Why would you do this to yourself?

May 17, 2012

If you've seen your neighbor running up the street with a rucksack on and then coming home covered in scratches and mud and dragging the pack, he's probably training for one of those crazy Warrior competitions.

People aren't content to go jogging anymore, or even to run 10k races, it has to be a 10k race with 12-foot walls to scale in the middle.
Yes, we've entered an era of adults hurting themselves trying to be commandos (while many commandos would rather be home in the Laz-E-Boy, watching television). They're covering themselves with mud, getting zapped by electric fences, and swimming across icy ponds just for the honor of saying they finished such a race.

For beginners, there's a short 5k race around a motocross track in Southwick called the Rugged Maniac. While it's not a test of endurance due to its length, the sandy track pulls at one's feet between attacking obstacles like running through their “tire jungle,” across planks that bridge water holes and down slopes made slippery by running water.

There is the Spartan Race series, which pits individuals against obstacles like climbing walls, mud pits and fire (yes, fire). They have sprint distance races, mid-length races (8 miles) and “beast” level, which is 12 miles of running and climbing through tubes and swinging from ropes.

The Warrior Dashes, which are ... read full article Published on May 17th, 2012 by Allison O'Leary Murray