For the fifth year running, the SV Sports Therapy Events Team will be on hand at the Nuclear Events Village to provide pre- and post-race sports therapy treatments and massage for participants.
Nuclear Rush is a 2-day event in which individuals and teams will face one of the country’s most exciting Obstacle Course Races (OCR).
Nuclear Races provides an award-winning OCR festival weekend, with both 7 and 12km race distances, camping, music and entertainment.
Man-made and natural challenges test every aspect of fitness as participants attempt to conquer obstacles including the infamous Deathslide, Zip-lines, and 120 metres of Gorilla Bars, to name but a few.
For more information on what to expect from an OCR, how to approach your training, and hopefully stay injury free, read on...
For those that have never completed an OCR, the images of smiling faces covered in mud, sweat, and (on occasion) blood, can seem somewhat conflicting.
For many, the idea of running more than a few kilometers is daunting, let alone adding muddy puddles and grueling obstacles into the mix.
So why do people do it? Why do they seem to quickly get so obsessed, and how on earth do they train?
The answer to the first two is actually rather simple; it’s the challenge, atmosphere and camaraderie.
Completing a challenging OCR is, as many will attest, a buzz.
By the time a competitor has hurtled over walls, swung across ropes and chains, crawled through quagmires, and thrown themselves down giant slides, they will be awash with feel-good hormones called endorphins.
These chemicals are important to humans in that they can reinforce certain behaviours; in fact, it is both the chemicals themselves and their receptors that are the biological source of many addictions.
Also, quite wonderfully, some of these chemicals are involved in building human connections in social situations; and so, the very commonly co-operative nature of the OCR race, where friends, family, and strangers alike will drag each other over obstacles (often in quite an undignified yet hilariously endearing manner) lends itself to an even more addictive appeal and towards generating a true community spirit.
Add to this the often festival-like feel of these events, with some such as Nuclear Races offering weekend camping, festival foods and live entertainment, and you have a recipe for a good time; not to mention the likes of SV Sports Therapy being on hand throughout the event.
Okay, so you’re half way convinced to sign-up, but those things look tough... How on earth do you train?
It’s very true that an OCR demands a varied and progressive regimen in order to get the best from yourself as a competitor. However, there is still debate about the best ways to prepare yourself for such a race.
Here are some of SV Sports Therapy’s top tips taken from some of the UK’s best OCR competitors:
1. Enjoy it!
Conor Hancock: "Start running/jogging, mixed with anything else you enjoy."
Conor believes that running should be the base of someone’s OCR training but that most exercise will be beneficial, so do something you enjoy.
2. Running and Strength
Ross Brackley: Ross highlights the importance of both running and strength training for OCR, and identifies that he particularly enjoys military-style fitness sessions as "you just show up and it's done before you know it, it’s easier than motivating yourself alone."
3. Build Explosive Strength/Power
Freya Martin: Freya knows the importance of building explosiveness if you want to dominate an OCR.
Freya recommends a number of plyometric and explosive exercises including squat jumps, skipping, and burpees!
On top of these, it goes without saying, you will be using your arms during any OCR so don’t just train your legs.
You also need to develop your agility through various plains of movement, and let’s not forget that you absolutely must learn to work with others... You never know when you might need a boost over that next obstacle!