Training tips for obstacle race and mud run success X-Runner

top 10 training tips

Top 10 training tips for obstacle race and mud run success

Prior to starting any training, it is recommended you have a medical examination to ensure it is safe for you to do so.

1, Have Fun

Our mud runs and obstacle races are all about having fun and doing something different with your mates, so recruiting your friends and start to train together. Make it fun and enjoy yourselves. If your new to running your local running club is a great way to start.

2. Make sure you run

Sounds simple but 5k or 10k when you’re wet and muddy can take a long time, so start to build your runs up; this will help you enjoy it rather than spending it with your back to the floor in agony with cramp.

What to do: Increase your weekly distance by 10 percent each week and avoid over or under doing it.

If you’re completely new to running, start with five minutes jogging followed by five minutes walking and work on increasing this to reduce the walking.

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top 10 training tips

3. Don’t neglect the upper body

There will be walls to get over, ropes to climb and monkey bars to get across, so you’ll need to be strong up top or just accept the fact you’re going to fall in ice cold water.

This can be achieved by building the upper body strength through various exercises such as press ups, tricep dips and pull ups.

What to do: To work on getting better at pull ups complete one pull up and hold yourself at the top, lowering yourself down in 30 seconds. Use park benches for tricep dips while out for running.

4. Train on the right terrain

Forget the roads and tarmac. You need to hit the trails – the uneven, rocky or muddy paths will be exactly what your body is demanding and will help strengthen the ankles. Don’t avoid the puddles or mud swamps along trail and practice jumping across the trails as you go.

What to do: Invest in a pair of good grippy trail shoes and find the local off road trail. Try to look for areas that require you to navigate your way along the terrain.

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top 10 training tips

5. Practise your swimming

Swimming is a great way to improve your endurance using your upper and lower body in sync and is fantastic for joint/muscle recovery. Not only this but you might find yourself surprised by a lake swim thrown into the middle of a race, so a brief brush up of your swimming skills could give you the edge.

What to do: You’re not doing a triathlon so you don’t need to be swimming length after length. Practice your speed and front crawl/breaststroke or carry a float to strengthen the legs.

The truly dedicated might want to look up some local open water swimming spots.

6. CrossFit or circuit training

Jumping obstacles in succession will be taxing and intense – training your body and heart to work in short bursts with minimal rest will see you making short work of those monkey bars and walls.

What to do: After a five minute warm up, do 10 press ups, 10 air squats and 10 set ups in a row as many times as you can in 20 minutes.

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top 10 training tips

7. Break up your run

Don’t just run – jump, crawl and climb! Along the way you need to mix it up to mimic obstacles that you will encounter and the fact that you will be working all your body on race day. This is simple. Set yourself a goal to throw in sets of bodyweight exercises to your run or complete not only a 5k training run, but a 5k training run and 50 push ups.

What to do: When you’re next out for a run, every five minutes add one of these sets of exercises along the way – 10 press ups, 20 lunges, 15 burpees, 15 park bench dips or 10 pull ups – and repeat for your desired time. You won’t have time to get bored.

8. Practise crawling

Yes you will be crawling around in mud, but that’s why you signed up right?
Head down to your local park or woodland trail, get on your hands and knees to practice 20 to 30 yards of crawls. There will be nets, barbed wire and lots of mud to crawl through.

What to do: Get down and crawl for 20 metres. Use your legs to power the crawl rather than the arms, as they won’t tire as quickly and will be more powerful.

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top 10 training tips

9. Run up hills

You can forget running on a flat course or getting a personal best – the hills will test your legs, heart and lung strength all at once. Hill running has been proven to be one of the best ways to improve your running stride and overall speed.

What to do: Do up to five hill sprints of 30 seconds long every other week, and jog back down for recovery. Warm down with a gentle jog home.

10. Master the burpee

An integral part of any self-respecting obstacle race training regime is the burpee. It utilises your whole body as well as the cardio system for one killer exercise. Building leg and arm endurance strength, the explosive aspect of this exercise will help you over many an obstacle.

What to do: From a standing position, drop down for a press up, then jump your feet forwards towards the hands and explode into the air with a big leap. Land comfortably with soft knees before dropping back down into the push up position for your next one.

Prior to starting any training, it is recommended you have a medical examination to ensure it is safe for you to do so. Any training program needs to be specific to the individual and event and you need time to develop, build and enhance fitness levels

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