Tough Mudder anyone?

atynk
atynk Posts: 400 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
Hi All,

This year I will be competing the warrior dash, which is basically a 5km run with fun obstacles. Not too worried about that one.. but also thinking about doing the toughmudder. www.toughmudder.com if you aren't sure what it is... its a half marathon with INTENSE obstacles like crawling through dark small tubes in freezing cold water, carrying tree trunks up hills, and a zillion others.. Just wondering if anyone else has done this race, and if so.. how did you like it...how did you prepare for it... Its supposed to take about 3hours to complete.
«1

Replies

  • dmpizza
    dmpizza Posts: 3,321 Member
    I would love to do the Spartan Sprint, but only if my wife joins me and she isn't too interested. She could do it with one hand tied behind her, but she and mud don't get along.
  • Skeels
    Skeels Posts: 929 Member
    I am doing one in Maryland in a few Months, so I would love to see how people trained for it also.
  • Tiffysinsanity
    Tiffysinsanity Posts: 69 Member
    Oh my gosh that sounds so fun. One of these days I would love to do something like this but for now I'm going to stick to regular 5Ks. lol
  • marynificent
    marynificent Posts: 110 Member
    I did the TM Georgia. Unfortunately, we had temps in the 30s with 20mph winds. Tons of people got hypothermia. I completed the race but got hypothermia once I stopped running. It really depends on the nature of the course you are running and the time of year, but it is a generally a fun and challenging race. You are not timed and you are encouraged to help others get through the obstacles. You need to be able to support your own body weight with your arms to complete the vast majority of them. If you can do the monkey bars without touching the ground, you are well on your way. If you can do pull-ups, even better. Bring your own water in a camelbak, wear gloves to protect your hands from splinters and rope burn. It is better to run with a team because it ups the fun factor :) Oh, and if you really can't do an obstacle, you can skip it. It's tough but it isn't an impossible course or the toughest day of your life. Do lots of trail running in advance; it really is quite different than road running.

    Good luck!
  • Kevww1982
    Kevww1982 Posts: 76
    I am doing one in October in the Carolinas. My friend just did one in Cali and he wrote all over facebook on how much pain he was in. He said that the part where you get electrocuted was really painful and was not expecting it to be that bad. Also the ice baths are the worse.
  • Pronoiac
    Pronoiac Posts: 304
    I did the Az Tough mudder in January. Having done many other obstacle based events I will say Tough Mudder is unique amongst the all of them becasue itsystematically wears you down until the end....where the biggest obstacles are, so be prepared for that! It's also the only one that gets you muddy early on and keeps you wet and/or muddy the entire course.

    For training, train in the outdoors and in the cold to be ready. Even wet occasionally. Eventually consider a weighted vest to acount for the wet and muddy clothes. I agree with a reposnder above that trail running is key, it best simulates the changing exertion levels of the event. Manipulating your body weight through climbing, jumping, crawling. etc is important. Combining those exercises into a trail run is the best. Also, do the recon of the obstacles for your event and just try to simulate the skills/strengths needed to complete them.

    That being said it was a great time on a very well designed course. You will feel so good having completed it! I am doing Vegas in October, if not another TM before that. Have fun!
  • Zalitharia
    Zalitharia Posts: 34 Member
    I'm planning on Vegas in October too! (And maybe Tri State in October 2 weeks later)

    I haven't done one before. I'm doing a 5k in April, a 10k in July and I'm hoping to do a Spartan Sprint before October to get some idea of what Tough Mudder might be like!

    Tough Mudder has been my biggest inspiration over the last 4 months to lose the pounds and get fit. I hit my original weight goal this weekend and need to focus on strength and endurance now. :)
  • ThePhoenixRose
    ThePhoenixRose Posts: 1,978 Member
    I'm gonna do the Dirty Girl mud run this fall in WI. Super excited! yeah, training tips would be appreciated!
  • tuneses
    tuneses Posts: 467 Member
    I'm doing the Toronto Tough Mudder in August. I'm doing the Spartan Sprint in May in Ottawa :)
  • ROCKERFOREVER81
    ROCKERFOREVER81 Posts: 109
    I'd love to do that!
  • katiew00t
    katiew00t Posts: 164
    TM is on my bucket fitness list. I'll probably do the warrior dash first, and see how I do with that.
  • Bookers23
    Bookers23 Posts: 187 Member
    Did my first tough mudder at mt snow in vt, it was freezing cold! I then did the new jersey tough mudder, it was also cold but so much easier than mt snow. I am by no means fit, I take these as a challenge and love the team work aspect of it. My next mudder is mt snow again in may, cannot wait! My advice is don't worry about a thing if it's not at a ski resort. From my experience and other friends at other races, the actual mountain is the toughest obstacle. We climbed black diamond trails over and over again! prepare for the cold and really fun obstacles with great team work and the best sense of accomplishment! I cannot wait for my next headband!
  • brookepenni
    brookepenni Posts: 787 Member
    I did Warrior Dash here in Australia a few weeks back and the bf and I have just registered for Tough Mudder. Ours here in Sydney has been reduced to 15kms though - which is fine by me! Training through winter is going to be tough and Im terrified of electricity so not sure how I will go with that - but Im going to give it my all. Friends think I'm crazy - but I love this stuff!!!
  • DianaJaneD
    DianaJaneD Posts: 157 Member
    My 27 year old son did a Tough Mudder in Tampa this year and absolutely loved it! He couldn't say enough great things about it. His Facebook profile pic is of him caked with mud during the Tough Mudder and a big 'ol grin. You would feel very proud to accomplish one of those!
  • paigemang♥
    paigemang♥ Posts: 102
    I did the tough mudder last August in Austin, Tx....its great!!! I think you should definitly do it, just make sure you have a team....the 12' berlin walls are seriously tough. Also its easier to have people help you up the clijmbing obstacles that are covered with mud.

