Training for a Mud/Obstacle Race
It seems as if EVERYONE is doing it – Mud Runs. Spartan Race, Warrior Dash, Tough Mudder, MudRun – it’s the most popular “new” intense fitness craze, and now you, too, want to TRAIN INSANE AND TRAIN DIRTY! (?)
In honesty, these types of challenges have been around for closer to 10-15 years – the Spartan Death Race was started in 2004 by 8 athletes, 2 of who were ex-Royal Marines; The Spartan Race (Reebok) came together in 2010. For comparison, as it’s own sport, CrossFit was founded in 2000, the CrossFit Games, since 2007. What began more as marine/armed-forces officer raced (charity) events, have now they’ve gained popularity and are held in over in over 100 cities, globally (20 countries), yearly.
{ed note: The sport of CrossFit™ is fairly new, as a type of fitness for the “general population”; but “cross training” and multi-faceted fitness has been implemented into sports training programs FOREVER.}
Obstacle/Mud Run Training is designed to prepare competitors for both the endurance and strength aspects that make up the runs. Although the races are offered in a variety of distances and difficulties, all of them have one thing in common: distance running; with the mileage separated by brief moments of intense muscular (typically, upper body – push, pull, climb, carry, throw) events.
The most difficult part about mud runs for people is usually the running aspect. Therefore, this should be the primary focus of your race training program. Ensure that you can complete the entire distance of your race (based on the distance of the event you are planning to run and the level you are currently running at), aside from incorporating the obstacles/skill-strength training sessions, in order to maximize your results on race day and reduce your chance of injury.
Secondly, since a majority of the obstacles, aside from the steep hills (up and down) and mud pools and kickers, are upper body strength based, you will want to prepare your muscles for what they are about to take on. Press (lift over head), Carry (bags, kettlebells, stones), Throw, Climb (rope, net, wall), tows (horizontal pulls/drags), travels (wall crosses, monkey bars) and cable lifts (dead weight vertical pulls). Not to mention a lot of these races use the dreaded burpees as punishment for incomplete obstacles.
In order to prepare for these, incorporating a good strength-based system into your program, along with mock obstacles, will help prepare you for the big race. Many people have difficulty moving their own body weight, so this tends to be the biggest reality check when they hit the course, if ill-prepared.
A quick test to see where to begin: Grab a Team (or try it solo) and hit a playground – yes, the jungle gym, outdoor in the sand pit, kind. Are you able to do (at least) 1 full unassisted pull-up? Can you cross the monkey bars?
If yes, try this mini fitness test: do 15 air squats, 5 push-ups, cross the monkey bars, run a lap of the park, climb the net/ladder, slide down the pole/slide, do 5 burpees, then run a lap around the park. Repeat 2x without stopping
How did you do? How do you feel? It’s a pretty accurate, if not very short, version of what to expect out of your race. If it was fairly manageable or easy, adjust your training to suit the “expected” obstacles (every race path has “secret” obstacles that they don’t release, but most course designs have some overlap so you can check out past years’ runs, or other cities’ obstacles). IF, however, you feel like it was “crazy hard” and you’re still set on running a mudder, you better get that training next level!
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Here is a sample of what training – week 1 – would typically/should look like.
{ed note: for a beginner, I would recommend at least 8 weeks to prepare, given the assumption that they can complete the running distance – longer if the distance to completion, itself, is an obstacle}
Example of Mud Run Prep
Mon – Fitness Baseline: Set a timer for 1min. Get max rep count for: Push-ups, Pull-ups, Squats, Over head press, Alternating lunges Then: run 1-mile as fast as you can.
WRITE IT DOWN!
Tue – Endurance: Complete half your race distance, steady Strength: Vertical Pull Day – work on exercises for your back
Wed – Speed: break down the race distance into sprint intervals (5km = 10x 500m) – 1min rest between Strength: Push Day – work on exercises for your chest
Thurs – Rest Day
Fri – mileage day Endurance: Complete your race distance Strength: Work the core
Sat – No run Strength: Work the Legs – squats, lunges
Sun – Speed: Hills. Sprints up hill, walk or jog down, 1 min rest at bottom Strength: Carry & Drags (horizontal pulls) – Grab something heavy! Lift it up & walk with it, push it, drag it!
Photo: Spartan Race – June 2014 (I came 14th for women)
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