Run in Mud Obstacle Race Training-5/31/13

Now, we go back to the track. Since my neighborhood is hilly, I wanted to do some track workout. I also wanted to make sure I got my obstacles in as well. The setting is a quarter mile track with 8 lanes and I spend most of my time on the outer five lanes.

Here's a great workout:

• Stretch
• Run 2 laps

Begin obstacle course 4 obstacles per lap

• 6 pull ups/leg lifts
• tire run
• 2 x monkey bars with hanging rings
• 4 foot wall
• 1 lap
• 2 x monkey bars with hanging rings
• 6 pull ups/leg lifts
• 2 x Parallel bars
• 2 x incline monkey bars
• 1 lap
• Rope climb
• 1 x balance beam
• 2 x monkey bars
• 6 pull ups/leg lifts
• 1 lap
• obstacle climb (incline ladder)
• 6 x pull ups/leg lifts
• tire run
• 2 x monkey bars with hanging rings
• 1 lap
• 4 foot wall
• 2 x monkey bars with hanging rings
• 6 pull ups/leg lifts
• Parallel bars
• 1 lap
• Incline monkey bars
• Rope climb
• 1 x balance beam
• 2 x monkey bars
• 1 lap
• 6 x pull ups/leg lifts
• 1 lap
• obstacle climb (incline ladder)
• 3 laps
• Stretch

From FM 7-22

You can find these obstacles and more in:

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Obstacle Race Training-5/30/13

Today's training:

Warm up:

Stretch

Rotate

10 push ups

20 jumping jacks

Short walk (about a football field)

Main set (work out with block run-about 4 miles):

20 burpees

Cross an I beam, swing set, or monkey bars obstacle (hand and go hand over hand)

Run around block (mine is .772 miles)

20 burpees

Cross an I beam, swing set, or monkey bars obstacle (hand and go hand over hand)

Run around block (extend distance-I went .79 miles)

Spiderman crawl (15 feet)-gut is low to ground, but not touching

15 burpees

Spiderman crawl (15 feet)

Run around block (extend distance-I went .79 miles)

Spiderman crawl (15 feet)-gut is low to ground, but not touching

15 burpees

Spiderman crawl (15 feet)

Run around block (extend distance-I went 1.5 miles)

Cool down:

Stretch

Deep breathing

Obstacle Race Training and the Hot Days

Is it feeling hotter at 6 am than it did during the long winter? Some of you following may already know that my chosen time to train as been in the late mornings. However, I've had to change to running after work because of new job requirements. Now, I've changed my workout schedule again because of the oppressive Alabama heat and humidity. Now I wake up at 5:15, drink water, spend about half an hour reading and thinking, then begin the slow process of warming up. My warm ups are typically slow stretching and rotation of joints from my head to my ankles.  Then I go for a walk, do 20 jumping jacks and 10 push ups and hopefully I'll be warmed up for a run. After drinking more water, I begin my main part of the workout which usually consists of a minimum 3 mile run and obstacle strength and endurance training.

My goal is to fulfill my expectations to finish my next race at 34 minutes or less. I've signed up for the elite heat of the Great American Obstacle race. Apparently athletes finish with an average 50-55 minute time and winning time is around 32 minutes. I'm 48 and have raced two obstacle races; Moonshine Mud Run near Chattanooga  TN and St. Claire Obstacle Scramble near Birmingham, Al. Both races were tough, challenging and had about 300 athletes. I'd finished second overall. Unfortunately the races did not award individual placement other than the overall winning time. No 1st, 2nd or 3rd. No age group, no nothin. The Great American Obstacle Race does offer an open men's and women's 1st, 2nd and 3rd place awards.

The next goal after that is Warrior Dash and Spartan race. Both of which I will have to travel considerable distance to get to. Needless to say, I am training hard to finish well. However, the heat is taking its toll and my training times are slower and distances shorter. Hopefully it is weather related and training will only improve my performance. Is anyone else experiencing the same symptoms?

