How to prepare for a mud run?

barefoot76

I have one of those crazy 5k mud runs coming up in June and I'm trying to figure out what more I can do to get ready!

I've got a couple of half marathons under my belt, so I'm not worried about the running. I've done the first stage of NROLFW, but I'm not totally confident about my brute strength -- especially upper-body.

Suggestions welcome, thanks in advance!!!

CallieRettig

monkey bars, lunges, squats, and hill running...like grassy dirt hills!

RTricia

duct tape wrapped in an eight around ankle and heel to keep your shoes on while in the various mud pits.

USCEE77

My daughters teamed up for the "Muddy Buddy" event and had a great time. They couldn't climb over a wall, so they asked a big marine to help them and he said, "OK, but as long as you don't mind me touching your butt!" They didn't mind ;-) Wear old clothes and shoes because you're going to want to throw them away later.

DrBorkBork

Don't even sweat it. I don't know that there's a whole lot you can do, other than prepare to have a ton of FUN! I've done several 5k races, and this one was the least stressful. My friend & I walked the course and just had a good time.

Just be expecting to deal with this:

tmfpartyof4

good luck!!!!:flowerforyou:

i have no advice, and ill be stalking this thread a LOT.

I have the warrior dash in Aug this year, and yesterday I signed my husband and i up preregistration- for the Tough Mudder in Aug, 2013.

:bigsmile:

engineman312

http://www.myfitnesspal.com/blog/CoryIda/view/i-am-a-warrior-250544

tishajo

I just completed a 5K mud run, (Rebel Race) a few weeks ago. I didn't prepare for it at all except for the running portion and had no problems. Good luck to you and enjoy! :bigsmile:

fteale

If that's you in your picture, I wouldn't think twice about it. My skeletally thin running friend did one in Nov in thick ice and mud up to her neck and was fine, cold-aside.

katemme

I guess a bit of strength training to help with the obstacles. Never did a mud run myself, but did an osbatcle course with water obstacles for the Air Force (the aim was NOT to fall in though) but there were lots of climbing and crawling involved. These things are for fun. Work on strength and be prepared to get filthy.

TheYankeeBelle

I did my first Warrior Dash last weekend. Even though I HATE running, I was more worried about the upper body stuff too, but it was a breeze if you're even reasonalby fit. (and I found out while I hate pavement/track running, I really enjoyed "trail" running.)

I do agree with all the suggestions posted before mine as well, especially the monkey bars, running steep hills and the ankle weights idea!
---Except for the person with muddy clothes in the washer!! Be prepared to throw everything away or at least hose them off in the yard or garage or car wash or something!

Have a great time and let us know how you do!!

CoryIda

http://www.myfitnesspal.com/blog/CoryIda/view/i-am-a-warrior-250544

Uh... yeah. This.

barefoot76

http://www.myfitnesspal.com/blog/CoryIda/view/i-am-a-warrior-250544

Uh... yeah. This.

So cool! Way to go!!!

twinmom14ek

Based on my (albeit limited) experience, there can be vast differences in the level of difficulty presented by a mud run. I started with the Spartan Sprint in March of this year. I trained sporadically, but told myself I'd be fine getting through the "3+ miles" and "10+ obstacles" advertised. 4+ miles, 22+ obstacles, and 2.5+ hours later, I was grateful that my husband was there to drive home; my body was wiped out. My advice: the Spartan race series is as hard (or harder) than advertised. You'll want to incorporate weight training and build up endurance and recovery. The daily workouts provided on their website are NOT just for those entered into the Beast (their longest race). You'll want to do a similar workout at least a few times a week to finish in a reasonable time and be able to enjoy a beer after the race. Otherwise, practice your burpees; any obstacles you can't do or choose not to do require a set of 30. Obstacles included a rope climb in the middle of a muddy swamp, dragging a chunk of cement on a chain, monkey bars, 20 ft climbs up a cliff (with rope, fortunately), and a spear throw. Oh yeah, did I mention the mud? Just in case the description scared anyone off, my friend and I signed up for next year's within two days, and even convinced my husband to give it a try. It's definitely worth it. :bigsmile:

I ran in a Rugged Maniac race a couple weeks ago. This was strictly a 5k, with a map of the obstacle course provided online. My finish time for that race was just under an hour, which included a LOT of stops waiting for a friend who walked the majority of the course. Mud runs are much more fun with a friend or two, but be sure you're in at least similar shape or someone might feel held back...but I digress. I found the obstacles in this race to be much more reasonable, i.e., I completed every one. It's helpful to have someone to give you a boost over the high walls, or stretch out a hand at the top of a hill, but overall this race was challenging but do-able. Fun was had by all, and I'll be looking to improve my time next year.

Next up is the Warrior Dash this month. It's a similar setup to the Rugged Maniac--a set 5k distance, with a map of the obstacle course available online. Based on comments from friends who have run it in the past, I'm anticipating this to be the easiest of the three races I've entered so far. It has a good festival-like environment, with lots of people dressing up in costumes. Sounds like there is a very wide range of fitness levels in this race, and the average finish time is well under an hour.

Bottom line, how you prepare for a mud run depends on the difficutly of the course and your personal expectations. If you just want to just get through one, you can finish with minimal training (and possibly skipping some obstacles). If you want to be more competitive, you'll want to combine speed, endurance, strength, and agility in your training regimen. My best advice is to train consistently at a level that is reasonable for your current fitness level and see how it goes. If you want to improve your performance, turn right around, sign up for the race the following year, then keep training! I've never been a fan of running races for the sake of running (I get bored easily), but mud runs have won me over, and I'm looking for more to enter. Good luck, and have fun!