Warrior Dash 5k Obstacle CourseJoliet, IL - Sunday, June 19, 2011
Preparations
The Warrior Dash will always have a special place in my heart as the first mud race (and first race ever) that I ran. I had always been a sprinter and was used to running in bursts rather an anything that required a sustained effort but my Kilimanjaro training had me comfortable enough running a 5k. The big wildcard for me preparing for this race was not knowing how difficult the obstacles would be or how much extra energy they would burn. My goal leading into the race was to be comfortable running 5 miles at less than a 10 minute pace. I also did a lot of body weight exercises (push-ups, pull-ups, sit-ups, burpies) and would mix those in with my running to get my muscles used to recovering while still moving.
The Course
The course was composed of about a dozen actual obstacles but there were some unofficial challenges (basically muddy hills, creek runs) that didn’t make it onto the map. One note about the map on the website - it changed a couple days before the race. I’m suspect they leave the previous year’s map up until they complete the new course which might throw someone off if they trained specifically with those obstacles in mind. Only a handful of obstacles stayed the same, but they all had the same flavor to them. Some of the larger obstacles were visible on the road up to the course and definitely looked imposing and I ran a slower pace than I could have since I was trying to save some energy to tackle the obstacles. Looking back, I think I would have been fine to just run at my usual 5k pace and take on the obstacles as they came. The biggest energy drain overall probably wasn’t the obstacles themselves but the generally hilliness. The course wound you up and down some decent sized hills and all my training had been on flat ground so the hills were pretty draining. The course flow was good and there weren’t really any lines at any of the obstacles except one muddy hill that had a single rope. Apparently, the previous day they didn’t even have the rope but it slope was so slippery they decided to add it in. It was still technically possible to complete the obstacle without the rope so if you had to wait in line, you couldn’t blame the course.
The Obstacles
Road Rage - Climb over two cars and run through some tires. Nothing too difficult here. I actually ran over the tires instead of stepping into each one, is that cheating? We’ll just say I had the parkour mindset of moving through the obstacles as efficiently as possible.
Satan’s Steps - This obstacle involved hopping from one raised platform to another. They weren’t high enough off the ground for me to notice how high they actually were. I think it helped that my legs were long enough to actually step from one to the next instead of jumping.
Giant Cliffhanger - This was a tall plywood slope with a rope to climb up, once you reach the peak you climb down the 2x4 structure like a ladder. This is one of the taller obstacles (maybe 15ft) and looked like it could be tough but it ended up being easier than it looked.
Chaotic Crossover - I liked this obstacle because I felt like my technique worked really well. It was basically a horizontal cargo net suspended about 7 feet off the ground. Everyone naturally got on the hands and knees to crawl across the net but I realized I could stay on my feet and basically walk across grabbing with my hands when I needed to balance. I passed a bunch of people but I’m sure I would be singing a different tune if either foot had slipped through the net...
Tetris Twist - The course map says, “navigate your way over the box maze.” That’s sensationalizing it a little too much. If you can proceed through the obstacle in a straight line, I don’t think it’s fair to call it a maze. If you’ve ever used a staircase before, this obstacle shouldn’t be a big deal. The photography team was there to take your picture hopping off the last box. I think they could have picked a cooler obstacle.
Great Warrior Wall - This was a vertical wall with a rope to climb which might have been more difficult but the wall had horizontal crossbars built in as footholds. With those bars, you could probably make it over without the rope. With a rope, it was pretty easy.
Deadman’s Drop - Another small wall to climb over - the “drop” portion was not particularly overwhelming.
Horizontal Hike - This obstacle was basically like climbing over an arch made out of 2x4 monkey bars. It got high enough that it wouldn’t have been fun to fall off but as long as you focused on your hand and foot placement instead of the ground it really doesn’t matter how high it is. It was a little crowded on this obstacle but there was still enough room to pass people.
Assassins Escape - Climb up some steps then drop down a fire pole. Not a whole lot else to say about this one.
Cargo Climb - This time the cargo net is vertical (almost) and the peak is probably about 15 feet high. The net is pretty tight so it’s easier to climb over than if there was a lot of play. At this point, the end is in sight.
Warrior Roast - Jumping over the fire is one of the more talked about obstacles. You have two rows of burning logs to jump over. It’s pretty easy to clear them but the flames are high enough that if people aren’t a fan of fire, it might be a little intimidating. Apparently, the previous day a guy in a Gumby costume tried to do a flip over the fire and it didn’t turn out as well for him. There is a photographer here too so try to avoid running right behind someone else.
Muddy Mayhem - This final obstacle is a mud pit with barbed wire over it This one’s a fun one and the barbed wire is high enough and not super sharp so people shouldn’t get injured. After that there is a quick sprint to the finish line (another camera). I wanted to finish strong but it’s pretty slippery here so running too fast just leads to slipping.
Overall Obstacle Difficulty Rating: 3/5
Hardest Obstacle
The hardest obstacle wasn’t even on the course map’s official obstacle list. Before the Cargo Climb, there was a muddy hill with a single rope that I mentioned in the course overview. There were people from previous heats struggling up the rope and you can only go as fast as the slowest person. I tried running up the middle of the hill without the rope and made it a little over half way before sliding backwards. I dug in and shuffled over to the side where there was a little more traction and proceeded the rest of the way. Of all the obstacles, this was the most challenging.
Time
My time for the course was 35:05 which was right at my goal time but there was room for improvement if I hadn’t held back because of the obstacles. My average 5k pace leading up to this race was around 9 minutes per mile. The fastest time for the course over the weekend was 19 minutes and 12 seconds.
Mud Rating: 2/5
I was pretty much clean until the mud pit just before the finish line. Someone had kicked up some mud early on that landed on my upper lip making me look like I was sporting the least trustworthy of beards.
Clean Up
There was only one large hose (basically a fire hose) to wash everyone off. There was a long line so they only gave you a couple seconds in front of the hose. They basically only let you rinse your hands and face then made you move on. Standing in the sun made the mud dry pretty quickly and then it was easy enough to crack it all off. Once home, I was able to salvage my shoes and all my clothes by rinsing them with a hose, soaking overnight and machine washing.
Atmosphere
There were a ton of people at this race - with waves of over 500 people leaving every 30 minutes. There were some very competitive people and plenty of people just there to have fun but everyone seemed friendly. Because of the sheer volume of people (and the abundance of fuzzy viking helmets), it really felt like a major event. There was also a massive screen showing real time shots of runners on the course which was cool. Charging extra for parking wasn’t so cool and the parking areas were pretty rough on a Mazda 3 sedan.
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