The things that have worked for me do not always work for
everyone, but I share my training tips with those looking to bring
up their game. As one of the older guys in the sport, I did my
first obstacle event in the early 90’s and then in 1995 thru 1997.
What I have learned from my experiences is first, you have to
train in the environment you will be competing in. Trail types
of runs require trail type training at least 50% of it. The weather
is a big factor so try to do some training in weather similar to
what you expect to run in. I do 90% of my training runs in
the heat of the day. (This is what I do and in no way
am I advocating focusing all of your training
in hot weather). Second, you cannot train
doing 3 mile runs for a 5 mile event, not
happening. You have to put in the miles.
Third, mix up your training with some
biking to work different muscles. You
will be surprised how this helps you
in developing your longer stretches
of running. Fourth, OCR requires
focus on lots of upper body and
pulling type exercises. Your body
weight is the #1 thing you will be
pulling around in a race so use
it to train with. Pull-ups, by
far, will help you through most
obstacles. Fifth, trail shoes are
important in your improvement
in the sport. Start looking into running
in the minimal type of shoes or close to
them if possible. They are designed to
grip the terrain better and also help you
change your gait over time to be a more
efficient runner. Finally, pick fellow
runners brain for tips and ideas to find
what best suits you and your style of
running.
See you out in the mud soon,
Spider-monkey Joe
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