I remember it like it was yesterday. The excitement, the anxiety, the anticipation. And no, I’m not talking about my last Valentine’s Day date. I’m talking about my first OCR. It was June 14, 2014. The Rugged Maniac in Dade City, Florida. I’d spent months working out and training for this day, but aside from the obvious, there are a few things I feel like every first-time obstacle racer should know. Here are my tips for your first run.
Tag Archives: mud runs
Bone Frog Challenge – Review and Photo Gallery
The HESCO Bone Frog Challenge is an obstacle race company that was founded and is still operated by former Navy SEALs; knowing that, you know the race is going to be epic! And it definitely was. Taking on Bone Frog was my first race since May, and it definitely gave me the challenge that I was looking for.
Insane Inflatable 5K Review
First off, I must issue an apology. It’s been more than a month since I’ve done this run and I promised a review. Nonetheless, I wanted to make sure I got this one out there.
The Insane Inflatable 5K is not the typical OCR. When one thinks of an obstacle course race, they think typically of barbed wire, mud, and beer. The Insane Inflatable 5K is great for those interested in OCR’s without getting dirty. Let’s get into the nitty gritty of it. Continue reading
Tough Mudder Unveils 2016 Catalog of Obstacles
Of the many obstacle races that I really want to do (and that list is ever growing), Tough Mudder is currently at the top of the list. As I’ve done my own reading to learn more about the events and company (I even applied for a couple jobs with them…sadly, I didn’t make the cut, sad face), one thing that has especially intrigued me about them has been their way of handling the unveiling of new obstacles. All of these companies, in order to stay fresh and keep their retention rate high, have to reinvent themselves in certain ways. But I haven’t seen many companies do what Tough Mudder does: building up the reveals of their new obstacles through awesome videos in spot-on social media campaigns. (One job I applied for was to work on their social media team, and yes, they still have my résumé.) Continue reading
2015 Year in Review: One Muddy Year
Around this time every where, I say pretty much the same thing: We’re at the end of the year already?!
Well, we are, and for me, this has been my muddiest year yet. Here’s my recap: Continue reading
Warrior Dash Parking Fee: Good Idea or Kinda Messed Up?
It’s not often I get to add in a snap commentary on the fly, but I just saw this and decided to comment.
I just signed up for Warrior Dash as part of their Cyber Monday deal (which is pretty darn good if you ask me!) and I noticed something interesting when I went to check out: a 4-dollar parking fee. Now, I’ll be honest: my initial reaction is it wasn’t a big deal. Continue reading
Tough Mudder Introduces “Tough Mudder Half”
Let me start off that this is a bit of a commentary and it’s also very impromptu. So do forgive me.
I was noticing some memes being shared making jokes at the new “Tough Mudder Half” event. Basically, Tough Mudder created a new half-length version of their famous course. Five miles, about 12 obstacles (not including some of their signatures like Electroshock Therapy, Arctic Enema, and others), and its own signature headband (this one is white). Continue reading
Savage Race: Review and Highlights
First off, some background on Savage Race:
My before shot….mere minutes away from starting Savage Race.
It was founded in 2011 by Sam Abbitt and Lloyd Parker. Abbitt also serves as CEO of the company and Parker is the COO, creating the obstacles that are featured on the course today. Savage Race is easily one of the biggest national companies with over 100,000 participating in their events around the country. Continue reading
Welcome to RyanRunsInMud.com!
First off, let me introduce myself. My name is Ryan. On a normal day, I teach 12th graders how to write and read better. However, occasionally, we all need an outlet. For me, obstacle course races became one of those outlets. My purpose in trying one out was simply because I missed running, but running conventional 5K’s had gotten a bit old. (I’m not dissing 5K’s. I still do them occasionally and don’t diminish anyone who enjoys them.) OCR’s gave me the fun factor I was hoping for. My first obstacle race was in 2014. I ran in the Rugged Maniac in Dade City, Florida. Since then, I knew that mud runs were going to be a big part of my life. Continue reading
Ryan Runs in Mud 