Off Course: Inside the Mad, Muddy World of Obstacle Racing is the latest book on the sport of obstacle racing and the OCR industry to hit the shelves. The author, Erin Beresini, is no stranger to writing about extreme sports as a journalist for Outside Magazine as well as espnW and other sports industry publications. 

In her new book, Off Course, she delves into the wild world of obstacle racing as it tries to find its place in 2012.

The story follows her journey from former injured triathlete to attempting the first ever Spartan Race Ultra Beast in September 2012. She carefully leads the reader through the wild waters that were obstacle racing in 2012. Unlike other books in the market which focus on the how to in the sport, Beresini's book is more of a memoir, or a moment in time piece. It is definitely not a book to tell you how to get over a wall, or find a race. If you like the way Christopher McDougall of Born to Run brings the reader through the sport of ultra running through his own experiences in the world you will enjoy Beresini's book. 

The tail starts with Beresini talking about her own athletics and the injury that resulted. She dives into why she did one race to begin with and honestly why she thought the whole thing was dumb at the beginning and yet appealing. Her journey brings her into the Spartan Race versus Tough Mudder saga that dominated the industry in 2012. Beresini carefully compares the rise of obstacle racing and the rise of CrossFit - The Sport of Fitness.

She even goes into detail about how each one really helped the other to explode onto the fitness scene. 

My favorite part of the book has to be her trip to Vermont. Not only is this because this is the first time the author and I actually interacted but in that chapter she captured a special moment in time and reading her description of my old town was like a little gift. To me the book kept giving little gifts, little nuggets of events that happened now over two years ago. This is the greatest part of Beresini's book, whether she knew it or not she happened to capture obstacle racing and the whole industry of OCR at a pivotal moment, the moment just before the big name sponsors came on board and the moment when the industry was trying to figure out it's own identity. 

For those that have been around the obstacle racing and the OCR industry from the beginning the book will feel like a little step back in time, a gift to those of us that have been around since the beginning. It's a quick read, it's a fun read, and for most it's a chance to learn even more about many of the characters who were around in the beginning of it all. 

Finally, it's funny. Beresini never shies away from a good self-deprecating moment. Her humor throughout the book and especially her description of her Ultra Beast race will make any obstacle racer or mud runner shaking their head in agreement. Off Course is a must read of the season and a book to sit on every obstacle racer's shelf.