Monday, July 20, 2009

OC Mud Flop

The OC Mud Run on Saturday, July 18th was its inaugural race. As such there will be complications to overcome and some mudslinging (all pun intended) after the fact. What’s unfortunate about the experience is the bad taste left in a lot of people’s mouths (again, all pun intended … fellow participants, you know what I’m talking about!). If I were one of the organizers of this event, I would have taken notes from the world-famous Camp Pendleton Mud Runs. Granted these are US Marines who live and breathe planning and order. Nevertheless, using their model is only half the battle… proper and effective EXECUTION is key.

Having a local Orange County location, with decent registration fees, and proper execution would have contributed to a lasting memory … on the positive side. I have shared some of my gripes with fellow OC Mud Runners who are Twitter friends of mine (OakleyOC) as we were excited about putting together all the runs and workouts together in order to get ready for race day.

I’ll list some of my concerns here but from a different angle, one that focuses on corrective suggestions. (You can get the disgruntled version if you Tweet me.)

As with any organization, event, or family setting, it is important to list out these gripes and concerns. What’s even MORE important is the part where we suggest corrective courses of action, lest we repeat our flawed actions. There’s quite a list of observations already noted on the Eco Mud Run Tour's Facebook page, but I’m certain many would agree that proper planning and execution at a FUTURE mud run in Orange County would be welcomed. Let’s not kill the event; let’s just kill the execution style. Here’s my two cents:

STAFFING: I’m all about volunteers, regardless of age, as long as they provide value to their role at the event. Let’s train and prepare the volunteers to guide the participants; let’s have them live and breathe course layout, guidelines, pace, direction, etc. The participant needs to just run, run, run, and look for volunteers to guide them should any confusion arises. In unknown terrain a participant would like to feel relieved that trained/prepared/competent/willing guides are around. There also needs to be “that guy” or “that girl” that is prominently directing the events on race day … to avoid multiple happenings, yet exponentially multiple confused participants.

TIMING: Races need to start on time. Every participant knows the race goes on without them. It’s essential that published start times are adhered to. There’s a difference between being wimpy about the heat in mid-July versus having your warm up and game face countered by prolonged delays. Also, early morning races tend to be better than midday races. Add sun to mud, and you may not have the best mud conditions around anymore, unless those sections are hosed down again. (Again, STAFFING concerns here.)

FLOW: Thousands of bodies stampeding on the trail need to be met with similar/multiple obstacles spread wider. The tendency will be to migrate to the target with less resistance. Two narrow side-by-side obstacles created unnecessary bottlenecks. Participants will appreciate not losing their momentum by having to pause three to five minutes to have a turn at the obstacle. Fighting for position is key, and the hard core participants are out front. Being only about two or three rows in, I didn’t expect the bottle necks I experienced that day.

SAFETY: As an organizer I would have disclosed to participants that the sections with stagnant water were adequately tested for general safety and health concerns. While no one should make it a practice to swim in stagnant water, seeing that there are a couple of sections where it’s just water, it might make sense to slosh through it as quickly as possible. However, if the toxic levels were adequately tested and disclosed some might find it refreshing to swim through. There might be some health concerns brought up if the organizer’s intent was a net sprawled OVER the lagoon, later to be changed to a row of inner tubes, further changed to just open water…and later have cases of infection documented that related to the murky trenches that were not intended for prolonged skin contact.

MUD: I’m not an expert in this field but I would take a guess that “mud” may be inherently different than “topsoil?” The mud pits at military boot camps and at other mud runs may not be as aesthetically looking/feeling as the Glen Ivy mud section for the kids and parents (that section rocked for the kids by the way), however, I would probably refrain from adding anything closely resembling the aroma and texture of “freshly/naturally fertilized earth.” I’m all about communing with nature, but …

SETUP: I’d have a supervisor inspect the setup of various obstacles for general safety and common sense. Yes, in a fight for my life in the jungles of enemy country there’s no question that the path less traveled by inspectors may be the best ones to stay under the radar. However on a mud run course a supervisor’s inspection and sign-off might have documented/corrected the bed of sharp gravel in the sections intended for crawling on hands and knees … as well as the two rebars I knelt/crawled on in the sand crawl towards the tunnel.

