Be Early
Most popular mud races attract thousands of racers. And when you try to squeeze thousands of people into a relatively small space, there are inevitably long lines to park, sign-in and check gear. There are plenty of horror stories about how long people had to wait to park, and if you look at mud run reviews, long lines tend to be the number one thing people complain about. So expect that and plan to arrive a few hours before your race and enjoy warming up, previewing the course, and taking some pictures. Plenty of events will let you race early if there is room.
Warm-Up
Yes, a good warm-up can prevent injuries, but did you know that it will enhance performance? If you are running competitively (even against yourself), you must devote 12 minutes or more to getting the blood flowing and opening up the capillaries. It is only after you warm-up for that time period that all of your capillaries will be open and the blood will be moving so that you can run your fastest and give your best effort in the race. So spend some time jogging, and do a few sprints and push-ups.
Position Yourself Well
Each wave of an obstacle course can be quite packed, especially in popular events. And when the gun goes off, most of the racers will start running much faster than they will be able to keep up. So you have a decision to make: join the sprinters or hang back? It really depends on your fitness level and your goals. If you want to be competitive and you can maintain an initial sprint, then it is very beneficial to begin with a sprint. The reason why is because the first few obstacles can get very crowded, and you will lose a few minutes waiting in line if you don't beat the crowds to the first few obstacles.
If you are not aiming for a competitive time, you might consider hanging back a little while, and then enjoy passing people as they slow down. If you are at all intimidated by the first obstacle, this is a good strategy because if you stick with the rest of the crowd, you will have to tackle the obstacle with a lot of people who are anxious to be on their way. If you take it easy at the beginning, you will be around less competitive participants when you tackle your first obstacles.
Stay Positive
Half of the battle when it comes to many obstacles is the mental blocks that you will encounter. Races don't disclose the specific obstacles on the course, so that you have that "uh oh, I didn't know I was going to have to do that!" feeling when you first spot an obstacle. Our survival instincts kick in and tell us not to get near the fire, get shocked or climb 50 feet up on a tower. All of these intrinsic, natural and healthy fears can trigger that panicked feeling in your gut as you approach an obstacle. But instead of letting yourself wallow in this fear, use the time as you are approaching the obstacle to watch how other people are completing it successfully (or unsuccessfully as the case may be).
Most popular mud races attract thousands of racers. And when you try to squeeze thousands of people into a relatively small space, there are inevitably long lines to park, sign-in and check gear. There are plenty of horror stories about how long people had to wait to park, and if you look at mud run reviews, long lines tend to be the number one thing people complain about. So expect that and plan to arrive a few hours before your race and enjoy warming up, previewing the course, and taking some pictures. Plenty of events will let you race early if there is room.
Warm-Up
Yes, a good warm-up can prevent injuries, but did you know that it will enhance performance? If you are running competitively (even against yourself), you must devote 12 minutes or more to getting the blood flowing and opening up the capillaries. It is only after you warm-up for that time period that all of your capillaries will be open and the blood will be moving so that you can run your fastest and give your best effort in the race. So spend some time jogging, and do a few sprints and push-ups.
Position Yourself Well
Each wave of an obstacle course can be quite packed, especially in popular events. And when the gun goes off, most of the racers will start running much faster than they will be able to keep up. So you have a decision to make: join the sprinters or hang back? It really depends on your fitness level and your goals. If you want to be competitive and you can maintain an initial sprint, then it is very beneficial to begin with a sprint. The reason why is because the first few obstacles can get very crowded, and you will lose a few minutes waiting in line if you don't beat the crowds to the first few obstacles.
If you are not aiming for a competitive time, you might consider hanging back a little while, and then enjoy passing people as they slow down. If you are at all intimidated by the first obstacle, this is a good strategy because if you stick with the rest of the crowd, you will have to tackle the obstacle with a lot of people who are anxious to be on their way. If you take it easy at the beginning, you will be around less competitive participants when you tackle your first obstacles.
Stay Positive
Half of the battle when it comes to many obstacles is the mental blocks that you will encounter. Races don't disclose the specific obstacles on the course, so that you have that "uh oh, I didn't know I was going to have to do that!" feeling when you first spot an obstacle. Our survival instincts kick in and tell us not to get near the fire, get shocked or climb 50 feet up on a tower. All of these intrinsic, natural and healthy fears can trigger that panicked feeling in your gut as you approach an obstacle. But instead of letting yourself wallow in this fear, use the time as you are approaching the obstacle to watch how other people are completing it successfully (or unsuccessfully as the case may be).
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