OCR Race Preparation Checklist

Race preparation matters more than most OCR athletes realize. A great taper, dialed-in race-week nutrition, and the right gear can move your finish time more than your last full month of training. Conversely, athletes show up to A-race events all the time having destroyed weeks of fitness with a bad taper, a poorly-timed pre-race meal, or shoes they wore for the first time at the starting corral.

This guide is the complete checklist — the same protocol used by competitive age-group racers and elite OCR athletes preparing for Spartan Beast, Tough Mudder, OCR World Championship, and similar events. Use it as a template and adjust to your race distance and your body.

Two-week taper The taper is where most amateur racers get it wrong. The goal isn't rest — it's *sharpening*. You want to arrive at the start line with fresh legs but a fully primed nervous system.

### Week -2: shed the volume, keep the intensity - 75% of normal weekly volume. - One last hard interval or threshold session (8×400m at 5K pace, or 5×1km at threshold). - Final heavy lift session at normal load but reduced volume (3×3 at 85% instead of 5×5). - Last long run at 60% of normal long-run distance.

### Week -1: cut volume hard, preserve neural drive - 50% volume. - Easy runs only — conversational pace. - Skill work on obstacles (monkey bars, rope, rig technique) — short, high-quality, no fatigue. - One light barbell session: 3×3 at 60% just to remind your nervous system.

### Race week - 2–3 short shakeout runs (15–20 minutes). - A few strides at race pace on shakeout day. - No lifting heavier than 60% 1RM. - Foam roll daily, sleep 8+ hours. - Stop drinking alcohol entirely. The diuretic effect plus disrupted sleep is a free 30–60 seconds off your finish time.

Race-week nutrition Don't experiment race week. Every food you eat should be one you've eaten dozens of times.

### Carb loading (2–3 days out) - 6–8 grams of carbohydrate per kilogram of bodyweight per day. - For a 75kg athlete: ~450–600g carbs per day. - Sources: rice, pasta, potatoes, bread, oatmeal, fruit. Easy-digesting. - Don't dramatically increase total calories — replace fat and protein with carbs.

### Hydration - Light yellow urine = adequate. - Add electrolytes (sodium especially) the day before. 1g sodium per liter of fluid is a baseline. - Don't chug water in the hour before the start — you'll be peeing in mile 2.

### Pre-race meal - 90–120 minutes before start. - ~80g carbs, low fat, low fiber. - Examples: bagel + honey, oatmeal + banana, white rice + a small amount of chicken. - 250–400ml of fluid with electrolytes.

### During the race - Spartan Sprint / Tough Mudder 5K: no fueling needed. - Spartan Super / 10K events: 30g carbs at the halfway mark (one gel). - Spartan Beast / Ultra: 30–60g carbs per hour after hour one.

Gear list Lay this out the night before. Wear nothing new.

- **Trail shoes with aggressive lugs** (Inov-8 Mudclaw, Salomon Speedcross, La Sportiva Mutant). Drainage matters more than cushion. - **Compression shorts** — chafing prevention is non-negotiable. - **Synthetic top** — never cotton. Cotton + mud = sandpaper. - **Hat or buff** for sun and to keep mud out of your eyes. - **Small chalk bag** (clip-on, race-legal at most events). - **Race belt** for bib — pinning a bib to a synthetic top tears it. - **Optional: light running gloves** — banned at some events, allowed at others. Check rules. - **Vaseline or BodyGlide** on chafe points: nipples, inner thighs, armpits. - **Spare dry clothes in your bag** for after.

Course-day timeline - **2 hours before start:** arrive, check bag, locate start corral and warm-up area. - **90 minutes before:** eat pre-race meal. - **60 minutes before:** gear up, start warm-up. - **30 minutes before:** mobility, mental rehearsal of first 1km. - **5 minutes before:** dynamic warm-up final — leg swings, high knees, 3×20-meter strides.

Pacing strategy The most common pacing mistake is going out too fast because the energy of the corral pushes you. Three phases:

1. **First 1km — conversational.** You should be able to speak full sentences. The first km is positioning, not racing. 2. **Mid-race — steady.** Settle into your sustainable race pace. Walk fast on uphills, run easy on flats, push downhills. 3. **Last 25% — empty the tank.** Whatever you have left, spend it.

### Obstacle prioritization Identify the 2–3 obstacles you're weakest at and plan your energy management around them. Arrive at the rope climb with less fatigue than at the spear throw — the rope costs you more on a failure.

Post-race recovery Recovery starts the moment you cross the line.

- 10-minute walking cool down. - Refuel within 60 minutes: 3:1 carb-to-protein ratio. ~80g carbs + 25g protein. - Cold shower or ice bath if joints are sore (optional, evidence mixed). - 8+ hours of sleep that night. - Easy 30-minute walk the next day. - Resume normal training 5–7 days after a 5K, 7–14 days after a 10K+, 14+ days after a Beast/Ultra.

Beginner, intermediate, advanced

**Beginner.** Goal is to finish comfortably. Don't worry about pace or obstacle perfection. Walk when you need to. Take pictures.

**Intermediate.** Add pacing strategy and obstacle prioritization. Set a finish-time goal but treat it as a stretch target.

**Advanced.** Full tactical plan per obstacle, including burpee budget on obstacles you might fail. Negative split the race.

What we see in race-day video Athletes who upload their training footage to Obstacle IQ before a race consistently identify the 1–2 technique fixes that save them the most time on course — usually grip economy on rigs or sprint mechanics into the Warped Wall.

Related reading - [Common OCR race mistakes](/blog/common-ocr-race-mistakes) - [How to train for your first Spartan race](/blog/how-to-train-for-your-first-spartan-race) - [How to avoid failing obstacles during OCR races](/blog/how-to-avoid-failing-obstacles-during-ocr-races) - [Complete OCR strength training guide](/blog/complete-ocr-strength-training-guide) - [The full obstacle library](/supported-obstacles)

Upload your obstacle footage to Obstacle IQ and receive AI-powered feedback on technique, efficiency, movement quality, and performance.