DIALOGUE: As with the advertising of the event to the participants and the sponsors, it might be common business sense, even just overall people sense, to respond to these recent concerns brought up through this Facebook fan page. I would probably do it sooner than later, as people would probably like to know that this wasn’t a fly-by-night organization, but rather a group of people with a similar sense of fairness and good intentions.

SUMMARY:

I appreciate the time and effort to bring the event to Orange County. It is not easy to execute an event like Pendleton does (hoo-ah!). However, with proper planning AND execution, one can plan quite an event that will be worthy to stand in the thick of it all (again, all pun intended) and be judged on its own merits. The best laid plans don’t matter if poor execution is what’s observed. (Again, STAFFING concerns here to direct the flow of the event.)

I look forward to hearing from the organizers, perhaps even through a representative. I have experience in “heated negotiations” and I’m sure there are others on the Eco Mud Run Tour's Facebook page even more experienced than me. However, SOON some sort of communication with the event organizers is needed to address these participants’ concerns. Otherwise, this will become a one-way badgering that will yield no fruitful ending and will most likely propagate ill-feeling and/or medical/legal lawsuits.

Staying silent doesn’t necessarily mean innocence, or guilt for that matter. In some folks’ eyes though, staying silent in a situation like this doesn’t help with goodwill towards fans (or previous fans). PLUS, there are some who just like answers!

Oakely-dokely!

16 comments:

  1. Very well written! I agree, I hope the organizers respond soon and we can move on to a better planed event next year!

    ReplyDelete
  2. Thank you, Cherie. Yes, I'm looking forward to a future mud run. I think it's a great activity and I personally got my money's (and day's) worth out of it, as I really DID enjoy getting down and dirty with others.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Hi, I'm Lisa. Sorry to hear you had such an unpleasant experience at the OC Swamp Run :) My husband and I worked for the organizers up to about ten days prior to the event. It was at that time I found out the organizers Kent/Karen Bowen WB Productions were developing merchandise for the OC Mud Run with concepts/verbage from MY Mud Run Apparel Line (DIRTYSTUFF.US) that I pitched to them 3/09 for a chance to have a booth or a link on their site. They stole my ideas, put my words on their shirts and even went so far as to suggest that the "Dirty Girls" was their idea - which it was not - all mine...I guess I should be flattered that they liked my company's ideas enough to print on their shirts. Pretty sneaky!

    As for my duties on race day...I was scheduled to be handle Costumes/Entertainment/VIP Liason - I was supposed to Crown the King and Queen, which I hear never happened. I feel bad for Smash Girl the Crowns were great!

    Now about the SWAMP...My husband was the contractor who was supposed to set up the track & build the obstacles. When the race was in the early planning phase he went to the site for a walk through, observed the horrible conditions of the ponds and STRONGLY URGED THE RACE PROMOTERS (KENT/KAREN BOWEN - WB PRODUCTIONS)THAT THE WATER APPEARED UNSAFE FOR HUMAN CONTACT AND THAT IT HAD TO BE TESTED BEFORE ANYONE GOT IN IT. THEY SEEMED LESS THAN CONCERNED AND SUGGESTED THAT THE STUFF ON THE BOTTOM WOULDN'T BE A PROBLEM! MY HUSBAND EXPLAINED TO THEM THAT ALL THE SEDIMENT (GOD KNOWS WHAT)ON THE BOTTOM WOULD NOT STAY AT THE BOTTOM ONCE 7,000 PEOPLE GOT IN THE WATER AND CHURNED IT UP. AGAIN...NO CONCERN! I PERSONALLY HAD A CONVERSATION WITH THE RACE DIRECTOR ON JULY 2, ASKING HER IF THE WATER HAD BEEN TESTED YET...SHE HAD THE SAME CAVALIER ATTITUDE. I TOLD HER THAT WATER WAS NOT SAFE FOR ANYONE TO BE IN. APPARENTLY THEY REALLY DIDN'T CARE... SOMETIMES SEEING DOLLAR $IGN$ DOES THAT TO PEOPLE.

