tough mudder question

spartan_d

EvgeniZyntx wrote: »

oh_happy_day wrote: »

TM is a fun OCR, there's no penalty for missing an obstacle and people help each other out. You could literally just walk the course and skip obstacles as required. There's also waiting time for obstacles so you get some recovery time between runs. Upper body strength is very helpful, as is grip strength. I would add in exercises like push ups, pull ups (or dead hangs), farmers carries etc. If you take your kids to the playground, have a go at the monkey bars!

One of the TM I did was with someone that was completely untrained. She walked the obstacles and that was completely miserable because given the time it took her to complete (6+ hrs) and unpreparedness she was extremely cold and injured.

THIS is why I don't advise doing a Tough Mudder or comparable OCR with little or no training. Sure, you can probably complete the distance if you have enough tenacity, but it probably won't be a pleasant experience. Moreover, there is a significant potential for injury. Beginning runners are advised not to take on too much mileage at first, and the same principle applies to any strenuous exercise.

Not to mention that certain events, such as Tough Mudder, emphasize the toughness as part of their brand identity. When newbies talk about completing these events without any training, I feel that it takes away from the reputation and brand identity of these events. I know that some would disagree, but I feel that it's best to honor the spirit of these events rather than walking most of the way and skipping obstacles left and right.

spartan_d

ganzelly wrote: »

I did my first mudder last October and am signed up for another in September. I was able to run 6 miles but wasn't prepared for the hills, running on grass (all my running was on roads) and running on sides of hills. Don't just run treadmills or roads, get some trail running. My hips and ankles were so sore I could barely walk for days.

Agreed. This is why I disagree with those who say that your current mileage is fine. If you want to avoid cramps, muscle pains, and a lot of suffering in general, it would be best to increase your mileage beforehand -- especially if you're not yet used to trail or hill running.

AlphaCajun

spartan_d wrote: »

ganzelly wrote: »

I did my first mudder last October and am signed up for another in September. I was able to run 6 miles but wasn't prepared for the hills, running on grass (all my running was on roads) and running on sides of hills. Don't just run treadmills or roads, get some trail running. My hips and ankles were so sore I could barely walk for days.

Agreed. This is why I disagree with those who say that your current mileage is fine. If you want to avoid cramps, muscle pains, and a lot of suffering in general, it would be best to increase your mileage beforehand -- especially if you're not yet used to trail or hill running.

While i can understand this, OP is talking about a TM in New Orleans.. there are no hills. lol

spartan_d

amyrebeccah wrote: »

spartan_d wrote: »

EvgeniZyntx wrote: »

oh_happy_day wrote: »

TM is a fun OCR, there's no penalty for missing an obstacle and people help each other out. You could literally just walk the course and skip obstacles as required. There's also waiting time for obstacles so you get some recovery time between runs. Upper body strength is very helpful, as is grip strength. I would add in exercises like push ups, pull ups (or dead hangs), farmers carries etc. If you take your kids to the playground, have a go at the monkey bars!

One of the TM I did was with someone that was completely untrained. She walked the obstacles and that was completely miserable because given the time it took her to complete (6+ hrs) and unpreparedness she was extremely cold and injured.

THIS is why I don't advise doing a Tough Mudder or comparable OCR with little or no training. Sure, you can probably complete the distance if you have enough tenacity, but it probably won't be a pleasant experience. Moreover, there is a significant potential for injury. Beginning runners are advised not to take on too much mileage at first, and the same principle applies to any strenuous exercise.

Not to mention that certain events, such as Tough Mudder, emphasize the toughness as part of their brand identity. When newbies talk about completing these events without any training, I feel that it takes away from the reputation and brand identity of these events. I know that some would disagree, but I feel that it's best to honor the spirit of these events rather than walking most of the way and skipping obstacles left and right.

Not to mention the cost--TM is incredibly pricey for something that you'd only do about half of. Now I'm not saying that's what the OP is doing, she's training and trying to get there, but people talking about training like it's no big deal have me scratching their heads. I wonder if it's the same people telling fitness novices to go ahead and do insanity rather than starting with something more in keeping with their fitness level. Either the novices are skipping half of it, (in which case what's the point) or they're going to hurt themselves.

