Get Muddy: Personal Stories of Obstacle Course Racing

A collection of dramatic first-person stories about the experience of competing in obstacle course races (OCRs). In the style of First Marathons and Becoming an Ironman, these stories give the subjective experience of participating in the sport, either for the first time, or as a lifestyle. Get Muddy is a ＂what’s-it-like book＂ more than a how-to, though there are practical tips aplenty throughout.

OCR is the new series of events for people who have become bored with merely running a marathon, or doing a triathlon, or, say, completing Army boot camp. OCR involves a constantly changing combination of such challenges as: crawling under barbed wire, jumping over fire, spear throw, wall scaling, electric shocks, ice water baths--all while running a course that may be anywhere from three to ten miles, or more.

Participation numbers for OCR are booming. Having started just a few years ago, Tough Mudder, Spartan Race, and Warrior Dash now see over a million participants per year combined. And new OCR series spring up constantly, like Mudderella (for women only), Civilian Military Combine, Savage Race, and Rugged Maniac.

Just as marathons and 10Ks saw a huge national running boom, we are now at the dawn of a huge OCR boom. Get Muddy will appeal to everyone from the mildly curious to the wildly committed.

Gail Waesche Kislevitz is the author of First Marathons, The Spirit of the Marathon, and First Triathlons. She is a winner of the Road Runners Club of America Journalistic Excellence Award for Professional Sportswriter of the Year.