Obstacle Race Training-3/30/13

Grab some buddies and run a 5k. Challenge each other, but stay together as a group. 

Did you know courses were certified using the shortest distance possible? In other words, the person certifying marks the course using the most efficient distance possible. It's quite easy for a new runner to run MORE than the measured 5k by turning too wide or just remaining on one side of the road. Practice your turns and try to keep the race to 5k and not 5.1 or 5.2. It takes practice.

The same holds true for obstacle races. It's possible to improve run times by turning corners tightly and using the terrain to your advantage. Zombie runs are an exception if you have to escape and evade.

Have fun

Obstacle Race Training-3/28/13

Sprint 2 miles
50 crunches
11 pull-ups with leg lifts
40 crunches
stretch

Obstacle Race Training-3/27/13

Third day of an intense week. Next week will be easier as I prepare for a 5k. I will be attending the Lead Me to the Cross 5k at Mt. Zion Baptist Church. Until then, here’s the workout:

• Run 4 miles
• Sprint hill
• Add 60 burpees with pushups
• Grab a back pack and hold the straps in front of you
• Do 4 x 20 meet run sets
• Stretch

Obstacle Race Training-3/26/13

Warm up:

Ride your bike through the trails. Try to go a few short miles

Main set: 

• Run two miles with intermittent sprints
• 20 box jumps
• 50 crunches
• 50 crunches
• 30 back scratchers
• 30 back scratchers
• 20 bicycles
• 20 bicycles
• 20 leg lifts
• 20 pelvic lifts (legs at a 90 degree angle, lift pelvis
• 20 bicycles
• 40 crunches

Stretch

Balancing obstacles are challenging. Find some here

Obstacle Race Training-3/25/13

Hill runs today. You never know when these will come in handy. They will definitely help your overall performance time. Many obstacle races feature hill courses. The last one I attended had an obstacle at the top of most hills. Very intense. If you want to be ready for any Spartan Race, Tough Mudder, Savage Race, Warrior Dash or other zombie run, do this:

• Run 4-5 miles on a course laden with hills
• Pour it on going up hill
• Run faster going down hill
• If hills are long, sprint between mailboxes
• Sprinkle 60 burpees with push ups
• Finish with 33 pull ups with leg lifts
• Stretch

Try these alternate grips from Army Physical Readiness Training

www.southernsportsgroup.com/images/SCS Overall Results.pdf

Got the results for the St. Clair Scramble 5k mud race. Came in second overall and first in my age group. I can't seem to grasp that elusive first, but happy none the less. Congratulations all and thanks St. Clair Scramble for setting it up.



http://www.southernsportsgroup.com/images/SCS%20Age%20Division%20Results.pdf

 www.southernsportsgroup.com/images/SCS Overall Results.pdf

Jeffrey W. Bennett, ISP is the owner of Red Bike Publishing Red Bike Publishing . Jeff is an accomplished writer of non-fiction books, novels and periodicals. He also owns Red bike Publishing. Published books include: "Get Rich in a Niche-Insider's Guide to Self Publishing in a Specialized Industry" and "Commitment-A Novel".Jeff is an expert in security and has written many security books including: "Insider's Guide to Security Clearances" and "DoD Security Clearances and Contracts Guidebook", "ISP Certification-The Industrial Security Professional Exam Manual", and NISPOM/FSO Training"See Red Bike Publishing for print copies of:Army Leadership,The Ranger Handbook,The Army Physical Readiness Manual,Drill and Ceremonies,The ITAR,and The NISPOM

Obstacle Race Training-3/21/13

Run an easy two miles

10 burpees

4 sets of 5 chinups

Obstacle Race-St. Claire Scramble

The St. Clair Scramble is located in a small Alabama town. This group is well organized an put on a great obstacle. They've got a website, Twitter, and Facebook accounts. Today was a stormy day and they coordinators posted race updates regularly and let everyone know that there were no cancellations planned. Just more mud.

I arrived at the school and paid $10.00 for parking and transportation to the race. Once there, I received my race packet which included a shirt, sample drink packets and coupons. Once checked in, I listened to music, stretched, warmed up and waited for my heat to start.

The scramble is a challenging obstacle and mud event  featuring steep hills. If the hills aren’t challenging enough for you (I'll bet they are, they kicked my rear), there are 25 obstacles ready to meet any fitness level. So, 3.1 miles with 25 obstacles is nothing easy, but the hill training, burpees and obstacle prep really helped.

