Running Dirty- Chantilly Virginia Saturday September 7th 2013 Review

Let me start off by saying that I enjoyed myself very much at Running Dirty as did each member of our team. We had a crew of ten, six of which were first time Obstacle Racers and the overall mood of everyone was that of a memorable day. That being said, with so much competition to put on the next great race many of the newer races don't always live up to the marketing machine they employ. By providing some constructive criticism, these races have the opportunity to build on things for next year (hopefully) so they can put some pressure on the 'Big 3' to keep them honest.

Obstacles: 6/10
This race advertised 23+ Navy Seal inspired obstacles that will push you to your fitness, toughness and athletic limits. They covered the staple obstacles like berlin walls, barbed wire crawl(s), Log Carry, and Person Carry (No Man Left Behind). They had a few obstacles that were really well put together like Drunk Monkey, Spider Wall, and Going A Wall. These were the only real challenges of the day. Drunk Monkey was an inverted Monkey Bars built over water that started high, went low, and made you end high again. My main critique of this obstacle was the fact that the bars started too high for everyone to reach. My wife, who is 5'1", needed a boost to reach the first bar and had to very carefully dismount as to not potentially slip on the wet wood and crack her head open while landing. This could be alleviated by either raising the starting platform or extending the last bar further above the wood landing platform. I did the bars twice and would rank them as an intermediate difficulty. The main difference in difficulty between  Drunk Monkey and Savage Race's Sawtooth and Tough Mudder's Funky Monkey is the length of the obstacle. Drunk Monkey, while well designed was not very long, which made it less challenging than it's counterparts. Going A Wall, was a roughly 16-20 foot tall A frame wall with ropes to climb. This obstacle was very fun and the pitch of the A Frame made it a challenge. While I did not experience a line in the early wave, my goPro captured quite a long line behind me as I was going up. Another unique obstacle was the Parallel Bars, which added a challenge while running through the trails. Overall I thought that the obstacles were well made but that a few more larger scale and harder obstacles would be necessary for future races.

Venue: 7 /10
The race took place on Ticonderoga Farms located in Chantilly, VA. I actually work at an office about 10 minutes from here and literally had no idea that this place existed. It is a wonderful farm and this rating has nothing to do with the farm itself, but Running Dirty's use of the facility.

The first thing that could have been improved would have been marking the entrance. While Running Dirty had a volunteer standing outside the farm's main entrance, there were no signs signaling that this was the right entrance for the race. In fact, I missed the entrance along with a number of other cars and turning around on the small dirt road was tricky. Once inside, parking was smooth and the volunteers had a good system for organizing car rows. There was about a 1/4 mile walk to registration and everything went very smoothly. This was actually very impressive considering the fact that Running Dirty acquired about 1,000 runners by combining races with Rogue Runner relatively last minute.

They made great use of the trails, but apart from a few mud crawls, there was really very little mud. We ended up being dirty at the end, but the last obstacle was a mud crawl. Aside from that, mud was almost non existent. One of the more frustrating developments was the lack of direction to the shower area and once finding it deciding it wasn't worth waiting on the long line. I ended up washing off in a burger king bathroom on the ride home.

The after party section was well done with corn hole set up and easy access to the beer trucks. The band was really good and our team really enjoyed ourselves. We took pictures with our team as well as other participants. The vibe was on point and I would have stayed longer if I didn't my have to pick my son up from the babysitter. Sadly, Ticonderoga farms had their own food stand area but not only was it not advertised it was a 1/4 mile away from the party area. I ended up getting food on the walk to the car, but definitely could have used a burger while drinking some beers. The burgers were pretty good too!

Post Race: 6.5 /10

A rare but good shot of Chris, Kenise and me!! (Sorry Kel)

One area that tends to be overlooked is what happens after the race. Running Dirty was on Facebook a few days later adding photos and updating the page. As far as photos for this particular race, professional photos were on the low side. Oddly, this is the first race that has captured me in action with a decent shot, but based on the number of participants there are likely a good deal of unhappy campers because to date there are only  323 photos from the race (My wife being one of them). Running Dirty addressed this in a response to a customer post advising, 

"Unfortunately we were not able to use the company we had used before with the timing and photos being done at the same time. Therefore, we have to do these in house/with volunteers and upload the photos/watermark them ourselves. Because of this it takes quote some time. Since we did not have many photographers onsite not everyone is guaranteed their own photo op. We apologize for the inconvenience and are working to improve this for future events"

This is unfortunate, but on the positive side they are aware and are taking note for the future. That being said, based on the website and past events, people were expecting more photos and they should have planned better prior to the event.

