Mid-Atlantic Fall Tough Mudder

This weekend's Mid-Atlantic Fall Tough Mudder was another great event!  The course was held at the Peacemaker National Training Center again, but the course was much different from the spring event.

The weather was due to be a bit warmer than the spring event, which was great.  It was a bit cloudy throughout the day, which was good...at one point along the route, many in our group noticed that there was a drop in the air temperature, which we found out later was a signal of the incoming rain from the west.  The course itself was great...a real challenge.  TMHQ took full advantage of the terrain to really get the participants to the point where everyone was challenged by what they might have thought was an easy obstacle.  The spring event had a lot more water to trudge through, where this time, we had actual mud.  Mucky mud.  Lots of it.

Many parts of this course followed parts of the path for the spring event, and some of the obstacles were different.  In other cases, such as some of the trail running, the followed the reverse of the spring route.  This time around, the course had a lot more hill climbs, which took a toll on your quads, and unfortunately for many who weren't as well prepared, there were a number of folks cramping up and even getting pulls.

Some of the "obstacles" were new...for example, there were a couple of "burn zones", where participants would stop and do exercises...pushups and lunges.  There was another burn zone later where participants would record the number of pushups that they did, and one penny for each pushup would go to the Wounded Warrior Project.  Another use of the terrain was a flat area where we did the wheelbarrow, which I thought was great, as was the warrior carry (carry your partner, then switch it up).

There were also some of the classic Tough Mudder obstacles...Mt. Everest, the Electric Eel, the Funky Monkey, the Boa Constrictor...as well as some "new" ones, like the Cage Crawl.  There was one named "Killa Gorilla" that ended up being nothing more than a path snaking up and down a hill, and then around again.  We saw a sign for the Cliffhanger, and thought we would be climbing up a muddy wall, maybe with a rope...and it was just a hill. There were a number of obstacles that had been shut down (the Pirate's Booty was one I was really looking forward to doing again...) or bypassed simply due to the course path.  I will say that without a doubt, the hills really tested your level of fitness and preparation.  However, some excellent opportunities were missed for including some of the obstacles that have been prominently displayed at other events.

TMHQ is getting much better about preparing folks for the upcoming event, but if I had to pick one thing that I didn't think went as well as it could have was the spectator's ability to follow and see the competitors.  The course map, which included the spectators routes, was available online a couple of days prior to the event, and when comparing it to the spring event, it was clear that the participants would be out of sight of the spectators (particularly those supporting them) for a considerable amount of time.  A couple of thoughts along those lines:

1.  The cost for spectators ($20 ahead of time, $40 the day of...) is kind of steep for what they actually have access to.  $15, cash or check, at the door would've been good enough, I think.  I do know that some of that goes to support the Wounded Warrior Project, but still...for what the spectators had access to, $20 was a little steep.

2.  Tough Mudder is missing a HUGE marketing opportunity!  We had some younger folks in our spectator's group who went from "I'll never do something like this..." to "THIS IS TOTALLY AWESOME!!"...engaging the spectators more is going to lead to a percentage of them signing up as participants.  We had four folks in our group participating, and six spectators.  One of the participants fully intends to run another event, and two of the spectators are talking about doing an event in the future.

Training
Finally, something of a side note, and I'm only sharing this because my nephew has expressed an interest in becoming a certified fitness trainer (and my sister has recently become one)...events such as the Tough Mudder, even the shorter events, offer a HUGE opportunity not only for the events, but for fitness trainers.  Develop a group class, and starting about six months out for one of the smaller events, begin getting folks in shape for the class.  Pick up others who may already be in better shape along the way...but the goal is to have everyone "graduate" by running the event as a group.  Picking a local event would be a great way to start, and could even be the initial stepping stone to a larger event like the Tough Mudder.

Pre-Tough Mudder

I don't usually post before an event, but something about this weekend's Mid-Atlantic Fall Tough Mudder event got me to thinking.  I'm going to be running this one with my wife, who not only hates to run, but has never done an event of this length.  She's done a fantastic job with other events (Savage Race, The Big Hooyah), but this one is going to be a little bit more than she's done before.  What she's got going for her to face these challenges is enthusiasm and fitness.  We're also running it with our nephew, an Army vet.  So this is going to be a great time...while my wife has attended a number of the events I've run (which, I think, is what got her excited enough to want to run one...), she hasn't seen all of the obstacles.  There's a big difference between seeing a video of people going over an obstacle, and having to move 6 or 8 miles through the woods, and then be standing at the base of an obstacle.

So, I thought that for new folks, or those who haven't run one of these events, I'd offer up what I've found to be some of the keys to completing these events and obstacles.  If you're someone who wants to run one of these events, and you're not sure about how to train, or to just prepare, my recommendation would be to focus on running and upper-body strength, particularly pulling, with some good core work.  What I like about getting ready for these events is that there's nothing boring at all about the training...you can mix it up anyway you like.  Go for a long slow run with a buddy. Do some speed work...run sprints or fartleks.  Find some distance on your route (like up a hill) and run it faster than you've been running, and when you get to the end, stop and do some squat-jumps and other exercises (box jumps, lunges, etc.).  For upper body work, there are any number of variations of pullups, pushups, dips, etc., that you can do.  During one work out, you can do as many sets as you can of a certain number of reps, or you can just keep going until you can only get three or four reps.  I have 40 lb weight vest that I like to use, alternating pullups and dips or pushups for a couple of sets, doing some ab/core work, and then going back to the upper body work again.  Variations are endless.

Now, I've been to events where I've heard some folks talk about how the obstacle that we're standing in front of isn't the same as the one they trained on.  Yes, apparently there are folks out there who look at the obstacles and create their own versions.  I kind of get that for the really competitive folks, but for folks who are new or just getting started with this sort of event, I think (based on my experience) that it would be much better to focus on general fitness, and not so much on specific obstacles.

One of the obstacles I've been seeing more and more is the traverse wall, like what you see in the image to the right.  I've seen variations of this sort of obstacle for a while now...the Spartan Race has it, and they had one at the Savage Race. As I sit in my home office, I think I've come across a great way to train for this sort of obstacle.  Across the street from me is an athletic field with a couple of baseball/softball diamonds, and a couple of soccer fields.  The soccer goals are perfect for training for this sort of event.  Just jump up, put your fingers over the top of the beam, and traverse down the length of the beam.  As you improve, go back without a break.

As one would expect, OCR events are becoming more popular, to the point where in recent weeks, I've seen several articles referring to OCR-training-specific facilities opening up in different locations.  That's awesome, but the fact is, you don't need that.

Strategy
Like I said, I'm running this event (in 4 days) with my wife and nephew, and that may include a college classmate (if we're able to find each other at the venue).  The weather looks like that day is going to be a high of 62 degrees (low of 40), and sunny.  So, we're going to get there and warm up...but what about the rest of it?

Clothing
I always go with the same thing...shoes I trained in, a dryfit shirt, compression shorts (to keep the mud out) and nylon running shorts.  I wear trail running shoes, because that's what I trained in, and I prefer the flat bottoms to what you get from Vibram five-toed shoes; many times at a venue, they'll bushhog part of the route, which means you'll find short stumps in addition to the muddy ground.  Double-knot the shoes...you'll need to be able to get them off quickly; it's a great idea after the Mud Mile (there were two of them at the spring event) for your team to take a seat and get the rocks out of their shoes.  Being able to quickly untie the shoes is important, as you don't want folks sitting around getting sore and stiff while you wait for someone to get their shoes off (that happened at the 2012 Spartan Race).

Hydration
I've always opted to partake in water at every stop, from when I ran my first marathon in 1988.  With these events, and based on what I learned at the Super Spartan (Nelly's Ford, VA, in Aug, 2013), it's likely that we're going to be on the course for about four hours.  At the second water stop, but no later than the third, we're going to start taking the gels and/or bananas.  At the Spartan event (and I was out on the course for a total of 4 hrs for that one), I started hearing people complain about how hungry they were, and we want to make sure that we have the energy reserves that we need, not only because of the Arctic Enema, but also because my wife hasn't gone this distance before (my nephew did 12-mile ruck marches for time when he was in the Army).  So, the hydration strategy is going to include aspirin before, during, and after the event, as well as intake of food on the course.

