Are we still doing these OCR event?

In 2022, Michelle and I made the choice to trade the hustle of running WTM in Alabama for a serene beach in Hawaii. As I looked ahead to the 2023 Granbury Texas WTM, it was my return to the world of obstacle course racing after nearly a two-year hiatus.  The past 2 years I really focused my energy on completing a 100 mile trail race; and honestly really enjoy how much 'nicer' trail running treats your body compared to obstacle course racing.   Since WTM 2021 in Laughlin, NV, I haven't taken on an OCR race. Earlier this summer I tried to run Minnesota Toughest Mudder; but started the race injured and dropped after 20K.  

The pit was set up an series of large square grids surrounding a hospitality tent.  You would run past the finish, peel off to your tent; and then come back to the course towards the start line.  It was a pretty nice set-up, and we were only 8 row's of tents deep pitting next to Jeremy and Janet Torkelson.  Janet was a big help in making sure we had our drinks mixed/ stuff prepared and gear on overnight since we didn't bring a dedicated pit crew; she did an exceptional job covering both Michelle and I.

Goals

During most of the summer, I grappled with a persistent arch injury that had surfaced after running the Boulder Boulder race. This injury cast a shadow over my summer racing aspirations, and it felt like a constant juggling act, trying to maintain my fitness while preventing the injury from worsening.

As WTM approached, I managed to secure a solid six-week training block, which left me in good spirits leading up to the event. I set my sights high, aiming for 75 miles, even though I knew it was quite ambitious. I also had a secondary goal of reaching 55 miles, which would be one lap further than my previous three 50-mile finishes.

Photo by Jack Goras- OCR Report

The Course

I found the course itself quite enjoyable. While it didn't feature a lot of elevation change, each relatively easy climb was often followed by a draining downhill section, which made it challenging to maintain a smooth downhill flow. Nevertheless, the course never felt monotonous or boring, as I always had a sense of what lay ahead, my current location on the course, and what to anticipate.  I enjoyed the mix of service road, rocky technical trail, and prickly pear bushwhacking cactus dodging.

The course had its variations, with both windy and warm sections, keeping things interesting. Notably, the water obstacles were strategically positioned around two-thirds of the way into the race. This placement added an element of complexity, with 3-5 wet obstacles to navigate, which later in the night made me contemplate my gear choices.  

The Obstacles

While there weren't any colossal or epic obstacles in this year's race, it's worth noting that among the 20 obstacles TMHQ had on the course, the majority posed a significant challenge and demanded a fair amount of effort to conquer. Unlike previous years where you might encounter a few 'gimme' obstacles, such as a simple water pit or dirt pile to cross, the 2023 course offered no such respite. Even the barbed wire crawl was longer and more draining than in previous editions.

Out of the 20 obstacles, 12 had penalties if you failed to complete them. In all my years of participating in WTM, I can confidently say that the level of difficulty associated with completing the penalized obstacles was at its peak this year. Many of these challenges were exceptionally physically demanding and, if not completed, resulted proceeding to the penalty loop.

Overall I thought they were all built pretty well, with marginally enough lanes, and fun; and my only complaint would be there wasn't enough lanes for the grappler.  During the first 6 hours it was open you had to deciding if you wanted to wait in line for 10 minutes (and still maybe fail); or take a .8 mile penalty run which included a long slog through waste deep water in a swamp.

Coaches Corner was by far the most unique obstacle,  like traversing a trench crawl to cargo net climb in the middle of a rave with an ongoing building chemical fire while high on acid... or something like that.  I liked the music... the rest.... eh, meh? 

Favorties?

My favorite obstacle(s)?  Operation is always awesome and challenging when tired.... mess up, get shocked, get woke the F*CK up, a classic! As for new ones I've never done; Melting Point (tipping point?).  It was just fun.  I also thought the new gloop which was the cylindrical cargo net was a challenging spin on an old obstacle which did require some upper body strength and mental composure.

Also, i do have to say, the people at Mudderhorn, Everest  and the Dublin Walls were amazing and so damn helpful.  They made those tough obstacles so easy; im always amazing that people sacrifice their own race to help others for 20+ hours.  I cant say enough good things about their support.

The OCR Report- Photo by Jack Goras

The Penalties

I am a person whom, if I cannot complete an obstacle; give me a penalty.  I much prefer that over a 'must complete' because the anxiety of being stuck at something then goes away.   Now, there were a lot of penalties, and they were all long.  Lots of running plus some type of task.  Compared to WTM 2016/2017 these felt like penalties of old.   TMHQ has gotten soft on penalties in the previous years; and striking the right balance of obstacle completion vs. penalty time is tricky.  They may have gone a little overboard on penalties this year (The running was fine; (bring on the distance for failures) but the running plus the added 'tasks' was a bit excessive') .  Maybe I just would prefer a longer single task ..... or running.  Running penalties are much harder for people to cheat on, which is why I do think its a great way to enforce failures.

The volunteers were great, they had people at every obstacle/penalty.  It amazes me that TMHQ is able to find folks to sit outside all damn night to watch us carry a balloon on a plate; or pound a stake into the dirt just to remove it.  Those people have grit.

Photos by OCR Report (Jack Goras)  and Tough Mudder

My Race

Over the course of four laps, I maintained what I thought was required for my 75-mile goal, but it soon started to slip away as the more formidable upper-body obstacles opened which (with long penalties)  took a toll on my progress. The race course, it seemed, was not very accommodating for us Clydesdale participants as OCR never is (This is really on me for not being more dedicated in my diet...anyways....).  After just a few laps, my pace dropped significantly due to time penalties incurred for failing obstacles, which added extra miles to my journey. It became apparent around 10 PM that my original goal of 75 miles was overly ambitious, prompting me to shift my focus to my secondary goal of reaching 55 miles.

I managed my food, race strategy, and gear without experiencing extreme highs or lows. It was all about maintaining a steady forward momentum. On the eighth or ninth lap, I somehow managed to failed every obstacle,  (fell off the balance beam, couldn't throw the grappler rope, got shocked and dropped my operation stick...etc.) resulting in the need to complete the "max penalty distance" for one lap. This was a lengthy lap, made even more challenging by my left hip having some pain, which probably spawned from the foot arch issues I've had all summer.

The nighttime temperatures were mild, with temperatures in the mid-50s, allowing me to get by with a shorty wetsuit and a windbreaker.

I strategically saved all my obstacle skip bands for the eleventh lap, ensuring I wouldn't stop after reaching 50 miles.   As I embarked on my final lap, I managed to pick up the pace by skipping six obstacles, including the last four, ultimately completing my race in approximately 23 hours and covering an official distance of 55 miles. Given the condition of my foot going into the race, my higher-than-desired weight, and the time lost to penalties, I was pretty satisfied with my performance.  I really enjoyed all the short conversations; with so many cool, fun and unique people throughout the night.  It really keeps a person's spirit up.

This may have been the first WTM that people could not 'walk' to 50 miles.  

55 Miles (first ever dirty brown bib) , 23 hours,  Clydesdale Category 3rd place. (Weight division for People over 215)

Will I be back for another?  That's too early to decide.

Can I hit 75?  I think that's still a maybe.  If want to ever hit 75 I'm almost certain ill need a dedicated pit crew to use the quick pit option as I still burned a lot of time just going to my tent. Plus I could use to be 15-20lbs lighter with more focus on upper strength.