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Obstacle Race Training 5/27/13

This date is out of order, but I did not journal my exercise for the 27th:

Run 4 miles

Obstacle Race Training-5/29/13

11 Pull ups with leg lifts
11 Chin ups with leg lifts
11 Alternate grip pull ups with leg lifts
Swim laps for 20 minutes

Obstacle Race Training-5/28/13

Ruck march with 45 pounds. Go about a mile
Swim for 30 minutes. Work some sprints in.
18 pull ups with leg lifts
Plank for one minute
Side plank for 30 seconds
Side plank for 30 seconds

Obstacle Race Training-5/26/13

Grab a buddy for motivation and run 4 hilly miles

Obstacle Race Training-5/24/13

• 11 Pull ups with leg lifts

• 11 alternate grip pull ups with leg lifts

• 11 chin ups with leg lifts

• 2.5 miles on the elliptical (set resistance to midpoint) 

• 20 burpees

• Stretch

Thanks to all who have purchased our car window stickers...Run in Mud

Obstacle Race Training-5/23/13

Bent Leg Raise

Warm up

• Stretch
• 10 push ups
• 20 burpees

• Run 4 miles

• 50 sit ups
• 25 leg spreaders
• 25 flutter kicks
• 25 crunches
• 25 sit ups
• 30 seconds planking
• 30 seconds left side planking
• 30 seconds right side planking
• 30 seconds planking

Cool down:

• Stretch

Obstacle Race Training-5/22/13

• Warm up
• Stretch
• 10 push ups
• 10 sit ups
• 11 Pull-ups
• 40 burpees
• Run 3-4 miles
• Carry a back pack with approved Spartan Race carry weight (mine is 45 pounds) up and down the driveway three times
• Carry back pack in the barbell curl position. Try to carry it low to put strain on biceps
• Bear crawl after each repitition
• Cool down
• Stretch

Always time to work out

I went to the park with my daughters and enjoyed a nice walk. We came to a bridge that spanned a swollen creek. The bridge was supported by an I-beam, so I thought, "why not"...

Obtacle Race Training-5/21/13

Long run today.

Warm up

Stretch

Go 4 miles with sprints up the hills and on the flats. Go slow down hill to save your knees.

50 crunches

25 bicycles

25 flutter kicks

50 crunches (lift knees to elbows)

Cool down

Stretch

Obstacle Race Training-5/20/13

This has got to be one of my most challenging obstacle race training events; the block party. This is an approximately 3 mile run with four intense obstacles built in. I call this the block party simply because I run around the block. It is tedious, mentally challenging and full of hills. My block is .725 miles. So four times around is just about 3 miles.

Warm up

Stretch

10 push ups

20 sit ups

Run around the block

11 pull ups with leg lifts

Run around the block

11 alternate grip pull ups with leg lifts

Run around the block

11 chin ups with leg lifts

Run around the block

20 burpees with push ups

2 minute plank

20 box jumps

30 seconds plank

30 seconds side plank

30 seconds side plank

30 seconds plank

50 air squats

Cool down

Stretch

Obstacle Race Training-5/17/13

Run 4 miles

Obstacle Race Training-5/16/13

"It never got this hot in Brooklyn. It's like Africa hot. Tarzan couldn't take this kind of hot."Biloxi Blues.

80's movies have fantastic quotes and I use them where I can, and the time is now.

It is so hot

"how hot is it?"

It's so hot that obstacle race training has moved from 4 pm to 6 am. I ran this morning and felt better than I had in a while. The afternoon runs proved too hot and muggy. The morning run, refreshing and enjoyable.

The main difference, it takes my body longer to prepare to go from sleeping to running. I have to work on that.

So, do you also vary your training to reflect the seasons?

Warm up

Run between 3 and 4 miles

20 burpees

20 burpees

33 pull-ups with leg lifts 

Stretch.

I hope you can check out our new stickers and Run in Mud swag...

Run In Mud swag

View Larger Map
This is my training area where I practice obstacle races. The setting is a quarter mile track with 8 lanes and I spend most of my time on the outer five lanes.

