Yesterday at 8:00 a.m. with my brother in-law and a
friend, I embarked on completing my first Tough Mudder. While I had a limited idea of what to expect,
everything I thought was soon proven wrong.
It was harder than I imagined it would be, exposing that in my preparation
there were several things that I will work harder on next time.
The course required significant running strength, particularly
in the form of hill running. Somewhere
along the way before the event I saw someone’s terrain profile map of the
course and for whatever reason I thought it was accurate. Little did I know the course had way more hills
than I expected. I thought my trail
running would be sufficient. Next time I
will know that I need to triple these efforts to truly be prepared. My overall endurance seemed to be sufficient,
but my prep next time will focus on more hill running over greater distances.
The course also required more upper body strength than I
prepared for. I focused on getting my
running in order, this proved to make other aspects of the course more
challenging than I had hoped they would be.
Next time I will ensure that my upper back and shoulder training is
extensive. That being said grip strength
and overall arm strength is also at a premium to really be able to attack the
course.
Other obstacles you simply cannot prepare for. The Artic Enema delivers a shock unlike
anything. I felt like I was in the gas
chamber trying to breath, while being frozen in place and unable to move.. What
a feeling……
The same could be said for the electro-shock therapy. It was involved in several obstacles and each
time I got hit by it, well let’s just say it more than got my attention!
Overall the event itself was more than I had hoped it
would be. It was tough and it was
fun. I can’t wait to do another one.
I sit here bruised and scraped up, knowing that a price
was paid to earn that orange headband. Every moment of our 2 1/2 hours was worth it!
My advice for anyone out there who has registered for a
Tough Mudder and is hoping to find out some tips for success in their own quest
against the course:
-
Run hills, lots of them over long
distances. My trail running had me going
from 4-5 miles consistently with some hills.
I recognize now that this would need to be doubled at minimum to really
be able to attack the course.
-
Upper body strength – Pullups, Cleans, Hang
Cleans, and shoulder specific work are a must.
Focusing on these exercises will ensure that you have a foundation to
not only allow you to attack and punish the obstacles, but will also allow you
to help other Mudders.
-
Grip and arm strength – A must for the rings,
the monkey bars, and climbing over and through the other obstacles. Focus on developing good arm strength, not
only so you look great on the course, but also so you can attack the obstacles.
-
Overcome Fears – some things you can’t prep
for. The Artic Enema, Electro-Shock, Boa
Constrictor, etc. Breath, relax, and if
you are in good shape you can attack your way right through these fears.
-
Core Strength – My core is also sore today,
leading me to believe that I should have focused on this more as well.
-
Don’t read too much. These are only other people’s opinions and
experiences. Find out what to pay
attention to in your preparation, then spend your time preparing, not reading….
-
Have a team.. You don’t want to do this alone!
2 comments:
You. Are. My. Hero.
He believed he could. So he did….
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