Run in Mud Obstacle Race Training-7/30/15

Getting ready for Tennessee Warrior Dash

Which do you prefer? Running in the mid afternoon heat or early morning humidity. I am leaning toward running in the heat with less humidity. My times are faster and I can run longer in the evenings. 

Which ever you choose, be sure to stay hydrated for excellent fitness.

Stretch muscles and rotate joints for 6 minutes
Run 4.1 miles
10 walking lunges each leg
10 side lunges each leg
10 walking lunges each leg

Hike 1 mile

Repeat the following three times
10 dumbbell curls 
10 overhead dumbbell presses
20 v ups

Run in Mud Obstacle Race Training-7/29/15

Run 4.2 miles
Bike 4 miles
Tread water for 15 minutes

Run In Mud Obstacle Race Training-7/28/15

Warm up:
Stretch and Rotate

Walk 1 mile

Squat, curl, overhead press with dumbbells.
Exercise 1-squat, up to curl, then move to overhead press. Bring weights down from press, to curl, then to squat. Repeat 10 times

20 bent knee v-ups

Exercise 2- 10 dumbbell squats, 10 curls, 10 overhead presses

20 v-ups

Repeat exercise 1.

10 v-ups
10 bent knee v-ups

Bike 5 miles in 30 minutes or less

Swim 1/2 mile in 30 minutes or less
Go.....

Run In Mud Obstacle Race Training-7/27/15

It's one of the hottest days of the year. Drink plenty of water and stay hydrated. I ran a fitness trail with lots of shade. However, I carried a bottle of water on the run. It was barely enough. Once I finished the run, I jumped into a creek to cool down. How do you stay cool?

Run 4.1 miles

Playground workout

6 pull ups with leg lifts x 3

Run in Mud Obstacle Race Training-7/25/15 Weekend

Rope Climb
Travers monkey bars x 2
Sled pull (2 cinder blocks with 20 foot rope. Pull hand over hand, bringing blocks to you. Carry blocks back to starting position.)

Bike 5 miles

Rope Climb
Travers monkey bars x 2
Sled pull

Swim 1/2 mile

Run In Mud Obstacle Race Training-7/24/15

Track or fitness zone work out.

I'm preparing for the upcoming Warrior Dash world champion ship, Spartan Sprint, and Savage Race for my fall schedule. It's important to stay trained, but not overheat. Here's how I workout in the high heat.

Find a track or fitness area and incorporate the workouts into your run. I have a 1/4 mile track I use that is packed full of rope climbs, pull up bars, climbing, and balancing obstacles. It even has truck tires for flipping.

Since it's so hot and humid out, I ran the 3.1 miles around the track with a little modification to take advantage of the shade. I began running the laps to complete a mile, then switched to only running the shady part (about 3/4 of a lap) to complete the rest of the run. Just be sure to complete between 1 and three obstacles every 1/4 or 1/3 mile point. I use the Map My Run app to keep track.

Here is a list of the obstacles.
6 chin ups with leg lifts
tire obstacle x 2
Monkey bars x 2
Climb over 4 foot wall x 2
Monkey bars x 2
6 chin ups with leg lifts
3 x truck tire flips
Incline monkey bars x 2 
Parallel bar work out. Walk on hands for 1 step, dip and repeat until traverse parallel bar distance
Rope climb with 5 pull ups at top 
Balance obstacle x 2
Monkey bars x 2

6 Chin ups with leg lifts

Climbing obstacle x 2

I completed the above obstacles within the first mile doing three at a time.

For the remaining two miles, I ran only in the shade for 3/4 of a lap. I began by completing 5 burpees at the beginning of the shade, run to the end of the shade, perform 5 burpees and repeated until 2.1 miles were completed. That resulted in 40 burpees.

Rest

Walk for .3 miles

12 pull ups with leg lifts (2 sets of 6)

Run in Mud Obstacle Race Training

It's another hot day, but a chance to excel. When possible, run in a wooded trail with plenty of shade. I ran the Madison Greenway. I stayed along the fence line to take advantage of the shade. Once finished, I made my way to the playground for an American Ninja Warrior style workout.

