Obstacle course racing (OCR for short) is a sport that consists of many disciplines that can push any athlete to their limits. These races may vary in length – from a short 50m obstacle run to 100+ km OCR-series involving terrain challenges and time trials.
OCR requires a lot of preparation, from strength and mobility to running and overall endurance. Not to mention injury prevention.
However, in this guide, we are going to talk about the things to keep in mind on the day of the race. The lesser-talked-about tips on obstacle course racing, which apply to long-distance running in general.
Let’s dig in!
Table of Contents
Nutrition – Start The Night Before
Be it a short or a long OCR race, your body will need energy. Lots of it!
Firstly, you need a decent meal the night before. Think full meal that involves carbs, protein, fats, and fiber. Do not go for meals that are heavy on the stomach, though. Also, avoid alcohol the night before the race. The dehydration effect can be detrimental to your performance tomorrow.
On the day of the race, especially during longer tracks, you need to help your body use the calories evenly. This means avoiding sugar spikes, bowel “mishaps”, unnecessary diuretic intake, etc.
To put this into practical terms:
- Eat a well-rounded breakfast with lots of fiber
- On longer obstacle course runs you will have to eat a lot, even during the run
- Avoid stuffing yourself with sugars, caffeine, or extra fatty food
- Have gels and energy bars ready by your side. If you reach for them often, you need to eat more food
Hydration – Water Is Your Friend, But…
It goes without saying that your body will cycle large amounts of water during obstacle course racing. And you should help it by drinking lots of it. Try to always have access to a drink, since you will be sweating a lot.
However, drinking plain water only can do you harm in the long run. Our body needs minerals (aka electrolytes) to function properly, especially when it comes to muscle contraction. Plain water may have some traces of these minerals, but it won’t be enough to make up for the stress that is obstacle course racing.
What you need is – electrolyte-rich drinks that make up the water you lost AND the minerals that went through your metabolism.
Clothes – Don’t Overdress And Think About Comfort
Staying warm and dry is the optimal result in an obstacle course race. But, let’s be real, achieving this is not that easy.
The important thing to remember is – do not overdress. You don’t want to haul extra clothes as you get heated up. On the other hand – do not underdress either. Even if it’s hot outside, going “bear mode” shirtless will only make the sweat worse, while you risk sunburn.
If you’ll be doing a lot of crawling, you want to have your legs covered. Again, even if it ain’t that cold, you need long socks. They also help with efficient calve contraction, as they keep the muscles from bouncing around, wasting energy.
Quick-drying athletic sportswear is where it’s at. The ideal scenario is to wear something you can take off easily.
Lastly, we need to mention nipple chaffing. If you are prone to this, remember to wear some sort of cushioning, or lubricant for runners. Band-aids are a great quick solution.
Footwear – A Good Shoe Is Your Ally
The type of shoes you wear can (and will) significantly impact your obstacle course racing performance.
Depending on the type of OCR race, you will have to adapt your footwear a bit. One thing’s for certain – your shoes need to have a good grip, both for the running and the obstacles.
At Hybrid Athlete, we value the barefoot method, and we think that minimalist shoes are the way to go. They allow you to feel the ground better, which is especially important during climbing and more demanding obstacles.
Believe it or not, George (Hybrid Athlete CEO) even finished a Mud Masters Marathon in minimalist Xero shoes. It was a race of just over 50km, and the shoes were the right ally for it! To testify to the rising popularity of OCR, we stumbled upon some familiar faces, like the fitness youtuber Browney, who also decided to challenge himself that day.
Mindset – Stick To What You Know
During an OCR race, your limits will be tested, and you will be tempted to change strategies to adapt to the new stress.
It is in your best interest to remember your training and not give into wild ideas, since they often lead to burnout. Do not shock your body with another fresh new challenge that you haven’t prepared for.
Speaking of burnout…
Pace Yourself and Listen To Your Body
Obstacle course racing is about explosiveness and endurance, yes, but it is also about finding the balance between the two. You need to optimize that energy and willpower expenditure to make sure you last to the finish line.
Lastly, you should think about a way to do a quick scan of your body. Pain is no stranger to OCR racing, so make sure to “listen” for signs of serious stress. Nothing too big. Just make sure not to miss out on any pain that’s progressing quickly or expanding to other body parts.
People often get injured but don’t notice it thanks to adrenaline.
In Conclusion
At the end of the day, the key to successful obstacle course racing lies, of course, in preparation.
Physical and mental.
We can safely say that OCR requires strength AND endurance from every participant as well. When we add body conditioning and bulletproofing, the result is right there – obstacle course racing is the perfect proving ground for a Hybrid Athlete.
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