Thursday 20th February 2014 -
Awesome day with some OCR nutters local to myself in Sussex.
A pre taster of the Nuts Challenge in Dorking in the run up to the main event being held on 1st & 2nd March 2014
www.thenutschallenge.co.uk
Meeting Wayne the owner of the nuts course and getting a insight on what's to come on the day and his description of the gruelling challenge ahead made me want to jump in and get a head start of the elites coming in a weeks time.
With options of 7k, 14k, 21k & the nutty 28k this is the assault course of OCR's and a challenge to all.
So the down to the real stuff!!
We were allowed open use of about 3.5k of the course with a number of gruelling obstacles including tunnels, water, mud and cargo nets and more mud and as much water as you can imagine!!!
My choice of kit and review:-
Upper body -
Item:- Compression top
Brand:- 2XU Flex Compression long sleeved
Price :- £60 (discounted with membership) £54.00
Supplier :- www.obstaclekit.co.uk
Worn with a standard tech t-shirt over the top
Lower body:-
Item:- compression long trousers
Brand:- Skins
Price :- £45
Supplier:- sports shop
Worn with basic sports shorts
Feet
Item:- trail shoes
Brand:- Inov8 rocklite 315
Price:- £45
Supplier:- Amazon
Item:-Socks
Brand:- invo8 mud socks high
Price:- £14 (2 pairs)
Supplier:- Obstacle kit
I have reviewed some of he items before on here but this was the first time I have worn them togther and at a course.
My first serious kit was the skins leggings and these are a good must have and seem to get better and better with everything I do, I have had them nearly a year & half from starting my running passion before OCR's and the difference is remarkable and for once what's written on the box is along the lines of spoken truth.
Normal running id say these are cool and you can notice a difference in muscle soreness but these come into a different category in OCR, they assist wih recovering from cold water strikes and wick water away quick and return energy and warmth back to your legs in half a minute if not less.
They provide protection from grazes and as yet have not ripped!!
Must have a a rating of 9/10 from me!!!
I've yet to try anything else!!!
UpperBody!!!
So having leggings for a while, I've neglected my upper body.
reasons??
Well I get hot quick and always shrugged off base layers and compression tops but during my training recently in very cold water lakes, and incorporating body circuits I was fatiguing and failing in my upper body, my arms would not work, but my legs were fine and received the same cold water punishment!!!
It must be the compression leggings, so I sought advise and was pointed towards dedicated supplier Tim @ Obstacle Kit.
His reviews and advise was very welcomed and his hand picked simple choices on his website landed me with a new 2XU Long Sleeved compression top to add to my OCR bling!!
It preformed so well, the tight fitting, good looking top felt comfortable and sporting!!
During a pre run of The Nuts I was head under water at many points and every few minutes my upper body strength needed to its fullest to tackle the obstacles.
At no point could I not do it and it may seem like a advertisement brand plug but my training was not as intense at this course and I failed with such tasks in such extreme cold temputures without this top!!
Providing protection also from brambles and scrapes it is now a long term item of my kit bag for OCR's.
It wicks water super fast and while moving kept my body temputute well.
Big thanks for your honest advise Tim!
Trainers and Socks:-
I've reviewed these Invo8 trail shoes before and I am so pleased with them and hesitant to change them.
For a mud filled course these are great.
Draining water well, staying on my feet on ground sucking clay mud and almost pushing me up hills and holding me upright down them I can't fault them in that area.
However I am still very unhappy with the transistion of going from mud to hard standing!!
Yesterday at the nuts the amount of hard standing in sight was little to non, but on our 3rd extended lap we found a small 5 meter stretch over a road and immediately I felt the ground force through them and it's horrible, and a mile or two of that and id be crippled.
Id love to hear other reviews from OCR racers that may have encounted this problem with this shoe!!
Inov8 Mud socks, I'm not going to review these yet!!!
I need to test then a little more!!
Aside from kit, Wayne at the Nuts is the nuts. Proper mans man and a great sport for letting us visit the site and have a play while he was so busy!!
The ground and course was epic and not going to lie to anyone, it's going to be tough but without a doubt fun!
You have the Rat tunnels with water incorporated and to be honest not many obstacles didn't involve water!
There are a lot of banks to negotiate and the wooded hilly run also is a energy sucker and tests your core stability for sure.
The rope swings are amazing and hat gap is a lot further than you think.
Have fun everyone!!
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