The Big Hooyah

This passed weekend was the running of The Big Hooyah, located in Goochland, VA.  TBH is put on by former Navy SEAL John McGuire and the folks at SEAL Team Physical Training.  TBH was a timed event, and you could sign up as an individual or as a three-person team.  My wife and I signed up, and asked to have a third person added...we were lucky enough to have someone who had lost her teammates (and decided to run the event anyway...) waiting at the registration desk.  Teamwork is a huge component of not only the Navy SEAL teams but also with John's organization, and this is something my wife and I look for when we run these events.  We enjoy completing the obstacles, as well as the camaraderie and team work, and sense of accomplishment that you get.  Another thing that we look for is support for charitable organizations, and TBH supports the Navy SEAL Foundation and One Team One Fight.  Also, some folks from Enduring Warrior were there, running in t-shirts with one carrying a cake.  (NOTE:  He finished with the cake intact!)

So, regardless of what happened or how we did, we knew we were at the event for the right reasons.  Also, our teammate let us know that she'd lost 40+ lbs since the beginning of the year, and like many folks I've met before, running this event (or another like it) was a goal for her.  Not only that, but she later told us that she'd only run at most 4 miles, on the road, before this event...so this was something of a PBR for her, and she did great.  My wife also did an amazing job on the course, as this was longer than she'd ever run, as well.  Not only that, she did better on many of the obstacles than she'd done before, AND she had a lot of fun!

Venue
Venue is always a concern with events such as these...how do I easily get into and out of the venue, and what kind of access do emergency vehicles need?  The weather really held up nicely through the week; even though there was some rain during the week, it wasn't so much that it made the venue unusable.  For the most part, the signage could have been a bit better...upon entering the area, we saw a sign telling instructors to go one way, and participants another.  Further on, we saw what we thought were signs for parking...it turns out (we learned later, about 15 min into the event) that they were actually signs for the course.  We followed other folks who were similarly lost, and eventually made it to the parking location.  The confusion might have had something to do with us being one of the early group and not having anyone to follow, per se.

Overall, the venue was nice and open, with plenty of room to move around, mingle, and lay in the sun after you'd completed the event.

Organization
The event was very well organized, starting and stopping at an open picnic area right next to the parking area.  This not only meant that everything was centrally organized, but ingress and egress were easy.  There were a couple of obstacles right there at the venue, so we all got to look at them, develop strategies, and hope that we remembered those strategies by the time we got to the obstacle!

There were plenty of restroom facilities, and at the end of the event, there was a firetruck to spray mud off of folks who felt that they needed that, and food and drinks available.

The course had plenty of water stops, as well as electrolyte replacement ("goo") packs available.  Some folks might think that that sort of thing isn't necessary for an event of this length, but if you haven't trained on rolling hills and varied terrain, you might consider partaking in what's offered.  I followed the same hydration strategy I used when running the Marine Corps Marathon in '88 and '89...mix water and Gatorade.  TBH had a lot of running on wooded trails, but also a lot of other muscles were used for things like swimming, carrying weights, etc.  More than once I saw folks stop due to cramping, especially in the lower legs so for future events, we're planning to add the electrolyte replacement goo to our hydration strategy.

Course
The course was...well...pretty awesome.  The event was billed as "6+ miles", but it was a bit more than that, between 8 and 9 miles, I'd think.  The only reason that mattered was because this was an intermediate event for my wife to gauge how ready she is for the Mid-Atlantic Fall Tough Mudder next month.  I ran the spring event, and it was 12 miles, with very similar terrain, so this was a good gauge for her, so that she can see where she is and what she needs to do to get that orange headband.

The course was very well laid out and marked, with lots of blaze orange spray paint to mark not only the direction, but hazards (exposed roots, holes, etc.), as well.  I think that's really important and very beneficial for most of the folks running these events, because it is such a challenge.  When you see the folks who run and complete these events, you really have to sit down at one point and take stock...and wonder, what's my excuse for NOT doing something like this?  I didn't see the wounded warriors I usually see at other events, but this event had folks across the spectrum of ages and fitness levels.  It was truly amazing to see everyone out there giving their all; like the motto on the event t-shirt said, "All it takes is all you've got".

Obstacles
I really enjoyed the obstacles at this event because there was no attempt to copy another event.  For example, when we ran the Savage Race in July, it was kind of like running a mini-Tough Mudder. The obstacles at TBH were different from those that I've seen at other events.  We did bear crawls, reverse crab walks with a sandbag in our laps, and a bunch of other stuff that you don't see in a gym.

Perhaps the most unique thing about the obstacles was the use of KIMS (keep in memory) games.  There were three stations along the course where you had to answer a question, and depending on your answer (two were boolean, one you had to give an answer to the instructor), you were guided in one of two directions.  I don't know what happened to those who answered incorrectly...we answered correctly all three times, and were rewarded with a sign saying so further on down the course!  Also, the last event of the course was a puzzle!

One obstacle required you to pick up a PVC pipe that was capped on both ends and partially filled with water, and traverse a set of cones (set in a square).  It's not as easy as it sounds, as the pipe is maybe 7 or so feet long, which means if you tip in one direction, all the water goes there, and you lean to one side, throwing you off course and in danger of getting assigned 30 burpees for failure to complete the obstacle.

There was another obstacle that was pretty fun, and really reminded me of my training at Officer Candidate School and The Basic School.  This one was called the "Trail of Despair" and each person on your team picked up a sandbag (weighing maybe 40 lbs...the ones with holes weighed less), and started down a path.  The path was narrow, and became slippery...it was along some water, so everyone had to be careful.  Just when we thought that we were going to trudge along with our heads down, and just plow through to the end, we hit a deep culvert, with ropes hanging down the muddy slope on the opposite side.  This is where teamwork really came into play...we teamed up with an all-female team and added a young man who was running it as an individual, and got all of us...and our sandbags...up the slope.  My wife referred to this particular obstacle as "pure genius", and it was!

At the end of the course, just before the puzzle, were two sets of monkey bars.  The first had parallel sets of bars that went directly away from you, so this was kind a training event for the American Ninja Warrior.  Immediately after that was another set of monkey bars, with the bars set going right to left in front of you, but staggered in height.  At the beginning of the event, a lot of folks were looking at these two obstacles and planning their strategies...but as I was taught in the Marines, no plan survives enemy contact.  Let's just say that after getting all the way through the course and using muscles you've probably never used in your life, those plans you made when you were well rested were a distant memory.  Failure to complete either of these obstacles required you to run around a cone set about 75 yrds away.  Since this course is all about team work, if one team member doesn't complete the obstacle, we all do the punishment!

Overall, this was a fantastic event, and even though my wife's culminating goal is the Tough Mudder next month, she said without any equivocation or reservation that she would definitely run this event again next year.  For someone who doesn't like to run, that's truly a compliment!  If there was one word to sum up this event in comparison to others that I've run, it would have to be "unique".  This was truly a team-based event, and the course tested you not just as individuals, but as equal and contributing members of a team.

I'd like to thank John McGuire (who has an amazing story) and SEAL Team PT for putting the event on, and all the instructors and volunteers who can out to support the event!  There were truly some amazing folks out there on the course, including those running it.  Without the support of the "crew" and instructors, this event would not have been possible.  Thanks to everyone!  Hooyah!

Events

There's been some discussion recently regarding the Virginia Super Spartan...a commentor on one particular web site that I follow referred to it as complaining.  Sorry, but I don't necessarily think that just because you share your experiences with others that it should be considered "complaining".