Run 4.1 Miles
Hike .6 miles
Plank for 2 minutes. Add 10 spider man push ups for each minute
Side plank for 1 minute each side. Perform 10 side leg lifts and bring upper knee to chest 5 times each side.

Do monkey bar type workout American Ninja Style. Here are examples of what I was able to do:

 

 

Finally, cool down with a few laps in the pool.


Did you know that the military, including US Army and US Army Reserves sponsor great obstacle races? Check it out during your next tough mudder, Savage Race, Warrior Dash, and Spartan Race. Find some great Army style workouts here:

Run In Mud Obstacle Race Training-7/21/15

Hot day out, so drink lots of water before and during the workout. Fortunately I have a wooded trail that I can run and it's really close to work. This week I am running in the evenings.

Morning work out:

Grab some dumbbells of moderate weight (I use 20 lbs). The following dumbbell workout should be accomplished as a cycle. 

Begin downward squat movement. On the way up, bring arms up to perform a curl. While arms are in top curl position, move to shoulder press, then bring dumbbells down to complete press, complete curl, and back down into squat. Do this for 10 repetitions.

20 v ups

10 squats

10 curls

10 dumbbell presses

20 v ups

Then go into squat, curl, press routine.

20 bent knee v ups

 

6 pull ups with leg lifts

 

Evening workout:

Run 4.1 miles

6 pull ups with leg lifts
Wall climb
6 Pull up/press up

6 pull ups with leg lifts x 3

 

Run in Mud Obstacle Race Training-7/20/15

Run 5.1 miles
Walk 1 mile

Run in Mud Obstacle Race Training-Weekend Edition

In my house, weekends are usually devoted to family and fun. This weekend I worked out with my children around as well as did some gardening, and finally, took some time for some charity work. I mention these because they are a break from the normal workout events, but all events occurred outside. Just being out an about gets us acclimatized to the heat, cold, rain, snow or what environment the season brings. It also  keeps us off the couch and those Netflix binges.

The break in the intense training gives our minds and bodies chances to heal. Here's a list of ways I worked in exercise without committing to regular workouts and intensity I bring 5 days a week:

Swim laps and play in the water. 
Swimming laps is great exercise in itself. You can also add in treading water,  underwater swimming, and other water fun. My son and I played games of catch while treading and other fun.

Riding bikes gets you out doors and is great exercise. It's possible to ride 5 hard miles in less than 30 minutes.

Rope climbs, v ups, push ups, and pull ups are great fitness breaks. I usually knock out a few during commercials or just to get my blood pumping.

This week I logged the following in my fitness app:

.25 miles of swimming
5 miles of biking, 
1 mile hike
50 pull ups with leg lifts
3 rope climbs

Run in Mud Obstacle Race Training-7/17/15

Warm up:
Stretch and rotate for a few minutes

Main Set:

Run 4.1 miles
Bike 5 miles
Rope climb x 2
6 sets of 5 pull ups with leg lifts

Run in Mud Obstacle Race Training-7/16/15

I added in a weight workout today. I moved my workouts to the evenings as the heat and humidity are high and there is no difference between a morning and night workout; it's just always hot and muggy. So, I am sleeping in.

Grab some dumbbells of moderate weight (I use 15 and 20 lbs). The following dumbbell workout should be accomplished as a cycle. 

Begin downward squat movement. On the way up, bring arms up to perform a curl. While arms are in top curl position, move to shoulder press, then bring dumbbells down to complete press, complete curl, and back down into squat. Do this for 10 repetitions.

20 bent knee v ups

10 squats

10 curls

10 dumbbell presses

20 bent knee v ups

Then go into squat, curl, press routine.

20 bent knee v ups

Run 4.1 miles

Bike 5 miles or 30 minutes.

