Dead End Mont Habitant 2014 Race Review

This weekend a handful of Mudd Queens checked out the Dead End Race at Mont Habitant in Saint-Sauveur, Qc.  The weather was cool with strong winds but the sun was shining and the sky (and only the sky) was dry.

Arriving on site at about 9:30am parking was quick and easy.  Cost was $10 per car and you were ON SITE. No real trek required.  Registration was easy to find and the lines were not long but they did move relatively slowly compared to some of the more well-oiled machines I have seen.  Kits were sorted by wave time and included a timing chip and cable ties to attach, a bib and 4 pins and a few flyers for partner companies. 

Our kits were not in the right time slot but it was great to see that they were quick and eager to get things sorted out.  We each received a cotton tee (available in mens and womens sizes).  Its did seem that some registration types (discounted/groupons) did not automatically include a shirt but were an affordable add on option. 

After registration we reluctantly removed our warm and fuzzy clothing and geared up.  There were indoor bathrooms and some open spaces if you needed to warm up.  We could hear the announcer giving 15, 10, 5 minute warnings for each heat and at 10:25 made our way into the “cage”.  With 2 minutes remaining the gates were closed and you were locked in.

The energy at the start line was AWESOME!  The heats seemed to be about 100- 150 people.  The music built good tension, the (bilingual) announcer had everyone super pumped and then you heard the countdown over the loud speakers. 5..4..3..2..1….

 We set out on what was advertised to be a 6k course with 40 obstacles and (I quote) “No deep freezing water”.  The obstacles were well-spaced and they made really good use of the terrain.  Trails were at times VERY technical and warranted the fact that they were counted as obstacles. One spot was so steep you literally crawled up on all fours and then slid down on your butt (intentionally or otherwise). Lots of familiar obstacles; over under walls, a horizontal cargonet, fire jump, slip ramp, tire flip, etc., TONS of high walls and a KICKA$$ waterslide!

Some unique obstacles included a huge slosh pipe which you carried up and down part of the course, a field of huge tires stacked for climbing over, through etc, a warped wall, a series of rafts that you ran across, and what many thought were conveniently placed portapotties about 5k into the course. You opened the door to see no toilet and no bottom, only chest deep water, which you then climbed into, crossed over, dunked under a beam and then climbed up out through another portapotty.  Also of note was the water slide, which in the cold we were dreading but quite enjoyed.  It was a well-constructed slide (not a tarp on the side of a mountain) and ended as it leveled out as opposed to in a deep pool of water.

SURPRISE!!!

Of note, there were a few obstacles that could have been more thoughtful designed/constructed.  One obstacle had racers crawling under a platform, then popping up at the end in a 12” opening to then scale a 6’ wall, meanwhile, crossing OVER the same platform in the other direction were participants climbing over (and subsequently jumping down from) a 6’ wall.  When we arrived the tunnel was packed full of bodies bottle necked waiting for others at the end to figure out 1) what they were supposed to do and 2) how to do it in such closed quarters.  This left about 10 racers jammed under the platform while overhead racers slammed down onto it causing it to bow and bend notably each time.  We actually backed out of the tunnel and suggested others not enter until the path was clear. 

The only other concerns we had were the far drops from many many high walls.  I often found myself on top of a wall looking down thinking, not sure I would have climbed up had I seen this drop first, and following the second traverse wall you were to descend a very slippery ramp, which I think inadvertently, had a deep hole hidden just under one side.  Penalties were pushups and ranged from 10-20 depending on obstacles.  Other Mudd Queens reported some line-ups at obstacles in later heats but we didn’t have any issues early on.

The course was very clearly marked with all trails unmistakably marked by full yellow tape on either side of the trail. Water stations were ample (6) and well supplied/staffed when we arrived and volunteers were all very helpful though more could have been used, but this is not at the fault of the organizers (get out there and volunteer folks!!).

Upon finishing what we are now told was just over 7k we received a nice medal and quickly made our way to warmth so we did not experience much of the “festival grounds” but did note a BBQ on site and good music and lots of good viewing spots indoors and out.

Race bib and finishers medal

All in all I would consider this a challenging race and a good one to check out.  I look forward to trying it in warmer weather next year for sure!

See it all for yourself here in the lastest Viva Frei parody!

