how to prepare for a mud obstacle course

8 Exercises to Prepare for a Mud Run or Obstacle Race.

• 1. Use a barbell or a pair of dumbbells for this exercise.
• 2. Press weight (s) overhead while tightening your abs.
• 3. Step your right food forward into lunge position, then bring it back to starting position.
• 4. Repeat the movement with your left foot.
• 5. Keep your eyes on the horizon and weights pressed overhead for the duration of the exercise. Perform 3 to 4 sets of 4 to 8 reps on each leg.

Full Answer

What makes a good Mud Run course?

Course Safety (above all else) – Mud runs are inherently high-risk activities and therefore require robust safety planning to protect the well-being of everyone involved—runners, volunteers and spectators included. Time & Place – Be strategic with your timing and choice of venue (e.g., you probably want to avoid South Florida in August).

What was the first obstacle that involved mud?

This was the first obstacle that involved mud! You had to crawl on your belly under barbed wire and then there was a trench of water in the middle to get across. Just remember to stay low otherwise you might get caught on the wire.

How can I prepare for a high wall obstacle course?

Dead hangs, bat wings and pull-ups are excellent exercises to help prepare you for this obstacle." You’ll need: Excellent grip strength, good shoulder mobility, flexible lats and chest. "Most obstacle courses will have a few variations of a high wall.

How long does it take to build an obstacle course?

A quick set-up with a seasoned, organized build team for an OCR is at least 5 days, and that's with many of the obstacles already built in a staging area, tested, marked, disassembled, and moved to their race location. There is an enormous difference between designing a course – or even an obstacle – and actually building it safely.

How do you prepare for a mud run?

0:000:50How to Prepare for a Tough Mudder Mud Run - YouTubeYouTubeStart of suggested clipEnd of suggested clipGet the cardio going up start walking jogging. And you'll slowly get ready you can sign up for aMoreGet the cardio going up start walking jogging. And you'll slowly get ready you can sign up for a Tough Mudder 5k or a Tough Mudder half.

How do you prepare for an obstacle course?

How to Train for an Obstacle Course RaceSign up. ... Get your gear. ... Mix running and strength training. ... Increase muscular endurance. ... Get grip strength. ... Bring a friend. ... Clean up your diet. ... Pack a travel bag.

What should I bring to a mud run?

What to Wear for Your First Mud RunHead. Avoid wearing anything extra on your head like a hat or sunglasses. ... Tops. Wear a shirt or tank that is form-fitting and has wicking fabric. ... Bottoms. ... Shoes and Socks. ... Shoes: Most mud runs will have extremely muddy sections where your regular running shoes won't cut it.

Do you have to train for mud run?

If you've already tried a mud run and you're in good shape, you need four solid weeks of training. If you've never run a race, train for 90 days. A beginner should train three days a week, each labeled A, B, and C.

Is an obstacle course a good workout?

When you train for an obstacle race, you not only build full body fitness that allows you to hoist heavy sandbags over your head, but you also build the mobility to crawl under barbwire, the resilience to dive into cold mud pits, and an overall uncanny ability to conquer the unknown and withstand just about anything ...

What should I eat before OCR?

A carbohydrate rich meal in the 2-3 hours before an event will ensure that the body's fuel (glycogen) stores are topped up ahead of the race. Suitable options include foods such as cereal with milk, porridge, baked beans or toast with jam or nut butter.

What should I eat before a mud run?

Going Bananas for Mud If you want to eat something solid on race day, then try eating a banana or whole wheat toast with a very small amount of peanut butter. Bananas provide great energy, vitamins, and nutrients.

Can you get sick from mud runs?

Bacteria and Viruses in Mud Runs Bacteria and viruses from animal feces live in the mud there, including Campylobacter (C. coli), a virus called norovirus, and even E. coli. If ingested through the nose or mouth, these germs can cause intestinal infections and make you ill.

How do you keep your shoes on a mud run?

Check your laces before running and double knot them. Tuck your hanging laces back into the laces on top of your shoe....By putting slick shiny tape on the bottom of your shoe, you actually decrease your traction on obstacles and natural terrain. ... Duct Tape doesn't do well when it gets really wet. ... It rips.

How do you prepare for a mud hero?

Exact change is preferred! Bring photo-ID and go to Registration, where you will sign in and get your race bib! Bring non-racing items to Bag Check, where we will keep it safe while you are becoming a Mud Hero. Warm up, be well hydrated, and be at the start line 15-20 minutes before your wave start.

What should I wear for Total Warrior?

