Staying hydrated before, during, and after your run is key. You can also rely on water stations through the course. Keep a stainless steel or padded glass water bottle beside your bed the night before, and aim to drink oz.
For a boost of freshness, try adding a squeeze of lemon or a few chunks of raw ginger to ease any queasiness you might be experiencing. Chafing is, unfortunately, an all-too-common race injury. Applying an anti-chafe cream is a must-do before beginning a race. You can find a variety of them available at your local sporting goods store. Apply in your groin region, under bra straps, and even on your nipples to avoid finishing with blood stains really, this can happen.
Trust us: add this to your must-have gear on event day and apply it right before your race. Because they likely lack traction, protection, and drainage. Traction is necessary for events that require off-trail running and muddy conditions. We suggest sandals and clean clothes to change into and help you enjoy that hard-earned finish beer.
For windy days, wear a light pullover windbreaker. Don't wear a jacket with a zipper as zippers get clogged with mud. Go for a nylon fabric so mud slides off. Start with a good sock. Keep your socks low. Anything higher than the ankle will just be added weight. Consider splurging on a running sock ; they will help prevent blisters. Definitely, don't wear cotton socks. And make sure you tuck your socks into your running tights. More : Different Shoes for Different Feet.
Wear a running shoe or boot and make sure you double knot the laces. It's easy for running shoes to slip off in the mud, so tie them tight. Now that you're all geared up, get out and train in your gear. Test it out in wet conditions so you know how it will feel. Change out any gear that causes chaffing when you train! Wearing the right gear will make a major difference to your mud run performance.
Expect the unexpected when you join a mud run. More Running Articles. Look for this banner for recommended activities. Cancel Yes. Join Active or Sign In. Your feet will get submerge into the water, and the moisture held by the cotton socks will feel like misery.
Plus, while running with wet socks, you are more prone to suffer from blisters. Wear synthetic running socks, because they won't hold the water and your feet won't feel heavy because of the excess of liquid.
The answers depend on the types of races you are running. For a mud run, I would suggest a low-cut sock because high socks tend to get heavy with the extra mud and might end up rolling doing your ankle because of the weight anyway. For obstacle race, like Tough Mudder, Spartan Race or Warrior Dash, you will encounter many obstacles that can leave you with bruises and scrapes. If you are doing such kind of obstacle race, I suggest wearing high socks.
I prefer to wear compression socks when I race. Because of the accumulation of lymph fluid in my lower limbs, my legs start to feel tired, and I start cramping in the first hour. These long and tight socks help to keep a study flow of blood in my legs.
So they don't get tired while running up and down the mountain. What to know which socks I use? Check out my review of the best socks you could wear for obstacle racing.
The type of bottoms you choose to wear can make a huge difference. While most top OCR athletes go for the shortest shorts, it essential you know your options and understand the differences. Last summer, I initiated a friend to the mud run, but I forgot to mention the no cotton rule. My friend shows up in cargo shorts made of cotton.
I felt terrible for him because he didn't enjoy the race like I promise he would. Avoid cotton and short with pockets, because they will get filled with mud and water.
Also, I would suggest you go for a short with a drawstring, to keep them in place the whole race. A compression short is the best option for men and women. It's breathable, flexible and tight enough so that mud or dirt won't accumulate inside.
There's nothing worse than having a sandbox in your short while running. Hello, Irritation! Also, because they are body-adjusted, you limiting the chances of getting snagged in the barbwires. You can also opt for the full leg compression pants. I run most of the time in this kind of compression pants.
I prefer the wear shorts over my compression pants. I feel more comfortable with a pair of shorts, and subconsciously I don't want to look like robin hood. If you don't like the fit or the look of compression shorts, a good pair of running shorts will do the trick.
Wearing sports shorts at an obstacle race is very common for men because the fabric is light and will dry fast. They will also hold and stay up much better than your casual Friday's cargo shorts. Just make sure your shorts are not too baggy so you won't tear them open by getting caught on the barbwire. Ripping your shorts on the course will leave you to show up your butt for the rest of the race.
You should also avoid wearing a boardshorts because they are most likely baggy, not tight enough on the waistline and they have a side pocket which can get filled with mud.
Rember you will be crawling and rolling under the barbwire, jumping and crossing cargo net. The last thing you need is your short falling down. For women who don't have or don't like compression shorts, I would suggest wearing a good pair of sports leggings.
They won't hold the water too much, and they will protect you from scratches and bruises. Sports pants can be a suitable option too. Just remember to wear something not too loose, made of thin and breathable fabric so they won't hold the water.