I've posted before on Event Flavors, and I've had a lot of friends ask me, "Which is harder...the Spartan or the Tough Mudder?"  I don't think that's an apples-to-apples comparison, really, because each event has their own "flavor".  For example, what first drew me to these events was the Tough Mudder's "no participant left behind" approach...not everyone is going to be an expert at every obstacle, and some folks may need help.  And at some point along the course, you may need help, as well.  I love the challenge and the idea of enduring through the challenge with others.  Remember, the Tough Mudder doesn't have timing chips, and they tell you from the very beginning, it's not about your time.  The first event that I ran, I found it harder to help 4 or 5 people get up the Everest obstacle than it was for me to do it.  A lot of these events require a great deal of pulling strength to get over obstacles, and you can really get a good push workout helping people over walls.

The Spartan Race has a different flavor.  The obstacles are different, for the most part.  Take the monkey bars for example...at the Super Spartan this passed weekend, the bars were all horizontal, with only about 9 rungs.  I saw women whip through it, and I saw dudes fall off at the second rung.  At the Tough Mudder, there is an incline that you have to climb up, a nice sized gap to cross, and then a decline to come down.  The first time I did the Tough Mudder, the bars you grabbed had a larger cross section than most monkey bars, they were wet and muddy, and they rotated...they weren't secured so that when you grabbed them, they didn't move.  You grabbed them, they rotated and instead of hanging on by the meat of your hand, you had just your fingers.  The Savage Race this passed summer added a twist by having a saw tooth in the middle of the monkey bars.

Now, the night before the Super Spartan, at dinner, a participant was pontificating on events, saying that the Spartan events are for "elite" athletes, and the Tough Mudder and the Warrior Dash are for folks who want to party.  This may be one man's view, but I tend to think that not only does each event have it's own flavor, but what each participant brings to the event is different.  Some folks run as individuals, others will only run with a team.  Some go out with little preparation, others dedicate significant time, effort and resources to their training.  Some create mock-ups of the obstacles that they see so that they can develop their technique, and others simply take each obstacle as they come.

Every event has a different flavor, and every event is approached differently by those who participate.  I think that the best you can do with respect to comparisons is to look at one runner's approach to two different events.

On a side note, I did pick up The New Wave of OCR's post recently, and I have got to tell you, I think that this is great.  This is NOT a saturated market, not by a long shot.  In fact, I really think that even with all of the different types of events that we're seeing out there, this is just the tip of the iceberg, and I really hope that this continues for a long time.  I'd like to get to the point where, when I'm to the point where I'm not jumping off of something, I'm cheering on my grandchildren as they do so.

To demonstrate how much room remains in the OCR market, here is the link to the MudRunGuide's list of races and events in Virginia.  I checked the site just before 9am, EST, on 26 August 2013, and the event that I'm looking at doing on 14 Sept isn't even listed.  My point is that there are so many of these events, and so many different types, that we don't even have web sites yet that consolidate all of the scheduled events for a particular area.

Super Spartan, 24 Aug 2013

I attended and graduated from an all-male military college in the late '80s.  I went into the United States Marine Corps immediately after college, and also during that time, I ran two Marine Corps Marathons.  At the first one, I qualified for (and later ran) the Boston Marathon.  Yesterday's Super Spartan Race in Wintergreen, VA, was THE TOUGHEST event I've done.  EVER.

I participated in the Super Spartan Virginia in 2012, which was located at Morven Park in Leesburg, VA, which is a former equestrian event center.  As such, many of the obstacles we went over were old steeplechase jumps, which for many folks, had a pretty devastating effect.  All the pounding from jumping down off of those obstacles really tore up folks' legs, particularly if they hadn't done any hill training...at least, the part where you come down the hill.

I ran the Mid-Atlantic Tough Mudder in Oct, 2011 at this venue, so I had an idea of what the terrain was like, although no real idea of how it would be used.  I was in the 8:45am start wave, the same wave as the Enduring Warrior team (formerly known as Team EXTREME).  Change the name, whatever...it doesn't matter.  This is a hard core team of wounded warriors.  Anyone who's going to do this event in full cammies, with a gas mask, while carrying Cpl. Todd Love, takes bad@ssery to a whole new level...and here we had a whole team of these folks, several with prosthetic limbs.

The event started pretty similar to the TM, with the initial mile including two obstacles...so besides the terrain, we had some walls, nothing too difficult.  It was at the bottom of the first major hill, where the Tough Mudder folks had the Chernobyl Jacuzzi (now known as the Arctic Enema), that things changed.  Drastically.  And not for the better.  ;-)

Perhaps the most memorable "obstacle" from the Tough Mudder was the mile-long Death March up a double-black diamond slope.  At the Super Spartan, they not only provided us with that lovely climb, but 5 others, of various lengths.  I think that towards the end of the event, they allowed us a bit of a respite with a blue slope.  Along the way, we got to climb up the mountain along trails through the woods, as well as climb down the mountain a couple of times along the rocky streams that flowed down the mountain.  There was no fast movement on either of these, particularly going down.

The obstacles were pretty typical Spartan fare...walls, crawling uphill under barbed wire, the Tractor Pull, the Traverse Wall, climbing up a muddy rope.  There were two cargo nets this time...which was kind of like "old home week" for me...both shorter than the one last year.  At the 6 mile mark, after completing the Long Drag up the mile-long double-black diamond there was a water stop, and they'd set up the pulley systems where you had to grab a rope and pull a cement block up to where the knot touched the pulley, and let it back down.  We were told that the block, for the men, was 70 lbs...I weigh in at 185, and had trouble getting it off the ground.  ;-)  I did get it figured out, though.  There was a water slide "obstacle"...always a lot of fun...and a log flip, which was new.  This time, there were two weighted carries...one with the signature Spartan sand bags, another with a log.  The log carry went down the mountain...and then back up.  Of course.  Earlier in the event, we were treated to the spear throw and the monkey bars...which were completely horizontal, and nothing like those at the Savage Race.

Overall, the course length was 8 miles, which I finished in about 4 hrs...I'll be able to get my official time later this week.  At this stage, I'm not focused on my time, per se.  If and when I change that focus, I'm going to really have to consider a strategy for electorlytes.  In some ways, this event was tougher even than the Mid-Atlantic Spring Tough Mudder, but the comparison ends solely with the terrain.  The Tough Mudder was longer, with more obstacles, and more varied obstacles, and you had to contend with the weather.  This Spartan Race was primarily about climbing up and down the mountain.  Yes, there were some obstacles, and if you prepared, the monkey bars and walls were no problem.  I don't see anyone going out on a Saturday and doing 5 hrs of hill repeats...you can prepare for the hills, but only so much.

I heard people comment that the Spartan events are for "elite athletes", where as other events like the Tough Mudder and the Warrior Dash are for those who want to come out and party.  I don't agree.  I think that you get out of the events what you put into them.  If you're there to power through for time, then it doesn't matter what event you're running, as long as it has a timing chip.  If you're there to help others out where they need it, regardless of time, then so be it...it doesn't matter if you're at a Super Spartan with a timing chip, at a Savage or Superhero Race, or the Tough Mudder.

I'll close with this...I REALLY enjoyed this event.  Yes, it was tough.  Fortunately, the biggest physical issue I had to deal with was my quads cramping...no pulls or tears.  I feel like I handled the obstacles pretty well...I liked the Traverse Wall a lot, in part because I completed it.  The event was very well organized and very well run, as one would expect from such an elite organization.  Wash racks were plentiful after the event, and the main venue area was very well organized, which is particularly important when you've got so many competitors who are more than just a bit tired when they're done.  If I were pressed for any criticisms, they would be (a) back off of the use of the terrain a bit and have more obstacles, and (b) good God, we earned a free beer, so let us have one!

Upcoming Events

I like to keep upon on events in the my area, and for those interested, I thought I post some that I've found through the fall of 2013.  This is by no means a comprehensive list, it's only a list of events near the Northern VA area, and it's only those that I've been able to find.

