Tell me about Mud runs!

Lisa1971

I'm thinking about doing on in September. It's only 2 miles. Do I get to shower afterwards or just "towel off" before I get in my car? What do I bring or wear? How hard are the obstacles? Any other tips?

Thanks!

Unknown

This content has been removed.

RacquetChick

Don't wear cotton, it will absorb water and get heavy. Are you on a team or going solo? I would suggest you read the info on the website Dirtinyourskirt.com. She has lots of great info.

http://dirtinyourskirt.com/gear-review/help-im-new-updated-the-gear/


I love MUD runs! I have completed 2 and I am doing 2 this month (Down and Dirty and Spartan).

Cheekies_

In for this great advice. I would LOVE to do a Mud Run!

kd_mazur

I love Warrior Dash! We typically bring garbage bags to cover the seats of the vehicle on the way home. I would def bring a change of shoes and socks.
The course is challenging but not crazy difficult and if you don't feel like you are up to the obstacle, you can usually just go around it.

grimendale

Love mud runs. I did the Tough Mudder earlier this year and am planning on doing the Rugged Maniac next month. If you can get a team together, it'll be more fun. Definitely bring a change of clothes, shoes, a snack for after and a beach towel. Sunscreen is also a good idea, as are a good pair of gloves.

Lisa1971

Well, I emailed all my friends and NO ONE wants to go! Husband won't go so I asked my daughter who is 8. The minimum age is 6. She said she may go but HATES to get dirty and muddy! She wants to shower asap! UGH!

I can't win.

Thanks for all the great tips though!

RacquetChick

You can still do it, I did my first 2 alone. I actually enjoyed it because I didn't have the pressure of keeping up with anyone. I could take the obstacles as slowly as I needed to without feeling pressured. In the end, I could say " I did it!" and I didn't have to have help either, lol.

MSeel1984

I was signing up for a Tough Mudder in September...but now that my entire team has defected, I'm trying to decide if I want to run alone or aim for an easier run for my first one. Kind of a bummer-I was really excited about TM. I may try a warrior dash or something to start instead.

Unknown

This content has been removed.

kr1stadee

I did the Mud Hero on the weekend.
I frickin LOVED every minute (well, maybe not the 1k up a ski hill haha) .. It was muddy, challenging and fun!

For this one, it was 6k and 16 obstacles.
They had "showers" .. essentially a PVC pipe with holes in it. You get one stream of water. I mean, it was enough to rinse SOME mud off. I didn't bring a towel (duh moment).

I did have extra clothes and extra shoes to change into. I changed in the woods, porta-potties are not the best place to get dressed.. eek! haha

My knees are still purple, but it was worth it! Make sure you wear old clothes (I wore a bright yellow workout tank that will never be the same again - and my white socks were trashed). My shoes, I'll never get the mud out of them, so I left them there - they clean up as much as they can and donate the shoes. Oh, and tie those shoes TIGHT. There was one mud pit where I thought I'd lose a shoe haha

Don't focus on how dirty you'll be, focus on the fun part. I was with a crew of 6. The rest of them would hesitate before going at a mud obstacle. I was always the first one through. SO MUCH FUN!! I can't wait for next year!

kr1stadee

Well, I emailed all my friends and NO ONE wants to go! Husband won't go so I asked my daughter who is 8. The minimum age is 6. She said she may go but HATES to get dirty and muddy! She wants to shower asap! UGH!

I can't win.

Thanks for all the great tips though!

That really is a shame, I signed my daughter up for a few and she loved them. When her little friends at school would ask why in the world she'd get muddy and run for fun she just rolled her eyes at them. But she didn't feel that way until after we'd raced together.

Sorry all your friends and family hate fun. Do it on your own, you'll find great people there to run with. That's one of the things I really love, people at mud runs are friendly and helpful. In a street race everyone is an individual, they run, they leave. At a mud run it's like a big party where everyone helps each other and gets dirty together and starts drinking afterwards.

Damn how many more weeks until Dirty Dash? I need to get in mud.

And so much of this!!!

There was a girl by herself on an A-frame obstacle. She was frozen at the top, I'm pretty sure she was crying. We all coached her down. When she was done, I gave her a huge high-five and a way to go.

There are ALWAYS hands of strangers wanting to help you out of a mud pit. Everyone is so helpful!!

maab_connor

Well, I emailed all my friends and NO ONE wants to go! Husband won't go so I asked my daughter who is 8. The minimum age is 6. She said she may go but HATES to get dirty and muddy! She wants to shower asap! UGH!

I can't win.

Thanks for all the great tips though!

That really is a shame, I signed my daughter up for a few and she loved them. When her little friends at school would ask why in the world she'd get muddy and run for fun she just rolled her eyes at them. But she didn't feel that way until after we'd raced together.