    It is surprising that the race organizers didn't have a better handle on things - they have been doing the registration/timing for the Camp Pendleton Runs for years. But I guess putting on your own event and being a part of someone else's event are two totally different things. Maybe they should stick to working with/for other people.

    Hey - They are supposed to have another race in November - maybe they'll get the water tested by then :)

    Any questions or comments regarding the above please email me lisa@dirtystuff.us

    ReplyDelete
  4. Thank you for writing this. I had a good time despite all the issues, but this infection I contracted has left a very bad taste in my mouth. I hope that the organizers/promoters will acknowledge everyone's concerns and seriously consider all of the suggestions for improvement. I was so excited after looking at the course map, but was very disappointed to find the course to be so lacking. They didn't deliver all that was promised, they didn't regard the health and safety of participants highly enough, and they were simply ill prepared for the event in general.

    ReplyDelete
  5. To "LISA" ---

    Thanks for the information you posted here. I had no idea!

    I know you feel wronged for your ideas being swiped from under you; that's just not good karma at all. Regarding the possible disregard for the water testing, I'd hate to see some folks suffer from anything relating to this run.

    You may be on to something about the money factor. When it becomes just about the money, it's hard to listen to common sense when you become so deep into it (all mud run pun intended).

    As a first time mud runner, I got what I wanted out of the event, and I had great conversations with fellow mud runners, both novices and experienced. I truly had fun in my first mud run!

    Personally, it's not even about going after the registration fee. Anyone that hosts their inaugural event, I'm all for them. There will be mistakes and areas for improvement. As long as everyone on board put in an honest day's work and did everything the right way, I would not ask for more. In fact, I'd be one of their biggest supporters for a future event.

    It's just sad to hear how throwing out respect for other people's intellectual property or concern for the health and safety of others becomes the driving force in others. In the end no one wins that race.

    Thank you again for your comments and I look forward to Kent/Karen Bowen of WB Productions to respond to these valid concerns.

    ReplyDelete
  6. To "Anonymous, at 11:20 AM" ---

    I hope you get that infection taken care of ... not a good thing at all to have to nurse!

    My friends and I looked at the course map and were probably more excited than you were about the various obstacles along the way (we're obviously mud run newbies!). Running course I did notice some things different, but just took it. I was out there to run, have fun, finish, and talk about it after ... which I did.

    It wasn't until later when family and friends heard my war stories that I threw in some observations. That's when I was directed to the posts from others who had similar thoughts about an explanation from the event organizers.

    I didn't plan to bash anyone, and I still don't intend to. I'm just looking for a goodwill laurel branch from the event organizers. Like I said, I'm all about fun and challenges, and I'd gladly participate in future mud runs. I came out for some fun and I got it. I'm just hoping we're not left out to dry through their silence on this subject.

    Thanks for your comment!

    ReplyDelete
  7. ANYONE HAVING ANY HEALTH CONCERNS RELATED TO THE OC MUD RUN SHOULD CONTACT COUNTY HEALTH (714) 433-6000.

    ReplyDelete
  8. To "Anonymous, at 9:49 AM" ---

    Thank you for posting this number. Somehow it disappeared from one of the posts from the Facebook page for "Eco Mud Run Tour."

    ReplyDelete
  9. Future events like this REALLY need some individuals PROMINENTLY directing the event. From one event to another, it's never the same; that's how life is. For instance, opposing teams on Super Bowl Day didn't get there easily. Nevertheless the entire coaching staff is there, the team captains are there, and even the owners are there. Superstar athletes who know the game very well STILL need direction to keep control over the intensity of the big day.

    It's HARD work to prepare an epic event such as an inaugural mud run, ESPECIALLY in Orange County of all places. However we can still break it down to the basic planning AND execution. When I plan for my son's birthday party to have three large inflatables, water balloon fights, ice cream cakes, go cart races, and skate board ramps for even just 30 friends, you can bank on my having a volunteer army of parents and/or concerned individuals on hand for crowd control and direction.

    ReplyDelete
  10. I know they put a lot of effort into making this event happen. As long as you are sending your feed back directly to the organizers, I'm sure they will have the kinks worked out next year.