Super Spartan - 24 & 25 Aug, at the Wintergreen Ski Resort in Nelly's Ford, VA.  Unfortunately, the only event close to VA in 2014 is the Sprint event in North Carolina...no Beast anywhere near VA.

Rogue Runner - 14 Sept, 5+ miles, 20+ unique obstacles, at Graves Mountain in Syria, VA.

The Big Hooyah - 14 Sept 2013, Goochland, VA.  6+ miles, 20+ obstacles, this event is brought to you by the SEAL Team PT folks.  The web page shows folks shooting paintball guns...it appears that one obstacle involves marksmanship.

GoRuck Nasty - 6+ miles, 20+ obstacles at the Massanutten Ski Resort in Mcgaheysville, VA, 21 Sept 2013 (details available on Facebook).  This event is brought to you by the GoRuck cadre, and reportedly based on the US Army Special Forces Nasty Nick obstacle course.

Ruckus-DC - DC running of the 5K Ruckus Run, to be held at the Prince William County Fair in Manassas, VA, on 28 Sept 2013.

Tough Mudder - the Mid-Atlantic Fall event is in the Peacemaker Training area, 19 & 20 Oct 2013.  I ran the event in the same location this past spring, and it was tough.  The obstacles were great, and the rolling hills of the venue will keep you warm and wear you down a bit.  There's no Tough Mudder listed on the calendar yet for 2014.

Coming up in 2014:

Fugitive Mud Run - Seems to be fairly new, with two events this fall, and more scheduled for 2014.

Savage Race - My wife and I just ran the Mid-Atlantic event, and the 2014 event is already on the calendar!  Hopefully by then, the cooler weather will make for a longer course, and they'll have figured out what to do about the wash racks.

Make It YOUR Event

I posted previously regarding Event Flavors, and after running the recent Mid-Atlantic Savage Race, I wanted to follow up with some additional thoughts.  The mud/obstacle events are still fairly new, with respect to other types of events (such as straight road races, etc.), and the market is far from saturated, particularly when you have so many events with different course lengths, terrain, and locations.  There is a great deal of growing interest in these events...at this point, many folks have either run at least one event, or know someone who has.

We ran the Mid-Atlantic Savage Race recently.  The evening before the event, we stayed at a local B&B, and there just happened to be some event support folks staying there, as well.  During the course of the evening's conversations, we got something of a "peek up the skirt" look at what goes on behind the scenes with many of these events. One example is this...search for Savage Race images via Google, and you'll find images similar to the one to right.  Now, this is an older image, but it clearly shows that the Savage Race folks did not try to differentiate themselves from the Tough Mudder at the outset.  Since then, they've changed to a blue color scheme, and the obstacles at this weekend's event were all painted the same shade of blue.  However, some of the obstacles at the Savage Race were simply variations of those from the Tough Mudder.  While I did like the sawtooth in the middle of the monkey bars, there was the electric shock obstacle...not much of a challenge, per se, and it didn't require much in the way of teamwork to complete.  

So, my point is that while there are some things that every event needs to have that are common and necessary for all events, each event can also do quite a bit to differentiate themselves from others.  For example, every event needs a central area for registration, vendors, and to let participants gather.  Most events seem to recognize that this works best if suitable facilities are provided, there is a way to get questions answered, and there's a party atmosphere.  Bigger events tend to bring in vendors that keep spectators entertained and fed, and give participants a reason to hang around after the event.  After the Tough Mudder in Frederick, MD, in Sept, 2012, I stopped by the Marines tent and tried my hand at pullups. This is also a great place to make your event "merch" and swag available...hats, t-shirts, sweatshirts, etc.

The use of social media and the Internet also appears to be fairly common, and for the most part well understood, and the larger events really tend to exploit them, rather than simply use them.  Many of the smaller events don't really seem to understand how to really make use of and exploit social media to reach potential participants, but they seem to be trying.

Obstacles
OK, let's talk obstacles...the obstacles make the event, but people, really?   The electric shock "obstacles" are being overdone at this point.  The pit full of ice that you have to traverse seems to be a good one, particularly if the weather really begs for it, or if it's a longer event (keep moving to stay warm).

I've seen some pretty good obstacles at previous events, and some of those events are no longer running.  For example, the Rebel Race had an over-under obstacle, in muddy water, that was pretty good.  The now-defunct Jungle Cup had a combo obstacle, where you had to climb up to a platform, swing to another platform, do a rope traverse to a third platform, and then do a balance beam.  This one obstacle was like having four obstacles back-to-back, and was a lot of fun, in addition to being challenging.

The Mid-Atlantic Spring Tough Mudder was my first experience with the cage crawl and the pirate's booty.  Both of these were new (to me) and innovative obstacles.

I think that the folks at Extreme Nation had the right idea, or at least a good one, by reducing the distance and having a lot of obstacles.  While I was saddened that the recent Savage Race in MD was shortened due to the heat and humidity, ultimately, I did enjoy having so many obstacles over the shorter distance.  It's easy to see that two ways that the various events can really innovate is to (a) develop new obstacles, and (b) have more obstacles.

I did my first mud/obstacle events during my initial military training about 25 years ago.  As such, I'm familiar with obstacles that can be tough, challenging, take a lot out of you, and at the same time, be very simple.  Admittedly, a lot of this can depend upon available terrain...staking a couple of knotted ropes at the top of a muddy hill and having folks climb up can be extremely challenging, but if you don't have a muddy hill with the right grade, then you have to build something.  Over-unders, multiple high wall climbs (straight up or inclined), etc., can all be very challenging and leave even the most fit competitor taxed.  And that's what these things are all about, aren't they...individuals or teams meeting and overcoming a challenge.

Brand Your Event
My advice to folks entering into or trying to distinguish themselves in the mud/obstacle event market...make your event YOUR event.  Having a shortened version of another event doesn't distinguish you from them.  It's all about brand and what sets you apart, and the formula for having a well-run event is pretty set, and all of the elements are the same (access to/from venue, ease of registration, available facilities, a band, beer, etc.)...but you can really set yourself apart from others by having different obstacles, so that your event is more than just a different logo and color scheme.

Here's a final thought...I was looking through my event memorabilia this past weekend, and I noticed that many of the events are following the same sort of format by providing finishers with a medal.  The Rebel Race had a dog tag, and of course, the Tough Mudder has a headband.  The Spartan Race has different colors for their events, reflected on their medals, and if you run a trifecta, you get a tri-color medal.  But it's getting to the point that almost every event has a medal...just sayin'...

Savage Race

The Mid-Atlantic Savage Race took place in Kennedyville, MD, this passed weekend, and I have to say, this one came the closest of all of the smaller (as opposed to Tough Mudder and Spartan) events to living up the hype.  The event was definitely one that I'd do again, if it were set up in Sept/Oct or May/June.

Lodging
We made reservations at the Crow Farm B&B on 18 July, and they have availability for one night, which worked out great, as it was within only a few minutes drive of the venue.  It turned out that several of the timing and videography staff also stayed at the venue, as well.

Finding lodging near an event venue is a great idea, and for the Virginia Beach Tough Mudder (which was cancelled) we'd stayed at a B&B about 150 yards from the venue entrance.  What I tend to do is type the venue address into Google Maps and search nearby for "bed and breakfast".

Venue
The event was held at the Hopkins Game Farm in Kennedyville, MD.  According to Google Maps, this is a 2 hr 15 min drive for us...way out in BFE...which is why we opted to drive up the night before.  However, the venue is easy to access, although I would think that for a much larger event (say, a Tough Mudder or Super Spartan), the ingress/egress would easily be overwhelmed.  There was one road going into and out of the venue, with the main drive split in half by cones.  The only real way to accommodate a larger event would be with buses running from another location, or if additional space were available with separate ingress and egress points.