Sorry all your friends and family hate fun. Do it on your own, you'll find great people there to run with. That's one of the things I really love, people at mud runs are friendly and helpful. In a street race everyone is an individual, they run, they leave. At a mud run it's like a big party where everyone helps each other and gets dirty together and starts drinking afterwards.

Damn how many more weeks until Dirty Dash? I need to get in mud.

three.


and OP, he's right. you don't have to be there with a group. the kinds of ppl who do mudruns are just awesome. you'll walk out with new friends and a new addiction. mudruns ROCK!

rachael726

There is also a mud run just for women. It's called Dirty Girl. You can google them to see if they are in your area. I've been waiting forever to do one. I enjoy running sometimes on my own. Color runs, run or dye and things like that are a lot of fun. Everyone is super friendly. I did a half marathon and it was fun, but the people weren't really that nice.

I say do it on your own...be an strong, independent woman. They really are fun.

MSeel1984

Well, I emailed all my friends and NO ONE wants to go! Husband won't go so I asked my daughter who is 8. The minimum age is 6. She said she may go but HATES to get dirty and muddy! She wants to shower asap! UGH!

I can't win.

Thanks for all the great tips though!

Hey, where you at?! We can go together! My whole team ditched for my first Tough Mudder
I may be trying something shorter to start-in the fall maybe if I can find anything. If you're nearby and are looking for someone to go with, send me a message.

Unknown

This content has been removed.

maab_connor

Well, I emailed all my friends and NO ONE wants to go! Husband won't go so I asked my daughter who is 8. The minimum age is 6. She said she may go but HATES to get dirty and muddy! She wants to shower asap! UGH!

I can't win.

Thanks for all the great tips though!

That really is a shame, I signed my daughter up for a few and she loved them. When her little friends at school would ask why in the world she'd get muddy and run for fun she just rolled her eyes at them. But she didn't feel that way until after we'd raced together.

Sorry all your friends and family hate fun. Do it on your own, you'll find great people there to run with. That's one of the things I really love, people at mud runs are friendly and helpful. In a street race everyone is an individual, they run, they leave. At a mud run it's like a big party where everyone helps each other and gets dirty together and starts drinking afterwards.

Damn how many more weeks until Dirty Dash? I need to get in mud.

three.


and OP, he's right. you don't have to be there with a group. the kinds of ppl who do mudruns are just awesome. you'll walk out with new friends and a new addiction. mudruns ROCK!

^Only person I know to survive a Run For Your Lives. Love you, Maab honey.

b/c zombies pity the fat chick. LOL and *MUAH!*

kwaz29

Well, I emailed all my friends and NO ONE wants to go! Husband won't go so I asked my daughter who is 8. The minimum age is 6. She said she may go but HATES to get dirty and muddy! She wants to shower asap! UGH!

I can't win.

Thanks for all the great tips though!

Def do it by yourself! I just did my first Spartan Sprint and like you, I couldn't get anyone to do it with me! I did it by myself and felt so accomplished at the end. Like others have said, there will be people to help boost you up if you need it-everyone was super friendly and willing to help.

The point about the towel is super important-I was so nervous before the race I completely forgot about it. I had a change of clothes, but I had to use the clean shirt I had brought to towel off-luckily I got another shirt for completing the race that I could throw on!

eganita

I'm thinking about doing on in September. It's only 2 miles. Do I get to shower afterwards or just "towel off" before I get in my car? What do I bring or wear? How hard are the obstacles? Any other tips?

Thanks!

To give you my perspective - I've done two. First I did the Dirty Girl, which wasn't quite my cup of tea. I'm sure it's wonderful for some, but there wasn't a very competitive spirit to it and most people walked the whole 5k. The obstacles were not very challenging. I did the Tough Mudder last August as well, which was more my style. I would not do the Tough Mudder without a team (I couldn't hoist myself up 10+ feet to climb over stuff... there are plenty of people who are willing to help, but I was more comfortable having a team), but I would consider other mud events solo.

For the Tough Mudder, I wore the following:
- Toe socks which were moisture wicking, etc. I definitely recommend some type of moisture wicking socks.
- Salomon Speedcross shoes were REALLY, REALLY helpful. Lots of grips on the bottom and they don't hold water. This may depend on your race... for Dirty Girl, they wouldn't really be necessary. I thought they were very helpful for Tough Mudder. While others were struggling to run up muddy hills (and even sliding back down them), my team was able to just run up the middle of the muddy hills with no problems
- I wore capri legging type pants which were again, good with wicking away moisture. i wore capris so I'd have some protection on my knees
- Dry fit short sleeve shirt... again, once that gets wet it dries quickly and doesn't bog you down

Hope that helps!

Lisa1971

Well, I emailed all my friends and NO ONE wants to go! Husband won't go so I asked my daughter who is 8. The minimum age is 6. She said she may go but HATES to get dirty and muddy! She wants to shower asap! UGH!

I can't win.

Thanks for all the great tips though!

