Four Comfort Zones You’ll Crush by Training for and Running An Obstacle Course Race (OCR)
Those of us who exercise will easily defend that we are constantly challenging comfort zones. We couldn’t advance from the ten-pound dumbbell bench press to the 25-pound dumbbell bench press if we weren’t willing to challenge a comfort zone or two. But accomplishing an Obstacle Course Race (OCR), well… that’s a whole different level! In OCR, we flip tires, swing across monkey bars, traverse walls and crawl under barbed wire to name few. Here are four comfort zones you’ll crush by training for and running an OCR.
Comfort Zone 1: Strength Level
To accomplish an OCR, you’ll consider relative strength, absolute strength, strength at the limits of your range of motion, explosive strength and strength endurance. Imagine the fitness level you’ll attain when you can confidently approach an 8-foot wall, vault over it and keep running! You’ll have one-legged power to bound upward; your upper body might will sustain your body mass as you depend on hip mobility to hoist your leg over. The muscles and tendons of your lower body will decelerate weight as you drop down on the other side. And finally, your anerobic metabolism will become aerobic metabolism as you continue to the next obstacle.
Comfort Zone 2: Mental Toughness
Running on the treadmill can be meditative, but running on rocky, muddy terrain in freezing weather is one of the most mentally challenging and rewarding experiences. A commonly used excuse for not exercising is bad weather. So, imagine the mental toughness you can claim when you make no such excuse for getting outside. If you commit to taking your workout outside in all weather on all terrain, you can gain confidence for a lot of other “storms” that come your way.
Comfort Zone 3: Training Schedule
It’s comfortable to know what to expect when you hit the gym. You know your surroundings and who’s at the squat rack. Challenge your comfort zone by finding a place that has tires to flip or ropes to climb. Hit the playground and incorporate running in between obstacles like box jumps, monkey bars, inverted row from the swings, lunge walks on the balance beam and bounding over hurdles. Have fun conquering a comfort zone on the playground!
Comfort Zone 4: Running Ability
People will say they don’t want to run unless someone’s chasing them. I say, if someone’s chasing you down, you better bet that person is trained to run. Who do you think will win? If you find running uncomfortable, conquering this comfort zone will be one of your biggest accomplishments. Find a stunning landscape you can fall in love with and go crush it!
Why you can do it
Millions of people just like you have not only completed an OCR, but have done so several times! It’s addictive. Every next race you sign up for, you’ll want to compete better, which means you probably conquered a few serious comfort zones. And remember, you can start slow and built your progress.
Andrea Bowden, MS, an exercise therapist and Obstacle Course Racing Age-Group champion, is a freelance writer on health & fitness, motivation, and “real life.” She coaches retention science to fitness professionals, gym managers, and community organizations so their clients quit quitting.
