Warrior Dash Tips and Tricks

I’m not an expert, but I did participate in one Warrior Dash, and I’m willing to share what I’ve learned. I was dreading some of the obstacles, and really dreading the mud, but it was a blast and I’ll sign up next year.

For your wardrobe, wear clothes that can either stand up to the mud, or that you don’t mind trashing. I wore a light blue cotton tee shirt that will never be light blue again, but it will live again as a paint rag. On the other hand, my grey REI shorts and socks came through just fine. I’d heard that Warrior Dashes have a shoe donation program, and so I wore old shoes that I didn’t mind donating. Keep in mind that mud thing extends to your underwear too, it’s no time for pretty pastel sports bras.

The mud doesn’t only get your clothes dirty, but it weighs them down. Close-fitting things will work best, or you may lose your shorts during the mud crawl. Sadly I missed seeing this, but hubby informed me he saw a couple of guys wearing sweat pants who had a tough time keeping them on.

The Warrior Dash I ran had a great set up for checking a workout bags; these too, will get muddy. Throw in some plastic bags to put your muddy clothing in, and pack at least a shirt and flip flops. Bring a large towel to dry off after you get hosed down, and bring a small, damp face cloth or towelettes to wipe off some of the remaining mud. I packed some money, drivers license and medical insurance card in a ziplock and stuck that in my bag as well. Unless you can handle several hours in the sun, pack sweat and waterproof sunscreen.

Your car seats will need protection too. Put a few bath towels or large garbage bags in your car to cover the seats for the ride home.

If you wear a hat or visor during the race, hang on to it during the typhoon; I lost mine. Tie your shoes tight. You’ll be glad when you are climbing cargo nets and knee deep in mud. If you aren’t really comfortable on the long stretch of cargo nets, stay to the side and you can use the frame to help you get across. To deal with a fear of heights, don’t look down; just look where you need to put your feet or hands.

When you’re done with the race, you’ll probably get a chance to get hosed off. The race I went to was at a ski resort, and we were blasted with water from a snow-making machine. It just about rips the contact lenses from your eyes, so cover your face a little. If you wear glasses, remove then. Anyone standing behind the front row of people getting pelted will get their blowback, so you have to work your way to the front to get “clean.” This can take a while.

Once you’re down being hosed off, claim your bag, get your free beer, shell out for a turkey leg and enjoy the band. You deserve it.