![\"Man](\"https:\/\/content.artofmanliness.com\/uploads\/\/2015\/04\/14215925099_3da65b9425_z.jpg\")
<\/p>\n<\/p>\n
Editor’s note: This is a guest post from Jason Fitzgerald<\/a>. (header image source<\/a>)<\/em><\/p>\n Over the last five years, obstacle course races have evolved from a fringe sport to a normal weekend hobby.<\/p>\n Enter any Warrior Dash and you\u2019ll see athletes of all shapes, sizes, and fitness levels on the starting line ready to cross the race off their bucket list. In fact, many of the runners at these events have only done a handful of road races and wouldn\u2019t even classify themselves as \u201crunners.\u201d<\/p>\n And I think this is a great <\/em>thing! As obstacle course races (OCR) have become more approachable, they\u2019re helping more couch potatoes get in better shape and lead an active lifestyle. Nothing wrong with that.<\/p>\n But of course, it creates a big opportunity for those runners who are <\/em>in shape and want to crush an obstacle race — those who don’t simply want to finish it or run most of it, but want to compete and see where they stand with the other die-hard OCR athletes.<\/p>\n If you want to push yourself and finish as close to the front of the pack as possible, there are certain elements of obstacle course racing you must consider and prepare for during training. As you can imagine, these events require a more balanced level of fitness and athleticism than a traditional road race.<\/p>\n In 2012, I myself won the Maryland Warrior Dash<\/a> by over a minute, beating nearly 17,000 other people. I\u2019m not the most gifted athlete, but the chasm between \u201ctrained runner\u201d and \u201caverage Joe\u201d was wide and I took advantage of it. I think you can, too.<\/p>\n The training, expectations, and race strategy you employ will require a unique approach. And to truly excel at obstacle races, you\u2019ll need to prepare accordingly.<\/p>\n Let\u2019s get started. The hard work begins now.<\/p>\n Having a versatile skill set of strength, endurance, and speed will help you conquer the challenge of competing in any obstacle race. And being in better shape will surely make the event more fun since you\u2019ll struggle less. Let\u2019s focus on sound training so you can enjoy <\/em>the race instead of just surviving it.<\/p>\n The most important things to keep in mind:<\/p>\n 1. Ask yourself where you’re at, and where you want to be.<\/strong> Before starting to train, assess your starting level of fitness, goals, and what you\u2019d like to accomplish.<\/p>\n You should know:<\/p>\n Identify your strengths and weaknesses and compare them to your upcoming race so you can train appropriately.<\/p>\n 2. Give yourself enough time to train.<\/strong> If you\u2019re an active runner or strength athlete, give yourself about 6-8 weeks of specific obstacle race training to prepare to dominate the race. If you\u2019re new to running or fitness in general, you\u2019ll likely need 12-16 weeks to train appropriately.<\/p>\n Remember, we\u2019re training to be competitive<\/em>, not just finish the race.<\/p>\n 3. Run a lot.<\/strong> There\u2019s no getting around the fact that obstacle races are running <\/em>races first and tests of strength and agility second. If you\u2019re not training for endurance with consistent running every week, long runs, and workouts that build aerobic fitness, you won\u2019t compete nearly as well.<\/p>\n 4. Build well-rounded strength.<\/strong> Traversing obstacles requires a basic amount of strength. Thankfully, you don\u2019t need to be the next pro strongman, but familiarity and proficiency with basic bodyweight<\/a> or resistance band exercises<\/a> will dramatically help your performance.<\/p>\n Focus on basics like pull-ups<\/a>, push-ups, squats, and planks. A comprehensive weight-lifting program isn\u2019t necessary, but you may want to do some slightly more advanced medicine ball exercises<\/a> to help your strength gains.<\/p>\n These exercises will help you meet the demands of the race, including pulling yourself over walls, climbing monkey bars<\/a>, jumping over barriers, and crawling through tunnels.<\/p>\n 5. Increase your overall athleticism. <\/strong>Being strong and aerobically fit isn\u2019t enough to run a successful obstacle race. You also need agility, coordination, and general athleticism to give yourself an edge on a challenging course.<\/p>\n Dynamic flexibility exercises ensure you maintain a full range of motion and are a great way to warm up before any run. But the best way to prepare is to run some of your mileage on challenging trails. Trail running<\/a> forces you to navigate roots, rocks, fallen logs, mud, hills, and even stream crossings.<\/p>\n Local playgrounds also offer a perfect training ground<\/a> where you can practice playing like a child. Crawling exercises<\/a>, climbing, and balancing skills will transfer perfectly to obstacle racing.<\/p>\n These elements of preparation will help you succeed on race day. When you line up before the starting gun, you\u2019ll know<\/em> you\u2019re prepared — and proper preparation creates the best kind of confidence.<\/p>\n It\u2019s always important to train specifically <\/em>for the race that you\u2019re preparing for. This is why marathoners run long and 5k athletes train fast — they\u2019re building the specific fitness they need to be successful for their race.<\/p>\n Obstacle course races are unique because they combine running and strength components in a stop-and-start environment. It can be incredibly challenging and disorienting to \u201cpure\u201d runners who aren\u2019t use to this type of racing.<\/p>\n Circuit workouts are those that combine running at higher intensities with strength exercises — very similar to what you\u2019ll experience on race day. They provide endurance fitness gains, strength, and confidence to run when fatigue is already present.<\/p>\n This is just a sample of a successful circuit workout and should be modified based on your fitness level and goals. But it shows a template of a sound training session that you can emulate.<\/p>\n Instructions:<\/strong> After a dynamic warm-up and 10-20 minutes of easy running, complete the following circuit 1-3 times, resting only as much as necessary:<\/p>\n Finish with 10 minutes of easy running followed by dynamic stretching to help yourself cool down properly.