Good evening OCR fans! I'm writing from my desk, still recovering from the Spartan Racetrain in Haspin Acres that ran me over this past Saturday.
Ok, so it wasn't really a train...but it was the debut of Spartan Race's new Race Director/Course Designer, Todd Sedlak and let me tell you, Todd's inaugural race and course design at Haspin Acres did not disappoint! Hats off to Todd for creating a course that was fresh, fun, and challenging. I'm looking forward to more of Todd's designs and challenges.
On Tuesday prior to the race, I decided to join the Corn Fed Spartan team, since my own team was decimated by pullouts due to injuries and people moving away. If you're looking to get into OCR but not confident in your abilities or unsure if you can make it, this team will help build your courage and ensure you get through the race. This is a great group of people, that has a family feel to it and I'll be sure to blog more about Corn Fed later as well.
I plan on ordering my jersey in the near future and joining them for other runs.
But more on that in my race report to be filed in the next couple of days.
I should have my Part 2 of Gear for an OCR posted tonight. I'm putting the finishing touches on it now, so look for it to post to my feeds rather shortly.
That's it for now. I'll finish up my Part 2 and the Race Report and provide it shortly.
Too all my fellow racers that ran on Saturday, here's to a speedy recovery and whatever race is next (for many, it is the Spartan Military Sprint in Colorado on May 4-5.
Each time I run an OCR (Obstacle Course Race), I go through a mental checklist of items to bring, covering pre-race, in-race, and post-race necessities. By design, a good OCR or mud run is a slightly different beast than your average 5K or 10K road race for many different reasons (some more obvious than others).
(In Part I, I'll cover the clothing related items. Tomorrow, I'll cover all of the rest!)
The most obvious is the inclusion of mud. I believe a good OCR should have mud (although Hero Rush doesn't, I still consider that a decent OCR of a different flavor) and mud is messy. So here's must list of must have items for Race Day, including a quick review of these items.
Dry-Fit or moisture-wicking shirt (the less fabric the better)
Dry-Fit or moisture-wicking shorts (or capris, if desired)
Good running shoes, broken in (but not broken down)
Trail Shoes (preferably something like Salomon Speedcross 3's)
Socks (compression and/or moisture wicking).
Gloves or other hand protection
Knee Pads (optional)
Sunglasses and/or hat (weather dependent)
Sunscreen (help prevent skin cancer & sunburn
Clothing
I usually run in Nike Dry-Fit gear, most often, I choose sleeveless designs. Why? Most OCR have some sort of water obstacle to get through and the key to both staying warm and cool is the ability of water to evaporate quickly. In cold weather, running will generate heat and sleeves only hold water. In cold weather, this will only make you colder and increase the risk of hypothermia and make you miserable. In warmer weather, it doesn't provide enough cooling effect and it just adds to weight (especially if the shirt gets muddy) and for me, an annoying feeling of wet clothes.
The same holds true for your bottoms. I prefer a nice pair of running shorts with an integrated liner. They tend to dry quick and hold less mud. I've ran multiple races in sub 45 degree weather and each of them, I wore my Nike Pro Combat Dry-Fit shirt and running shorts. While I did have moments of being cold (after TM's Walk the Plank), running kept me warm enough and I can't tell you how many runners I saw go down due to water logged clothing and possible hypothermia. Not a good combination.
Shoes
Shoes is a tough topic for some to understand. Believe it or not, you can, get this, actually spray down a pair of muddy running shoes with this incredible invention, called a garden hose and get 90-95% of dirt out. Shoes can also go into a washer as well. Crazy? I know!
That's exactly what happens to the donated shoes, anyway. They are cleaned up and shipped off to be reused.
All jokes aside, please be sure to run in shoes that are comfortable, drain well, and allow your feet to breath. Since I run quite a few races, I'm a firm believer in a decent pair of trail shoes for better grip, rock protection, and easy lacing up. I'll save the brand of shoes and review for later. There is nothing better than passing a group of people slipping down a hill when you have full control with excellent traction from your trail shoes. Seriously, try it sometime.