Tire Zone obstacle

 

Paintball Mirabel obstacle

The nastiest hill climb ever

Over Under walls

Warped wall

Sun Peaks Spartan Ultra Beast Race Review By Jessica Bleasdale

A Stay-at-Home Mom's Viewpoint on the Sun Peaks Spartan Race Ultra Beast from the Top of the World

-Jessica Bleasdale

I feel kind of silly writing this review of the the Sun Peaks Spartan Race Ultra Beast. I am not a top tier athlete nor a long time runner nor a marathoner nor a personal trainer nor someone even with an athletic background. There has been lots of chatter before and after the race that the Sun Peaks Ultra Beast wasn't as hard as Vermont, wasn't long enough, wasn't good enough, wasn't challenging enough, and countless other derisive comments. Let me say quite frankly as a stay-at-home mom who began running a year and a half ago and have been training my butt off harder than I ever conceivably could have imagined, the Sun Peaks Ultra Beast was the greatest challenge on which I have ever embarked. And this is the magic of the Spartan Race brand. Anyone from any walk of life can do the training, do the necessary hard work, do whatever it takes, and earn that feeling of success when completing a race which makes the Spartan Race motto "You'll know at the finish line" so appropriate, particularly in my case at this race.

This review is not a highlight of the technical aspects of the course nor commentary on how this course does or doesn't stack up against other races. There are plenty of other athletes who can provide that type of review. I will give a lowdown on how I made it through the course and what it took for me to prep for the race. This recap and review is for the athletes just like me; those who dare to dream that they can achieve things they once thought impossible. It is for those who self doubt but don't back down. It is for those who are willing to step outside their comfort zone and train hard and willing to do whatever it takes to turn dreams into a reality.

I would be lying if I said I wasn't completely intimidated lining up in the starting corral with some absolutely stellar athletes. The race was capped to 100 racers so the calibre of athletes in this one group was extraordinary. In the pre-race inspiration speech the announcer gives prior to a Spartan Race it always includes a statement along the lines of "Now look to the Spartan on your left and look to the Spartan on your right,...." There was a running joke among the Ultra racers that as you looked to the people left and right of you that chances are in this race they would not finish it. This reality really set in with me as I waited for the race to begin and every fibre of my being wanted to succeed.

I will give a brief lowdown on the course from the perspective of a back-of-the-pack racer. Originally we were given 9 hours and 15 minutes to complete the course. This time cap was extended by 1 hour as they had made the course distance longer in the days leading up to the event. If you want to see a good video race recap I recommend the one done by Adam Kwitko from Get Out There Magazine who provides a glimpse into the terrain and obstacles of the course: http://youtu.be/eu13yrgbasQ There are lots of conflicting GPS reports on the actual distance of the course. Most racers GPS watches clocked the Ultra Beast course anywhere from 44 - 50km. The race organizers stated the course was 47km. It was 2 laps of the Spartan Beast course, with a drop bag tent in between for racers to re-fuel, change gear, and whatever else necessary before heading back up the mountain for a 2nd lap. This race was on a mountain so cumulatively we climbed nearly 10,000 feet of elevation. There were 58 obstacles to contend with on course which included 2 memorization obstacles just for Ultra Beast racers. I am quite certain I am not alone in being able to easily recall the 4 Prime Ministers - King, Campbell, Trudeau and Deifenbaker, and the 4 Ski Runs - Cahility, Sundance, Grannie Greens and 5 mile, which we had to memorize on the first then subsequent second lap of the race. There were your standard Spartan Race obstacles such as a rope climb, over-under-thru, 8ft walls, spear throw, monkey bars, sandbag carry, traverse wall, tractor pull, inverted wall, and the like. Some highlights (and lowlights) of the obstacles included an ungodly long bucket carry winding up and up a very rooty and narrow trail, quite a long trench of logs under which we had to crawl along sharp rocks and muck through a tight fit, an awkward log carry up and down a mountain, the absolute heaviest tire drag I have ever experienced in an obstacle race, and the log jam which we had to make our way through that seemed to be a time sucker of sorts. There was some leg burning elevation including a 9km run straight out of the starting gate up to the mountain top appropriately called 'Top of the World', some quad-busting-knee-popping steep downhill, great switchbacks, and some sweet single track technical trail which were a delight to any avid trail runner.

