Team Red, White, and Blue's (Team RWB) Massachusetts got a random email from a point of contact at the Superhero Scramble asking if some veterans would be willing to help with the administration of their race in exchange for a free bib number and t-shirt. Why thankee.
A few of us got on board and played in the mud for free by volunteering. I ran the Spartan Race at the same park in Amesbury, MA and did pretty well in August 2012.
I finished with a time of ~53:00 for a 4.4 mile course which earned me 4th place overall, 4th for gender, 1st in age group. Out of ~1,100 runners that's a pretty phenomenal finish if I do say so myself. But let's not get too excited over a good but not out-of-this-world physical feat. So how can YOU succeed?
Keys to Success:
Nail the Ring Swing: This video shows the easiest way to do it. It demands a little strength, a little patience and a lot of coordination.
Be Aggressive on Slippery Hills: There is a way to go down a hill that is too slippery for running or walking (also works great on snow). Squat down on one leg and extend one in front of you (to buffer any rocks or trees you may run into) and put your hands to the side to keep balance. Think of a pistol squat with hands on the side for steering and braking. It's risky but fast and looks awesome. Which is the most important thing. If you're not comfortable with this, just keep three points of contact on the ground or slide down on your butt.
Trust Your Feet in Puddles: A lot of runners were afraid of falling in a hole or stepping on something sharp (or snakes). Keep your knees bent, keep your weight back so your front foot can "explore" where the next step will be, and step gently and cautiously but quickly. Pull a Homer Simpson and bring your best snake whacker for snakes and people passing you.
Be Smart About the Beast: The 10 degree wall with ropes that runners can use to pull themselves up and over. Find a rope with the most evenly spaced and most knots, grab with both hands over your head, keep your torso parallel to the wall and legs perpendicular to it. Reach hand over hand, pull, take a step, repeat until you're at the top. On the last hand-over-hand, grab the leg and pull yourself over. NEVER push downward on the wall to gain elevation... that's just what they're expecting you to do.
Train for Hills and Train for Cardio: The 4.4 miles will be excruciating if you don't have the leg strength and endurance. 98% of runners will give up and walk at some point... if not at most points.
Highlights:
The Superheroes: LOTS of people got into the superhero theme by dressing up. It keeps the race more light-hearted than hardcore-themed races like the Spartan Race. It was a fun crowd.
The Beast: There were some pretty big spills on this bad boy. Nobody got injured but, dang, it was entertaining to watch.
Overall it was a good time but it got me wondering how races differentiate themselves. If the Superhero Scramble and Spartan Race were at the same park, same trails, same length, similar obstacles, same music and food, same price, and people hit you, kinda, at the finish line would you choose one over the other? Maybe it's just filling a gap in the calendar when there are no other races.
Also,why do people do this at all? There are very few occasions in American society where you will find yourself sweaty, muddy, bruised, and sometimes bleeding and our predecessors worked very hard to make it that way. Why do we want it?
I will be trying to answer these questions in the future. Stay tuned.
A few of us got on board and played in the mud for free by volunteering. I ran the Spartan Race at the same park in Amesbury, MA and did pretty well in August 2012.
I finished with a time of ~53:00 for a 4.4 mile course which earned me 4th place overall, 4th for gender, 1st in age group. Out of ~1,100 runners that's a pretty phenomenal finish if I do say so myself. But let's not get too excited over a good but not out-of-this-world physical feat. So how can YOU succeed?
Keys to Success:
Nail the Ring Swing: This video shows the easiest way to do it. It demands a little strength, a little patience and a lot of coordination.
Be Aggressive on Slippery Hills: There is a way to go down a hill that is too slippery for running or walking (also works great on snow). Squat down on one leg and extend one in front of you (to buffer any rocks or trees you may run into) and put your hands to the side to keep balance. Think of a pistol squat with hands on the side for steering and braking. It's risky but fast and looks awesome. Which is the most important thing. If you're not comfortable with this, just keep three points of contact on the ground or slide down on your butt.
 |
| The Pistol Squat (Source) |
Trust Your Feet in Puddles: A lot of runners were afraid of falling in a hole or stepping on something sharp (or snakes). Keep your knees bent, keep your weight back so your front foot can "explore" where the next step will be, and step gently and cautiously but quickly. Pull a Homer Simpson and bring your best snake whacker for snakes and people passing you.
Be Smart About the Beast: The 10 degree wall with ropes that runners can use to pull themselves up and over. Find a rope with the most evenly spaced and most knots, grab with both hands over your head, keep your torso parallel to the wall and legs perpendicular to it. Reach hand over hand, pull, take a step, repeat until you're at the top. On the last hand-over-hand, grab the leg and pull yourself over. NEVER push downward on the wall to gain elevation... that's just what they're expecting you to do.
Train for Hills and Train for Cardio: The 4.4 miles will be excruciating if you don't have the leg strength and endurance. 98% of runners will give up and walk at some point... if not at most points.
Highlights:
The Superheroes: LOTS of people got into the superhero theme by dressing up. It keeps the race more light-hearted than hardcore-themed races like the Spartan Race. It was a fun crowd.
The Beast: There were some pretty big spills on this bad boy. Nobody got injured but, dang, it was entertaining to watch.
Overall it was a good time but it got me wondering how races differentiate themselves. If the Superhero Scramble and Spartan Race were at the same park, same trails, same length, similar obstacles, same music and food, same price, and people hit you, kinda, at the finish line would you choose one over the other? Maybe it's just filling a gap in the calendar when there are no other races.
Also,why do people do this at all? There are very few occasions in American society where you will find yourself sweaty, muddy, bruised, and sometimes bleeding and our predecessors worked very hard to make it that way. Why do we want it?
I will be trying to answer these questions in the future. Stay tuned.
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