Run In Mud Obstacle Race Training-7/15/15

Warm up:
Stretch and Rotate for 6 minutes

Main set:
Ride bicycle for 30 minutes
Rope climb x 2
Pull heavy weight with 20 foot rope while standing. Stand in place and reel in rope hand over hand. (I have 3 cinder blocks tied to a rope)
5 pull ups using CFF pro series balls x 2



5 pull ups CFF pro series balls while upside down (hang, then lift feet up and over head).
5 pull ups using straps hanging from chin up bars
Travers swing set or horizontal bar x 2

 

 

2o close hand push ups
20 push ups
20 wide arm push ups

Plank for 2 minutes (incorporate 20 spider man leg lifts each leg)
Side plank for 1 minute each side (bring knees in to chest 10 times and scissor kick upper leg 5 times while on left side and then again while on right side)

20 horizontal leg lifts x 2
20 horizontal pelvic lifts x 2

More ab and shoulder burning exercises in this book. Get some hooah!

Run in Mud Obstacle Race Training-7/14/15

Track or fitness zone work out.


Run 3.1 Miles on a track or route with obstacles, such as a fitness trail.

My track is 1/4 miles long and has 13 obstacles. 

Run 1 lap 

6 chin ups with leg lifts
tire obstacle x 2

Run 1 lap 

Monkey bars x 2

Climb over 4 foot wall x 2

Run 1 lap
Monkey bars x 2

6 chin ups with leg lifts

3 x truck tire flips

Run 1 lap

Incline monkey bars x 2 
Parallel bar work out. Walk on hands for 1 step, dip and repeat until traverse parallel bar distance

Run 1 lap 
Rope climb with 10 chin ups at top 
Balance obstacle x 2

Run 1 lap 
Monkey bars x 2

6 Chin ups with leg lifts

Run 1 lap and sprint the 

Climbing obstacle x 2
Jog remainder of 3.1 miles

Run In Mud Obstacle Race Training-7/9/15

I call this run, "Return to the Jetty" because, a jetty.

Warm up:

Stretch and Rotate for 4 minutes

Main set:
20 air squats x 5
20 v ups x 3
20 bent knee v ups x 2
30 flutter kicks x 2

Run 5.1 miles. 


Part of my course included the Plymouth, MA jetty, almost a mile of large man made stones jetting out into the harbor. Running along a course like this will improve your stamina, balance, and confidence while negotiating uneven terrain. It will slow your run time, but improve your run time (if that makes sense) lol.

Run in Mud Obstacle Race Training-7/8/15

Walk three miles

Double push up ladder with abs:
10 close hand push ups
10 wide arm pus ups
10 bent knee v-ups

9 close hand push ups
9 wide arm pus ups
9 bent knee v-ups

Continue until the count reaches 1.

Total of 110 push ups 

Run In Mud Obstacle Race Training-7/6/15

Warm up:
6 minutes stretching and rotating
10 push ups

Main set:

Run 4.1 miles 
During each mile, perform:
20 burpees
20 supine leg lifts

total: 80 leg lifts and 80 burpees

Later set:
10 pull ups with leg lifts x 3

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Run In Mud Obstacle Race Training-Independence Day 2015

How's this for a tribute run? I am in Plymouth, MA home of the Pilgrims. They gave their all for freedom, discovery, and each other. So, I decided to honor their commitment with a run through history.

Stretch and rotate for 6 minutes

Run 3.1 miles through historical land marks (here's what I saw):

Forefather's Monument

Pilgrim Graveyard

First Church in Plymouth, MA

Grist Mill

July 4th festivities

Plymouth Rock

Mayflower replica

Walk 2 miles

50 pull ups
100 push ups
150 squats

Run in Mud Obstacle Race Training-7/3/15

Warm up:
Stretch
Rotate

Main set:

Run 5.1 miles
Walk 2 miles
5 pull ups x 5

Run in Mud Obstacle Race Training-7/2/15

Run 4.1 miles
Do 20 burpees every mile.

You might try 5 burpees every 1/4 mile, 10 burpees at every 1/2 mile, 20 burpees at each mile, or just 80 burpees before or after the run. Or, you can do a combination.

Have fun, Hooah!

Run in Mud Obstacle Race Training-7/1/15

Walk 2 miles
Push ups and sit up pyramid.

1 push up
10 sit ups
2 push ups
9 sit ups
Continue until you reach 10 push ups and 1 sit up. Then work your way back up in reverse.

1 sit up
10 push ups
2 sit ups
9 push ups
etc.

At the end you should have 110 push ups and 110 situps