This race did not go as I had planned, which happens to the best of us sometimes on race day. Originally I was going to do the race with my husband, Chad Bleasdale and my teammate and friend, Jen Aragon. But neither Jen nor I were healthy heading into the race so my husband in fine form headed up into the mountains well out of sight from the get go; we had all made a pact that no one had to stay together because it was most important that no one hold each other back from completing the race. A trip to the doctor after the race gave insight into why I wasn't feeling in fine form as I found out I have an RSV respiratory infection that causes pneumonia, and a sprained ankle I must have gotten on my last training run before the race. But race day is not the day to make excuses and plod through the race I did. After a little over 10 hours on the course we did it; we actually crossed the finish line. Sore, tired dehydrated, hungry, bruised but none of that mattered because we completed the Ultra Beast to earn our Spartan Race belt buckle medal and our place in Spartan Race history.

I learned some good lessons from this race:

1) A race should always humble you. If you find a race easy then you did not give it all you had. You could have run it faster, you could have ranked higher in finishing, you could have doubled up on obstacles, you could have run the race blind-folded, etc. A race company provides the framework for the course and the athletes provide the true grit it takes to make it an exciting challenge. It is important to take pride in completion of a race as it is well-deserved; however it is never necessary to knock down the accomplishments of other people just to make oneself feel superior. I am grateful to those who celebrated my success even though they are far superior athletes as they knew this race had its own challenges and knew this was a huge undertaking for me. I am truly humbled by not only those who finished the race hours ahead of me but also by those who had to DNF the race as it easily could have been any one of us in their shoes on a different day.

2) Mental training is almost as important as physical training. This is a hard concept to fully appreciate until competing in a race of such magnitude. Being out in training runs or races for hours and hours at a time leaves lots of time for the brain to churn and create self-doubt. A human body is capable of so much more than what seems possible especially if you do not let your fears sabotage your potential.

3) To run a mountain race you have to train on mountains. Sounds obvious of course but it can be really hard to mimic the race course if you do not have access to similar terrain and elevation. On this race I saw full grown men on hands and knees puking in bushes because this race was so taxing in terms of incline. On that last dreaded incline on the 2nd lap I saw one racer on his hands and knees trying to make it up the mountain. For nearly 90% of my training runs I did them with my husband and our 2 children in strollers. We had to get creative with our training so often times we would run gravel logging roads up mountains pushing the kids in strollers which was an exercise in both strength and endurance.

4) Hydrate, hydrate, hydrate. Did I mention you should hydrate? I was not properly hydrated going into the race. I know that now. On race day I went through 4L of electrolyte water plus pitstops at water stations and I still finished the race very dehydrated. In all my time thus far with running and racing I had never experienced cramping. But I did cramp up in this race on multiple occasions because I was not properly hydrated.

5) Rest, rest, rest. This is easier said than done as a Mom. The night before the race I was up all night with my 5 year old who decided that was the night he did not require any sleep....ugh. But truthfully I was not getting the proper rest I needed leading up to the race. At least 2 weeks before the race I should have set an early bedtime and stuck to it as part of my pre-race training plan.

6) Run smarter not harder. By the time race day came around I had a pretty good idea what my capabilities are and where my strengths and weaknesses lay. I know that gunning it up the mountain to try to keep up with the front runners would have been futile. I walked when I needed to walk, asked for help when I needed help, ate when I needed food, etc. A race like this is not about what anyone else is doing but rather what is going to work for you. Simply put just run your own race. I was the farthest thing from the fastest but I did finish.

7) Be prepared. To take on a massive undertaking requires proper training and planning. There are lots of free resources and blogs from which to glean training plans and gear prep when deciding to take on an Ultra Beast. Of course nothing guarantees completion of a race but it sure helps to set yourself up for success by following a proper training plan, asking advice from people who have done an Ultra Beast before, and having support systems in place to offer guidance, support, advice such as running clubs, or teams like mine such as the Canadian Mudd Queens, or Facebook groups of like-minded racers. One blog in particular that I found helpful for tips on everything from training, to drop bag preparation, to how to avoid a DNF is by Ekaterina Solovieva http://solovieva.com

