Become an expert
This year the Warrior Run is new and improved. After years of running it at Big Tupper Ski Area, the location has been moved to start and finish at Raquette River Brewing. Runners will trek through 4 miles of the Bencze family property, and end up back at the brewery to finish the day with live music, delicious food, and great craft beer.
Have no worries...although the course location has changed, I've heard the obstacles are going to be bigger and better. Be prepared for mud, mud, and more mud. Before you show up for race day, check out these 10 tips I've acquired from participating in past Warrior Runs.
1. Duct tape your shoes
Once you trek through your first mud hole of the race, and your shoe gets stuck and comes off, you will have wished you duct taped your shoes. Taping around your laces and your arches will tighten the shoe to your foot and secure it so it doesn't fall prey to the mud.
2. Wear clothes you don’t want to wear again
You will be amazed at the amount of mud you have on yourself when you get done with the race. It will be dried onto your clothes and it may not come out in the laundry. It is safer to wear clothes that you don’t necessarily care to wear again.
3. Don't wear nice or expensive shoes
Just like with your clothes, the mud stains may never come out of your sneakers or hiking shoes. I always wear the oldest pair of sneakers I own, and I usually throw them away after the race.
4. Be prepared to finish with scrapes and bruises
From crawling through tunnels to climbing over trees, you are bound to come out with some cuts and bruises. My worst injuries came from climbing through the tunnel on my hands and knees, because there were tiny rocks in there that cut up my knees. If you have longer shorts or something to cover your knees, you may want to wear them.
5. Take your time
If you get going too fast, it is easy to lose your footing and roll an ankle or take a fall. When you get to an obstacle it is better to take your time then race through it, to avoid injury. I believe it is better to finish without injury then to race through and hurt yourself.
6. Bring a change of clothes and shoes
After you finish the race you are going to want to change right away. There is usually an area to rinse off, but bring a towel an a change of clothes so you can enjoy the rest of the day without being covered in mud.
7. Get dirty to get the full experience
Don’t avoid any obstacles because you don’t want to get dirty. I think the best part of the race is falling in the mud while trying to conquer part of the course. If you run around the obstacles you will regret it when everyone is telling stories of how tough it was to get through the wall of tires.
8. You are going to be sore the next day
Getting out of bed the day after the Warrior Run could be one of the most painful experiences you have. But, the day of the race could be the most fun you have all summer, so we take the good with the bad.
9. You are going to say, “Why did I do this?” at least once
It’s bound to happen. When you are trudging through a mud hole or climbing a hill, you are bound to wonder why you entered the Warrior Run in the first place. My advice is to keep thinking about how proud and accomplished you are going to feel when you are finished with the race and drinking the ice cold beer.
10. Drink beer at the end!
Reward yourself! You just ran 4 miles of tough terrain and conquered many difficult obstacles. Spend the rest of your day enjoying live music, delicious food, and great craft beer at Raquette River Brewery.
If you finished the Warrior Run, you deserve some rest and relaxation. Spend a few days boating, paddling, or golfing in Tupper Lake.