Overall: 6.5 /10

As I stated earlier I enjoyed myself very much at this event. Despite some shortcomings I would certainly recommend that people sign up for Running Dirty and give it a shot, especially if this is your first attempt at an Obstacle Course Race. For those that have done higher mileage or other bigger name races (Tough Mudder, Spartan, Savage) I would go into Running Dirty knowing that you will have a good time, but as it is currently constructed you may not be as challenged as you may have hoped. With some tweaking and planning this race will be headed in the right direction. At the end of the day, each participant takes something different away from these races. For me it was fun times with friends old and new and experiencing my wife running her first Obstacle Course (and conquering the Drunk Monkey!!) I would definitely Run Dirty again!

Monkey Bar Training: How to Conquer Tough Mudder's 'Funky Monkey'

With the interest in obstacle course racing at an all time high, more and more people are signing up for races and beginning to train for what at first glance appears to be an impossible feat. The truth is that with the proper training approach anything is possible. One of the more daunting obstacles for newcomers are the Monkey Bars. We all did them as children during recess, but unless you are a rock climber or have been consistently keeping up with your pull ups you most likely haven't used all of the muscles you may need in quite some time. Below I have listed some helpful tips and exercises that will get you ready for Tough Mudder's 'Funky Monkey', Savage Race's 'Sawtooth', or any other monkey bars a mud run might throw at you.

Exercises:

1. Pull Ups: This one is obvious, but also the most important. Form will be the key to making these count. More often than not folks doing pull ups will not fully extend their arms after the initial dead hang and only lower themselves down halfway. Make sure you go all the way down to a dead hang each time and then pull yourself back up. If you have trouble doing this then keep training and give yourself some time between reps. If you need pull up assistance, you can purchase Pull Up Bands that will reduce the weight you are pulling up so that your body can strengthen itself. Once you progress far enough, you can begin to do unassisted pull ups.

Depending on the type of pull up bar you have access to there are variations that can help simulate the obstacle. If your bar has multiple grips you can alternate grips on each rep of your pull up. For example, start with both palms facing out on your first rep and when you lower your weight back down switch one hand to face in. You will do another rep with one hand facing out and the other in. From each dead hang switch your grip to another hold. This works best if you incorporate a wide grip as well as an inside grip. This will help you prepare for the trip up and down the monkey bars as it improves your grip strength and allows you to practice moving your hands from one bar to another.

2. Playground Monkey Bars:

The best way to get your body ready for monkey bars is with...... yep, you guessed it! with Monkey Bars! The only downside to playground monkey bars is that these days they are not very long and typically are separated by an unavoidable step. This means you may not have as much length as you would like to practice on. Additionally, they will not be able to prepare you for the incline and decline of the 'Funky Monkey.' That being said, the more you can get out to a playground the better off you will be. The first time you try them you will most likely do poorly as you won't be used to them and the bars will start to callous your hands. It is amazing how much more we were able to do as children.... You will want to start by transferring each hand to each bar. Skipping bars can save time, but will require more strength and control. If you can use one hand on each bar that is great, but if you have trouble just stick with both hands on each bar. Once you get comfortable on the bars make sure to use your feet like you are pedaling a bike so you generate some momentum. This will help you get across smoothly and can take some stress off of your muscles. Another downside to local playground monkey bars? If you don't have a kid you may end up being the awkward adult hanging out on a kids playground.....

3. Soccer Goal Swings

Another great way to practice for the monkey bars is to try what I call 'Soccer Goal Swings.'  This is more of a lateral movement, but it allows you to exercise different parts of your shoulders that you might otherwise miss while also allowing you to practice swinging yourself and using your momentum to help carry your body weight.