Excellent point. Thank you for voicing that. And yes, I have known out-of-shape newbies to tear their hamstrings or otherwise injure themselves at these things.

Several months ago, I voiced the opinion here that people shouldn't jump into a Tough Mudder or a Spartan Race without adequate training first. It's a bit irksome to see some people brag about doing these events with little or no preparation.

Some people took offense at that saying, "Who cares? As long as they do it with a great attitude, that's what matters." Can we really say that someone has a "great attitude" if they blow off the training and just jump into the event, though? I certainly wouldn't. Having a great attitude means preparing for the race well, not just going through the motions.

spartan_d

AlphaCajun wrote: »

spartan_d wrote: »

ganzelly wrote: »

I did my first mudder last October and am signed up for another in September. I was able to run 6 miles but wasn't prepared for the hills, running on grass (all my running was on roads) and running on sides of hills. Don't just run treadmills or roads, get some trail running. My hips and ankles were so sore I could barely walk for days.

Agreed. This is why I disagree with those who say that your current mileage is fine. If you want to avoid cramps, muscle pains, and a lot of suffering in general, it would be best to increase your mileage beforehand -- especially if you're not yet used to trail or hill running.

While i can understand this, OP is talking about a TM in New Orleans.. there are no hills. lol

Okay, good point. Still, running in mud can be a lot more taxing than most people realize.

Pam_Shebamm

AlphaCajun wrote: »

spartan_d wrote: »

ganzelly wrote: »

I did my first mudder last October and am signed up for another in September. I was able to run 6 miles but wasn't prepared for the hills, running on grass (all my running was on roads) and running on sides of hills. Don't just run treadmills or roads, get some trail running. My hips and ankles were so sore I could barely walk for days.

Agreed. This is why I disagree with those who say that your current mileage is fine. If you want to avoid cramps, muscle pains, and a lot of suffering in general, it would be best to increase your mileage beforehand -- especially if you're not yet used to trail or hill running.

While i can understand this, OP is talking about a TM in New Orleans.. there are no hills. lol

This helped me for mine too...the Jersey course was flat. I'm doing Mt Snow next month though, that one may be a bit of a challenge.

caitlinrn83

I work in ortho and have seen too many people injured from jumping into something with no preparation and ending up with debilitating injuries. I see it with runners, crossfit, cycling, weight lifting...you name it, I've seen the damage from it. Hence why I'm training now for something in 2017.

For those that voice concern (@spartan_d, I'm looking at you in particular), how to you suggest someone prepare for any OCR, whether it be TM, one of the Spartans, regional races, etc? Training for the running aspect and building strength and working on agility--am I missing something?

caitlinrn83

And yes, NOLA is flat. Flatter than flat. Lol.
But I don't discount mud!

CrossfitOCRunner

Youll be FINE! go out there and have fun. TM is a challenge and not a race. the obstacles are more about fun and fear factor than difficulty. You'll do great especially if you are doing it with friends. your running base is fine. depending on the terrain, you wont be running the whole time and stopping for obstacles. be clear about the weather that day, water stops and carrying gels/fuel. it is generally 10 miles and the time on the course is longer than say, a road race. so have some fuel and water if you need it.

spartan_d

Thanks for asking, Caitlin, and thanks for the points that you raised. Obviously, I agree. You have to prepare well. Don't just jump into something like this on short notice.

For a Warrior Dash, just make sure you can run a couple of miles. That race takes almost no effort.

For a TM or Spartan Race, I recommend a good amount of running, preferably on trails. Also do general leg strengthening, since the mud will most likely tax your various stabilizer muscles in ways you might not expect.

Grip strengthening is also important. Work on pull-ups, and if possible, monkey bars. For a Spartan Race, I recommend working in other grip exercises too, not to mention rope climbing.

Work on jumping and sprinting ability. You'll need it, especially at a Spartan Race, BattleFrog, etc.

General core strength helps. Also get used to carrying heavy objects for a Spartan or BattleFrog.

Luke_I_am_your_spotter

Honestly, I'd focus more on muscle endurance than running. When I trained for TM, my cardio was basically walking hills on the treadmill for 1 hour at a time. STEEP inclines on an off. I focused more on strength exercises that simulated obstacles. There are so many obstacles on that course, that the running itself is only about half a mile or so at a time and then you have to wait on line for a while at each obstacle... Your running routine should be more than enough to get you ready for TM.. just keep at it and good luck! You got this!

