OCD FOR OCR

The past week has been dominated by the aftermath of my voyage last weekend to the North American Championships (NorAm) in Stratton in at least a couple ways.

First, race photos have been rolling in day by day. Many an idle minute has been whiled away combing the albums posted online for the best snapshots of myself, friends who were also racing and also pictures of the big names who also did battle on that big stage.

Secondly, of course, I was sure to squeeze in the requisite time to get my recap of what the event had to offer unpacked and ready to go live here at OCD FOR OCR. 

Thirdly, after tapering for the big race weekend, I was ready to hit my training with new resolve knowing some key races are around the corner and also feeling the desire to further work on my weaknesses after the challenges presented by my races in Stratton. But none of that was enough to stop me from switching gears and paying a visit to an old mainstay not far from home for me: Vino and the Beasts.

• Registration:

Packet pickup was handled entirely using non-electronic means. Since this is a timed race, we had specific bibs assigned to us with our timing chips embedded within. One line filtered into several tables as opposed to the rows being divided by last name, so I thought this might make things run slowly, but it wasn’t much of a wait at all so whatever they are doing seems to be working well. It undoubtedly helped that the weather was still nice when I checked in. Also, they offer packet pick up the night before, which is always a great option if you live or stay close by.

• Festival/After party:

If there is one race I do for the festival and post-race atmosphere over the race itself, it is this one. And I know I’m not alone. Vino and the Beasts is held at the Three Brothers Winery in New York State’s Finger Lakes region, well renowned for its wine. They have also held races at other vineyards in the Northeastern US. 

Instead of one finisher beverage, participants who are of drinking age (you can do the race itself at age 16 and up) are provided with a passport allowing them to do several wine tastings at the three wine producers on site as well as a beer and cider tasting at the on-site brewery. There is also an excellent eatery on the grounds so you need not drink on an empty stomach. It is the full tasting experience you can have when you visit this venue on a non-race day (which I have also done before) and in fact there were several people partaking of the vintage who were not aware of the race happening that day until they saw fellow patrons wet and muddy in athletic attire, so while mingling I had a couple opportunities to tell the uninitiated about the sport of OCR and what it means to me.  

Another plus about the venue being a permanent establishment was that when a bad storm blew through in the early afternoon, the crowd was largely indoors already or adjourned indoors to grab a bite to eat or to experience more wine tasting. The only hitches were that the band playing outside stopped and the award ceremony was not held (those are usually held in the courtyard in between two of the wineries). I had already done my two laps and while I was contemplating a third, the skies overlooking Seneca Lake looked all too ominous. I was simultaneously getting text messages from my mother about tornado warnings near where she lives. That kind of turn in the weather could have really put a damper on the festivities but, it seemed like comparatively few dispersed as the worst of it blew over.

• Pre-race MC:

The emcee here didn’t really do much in the way of emceeing other than to send off each heat at the appointed time and advise those running in the next heat to make their way to the start line. I ran my first lap in the first wave (the de facto competitive heat I suppose) and those of us who wanted to race and had made our way up to the front of the corral had trouble hearing the guy when he made his countdown.

We knew to go because the timing company guy waved us over the starting mats. I feel like a race that caters to so many first timers or casual OCR athletes could really use more of a pep talk/warm up the crowd kind of send-off. It would be a good gig for an aspiring local stand-up comedian to get some exposure.

• The Course:

The race is flat and has about a dozen obstacles that I would say are all doable for most if not all participants. If you want to run a fast, flat 5k on moderate trails, or simply have a fun outing with friends, this is a great race for you.  If you are looking to test your mettle with challenging obstacles, you are barking up the wrong tree and you would probably be better served by nearby events like the Daniel Barden MudFest and the Finger Lakes Mud Run, let alone the Spartan’s BoneFrog’s and Savages of this world.

The first obstacle we actually encountered was a balance beam obstacle with the apt name “Walk of Shame.” Then we went through a low crawl made dark with a black tarp that also had an apropos name of “Blackout.”

After crossing the street (deputy sheriffs were on hand to stop what minimal traffic there was) we came out into a clearing that presented the “Web of Winos” which was a standard A-Frame cargo net obstacle. After coming through a stretch through the woods and along a creek bed, there was a short version of a confidence climb obstacle called Wine Me Up. I only know the name of this and most of the obstacles because of the map. The obstacles do have clever names and some signage or labeling would really add a lot to the experience.

Mid-course, we were faced with the “Tangler” which was a crawl under a net which was not that challenging as it could be negotiated standing up with your head down. Then we went through rows of grapes, where some purple bouncy balls were hung up. This was listed as an obstacle, but I felt it was more of a decoration than anything. You kept running and the bouncy ball may or may not have hit you in the head depending on your exact trajectory and your height. 

Other obstacles included a horizontal cargo net which I rolled over when I could safely do so without colliding into other runners, a water slide into a pond with a pretty considerable swim for an event of this scope (there was a land bypass for non-swimmers or those who lacked confidence or desire) a tangled web of strings to negotiate through. We also had a couple of inflatable obstacles. One was a slip wall, with a slide down (which I remember from two years ago and is probably an economical alternative to building the wooden version they used to have) and one I’ve never seen before: A low crawl through water in what appeared to be like an over-sized kiddie pool. 

The last part of the race brought us through some more hedge rows (I recall hay bales or barrels to jump or climb over in the past, but they were missing this time around) and then a couple of over and under walls before turning the corner into the finish line. 

The course clocked in at just over 3-miles on my second lap, with an additional approximately ¾ mile on my first lap thanks to a mishap that happened in the woods around the one-mile mark. The course seemed to go along a creek bed toward a tunnel. I thought it was a kick ass addition to the course, but there was one little problem, it wasn’t part of the course at all (lol). I was so focused on maintaining speed down the wooded trails and not being overtaken by my rivals, I failed to notice the turn off on the trail that we were supposed to take.

This is why many races use tape and signs in critical spots on the trails so that there is no mistake and it can be seen at competitive running speeds, so that if a runner makes a wrong turn it at least is no worse than a few seconds until they find their way back to the true trail. I and a few others gunning for a podium, made the same mistake of running clear to the shore of the lake before we realized we had to turn around, costing us possible awards (which were not awarded anyhow due to the storm, but it was still somewhat unsettling).

• The Bling:

A finisher shirt made of synthetic material (similar material to that used in prior incarnations of this event) and although we were given a commemorative wine glass, we were still furnished with a small but quality finisher medal. And of course, we received the passport for the wine/beer tastings that steals the show!

• Overall Feelings and Event Rating:

The questionable marking of the course threw a damper on things for sure. Even if I ultimately did not win any award(s), or alternatively if there were none to be won at all, I still would know I had given the course my all. My other disappointment was the lack of some of the more cleverly themed obstacles of past Vino and the Beasts events coupled with no real new replacements that I can recall.

This did not stop me from salvaging the day and converting my type-A competitive drive into a fun frolic followed by some social drinking at a beautiful site overlooking Seneca Lake. The fun even withstood one of the worst rainstorms we have had around here this summer thanks to a variety of indoor and outdoor after party spots and activities.

While I found the race somewhat lacking as compared to prior versions of the same event, I still had an enjoyable day, both from making the most of it and from the stellar after party that is really in a class by itself. I rate this event/race 4.25 out of 5 stars overall.

Article Written by: Brian Kellogg, OCR Aficionado