Training for an OCR event is an endurance challenge all by itself. If you don’t pace yourself and manage your intensity, you’ll likely burn out or get injured.

That’s why I like to break up my OCR training into phases. It allows me to ramp up gradually without going too hard too fast.

Phase 1 is focused on endurance. It’s all about getting my weekly mileage up to full training volume. For an obstacle course race that’s in the 10k range, I’m usually pushing about 30 miles per week.

Of course, each person should choose a training volume that they’re comfortable with. The important thing is to build up to it gradually, not all at once. I typically add about 10% each week for about 4 weeks.

Then, in Phase 2, I put more of an emphasis on speed. This is when I usually switch from one speed session per week to two. I’ll switch between workouts like threshold runs, intervals, and hill sprints. During this phase, my ratio of easy to hard miles shifts from 80/20 to more like 70/30, but only for a few weeks.

At last, it’s time for the third and final phase: race-specific training. With only a few weeks until the race, I transition most of my speed work into race-simulation workouts. Instead of running and then doing my resistance training, I mix the two together to simulate the run-obstacle-run nature of an OCR event.

The sky is the limit for what kind of exercises and challenges you can throw in, but I like a balanced mix of upper body, lower body, and grip. So pushups, bear crawls, rope climbs, squats, ninja rigs, kettlebell swings, farmer carries, etc. all work great. I especially like to throw in jumping lunges to simulate hills if I’m training on a flat surface.

By splitting up my training cycle into different phases, I’m able to ease into it at a rate my body can handle, avoid excess risk of injury, and focus on one thing at a time while still hitting all of the necessary components that an OCR event requires.

Be sure to follow Mark HERE on social to see more of how he is preparing for our January event.