Be Early
Obstacle races can be absolutely packed. It will probably take a long time to find a parking place and register for the event. Oftentimes the events just aren't prepared for the crowds, and people end up spending hours in line. Plan to arrive at the very least an hour before your wave time and see what you can do about carpooling or getting a ride. If you do find yourself with some time to kill before your wave, then check out the course, warm-up well and you may even be able to go out before your scheduled time if you really want to.
Warm-Up
Did you know that when your body is sufficiently warmed-up you can greatly improve your performance? If you are trying to put forth your best effort in your upcoming mud run, then pay careful attention to your warm-up routine. Just what does it take to get sufficiently warmed-up? Most exercise scientists claim that twelve minutes is enough time to get blood to flow through the veins and get all of your capillaries opened up (two things that are essential to put forth your peak performance). So spend at least that much time before the race doing some moderate intensity exercises that will target major muscles groups.
Get A Good Position on the Starting Line
The starting lines in some races can have upwards of 600 people, and most of them will start out at a faster pace than they can maintain for the whole race. If you are running a race competitively, then work your way to the front and be ready for the quick pace that many will start at but few will continue. If you are hoping for a competitive time, it is helpful to beat the masses to the first obstacle or two, or you might lose some time waiting in line for the initial obstacles.
If you are not aiming for a competitive time, you might consider hanging back a little while, and then enjoy passing people as they slow down. If you are at all intimidated by the first obstacle, this is a good strategy because if you stick with the rest of the crowd, you will have to tackle the obstacle with a lot of people who are anxious to be on their way. If you take it easy at the beginning, you will be around less competitive participants when you tackle your first obstacles.
You Can Do It
Half of the battle when it comes to many obstacles is the mental blocks that you will encounter. Races don't disclose the specific obstacles on the course, so that you have that "uh oh, I didn't know I was going to have to do that!" feeling when you first spot an obstacle. Our survival instincts kick in and tell us not to get near the fire, get shocked or climb 50 feet up on a tower. All of these intrinsic, natural and healthy fears can trigger that panicked feeling in your gut as you approach an obstacle. But instead of letting yourself wallow in this fear, use the time as you are approaching the obstacle to watch how other people are completing it successfully (or unsuccessfully as the case may be).
Obstacle races can be absolutely packed. It will probably take a long time to find a parking place and register for the event. Oftentimes the events just aren't prepared for the crowds, and people end up spending hours in line. Plan to arrive at the very least an hour before your wave time and see what you can do about carpooling or getting a ride. If you do find yourself with some time to kill before your wave, then check out the course, warm-up well and you may even be able to go out before your scheduled time if you really want to.
Warm-Up
Did you know that when your body is sufficiently warmed-up you can greatly improve your performance? If you are trying to put forth your best effort in your upcoming mud run, then pay careful attention to your warm-up routine. Just what does it take to get sufficiently warmed-up? Most exercise scientists claim that twelve minutes is enough time to get blood to flow through the veins and get all of your capillaries opened up (two things that are essential to put forth your peak performance). So spend at least that much time before the race doing some moderate intensity exercises that will target major muscles groups.
Get A Good Position on the Starting Line
The starting lines in some races can have upwards of 600 people, and most of them will start out at a faster pace than they can maintain for the whole race. If you are running a race competitively, then work your way to the front and be ready for the quick pace that many will start at but few will continue. If you are hoping for a competitive time, it is helpful to beat the masses to the first obstacle or two, or you might lose some time waiting in line for the initial obstacles.
If you are not aiming for a competitive time, you might consider hanging back a little while, and then enjoy passing people as they slow down. If you are at all intimidated by the first obstacle, this is a good strategy because if you stick with the rest of the crowd, you will have to tackle the obstacle with a lot of people who are anxious to be on their way. If you take it easy at the beginning, you will be around less competitive participants when you tackle your first obstacles.
You Can Do It
Half of the battle when it comes to many obstacles is the mental blocks that you will encounter. Races don't disclose the specific obstacles on the course, so that you have that "uh oh, I didn't know I was going to have to do that!" feeling when you first spot an obstacle. Our survival instincts kick in and tell us not to get near the fire, get shocked or climb 50 feet up on a tower. All of these intrinsic, natural and healthy fears can trigger that panicked feeling in your gut as you approach an obstacle. But instead of letting yourself wallow in this fear, use the time as you are approaching the obstacle to watch how other people are completing it successfully (or unsuccessfully as the case may be).
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