Friday, November 1, 2013

Finding The Best Obstacle Course Races

By Kelly Wood


Staying fit and in shape has never been so popular. Many people are now looking for ways to add extra fun and interest to their workouts. Training for a competition makes all the hard work worthwhile and gives the person focus and determination. As part of the fitness movement several new sports are emerging. Races that combine fitness, strength and agility are becoming increasingly popular and many people are looking for the best obstacle course races in their area.

This type of race is fun and varied. There are events all over the country on just about every weekend. Each course is unique has has been constructed with different obstacles and challenges. The overall distance will also vary with each race. Participants should look for something that is within their current level of fitness. Those who are new to the sport should choose a less challenging race to begin with.

Most races are advertised on line. The rules, entry fees, terms and conditions and type of obstacles should all be described in detail. A big feature of most races is mud and water. Thick mud is really difficult to negotiate and will slow down all but the very fittest athlete. It is also hard to duplicate such conditions in training and many people are simply not prepared for the physically draining effects of wading through mud.

The obstacles are often very creatively designed. Climbing walls are very popular and can vary in height and angle of slope. Most courses have a system of penalties for missing or failed to negotiate an obstacle. In some races the competitor can choose to miss a difficult section and take a penalty. In others they are given one try and a failure penalty such as complete ten push ups. This helps to reduce the congestion at the obstacles and keep the race moving along.

Before signing up for a race the individual should have been in training for many weeks. This should begin with some basic running. If the course is three miles long, they should be able to run six miles easily. They will also need to add a lot of cardio vascular exercises to help cope with strenuous tasks such as climbing walls.

Agility is another key factor for anyone who wants to be a serious competitor. The low crawls can be particularly difficult, especially if they are under barbed wire. Some crawls also have mud as an additional challenge. Rope swings, ladders and zip lines all add to the overall fun and excitement of a race.

Finding a race is not difficult. Many people network with friends to find somewhere suitable to start. It is important to begin with a more low key event that is not too competitive. This will provide a good introduction to the sport without too much pressure.

One of the easiest ways to find the best obstacle course races is to check on line. Many competitors go to the site and leave their comments. This gives newcomers an opportunity to judge the challenge level of the race and see if it right for them.




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