To begin this exercise, you will want to find a local soccer goal and dead hang from the crossbar with your arms shoulder width apart. Begin swinging your body from right to left and when you feel comfortable enough, lift your left hand and move it further left on the crossbar. As your left hand grasps you will quickly reach your right hand over so your hands are again shoulder width apart. You will repeat this until you reach the end of the crossbar. Once you finish you will repeat the exercise going from left to right.

Once you feel comfortable completing this exercise from a dead hang, you will eventually progress to locking out your arms at a 90 degree angle. The movement remains the same, but by locking out you engage more of your arm muscles and reduce the fatigue on your hands. This exercise can also come in handy when running a course with 'Just the Tip', which is a large plywood structure with 2 x 4 grips across the top for you to laterally cross a water ditch.


4. Hang Board Exercises

If you are really serious about training and think you will be doing this for awhile, I recommend getting your hands on a Metolius Climbing Simulator 3D. Long story short, this board will really help improve your grip strength as well as your back and shoulder strength. It is a simulator and practice board for rock climbers and it adds a new dimension to anyone's workout.
From Metolius' Site:

The master is CNC milled for perfect symmetry

The holds are arranged along a broad arc that tapers outward and downward for
better ergonomics and reduced injuries

Tapers from top to bottom in both dimensions for better forearm clearance

Fine texture

Massive variety of holds

Includes comprehensive instructions, training guide and all mounting hardware

The board can fit over your doorway (be sure to measure first) or in my case I mounted mine on the joists of my garage. It costs 79.95 and unless you have plywood for mounting you will want to invest 19.95 on their backboard mount. Adding up to just under $100, I consider that money well spent.

Tips and things to Remember

1.  Momentum is your friend. Use your body weight to help you, not hurt you. By acting as if you are riding a bike with your legs when you transfer from bar to bar you keep your weight constantly transferring, which helps to move you along. It also takes the stress off of your grip, because with momentum you won't be hanging on one bar for too long.  Make sure you practice this on local monkey bars before your event.

2. Grip strength is key. If you dedicate yourself to improving your pull ups your grip strength should come along also. By adding a hang board into your workout, you can better isolate this area and speed up the process.

3. Just keep moving! The longer you hang in one place the quicker your strength will disappear, so keep it moving. If you end up falling, you will know what you need to improve on for next time.

-Keith

OCR Gear Ambassador

Roughly 3 months ago via a cryptic daily social media reveal, the endurance racing website Travlete teased it's followers with an advertisement showing the names of popular Obstacle Course racing athletes. On 5-15-13, they announced that a sister site by the name of OCR Gear was launching and it would focus on clothing and accessories specifically tailored for obstacle course racing. From moisture wicking shirts, recovery tights (both tops and bottoms), gloves, to some nutritional supplements, the site only sells what they have used themselves and believe in.

2 weeks ago, OCR Gear launched their Ambassador program by inviting some of it's initial customer base to apply for a chance to represent the site and grow the sport of Obstacle Course Racing. This morning they announced those chosen, and I am proud to say that I am one of them.

After running my first obstacle race in 2012 I was instantly hooked and I enjoy introducing people to the sport. I have yet to have anyone that has raced with our team not enjoy themselves and want to do more. I look at the ambassador program as a great way to help introduce obstacle racing to even more people so the phenomenon can stabilize itself, grow and be around for awhile. Thanks to OCR Gear for the opportunity.

-Keith

Mid Atlantic Savage Race. Saturday July 20th 2013

This past  Saturday I ran the Mid Atlantic Savage Race. Our Mudder Faulker team ran with only two original members, but we added a few friends as well as some Obstacle Course race newbies. I was really excited for this race and it did not disappoint. 

