Mud, sweat and plastic ducks
This week I took part in my first OCR (Obstacle Course Races) training since June's Mud, Sweat and Beers event and I've got to say that it reminded me just how much fun these events are. The sessions are part of the Parklands Jog & Run group I attend on a Monday night.
We met in Abington Park at 7:30 in the evening and began with a gentle warm up before the first session. This was relays with a partner involving one of the pair running up a slope and back while the other did continuous exercises. The first 3 minute set was press ups, then burpees followed by sit ups.
By the end of this triplet I was feeling pretty knackered as we jogged over to the nearby stream for the muddy part. The park is hilly and slopes down into a gully which the stream runs through. As a result the ground surrounding it is quite wet and soft. There are a number of fallen trees, broken railings and branches to contend with as well as the slippy conditions.
The course took us over five large tree trunks, through a series of deep muddy puddles and then under a specially prepared cargo net which had us crawling on our stomachs. It was then over a fallen tree and into the stream. Up the stream navigating branches and over the path. A gap in the railings took us back into the stream which was ankle deep in soft mud. After 50 yards there was another fence which could be crawled under before coming out of the water and returning via a slippy path back to the beginning.
After 7 minutes of continuous laps we caught our breath before a one lap time trial. Not realising we would be doing this I had already used much of my energy but managed to hang on to second place.
By now we were all covered in mud and soaking wet but there was more water to come. A short walk up the hill is the boating pond. This rectangle of water is roughly knee deep with slimy, smelly, stagnant water. We were split into two teams with one team given blue plastic balls and the other yellow plastic ducks. We were told to throw them in the water and then race to collect them again. The next time we had to collect the other teams items and this continued for a few more turns.
Running through the water was hard work with tired legs as was climbing out again but it really worked the legs and lungs. The final task was to partner up again and this time it was more relays, across the pond and back around the path for 5 minutes. There was a great atmosphere as people splashed one another and laughed together. Despite all my efforts I still managed to get some water in my mouth but copious spitting seems to have kept my stomach safe!
By the end I was exhausted, covered in mud and soaking wet but felt great. I received some funny looks as I jogged home in the twilight but after a hot shower I felt good and slept really well.
We met in Abington Park at 7:30 in the evening and began with a gentle warm up before the first session. This was relays with a partner involving one of the pair running up a slope and back while the other did continuous exercises. The first 3 minute set was press ups, then burpees followed by sit ups.
By the end of this triplet I was feeling pretty knackered as we jogged over to the nearby stream for the muddy part. The park is hilly and slopes down into a gully which the stream runs through. As a result the ground surrounding it is quite wet and soft. There are a number of fallen trees, broken railings and branches to contend with as well as the slippy conditions.
The course took us over five large tree trunks, through a series of deep muddy puddles and then under a specially prepared cargo net which had us crawling on our stomachs. It was then over a fallen tree and into the stream. Up the stream navigating branches and over the path. A gap in the railings took us back into the stream which was ankle deep in soft mud. After 50 yards there was another fence which could be crawled under before coming out of the water and returning via a slippy path back to the beginning.
After 7 minutes of continuous laps we caught our breath before a one lap time trial. Not realising we would be doing this I had already used much of my energy but managed to hang on to second place.
By now we were all covered in mud and soaking wet but there was more water to come. A short walk up the hill is the boating pond. This rectangle of water is roughly knee deep with slimy, smelly, stagnant water. We were split into two teams with one team given blue plastic balls and the other yellow plastic ducks. We were told to throw them in the water and then race to collect them again. The next time we had to collect the other teams items and this continued for a few more turns.
Running through the water was hard work with tired legs as was climbing out again but it really worked the legs and lungs. The final task was to partner up again and this time it was more relays, across the pond and back around the path for 5 minutes. There was a great atmosphere as people splashed one another and laughed together. Despite all my efforts I still managed to get some water in my mouth but copious spitting seems to have kept my stomach safe!
By the end I was exhausted, covered in mud and soaking wet but felt great. I received some funny looks as I jogged home in the twilight but after a hot shower I felt good and slept really well.