Socks
I'm a new convert to graduated compression socks (after seeing them for a few years and never bothering to try them out). Some would suggest compression sleeves with a wool dry-fit style sock, which is just as good. One of the advantages of compression socks is that extra support for the race, reducing fatigue and also for protection while crawling. I consider those both positives to have on the run.
Gloves
I have no major preference when it comes to gloves. I've done courses with and without, so this is optional. If you choose gloves, I prefer something that drains and I also prefer ones that are cut off at the knuckle, like a weight lifting glove. This allows for me to at least feel objects, keep my hands warm, and protect my hands in case there are pins or sharp rocks on the ground (trust me, this happens all the time when crawling--safety pins fall off after a few miles).
Some prefer a tough mechanic style glove, which I also think is fine. I would absolutely stay away from any football wide receiver glove. Once you're covered in mud, those will have zero traction for gripping and can be a bit dangerous. And also remember, there will be some obstacles you'll want to take the gloves off and store them in your pockets.
Knee Pads
I've never used a pair during a race, but after last year's Spartan Sprint in Indiana and what seemed like a 1/4 mile barbwire crawl, I can see some value in picking up a pair. I've only seen women wearing volleyball knee pads, which can easily slide up to the knee for crawling and down to the ankle for running. I think you can find a decent pair for around $25 and yes, you can wash these and reuse them.
Sunglasses/Hat
While I have used both during a couple of different races, I'm not a huge fan of using them. Why? Sunglasses can easily fall off in water obstacles, falling to the depths of a pond (unless you have something attached that will let them float). Sunglasses get dirty/muddy and are a pain to clean, reducing overall value of wearing them. I'd say a hat is a better choice, but you still run the same risks (depending on the type of hat). I'd say the hat wins, as you can go with a skull cap to keep warm in the cold, or a ball cap to keep the sun out of your face.
Sunscreen
I'm a bit of a safety freak and I've had a few horrific sunburns when I was younger, so this is a must have. It's not worth damaging your skin or suffering for a week post race with a burn. There are many brands out there that will not run into your eyes or be a problem. I wear sunscreen at every race. It's just a must have!
Rock the World Race 3.1 Miles July 1st, 2012 Grand Ledge, MI
Event Information
This is a new 5K mud/adventure style run that debuted in the Lansing area. The event had approximately 12 obstacles, with a combination of mud, water, and climbing.
The theme combines your run with obstacles that draw inspiration from some of the great sights of the world, such as the Eiffel Tower, Victoria Falls, and the Great Wall. Other than the theme, the organization hasn't figured out a tag line. I wouldn't consider this a very challenging run if you're in decent shape, but 5K mud runs can be a great entry point.
Location & Parking
The event was held at Fitzgerald Park in Grand Ledge, Michigan. Fitzgerald Park is well known in the area for the "Ledges," a natural rock outcropping that's beautiful. Since this is a county park, the event did not allow any onsite parking to allow for non-racers to access the park. All parking was about a mile away at the Grand Ledge High School, with a bus shuttling participants back and forth. Getting to and from the race was a bit more difficult, since one of the main routes to the school was closed due to bridge work. I'm not a fan of parking off-site with shuttles, but at least the parking was free. I had the family drop me off at the park and I walked in, bypassing the parking and shuttle.
Rating: 3/5
Check-in & Bag Check
The location was close to the shuttle drop off and easily recognizable with a nice big sign for Registration. I arrived close to the end of the event, so I didn't have a huge line--in fact, it was just me checking in and one girl running it. I didn't see any separation of check-ins by alphabetical order and in my case, it didn't really matter. I got through everything here, including getting timing chip, wrist band, numbers, etc, within 5 minutes.
Bag check was about a 300 foot walk away from check-in and again, processing was quick because there wasn't anyone there. Overall, I was comfortable with leaving some valuables in my pack, no worries here.