Even if OCR feels like a military type of race, don't wear military pants, unless you want an extra challenge. Only in winter races, I would recommend wearing jogging pants. In winter, most obstacle race won't have water obstacle so you could get away wearing your cotton sweat pants. Maybe I shouldn't be writing this on a public blog, but many racers don't wear underwear. When you wear compression short, you don't need underwear, because it will be like wearing underwear over your underwear.
On the other hand, if you wear short or any type of bottom that is not sufficiently tight, I would recommend wearing sports underwear. Keep your cotton underwear for another day, because on the course they will hold the water, get saggy, get filled with mud and will be irritating. If your underwear is too loose, they'll end up into your butt crack for the end of the race. If you want to feel like a real warrior, opt for the minimalistic approach and run full commando.
You probably look at pictures of past events and saw a bunch of shirtless athletics racers at the starting line. These are the elites, and they will complete the course much faster than you and me. Also, they will not fall, slip or miss any of the obstacles. For us, ordinary people, wearing a shirt is a matter of preventing scratches, sunburn and feeling more comfortable.
Depending on the temperature, you will have to choose between; tank top, t-shirt or long sleeve. But, you must consider other factors too. I prefer to wear a long sleeve, even in summer, because it provides me better protection again the sun and from scratches while crawling in the dirt. Also, some obstacles might require you to pull yourself over a wall and wearing a long sleeve might feel more protected.
For all mud run, I would wear a sports t-shirt and most female runners I know they prefer a tank top. Whatever you choose, opt for a wicking fabric and form-fitting. The obstacle will be fairly tough, so the last thing you need is getting your baggy shirt stuck in it. I'm no expert here, but for the purpose of this guide, I've asked other female runners for bits of advice, and they all said that women should always wear a sports bra. The fabric is breathable, and the shape is tight enough so that mud won't accumulate inside.
For a mud run, you could be tempted by wearing a swimsuit, and that would be a terrible idea. Swimwear was not meant for sports activities like running so you won't get the support you need, plus it will get filled with mud and dirt. Just like compression socks, some runner will wear compression sleeves.
It helps to keep a regular the blood flow in your arms so they won't get tired after the first 2 or 3 obstacles. While this is not a clothing accessory I recommend to beginners, I think I can be beneficial for a tough obstacle race, like Spartan or Savage Race. Mainly, it will protect your arm while you are crawling or running in the mountain. Depending on the temperature you might be wondering if you need to wear a jacket.
Because you'll be running, your body temperature will rise and you'll probably won't need the coat. Has a rule of thumb I always add an extra 7 Celsius 44 Fahrenheit to get a good sense of how it will feel on the course. I live in Canada, and the only seasons where you need a jacket is for winter. I would wear a jacket only between November to March. But for first-time runners or peoples who will be walking most of the course, wearing a jacket can be helpful especially if it's windy or raining.
If you do opt for jackets, get a very thin sports jacket. It will be enough to keep your body warm. Plus, if you don't need it halfway through the course, it can be easily folded away. The worst thing you could wear is a sweatshirt or any other type of heavy jacket. Has they were not meant for intense sports activities, they will get cold and humid. Gloves are not essential, and many OCR athletes don't wear them at all.
However, your hand might need a little help because you'll be climbing over obstacles and carrying heavy objects. I'm the guy who has a pair of gloves for almost everything; from gardening to moving appliances and for obstacle racing. I work on a computer all week, typing on a keyboard and pushing the mouse around. That put me in the soft hand category. The first time I try the monkey bar at a Spartan race, I fail, because my hands were hurting so much.
Later on, that race, carrying the heavy bucket was torture for my informatician hands. If you're a mechanic or a nurse, you're probably tougher than me and can race without gloves. I prefer to wear gloves during an obstacle race. From all the gloves I tried, most were coming out of my hand easily. I test many types of gloves, and the best gloves I tried so far are the one who straps or clip around your wrist.
Your gloves won't be useful if they slip out of your hand, plus it can be dangerous. Make sure the glove is tight, and you can't pull it out easily. Also, glove who are too loose will get fill with mud and become heavy to carry around. On many occasions, I had to carry useless gloves to the race. Because they didn't work and I didn't test them before the race. People are also tossing their gloves when they realize they didn't bring the right type of gloves.
Some runner prefers to carry their glove in their back pocket and use them only for specific obstacle monkey bar, ring, rope climb, etc. But if you take your glove out during the race, there's a good chance they will fall, and you'll lose them.
I have founded many gloves on the course of each race.
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