It’s just another day at the office when a co-worker comes up to you with excitement and shares some news.
They exclaim, “We are doing the Tough Mudder! We put a team together and everything. Are you in?”
You think to yourself, “Those races seem crazy! Don’t you have to crawl through cold water and is it true that they shock you with electricity!?!”
(The answer is Yes and Yes)
So you are skeptical. You’ve never done anything like this, but peer pressure gets the best, and you sign up for your first Tough Mudder.
So now you have to prepare.
But how?
This is different than anything you have ever done.
The mud, the obstacles, the water; It’s a whole new world
There are many things to consider for your first Tough Mudder (TM).
But there is a way you can prepare to make your TM experience a blast.
In this article, you will learn three things that will help you reach the finish line with a smile on race day.
Running makes the difference.
A standard tough mudder is 10 miles long. There are different variations, but for this article, you will be preparing for the full tough mudder. You can do the full TM, and it will be a blast.
But 10 miles is no joke.
You will need to spend time on your feet when training. So give yourself 8-10 weeks to practice your running. You won’t need to be the fastest, but you will need to cover the distance, so build your miles up each week and increase your long run to make the most of race day.
Take the longest run you’ve done the last 6 weeks and start there. If you have not run in a while, aim for 3-4 miles for your first run.
Take your long runs “easy” and don’t worry about pace. Make sure you get enough time on your feet. Add .5-1.5 miles to your long run every week.
Pulling strength to clear obstacles.
A Tough Mudder will test your strength. To make training simple, you should focus on body weight strength to pull yourself or others through obstacles. Focus on improving your back and lats for strength and power.
During your Tough Mudder you will face several walls where you will need to pull yourself up and over. They are all over the course, and you will be forced to put your hands over your head and pull your body weight over the walls.
Improving your pull up strength is key for your race. Below is a simple day of training that will benefit your plan. Get to the gym and hit this workout twice a week.
Bent Row 5 x 3-6 heavy
Pull-ups 4 x 80% of your max
Bench Dips 4 x 10-20
Hollow Rocks 3 x 30 seconds
*if you are not quite at a pull up then substitute pull-ups with banded assisted pull-ups, scap pull-ups, or TRX rows*
Pressing your way to the finish line.
During a Tough Mudder, you will be in the mud.
Like a lot.
There will be several pits of water that you need to push yourself out of using your arms. Pushing yourself out of the mud pits and over the walls will be demanding for your pressing power in your chest and triceps. Work with your body weight and overload your pressing exercises to help you gain the strength you need to get through the obstacles.
Try this simple workout.
5 Rounds
10 Dips
Rest – 30 seconds
10 Close Grip Push up
Rest 30 seconds
*Teamwork*
The best part about the tough mudder is that you will have a huge team. Not just the people you show up with but the entire field of runners. Everyone is in the race together and have each other’s best interest at heart. So be open to accepting and giving help during your race.
The tough mudder is, well tough. But you can prepare with three easy things. Running, pulling, and pressing. Your training plan does not have to be complicated. Do what matters the most and have a blast during your Tough Mudder.