OCR/Mud Run Club

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  • yoovie
    yoovie Posts: 17,121 Member
    edited December 2014
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    I did the Tuxedo sprint and tbh I dont like the penalties part of Spartan. Spartan felt like everyone for themselves, shouldering people out of the way and general push and shove and MOVE OUT OF THE WAY and then, when you can't do something you tried to do three times, you are punished in front of your team. It just doesn't sit well with me.

    Tough Mudder felt more 'band of brothers' and your whole wave becomes your team. You finally make it through an obstacle, no matter how many tries it takes, you can stick around and help other competitors all you want and that extra energy usage felt more uplifting than wasting it on punishment.

    Not having done a Super or a Beast - I still think the Beast would be the Toughest of the three standard lengths - mostly depending on which particular course. Cause it's the individual courses in each tier of each series that would need to be compared. I've heard Vermont kills for both Spartan and TM.

    This past Tri-State TM in Jersey would crazy tough - but flat. The Capitol Region one was hilly as balls but relatively easy, so - my answer?

    one of the ones between 10 and 15 miles that happens to have the blessing of a mad difficult topography and course.

    Im hoping to do a Battlefrog as well, I gobbled up their whole website when I first heard about it.
  • veganbettie
    veganbettie Posts: 701 Member
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    lol i like that there are penalties. I feel like if i can't do something, i didn't earn that metal at the end, and the burpees make up for it.

    I'm sad you had a bad experience, everyone was so amazing and helpful at mine.

    the battlefrog seems intense.

    whats the distance on TMs?
  • yoovie
    yoovie Posts: 17,121 Member
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    I think they go from 10.5 to under 14.
  • Topsking2010
    Topsking2010 Posts: 2,245 Member
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    Bump
  • veganbettie
    veganbettie Posts: 701 Member
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    dang thats far. lol
  • esjones12
    esjones12 Posts: 1,363 Member
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    @yoovie - sorry to hear you had such an awful experience at Tuxedo. I had heard that originally about Spartan's (and dreaded doing it) but must confess I've ran into nothing but awesome supportive people on course! I've seen people handing over salt tabs and energy chews, have received assistance over walls from strangers, etc. Same experience I had with the two TM's I did. It is definitely the teamwork and commodore that I love most about OCR's.

    As far as "toughtest" - in my opinion, Spartan beats TM hands down. They have more brute force obstacles. TM obstacles tend to be more teamwork based. Spartan's tend to have rougher terrain as well. I did two TM's at 10 and 12 miles. Both were a walk in the park compared to Spartan's PA Sprint at Blue Mountain (a mere 4.5 miles). But then again I also did the Spartan OH Beast at 14.5 miles and found it easier than the PA Sprint as well. OH had brutal freezing weather with sleet, so it was incredibly mentally challenging. It is almost impossible to compare courses to each other. Every course I do seems to offer a new challenge - physically or mentally.

    I'm signed up for the Tri-State Battle Frog in June! Super excited to try it out :)
  • yoovie
    yoovie Posts: 17,121 Member
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    exactly! I feel certain courses are harder regardless of their series - and for those that are runners - the harder courses will be more strength or grit based, and for those - like me - that live in the weight room, the ones with more running than obstacles are tougher.

    so much relativity, so little time... the only answer is...

    DO THEM ALL!!!!!
  • yoovie
    yoovie Posts: 17,121 Member
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    ps my past with spartan will not stop me from following up my 10xmudder band with a trifecta medal

    b/c addictions dont care about preferences!
  • esjones12
    esjones12 Posts: 1,363 Member
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    Great strategy! And yes....it is interesting to try out the different styles and challenges. My friend at the gym is dead set on getting the Savage saw-tooth monkey bars this year, haha. To be honest I am already dreading the big slide obstacle thing at TM in April. I hate free falling. TM definitely does test your mental toughness more than Spartan. Most people can't get over the ice bath and electric shocks!
  • Laurochka
    Laurochka Posts: 140 Member
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    Yeah I found the Spartan sprint less team orientated than TM. I LOVE the TM atmosphere and am not so keen on the forfeits but find it does motivate me! It's a total addiction though! I don't think we have quite as big a choice in Scotland so I'm looking for some new races in 2015.
  • yoovie
    yoovie Posts: 17,121 Member
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    i cried on fire in your hole. I was so terrified of the part before you land on the actual slide, that part where youre airborn - but there was no way to turn around and go back either - unless you wanna go down 40 feet of rope wall with mud caked to your thighs all nice and slippy.

    But i was up there crying and somehow reached up and pulled my headband down around my neck subconsciously and just did it. i screamed bloody terror through the silent jersey woods.

    all the screams.