I can easily see this venue being used again in the future.  As with many such events such as these, they tend to bring a good deal of traffic into the community, and as long as the volume is planned for, it becomes a great economic "shot in the arm" for the community.  It also opens up opportunities for future events, as the folks who own or manage the venue get to "work the kinks out".  The B&B where we stayed is also a winery with a tasting room, and they raise beef cattle.  As with other B&Bs we've stayed at for these events, the couple who manages it is plugged into the local community and chamber of commerce.  As such, we heard about all of the local folks who were able to work during the course setup, including someone locally who owns an excavator (for digging some of the water pits).  The afternoon after the event saw a lot of traffic stopping at a number of local restaurants.

Course
The course was well marked, without a great deal of open running between obstacles.  This worked out well, as the words "savage" and "bad*ss" were used throughout the course, and having a lot of open fields to run through to get to the next obstacle is...face it...kind of boring.  I think that most folks signing up for something like this appreciated the shorter running distances, as well as the difficulty of the obstacles.

The weather on the east coast had been very bad all week long. Temperatures had been in the mid- to high-'90s, and the heat index has pushed the temps into the triple digits.  Due to the heat and humidity, the course was (wisely) reduced and re-routed through shaded areas.  I felt that there were plenty of water stops, where chilled bottles of water were handed to participants...I would drink part of it, and pour the rest of it over my head.  At some points along the course, sprinklers were installed to provide some relief for participants.  There were also a number of water obstacles that provided some relief, albeit not the cleanest.

Obstacles
There was a great deal of hype for this event, much like other events.  Facebook updates so a number of "here it comes" posts, pictures of some of the obstacles (one of which as unrecognizable), generating a good deal of excitement and anticipation.  One of the benefits of social media (Facebook, Twitter, etc.) is that it's easy to generate this kind of excitement, but as many of us have seen with other events in the past, this can also be a major shortcoming if the event doesn't live up to the expectations that are created.

Some of the hype for the Savage Race included...

...more than 21 twisted obstacles scattered about a 5 mile rugged race course...

and...

...bring you the biggest and baddest Savage Race of all time...

I will say this...while many of the obstacles are reminiscent of other events, some were truly bad*ss.  For example, the Shriveled Richard was pretty much the Tough Mudder's Arctic Enema, but the Savage crew took the monkey bars and made it truly bad*ss by adding the sawtooth in the middle (take a look at the picture to the left), ramping up the level of difficulty of this obstacle.  The Colossus was also a great obstacle, with a rope climb up a quarter pipe on the front end (note to Savage crew - make the base at the top of the climb a little wider in the future), a climb to a higher platform and then a slide into a water pit.  This one obstacle provided a sense of accomplishment for all levels of participant, having to overcome a physically challenging obstacle through sheer force of will, or teamwork, to get there, and then having to overcome any fear of heights to get down.  The now-defunct Jungle Cup had a great combo obstacle that I'd love to see again...climb to a platform, rope swing to another platform, followed by a rope traverse (crawl, swing, whatever), and then finished by a balance beam.

I'll say this...the shock obstacles are a bit over-done.  The Tough Mudders I've been on have two of them on the course, and being shocked unconscious looses it's appeal after a while.  I'd rather have half a dozen obstacles that provide a physical challenge, such as multiple high walls or rope climbs up incline walls, or something that requires teamwork to accomplish.

Pros
The course was well laid out, well marked, and well staffed.  Due to the heat, the race was reduced in length (to just over 4 miles), with plenty of water stops, as well as water obstacles.  According to the email notice we received, only one obstacle was removed, which meant that there were plenty of obstacles without much in the way of running through open fields, which was good.  Part of the reduced course had been re-routed through the trees and shaded areas.  We didn't experience much in the way of backups at the obstacles at all.

Ingress into and egress from the venue was easy, smooth, and well managed.  As with most events, there was a fee for parking, and there was plenty of parking within an easy walk of venue.

Registration was smooth, and there was plenty of room to move around the main venue area.  There were a number of vendors available, as well as music and a band, lending to the party atmosphere. There was also a tent set up to shade participants and spectators, and a couple of fans were available to generate air flow.  For the most part, everything was well laid out and well marked, and there were plenty of toilet facilities (always a good thing).

Cons
The only real con I'd offer up about the event is that the wash racks for after the event were far too small for the number of participants.  It was strange that after having a smooth experience going through the course that the participants would have to traverse all the way across the venue, and stand in a line, unprotected from the sun, for more than half an hour.  Given the considerations for the heat and heat index of the day, there should have been more accommodations with respect to this aspect of the event.

Perhaps at future events, the course could be redone so that the obstacles with the really thick mud occur earlier in the course, and then put one with a water pit at the end.  That way, participants are muddy during the course, but not so much so at the end that wash racks or hoses are really required to the degree that they were for the Savage Race.

Overall
For an event that isn't as well known as Spartan or Tough Mudder, Savage did a lot of things right this passed weekend.  I grew up and have lived in the Northern Virginia area for a long time, so I can't really imagine anyone wanting to hold an event like this, in late July.  Had you asked anyone, I doubt you would have found someone who would've suggested that there would be a cold snap that would push temperatures down to the 70s with no humidity during July or August.  However, the staff planned and reacted well, and overall the event was one that I will definitely consider participating in again, in the future.

Finally, for the future...
Looking at the comments on the Savage Race Facebook page, it appears that I wasn't the only one who didn't receive an official notification email with my start time...even after I commented to that effect on the Savage Race Facebook page, there were still other comments coming in afterward, stating the same thing.

I tried several times to get information via the Facebook page about the number of water stops, etc., to no avail.  Pictures were posted of obstacles, but information pertinent to the weather for that day was noticeably absent, even after it was requested.  I received a comment back via Facebook that information would be available at the Savage Race web site...but I don't think that the event organizers have really thought this all through.  The fact that the heat and humidity was going to be an issue the day of the event was no surprise, as all of the local weather stations, as well as many of the national weather web sites, all had the same information the week prior to the event.  The folks setting up the obstacles had to deal with the weather, as well, so getting out information about weather accommodations prior to the evening before the event would've been a great idea.  Spend less time focused on the hype, folks, and put more time toward keeping your participants informed.

Preparation

I like obstacle mud runs because they're a great, fun way to stay in shape.  Having an upcoming event on my calendar gives me something to shoot for, and it also gives me a purpose for my training.  I know that there are some folks...because I've met them...who will just get up one day and decide to run these events.  For the 5K distances, I think that's great...for the Tough Mudder, though, the first thought to run through my mind is, "...good luck with the day after the event."

Training
First off, let me say this...I am NOT an exercise physiologist or expert of any kind.  I do not have formal training in anything closely related to training for these kinds of events.  All I can do is share what I've found works for me.  Also, I'm not a professional athlete, nor have I ever been.

The 2012 Super Spartan event in Leesburg, VA, was held at Morven Park, an equestrian center.  There was a huge field with a lot of steeplechase jumps...things horses would jump...set up.  The event organizers wound the course back and forth over all of the jumps, so there was a lot of stepping or jumping up, and then jumping down.  For folks who were not used to this sort of activity, it took a huge toll on them later in the event, and the following day.

The 2011 Mid-Atlantic Tough Mudder was held at the Wintergreen Ski Resort, which, as you might imagine, has a lot of up and a lot of down, and little in the way of flat terrain.  There was some, as you wound your way through the housing areas and across the golf course, but the varied terrain took a toll on folks, and in many cases, the downhill stuff was worse than the uphill.

I've found that the Manassas Battlefield Park is a great place to train.  You get to run on varied terrain, with hills (the hill behind the Visitors Center that runs down to Rt 29 is awesome), and you can get just off the trails and run through the woods, jumping over downed trees.  Also, when trees fall over the trails, the rangers come out and cut the trees up into logs...and no one cares if you pick up one (or more) of these logs and drop it some place else in the park.  ;-)  My point is that varied training, including hill work, will not only help you with the event itself, but also limit the effects that you feel over the days following the event.  Find a hill (or two, or seven...) to include on your route, and if you have a pretty good sized hill, have a "hill day"...warm up, and then do hill repeats.  Do it three times, then move up to 5, or 10 times.  Go up, then your recovery is coming back down.