As I mentioned there were 25 obstacles. Not many were physically demanding in and of themselves. But, combined with the exhausting hills, they proved breath taking. On event featured a trench filled with muddy water with a grate above the water line. The trick is to propel yourself along pulling on the grate all the while submerged. I’m a good swimmer and decent with holding my breath, but this short ride kicked me.

Other challenges included tire, hay, mud hills, rope climb, log carry, more obstacles and more hill dashes. All tough and definitely of US Army Ranger certified as claimed. And….usually following a grueling hill climb.

There were water points along the way and water and fruit at the finish line (at the end of a long hill climb...well played). 

The times would not be posted for another day or two, so this was an anti-climatic, no award ceremony ending. But, this is not unusual for the obstacle races I have attended. It just takes time to get the scores together and ready to present. 

There are showers and a changing tent for those quick clean ups at the end.

I recommend this run. It’s challenging and fun!!! The staff and vendors are very helpful and friendly, the best I've seen yet.

Recommended exercises specifically for this course:

• hill sprints
• bear crawl
• rope climb
• tall obstacle climbs
• log carry

              

Obstacle Race Training-3/20/13

In preparation for the St. Clair Scramble in Birmingham, Alabama, I am still exercising easy. Don’t want to strain muscles, but it’s important to let muscles heal and maintain. Movement is important and flexibility is key to conquering obstacles found in Tough Mudder, Spartan Sprint, Warrior Dash and et al.

• Backpack for a mile with 45 pounds
• Take a leisurely bike ride for 2-3 miles
• Stretch
• Rest

Be sure to eat for energy and not bulk.

Obstacle Race Training-3/19/13

Big race on Saturday. I’ll be participating in the St. Clair Scramble in Birmingham, Alabama. This is said to have US Army Ranger approved obstacles. Good thing I’ve been doing my US Army approved obstacle exercises.

Now the obstacle race training over the past six months will pay off. I’m pumped and ready to compete.

This week I’m scaling back. Here is what I've been doing.

Monday:

• 15 pull-ups with leg lifts
• 3 sets of 15 push-ups with bottoms up
• Run 2 slow and easy miles
• Stretch.

Today:

• 9 pull-ups with leg lifts
• Three sets of five push-ups
• Three sets of five crunches
• Stretch

Obstacle Race Training-3/16/13

Forgot to post yesterday.
The last workout of the week. Run a 5k for personal record. No exercises, no hill sprints, just good old lung cleaning, blood pumping, muscle conditioning run.

Obstacle Race Training-3/14/13

This is the second and last hill workout this week. Work on your endurance and sprinting. It might hurt now, but energy will be there when you need it most...during the race. Huah!

• Run 4 miles on a hilly course
• Sprint uphill when possible
• Add this sprint work out to uphill runs - sprint to the first mailbox and run to the  second mailbox, sprint to the first mailbox and etc
• Work in 60 burpees
• Rest
• 3 sets of 11 pull-ups with leg lifts
• Stretch

Obstacle Race Training-3/13/13

The elliptical machine again. This a great workout and will serve as a change of pace from running. Though not running, it is a good way to increase strength, endurance and cardio necessary to devour obstacles on the course.  Race season starts soon, so let's workout different muscles while resting the ones we've worked.

Do 25 minutes on the elliptical. Set the machine for random hills and at least level 6 of 10 for resistance

Attempt to do at least 2.5 miles in the 25 minutes. Then:

• 50 crunches
• 50 crunches
• 30 back scratchers
• 30 back scratchers
• 20 bicycles
• 20 bicycles
• 20 leg lifts
• 20 pelvic lifts (legs at a 90 degree angle, lift pelvis
• 20 bicycles
• 40 crunches

 

 

Obstacle Race Training-3/12/13

• Run 4 miles on a hilly route
• Sprint up hills for 10 seconds
• If hill is long, sprint multiple times for 10 seconds
• At the end of the run, sprint up last hill 5 times
• 10 burpees
• bear crawl 15 yards
• 10 burpees
• bear crawl 15 yards
• 10 burpees
• bear crawl 15 yards
• Stretch

Obstacle Race Training-3/12/13

How does a Spartan, warrior, mudder, moonshine mud, and other obstacle runners (obstaletes) maintain?