8) Practice the obstacles. Again kind of an obvious and self-explanatory point. But truly one of the worst time suckers and energy drains of an obstacle race is blowing your wad on trying an obstacle only to fail and have to do the penalty of 30 Burpees. Yes, Burpees are bound to happen at an obstacle race especially as you get more tired. However if you can hone in a few tricks on certain obstacles then you have a greater chance of nailing the obstacle on course. I repeatedly watched a video on YouTube on how to do a "j hook" while doing a rope climb, got my husband to hang a piece of rope in the yard, and practiced until I got it right. Head to a local playground to monkey around, make some stuff for your backyard on which to practice, head to a Crossfit gym or other similar establishment who use various obstacles as part of the workouts, or attend obstacle training camps. With the rise in popularity of obstacle racing there are many more opportunities to practice obstacles.

9) Just keep putting one foot in front of the other. If I said this once to myself during the Ultra Beast I must have said it a million times. There were definitely moments I wanted to quit or thought I just couldn't possibly go on. But I would tell myself I just had to keep moving forward by putting one foot in front of the other. There were times when I did not even lift my head to see how much further I had to go up a mountain but instead looked at my feet and told myself to just keep moving. It comes back to the mental game these types of races can play on oneself. For every self doubt voice in your own head there is a supportive voice that can encourage you to do great things. When I reached the 'Top of the World' during the second lap we were told we met the time cap by 1 MINUTE!!! I cried both tears of joy and exhaustion. These races can pull the very best out of you if you just keep moving forward.

10) Be proud. You crossed the finish and deserve to celebrate. The couple of days after the race I allowed a handful of naysayers to diminish my shine of feeling like I accomplished something great. It was being said by a few that the race was a walk in the park and way too easy in comparison to the Vermont World Championship course that took place one week prior. My friend and fellow athlete (one of the best in North America) Frank Phipps said it best "I wish all over the Spartan world we didn't have to compare against other races...Each one is unique in its own right...yes some are harder than others. Vermont will always be the godfather of hurt but who wants Mon-Fri 9-5 races anymore?!" I was reminded by the hundreds and hundreds of people who have celebrated and congratulated my accomplishment that it is a big deal, I do deserve to say I finished an Ultra Beast, and I have inspired others to take on greater challenges.

From a constructive standpoint there were some logistical elements of the race that need some work. When we registered for the Ultra Beast racers were told upon completion we would receive: 1 Sun Peaks Ultra Beast Belt Buckle, 1 Ultra Beast glow in the dark medal, 1 Ultra Beast finishers shirt, 1 regular finishers shirt, 1 Beast shirt, and 1 Beast medal, as well we would receive a special piece of Ultra Beast swag, and that the race counted towards a Spartan Trifecta. By the time the race had ended we received: 1 Ultra Beast finishers shirt, 1 regular finisher shirt, and 1 Vermont Ultra Beast belt buckle. Apparently there was a mix up by the Medal Manufacturer in China who accidentally sent Western Canada Spartan Race the Killington belt buckles instead of the Sun Peaks belt buckles. I have been assured we should be receiving these by mail. Also despite my multiple email messages prior to the race, they had no record of my accomplishment of a Double Trifecta so they did not have that medal available for me, nor did they have the new Trifecta medal for me.....so I have been told these will also be mailed to me. And disappointingly nothing ever came of the the "special Ultra Beast swag" we were supposed to receive.

The positive things I have to say are many. First, kudos to Western Canada Spartan Race for having the balls to put on the inaugural Canadian Ultra Beast race, which is only 1 of 3 Ultra Beast races to take place in the entire world (USA and Australia hold the other 2.) Secondly, the volunteers were amazing and their encouragement throughout the race was superb. Thirdly, racers participating in the Spartan Beast were told to look out for green arm bands that would distinguish the Ultra Beast racers and to give Ultra Beast racers priority on the trails and obstacles. The Beast racers were both accommodating and very supportive in their words of encouragement. Fourthly, as Jen and I came down the mountain to the final obstacles we could hear so much loud cheer from our fellow Canadian Mudd Queens teammates and racing friends and Spartan Race staff that I was overwhelmed with joy by their love and support. We were so exhausted we had to take the penalty of 30 Burpees on the final rope climb but members of our family and team and friends dropped to the ground to do the majority of our Burpees for us. This compassion is what makes fellow racers an obstacle racing family. Fifth, to have fellow Canadian Mudd Queen Jen Milligan, who is one of the best obstacle racers in the world come out long after she had finished her race to put my medal around my neck was a touching moment to me and one I hold dear. Sixth, our friends from Mud Mulisha who brought Jen and I each a post-race cold beer to toast our victory as the beer gardens had long since closed up. Seventh, having a great friendship with my fellow teammate Jen Aragon with whom I raced side by side on that mountain all day. This will be a lasting moment in our friendship for years to come. Last but certainly not least, to be greeted by my husband Chad Bleasdale who was already wearing his Ultra Beast belt buckle come give me a great big hug and kiss to celebrate all the hardwork that we did in training together as a family that culminated in both our success at the Ultra Beast will forever be a special moment in our marriage. Our commitment to Spartan Race has made our commitment to each other in our marriage even stronger.

