Hi Everyone!

Welcome back!

So I just did Chicago's Rugged Maniac Race on August 27, 2016 and it was awesome!

This is the second obstacle course race I have done, so I wanted to share what it's like to do one of these races (hint hint, it was rugged, lol). I previously ran (walked) the Savage Race in July 2015, so I knew what to expect for the Rugged Maniac.

The following are just some hints and tips regarding how to sign up, what to pack the day of the race, etc.

First thing's first, I signed up for the race on Groupon!

When I did the Savage Race last year, I found that race on Groupon, so I knew not to pay full price for one of these obstacle course races unless I really wanted to go to a specific one. So if you are just looking for the experience, just go to Groupon.com and type in "race" and look through all the races they have in your area. Then, I usually also wait until Groupon sends out a coupon before I buy any Groupon, lol.

2. Pack light!

There were stations to hold your stuff for you while you race. We all had tags that we attached to our belongings and the tags were numbered the same as our bib number. I didn't have too much stuff with me (just a change of clothes, chapstick, etc.) so I wasn't too worried about getting my stuff stolen, but I wouldn't have left anything expensive in my bag. They had their bib number and tag system, but it wasn't overall too secure. The station did have plenty of plastic bags for people to put their muddy stuff in, so if you forget to bring a plastic bag, you will be ok.

I wanted to take pictures and videos, so I brought my phone and wrapped it up in two plastic bags and my phone was protected throughout the race, even when I dropped it in mud! Some people had their professional cameras, but I wouldn't recommend that if you want to really do the obstacles, unless you have someone to walk around and take pictures for you.

3. Be prepared to get rugged and muddy- literally!

This is the only aspect the race that I did not like. It was so much mud! I know it seems like an oxymoron to be surprised at how much mud there was at a muddy race, but there were like 5 obstacles back to back where we had to climb over this mud pile, slide down this mud hill, walk through this mud quicksand. I was so over it, lol. But I guess I got what I asked for. Comparing it to the Savage race, there were so many more obstacles that featured just mud.

At the end of the race, there were rinsing off stations. The plus to showing up later on in the day is that you are not in the middle of the bulk of the racers trying to rinse off. Their set up was a long pipe that pretty much sprinkled out water at approximately 10-15 different points along the pipe. This was not the best idea because the pressure was really low and remember, you were COVERED in mud. That delayed getting rinsed off at the end when you were just ready to go home. And don't expect to get clean. You just need enough water to be able to throw on some other clothes and have a real shower when you get home.

4. If you want, show up early!

Show up early if you want to participate in the pre and post race activities. In my video, I have some shots of the grounds and activities that everyone can participate in. There was a mechanical bull, lots of food trucks, and even a pie eating contest that was going on when we arrived.

I also suggest to show up early because if you want to be in the pictures that are taken at the various obstacles or not be the last person running. But also see number 5.

5. Don't stress about the race and have fun!

I know this seems to contradict number 4, but it doesn't, follow me. The race was on a Saturday and started at 8 a.m. (I believe) and the location was over an hour away. I am not a runner/racer and I wanted to sleep in, so I signed up for the 1:45 p.m. wave, which was the wave before the last wave. There were plenty of people in the 1:45 p.m. wave, but we missed it because we were walking around, lol, so we went out with the last wave of the day.

I said show up early in number 4 if you don't want to miss the activities, but if you just want the experience of doing the race, get there when you want. No matter what time you decide to get to the race and which activities to do or not do, just have fun!

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Rugged Maniac Chicago 2016