Run in Mud Obstacle Race Training-11/28/13

Happy Thanksgiving, do 30 burpees

Run In Mud Obstacle Race Training-11/27/13

Motivation found here:
www.cafepress.com/redbikepublishing

Day before Thanksgiving might have you busy getting ready to entertain friends and family. Give yourself a break and relax. Here's a few exercises to prepare you to kick back.

Walk 1 mile with 40 pound back pack
15 burpees
15 burpees
50 situps



Run In Mud Obstacle Race Training-11/26/13

With the dropping temps and rain, my run is going to be a little shorter. However, it doesn't mean we can't get a good work out. Try this one:

8 pull ups with leg lifts

10 burpees

7 alternate grip pull ups with leg lifts

10 burpees

6 chin ups with leg lifts

10 burpees

Run a 5k

15 burpees

1 minute plank

30 second plank on left side

30 second plank right side

stretch

Run in Mud Obstacle Race Training-11/23/13

Wrap up the work week with a slow run. Put in the burpees for endurance. Be sure to sprint every other mail box. Run to one mail box and sprint to the next. Great for the cardio and endurance.

15 burpees
4 mile run 
15 burpees
Rope climb
chin ups to muscle failure
1 minute plank
30 seconds plank on left side
30 seconds plank or right side

Stretch

Obstacle Race Training-11/22/13

No run, but heart pumping workout none-the-less.

2 sets of 15 burpees

50 sit ups

30 leg spreaders

20 horizontal leg lifts

20 box jumps

50 crunches

30 flutter kicks

20 supine bicycles

20 box jumps

25 sit ups

25 crunches

10 leg spreaders

10 horizontal leg lifts

10 flutter kicks

10 supine bicycles

10 leg spreaders

Run in Mud Obstacle Race Training-11/21/13

Today's workout is going back to the hills. Let's revisit our neighborhood hill route with a run through the steep slopes of the neighborhood (or find a hilly place). Take time at one of the steepest hills to do a repeat event. Run up and down the hill five times and do 10 burpees at the top each time.

In my community, I run a one mile warm up through a hilly course and stop at a steep hill. Then sprint up a quart mile ascent do 10 burpees then back down. Do this 5 times.

Throw this additional exercise in. Along the route, run a few dozen yards on the curb to prepare for those balance obstacles.

Run back home up and down the hills then add these exercises in:

Rope climb x 2

Monkey bars x 2

Crawl 20 feet

Stretch

Until I write my Run in Mud book, check this one out:

Run in Mud Obstacle Race Training-11/20/13

Run in Mud Race Training Swag

Today' workout will focus on abdominal muscles and work your core. A solid core will help you negotiate a variety of climbing obstacles. So that you can transition faster during the run, climb, run  demands of obstacle and mud runs.




Walk 1 mile
2 sets of 15 burpees
50 sit ups
50 flutter kicks
50 crunches
50 leg spreaders
50 sit ups
50 supine bicycles
Stretch

Run in Mud Obstacle Race Training-11/19/13

This workout is killer. Running with intermittent burpees builds endurance and strenght. It reminds of racing where I feel I want to vomit and my body screams STOP! 


Tough it out if you can an train as if you are in competition. That way you build confidence and know that you can still kick in some effort when you feel your weakest.

10 burpees
Pull ups with leg lifts to muscle failure
Run 2 miles with 10 burpees every 1/4 mile
Run 2 miles at race effort
Monkey bars x 2
Chin ups with leg lifts to muscle failure
Stretch

This book has obstacles and exercises that you can adopt to your workout program, check it out:

Run in Mud Obstacle Race Training-11/13/13

After taking a week off for general purposes, I'm ready to get back into training. My plan is to slowly adjust my schedule back to training intensity. Just as I slowed down training gradually in preparation for the Warrior Dash Alabama event, I will slowly get back into full pace.

Pull ups to muscle failure with leg lifts x 2
Alternate grip pull ups to muscle failure with leg lifts x 2
Chin ups to muscle failure with leg lifts x 2

20 lose are push ups 
20 sit ups
20 push ups
20 crunches
20 wide arm push ups
20 sit ups

Brisk walk for 1 mile

Warrior Dash Alabama 2013

This was by far the most fun and challenging of the obstacle races I've competed in. It was also the best organized and easy to execute. Tons of volunteers and organization efforts played to make it low stress and high fun.

I paid 10 bucks to park, was directed to a parking spot by well identified parking attendants, led down a well marked road a half mile to the entry point. Once inside, I easily found the packet pickup place, and took my gear to another easy to find tent.

My buddies signed up for a different heat, but were allowed to jump into my 11:00 am heat. After checking in, looking around and warming up for about 20 minutes, we got to our heat start point 30 minutes early. Eager to go, the organizers let us go about 15 minutes earlier than scheduled.

Relying on my good training, I jumped in at competition speed. I quickly negotiated my first obstacle, but but by the time i reached the next  obstacle, we ran into an earlier heat. The obstacle was backed up for a minute or more. While waiting, I was initially frustrated, but turned off my game face and made friends with some folks in line.

One of those turned out to be my buddy for the rest of the event. I was the faster runner and he was the better at negotiating obstacles. I followed his moves and gained great experience. However, our alliance proved invaluable at the mud mounds.

These were about four tall mounds of earth rising from deep mud and water filled pits. Our heat was the fourth and by them the mud mounds were just slick and unclimbable. My buddy heaved me up to the top and I turned around and pulled him up through the mud covered sea of humanity. This team worked got us through quickly. On one such mound I could not get up, even while my buddy pulled (I had heaved him up first). No matter how hard we tried, our mud caked hands and slippery slopes proved frustrating and I slid back down. Finally, one helpful warrior advised me to use my knees to climb and not my shoes. I owe her a debt of gratitude for that sage advice.

Cargo nets, rope climbs, and other safe but challenging obstacles followed. Finally, I found a clear path and met no other lines. I found the fire and jumped over it  and struggled through the last mud pit. Covered head to tow, I passed the finish line before my vision became clouded by oozing mud. Feeling like blind Bartimaeus from the bible, a fellow warrior guided me to a water point and helped me get the mud out of my eyes. Thanks dude!

My time was 30:47. I know if I ran an earlier heat, it would have been several minutes faster. I'm in the 40 -49 year old age group. At 48  years old, I finished 17 in my age group and about 150 over all. The winner of my age group was in at 24:35, that's kicking it so congratulations to him.

Once done, I showered off in the cold water. They ran out of water and had to bring in reinforcements. My shower was the best as I was able to use one of many hoses supplied. However, once the water ran out, volunteers held the hoses for the rest of the day.

I met a lot of people that day, danced and even entered the push up competition. Lots of fun. I left at 4 pm, but the party continued there.

I recommend this run and will definitely do it again.