Big kudos to everyone who stepped up to the plate to conquer the mountain that day. Such amazing athletes and competitors, and I am very blessed to have friends and teammates from the Canadian Mudd Queens, Weeple Army and Mud Mulisha. It was a great day to slay the Ultra Beast.

5k Foam Fest Canada Comes to Ottawa

This weekend Ski Edelweiss hosted the Ottawa 5k Foam Fest and many Eh Team Members checked it out and there seemed to be a general consensus that this was a great event.  Check out this review by Canadian Mudd Queens co-founder Kelly Ripley (seen above with the really unflattering look on her face).

5k Foam Fest Ottawa 2014

The OCR landscape seems to be constantly changing these days.  New companies popping up, and companies who try to get too big, too fast seem to be folding left and right… and this has left racers leery to stray from the big brands.  5k Foam Fest Canada is new to Canada in 2014 but the crew behind them, 365 Sports, are no strangers to planning and hosting events of this nature and it shows!

Parking was easy and well planned which in my opinion makes it worth the $10 fee.  They had actually marked off the lines for the cars to park as we have all seen past races at this venue where “haphazard lanes” resulted in lots of blocked cars.  There was also no fee for spectators which made this truly a great family event!

Racers arrived and signed waivers and made their way through registration in decent time (lines were by last name or a team registration line).  You received a bib and safety pins and could stop by the tattoo station if you wished, then right into the awesome festival grounds.  Gear and food for sale, lots of fun inflatables for the kiddies, a jousting arena, and of course Sky Jump for the “big kids” as well. Sky Jump was the only activity with a fee $3 or 2/$5).

After registration you could make your way to the start line as you wished.  The foam was flowing, music pumping and an MC interacting with waiting racers.  They released waves every 10 -15 minutes which meant no long waits.  But to be honest the start line was a blast so it really didn’t feel like waiting at all!

Racers set out onto the approx. 5k course which consisted of some ups and downs (it is a Ski hill after all) but the climbs were very manageable for all fitness levels.  Obstacles were well spaced, well-built and FRIKKIN HILARIOUS!!!  They ranged from inflatables FILLED with foam, and slip and slides to some of the more familiar OCR obstacles – spider webs, cargo nets, and mud pits – to some new and more challenging additions like the lily pads (a run across floating pads), and death drop (the highest inflatable slide around). 

The course had lots of photogs and they were all super friendly.  Volunteers at every obstacle that required any guidance were encouraging and playful.  We played at a few obstacles for extended periods as they were so fun.

The finish line had some great swag.  Gorgeous medals and SUPER nice quality tees (available in multiple designs for each men and women so be sure to check them out at a few different races to build your collectionJ). 

Waiting just past the finish line was another photog (with a branded background), and free Electrolyte popsicles!  They also offer a free beer but I didn’t partake J

Before leaving we met with the owner who was making a point of interacting with and getting feedback from the racers (BRILLIANT!).  Jesse was great and his excitement and passion are unmistakable!  Most notable though was his clear focus on racer experience.  THIS is what will set this company apart from the others.  If you see him at one of the 3 remaining 2014 races don’t be afraid to say hi! (see the list of upcoming events at www.5kfoamfest.ca)

Long story short (maybe I should have started with this) 5k Foam Fest Canada is a fun, family appropriate event that anyone who can set their competitive nature aside for a day, should add to their race roster.  Prices are extremely reasonable (they are currently offering a $39.99 special price so don’t miss out) and the value far exceeds the price.  Most fun race I have done to date BAR NONE!

