Obstacle Mud Runner - issue 08

ForEliteAtheletes to FunRunners 9 RACE : PREPARATION 01732 452404 water, keeping you cold and making you feel heavy as you trudge around the course. Running shorts & socks will be quick drying and if you choose to wear leggings you might avoid a few bruises and scratches on your knees (but might have a few holes in said leggings), if you are running with a team and have had matching t-shirts made up, hopefully they are made from a technical material that will maintain comfort as you run, but if they have unfortunately chosen a cotton or a blend, then wearing a quick-drying baselayer underneath can help not only keep you a bit warmer but also to avoid any unwanted chafing. A very important point to remember when picking clothing to wear for you mud run is the colour – white should be avoided as you may never get the stains out, whereas bright colours should be encouraged wherever possible – it makes it so much easier to find post-race photos of yourself afterwards! SIDENOTE: If you have chosen to run in fancy dress then good luck to you, why not try a few practice runs in your costume so you know what to expect on the day... How to Prepare for Your First Mud Run: Race Day After plenty of preparation and practice, you finally make it to race day. Has it seem like it’s crept up a lot faster than you were expecting it to? You might be staying in a hotel or be getting up incredibly early to drive to your venue, so the last thing you want is anything to go wrong on the day. Here are a few tips to bear in mind on that all-important morning. n Eat your breakfast! Hopefully you’ve been eating something before each of your training runs – stick to what you know and make sure you have fuel in your body before taking on this challenge. The race itself will likely be a bit harder than the training runs leading up to it so you’ll need the energy. On another note, pre-race is not the time to try out anything new, eg. energy gels if you haven’t tried them before – the last thing you want is to discover that it wasn’t mud that turned your shorts that colour.. n Warm up! Most races have a group warm up and safety briefing before they set you off – not only will this be your first taste of mud for the day but a good, relevant warm up will get your mind and body in the right place to perform well. n Bring a towel! Pack the boot of your car with towels, wet wipes and spare clothes. Some event will only offer a cold hose for cleaning up afterwards – and that’s if you’re lucky enough to have anything at all. Getting dry and changed as quickly as possible means you can enjoy the event village, strutting around in your newly earned finishers’ t-shirt. n Think technique! If you hit a particularly deep muddy patch – spreading your weight and crawling through may prevent you from getting stuck. If you do find yourself in deep mud – lift your feet out with your toes rather than your heels to avoid your new trail shoes getting sucked right off your feet! Hopefully you will have tied your laces tight of course, nobody wants to be re-tying shoelaces in thick mud. n Get stuck in! If you find an obstacle scary or it looks daunting – don’t hesitate just give it a go. Remember that everyone around you is there to help, whether it be helping you over a wall, dragging you out of mud or just offering words of encouragement – helping each other is what OCR is all about. n Have fun! No matter what reason you are taking on this event for, the most important thing to do is enjoy yourself – there are not many other instances in life when getting muddy and playing on climbing frames and large structures are so readily encouraged. Hit that slide head first, show the hills who’s boss and just sprint through anything that might electrocute you! As soon as you’ve crossed the finish line, you’ll be counting the days until you can do it again. As soon as you’ve crossed the finish line, you’ll be counting the days until you can do it again. Quick tip: Check the race location on a map or Google Maps before heading out – some events are based on farms, military bases or random locations that Satnavs are unfamiliar with