    Have a great time and good luck :)

    p.s. I trained by running and doing boot camp :D
  • 1travieza1
    1travieza1 Posts: 11
    My husband and I are doing the one in May in NM ... WE are making it a roadtrip.. I noticed on the site they give workouts for cardio and just suggest to start running for thirty minutes 3 times a week.. I am busting butt for this... GOOD LUCK YOU WILL DO SO AWESOME
  • karylee44
    karylee44 Posts: 892
    i did the Warrior last year.. and will most likely do it again this year.. i really wanted to challange myself with the tough mudder.. but i had surgery on my knee this past september and really want to let it heal well befor the mudder.. so its on the list for next summer...
  • r1ghtpath
    r1ghtpath Posts: 701 Member
    a friend of mine is planning on doing the one you're talking about. i thought insanity would be a good way to start prepping for it. he was doing random things in his basement that he got from online and i guess whatever they were they made him puke. so, i told him insanity might be a good way to start............
    I am doing one in Maryland in a few Months, so I would love to see how people trained for it also.

    i think it looks awesome and it is definitely a goal. good luck to all of you !!!!
  • SheehyCFC
    SheehyCFC Posts: 529 Member
    I am doing the one in Pennsylvania on May 13.
    There is actually a group on here if you search "Tough Mudder" in groups, you'll find it... there are some training tips, etc. there.

    **EDIT - I would like to add that Warrior Dash and Tough Mudder are COMPLETELY different things. Honestly, I wouldn't compare the 2. Warrior dash has a couple obstacles but is basically a 5k with a couple bumps. Mudder requires serious training and preparation. Please don't read this as a knock on a warrior dash - they are hard in their own right (for new-ish runners), but TM is a completely different beast
  • Alonnea
    Alonnea Posts: 70 Member
    I am doing the Warrior Dash in Ohio in June and then I'll take it from there. :)
  • kvissy
    kvissy Posts: 205 Member
    Hi All,

    This year I will be competing the warrior dash, which is basically a 5km run with fun obstacles. Not too worried about that one.. but also thinking about doing the toughmudder. www.toughmudder.com if you aren't sure what it is... its a half marathon with INTENSE obstacles like crawling through dark small tubes in freezing cold water, carrying tree trunks up hills, and a zillion others.. Just wondering if anyone else has done this race, and if so.. how did you like it...how did you prepare for it... Its supposed to take about 3hours to complete.

    I've done Warrior Dash and considered it more fun than challenging. This year my friends and I are doing Rebel Race which is basically like Warrior Dash but it seems like there are more obstacles. I definitely wanted to sign up for Spartan Race (the 8mi one) and Tough Mudder later on this year though...I heard TM was absolutely insane.
  • lowellheddings
    lowellheddings Posts: 10 Member
    I'm doing the Warrior Dash in May this year. Will be my first time, looking forward to it!
  • gbsngrl
    gbsngrl Posts: 19 Member
    I did a Warrior Dash last summer and it was a blast. I was training for a half-marathon at the time so the course wasn't really that taxing, but definitely run on trails first before you tackle something like that. I even signed up for a trail 5k race a few weeks before. I'm doing a TM in April in PA...here's hoping its not miserably cold. I've been running 4 days a week and training 3 days a week, usually total-body circuits to up my stamina too. I also do 5 minute abs every morning because hey, who doesn't want hot abs?
  • KimmieBrie
    KimmieBrie Posts: 825 Member
    My husband is doing it in VT in a couple months... I haven't seen him do much training lol. But he seems not to train for anything... he runs like 5 miles at a time a few days a week - and prefers the treadmill. Yet he seems not to have a problem in any outdoor races or marathons doing this. I've never seen him seriously train. We'll see what happens in May! He HATES the cold and being cold and wet.
  • Sackit
    Sackit Posts: 45 Member
    I am registered for the Warrior Dash, the Tough Mudder scares me.
  • johnlatv
    johnlatv Posts: 654 Member
    Doing the one in PA in late April
  • batlou
    batlou Posts: 97 Member
    I did the Warrior Dash last year and I am hooked. Will do Tough Mudder Kentucky this year.

    The race will require a lot of upper body strength so back, arm and chest work are essential. The entire race is run off road, your ankles will take a beating if you are not currently spending some time on trails. Work in 1 or 2 trails runs a week and include some hill repeats.

    Last year I repeated a 1 mile loop at the park 4-5 times a couple of times each week. The workout took about 1-1:30 hours and included a lot of improvisation.

    Run 1/2 Mile Warmup
    Stop at Picnic Table for Dips, Push-ups, pull-ups on low tree branch
    1/4 Mile run
    Find picnic table and do step overs 50 times. (Just means climb up and over picnic table, turn around and repeat)
    1/4 Mile Run
    Drop and do Crunches
    1/4 Mile Sprint
    Plank
    etc...
    Repeat this 4 or 5 times.
  • katsmo
    katsmo Posts: 219 Member
    I would like to try this too, but not at this point. Honestly, I don't think I could do it. It's something I want to aspire to complete, later on in my journey. I am trying a Warrior Dash in August. Baby steps :)
  • meshashesha2012
    meshashesha2012 Posts: 8,329 Member
    i'm planning on doing tough mudder this september in tahoe.. i'm excited.. and scared :laugh:
  • quinto1025
    quinto1025 Posts: 53 Member
    Just signed up for New England in Mt. Snow.

Categories