Gettin' Back Into It...

I was recently traveling for about two weeks, and didn't have the opportunity to work out...also, I wanted to

use the time to let my body recover a bit, and this trip seemed like a good interlude.  Before I left, I wrote some notes to myself about things that I wanted to pick up with my training when I got back...things like adding burpees back into my workouts more regularly, doing more sprint work while running, such as hill repeats, fartleks, etc.  Some of this stuff I'd done 30 years ago in high school, and it worked then...so, employed judiciously, there's no reason why it shouldn't work now, right?

Once I got back, I started getting back into the swing of things.  

So, I did my first Pyramid of Pain workout since returning...the exercises for this pyramid were:

Burpees x 3

Pull ups  x 1

Sit up     x 1

The sit ups aren't just straight sit ups...they're a sprinter sit up, but with my hands up closer to my head.    I do not lace my fingers behind my head because I don't want to start pulling my head forward.  Also, after I had finished my sit ups at each level, I'd do two V-sits.  When I finish pyramid work outs, I will do rounds of push ups, pull ups, and sit ups...this time, there was only one additional round.  There will be more in upcoming work outs.  

For this pyramid work out, I repeated level 10, so the totals were:

330 burpees

110 pull ups

110 sit ups

I'm doing more burpees for a couple of reasons.  One, they're a great exercise, and you can do them anywhere.  I like (well, like may not be the right word) to not only do them before or during a gym workout, but they're great to do while I'm out running...I can stop and do 10, 15, or more burpees, and then go on.   Two, I'm signed up for the DC Spartan Sprint as well as the VA Super Spartan, and I usually end up doing burpees on the spear toss.  Also, I tend to run these events with someone, and will do burpees with them if they miss an obstacle.

I'm also adding more chin ups to my work out, because they simulate the grip used on a rope climb much

better than a pull up.  I'm still doing pull ups, weighted (40 lb work out vest, or hold a 25 lb dumbell between my feet) and unweighted, too...all of this also helps develop my grip.  In addition, doing pull ups with my hands at shoulder width simulates the grip used for the Tough Mudder's Funky Monkey, as well as the Savage Race's monkey bars...that saw-tooth in the middle adds a level of difficulty that catches a lot of people.

Last night, after work I went for a run...and tried to work in some fartleks.  I could still feel some tightness in my calves from my burpees, but I warmed up a bit before I got started.  The air was a bit warmer than it has been in a while, and I found myself breathing a bit easier.  I had purposely intended to wait until it got warmer in the morning, but by the time I got out from under what I was working on, it was around the time kids got home from school.  I felt really good on the run, and spend most of it in the grassy areas, making sure to run on uneven surfaces.  Yes, of course it was much easier to run on the sidewalk or road, but I'm not looking for easier.  I was also sure to do hill work...running up and down and back up even some short, albeit steep, hills.  The reason for this is that a LOT of the these events include some hill work and on the last Tough Mudder, we saw a lot of people falling by the wayside due to overuse strains in their calves and the backs of their legs.

Overall, great run.  

Upcoming Events

Here are some upcoming events in or near the area where I live...I'm not planning to do all of them, I just wanted to put the list out.  I've registered (as of 23 Mar 2014) for the events with the * by them.

*Torch Run 10K/21K - 6 April, Lexington, VA (benefits the Special Olympics)

Mud Dog Run 5K - 26 April, Frederick, MD

Rugged Maniac 5K - 3 May, Petersburg, VA

*VA Tough Mudder - 14 June, Doswell, VA

*DC Spartan Sprint - 26 July, Wicomico Motorsports Park, Charlotte Hall, MD

*Spartan Race (Super) - 23 August, Nellie's Ford, VA

The Big Hooyah - 13 Sept, Richmond, VA

Spartan Race (Beast) - 25 October, South Carolina

BattleFrog - I recently read about this one, and it appears that they're holding a DC event 19 & 20 July, in Hedgesville, WV.

Winter Training

Source: Men's Fitness

Training in the winter can be tough, due to inclement weather.  In recent weeks, it's been very hard to get out and run, simply due to the accumulation of snow.  One can dress for the temperature, sure...where it gets really dangerous is simply being out.  The snow has to go somewhere, and often where the plow guys put the snow, safe running areas are covered.  Then, during the day, direct sunlight melts some of the snow, which refreezes when the sun goes down, making even cleared areas a hazard.  Add that to the number of people who do not clear accumulated snow and ice off of their vehicles before driving, and don't turn their lights on during times of low light...not to mention texting while they're driving...and I am simply not going outside for a run.

