Episode 45 – Kick That Bell

In this episode Laurie and Daniel catch up on the latest news coming out of the world of OCR including Spartan Races and ROC Races. We also interview Charity Fick from GoMommyGo.run and talk Mud Mulisha. [Read more…]

An App for Ultimate Obstacle Races

The fitness industry has seen some strange trends come and go, and one that is currently making waves are those muddy, obstacle runs that push participants to their limits. From the outside you can clearly see how intense these competitions can get, but no one can really understand how challenging they are until they participate in one, as IdeaFit.com explain that these workouts have the ability to push you to the limit – both physically and mentally.

If this is the type of challenge you’re up for, then it’s high time you start training. To give you that jumpstart you need, it’s recommended that you use your smartphone to whip you into shape. Because of the popularity of apps today, mobile apps have become the most useful tool across the world to source content according to the operators of mobile-optimized website, Spin Genie. Thus, apps allow us to conveniently rely on our smartphones for most everyday situations. A study from Statista indicates that “health and fitness” is one of the top app categories downloaded from the iTunes App Store, and so for anyone wondering if their mobile device could be used for fitness training, even for the most obscure sports like obstacle races, we can confirm that your phone can help you physically prepare for race day of any kind.

A couple years ago, the makers of the world’s best-selling obstacle race book decided to launch a mobile app suitable for both the beginner and experienced racers, and everyone in between. With comprehensive training plans and detailed exercises for all levels of fitness, the Ultimate Obstacle Race Training app is the only digital companion you need to ready your mind and body for these types of races. iPhone and iPad users can purchase this all-inclusive app for just $1.99 on iTunes.

 

 

If you’re also looking for an app that catalogues upcoming obstacle and mud races, an iOS race finder app is also available for users in the UK and US. The app is free and displays all the listings for 2015 and 2016.

This blog post was sponsored by Ultimate Obstacle Race Training app

Episode 44 – Back from the Dead

This episode Laurie interviews Dirk Hagen from The Zombie Blood Run and we talk about the fall of Lozilu Women’s Mud Run. Mud Gear Compression Socks get reviewed, and we also explain our long hiatus and why we had to take a break from Obstacle Racing and Podcasting.

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Episode 43 – Wings for Life

In this episode Laurie interviews Aaron Baker, the Ambassador for Wings for Life World Run. Plus Daniel has a few news items. [Read more…]

Episode 42 – Breaking Skulls with Heather Hudson

In this episode we interview Heather Hudson who was the season 1 champion of Steve Austin’s Broken Skull Challenge on the CMT Network. We also break down the latest news news from the world of OCR.

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Episode 41 – Atlas Race Reboot

In this episode we interview Lance Landers from Atlas Race and talk what what’s new in 2015. We also talk about all of the recent Tough Mudder news.

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Mini Episode – The Battlegrounds

In this mini episode, Laurie interviews Carl Bolm from The Battlegrounds in St. Louis. [Read more…]

Episode 40 – The Latest Dirt

Laurie and Daniel return to talk about all of the latest dirt in the world of Obstacle Racing. OCR World Champions, Warrior Dash World Championships, and more.

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Episode 39 – No Beer for You!

Laurie and Daniel recap the Run Disney Disneyland Half Marathon. We are joined by Chris Cow to recap The Terrain Mud Run. Yishai Horowitz joins us to talk about Mud Mash. We also have our training tip as well as our video of the week. [Read more…]

Hardcore Fun in the UK – Insane Terrain Review

Greetings from a sunny UK and a warm welcome to an insight into the OCR scene across the Atlantic Ocean!

My name is Simon Goss and my hope is to give you an idea of what obstacle races are like over here that are not only native to the UK, but also how the ‘larger’ events that make the hop across the ocean compare to their bigger brothers, Stateside.

The focus of this review is an event that’s part of a series, based in the East of England, called Insane Terrain…. and it was my mission to see just how insane this could be!

Insane Terrain

Insane Terrain coined their own slogan ‘Hardcore Fun’, and offer a race that is suitable to Elite runners and ‘fun’ runners alike. Upon arrival at the Ipswich race, not too far from the eastern coast in England, the event village was located in an open field with the start line clearly visible and track leading off into a nearby set of trees, not really offering any clue as to what lay ahead.

A very relaxed atmosphere was buzzing around. Although at first glance there appeared to be a fairly limited amount of stalls, but upon further inspection it appeared what was there, ticked every possible box, including the event stall, offering t shirts etc and a health food stall, offering a variety of energy bars and gels for both before and after the race. The presence of a decent first aid stall and on site ambulance filled everyone with confidence and a local radio station provided the background music to get everyone pumped for their wave to start!

It wasn’t long before I was lining upon the start line, along side many other excited looking racers, including a good friend of mine who was about to experience his first obstacle race! After a quick warm up with a trainer perched on the back of a truck, we were off and heading toward the tree line ahead!

The course, itself was based at an equestrian centre and used a mix of natural terrain, horse jumps and some specifically made obstacles for this event. A good course design soon separated the the ‘serious’ from the ‘fun’ runners as we headed over a selection of barrel type jumps before heading up a very soft sandy hill which really punished the legs within 1k of the start!

Mud Crawl

What laid ahead was a variety of jumps, balance beams, river runs, net crawls, mud crawls, under wire river crawls (lots of crawling!) and even a bridge jump into a river! These were separated by a variety of runs which included steep forest trails, open fields, zig zag up and down steep hills and even a swamp walk which tested even the most experienced OCR fan!

The 5K course offered an interesting option that I’ve not experienced at other events before, where you could decide at the end of your first 5K if you wanted to continue on for a second lap and therefore do the 10K race! This turned out to be an excellent option for people who were new to obstacle racing and had perhaps underestimated the effect of mud and obstacles on a normal run.

All this mixed together meant for a fantastic course which really tested the abilities of the runners and this is where the distance option at the end of the first 5k really paid off. My friend decided to take their offer and headed for the finish line as I grabbed some water from the drinks station and went the other way and set off for a second loop!

Upon reaching the finish line, we were greeted with friendly faces offering water, energy gels, an event t shirt and even a nice medal!

Insane Terrain Finish

 

Off to the side, they had a hose system setup so you could wash away most the mud and separate changing tents for ladies and gents, which is not always the case here in the UK, and I’ve become an expert at washing from water bottles and changing in my car!

GOOD POINTS

– Reasonable entry fee
– T shirt and medal included
– Option during the race as to distance (5k or 10k)
– Excellent for beginners
– Fantastic marshalling

BAD POINTS
Could do with more larger obstacles (walls etc)
– Ran out of shirts for later finishers, drinks bottles and towels given instead

Bottom Line
It was an excellent event, both hardcore and fun, suitable for both experienced and new runners alike and I will definitely be taking part again next year!

Insane Terrain Medals

 


Meet the Author ~

Hi, I’m Simon, just a regular British dad of 2 kids (and a dog) with a very understanding wife who understands my love of playing guitar and obstacle racing.

An ex amateur football (soccer) player, I found OCR in 2013 and have an ever growing collection of medals, t shirts and calendar entries for future races!

simon