This year, it was announced that there would be a United States OCR Championship to go along with a World Championship, two European Championships and countless other championships around the world. With these championships announced, people are starting to make plans. If you look around Facebook, particularly in the United States, people have started to post about plans. People are posting their OCRWC qualifying emails and all of their hotel and travel plans. What about the rest of us?
Most of us are not championship material. Writers note: I know that a qualification for the US OCR Championships this year is a pulse and breathing, but you all understand what my point is overall. Most of us will never podium at a race or be in the first few that get the “Congratulations” email. So, what about the rest of us?
Goals. Let’s look at goals for a moment. Some people have the goal of winning, placing on the podium or qualifying for other races and championships. Others have the goal of time and beating past times. Then there are some like me and many others who have the goal of finishing. All are valid goals and from the people I know and talk to, more people have the goals that I have…finishing. So what are we to do?
We quit racing. No. That’s not serious. In fact, we push on and push forward and achieve our goals no matter what they are. As I have said repeatedly in the past, I am a sloth. I am not fast on any course, whether flat, mud, mountains, stadium. My goals are to finish any race I have started. I know what my limitations are and I know what I am capable of. Do you?
Goals are important to each and every one of us. We need something to look forward to and something to achieve. It is one of the reasons why we race. We go out there to test ourselves and see what we are capable of. We make ourselves uncomfortable to test our inner will. We want to overcome what we think cannot be done and we imagine the feeling we have when we have overcome the obstacles in front of us.
What is your goal? We all have them? Is it a 5k mud run? Is it a Tough Mudder? Savage Race? Endurance Run? Whatever it is, achieve it. My OCRWC is the Killington Beast in September. All along the way I have other races and even a tower climb mixed in. The Beast at Killington is my championship. That is my goal for the year. That is what I build to throughout the year. I start with a Beast in Jersey and race all along the way until I get to my championship. My goal is to get to that race, overcome it and collect a few medals and shirts along the way.
What are yours? Is your goal to finish a 5k, a 5-mile mud run, 10 mile race, a win, a podium or a championship. Go for them. Your goals start from within and they start with a statement. “I want to (fill in the blank)”. Once you announce your goal, it is out there for everyone to see and most importantly, for you to achieve.
After you announce it, live it. Spend your days and your time achieving your goal. Every time you set on a course, go into a gym, train on a trail, look toward your goal and achieve it. Believe in yourself and set a goal, overcome all obstacles and get to your championship. Whether your championship is finishing a race or the actual championship, achieve it.
Thanks for continuing to be the ones who want me to overcome, to achieve my goals and to wanting me to achieve my own championship. I hope I can help you push to achieve your goals and overcome any obstacles to achieve your championships. Until next time my friends, be epic and keep playing in the mud.
We trained for an hour and a half, changed, then the convoy began to Millers Crossing. We arrived and steadily the bar filled up. Their were a couple of locals at the bar in for an early Saturday drink or two, and they shook their heads wondering what we were all there for. 4pm hit and on cue the show began to much jubilation. Voices were hushed and we settled in.
Other than that, it was coverage of the race. Not much mention of individual obstacles, or at least not more than a couple. They did touch on some of the staples such as the spear toss, herculean hoist and the sandbag carry but this is where I think some attention could have been concentrated. Showing it done by the elites may have made some of those couch sitters cringe. Watching Matt, Cody and the other’s conquer the obstacles seemed like something only someone who was totally in shape could do, thus, making said couch sitter continue to sit on the couch. There was no ripping of people off the couch this time around.
Not to be lost in Spartan and Reebok’s big weekend, unbeknownst to most of us, MTV was airing an episode in their 
While some may say Tough Mudder got the larger exposure being on MTV and all, that is debatable. Both OCR Series have their niche, and like previously mentioned, Spartan Race is truly trying to push beyond just being a mud run series and take this sport to a professional level. Tough Mudder, while difficult in its own right, is not looking for much more than they already have. I’m sure a few more ticket sales wouldn’t be bad, considering some of the bad press they have received from some recent accidents (including a death). MTV was the right market for them and I will argue that all day, it’s the crowd they are looking for. I think Spartan could have tried a sports network that more people had as part of the cable subscriptions as NBC Sports is part of a higher paying package. With their vision to take this to the next level and expose OCR as a truly competitive sport, a sports network was just right to find their audience.
