Fitness
Ace your next obstacle race with these insider tips from 3x world champion Lindsay Webster.
First off, check out the best obstacle races Ireland has to offer...
Now you're going to dip your toes into the muddy waters of obstacle racing, you should take the advice of a world champion.
From footwear and grip strength to fuelling and heavy carries, Lindsay Webster shares her tips for taking your obstacle course racing up a notch.
1. Pick the right shoe
Footwear can make or break an OCR race, and I’m not just saying that – I’ve seen it! You’ll be running through mud, over slippery rocks and roots, technical terrain, and up wet, wooden walls. Here’s a few of my essentials for a good OCR shoe:
A) Ankle support: Pick a shoe that gives you stability, not a floppy shoe made of mesh.
B) Deep lugs: Trail shoes have a tread pattern on the bottom. Pick a shoe with lugs that are 3-5mm deep.
C) Good rubber: Most people don’t think about this when choosing a shoe, but it plays a huge factor in whether or not you’ll be able to run on those slippery rocks and get up that wet, wooden wall or fall on your butt.
What you don’t want is a shoe with a tonne of padding inside that will hold the water, making it heavy. Pick something with a bit more of a race-y feel. Favourites of mine include the Merrell All Out Crush 2, Salomon S-Lab Speed (NOT Salomon SpeedCross; classic example of a heavy shoe that holds water) and the Icebug Zeal.
2. Wear the right kit
Whatever you do, avoid cotton gear – it holds so much water and mud, it will weigh you down!
I race in tights over shorts, even on hot days, because they keep my legs from getting scratched up on the mud crawls and obstacles. Find a thin pair, like compression tights. My favourite brand is Marena Sport. They’re durable, don’t ride up or slide down, and they’re thin so I don’t get too warm. On hot days, I’ll wet them before I start a race and they actually help keep me cool.
Gloves are a personal preference. I don’t generally wear them, but if it’s cold or you’re prone to getting blisters on obstacles, I’d recommend them. Find a neoprene pair with grips that will stay warm even after getting wet in a mud pit. My favourite brands are Darkfin (so grippy on the obstacles even when wet!) or BleggMitt (neoprene gloves that you can fold back from your hands when you want to do an obstacle.)
If it’s cold and you want to bring a windbreaker, or you need to carry additional food and water, my go-to vest is the Salomon Sense Ultra 5 running vest. It fits so well and won’t bounce around on your back like a camelback. I also find it much more comfortable to carry my water on my front, and not have a “turtle shell” that snags on barbed wire when I’m trying to crawl under something.
3. Invest in your running
Never forget that obstacle races are 90% running and 10% obstacles! Most races have a penalty you can complete if you can’t make an obstacle, but you can’t escape the length of the course. Take the time to practice your running so that distance won’t kick your butt on race day!
My running is primarily done on hilly trails. About 60% of my intensity work is done on gravel roads, where I’ll do hill repeats or 1-mile intervals in undulating terrain. The remainder of my intensity work includes time trials up technical mountain trails, or practicing my descending.
4. Improve your grip and upper body strength
The trick to most obstacles is to have good core strength, and good grip strength. Obstacles like monkey bars, rope climbs, and hoists are all about your grip. Incorporate chin-ups, farmer’s carries, dead hangs, and monkey bars (try your local outdoor jungle gym) twice-weekly into your strength routine.
‘Frenchies’ are one of my favourite exercises to improve grip strength and upper body strength, and are a mix of arm lock-offs and chin-ups: Begin a chin-up, but halfway up lock your arms at 90-degrees and hold your bodyweight for 3 seconds. Then lower yourself down, hold for 3 seconds, and then pull yourself up into a full chin-up. Hold that for 3 seconds, lower yourself down, and repeat until failure!
5. Don’t get sucked into race hype
Race your own race! You’re there to have fun and do your best. If you have tough competition don't be creeping their Instagram feeds beforehand to see how they're training, just do what YOU need to do. Enjoy the process. As much as butterflies are uncomfortable, being nervous is part of the race experience!
6. Get your fuelling right
Take advantage of every hydration station on the course and drink a cup of water. In terms of race fuel, the general rule is that for a 2000 calorie diet, our bodies can only actually digest 200 calories per hour. Eat clean foods that will give your body the glycogen, carbs, fat and sodium it needs. My go-to is cooked basmati rice with a bit of salt, coconut oil and almond butter mixed in.
7. Study the course
Try and learn as much about the course beforehand as you can. Some races will allow you to do a pre-race lap in the days leading up to the race, otherwise study the course map. Learn which areas will challenge you and think of a game plan for how to execute that section. Also look for areas that will play to your strengths, and put in an extra effort on that part.
8. Step outside your comfort zone in training
It’s always more fun to do what we’re good at, but take some time to think over what areas of a race you can make improvements in, then find ways to incorporate it into your training. If it’s wet obstacles, for example, practice your weekly monkey bars and dead hangs with wet hands!
9. Use your nerves but stay focused
Nerves are good because the extra adrenaline will make you run fast, but being too nervy will cause you to make errors and waste energy. Try to stay focused and calm. Visualise yourself doing the course, control your breathing with deep breaths, talk to those around you to distract yourself, and remember everything you’ve done to prepare for this moment. Be proud of yourself for showing up on that start line! Once the gun goes off, a few minutes in to the race all your nerves will disappear, and you can just live in the moment.
10. Find your place on the start line
When everyone is lining up for the start, put yourself in a starting position you’re comfortable with. If you’re going for a top finish position, show up a bit early so you can be near the front of the group. If you’re just there to have fun, sometimes there’s less pressure in the middle (or near the back) of the pack, where you can work your way past people once the start gun has gone off. Remember that once the start gun goes off, don’t burn all your matches by sprinting in the first mile. Run fast for the first minute or so, but then settle into a pace you know you can maintain for the duration of the race.
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