The first thing that drew my attention to Savage Race was their  take on the Quarter Pipe and Monkey Bars. When comparing their 'Colossus' and 'Sawtooth' to Tough Mudder's  'Everest' and  'Funky Monkey' the edge goes to Savage Race. Tough Mudder is what got me into Obstacle Course races, but a badass obstacle design is a badass obstacle design. When comparing 'Colossus' to 'Everest' the first thing that strikes me is the sheer size of 'Colossus'. The quarter pipe is enormous and while they give you a rope to help yourself up, there are still plenty of participants that require a lot of help up. 'Everest', on the other hand, seems to have gotten shorter from when I ran Mid Atlantic Tough Mudder in 2012 versus 2013. I can't really prove it, but my whole team felt it was easier. Additionally 'Colossus' has a giant waterslide off the back of the quarter pipe unlike anything I have seen at other races. The best part about the slide? It isn't built over gravel and rocks so it doesn't destroy you while sliding down. In my opinion, 'Colossus' is the best obstacle in the business (Savage also claims it costs $50,000 to build).

I mean, just look at it.....

'Sawtooth' is basically the king of monkey bars. It took 'Funky Monkey' and added a wicked 'Sawtooth' in the middle, making you climb up, down, back up, and then down again. Aside from looking insane it adds an extra challenge by making you reach and pull yourself up mid climb. Many folks fell in the water, and many more would have if they didn't use their feet to help get themselves across. This is my second favorite obstacle in the business next to 'Colossus', which means that the moderately sized Savage Race has 2 of the best obstacles in the industry.

Mud N' Guts left everyone FILTHY

Savage Race had mud run staples like balance beams (Nut Smasher), 8 foot walls, cargo net climbs (Big Ass Cargo Net), Hay Stacks, and garbage ice baths (Shriveled Richard). 'Tazed' was a low crawl under charged wires. This was literally the worst I have ever been shocked at any event. I hate these obstacles as they hurt like hell, but ranking it on it's merits it had absolutely the most juice I have encountered. Immediately following 'Tazed' was, 'Mud N' Guts' which was the muddiest crawl I have ever done. Since it was the last obstacle, every single participant ended the race completely covered in mud. It was amazingly disgusting, which is what they were going for.



Savage Race Pros

1. The more races they put on the better their obstacles will get. The fact that they have two of the best obstacles going right now is impressive considering they have only put on 7 races to date. I can't wait to see what they put together for Mid Atlantic 2014.



This thing belongs in a theme park

2. The vibe of the entire event was great. Parking was a breeze and there was no traffic anywhere. Registration and packet pickup went smoothly and everything was in a central location. The after party was one of the best I've attended after a race and while the food was very expensive for small portions, it was really really amazing.



Team Mudder Faulkers Posing with Davy Jones

3. This is one that rarely gets discussed, but their Merch booth, shirt quality, material, and payment options were great. They had a wide selection of shirts and tank tops printed on soft high quality fabric. I bought something for my wife, my son, and myself and was able to pay with my debit card, as I had spent all of my cash on food.

4. Prior to the race, the Savage team emailed participants informing them that the 7 mile course had been reduced to 4 miles. While this seems like a negative, the forecast was calling for extreme temperatures and to protect the participants they re-routed the course through shaded areas. This decision was not popular, but based on the heat I was experiencing at the after party, I can't imagine what the later waves were dealing with. Kudos to Savage for making the hard decision and still putting on a great event.

Savage Race Cons

1. Not much to complain about here, but the heat, re-routing of the course, and local authorities made them eliminate some of their staple obstacles like 'Colon Blow 5000' and 'Blazed'. While I commend them for making the right call, it still sucked to lose some obstacles and distance.

2. Showers were really far away and from what I heard taking forever. My team and I stumbled across a hose by a barn and were able to clean off quickly without the wait. After reading their facebook comments section, Savage already has plans to remedy this next year.

Conclusion

Savage Race is quickly on it's way to becoming my favorite race. As a smaller series they put on an incredible event. Had the course been 7 miles and all of their advertised obstacles been included, I may already be calling it my favorite race. That being said, Tough Mudder has a few new Large scale obstacles that raise the bar once again (Pirates Booty comes to mind) and Savage's design team will need to continue to go bigger and badder to keep up with the big boys of the business. But if  'Colossus' and 'Sawtooth' are any indication, that might not be too much of a problem for them. If you have a chance, sign up for a Savage Race today. You will NOT regret it.

-Keith