Rockin Mad 5K Challenge

I got a taste of an OCR (obstacle course race) via the Rockin Mad 5K Challenge in Lynn Woods. I jumped into the elite heat with friend Brett Rickenbach. He has plenty of experience at these and has hit up several with friend Junyong Pak over the past two years. We started at the gate and headed straight up to Stone Tower under a very light rain/mist mix in the mid-50’s. I jumped into third behind Brett and leader, Ron Cooper. We hit the first challenge, a wall, which was easy enough to jump up and climb over (we would approach at least three more of these in the race). Then we hit some hay bales to jump over half way up to Stone Tower. Then we had a jump down (6ft) off a wall to the left of Stone Tower. There was no volunteer there to turn athletes back onto the course so I yelled for one to come over and stand there. Brett took the lead a few steps into the single track. I was watching my step carefully behind Ron through the slippery rocks while protecting my plantar fascia in my right foot. Brett gained at least a 10 second lead. We opened up into the fire road and to a camouflaged tarp on top of a tarp. I turned my hat around backwards. We had to get under and crawl through. I was a few steps behind them. My back got soaked. They put a few seconds on me as they got to their feet. Minutes later we came upon a ravine chaser where we go off trail down into a steep ravine and climb back out. It was a hand over fist climb over mossy roots. No biggie but I lost ground. A minute later, another wall to climb and I could barely see Brett on the straight away. 

We got a chance to run past a water stop and a left hand turn down goat hill – my first time ever having a chance to race down it. At the bottom of it was a horizontal cargo rope. I asked the volunteer what we had to do as it was not obvious to go under or jump up on top. She said to jump up and roll across it so I did. No biggie. I felt a slight tweak in the left groin for a few seconds after jumping down off of it. I could see Brett trailing Ron by a few seconds as we headed into the last mile. I had another wall to climb up and over, stone wall around, another off trail ravine in and out, and one more wall before descending into the field before the finish where two obstacles remained. As I ran along the dam, I looked over and could see Brett and Ron tied crawling through the barbed wire crawl (second to last obstacle challenge). I was jealous of the battle they had. They were 100 feet from the finish line. 

I turned right and down into the barbed wire crawl. I decided to roll through it. I got dizzy in the process. Getting up and out was hilarious. A few steps ahead was the last obstacle/challenge: a choice of a 10 foot wall climb or a 40 degree rope pull up a 20 foot ramp. I asked the volunteers which one did the first two (Brett and Ron) handle as if to prove that I can do what they did. In reality, I wanted to do the rope pull. The volunteers said that each one picked one. So I went after the rope pull and did it without slipping. The rope and the ramp was doused with baby shampoo earlier so it was not so easy for others. This was comical to watch later after I finished, trust me. I climbed down and wrapped up my first OCR in 23:14 for a respectable 3^rd. After talking with Brett and others, they said this was a light course in terms of challenges and obstacles (maybe 11 in total aside from the technical running). I did an easy cool down with Brett, James Mscisz, and Marc Ford. I got dried off and into some warm clothes and waited for Krissy and the Armstrong family who were running in the team wave. I got some breakfast: quiche, pumpkin bread, and sausages. Krissy, Joe, and Sandy came in and battled through the last two obstacles giving me a chance to take photos. It was fun to see them work as a team to help each other up the last challenge where they picked the slippery ramp. It was just too slippery for the ladies who opted for the 10 burpees shall one skip or not be able to complete a challenge. Joe tacked the ramp like a champ. In all, this was fun and low key event. It was and is a perfect start for a first timer or beginner. 

Rockin Mad 5K Challenge results - Lynn Woods - October 6, 2013