Mud Mulisha Race Review

Mud Mulisha Mud Run, Saturday August 9th, 2014

-Jessica Bleasdale

This past weekend was the inaugural Mud Mulisha Mud Run held in Shawnigan Lake on Vancouver Island. The Race Directors - Steve Hornick and Jay Wright - are elite obstacle and trail racers and avid mud enthusiasts so I was particularly looking forward to this race. There was a little something for everyone from elite athlete to a newcomer to obstacle racing, and even a kids race. The overall festival atmosphere for the racers following the race was bar none and everywhere I looked people were smiling and having a great time.

As it was their first race I was initially expecting a tempered down version of some of the big races but let me tell you this race was stellar in its own right. It was advertised as a 5K mud run but it was a 6.5km race with 23 top notch, interesting and challenging obstacles. Many times when there are numerous obstacles some are more like fillers or just little things. But this was not the case in this race as each obstacle was a challenge in its own right. There were some standard favourite obstacles such as monkey bars, 8ft walls, barbed wire crawls, tire flips, inverted walls and tire pulls. There was a ton of mud and muck and water obstacles, which was particularly welcome on such a hot 32C/90F race day. And if you were expecting to jump into one mud pit and then move on to the next obstacle then think again; for example at one obstacle called "Dale's Ditches" you would have to jump/slide/dive into one muddy water hole only to claw your way out and then do another 5 of them. There were a few different torturous obstacles like this that made it both gruelling and awesome all at the same time! They also had some fantastic elements that I had never seen in a race before such as the infamous Devil Steps, a Monster Slip Wall with a giant cargo net down to a Hillbilly jump/crawl across wrecked cars, and the highest rope climb I have ever seen at 22 feet high (which I am happy to report I made it to the top to gleefully ring that bell.) Lastly another element I really enjoyed was the use of the natural terrain with some exciting single track trail running down the backside of the race property, the use of a natural rock formation similar to a bear cave that we had to essentially bear crawl through, a giant wooden slat climbing wall that popped up out of nowhere that spanned across the trail path we had to make our way over, schlepping our way up and over giant drain rock piles, and plodding through multiple ponds.

At the end of the race we were greeted with a finishing medal, an ice cold beer, a fresh made recovery drink from a local supplement store, and a chilled protein drink. We all signed the "I Survived" wall and then made our way to the festival area where a live band entertained everyone, tents were set up for shade, and even a local caterer was barbecuing up salmon, pulled pork sandwiches, corn on the cob, fresh burgers, and salads for a reasonable price.

Even at peak pricing the couple of weeks prior to the race it was still only $65 which included race entry, a finishers medal, a cotton "I survived" race t-shirt, a free post-race beer (for those over 19), free parking, free entry to the festival, and professional race photos which are to be posted to Facebook and available to download for free. I felt it was excellent value for the money paid.

Another great component of this race (and one I highly value as a Mom) is the Kids Race. It was a 1.25km race for kids that wrapped partly around the adult course once the adult heats had all left and had some super unique obstacles just for kids. I was particularly jealous of the teeter totters made from logs that the kids had to balance walk across....I wish they had adult sized ones for our race! To watch about 125 kids dash off from the starting line and jump into mud is both a delight and inspiring. For $25 the kids got to race, received a cotton "I survived" race t-shirt, a finishers medal, and lots of mud for parents to wash off later!

The creativity of the obstacles, the post-race festival, the kids race, and the pricing were fantastic. I have few minor suggestions for future races: better placed water stations so the water can be more easily accessed by volunteers to refill and even better if numerous crates of giant water jugs were placed at water stations prior to the race starting so there is never a lack of water; on such a hot day there could have been 1 water station at each mile marker. There needed to be more porta-potties especially for prior to the races beginning when everyone has pre-race jitters and needs to go all at the same time. The registration table could have used multiple check in lines (easiest to organize with line ups for last names beginning 'A-H, I-P, Q-Z') to prevent pre-race line ups. More garbage cans placed around the festival area were needed. Two out of the 23 obstacles had a backlog (the first 8ft wall and the up-hill barbed wire crawl) which has a quick fix by making the obstacles wider so multiple people are able to get through at the same time. It might have been nice to have a his and hers change tent area for anyone who wanted to get out of their dirty, wet clothes. I also wished they had a merchandise table as I loved the race so much I wanted to buy some extra swag to cover my body and car in to celebrate my accomplishment. As far as I am concerned these were minor glitches that are part of any new event and can be easily be remedied for future races.