Many of the obstacles are covered in the photo, but are very challenging. Here's a great workout:

• Stretch
• 20 burpees/push ups
• Run 1 lap
• 20 burpees/push ups
• Run 1 lap
• Begin obstacle course 3 obstacles per lap
• 6 pull ups/leg lifts
• tire run
• 2 x monkey bars with hanging rings
• 1 lap
• 4 foot wall
• 2 x monkey bars with hanging rings
• 6 pull ups/leg lifts
• 1 lap
• 20 incline sit ups
• 2 x Parallel bars
• 2 x incline monkey bars
• 1 lap
• 2 x rope climb
• 1 x balance beam
• 2 x monkey bars
• 1 lap
• 6 x pull ups/leg lifts
• obstacle climb (incline ladder)
• 6 x pull ups/leg lifts
• 1 lap
• tire run
• 2 x monkey bars with hanging rings
• 4 foot wall
• 1 lap
• 2 x monkey bars with hanging rings
• 6 pull ups/leg lifts
• 20 incline sit ups
• 1 lap
• 2 x Parallel bars
• 2 x incline monkey bars
• 2 x rope climb
• 1 lap
• 1 x balance beam
• 2 x monkey bars
• 6 x pull ups/leg lifts
• 1 lap
• obstacle climb (incline ladder)
• 6 x pull ups/leg lifts
• tire run
• 1 lap
• 4 x pull ups/leg lifts
• 4 x pull ups/leg lifts
• 4 x pull ups/leg lifts
• Stretch

From FM 7-22

You can find these obstacles and more in:

<

Obstacle Race Training-5/10/13

11 pull ups

11 alternate grip pull ups

11 chin ups

Run 4 miles

Integrate 100 burpees before, during and after the run

6 pull ups

6 alternate grip pull ups

6 chin ups

50 Air squats

Stretch

Obstacle Race Training-5/7/13

This training is dedicated to travel. A travel workout may require workouts out of the ordinary as you may have forgotten workout clothing, you are in unfamiliar territory, or you are not used to the running patterns or flows of the streets. 

Be safe in your workout and do what I call a hotel room work out. It's a great maintenance exercise that will keep your muscles working while you are out of your routine.

Walk 2 miles

20 close hand push-ups

20 sit-ups

20 regular push-ups

20 sit-ups

20 wide arm push-ups

20 sit-ups

12 curls with heavy backpack or suit case x 3 for each arm

20 triceps curles with heavy backpack or suit case x 3 

40 sit-ups

50 crunches

20 bicycles

20 flutter kicks

10 leg lifts

50 modified Vups (more like crunches with leg lifts

20 back scratchers

30 flutter kicks

40 air squats

30 air squats

30 air squats

20 dips x 3

 Staying in shape is hard on the road. Bad food, long hours, and other people's agendas make fitness hard. However, you control your own time in your room, use it to stay in spartan beast, warrior dash, mud runner and other obstacle modes.

Obstacle Race Training-5/3/13

Run 2-3 miles at competition speed
Sprint on down hill runs
Run faster up hill
50 situps
50 flutter kicks
50 crunches
25 bicycles
25 back scratchers
20 situps
20 crunches
20 bicycles
20 back scratchers
10 leg lifts

Obstacle Race Training-5/2/13

Yesterday was just a run day following an intense upper body sprint workout. Feeling rested? Now try this...

11 Pull-ups with leg lifts
11 Pull-ups with leg lifts
11 Pull-ups with leg lifts

Run a 5k

15 burpees/push-ups
rest 20 seconds

15 burpees/push-ups
rest 20 seconds

10 burpees/push-ups
rest 20 seconds

Platform jump x 10
Platform jump x 10

Stretch

More punishing exercises here:

More punishing exercises here
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Obstacle Race Training-5/1/13

Run 4 miles on a hilly course and sprint up hill.

Pick up your 40 pound back and hold it in front of you by the straps. Make sure your arms are in the curl position (as if doing curls).

Walk for 60 steps

Rest for 20 seconds


Walk for 60 steps

Rest for 20 seconds


Walk for 60 steps

Rest for 20 seconds

Stretch

Obstacle Race Training-4/30/13

Back to the obstacle course. Find a track with some obstacles and have fun. I ran beginning with the inside lane. Every time I completed a lap, I went to the farther lane. 

Run half mile

20 Burpees

Run half mile 

20 Burpees

Run quarter mile

6 pull-ups

tire obstacle

monkey bars

4 ft wall climb

Run quarter mile

monkey bars

6 pull-ups

10 burpees

Run quarter mile

monkey bars

parallel bars

rope climb

Run quarter mile

balance beam

Monkey bars

6 pull-ups

Run quarter mile

climbing obstacle

6 pull-ups

tire obstacle

Run quarter mile

Monkey bars

4 foot wall climb

6 pull-ups

Run quarter mile