By training and making the right choices

Look for challenges during workouts

Don’t complain about traffic; they’re obstacles

Dogs; children, playground, curbside trash, water sprinklers are all fair game. Play with them, dodge them, jump over them.

Take the stairs, not the elevator

Walk during breaks, don’t stay in your chair

Bring fruit from home, leave the licky chewies in the machines

Obstacle Race Training-3/11/13

Let’s work on our endurance with focus on legs and arms. The elliptical machine is a good way to increase strength, endurance and cardio necessary to devour obstacles on the course. But, we won’t forget the other exercises that will put us over the top quickly; burpees and pull-ups.

Do 25 minutes on the elliptical. Set the machine for random hills and at least level 6 of 10 for resistance

Attempt to do at least 2.5 miles in the 25 minutes. Then:

• 20 burpees (break up into as many sets as necessary)
• 33 Pull-ups with leg lifts (break up into as many sets as necessary)
• Stretch

Obstacle Race Training-3/7/13

Warm up:

Stretch

Main set:

•  Run 4.5 miles – do 10 burpees with push-ups for each mile. Attempt a total of 50 burpees with push-ups
•  50 crunches
•  Rest 
• 50 crunches
•  Rest
•  20 leg lifts
•  Rest
•  20 leg lifts
•  Rest
•  20 leg lifts
•  Rest
•  40 leg spreaders
•  Rest
•  40 leg spreaders
•  Rest
•  20 bicycles
•  Rest
•  20 bicycles
• Rest
• 20 leg lifts

Cool Down:

Stretch

Obstacle Race Training-3/6/13

Warm up:

Stretch

Main set:

• Run a 5k at race speed.
• 20 box jumps. If you don’t have a box, jump onto a porch or a set of stairs 1.5 to 2 feet high.
• 20 burpees with push-ups

Cool down:

Stretch

Obstacle Race Training-3/5/13

Monkey Bars as Demonstrated in the book,
Army Physical Readiness Training

Warm up:

Stretch

Main set:

• Move to a track or obstacle course for a three mile run with obstacles
• Run .5 miles at an easy pace
• Run .5 miles at a faster pace with sprints

For the last 1.5 miles

• Work in two obstacles per lap as follows sprinting on the straight ways and jogging on the curves:(If you are too tired or not able to work an obstacle or don’t have an obstacle course substitute each obstacle with 10 burpees (with pushups))

• Eight foot tall ladder obstacle to climb over
• Chin up bars (6 pull ups with leg lifts)
• Tire trot
• Rings (monkey bars)
• Five foot wall
• Rings
• Chin up bars (6 pull ups with leg lifts)
• 20 burpees with push-ups
• Incline rings
• Parallel bars
• Rope climb
• 20 burpees with push-ups
• Monkey bars
• Chin up bars (6 pull ups with leg lifts)
• Run .25 miles
• 10 burpees
• Run .25 miles
• 10 burpees
• 12 pull-ups
• Rest
• 20 pull-ups (break up into sets as necessary)

Cool down:

Stretch

Why I didn't post for a whole week

I was in Disney World enjoying the entertainment and the family, that's why. However, I was still able to work out. Here's a good plan for a long vacation in a theme park:

Eat well. There are a lot of choices and food in abundance. Eat the right things and in moderation YOU DON'T HAVE TO EAT EVERYTHING THAT'S SERVED. Choose the chicken over the beef and the fish over everything else. Eat vegetables and other healthy servings and watch the bread, gravy and sweets.

Carry the back pack. Chance are you won't be able to do obstacle types of exercises while in a small hotel and a packed agenda. However you can carry the back pack. This will add weight and challenge your walks.

Carry a child. If you have children, carry them if they aren't too big. A piggy back ride or front carry will also keep your muscles and core toned for future race events.

Do what you can in the hotel. I was able to do burpees, push-ups and an incredible amount of abs in just a short amount of down time.

Drink lots of water. You'll be tempted to drink juices, coffee and sodas, but take the water. You'll stay hydrated and keep the vacation pounds from clinging.

Rest. It's fun at the park, but you still need your rest.

Spend time with your family. It's a vacation for crying out loud.

Obstacle Race Training-3/4/13

Run 5 miles. Run several sprints every mile and really challenge yourself. If you've followed my blog, you might be breaking up your runs with burpees and other exercises. Today is just a day to blow out the pipes. Just run, then put sprints on top of the run.

More tomorrow.