Something else that I like to do after I finish a run is to do lunges, or box jumps.  What I've also done during a run is, I'll push it up a hill and then stop and do a round of pushups, situps, and jump squats, and then immediately get back to running.  This simulates the aerobic-anaerobic transition that you face with obstacles, without having an actual obstacle.  If you can find one of those fitness trails that you will see in some neighborhoods, or there's a school yard on your route, try adding in some pullups.

Variations
Like many folks out there, for me, doing the same work out over and over would get boring, so I like to have variations.  There are times when I'll do an exercise for volume, going for max reps on each set, and other times when I'll do a set number of reps, but keep that up for either a specific number of sets, or as many sets as I can.

Some simple exercises can also be varied.  Take the pushup.  Do a pushup.  Then do it with your feet elevated.  Or, start by doing 5 'normal' pushups, followed by 5 with a narrow hand position (hands close together), followed by 5 with your hands widely spaced, then back to 5 'normal' pushups.  Or, try "walking" pushups...start with your hands at a normal width, but staggered with one slightly ahead of the other.  Do a pushup, and then move the rear-most hand forward, in a walking motion.  At each step, do a pushup.  I know it's hard, but I first saw this exercise in a kid's gymnastics class.

Obstacle events require a good deal of upper body strength and endurance, with a lot of pulling.  You can do variations on pullups...palms in, palms out.  Hands close together, wide, or staggered.  You can have a normal width, but pullup to one side, and then the other.  You can do weighted pullups, holding a dumbbell between your feet.  One way I've found that really works for me to increase the number of pullups I can do is to do at least one max set of pullups every day, 5 days a week.  This is in addition to my normal workout...if I go by home gym for any reason, I'll stop in and do a set.

Keep it varied, keep it interesting.  Work out by yourself, work out with a partner, or a group.

Travel
Working out can sometimes be tough if you travel.  If you're going someplace you've never been, it may be difficult to find someplace that's both accessible and safe to run.  This is where "prison workouts" can be very useful; these workouts are specifically designed for small confined places, and can be easily performed in hotel rooms, or any other area that you may have access to.  They usually involve high-volume/high-rep body weight exercises, such as pushups, situps, lunges, burpees, body weight squats, squat jumps, and any variation thereof.  A great workout idea is to pick at least three exercises, pick a number of repetitions, and cycle through them in a circuit.  For example, my home gym has a squat rack with a pullup bar, so I'll go through a "circuit" of 35 pushups, 10 pullups, 25 body-weight squats, 25 situps/crunches, and 25 4-count flutter kicks.  You can do this for time, or you can just keep doing circuits until...you can't.  If I'm traveling, I can do the same circuit, and replace the pullups with reverse-rows under a desk or table.

I've been in professional positions that required travel, and in a couple of cases, I couldn't leave the hotel room.  I had a pelican case that weighed 65 lbs fully loaded, and I used it for a lot of things.  I'd do pushups off of it, do jumps over it, and use it for bent-over rows and overhead presses.  Sometimes, you may have limited space and time, but it's not difficult to squeeze in a workout...I've even done situps and planks while watching TV.

It's also easy to pack a jump rope in your luggage so that you can get in some aerobics, as well.  When I was doing a lot of traveling, well before these events were available, I had a number of exercises I would perform, as many times, I ended up spending a considerable amount of time sequestered  in a hotel room.  In addition to the previously mentioned exercises, I had a pelican case with me (as part of my job) that weighed in at about 65 lbs, so I would do bent-over rows, as well as hop over the box itself.

Final Thoughts
There are a lot of ways to get ideas for exercises and workouts.  I've "Liked" various fitness-related pages on Facebook, and the Spartan folks will send you a workout-of-the-day (WOD) email.  YouTube and fitness magazines are great resources for workout ideas.

One key for a lot of these exercises is correct form...you don't want to hurt yourself while you're getting ready for one of these events.  Be careful, pay close attention to any requirements regarding form, and most of all, have fun!

Also, for all of this to work correctly, you need to eat right.  I'm not a nutrition expert, I just know that the best way to see improvement is to couple your exercise with good nutrition.

Event Flavors

I originally got interested in mud run/obstacle events because they sounded interested, and after running three marathons in my 20s, as well as a number of 10Ks, I'm not at all interested in just running on the road, particularly for several hours.  I wanted something that was different, a bit of a challenge, a lot of fun, and keeps me in shape.  As an added benefit, when I started looking around, I found that some of the events support and benefit various charitable organizations, such as the Wounded Warrior Project.  For me, raising money to support our wounded veterans is a plus.

One of the things I really like about these events is that they each have their own "flavor" or "culture".  In trying to establish their "brand", each of the events, regardless of distance, brings something new and different to the table.  I'll give you my take on the differences between some of the events.  Terrain can only vary so much, and the obstacles on the course tend to mirror the culture of the event.

Tough Mudder

As of Nov, 2011, Outside Magazine will tell you that the Tough Mudder is one of the big four events.  I'm presenting it first here simply because it's the first one I did, and I've done it more than any of the others, due primarily to the proximity of the events.

The Tough Mudder is billed not as a race, but as a challenge.  Everything about this event pushes that mindset, from the logo, to the signs that appear on the course, to the motivational speech that each wave receives prior to launch, to the lack of participant timers.  It's all about the challenge, camaraderie, and helping your fellow mudder.  There are going to be obstacles that you can breeze through (particularly if you've been training), and there will be obstacles that you cannot complete without help, such as the Mud Mile (the Mid-Atlantic Spring event in 2013 had 2 of them).  The culture of the Tough Mudder is such that even if you can complete an obstacle without assistance (such as the Everest), that you stick around and help your fellow mudders out.

Throughout the entire event, TM is all about overcoming fears and challenges, and making it through the course assisting others, as well as getting assistance where you need it.  In the events that I've done, I've seen people freeze up at obstacles (Walk the Plank) out of their fear of heights, and nothing else.  I've seen people climb to the top of the platform, and then climb back down.

The Tough Mudder is primarily a 9-12 mile event course, with a World's Toughest Mudder event that you can qualify to run at the end of the season/year.  I know that it's now being billed out at 10+ miles, but my first one was around 9.5 miles.

Finally, the Tough Mudder supports the Wounded Warrior Project, so much so in fact that in 2013, the WWP presented Tough Mudder "with the Talkhouse Award to honor an individual or company whose efforts personify patriotism, demonstrate compassion, and have helped to further the mission of WWP in support of the brave men and women of our armed forces."  Each time I've run the event, I've posted the donation link provided as part of my registration, and friends, family, and in some cases folks whom I've never met have donated to support the WWP.  That's pretty awesome.

Spartan Race

The Spartan Race is a completely different beast all together from the Tough Mudder.  First off, the Spartan Race is just that...a race.  Each participant gets an electronic timer that they wear on their wrists.  You can run as a team, but for the most part, the "flavor" of this event is every man (or woman) for him or herself.  That's not to say that you can't help someone, I'm just saying that it's not part of DNA of this event.

What I thought was really cool about the Spartan Race was the participation by Team EXTREME.  I have no idea how someone goes through an event like this and when they get to an obstacle, think to themselves, "I can't...", when Cpl Todd Love is out there doing it.  When a triple amputee in a gas mask climbs a muddy rope, how does someone stand there and think to themselves that they can't do it?  Honestly, it's pretty motivating, and it makes you think about what you're doing.

I used to think that the Spartan Race came in four sizes; the Spartan Sprint (5K), the Super Spartan (8-9+ miles), the Spartan Beast (10-12 miles), and the Death Race.  Checking the events listing more recently, it appears that in some cases, the Beast is 13+ miles, and there's an Ultra Beast at 26+ miles. 