Rating: 4.5/5
Schwag
I would consider the schwag fairly consistent with what you'd receive at many of the other races. This one consisted of a Rock the World dog tag medal, orange wrist band, and technical shirt. I did not receive a shirt at check-in, as they had ran completely out of all men's shirts by the time I made it to the event. They did offer two options: receive a yellow volunteer shirt or they would mail a shirt to your home address.
I went with option #2, knowing full well I may never receive a shirt, so the jury is still out on this one. Racers for the previous day and earlier heats on Sunday received a free beer and bananas and water. By the time I got onsite at 6 PM Sunday, the beer had left the building along with the bananas.
I would normally dock a few points for the lack of shirts, but I will let this one slide since I was a late entry. We were supposed to receive some sort of bag with other items, which I did not receive.
Rating: 3.0/5
Race Time!
The start line was positioned next to the baseball diamond and since we were at the end of the day, they combined the 6:15 heat with the 7:00 heat, leaving us with 12 runners. Everyone was chipped and we were given directions, including an explanation about an area of the course that was not marked so well. (The lack of markings proved to be a problem for some runners, as they missed part of the loop & had 4 hours added to their official time.) We also learned that two of the twelve obstacles were either broken or never completed. From what I heard from a few other racers with friends that ran the day before.
As we were lined up, there was some chatter in the group, but not much was said about the temperature, which was holding steady at 91°. We were held until we could hit a 5 minute increment and they did have a countdown for us. With little fanfare and exactly zero onlookers, we were off!
The first stretch took us across the park, running on a flat field until we hit another path, then slowly descending towards the Grand River. The pack stayed fairly close, with some spreading towards the end of the group. We made it down towards the bank of the river, then curved up to the left and hit our first hill climb, an elevation of about 50 ft, which brought us to the first obstacle, the Great Wall.
This was our first slowdown, as the wall was only wide enough for one person to scale at a time. The Great Wall was probably closer to 7 ft instead of 8ft as originally billed, with wooden boards to use for climbing/gripping. Once on the opposite side of the wall, there was a platform about 4-5 ft above a trough of water and mud, which was connected to a mirror image of the wall we scaled in reverse. Not really a tough obstacle and a bit of a downer, but this brings me to one of my points I'll cover later regarding venues. County parks are probably a bad venue, since I doubt they would let the organizers dig up any parts of the park--more later.
After climbing the reverse and jumping down, it was a curve to the right, then another run down a hill towards the river and The Eiffel Tower, which broke Saturday, then back up the same hill, with a break to the right at the top, to the next challenge, Victoria Falls.
I have to give the race organizers props for Victoria Falls, which was a 190 ft slip and slide down a huge hill, with hay bales keeping you inside. I can running up to it, was directed towards the left side, then proceeded to dive down the hill. This maybe was a big mistake, since I built up a ton of speed and slid into the wall at the bottom, but it was more of a careening blow instead of a flat out wreck. I got up, laughed, exclaimed this was probably the best damn obstacle I've ever done at any race thus far, and moved on to the trails again.
From here on, we left the comfort of roads and were strictly on the trails. Many of which were closer to single tracks and probably full of frustration in heavily packed heats. I moved on to Kilauea, which was a long, steep hill. What comes down must go up, right? This one wasn't too bad, but I could feel my tendinitis starting to kick in on this hill (time for new shoes and more PT). Overall, not a bad hill, but I'm sure this killed may of the racers that haven't trained hills at all. This is where I started to put some serious ground between myself and the people behind me, since I've added in some hill training as of late and I had learned my lessons at the Spartan Founder's Race in Indiana. Those that don't run or train hills, often die a tragic race death by the 3-4 hill.
Next up was a descent, yet again, towards the river bank and on to the Grand Canyon. From the description, we were supposed to grab a "torch", but I don't recall there being a single torch available or anyone at that particular point, but I recall being handed a carabiner, which we needed for the Mighty Mac. However, the Might Mac was broken, so it was more running!
The next part of the run was probably close to a mile, consisting of ups and downs. I felt decent through this stretch and not too winded. I did find myself taking two 30 second walk breaks due to my ankle acting up and fortunately, my calves weren't tight as I'd expect from the hills.