    ReplyDelete
  11. To "Buck" ---

    I'm all about working out kinks as well, as I've mentioned more than once. It might be important to hear comments from the other side of the table really soon. When it's a one-way dialogue, there's really no dialogue.

    I'm a competitor and I was happy to see a mud run here in Orange County. For me, I'm not a young guy, but I stay fit, and I'm thinking my shots are current. I'm certain these organizers or other organizers will learn from this event, as my kids are interested in competing next year. I want to feel like they won't be glowing by day's end. So the next OC Mud Run ... I'll confirm their health and safety isn't compromised.

    Thanks for the comment!

    ReplyDelete
  12. Hey it's Lisa again...It seems they (WB) have blocked me from making any more comments on the Eco Mud Run Facebook page??? Wonder why... Just wanted to make sure everone knows that JAMES EVENTS (company who leased the Bowen's the park for the day) had NOTHING TO DO WITH ALLOWING THE BOWEN'S TO PUT PEOPLE INTO THE LAGOON. IN FACT, IN PRE-RACE MEETINGS THEY (JAMES) MADE IT VERY CLEAR THAT THERE WAS TO BE A BRIDGE OVER LAGOON SO THERE WOULD BE NOOOOO BODY CONTACT. THAT OBVIOUSLY DIDN'T HAPPEN - THEIR BRIDGE (TUBES) SUCKED AND FAILED. JAMES EVENTS IS LOOKING FORWARD TO HOLDING ANOTHER EVENT AT THEIR SITE - MINUS THE PROBLEMS. THEY LOOK FORWARD TO THE COUNTY RESOLVING THE HEALTH CONCERNS OF THOSE AFFECTED.

    MORE INFO TO FOLLOW ABOUT THE NEXT EVENT -
    EXTREME MUD CHALLENGE - LESS RUN, MORE FUN AND LOTS OF MUD, MUD, MUD.......

    ANY QUESTIONS EMAIL lisa@dirtystuff.us

    ReplyDelete
  13. To "Lisa" ---

    Thanks for the update. It's unfortunate that this event got all muddied up. My wife and kids saw my pictures, and they're really interested in participating in a similar event with me some time in the future.

    Hopefully the next event will focus on the competition/sport/fun aspect and everything will fall into place!

    Thanks again for your updates!

    ReplyDelete
  14. Hey Reggie - check out our facebook page Extreme Mud Challenge and become a Fan/Friend for updates on upcoming events. Hope to see you and your family in the mud! Looking forward to a good CLEAN Muddy Party. Music - Mud - Mayhem! Get your costumes ready :)

    Lisa
    extrememudchallenge.com

    ReplyDelete
  15. Thanks for such a well written article! It voiced your concerns without "bashing," and they are legitimate and presented without anger. This makes you a credible source and I didn't immediately "write you off." This is the first of few articles I've actually read entirely, including all the comments.

    Lisa, if everything you say is true, about your merchandise ideas being used without proper recognition/permission, then you deserve to be compensated and acknowledged. I'm sorry for your experience! That's unfortunate.

    As for the water portion and concerns, I kept thinking "They can't possibly be referring to the murky, greenish, stuff with moss floating on top, could they?" I kept thinking there must have been another section. However, when I saw the words "lagoon..." Ewwww YUK, immediately came to mind. Aint no way, I would have been going in that stuff! I certainly hope those suffering from skin irritations and such, heal quickly!

    Again, thank you for such a great article and comments section. I was wondering how that went, and advertised the event on my blog. I secretly wanted to go, but I stink at running! So I was looking to live through other's experiences! I would have shared the same frustrations with lack of organization and health concerns.

    Have a good day everyone, and here's to the next event being improved and a huge success!
    Sandi

    ReplyDelete
  16. To tolduso: Thank you for your feedback. Yes, I felt it would be more productive to suggest areas of improvement, rather than outright bashing, which rarely is fruitful in the end. Sorry for the late response to you. Surprisingly I didn't blog since my July mud run, and my latest entry is about my second mud run experience. Again, thank you for your feedback!

    ReplyDelete