Give Yourself Some Extra Time
Mud Run venues are notoriously crowded; you will likely have to wait a while to park, pick up your race packet and check your gear. Sometimes venues are so ill-equipped to handle the volume of traffic that they receive that people may wait to park for more than an hour. So try to get there two hours early and find ways to get there that don't involve a car. If you have extra time, check out the obstacles you will have to tackle, take a few pictures, and if you're really antsy, you can try to run in an earlier wave.
Get Warmed 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 completing the course with your fastest time possible is not on your to-do-list for the race, then start towards the back of the starting line and don't try to keep up with the short-lived sprint. If you feel nervous about the course or about the first obstacle, then this game plan is ideal for you because you won't be around the competitive folks when it comes time for you to do the first obstacle. You can feel a little more relaxed knowing that people behind you aren't in a hurry.
Maintain a Positive Mindset
Obstacle course race designers intentionally use obstacles that will trigger anxiety in many of the contestants, so a big part of being successful is managing your fear. You usually won't know the specific obstacles that you will be doing until you see them, so our anxiety is easily triggered. Your body wants you to avoid danger, and it will of course send the message that the fire jump will hurt you. But rather than thinking about the danger, you should observe other participants and imagine yourself getting over that jump safely.
Mud Run venues are notoriously crowded; you will likely have to wait a while to park, pick up your race packet and check your gear. Sometimes venues are so ill-equipped to handle the volume of traffic that they receive that people may wait to park for more than an hour. So try to get there two hours early and find ways to get there that don't involve a car. If you have extra time, check out the obstacles you will have to tackle, take a few pictures, and if you're really antsy, you can try to run in an earlier wave.
Get Warmed 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 completing the course with your fastest time possible is not on your to-do-list for the race, then start towards the back of the starting line and don't try to keep up with the short-lived sprint. If you feel nervous about the course or about the first obstacle, then this game plan is ideal for you because you won't be around the competitive folks when it comes time for you to do the first obstacle. You can feel a little more relaxed knowing that people behind you aren't in a hurry.
Maintain a Positive Mindset
Obstacle course race designers intentionally use obstacles that will trigger anxiety in many of the contestants, so a big part of being successful is managing your fear. You usually won't know the specific obstacles that you will be doing until you see them, so our anxiety is easily triggered. Your body wants you to avoid danger, and it will of course send the message that the fire jump will hurt you. But rather than thinking about the danger, you should observe other participants and imagine yourself getting over that jump safely.
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