Running a tough mudder? Here’s what you need to do to prepare
Imagine slithering under rows of barbed wire fences, swimming with only inches above your head to catch a breath, crawling on the ground with 100 pounds of water on your back and dodging a field of electric wires carrying over 10,000 volts. No, this is not a scene from your worst nightmare; it is in fact just some of the obstacles athletes will face in this year’s Tough Mudder event. Yes, the nearly 12 mile course that features more than 20 different challenges is one of the most intense, grueling and hard-core competitions around. If you’re about to take the Tough Mudder challenge, have no fear, we have the must-follow tips and tricks to survive the course and have a blast doing it.
Daniel Ocean
Warm up
One of the biggest culprits of injury – on and off the course – is going into physically demanding exercise cold. To prime and prep the muscles before the race, start with dynamic stretches like leg and arm swings, hip rotations, gentle back bends and chest openers. Once the body is loosened up, warming the muscles is key. Canadian lifestyle influencer, personal trainer and Mudder competitor, Daniel Ocean, explains his go-to warm-up before the competition involves some basic low-impact exercises, “My favourite moves to get the body warm are walking lunges, jumping jacks, walking toe touches and knee grabs.” As for how-long you need - the rule of thumb is, you always want to warm up for the equivalent of 10 percent of your total workout time. That means before the Tough Mudder course, you’re looking at least 20 minutes of movement and stretching.
Train the mind
One of the biggest challenges where Mudder is concerned is the fear factor. I mean, it’s understandably tough to wrap your head around the possibility of getting shocked, scraped and well, really dirty; making the mental preparation as important as the physical. Some competitors swear by visualizing themselves successfully going through the tough challenges to help manage their anxiety. Ocean says the biggest mental block for him is maintaining focus during the course that can take up to 4 hours to complete. “I find gruelling activity to be more mental than anything, so familiarizing my body to long sessions is key to my preparation.” Leading up to the Sept. 10 race, Ocean lengthened his endurance workouts, hoping to train his mind to stay on track, literally.
Feel the burn
Mental toughness aside, getting the body physically in shape is also obviously a top priority. The Tough Mudder’s resident coach, Erock, gives an easy to follow guide for course-training. He suggests five rounds of the following routine: 800 metre run, 10 pullups (partner assistance encouraged), 25 alternating lunges, 20 dips, 20 pushups (from toes or knees), and 50 mountain climbers with a three minute rest in between each round. For Ocean, his main focus is the core, explaining, “People forget how paramount core strength is to the functionality of the entire body. The strongest legs and the most powerful lungs won’t save you. A weak core will lead to fatigue and imbalance which will quickly lead to aches and total body fatigue. Work that core! Not just abs, 360 degrees around.” This means not just performing crunches but lots of stability moves like planks, v-sits, Russian twists and leg lifts.
Run your Race
One of the best things about the Tough Mudder challenge is the diversity of the people running it. Old and young; tall and short; experienced or not – there is a huge array of competitors who face the obstacle course. But, this can also pose a safety issue if people of different levels and abilities try to compete with one another. Ocean’s advice – do you! “I think the most important thing is just to go at your own pace. You always want to push yourself but you don’t want to kill yourself!” To encourage this attitude the Mudder team puts absolutely no emphasis on finish times or medals and instead celebrates teamwork, comradery and the achievement of completing the course.
Eat right
Even though your nerves may be telling you not to eat anything at all – nutrition before and after competing is incredibly important. Beforehand a healthy dose of good carbs will give you the boost energy you need to get through the different challenges. (Remember: carbs=energy, people!) Ocean agrees admitting, “I like my fruit and starchy carbs. I’ll usually go for a banana with some whole wheat toast and peanut butter.” As for afterwards, the body needs to repair and that means protein, protein, protein! Oceanopts for a Genuine Health Proteins+ shake as his go-to protein source, post-course.
Gear guide
The clothing you wear can actually make or break your experience. You don’t want to wear anything bulky, any materials that can get stuck in the fences or anything that will weigh you down in the water. Ocean stresses the functional component of gearing up for race-day, “I’m likely going to wear some fitted compressions shorts and loose fitting tank top for maximum mobility.” As for footwear, participants want to opt for shoes that are appropriate for both functional, agile movements and also distance running. Ocean’s suggestions, “I recently started using the Nike Metcon3 Training shoe which has a great support sole for dynamic movements. Helps keep your footing secure and sturdy. The Adidas Ultra boost is comfort to the max too. We’ll see what I decide to go with Saturday morning.”
Don’t forget the swagger
It’s not all about the functional and physiological prep; Mudder competitors are known for having fun with their gear. You’ll often see athletes sporting body paint, vibrant colours and florescent sweat bands to help get in the zone. The always fashionable Ocean admits that looking good and smelling great adds to his confidence during the race, “For me, I just need a fresh haircut and my Old Spice Odor Blocker to feel and smell my best. I’m going to keep my gear athletic, my fade fresh and my spirits high. That’s all the style I need on race day.”
