Tag Archives: featured

I have no issue admitting that I wear tights, well not tights exactly, but... for training. If you have been reading my "'Till Killington" articles, you will note that I have been doing far more running than I detailed out in my OCRAddicts Workout Routine article. Unfortunately, I haven't been able to do as much running as I think I will need to have in the bag before Killington so I have been on the hunt for something that can take my running to the next level and allow the workouts that I do log to be more effective. Physiclo thinks they may have the answer.

If you haven't heard, there is a lot of news buzzing about BattleFrog today. Many are indicating that the company is closing its doors and there seems to be a lack of official press releases. However, it is my opinion that new reporting should be based on fact and not social media buzz.

There are three elements to the Spartan Delta's endurance trifecta. Having captured one piece at the beginning of the year by surviving Norm's New Jersey Ultra Beast course, I had decided that I would do whatever it takes this year to get the others and complete the Trifecta. My Hurricane Heat would come from Boston, and the final piece of the pie would come from none other than Palmerton and the HH12HR-021, lead by Mr. Rob Barger.

If you have done one, you have done them all. I have heard that plenty of times regarding Spartan Race. The difference between Sprint races isn't really its obstacles, it is the different courses. Palmerton has its own unique characteristics, as does Ohio, and the same goes for Tuxedo. Each year I come back to this mountain expecting something new and different. Each year builds on all the positives from the previous year, with one exception. More on that later.

With each race series jockeying for the podium, the racers find themselves with more options than ever. OCR has grown into a multi-billion dollar sport and finding a race near you becomes easier each year. Network Television has been booming with OCR coverage and Tough Mudder has announced that they will follow suit. TM will introduce a new race series as well as a broadcast event dubbed Toughest Mudder.

Over the last few years, I have grown quite comfortable with the Spartan Race obstacles. I can tackle most of them without issue. There are the few like the rig, the spear throw, and the Z-wall that usually have me doing burpees. Sometimes it is because of environmental issues (mud), sometimes it is because of grip strength, and sometimes it is just because the Spartan gods have a great sense of humor. In an effort to stay fresh and learn something new, I wanted to see what the Spartan Obstacle Specialist course was all about, and if the money spent on it would be worth the time and the effort.

There is one thing I love to do more on the course than running; it is talking to people. When I run with a group, we tackle the open heat; it is just more fun. I get the great privilege of talking with people on the course; and for many of them, it is usually their first or second Spartan Race. If there is one thing I can take away from most of these discussions, it is that people had little to no guidance before race day.

It seems like there are too many of us dedicated to just one race series. Think about it, imagine eating vanilla ice cream your entire life but always hearing about how awesome chocolate was, and never trying it. That is what OCR seems like. Many of us know there are other races out there, what we don't know is that we just might like them. Some of us that run with the big boys (Spartan, Tough Mudder, etc) have a tendency to forget that there are plenty of other fish in this pond. Unfortunately, many of the smaller organizers don't have the capital or resources to put together 60+ events all over the country or spend a million dollars a month in advertising; if you happen to hear that they are coming to your town, you may want to seriously consider trying them out. Get your spoon out of the vanilla, and think about the chocolate...

"Are you ready?" is the question they ask you at Conquer the Gauntlet. CTG announced their pro team earlier this year and I was chomping at the bit to try one of their courses; I was like a bull looking for a red flag. CTG's Pro Team includes the likes of Matt Willis (whom you’ll be seeing soon on a certain Greek named show you may heard of), everyone’s favorite Death Racing Badger, Christina “HB” Armstrong, Nikki Call and Nathan “Napalm” Palmer to just name a few. Who wouldn’t want a piece of that action?

To be completely honest with you, I had been pretty siloed in OCR over the last few years. It wasn't until OCRAddict popped up that I was interested in anything other than Spartan Races; it was like wearing blinders the whole time. There had been the occasional hankering to try a Tough Mudder, just for comparison, but outside of that, there wasn't much interest. Recently, when the opportunity to run a Savage Race came along, I couldn't resist. I had to see what else was out there.