    10660278_10154915710520107_4448091862034777948_n.jpg?oh=d8002055e26d7b9c06837a255292e18f&oe=55041D5E&__gda__=1425874187_ca168e8267775b983f707092abf972d9
  • Benjinkan
    Benjinkan Posts: 1,107 Member
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    Was signed up to do a survival of the fittest last summer, but had to pull out as it clashed with an Archery comp.

    Aim to do a tough mudder in 2015 (and maybe survival of the fittest if the dates work out better)
  • esjones12
    esjones12 Posts: 1,363 Member
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    yoovie wrote: »
    i cried on fire in your hole. I was so terrified of the part before you land on the actual slide, that part where youre airborn - but there was no way to turn around and go back either - unless you wanna go down 40 feet of rope wall with mud caked to your thighs all nice and slippy.

    But i was up there crying and somehow reached up and pulled my headband down around my neck subconsciously and just did it. i screamed bloody terror through the silent jersey woods.

    all the screams.

    I just hate that free fall feeling. Like really hate it. So I'm sure it will require a huge surge of "just do it". Not a huge fan of "walk the plank" either. Second time around was easier than the first though.

    @benjinkan - what is survival of the fittest?
  • Benjinkan
    Benjinkan Posts: 1,107 Member
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    esjones12 wrote: »

    @benjinkan - what is survival of the fittest?

    Its an event held by Men's (and Women's) Fitness magazine. Basically a massive 10k obstacle course. Might be UK only though? Usually slightly less muddy than a TM.

  • veganbettie
    veganbettie Posts: 701 Member
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    That's a bad *kitten* picture yoovie.

    Spartan just posted the Malibu pictures yesterday. :)

    Now I REALLY want to do another. lol

    yqgwwyn7b4m5.jpg
  • yoovie
    yoovie Posts: 17,121 Member
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    nice arms!! B)
  • veganbettie
    veganbettie Posts: 701 Member
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    thank you. :) They are coming along nicely from carrying my rather large child...but they are still weak. I need to work on upper body strength for sure before my next OCR.
  • The_Enginerd
    The_Enginerd Posts: 3,982 Member
    edited December 2014
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    veganbettie wrote: »
    That's a bad *kitten* picture yoovie.

    Spartan just posted the Malibu pictures yesterday. :)

    Now I REALLY want to do another. lol

    yqgwwyn7b4m5.jpg

    Well you have 4 more chances in January ;)
  • The_Enginerd
    The_Enginerd Posts: 3,982 Member
    edited December 2014
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    esjones12 wrote: »
    @yoovie - sorry to hear you had such an awful experience at Tuxedo. I had heard that originally about Spartan's (and dreaded doing it) but must confess I've ran into nothing but awesome supportive people on course! I've seen people handing over salt tabs and energy chews, have received assistance over walls from strangers, etc. Same experience I had with the two TM's I did. It is definitely the teamwork and commodore that I love most about OCR's.

    FWIW, all of the OCRs I have done I saw a ton of support and teamwork going on. Even the Spartan runs.

    I know I'm in the minority, but I prefer doing OCRs/mud runs on my own. Those aren't a social thing for me. It's part of the reason I won't do a TM, since they are built to be team oriented. When I do OCRs, I sign up for the earliest wave or the competitive wave so I can race them. I'm not anywhere near being able to win, but I see it as a race and challenge against myself. I'm trying to set a best time for ME, similar to how I would do a road or trail race.

    I do no "specific" training for OCRs. I run about 25 mpw and do "heavy" weight training twice a week. I also do road and trail races in addition to OCRs.
  • esjones12
    esjones12 Posts: 1,363 Member
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    The_Enginerd wrote: »
    FWIW, all of the OCRs I have done I saw a ton of support and teamwork going on. Even the Spartan runs.

    I know I'm in the minority, but I prefer doing OCRs/mud runs on my own. Those aren't a social thing for me. It's part of the reason I won't do a TM, since they are built to be team oriented. When I do OCRs, I sign up for the earliest wave or the competitive wave so I can race them. I'm not anywhere near being able to win, but I see it as a race and challenge against myself. I'm trying to set a best time for ME, similar to how I would do a road or trail race.

    I do no "specific" training for OCRs. I run about 25 mpw and do "heavy" weight training twice a week. I also do road and trail races in addition to OCRs.

    Not a bad thing at all. I honestly don't mind running the races by myself, I've done quite a few. You do run into so many awesome people on course. The groups I've run with were either at my level or above me and I have felt bad holding them up. This year our group from the gym is growing and with my goal being VT (which I registered for yesterday :)) I will need to be pushing myself hard at races - so I will probably be racing most of them alone. What I will enjoy most though is the traveling with friends. I did 6hrs to OH and 9hrs to SC this year w/ people I barely knew....and now have best friends for life! It was so much better than traveling alone and having no one to talk to about it afterwards.

    On a side note - I need to up my weekly mileage!

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