Ruckus: A Corporate Team Building Experience

“Quick everyone!  Get to the conference room!  It’s time for a team building seminar!”

Those words should never be said with enthusiasm. Ever.

There is nothing more boring than PowerPoint presentations and free bagels to “bring a team together”. Yet this activity is exactly what companies do to “excite” their employees about working together. Great teamwork isn’t developed with crazy fonts and smooth transitions.  Team building should be more...well...fun!

Teamwork makes the dream work.

So, if you want to build up your corporate team, what activity should you plan? That’s an easy one; Ruckus!

Build Emotional Bonds 
Ruckus helps build the emotional bonds that are the building blocks of trust and teamwork. The physically challenging course at Ruckus acts as the common enemy for your team to rally around. At the end of the Ruckus race, there’s nothing more rewarding than cheering all of your team members as you all cross the finish line, worn out and covered in mud. An out-of-breath nod to a teammate that says “that was tough and challenging but we beat it together” speaks a whole lot more than actually saying it in a conference room setting.  Plus if you can overcome our obstacles as a team, you can overcome a lot of tough clients together too!

Team Activities vs. Individual Activities 
When trying to build cohesiveness within your team, competitive events that are individual based don’t work. Activities where coworkers only have to worry about themselves are just as ineffective as seminars (think bowling, laser tag, or paintball). These types of activities create a “me first” mindset; participants want to shine individually and are only concerned with their own success. On top of that, if there is tension between some team members, do you really want to give them paintball guns?  We didn’t think so.  The best solution is to set up a team and run Ruckus together!

Foster Trust 
If you really want to build cohesiveness within a corporate team you won’t do it with terms like “synergy”. Trust falls are a great idea, but if people fail to catch you, trust isn’t the only thing often broken or damaged. True team building occurs when people are able to come together around a common cause.

Ditch the laser tag and steer clear of the conference room. Gather your team for Ruckus Kansas City on April 6, 2013 to turn your corporate get-together into a muddy good time! Sign your team up quickly because wave times sell out fast. Let Ruckus be your new corporate tradition!

Get more Ruckus tips, tricks and advice on Twitter! @RuckusSports

How to Have Fun on Every Run (Even the Tough Ones!)

Running can be...monotonous.  The same trail run, the same pace on the treadmill, the same routine over and over again can get...well...boring.  So how can you have fun on every single run you do (even the ones that are challenging, difficult, even excruciating?).  We’ve got the four best ways to stay positive, happy and challenged during every single run you do while you train for Ruckus:

Give yourself a challenge

Have you been running at a 6.0/mile pace on the same 3-mile route for a few weeks now?  No wonder you’re bored—you’re not challenging yourself!  Hard work doesn’t just make you fitter, it makes you happier, too.  In a 2011 study conducted by scientists at the Research Institute for Sport and Exercise Sciences in the UK, recreational runners who rated their enjoyment after a steady 50-minute run weren’t nearly as exhilarated than with their performance at a higher intensity.

How can you challenge yourself?  Try mixing a few sprints into your normal run.  This simple change of pace can help you accomplish the challenge you need. 

Run with friends

Although many runners enjoy the peaceful, serene solo run, it’s important to run with friends and family too.  Running with others provides greater satisfaction with exercise, increased motivation to reach goals and greater consistency to perform.

Give yourself a reward

A run will feel even more satisfying when there is a reward involved.  If you hold a certain pace, reward yourself with a yummy dinner.  If you run the furthest you ever have without stopping, treat yourself with a massage the next day.  Give yourself incentives and you’ll find running to be even more fulfilling and more fun.

Switch up the course

If you run the same course over and over again, your brain will no longer be stimulated and your body will no longer be challenged.  Every so often, opt for a different course—explore new trails, drive out to the countryside or discover a new neighborhood.  Find your route using MapMyRun.com beforehand so you know exactly where you’re going.

Make running fun again!  Give these four tips a shot and you’ll not only get in Ruckus shape, but you’ll smile while doing it. 

Are You Team Ruckus Or Are You Ridin' Solo?

Although Jason DeRulo may disagree, here at Ruckus, we believe that there are better things than ridin’ solo.  That’s why we have established Ruckus teams for you to participate in during your next Ruckus run!  What do we mean by teams exactly?  Ruckus teams allow you to register with a group of friends and family—big or small.  Although Ruckus teams are timed individually, teammates tend to add a strong support system throughout the obstacle courses.  After all, what better way to experience some added camaraderie than climbing a 14-foot cargo net with your loved ones? 

But are Ruckus teams for you?  Although a large majority of our participants do run in teams with family and friends, we also have those individuals who prefer to run solo.  But why?  And which one is for you?

Join a Ruckus team if...

• You enjoy (or have excelled in) team sports like basketball, baseball, soccer, football, volleyball or the like. 
• You prefer working out or going to the gym with a buddy.
• You perform better when you’re surrounded by other people.  
• You tend to be competitive with others.
• You naturally are more motivated by the people by your side. 
• You enjoy playing a leadership role and performing team-building skills.
• You’re interpersonal. 
• You have friends or family members that want to run Ruckus with you. 
• You are registering early!  Wave times often sell out fast and you must get in the same wave time as your teammates!

Run Ruckus solo if...

• You enjoy (or have excelled in) individual sports like swimming, golf, gymnastics, running, singles tennis or the like. 
• You like working out alone and getting “in the zone”. 
• You perform better when you only have to rely on yourself.
• You tend to be competitive with yourself or the clock. 
• You are naturally more disciplined.  
• You enjoy self-motivation.
• You’re intrapersonal. 
• You have friends or family members that would prefer to cheer you on during Ruckus rather than running it.

And don’t forget: It’s not too late to register your team for Ruckus St. Louis!  And be sure to learn more about Ruckus teams on our FAQ page.