Others

Now, these are the biggy events that I have experienced, and I know that there are other event types out there.  There is at least one zombie run (5K obstacle course where you get chased by zombies a la flag football), a fireman/police-type "Hero Rush" event, and others with their own individual flavors.  While all of these events are co-ed, they are predominantly attended by guys, and there are other events specific to (and they only allow) women.

I think that most of the smaller events are intended to attract a different crowd, as evidenced by the attendance, as well as the course route and obstacles.  I've even seen participants bring their own flavor to the events...while some events, such as the Superhero Scramble, encourage participants to dress up in costume, some folks go to the events in some sort of costume and don't seem to require much encouragement to do so!

Something to watch out for in these events is their longevity.  I ran a 4 mile mud/obstacle event in the spring of 2012 and signed up for the fall event in the same location, only to receive an email in August that the company running the event had gone out of business.  Based on how the event had been run, I really can't say that I was surprised.  The Jungle Cup, billed as "the toughest 5K of your life", is another example.  I ran this event in Frederick, MD, in the spring of 2013, and I have to say, I was a little underwhelmed by the presence of the event, although some of the obstacles were actually pretty good.  There were also a laundry list of complaints on the event's Facebook page following the event, to include folks from the canceled NC event complaining about not receiving their refunds.  As of today, I haven't received my promised VIP entrance to another event, nor the promised t-shirt (the event staff ran out of t-shirts before the event was half over).  Also, in writing this post, I wanted to provide a link to the event web site, but it appears that the domain registration expired on 8 June, according to GoDaddy.

Watch out for the new Extreme Nation, the first event of which was due out later this summer.  From what I've read about this event, they're taking a different approach to obstacle racing...rather than stretching the course out over 6 or more miles, they're reportedly doing all of the obstacles in two miles!  The first running was scheduled for 14 June, but was postponed, and the Facebook page hasn't been updated since 10 April.  Let's hope that this one kicks off...obstacle events are a great and fun form of fitness for a lot of folks, and the 'community' is anything but saturated at this point.

Addendum, 25 June: A friend pointed me to Limit of Advance, a new event that has some elements of the GoRuck events.  The flavors just keep on coming!

Venues: Places to Stay, and Terrain

When traveling many times, my wife and I prefer to stay in a bed and breakfast, rather than in a hotel.  This isn't for everyone, but for us, it's more intimate and comfortable.  Often, one of the difficult aspects of running these events if locating suitable/affordable lodging, and finding a place to eat.  So I thought I'd share my experiences and recommendations for the various venues that I'm familiar with.

One thing to keep in mind when it comes to these events is that regardless of the size, once you think about registering, start looking around for some place to stay.  You never know what else is going on in the area at the same time, and more than once, I've called a half a dozen or more hotels and found them all full.

On a side note, the terrain at the venue should have an impact on your preparation, because it's surely going to effect your day...or rather, your day after.

Peacemaker National Training Center, Gerrardstown, WV
The Mid-Atlantic Spring (2013) Tough Mudder was held at this venue, and the Fall event is going to be held at the same location.  This is great, because TMHQ really did a great job with the setup, not just of the course itself, but the transit to and from the course.  We parked easily, got on a bus with no delays, and when we were ready to return, the only delay (albeit minimal) was to wait for the bus to fill up.  Transition was smooth.

Terrain: Lots of wooded trail running, with some nice hills.  The route wound it's way through low-lying areas to take advantage of natural water obstacles.  TMHQ decided that instead of running us up along the crest of a hill, they'd snake the path up and down the hill, winding us back and forth, so be ready for that sort of terrain.  There are a lot of flat areas, as well, due to the gun ranges.  The varied terrain was helpful to us, in that the day was cold, and you spent most of it wet...once the sun came out, you would get a bit of a break and warm up in the low lying areas, but once you got to the top of hill, you'd be hit by the cold winds.  I was in the first wave to go out, and after I finished I went by the medical tent, and found it packed with folks who'd developed hypothermia.

Frederick, MD
Crumland Farms is the venue of choice in this area, and I have attended the Mid-Atlantic Tough Mudder (Sept, 2012) as well as the Jungle Cup in March, 2013, at this venue.

If you attend any event in Frederick, I recommend that you consider the Hollerstown Hill B&B, which is located directly across from a school for the deaf.  It is also an easy walk to the center of Frederick, with all of it's sights and dining options, which range from excellent BBQ to both Italian and Mediterranean tapas.  The Flying Dog Brewery is located in Frederick, as well, so most of the establishments will carry the beers.  If you're not a big beer drinker, don't worry...the variety of restaurants in Frederick provides plenty of options.

This is a really good location for all sorts of smaller (5K, 10K) events, as the larger, more popular events could easily overwhelm the area.  I really think that the Jungle Cup had a good thing going, it was just too bad that they folded.

Terrain: Mostly flat with some gentle, rolling rises (not really hills).  Some water obstacles. Events at this location would be well suited to include more obstacles, and not have so much running across open ground...because it's boring, and if that's what I wanted to do, I'd just sign up for a 10K.  This venue is used for multiple different types of events throughout the year, include a Halloween haunted woods event, so you might get a chance to traipse through those areas, as well.

Berkeley Plantation, Charles City, VA
The 2013 Virginia Beach Tough Mudder ("the Tough Mudder that never was", or "The TM canceled due to too much mud") was scheduled to be held at this venue, but thanks to Tropical Storm Andrea, never kicked off.  However, in previous years, the Warrior Dash had been held at this venue.

If you're planning to attend an event located at this venue, the Edgewood Plantation B&B is THE place to stay!  I'm not kidding...this quaint, historic, and very comfortable B&B is located less than 150 yards from the entrance to the parking area for the venue.  Why get stuck in traffic when you can wake up, have a great breakfast, and walk over to the event?

There's excellent dining at the Charles City Tavern, just 4 3/4 miles from the B&B.  Dot graciously made reservations for us; the venue is simple, but the food is amazing!  So much so that we went back the following night to try items that we'd seen on the menu the previous night!

Terrain: No idea; event was canceled due to mud.

Wintergreen Ski Resort
Located in Nelly's Ford, VA, this venue is surrounded by a rural community.  When we attended the Mid-Atlantic Tough Mudder in Oct, 2011, we stayed in Waynesboro, VA, a short distance from the venue.  Depending upon other events in the area, hotels may fill up fast, so plan well in advance.

The Tough Mudder is a larger event, and our start time was within the first hour (8-9am) so we were allowed to park at the resort, rather than going to the parking lot at the base of the mountain and riding the bus up.

Terrain: It goes without saying that this resort is hilly.  The only flat terrain is in the housing areas.  One of the obstacles was referred to as the "death march", and consisted of going up a double-black diamond slope; traversing about a mile, with a 1000 ft elevation change.  The amount of steep up and down hill traversals took a toll on some folks, and toward the end of the course I saw a number of folks with overuse injuries.  If you're looking at an event in this area, be sure to do your hill work...both up and down.

Morven Park, Leesburg, VA
The 2012 Super Spartan was held at this location, and I have to say that I was saddened to see that it wasn't used again in 2013.

This venue is within easy driving distance for me, so I didn't need to find a place to stay, although there are plenty.  Dulles Airport is a short distance from this venue, and there are a good number of hotels in the local area.

This venue is also used for other types of events, one of them being a brewfest.  As such, local law enforcement is well versed in traffic management, so while the traffic does slow down as you're trying to get into and out of the venue, it does keep moving.

Terrain: This area was originally an equestrian event facility, and has some nice wooded hill running along it's border.  Many of the steeplechase jumps are still in place, and the Spartan event planners had us jumping over all of them, which will take a toll on your lower legs (so make sure you're doing trail runs and box jumps).