The Mud Mulisha Mud Run race directors have indicated they have some exciting expansion coming for the future and I for one cannot wait. I have done about 20 or so obstacle and theme races and unequivocally I can say their races have certainly made it to the top of my "I Can't Wait to Do it Again" list and am eagerly awaiting being able to register for their next event which I certainly hope is sooner rather than later!! This race sold out by race day so be sure to not miss out on their next event. Follow Mud Mulisha on Facebook athttps://www.facebook.com/themudmulisha and check out their websitehttp://mudmulisha.net

Battlefrog Tri-State Review By Brittany Pollock

Battlefrog Tri-State Review

- Brittany Pollock 

August 2nd - Old Bridge Township Raceway Park Englishtown New Jersey

Battlefrog is billed as designed by US Navy SEAL. It is available in two distances the Battlefrog - 15K with an elite heat with cash prize and helicopter ride, as well as an open heat and the Bullfrog 5K which was on the same course as the 15K but had many well marked shortcuts. Waves were released Elite 15k, 15k then alternating 5k and 15k heats every half hour starting at 8am, with a final mixed heat at 12:15 and then a volunteer heat at 2. The event was also a OCR World Championship qualifying event with top 10 in each age category qualifying in both the 5k and 15k events. The event also featured two kids distances, the bullfrog mile on the adult course and the tadpole 400m dash with scaled down obstacles.

Parking $10 and very close to the venue, less than 5 minute walk, bag check was $5 but due to proximity to the venue “car check” was a more economical option.

The venue, by day, is a car track, drag strip and motocross park, so it featured good varied terrain. The weather was not favourable, rain overnight and drizzly during the race, making the obstacles slippery but the lack of heat was very nice.

Obstacles were great, high quality builds and some were very unique, most with a military flare, meant to simulate training that Navy SEALs would go though. The 5k had 26 obstacles and the 15k had a whopping 47 The course was delightfully obstacle heavy with great spacing. The 15k saw more running stretches, but the 5k you never went more than a minute maybe two without being at an obstacle.

Some highlights were some nice muddy hills in the motocross section that those in non-trail shoes had some troubles with, a rewarding slip and slide and then a super long jerry can carry through more hills, the “delta ladder” an A-frame with widely spaced steps, the inclined monkey bars which were switched to declined monkey bars because of the weather but were still plenty challenging, 12 foot rope walls (with 2 steps for the ladies) but you still had to employ technique even with the steps, the wall was painted so it was extra slippery, the HOOYA - inclined rope wall with a tube slide that you were supposed to yell HOOYA as you went down, shooting gallery with paintball guns and of course Tsunami the infamous half pipe with ropes with a great slide down the back, along with the standards, cargo climb, mud crawls although the final was styled military style with “Normandy jacks”, rope climb and some great muddy trails. That’s just to name a few.

The 15k added some more challenging obstacles, including taller walls, a tricky looking traverse wall, tyrolean traverse a cargo traverse, and tarzan swing.

Water stations - adequate, 2 stations for the 5k, 5, with snacks at the 4th for the 15 (bananas etc). The weather was cool enough that I didn't bring my camelback (I always wear one regardless of distance) and had no problems. Had it been a killer hot day at the speed the 5K heat was moving more would have probably been required.
Showers - hoses with sprayers. There were probably just enough, although I could see getting crowded as more people finished, good water pressure and warm!

Change tents - were available but aparently busy.

Free Swag - Tshirt, beer , medal and bib. Additionally if you qualified (top 10 in your age category) you could go to the OCRWC booth and pick up a tshirt and bag. Realistically anyone could grab a shirt as they weren't checking the standings.

Tshirts - available in mens and womens, the womens being a v-neck fitted style which I quite liked, but they wouldn't bat an eyelash if you asked for a mens shirt instead. Nice grey colour, Battlefrog logo on the front, bad pun about SEAL of approval on the back

Medals - Super fun! featured a jacked up toad and american flag, the 5K being a slightly smaller medal with a different coloured lanyard.