So what do you do?  There's actually quite a lot that you can do.  Here's a great workout I started doing at the beginning of the year...the Pyramid of Pain.  I started doing this workout with three exercises...pullups, pushups, and body weight squats.  I made sure that with the squats, I sat deeply into the squat, with my butt touching the backs of my calves, and I made sure to push through my heals, to the point of raising my toes during the exercise.  The exercise multipliers were: pullups x 1, pushups and squats x 3.  Based on how the pyramid works, when you've completed it, you'll have done 100 pullups, and 300 each of the pushups and squats.

The key to my training this year is variation, so I kept mixing it up.  I only do this  pyramid-type workout once a week, at most.  I usually start with a set or two of light warm up exercises, work straight through the pyramid, and then finish up with whatever I have energy and time for, which can vary.  Toward the end of January, I added sprinter situps to the mix...see the image above.  I make this a two-count exercise...one for each side.  Rather than doing a bunch of abs at the beginning and end of my workout, I added this exercise to do it throughout, with the multiplier of x 1.

Source: Women's Health Mag

This past week, I switched it up again.  Instead of body weight squats, I did lunges, which is a two-count exercise (see the image to the left). So the multipliers were pullups x 1, pushups x 3, lunges x 3, and situps x 1.  To add a just a bit to the pyramid, I repeated the "top" set, so in the end, I'd completed 110 pullups and situps, and 330 pushups and lunges.  Last year, I did sets of lunges starting at 200, and then going up to 300...and they took a lot out of me.  The same is true, even with this rotation.

One thing I did find was that doing the lunges takes a bit longer than doing b/w squats, so your muscles get a bit of a rest.  To compensate for this, I do the lunges as fast as I can while maintaining good form.  Overall, this is a very tough workout.

For those who don't have the time or fitness level, or don't want to do the entire pyramid, a great variation is to go up to level 5 and back down.  That would give you 25 of each exercise with a multiplier of 1.  If you're just getting started, try doing pushups x 1, and 1 pullup, at each level; that would give you 25 pushups and 9 pullups.  As you progress, do the pyramid again.

With a little imagination and strict adherence to form, it's not hard to get a good workout at home or in a small space, when you're not able to get outside, or when doing so simply isn't safe.

Getting Ready

I know, I haven't blogged in a while...it's the winter season and there aren't a lot of opportunities for mud or obstacle runs when it's below freezing at night.

What I have done for the new year is make a concerted effort to modify my training; rather than the same cycle I was doing over and over...run, lift, run, lift...I wanted to mix it up and try some new things.  Actually, I started early...I started in with this new stuff on 30 Dec.  ;-)

I'm tracking some...albeit not all...workouts on 4x6 note cards, not just to keep track but to also keep a record and see how much I can improve.  When I do weight-lifting (including cycles of pullups and pushups with a 40lb weight vest), I don't usually record those workouts.

The first workout, on 30 Dec, was cycling through three exercises...burpees, pullups, and V-sits.  Totals, spread across 6 sets (started with 30 burpees as a warm-up on set 0):

Burpees: 235
Pullups: 70
V-sits: 215

On 3 Jan, I did another cycle workout, this one with burpees, pullups, 2-ct situps and 4-ct flutter kicks.  Totals:

Burpees: 305
Pullups: 86
Situps: 115
flutter kicks: 280

Since then, I've done what I refer to as Champe hill repeats; there's a high school in my neighborhood with a hill in front of it, and running to the top and back down to the corner is probably close to 1/2 mile.  What I'll do is start with a 2+ mile run in the neighborhood to warm up, and then do hill repeats...but I'll run some of the legs carrying an old tire that I found.  On 13 Jan, I did a 6x hill repeat run, carrying a tire on legs 1, 3, 4, and 6.  On 15 Jan, I did a 5x hill repeat run, carrying a tire on legs 1, 3, and 5.

Today, I did another cycle workout, one I called a "modified Murph".  The "Murph" is a WOD named for Navy SEAL Lt Michael Murphy, and here's an excellent rendition of the story behind the man.  The WOD consists of run 1 mile, then do 100 pullups, 200 pushups, 300 squats, and then run 1 mile.  I did a modified version of the WOD, as I didn't have time to get out today before it got dark...so my version was:

150 V-sits
106 pullups
310 pushups
390 body weight squats
180 flutter kicks

So...nothing to do but keep going.  Mud on!

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.