Run in Mud Obstacle Race Training - Battle Frog Greater Nashville Review.

BattleFrog Series Greater Nashville race review, April 9, 2016 

I went into the race with more trepidation than anticipation. This was entirely my fault as I set myself up for a harried experience during the Atlanta event in November 2015. You might have read my in my review of that race that I arrived an hour late and started the elite heat 20 minutes after the official start. That's because I stayed on the Alabama side of the Central / Eastern time zone. The less than 25 minute drive crossed that time zone and thus, set up for failure. I entered the November event harried and blind; not knowing what to expect. I just want to reiterate that the experience in November was completely of my own making, but it informed my opinion of what to expect. I was completely and pleasantly surprised with my latest BattleFrog experience.

My initial trepidation slowly melted away as I was expertly guided into the parking area and shuttled to the festival area where the crew welcomed me. They pointed out the posted heat paperwork to identify my bib number and handed me my packet. The instructions were clear and the festival area and race course were well laid out. Arriving an hour early allowed me to casually get directions, check my bags, get dressed out, talk to others and even get the motivational speech by Coach Pain.

One more shout out; the facilities. A great crew of volunteers manned the toilettes. I have never seen a more attentive crew that cleaned each time someone exited. Clean and freshly scented toilettes are pretty awesome, ALL DAY LONG.

I went to the start line on time and after getting pumped up with the others, we were off.  Then entire course went up and down steep hills. The physical area was so tough that event some of the terrain features became named obstacles. I wore my new obstacle race shoes (Reebok Terrain Series) and though I felt they gripped the ground well, they lacked much needed cushion. I was ready to trade the great traction for some relief from the pounding. I'll have to be fair though. The ground was bone dry and the trail packed solid with loose rocks along the way. Probably no amount of cushioning could help. My decision to wear compression pants and a compression shirt paid off. Though cold and windy, there was plenty of sun, bushes and thorns to cure the hide.

  

The most difficult personal challenge for me was the cold. 7:15 am, the sun was barely over the hills. The cast shadows offered no warmth and the new metal obstacles retained the cold. The water obstacles, though few and relatively shallow, were freezing. I remember my hands hurting from the cold most of the first lap. I figured the more I ran, the more I would warm up; not so much. The warmth never really settled in until the second lap.

The biggest change I noticed was that the obstacles are now mostly metal. The walls are still made of wood and were challenging as ever. Well, just a little less challenging as there was not much slippery mud to add to the technical difficulty. Rain had not fallen in a while so the trails were very dusty and dry. The other obstacles are now made of aluminum. The aluminum is squared instead of rounded which makes it more difficult and a bit painful. They also soaked in the ambient temperature, adding to the cold effect.

The lack of rain not made the obstacles and course less slippery. It also impacted the wreck bag's weight. Pure sand here and not the added water retention. The wreck bag route was intense with a steep hill at the end of a long carry.

Once we completed the carry we continued up hill to the first platinum rig.  I attempted it and kept slipping off. I know I am pretty strong, but I have not figured out how to conquer the repeating line of nun chuck after nun chuck. It was insane and the lines were increasing, even in the elite heat.  After a few attempts I turned in my coveted orange band on the platinum rig. The line was huge and after two attempts and lots of time waiting. A new item of note is the addition of a "novice" lane. That was great. After I turned in my band I moved to the intermediate lane and completed the rig. While others work all day at one obstacle, I choose to complete the two laps and 56 obstacles. I was able to complete the intermediate lanes of the two rigs and on the last lap, was able to complete the elite lane for the second platinum rig. My training since the November Battlefrog has been intense and the results show it. Still, more training to follow.

Yep, 45 pounds each...

The Jerry can carry was quite insane. The course was long and true to the area, involved very steep hills. I know this is one area I need to practice. In fact, I've just ordered a few Jerry cans for home use.

The monkey bars were very challenging as the bars actually twisted as we moved along them. Our weight caused the loose bars to turn in their sockets, adding to degree of difficulty.  Talk about hard to hold. 

My wife and children showed up just in time to see me finish the tip of the spear and head to the finish line. I was so happy to see them that I stopped to hug them and then took on the last obstacle.

I was surprised to find that there was no third place finisher in the master's heat. Oh if only .... I can dream. Maybe next time.

My children signed up for the BullFrog mile. I loved how Coach Pain led off with a motivational talk for girls and boys to respect their mothers and fathers. Thanks for the teamwork coach, that helps our parents out tremendously. I also was happy to see elite athletes assisting the children through the obstacles with pep talks of their own. My daughters both lost their shoes in the thick mud, but these awesome folks helped dig the shoes out.

Before I left, I spoke with some race winners and picked their brains for training advice and trade stories.  They gladly shared laughs and training ideas. I now have some new ideas and will write about them later; thanks guys.

BattleFrog Greater Nashville blew me away. They laid out over 5 miles of the most challenging obstacles; very impressive. The course is laid out in the boonies with four wheeler and truck trails with exceptionally steep rock filled inclines. How they did it, I'll never know. I believe they probably had help with a flight of helicopters from Ft. Campbell, Ky, just up the road. 

Setting up the venue is something I realize required a huge amount of logistical planning, volunteer recruiting, and tireless effort. I appreciate the amount of work and sleepless days and nights the race director and crew must have gone through to make this a success. Though only a few miles off I-65, it was totally in the middle of nowhere.  I mean there are a limited number of hotels and restaurants or other forms of support. I get the challenge of the setup, as I've both lived in the area for a while and I have experience as a logistics officer in the army. Getting the obstacles and assembling them in their locations must have been a nightmare. 

Thanks BattleFrog for a great event.