Dress for the Occasion. Total Warrior is tough, there's no getting away from that. But it's also a hell of a lot of fun. So wear a vest if you want to show off your muscles, but most importantly, wear a smile.

How do I train for the Spartan race in one month?

Godin recommends two days a week running two miles at an easy pace. Each week, add a half-mile to those runs. For the third workout, he recommends a 4-mile walk-run at a 1:4 ratio. As you improve, “Progress the distance while keeping the ratio the same,” says Godin.

Push Yourself

One benefit of OCR is it gives you a chance to break up the monotony. Rarely is any one course exactly the same from the other, so each race you sign up for is a completely different challenge compared to the local 5K you do every year.

How to Get Ready

Brakken Kraker is one of the original members of the Spartan Race Pro Team and runs LeaderboardFit, a coaching program geared toward obstacle racing athletes who want to gain endurance, speed, and strength. He also has experience working many runners who were once new to OCR.

What Gear Do You Need?

Yancy Culp has been a certified fitness coach for 20 years and trains more top OCR athletes than anyone else. He said the first thing runners new to OCR ask is about shoes.

Avoid Newb Mistakes

Much like a first marathon, ending a race much later than you planned can send runners into a downward spiral of self-doubt. “When you’re assessing the time you expect to be out on the course, make sure you add about 25 to 50 percent to your expected finishing time of an equivalent road or trail race,” Kolbl says.

What is a mud course?

It involves having an inclined plane from which to slide, either using long adult slips or inflatable slides. The participants will slide into a pool of mud from several high in other to get their bodies truly acclimatized to the mud.

What can you put in a mud race?

For your mud racecourse, you can also include liftable objects that the participant can carry such as logs, PVC pipes, sandbags, and anything at all that can be carried by either individuals or by a team effort .

What is mud racing?

This should actually be the primary obstacle to have in your mud racing course. Mud racing is about mud, more mud, and even more mud. The more mud you can make available in a mud course, the better. The mud could be thick, light, or a combination of both.

How many holes do I need to drill for a post?

Use a drill that has a levelling bulb and drill three 8 inch holes along the eight pencil marks you have drawn. Your 8-inch hole should go through the plywood and the post as well.

How tall are wall obstacles?

It is one part of the race that mud racers always look forward to. They could vary in height ranging from 3-feet to 11-feet and can also be inverted or slanted.

What should the venue of a race be able to accommodate?

The venue of the race should be able to accommodate the number of people you are expecting as well as their cars. It should also be able to accommodate the number of obstacles you intend to include in the race.

Is a mud run fun?

The venue of your race should be mud friendly and also a perfect fit for whatever obstacle course you intend to build. Have the meteorological report for the actual day you intend for your mud run to occur, this is due to the fact that mud races are more fun when there is rainfall.

Hire A Professional

We first posted this page back in June of 2013, and since then have received hundreds of requests per year for individuals, groups, or charities hoping to put on their own event.

Create Your Own Event

Let's say you really, really, really want to create an event of your own – it will be extremely challenging but can possibly be incredibly rewarding. Here are some of the things you'll need to be willing to work through or consider:

Don't Worry, There's Help Available

If this seems like a lot of work, responsibility, risk, and expense, it is.

About the Author: Brett Stewart

Brett Stewart is the co-founder of MudRunGuide, creator of OCR Warrior, and author of several popular fitness books in the 7 Weeks to Fitness series.

What is Tough Mudder?

To kick start our Tough Mudder tips guide we should start by answering the following, what is Tough Mudder?

Tough Mudder: When and where can you take part

They have events all across the UK and in other countries too. So you will more than likely find a mud run close to you.

Who can run in the Tough Mudder obstacle course race?

The Tough Mudder events do have an age limit. You have to be a minimum of 13 years old for the 5k run and 14 years old for the 10 mile run. An adult will need to accompany you during the run if you are under 18.

Do I have to run?

It’s not a timed obstacle run, so you can go as fast or as slow as you like. Likewise, you don’t have to run non stop to complete it. We think you need a certain degree of fitness to complete the course along with the obstacles, but you definitely don’t need to be able to run the whole thing.

Tips on how to prepare for Tough Mudder

The next point in our Tough Mudder tips post is how to prepare for a mud run!

Tough Mudder ticket information

The ticket prices vary depending on how early you purchase your tickets.

How to get a FREE ticket for Tough Mudder!

If you want a free ticket all you have to do is volunteer for the full day (this is a 12 hour shift). We opted to do this. Volunteering for the full day will entitle you to have a free run, you can choose the 10 mile classic run or the 5k.