Mud and Adventure | Outdoor Active Adventures Begin Here.

For Speed Stick’s #GearChallenge campaign, extreme filmmaker and YouTube sensation Devin Graham, aka Devin Supertramp, took to Panama City to test the world’s largest urban zip-line. Starting atop a 700-foot-tall building, a group of fearless aerialists began their descent attached to a 10,000-foot-long zip-line, but the shock comes when the first lets go of his safety clip to freefall to the ground.

In an attempt to beat the course record Joe Moravsky actually breaks the American Ninja Warrior course! His recovery is worth sharing.

For a race that just introduced itself to the industry they acted like a company that has been around for years. It would go without saying this is due to the quality, experienced workers they have.

Thanks to the popularity of this muddy fun we call a sport, shoe manufacturers have stepped into the free market to feel a niche with shoes they claim are designed to optimize our performance on the course. I have no doubt that more than a few of these brands actually do help, but this isn’t about product endorsement here; not today. Instead, let’s talk about hanging on to that investment in expensive footwear.

If you are like me, I am always looking at the new apparel that is available to us OCR racers, and am always looking for a great product that will give me comfort but still provide me with the durability I need to get through my races. Well I had the privilege of giving some new gear from the company Mud Gear a test drive, and have a new favorite in my list of necessary items for race day. I was able to give the MudGear Short Sleeve Fitted Race Jersey, the 1/4 Crew Trail socks and the Knee High Compression Socks a comprehensive wear test with the Spartan Race training I had going on to prepare for the PA Sprint. And let me tell you I was never more impressed with OCR gear as much as I am with this new company. Let me give you a rundown:

To those that know the Spartan Race series many mark down the Pennsylvania race as their staple Sprint for the year. For the past 3 years this race has been designed by Norm Koch. Norm is a long standing race director that has a reputation for designing the most difficult courses the series runs. After conquering this course in years past, I had a desire this year beyond what I could achieve as an individual. I wanted to help others complete this challenge and push their comfort zone beyond what they believed they could achieve.

Two of the biggest names in Obstacle Course Racing will go head-to-head this weekend at the BattleFrog Tri-States (http://battlefrogseries.com/tri-state-2014/) event taking place in Englishtown, New Jersey on Saturday. The race will feature elite athletes Hobie Call and Junyong Pak in the elite heat, in what promises to be a showdown of epic proportions between two OCR legends.

On June 1st, 2014 at the Tuxedo Spartan Race, two brave women embarked into the hilly landscape of southern New York to take on a treacherous four and a half mile course. And these particular women had more than just a race to complete, as they had surged forward with the resolve to also prove that determination and optimism can conquer even the most difficult challenges that life can throw your way. It was that very day that Delilah Talbot and her Spartan Group X (SGX) Coach, Casey Eischen, were able to look defiantly into the face of a disease that had tried to get the better of them, and to prove that not only could they conquer a Spartan Race, but that they would not be defeated by the ugly disease that is breast cancer.

There are times in life that we become too comfortable, where what we do becomes normal and commonplace. Joe De Sena will tell you over and over in his book SpartanUP! how important it is to change your frame of reference. Joe suggests the best way to do that is through adversity. When we become too comfortable with one thing, whether it be a dinner entrée, a favorite drink, a sport, or a specific type of race, we prevent ourselves from growing as a person. It’s important to remember to switch things up and take on new challenges. Step outside your comfort zone.

A Real Mini Beast – PA Sprint 2014 I often hear the term mini-beast get thrown around quite loosely as referring to a Spartan Sprint...