Spartan Races | The Physical Therapy Advisor

Obstacle course racing (OCR) is gaining in popularity as a sport. There are more and more organizations offering events like the Spartan Sprint, the Tough Mudder Mud Run, the BattleFrog OCR, and the Warrior Dash. As the sport evolves, there are notable trends and skill sets that OCR athletes should take note of to be successful.

I recently competed in the Boise Spartan Sprint. Although the field of racers was significantly smaller for the open registration group compared to last year, I chose to compete in the even smaller competitive group. Watching the other athletes and comparing the event to last year I noticed a few trends.

Running

Regardless of the organization hosting the event, the gist of the event remains the same. Run, perform an obstacle, and run some more. These OCR events are still primarily running events. The obstacles are the reason why many people participate in these types of events. They are fun and challenging, but the event still includes running. The most successful OCR athletes will also be proficient at running on trails.

Most events are set in more rugged outdoor terrain. To be successful, you must be comfortable running on uneven surfaces. In the case of the Boise Spartan Sprint, you must also be comfortable running hills.

To better prepare for any OCR event, I would recommend a heavy dose of trail running with a focus on hills. From my prospective, Boise Spartan Sprint participants seemed more comfortable running this year. Maybe the word is getting out that these events still require running as a skill set.

I recommend that you are capable of running whatever the expected distance you would be competing in (plus a couple of miles) on a similar terrain in order to insure your body has the endurance needed for both the running and the obstacles.

High Intensity Interval Training (HIIT)

The format of many OCR events is to run, perform an obstacle, and then run. This means there are times when your intensity will be high and times when you can lower the intensity during the event. Performing high intensity interval training (HIIT) or high intensity training (HIT) should be a mainstay in your exercise training. It will be particularly useful during an OCR event.

The amount of HIIT in preparation for your race will vary and is dependent on the distance. If the race course will be a shorter distance (under 5 miles), then a majority of your running could be HIIT and shorter distance recovery runs.

If you will be competing in longer distances (10 miles or more), then I would still incorporate a weekly longer run just so your body will be prepared for the mileage and time on your feet. I highly recommend that you run outside–preferably on a trail or uneven terrain to prepare your legs adequately. You will need to feel comfortable running downhill and on uneven terrain. Dominate the hills, and you will dominate the race. Please refer to my Training Plan that I used for Race to Robie Creek, a very steep half marathon 8.5 miles uphill and 4.6 miles downhill.

CrossFit

CrossFit as a form of high intensity training (HIT) is an excellent method to train your legs to handle the hilly and variable terrain. The constantly varying movements and exercises performed in CrossFit will also help you prepare to handle the following varying types of obstacles:

Picking up heavy objects and carrying them either in front or sometimes on your shoulders
Pulling sleds
Scaling walls
Swinging and climbing along monkey bars
Rope climbing
Crawling in mud

(Courtesy of Reebok Spartan Race)

Performing CrossFit style workouts is an excellent way to help to prepare for an OCR event. CrossFit teaches you how to prepare for these different obstacles by refining the skill sets necessary to tackle them. It also prepared me to perform the obstacles when fatigued.

Weight Training

Weight training (in particular, barbell training) is a critical component in physical resiliency. Lifting appropriately heavy weights is applicable for almost everyone regardless of age and/or present health status. Weight training has positive benefits on the following:

Muscle strength
Bone density
Cardiovascular performance
Neurologic performance and adaptability
Mental and cognitive function
Proper hormonal regulation

In the case of OCR racing, being stronger will always better prepare you for the terrain you will run on and the obstacles performed. Weight training will also help to increase your body’s margin for error when illness or injury occurs. To quote Mark Rippetoe, “Stronger people are harder to kill than weak people and more useful in general.”

(Courtesy of Reebok Spartan Race)

The key to all training (including weight training) is that the system must be properly overloaded to produce the desired effect. Too little, and you will not receive a positive benefit. Too much, and you risk injury. This overload principle must guide all exercise routines if there is to be actual success and benefit from the training. Although any properly dosed/prescribed form of resistive exercise would be beneficial, the most effective exercises to help you prepare include squats, lunges, dead lifts, and the overhead press.

Grip Strength

Many of the obstacles (rope climbing, monkey bars, bucket carries, and climbing walls) require adequate grip strength. Current research on successful aging has found a correlation to poor grip strength and frailty, so developing adequate grip strength is a good idea either way.

In prior years many athletes would fail an obstacle solely because of their grip giving way. Although this still occurs frequently, I didn’t see nearly as many failed obstacles this year during the Boise Spartan Sprint versus last year.

In order to perform at a high level, you must develop proper grip strength. Recommended exercises to train grip strength include dead lifts, pull ups, and farmers carries.

When working on grip strength, nearly everyone always focuses on finger and wrist flexion strength. If you remember to also work on your wrist and finger extension strength, you will find your grip strength will improve more rapidly. You will also lessen your risk of certain wrist and elbow overuse injuries.

Recovery Strategies

Once you complete the OCR, enjoy your accomplishment, but don’t forget to implement proper recovery strategies! Be sure to properly cool down after the race. Don’t sit! Stretch and continue to move. You will need to make sure that any scratches or wounds are properly cleaned and covered. Hydrate appropriately and begin working through your recovery process. For more information on how to quickly recover, please refer to the following posts: 14 Tips and Strategies to Self-Treat Muscle Pain and Muscle Cramping & Spasms – Treatment Options.

