Run in Mud Obstacle Race Training-Day After Thanksgiving

Had to run hard today to get my minimum mileage in. Holiday weeks are very tough and Thanksgiving seemed even tougher. I ended up running 10 obstacle filled miles in preparation for the Spartan Super next week in Atl. Here's how it went down:

Warm up:
Stretch and Rotate

Main set:
Cross horizontal pipe monkey bar style
Monkey bars
Vertical poles (cross from one to another similar to Samurai obstacle at OCR World Championships
Cross obstacle with cannon ball style hand grips
Cross obstacle with nun chuck style hand grips
Traverse climbing wall
Sled pull

Run 10 miles
For 1.5 miles perform 5 burpees
Carry fire wood log for .2 miles

Cannon Ball Grips

Sled pull

Run in Mud Obstacle Race Training-11/24/16

Run 2.5 miles

Run in Mud Obstacle Race Training-11/22/16

Here is the training we did this morning in the gym. It reminded me of some of the tough challenges we face in Spartan races.

Warm up:

Run 1/4 mile

Rotate joints and stretch muscles

Main Set:

As many rounds as possible in 5 minutes of the following. Start the clock then climb the rope three times. Once finished, continue with and repeat the dumbbell and snatches until time runs out:

3 rope climbs

16 dumbbell snatches (eight each arm). I used 20#

10 burpees

Rest for 2 minutes

Repeat the entire exercise for the next 5 minutes.

Almost a burpee. See more in the Army's APRT Manual

Next:

Do the following as many times as possible in 4 minutes:

16 box steps

40 jump ropes

After work:

10k run.

Run In Mud OCR-11/21/16

So what motivates you ramp up your training.

I've focused on someone to beat during my obstacle runs. I see him at every event and he usually passes me toward the end of the run. I start off ahead, but then he catches up. As I run out of steam, he gains it. I've got two weeks to train up and beat my nemesis; Spartan Super, ATL, here I come.

So, that's my testimony and motivation. I guess we all need something to inspire performance when we are weary and have nothing left to give. Goals help pull us through. In reality, I want nothing but the best for my opponent. In fact, he probably is not even aware of our rivalry, lol.

 Run a 10k with a tough 5 miles.

Mile 1

 warm up pace

Mile 2 

sprint every other 1/4 mile

Mile 3

add the following obstacles with no sprints

5 above the bar chin up dips

2 x 3.5 foot wall climbs

4 pull ups

pole climb

6 foot wall climb

Monkey bars

Mile 4

5 burpees every quarter mile plus obstacles and exercises from mile 3

Mile 5

10 burpees 

sprint every 1/4 mile

Mile 6

sprint every 1/4 mile 

Mile .2

jog 

Playground equipment that provided most of the exercises

Run in Mud ORT-11/17/16

I was supposed to go to the gym today and do some crossfit class. I heard we were going to do something called the Fran; lots of thrusters and pull ups. I was on the way when I realized that I had forgotten to bring my change of clothes for work, so I turned around and headed back home.

I workout with my son a few days a week. As I've written before, I usually do a workout with him and then continue after he is done. When it is gym day for me, he usually does his own workout. 

This turned out to be a good thing because I feel my body could use a break. I've already got in 20 miles of running, many burpees, pull ups, and squats; my body hurts a bit. My son had a light workout planned and I got home in time to join him. This workout allowed me to kind of do an active recovery. Hopefully I can hit it hard again tomorrow.

Here's what we did:

Run an easy mile

10 air squats

10 burpees

20 push ups

20 sit ups

30 second planking

30 second planking on each side

30 second planking

Run 1 mile with sprint intervals

- See more at: http://www.obstaclemaniac.com/jwbenne/activity/7faa6193-4f87-255a-41ec-a2cb71ad56be#sthash.qSVQBBcl.dpuf

Run in Mud ORT-11/16/16

Run 8 miles

Run in Mud ORT-11/14/16

Not sure whether or not this is a workout for beginners, but this is what my son and I did this morning. He is 14 and has never really has had organized exercise except in school and therefore has not running base. However, he decided he wanted to run a Spartan Sprint with me. We didn't have much preparation time, but I figured I'd better get one in for him before winter because I figured he might lose interest before a spring event.

