My 2016 Obstacle Course Race Schedule ... So Far

It's the start of my 4th year of OCR, Mudruns, ...whatever you choose to call them.
It all started with a Groupon back in 2012 for the now defunct Super Hero Scramble. I was immediately hooked.

(note: this was written while battling a cold last week)
Today, I'm home from work with a miserable cold, staring wistfully out the window at my climbing rope and pull up station and thinking I should at least do a round of P90X in the living room.
It's only a cold after all.

The OCR schedule so far looks like this:

• February 6 = The Play Dirty Adventure Run in Largo, FL
• March 12 = BattleFrog in Tampa, FL
• March 19 = Savage Race in Dade City,FL.
• May 7 =   FLROC in Bunnell, FL
• December 10 = (drum roll please) Jacksonville-Palm Coast Super Spartan ... at last, a Spartan. I am really excited about this one since it is a Spartan Race and the venue is the fantastic Florida Cracker Ranch in Flagler county.

So, that's 5 new T-shirts, 5 new finisher medals, 5 new GoPro videos, and an unknown number of scrapes and bruises.

Hopefully other races may come along between May and December, but currently this is it. 

Based on past history, I'll probably do the Fall Savage Race too.

If you haven't tried an OCR and you are trying to get fit, they are awesome motivation to "just keep pushing play" on your home workout program, whether it's Insanity, PiYo, P90X, or some other plan.

Works for me anyway ... I'm pretty sure I'm stronger at 58 than I was at 28.

Keep moving my friends.

Another Savage Race at the BEAUTIFUL Little Everglades Ranch in Dade City

Focus

There's a Savage Race video of the best obstacles at the bottom of this post, but first, let's chat about the venue ...

Last Saturday, I ran my 5th Savage Race at the Little Everglades Ranch near Dade City.

Every time I run a Rugged Maniac obstacle course race (OCR) or a Savage Race OCR at Little Everglades Ranch, I come away in awe of this beautiful piece of real Florida. 
Often an OCR is run in an old quarry site or a motocross venue, and the scenery is not all that memorable.

At Little Everglades, the scenery is pure Florida, with forests,swamps, lakes, pastures, hills, ... just a little bit of everything inland Florida has to offer.

Jogging along the Savage Race course, over an elevated causeway along a lake, I spotted a gator, egrets, ibis, and heard, but did not see, sandhill cranes.

Today, out of curiosity, I went to the Little Everglades Ranch website to learn more about this place.  
Result: Just more to love...

• They raise a heritage breed of cattle, the Belted Galloway, a favorite of mine. I had always wondered if a Scottish breed like the BG would thrive in Florida, and now I know they can.
• From their website: "Over 1800 acres of the Little Everglades Ranch is in conservation with the Southwest Water Management District. This conservation easement means that the ranch will never be developed for housing or business centers, but will remain as it is today for generations to come." 
• In addition, they are a real working, multitasking ranch, along with hosting two of my favorite OCR's.

Thank you Little Everglades Ranch for caring for the land AND hosting crazy fun like this:

And Savage Race, from registration to the finish line, you run one hell of a smooth operation. The obstacles are challenging and fun, and the staff, (paid and volunteers), are excellent.

Below: A couple of hours of fun condensed into about 12 minutes.