OCR events are a fun way to stay fit and promote general resiliency. The variety of skills needed to be successful is what makes it so fun. If you have the opportunity in your area to work out in a gym that is geared toward OCR racing, such regular practice on obstacles will be particularly effective when training for the more technical obstacles. Keep in mind that the most important skill sets are sometimes the ones most overlooked. Focus on your running; implement HIIT and HIT; weight train; and work on your grip strength.

Have you competed in an OCR before? Please share your experience by leaving a comment below.

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Obstacle course racing (OCR) is growing quickly and becoming a very popular sport. It is a fun way to challenge your strength, fitness, and mental fortitude. With the proper training and recovery, this style of racing can be performed safely. Whether you are a newbie or a seasoned Spartan, I offer tips on how to optimize your racing experience.

(Courtesy of Reebok Spartan Race)

I competed in my first OCR, the Boise Spartan Sprint, thanks to a friend. She transferred her registration to me after suffering a knee injury and was unable to participate. Thank you, Jenifer, for prompting me to try something new! It was a blast!

How to prepare for an OCR? Without any prior experience, I started by listening to Ben Greenfield’s Obstacle Dominator Podcast and reading about Spartan Race Training. I have competed in many running and trail races at varying distances, so I felt that I could adequately train despite being on a long vacation the two weeks prior to the race.

The Boise Spartan Sprint

Obstacles, courses, and distances vary for each event. This particular course offered options to skip certain obstacles, but you had to pay a 30 burpee penalty. Although there were options available to insure all who wanted to participate could, the terrain was not suitable for everyone. There were five quite steep hills to climb up and down during the 4 mile course. They were much steeper than I expected, and I’m used to hiking similar terrain while hunting.

The other surprise was how the water obstacles made for a new challenge (particularly when combined with other obstacles such as the rope climb). I am typically a pretty good rope climber, but getting a good foot hold was difficult when submerged in 3 feet of water. Fortunately, I was able to overcome the challenge.

After experiencing the general tempo of this particular course and its layout, I better understand how to train for an OCR. My final ranking was number 180 out of 3,394. Not too bad for a first attempt, but nothing like the elites! I will be sure to incorporate more of these tips and lessons learned when training for my next OCR.

7 Tips on How to Train for an Obstacle Course Race:

High intensity interval training (HIIT). The amount of HIIT in preparation for your race will vary and is dependent on the distance. If the race course will be a shorter distance (under 5 miles), then a majority of your running could be HIIT and shorter distance recovery runs. If you will be competing in longer distances (10 miles or more), then I would still incorporate a weekly longer run just so your body will be prepared for the mileage and time on your feet. I highly recommend that you run outside–preferably on a trail or uneven terrain to prepare your legs adequately. You will need to feel comfortable running downhill on uneven terrain. Please refer to my Training Plan that I used for Race to Robie Creek, a very steep half marathon 8.5 miles uphill and 4.6 miles downhill.
Train for the pack. In larger races or in races where there is a variation in skill levels, I recommend training for this variable. Constantly changing your running pace faster or slower is more tiring than just running at your preferred pace. One easy and effective running style to train for this variable is called the Fartlek, Swedish for speed play. It involves taking your normal forty to sixty minute run (after a warm up) and intermittently changing your pace from jogging (at different speeds) to sprinting. This can be performed in a structured form or randomly in true Fartlek style. One method is to pick objects in front of you and vary your running speed as you approach them. This is a critical training method if you want to improve your race time.
CrossFit as a form of high intensity training (HIT) is an excellent method to train your legs to handle the hilly terrain (including a very fast and steep decent). The obstacles may include: picking up heavy objects and carrying them either in front or sometimes overhead; scaling walls; swinging and climbing along monkey bars; rope climbing; and crawling in mud. CrossFit taught me how to prepare for these different obstacles by refining the skill sets necessary to tackle them. It also prepared me to perform the obstacles when fatigued.
Climbing Wall. One of the obstacles included traversing a climbing wall sideways for 20+ feet. Participants were not allowed to climb up or let their feet touch the ground. I suggest practicing this at a local climbing wall. Although I was able to perform the obstacle, I was much slower as I rarely spend time on a climbing wall.
Monkey Bars. Spend time practicing swinging, climbing, and moving in different directions on monkey bars to better prepare for the different obstacles. It’s also an excellent method to increase your grip strength.
Clothing can be an interesting variable. For my particular OCR, the temperature was quite warm (above 80 degrees). The water obstacles helped to keep my body cool. In hindsight, additional clothing should have been considered in order to avoid cuts and scrapes. I wore a long pair of compression socks to help with cramping and protection from ground cover. I wish that I would have worn knee protection. The crawling cut up my knees and made them feel sore. Also, when scaling the walls, I got scrapes under my arms because I wore a tank top. I recommend wearing clothing that will protect your body for the likely scrapes and cuts that will occur.
Ankle Sprain Prevention. I had been warned that this particular course was hilly. In preparation, I decided to utilize Mummy Tape for ankle stability. (You can also use Rock Tape, KT Tape or any other Kinesiological style tape.) This video, KT Tape Ankle Stability, demonstrates the technique I utilized to help improve my ankle stability in order to prevent an ankle sprain. For application and removal tips, please refer to Skin Care with Taping.