2016 is finally here, and we all know what that means: time to make those resolutions!

Of course, the running gag of resolutions is that you almost feel like you’re making the same one year after year after year. That gets you stuck in this seemingly never-ending rut. You may think there is no chance of achieving your resolution. But that’s not true! You’re probably just approaching it wrong. So, with that in mind, here are 3 reasons why running for an OCR is a great resolution.

1. It covers several resolutions at once. Training for OCR success (and I define success as completing the race) takes care of several common resolutions with one goal. Most aim for health-related goals like “I want to lose weight” or “I want to hit the gym more.” It also hits a financial resolution too. Many say “I want to save more money.” Well, depending on which OCR you shoot for, they may not be cheap, plus throw in possible travel, accommodations, parking and other day-of expenses, you’re going to need to budget a bit. Plus those good habits may carry over into other parts of your life, so you’re saving money all around!
2. It creates an achievable goal. I used to work with a guy who spent a week climbing the stairs to our office (on the 10th floor) with a backpack full of weights. His reason: he wanted to get in better shape. That’s great, but I’ve learned that getting in better shape, or improving health at all, can mean different things to different people. If you make something like “I want to complete an OCR,” you create something tangible. All steps between the proclamation of the goal and the end result, whether that’s running twice a week for three miles or lifting weights, work to shoot for that goal. It’s not like “I want to bench more” because the weight you bench just needs to help you finish that OCR. It helps to have a specific milestone to work toward rather than a vague idea of what you want. (Sidenote: that co-worker eventually stopped climbing the stairs with the weights and opted to take the elevator.)
3. It’s fun! This is the easily most obvious reason to do an OCR. It’s fun for so many reasons! To start, if you’ve never done one, go look up pictures of OCR events. Not just the big ones (although they will have a lot), but even smaller local events. Do you see anyone not having a good time? Of course you don’t! Plus, it’s a great way to push yourself out of your comfort zone. It’s like sky diving or bungee jumping, except instead of paying 80 bucks and signing a waiver for a few seconds or minutes of excitement, you’re paying 80 bucks and signing a waiver for a whole day of fun that you’ll remember forever! And let’s face it: some of you resolve every year to “Have more fun.” Get out there and get dirty! That’s definitely fun!

There you have it! Of course, these are the three reasons I came up with. Perhaps you’ve got other or better reasons? Feel free to let me know on Twitter!

Oh, and just for fun, here are my OCR resolutions:

• Complete at least four OCR’s including my second Savage Race and my first Tough Mudder.
• Take my online game to a new level with my Perioscope channel (same handle as Twitter).
• Begin new series of blog posts for the casual OCR runner.

Cheers everyone! And Happy New Year!