Economic Impact
One thing I hadn't really considered when I started running these events is the effect or impact they have on the local area.  Mud/obstacle events bring a great deal of traffic into the areas in which they are held, as well as a great deal of money.  Depending upon the size and popularity of the event, the traffic can easily overwhelm the local area.  For example, in Charles City, VA, traffic can be a problem, because Rt 5 is the primary route to the venue.  It's one lane each way, so getting to the venue is going to be tough, particularly for larger events.  The folks in Charles City told us about how bad the traffic was during the 2012 Warrior Dash in the area, and how those with available space allowed folks to park on their land for a nominal fee ($5 - $10).  At the Tough Mudder in Frederick, MD, in Sept, 2012, traffic was so bad that parking spots in yards sold for $50 or more, and the Sunday event was canceled.

When I attended the Mid-Atlantic Tough Mudder in Oct, 2011, I was checking into my hotel in Waynesboro, VA, and the lady at the desk took a call, and told the caller that due to several events going on at the same time, all hotels between Waynesboro and Blacksburg were completely booked.  Having one of these events at the same time as others in the local area can significantly impact your ability to get lodging locally.

Event Registration
The organizations...TMHQ, Spartan, etc...could really do a significant service to those registering for their events by simply noting any concurrent events in the area. When folks register, or afterward, let them know what's coming to or going to be going on in the area at the same time as the event. This is particularly true for the larger events, as it's going to affect things like lodging, travel time, etc.

So, with just lodging and meals, these events tend to have a significant, positive economic impact on any area in which they are held.  At the Mid-Atlantic (Spring 2013) Tough Mudder, the bus driver on our return to the parking area was from the local area...so, there's also the jobs (albeit short term) that are brought to the area, as well.

Another effect that these events, of all levels, can have on a community includes the health benefits.  I was amazed that the trainer at the local gym that my wife worked with in preparing for these events had never heard of them...yet when my wife would talk about the events, someone would hear the word "mudder" and join in the conversation.  Imagine the benefits that could be achieved by a gym offering a group training class that used one of these events as a graduation event.  The lead trainer could create the team for the event, the gym could sponsor t-shirts, and folks would sign up when they felt they needed to, with the goal of completing the event as a team and the graduation occurring at the finish line.

Articles
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Events I've done

I ran my first mud run event in October, 2011...it was the Mid-Atlantic Tough Mudder in Wintergreen, VA.  My wife tells me that I started off with the toughest event, based on the length of the event and terrain, and I should've started off with something smaller, like a 5K.  Ha!  My buddy, a college roommate, and I ran this and had a great time.  I really thought that he'd had enough, but as soon as we were done with this event, he was asking me when the next one was!

I then ran the Super Spartan Race in Leesburg, VA, in August, 2012.  This one was a lot of fun...I ran it with a team that I'd joined at the last minute, and one of the participants, the CFO of Mother Earth Brewing, brought t-shirts for the team.

My buddy and I then ran the Mid-Atlantic Tough Mudder in September, 2012, in Frederick, MD.  This one was a mess, not because of the course, but due to access to the venue itself.  Ingress and egress were inadequate for the number of folks trying to get in and out of the venue, and after we finished the event and got back to where we were staying, we found out that the Sunday running of the event was canceled.  We were glad to see that TMHQ took ownership of the issue.

My wife and I ran the Rebel Race in October, 2012, with my sister and brother-in-law.  The Rebel Race is a 5K event, and it was quite a surprise running a smaller event after being spoiled by how the larger events are run.  The base camp for the event was great, with food and a band, and a lot of energy.  The course wasn't bad at all, but some of the obstacles were "wimpy" (my wife's word, not mine) and not really much of a challenge.  We found that the first water station was completely overwhelmed by participants in each wave, and the second water station was a table with a couple of empty water jugs.

We then ran the Jungle Cup in March, 2013, and were again somewhat surprised by how some of the smaller events end up being run.  This one had some good obstacles, but was poorly marked, access to the venue itself wasn't obvious, and they ran out of t-shirts before the day was halfway over.  The proprietor promised via the Facebook page to send out t-shirts to participants and also give everyone a VIP pass to an upcoming event, but then went completely dark and no one has apparently heard from him since.  I'm glad I wasn't one of the ones who wanted to run a previous event that was canceled...those folks were apparently promised refunds that they never received.  The lesson learned here is to beware the hype (the Jungle Cup was billed as "the toughest 5K of your life") and pay attention to the feedback on the Facebook page for the event.

My buddy and I ran the Mid-Atlantic Spring Tough Mudder, and in this case, TMHQ redeemed themselves.  Not only was the course much better, with some of the newer obstacles, but the spectators now had a route map showing them how to get between obstacles.  They wouldn't get to see all of the obstacles, but the spectators routes cut through the center of the venue with the course zig-zagging back and forth over the routes.  This was a marked change to previous events, which seemed to be focused solely on course and not so much on letting spectators support their friends.

The weekend of 8 June 2013, my wife and I were going to run the Virginia Beach Tough Mudder in Charles City, VA, but the event was canceled...because of too much mud.  Seriously.  Ironic, I know.  We were told the course itself was fine, but that parking would be a mess (delaying people actually getting into and then out of the venue) and that the medical vehicles that they had could not get to and from the obstacles in a timely manner.  With the overall safety concerns, the event was canceled and we are attempting to transfer our registration to the Mid-Atlantic Fall TM.

Events I plan to do/have signed up for:
Savage Race - 20 July (registered)
Super Spartan - 24 Aug (registered)
Mid-Atlantic Fall Tough Mudder - 19 Oct (transferring registration)

First Post

As I mentioned in the description for this blog, I have a technical blog, but I wanted to do something separate for something else I enjoy...running mud/obstacle events.  At this point, I've run a number of them, and I plan to run more, simply because I enjoy running them.  I was recently at an event (well, it was canceled) with a number of other folks who had never run the event before...and the conversation kept turning to advice, such as them asking what I did to train, strategies for the various obstacles, etc.

Blogging
A number of years ago, a friend was going overseas with the Peace Corps and wanted an easy means for keeping people back home informed and up-to-date as to what was going on. I suggested that she start a blog, and she did...and it was a great success.

One of the things I like about blogs is that they allow me to document my experiences and share them with others who are interested. A blog is also a great means for keeping a journal...I had some friends start their own blog recently as part of their mission trips to Africa and Asia.

Finally, there are (at least there were) services that you could use to turn your blog into a book. I haven't tried this, but for someone who spends two years in Romania with the Peace Corps, being able to go back and look at those experiences at any point in the future can be priceless, particularly if it's something you want to make available to your kids.

My intention for this blog is to allow me to document what I've done, so that over time, I can look back and see where I've been.  I think that sometimes it's good to reflect on our journeys.  As someone who is one of the older individuals to run these events, I hope that someone finds something useful in what I have to share about these events, whether it be a recommendation on training, of where to stay at a venue, or just how to get started.

My background
I attended VMI in the late '80s, and in addition to academics, the school had (and still has) physical fitness requirements. I was on scholarship, so I had additional fitness requirements. For those of you who aren't familiar with VMI, they have an arduous initiation period for freshmen referred to as the Rat Line, which for us, culminated in Break Out, a rather intense, muddy affair.

While attending VMI, the physical requirements continued well after the Rat Line, and after my junior year, I attended the Marine Corps Officer Candidate School (OCS), a 6 week evaluation course referred to as "Bulldog". The physical requirements were intensive, and included fitness tests, obstacle course runs for time, and a leadership reaction course, which required each squad leader to get a squad of Marines, with their gear, and usually some other impediment (casualty, ammo cans, cargo drums, etc.) through a problem or over an obstacle. These events were timed, and preceded by some sort of arduous physical event.

After graduation, I was commissioned into the USMC, and the initial training period (at The Basic School) included a number of physical fitness events, including the endurance course, in which you ran the Marine Corps Obstacle Course, picked up your gear, and ran a 10K course through the woods, the second half of which included obstacles such as walls, windows, cargo nets, rope climbs, etc.

My posts to this blog will cover training (I'm not a certified physical trainer, I'll just be sharing what I do), upcoming events, places to stay, and anything else mudder-related that comes along.