Hey, where you at?! We can go together! My whole team ditched for my first Tough Mudder
I may be trying something shorter to start-in the fall maybe if I can find anything. If you're nearby and are looking for someone to go with, send me a message.

I'm in PA and the mud run is near Allentown. Where are you?

Lisa1971

So I now have 5 more days until my mud run! EEEEEEK! I have a question about the difficulty of the obstacles. How hard are they? I don't have much upper body strength. What if I can't do the obstacles?????

Alisontheice

Have fun. I'd love to do one of these too but seem to come up against resistance when I suggest them. One day.

siport

any UK people here should consider doing this

www.ratracedirtyweekend.com

i did it as my first one this year and have signed up for next May's event too, it is by far and away the best one to do in the UK

jessiruthica

I'm so in for this! There's one in Houston (near where I live) in October which is too soon for my training, but I'm definitely going to aim for one next year. Thanks to all for the info in this thread!

in4nomz

MUD RUNS ARE AWESOME!!!

The "showers" we were supplied with for mine were hoses with holes in them. I ended up rinsing off as much as I could and then just made sure to bring and extra towel or two to sit on in the car.

Bring/wear anything you'd be ok with potentially getting ruined by mud :happy:

Obstacles (for mine) were rope climbs, multiple mud pits, etc. It all depends on your race.

What run are you doing? Usually they have a list of obstacles at least from pass course so you can see what you'll be doing. Check out the website it should give you something :happy:

quellybelly

In for tips!

dMonster01

They have cold outdoor showers after that you have to line up for. People get pretty much naked in them, it's awesome. Bring and wear stuff you don't care about. I wouldn't recommend shorts. Obstacles are hard because of the slippery mud, much easier with gloves. Keep the gloves dry and in a pocket until you need them.

dMonster01

Well, I emailed all my friends and NO ONE wants to go! Husband won't go so I asked my daughter who is 8. The minimum age is 6. She said she may go but HATES to get dirty and muddy! She wants to shower asap! UGH!

I can't win.

Thanks for all the great tips though!

So do it alone! I had my friend back out on me for the Spartan Race so I drove myself and ran by myself. I even walked around smoking a celebratory cigar after like a boss and people looked at me like I had two heads. I'm glad I did it alone, it felt more bad *kitten*. You'll make friends there!

The_Enginerd

So I now have 5 more days until my mud run! EEEEEEK! I have a question about the difficulty of the obstacles. How hard are they? I don't have much upper body strength. What if I can't do the obstacles?????

It depends on which one you are doing, but typically yes, some obstacles reward climbing/upper body strength. Such as rope climbs, heavy hoist (hoisting a weight with a rope), sand bag carries, or monkey bars. They will typically be something most people can do with effort or people will assist each other.

You can try the obstacle, and it you fail it or can't do it, you can skip it. Sometimes it comes with a penalty, such as burpees for the Spartan Runs.

sw33tp3a11

I want to do a Mud run now. Sounds like a fun time.

Capt_Apollo

i don't know if i'm cheap or smart, but i've managed to save most of my clothes, sneakers and towels after a mud race.

i know that one of the pieces of advice is to wear shoes that you'll throw away after the race. Nay, i say... nay. i've worn trail running shoes to these races, and they've always been able to come home with me. they have great grip for slick mud and up hills. they're usually pretty thin so they don't absorb a lot of mud and can be rinsed off easily. for $60 i buy a pair in the beginning of the year, and don't throw them away until the end of the year.

what to wear on race day is your decision, but i would go as minimal as possible. clothes can get heavy and wet, and can get caught on barbwire and stuff like that. i normally do mud runs in shorts and compression shorts underneath so mud and grimy stuff doesn't get all up in my business and cause me to chaff (speaking of chaffing, get some aquaphor and apply that on areas). i normally wear a t-shirt that is water wicking or something like that. i work out a lot and do lots of races, so i always have something to sacrifice. like someone else said, don't wear cotton. the shirt is typically the thing i throw away.

gloves... i've mostly not worn them to races. it depends on the obstacle and the type of gloves. my last tough mudder i wore a really old pair of weight lifting gloves, and they were great for the trail portion of the event when i needed to scramble on all fours up a hill, or grab a tree trunk for support. but when i got to the monkey bars they were super slick and i took them off. it's your decision to make. for a shorter race, i might not wear gloves.

socks... another decision you need to make. i worn them and not worn them. they have been cumbersome and a relief. it depends on the course and how muddy it is. again, if you're doing a short 2 mile race, i might not wear them.

bring a couple of towels, a pair of flip flops, and a couple of plastic bags or garbage bags to throw in wet clothes that you plan on bringing. leave one towel in your car to sit on, just in case you can't get all the mud off in the make shift showers.

and look on the website about bag check. might be free, most likely not. check a bag with the towel and flip flops, and changes of clothes.

enjoy!!