<\/p>\n Workout Notes:<\/strong><\/p>\n Running a successful race requires more than fitness. You need a solid race strategy<\/a> and mindset for success.<\/p>\n Focus on what you can control the morning of your race so you can achieve all of your goals and have the best day possible.<\/p>\n Relax! <\/strong>Stress is normal and you\u2019ll naturally experience a small amount of anxiety before an obstacle race. Have fun with your friends, tell some jokes, and breathe normally. Remember: you\u2019ve prepared to compete and it\u2019s time to step up.<\/p>\n Never skip the warm up. <\/strong>Just like with any other race, you need a proper warm-up routine of easy running and dynamic flexibility exercises to get yourself loose and ready. A sound warm-up will also help prevent injuries on the race course. If you\u2019re warm and lightly sweating on the starting line, you\u2019re ready.<\/p>\n Line up in the right spot.<\/strong> Racers with goals of finishing with the top athletes should line up close to the starting line to avoid bottlenecks at the obstacles. But if you\u2019re not confident in your speed, or think too many other runners will be faster, then it\u2019s safe to line up in the middle or close to the back of the pack. No matter where you line up, always remember to give your loudest battle cry before the start!<\/p>\n Safety first. <\/strong>Every obstacle presents risks, but you should minimize them at all costs by covering them slowly and carefully. Races aren\u2019t won on the obstacles — they\u2019re won in-between obstacles with fast running. Assume every wall, barrier, and rope is slippery and covered with mud and proceed with caution. Don\u2019t hesitate to ask another runner for help — it\u2019s common and expected.<\/p>\n Enjoy yourself! <\/strong>Even though you want to compete, you\u2019re doing this to have fun, right? So don\u2019t take the race too seriously. Laugh. Smile. Enjoy the mud. Try to enjoy the electrocution (or something like that\u2026) and remember that you paid money <\/em>to be here.<\/p>\n There\u2019s a particular type of joy in pushing yourself to your full abilities, so leave everything on the race course and have fun with running hard and seeing what you\u2019re capable of accomplishing.<\/p>\n Obstacle races are unique tests of your physical and mental toughness. With the right training, you\u2019ll set yourself up for success and some major bragging rights.<\/p>\n Remember that most runners at OCRs are beginners. They\u2019re not super-athletes and you don\u2019t have to be, either. But if you want <\/em>to dominate your next obstacle course race, it just takes a smart approach and a willingness to work hard.<\/p>\n In my case, I didn\u2019t train specifically for the Warrior Dash that I ended up winning<\/em>. I was just in great 5k race shape and I do a lot of bodyweight strength work; the rest took care of itself. If you follow these guidelines, you\u2019ll surprise yourself at what you can accomplish.<\/p>\n And if you still have any questions, I want to answer as many as possible in the comments below.<\/strong><\/p>\n Ready? Let\u2019s hear your battle cry!<\/p>\n _____________________________<\/p>\n Jason Fitzgerald is a 2:39<\/span><\/span> marathoner and USA Track & Field certified coach. Get the latest training tips at Strength Running<\/a> – or sign up for a free email course<\/a> on injury prevention and how to run faster.<\/i>.<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Editor’s note: This is a guest post from Jason Fitzgerald. (header image source) Over the last five years, obstacle course races have evolved from a fringe sport to a normal weekend hobby. Enter any Warrior Dash and you\u2019ll see athletes of all shapes, sizes, and fitness levels on the starting line ready to cross the […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":13,"featured_media":47190,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[6,230,7],"tags":[],"yst_prominent_words":[],"class_list":["post-47155","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-featured","category-fitness","category-health-fitness"],"featured_image_urls":{"large":"https:\/\/content.artofmanliness.com\/uploads\/2015\/04\/14215925099_3da65b9425_z-538x280.jpg","reactor-320":"https:\/\/content.artofmanliness.com\/uploads\/2015\/04\/14215925099_3da65b9425_z-320x214.jpg","reactor-640":"https:\/\/content.artofmanliness.com\/uploads\/2015\/04\/14215925099_3da65b9425_z-640x427.jpg","rpwe-thumbnail":"https:\/\/content.artofmanliness.com\/uploads\/2015\/04\/14215925099_3da65b9425_z-45x45.jpg"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/beta.artofmanliness.com\/app-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/47155","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/beta.artofmanliness.com\/app-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/beta.artofmanliness.com\/app-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/beta.artofmanliness.com\/app-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/13"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/beta.artofmanliness.com\/app-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=47155"}],"version-history":[{"count":27,"href":"https:\/\/beta.artofmanliness.com\/app-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/47155\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":169958,"href":"https:\/\/beta.artofmanliness.com\/app-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/47155\/revisions\/169958"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/beta.artofmanliness.com\/app-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/47190"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/beta.artofmanliness.com\/app-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=47155"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/beta.artofmanliness.com\/app-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=47155"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/beta.artofmanliness.com\/app-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=47155"},{"taxonomy":"yst_prominent_words","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/beta.artofmanliness.com\/app-json\/wp\/v2\/yst_prominent_words?post=47155"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}Obstacle Race Training 101<\/h3>\n
\n
An Example Obstacle Race Workout<\/h3>\n
\n
\n
\n
\n
Race Execution: It\u2019s Time to Dominate<\/h3>\n