One of my favourite parts of the Alpha League Obstacle Race was the #Besupreme battle cry. It automatically made you feel like you have achieved the impossible. To me the Alpha League was just that, the kind of event I would never have been capable to participate in.
But luckily with a little encouragement I got the opportunity to take part in this challenging and exciting event. Before I knew it, I was signed up and had received my confirmation email with my time slot. There was no turning back now!
The Alpha League is a 5km run with 21 obstacles along the way – the obstacles are all tough, dirty, muddy, slushy and super challenging. From 20 feet high rope climbs, to crawling under barbwire they had it all! There were about 1800 registrations and tons of people who came to watch the fun. I hear the best timing was 35 minutes, but for many of us I think it wasn’t so much as a race but to finish every obstacle and see it through.
So how do you know that you are ready for an event like this?
I have said this before an event is always a good time to take stock of your fitness levels and figure out areas you need to work on. Upper body strength, stamina, legs, breathing etc. we all have our trouble areas and when you compete your weakness gets thrown up.
Secondly if you are fairly regular with exercise and have been monitoring your health standards then signing up for an Alpha League will definitely give you an additional push. You will have to go for all the training classes which were held prior to the events. They held classes for nearly four weeks across the entire city which helped participants get a good understanding of what to expect.
If you train at a fitness center that focuses on functional training (e.g. crossfit, boot camps etc.) along with endurance and strength then the event is a breeze… well okay not really! But you will be able to do almost all obstacles and not feel like you went through minor surgery the next day! You are used to many of the movements and obstacles as you would have experienced it during training sessions. e.g. rope climbs, jumping over boxes, bear walks, pull ups and other such movements.
Although I am a strong believer of mind over body and if you genuinely believe you can accomplish an obstacle course you can! BUT it would be a good idea to read up and watch videos that discuss mud races and how to handle them. Arm yourself with the right information and don’t forget to dress the part. Wearing the right clothes will help you avoid injuries and if you get soaked wearing cotton it will weigh you down when you are trying to climb a wall made of tyres.
As feedback for the organizers I think safety norms were not followed for all obstacles especially considering it was an open to all race. Maybe fitness parameters could be checked before signing up. There were no hydration station’s which was quite terrible for the participants who had enough to deal with. I do hope for a safer and better event next year!
I genuinely enjoyed participating in the Alpha League. It was a wonderful combination of challenging and fun. And I feel I am a stronger person to be part of the “be supreme” clan! I am sure they will have one more next year so gear up for it. It is a worthy life experience.
Special Thanks to my friends Karan, Karthik and Rakesh you paced me on the race and made sure I didn’t give up at any point. And Namma Crossfit where I train!
photo credits: flashbulbzzphotography
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