost was not a concern? Here is my take on what OCR training looks like with an unlimited budget.
Turns out I’m not the only one who is fed up with Spartan Race when it comes to who’s on first. Last few years, the elite men left the gate first. A short while later, the elite women took off. I watched each of the four championship series races this season and here’s the problem.
Let’s face it; our sport as it currently exists does not fit the Olympic mold. The courses, the obstacles, and the events have too much variation. There are distances from 1 mile to 24 hours and courses that have obstacles which are essentially glorified speed bumps to those with a 98% fail rate. The sport as it currently exists will never be in the Olympics, although a variation could be with standardized distances
Over the weekend, myself like many in the obstacle racing world turned their computers on for the first Spartan U.S. Championship Race. For the week leading up to the event, Spartan Race promoted the live coverage of the event on YouTube, Facebook, and Spartan.com. Many wondered what the coverage would look like and how it would be received my the often fickle obstacle racing audience.
2017’s OCR Championships line-up is scheduled to be the same. World’s Toughest Mudder will be in Las Vegas for its fourth year, Spartan Race in Tahoe for its third year and OCR World Championship in Blue Mountain Canada for its second year. While some were ecstatic at the news, others seemed disappointed hoping for a new venue. I even heard several “Well it has to move overseas otherwise it is not a real world championship” and "They need to change locations next year."
Spartan Race is a physical and mental challenge. It is also a test of one’s character. The rules of Spartan Race are tough, but clear. No outside assistance. No cutting distance. Attempt every obstacle. If you fail an obstacle, do 30 burpees. Fail the burpees? Resign from the race. These clearly stated rules make the completion of the race an intense challenge, and victory a true accomplishment. This is no “fun run,” this is a test of your overall fortitude, and you pay to endure it.
As has been written numerous times before, obstacle course racing for many has transcended a simple activity they do on the weekends. The industry has a way of sticking around, like that mud behind your ear still there a week after you raced. The sport permeates your life, and you find your entire lifestyle changing, bedtimes are earlier, training is scheduled into your calendar, weekends become an excuse for an extended excursion in the woods or crazy long session in the gym. Not sure if you are a real OCR Racing Fanatic, read on and see if you have these five symptoms?
I should probably start by saying I didn’t “accidentally” qualify for OCR World Championships (OCRWC), it was a goal of mine to reach by the end of the season. However, with this being only my 3rd year in OCR and my first race of the season being only my 4th ever, I felt as if worlds was this lofty goal I had set just to look good on paper. This past season, I became a member of Team Strength & Speed (S&S), within our small Facebook group I could quickly tell I was behind the group on speed and obstacle skills.
Getting a significant other or friend who’s new the Obstacle Course Racing (OCR) excited about a run is sometimes a hard process. Before you’ve done it, understanding just why you would pay someone to be subjected to the elements, mud, pain, bruises, cuts, exhaustion, and possible serious injury can be challenging, to say the least - as I am sure someone must have said, “You can lead a person to mud, but you can’t make ‘em race”.