CrossfitOCRunner

oh_happy_day wrote: »

TM is a fun OCR, there's no penalty for missing an obstacle and people help each other out. You could literally just walk the course and skip obstacles as required. There's also waiting time for obstacles so you get some recovery time between runs. Upper body strength is very helpful, as is grip strength. I would add in exercises like push ups, pull ups (or dead hangs), farmers carries etc. If you take your kids to the playground, have a go at the monkey bars!

this

caitlinrn83

@amyrebeccah, no worries. I'm legitimately curious if I was missing something.
At the end of the day, if I can cross the finish line with a smile and a beer, life is glorious

@spartan_d, thanks so much for your response. I'm doing a warrior dash late summer--sounds like I'm good to go!

Rachel0778

My biggest recommendations are to work yourself up to 8 miles comfortably before the race (bonus points if you can run on non-paved paths). I also recommend a lot of hill sprints. One thing I wish I would have done before was to practice doing monkey bars at the local play ground. There's a rhythm to it that I've lost since childhood.

The more you plan now the more enjoyable the race will be. I had a great time at mine, but a girl I went with was miserable because she had only worked up to 5 miles total on the dreadmill (treadmill) so she wasn't prepared for the length of the course or the hills.

Soccermavrick

caitlinrn83 wrote: »

caitlinrn83 wrote: »

with plans to increase my mileage each week

I realize that I have to increase my mileage-I started running the end of March, and have worked up to a 5k so far and am working toward being able to complete a half in January.

Thanks for the feedback! I'm completely out of my comfort zone here, so I'm thankful for the responses!

I prefer Spartans, but if I remember correctly Mudders average 12 Miles. So I compare that to training for a Spartan Super. For that I would aim on increasing your running to 8 to 10 MILES. And I normally try to stop at three to five miles and throw down 30 to 50 Burpees, then get back to running, maybe finishing with 30 to 50 more Burpees, and pull-ups at the end.

What I will tell you is ANYONE can complete the race, some are just going to do it much more competitively than others do. Some though will quit, or get injured. Some will consider it a race, some will consider a personal challenge, and some will just walk to say they did it. But throughout the race you will probably learn that everybody struggles on some obsticles, and one of the themes is no one gets left behind, so it is acceptable to get help getting over some of the walls.

esjones12

caitlinrn83 wrote: »

I am registered for the TM in NOLA in March. I started running about 8 weeks ago and am currently consistently running about 2.5-3 miles 3x/week, and I just (as in this week) started incorporating Les Mills BodyPump classes 2x/week (LOVED it). I am a complete novice to both--my upper body strength is pretty much zero at this point.
For those of you who have done a TM or other OCR, is this going to be sufficient, with plans to increase my mileage each week and continue to the BP classes, to complete the race? Or do I need to focus my non-running days on something else?

Not sure where this thread went - so I'll address the OP.

You have way, way, way enough time to be prepared. I highly recommend following a solid couch to 10k running program. You have plenty of time to build up more strength through BodyPump, weight lifting, etc. Just keep your training progressive and don't skip steps or try to rush it. Your body is much more likely to get through one strenuous event it isn't 100% ready for then it is to get through weeks of high intensity training it isn't ready for.

call3na

I've been training this winter for an obstacle course that's held near to me in Cornwall, it's similar idea to TM but it's a 12k course with 30 obstacles (and no electric shocks lol).

I've gradually increased my running up to 10k trail runs (I do all my running on the coastal path as I live by the sea), and add in 2 circuit training sessions a week.

Make sure your nutrition is right at the start to make it easier on yourself. I started seeing strength progress before Xmas but then realised it was getting worse again with no improvement week on week, when I realised I'm not getting enough protein. This was about a month ago and I've whacked my protein up using this app and tracking my food intake. I'm now seeing improvements again. Bit depressing though to know that those months were almost wasted in the strength training. Cardio is fine as I also swim and surf.

I've been adding in light weights at home as that's all I have and no gym nearby. Will just have to hope I've done enough as the race is next Saturday!

Your plans sound great to me and similar to what I was doing myself. Just keep an eye on your nutrition