Next up? Swiss Alps. So, this was supposed to be a cargo net connecting some trees, creating some peaks and valleys you'd have to crawl over. However, they did not use cargo nets and instead, used climbing line and tried to weave it into a net of sorts. Yeah, that was an epic fail and the volunteer stationed here said it was best to crawl under it--so under the mountain I went.
After this, it was time for the Statue of Liberty, or at least that's what I think they called it. Basically, a balance beam that required us to hook our "Torch" to and walk across. I made it about 3/4 of the way before I lost my balance and did a walk of shame. This was the first time I've managed to fall off a beam at a race, very disappointed in myself, however, since there was no mud or water, it wasn't a major penalty.
Plowing onward, I'm feeling fairly good and I've certainly caught my wind again and I'm making decent time. I manage to run past the remains of what may be the Great Pyramids. I don't know that they were ever completed and much like their counterparts in Egypt, it was a grand plan, but I'm guessing the team ran out of time to complete them in time for the race.
As I'm really feeling like I'm hitting a solid stride, I get to the Oregon Trail, which consists of climbing line strung through a course with a carabiner you must attach. This obstacle was a bit underwhelming and annoying, since it involved going through a picnic table, then over and under some log stands, which weren't very sturdy. I was concerned I might tip or break a few of these, so I mostly went under them after the first one almost flipped right over. Yeah, this is where the course certainly shows some amateur design flaws and this part really felt like an add-on. In hindsight, I'd suggest they drop this one and come up with something better. After weaving around a bunch of trees and getting thoroughly annoyed, I drop my clip and end up doubling back on a part of the trail I was on earlier to get to #11, the Amazon Jungle.
This was shades of my first Warrior Dash last year, in that the obstacle consisted of more climbing line strung between trees and tires, which required weaving through. Overall, not very challenging, but it did slow the pace a touch. I think I cleared this one in maybe 30 seconds and I knew I was close to the end. It was out of the woods and a turn to the left, then on to the final challenge, Panama Canal--basically, 3-4 troughs of water you had to run through. Not really challenging, but refreshing coming towards the end in some warm weather.
The last leg brought us back into the main parking area, around a bend and finally, the finish line. I was fortunate enough to have a small group volunteers and crew to cheer me home. After I crossed the line, a small boy put my tags on and the race was complete!
I never even bothered to check my time until I got home. I can tell you, I had only hoped to get in somewhere sub 40:00, but I came in just above. I really need to invest in a GPS watch so I can do a better job of tracking my time. However, the heat and acute achilles tendinitis slowed me down a bit.
I don't have the elevation change information, although I will take the my iPhone over there soon and try to run the course. I would say for many, the hills were the 13th obstacle.
Rating: 3/5
Final Thoughts
I had the chance to talk with some of the people in my heat as well as some of the volunteers. All of them took advantage of the discounted entry fee for volunteering and for many, this was their first obstacle race.
With the exception of Victoria Falls, there weren't any crazy challenges that stood out or were especially tough and I couldn't help but feel a bit disappointed by some of the missing obstacles.
This race cost more than a Warrior Dash and obstacle quality just didn't feel like it was inline with the fees. However, this is the first race and I believe a learning experience for those involved. I believe a slightly lower price point would have brought in more racers and probably resulted in less scrutiny from racers that may feel they didn't get their money's worth. Red Frog and the other groups are more than a few years ahead and to make it in this game, a company has to either bring a new perspective to the genre or bring what the racers want, which is usually a ton of mud and some challenges.
Not to mention there was a bit of a snafu with the initially promised live bands playing and the free beer, both of which were initially cancelled, then brought back after a few companies stepped up and added some donations to the pot. With these two
There's another Rock the World Race scheduled for later in September in Detroit. I can only hope the company made some sort of a profit and they can deliver on the promise of a great race. It's going to be tough since some of us have ran other races and $67 to $80 for a 5K is pricey.
Overall, I'll cut the race a bit of slack for the first event. I've also posted a video I found from someone that ran the event.
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