Purchasable Swag - Great selection, shirts, buffs, armsleeves, headbands etc all sporting the frog logo and/or camo colours assorted military type toys.

Charities - Battlefrog supports Natonal Navy SEAL museum and Trident House, Navy SEAL foundation, Navy SEAL museum and the foundation for Navy SEAL vetrans.

Timing  - by J-Chip, available on site via tablets and a link was posted on twitter within a day. Emails went out Monday - very impressive.

Photos - Free, sponsored by J-chip. lots of photographers on the course, and they would interact with you to get good photos (let you know they were there), photos were posted the following Friday, and for me at least there was photos (lots of photos) at each station. Searchable by bib and there must have been a timing mat catching your number because sometimes you had to go back or forward a page.

Organization - good, the elite heat was very clearly informed of the rules and the enforecement through armbands made it very easy to prevent cheaters. A little confusion on wave times - registration times didn't directly correlate with a heat, but time chip bracelets were colour coded for distance and they weren't checking which heat you were in, announcements in the festival were very clear about what distance was going when. Lots of volunteers out on the course.


Overall impressions - High quality of obstacles, and really well thought out safety, pools were very deep under obstacles you can fall off of, like the monkey bars, the pool was up to my chest. Enough different things to keep even seasoned OCR athletes happy. The photos and descriptions of the 15k obstacles are enough to make me want to return next year when at full strength. Festival was high energy, from the trees we could hear the fitness competitions and helos flying low as well as explosions from the demo. We had a spectator with us and she had a good time despite the rain and the $20 spectator fee. Trails were well marked with flags, other than one sign in a creek crossing that had been flipped (I think?) - although maybe different for the 15k course as they had at least one incident.

This race was billed in the social media advertising as Canada vs. US challenge since so many high ranked Canadians were registered. The challenge was dominated by Canada - Hobie Call (US) in first, Marc-Andre Bedard (CAN) in second and Benjamin Morin Boucher (CAN) in third. For the ladies Claude Godbout (CAN) in first, Morgan Mckay (CAN) in second and Helene Dumais (CAN) in third. Junyong Pak (worlds toughest mudder), one of the US contenders was sitting in second for a while but took a wrong turn at some point, losing his podium spot and coming in 7th.

I highly recommend catching a race at this series if you can. I will be making an effort be back at Tri-State next year unless they bring the race to Canada! There were a lot of beginners, but the race was not ideal for beginners, some of the obstacles were a little on the challenging side and would be very difficult without technique.

Long Sleeve Shirt Order

***ORDER CLOSED****

Seems like summer just got here but now is the time to start thinking about chilly race days. This post will explain how to get your hands on some long sleeve tech shirts. As usual proceeds of the sales go to our charity efforts!

Long sleeve ladies New Balance tech shirts. 

Cost: The cost is 40$ each including shipping in Canada or US. If you live in the Ottawa area please consider picking up your order to maximize the amount of money going to charity.

Colour: 

Red

Black

Gray

Navy Blue

Super Blue

Safety Green

Pink

Sizes:

Size Chart

Deadline: August 1st.

Ordering:

1. Fill out this form:   CMQ Long Sleeve Order

2. Make your payment via paypal to muddqueens@hotmail.com

The buy now button below can be used to make a payment via credit card without signing up for paypal. We are no longer able to accept email money transfers.

Quantity of shirts

1 $40.00 CAD 2 $80.00 CAD 3 $120.00 CAD 4 $160.00 CAD 5 $200.00 CAD

Tank Top Pre-Order

ORDER CLOSED

Since there has been a lot of demand for another tank top order we are opening up a pre-order form in attempt to reach the minimum order from the printer. We are going to open this up to make it available to men and youth size. You can find below the size charts and images of the tank tops that are available. The men's and youth tanks will only have The eh? Team printed on the front in white and the back will be blank.  The women's tanks will be the same as before.

The cost is 35$ CDN per tank, shipping included, with all proceeds going to The Great Canadian Run. The estimated time to complete the order is 6-8 weeks. Once the minimum order has been reach payment will become due ASAP to paypal account muddqueens@hotmail.com.  

Please fill out the Pre-Order form

Front Logo:

Women:

Dark Green

Black

Red

Royal Blue

Purple

Mens and Youth:

Youth sizes:

Men's Sizes:

Please fill out the Pre-Order form