For the past few weeks we've been trying to build his running endurance from a mile to get him as prepared as possible for the Dec 4th Atlanta Spartan Sprint. I expect he'll have to walk a bit. Some areas we are focusing on are burpees (he'll do a lot of those because there is no practicing or re-doing obstacles), running, and getting strong enough for bucket brigade.

Here's what we did this morning:

Warm up: 

Dynamic stretching and rotations

10 push ups

10 air squats

Main set: 

1 mile run with 5 burpees every 1/4 mile

 Do the following 3 x:

Sitting to standing rope climb (From a seated position, use a rope to pull yourself to a standing position)

5 air squats

Do the following 3x:

Carry heavy object to end of driveway and back (about 15 yards each way) (for heavy objects we carried a 5 gallon bucket filled with gravel and then 2 x 5 gallon water cans filled with water)

40 seconds of planking

Run 1 mile

   

After the above workout my son broke off and got ready for school. I continued my workout 

Run 3.5 miles with hills

 For first mile, 5 burpees ever 1/4 mile

Carry a heavy object for .2 miles (break up distance as necessary. I carried a section of log for .1 mile, rand a few miles and carried it for .1 miles)

- See more at: http://www.obstaclemaniac.com/jwbenne/activity/e3ea503c-88df-c807-3516-34f6620da3f4#sthash.JL4x7qY6.dpuf

Run in Mud Obstacle Race Training 11/15/16

Stretch muscles and rotate joints

Rope climb x 5

Do the following 4 x:

8 split leg jerks or 8 overhead presses with barbell

8 toes to bar or knees to chest

8 bootleg burpees (burpee, run 10 feet, burpee)

Run 4.5 miles

I remember how the cold feels now. We've had such a long run of dry weather and warm temperatures here in the south east. In fact, it hasn't rained in 58 days. 2016 races in south have featured hard packed and dusty trails.

The previous years always guaranteed slippery and muddy trails for training and OCR events. In fact, most obstacles were more difficult than intended because of extra mud and heavier rain drenched sand bags.

Now the cold is returning and hopefully some rain. I've gotten used to warm and dry, but this week' lower temperatures are bringing some reminders. Some things I remember; burning lungs, stinging hands, slower times, and shorter run distance.

- See more at: http://www.obstaclemaniac.com/jwbenne/activity/aa9624c8-5a62-22ff-8247-6550f906a131#sthash.NfQu7stq.dpuf

Run in Mud Obstacle Race Training-11/12/16

Run 7 miles

Run in Mud Obstacle Race Training-11/12/16

Run 7 miles

Endurance vs Strength-11/10/16

The instructor and some students who help me better understand my Crossfit experience patiently explained, "your endurance training is counter-intuitive to strength building". I don't quite understand what the words mean, so I asked for explanation and they went in to technique and food and other factors. I still didn't understand, so I will have to trust what they are saying until I understand how to exercise.

I train for OCR events mostly with running and obstacle type exercises with equipment I have available around the yard and on my running routes. I attend cross fit two days a week  in hopes of building my strength for the sand bag and atlas stone carries, Hercules hoists, and other heavy lift events.

 Reality is that I use the lightest weights in the entire gym. I am being crushed under empty weightless barbells  while others are crushing 150lbs or more.

The earlier advice of my strength vs. endurance training starts is beginning to make sense and I am feeling more confident in my abilities. While they are training and nourishing for cross fit five days a week, I am running 25-30 miles a week on top of two days in the gym.

The good thing is that those in the class understand where I am and the reason I train; and they cheer me on and ask about my races. They keep an eye on me to let me know when and how to scale my weight, and they let me know that it's ok to use less weight and focus on technique.

 Here's what we did today after warming up.

 As many rounds and possible of the following in 20 minutes:

9 thrusters

9 pull ups

20 feet overhead dumbbell lunges each leg (one dumbbell)

10 shuttle burpees (burpee, side shuffle 20 feet, burpee, side shuffle 20 feet)  

Rest 1 minute.

- See more at: http://www.obstaclemaniac.com/jwbenne/activity/d72cb1d9-60b6-d616-6fb8-caea3f65d5d4#sthash.ZsUqMIsm.dpuf

In the long run running mud obstacle race training 11/9/16

I'm trying to build my endurance up so that I can do a Spartan Super, Bone Frog, OCR World Championship or other similar 15k distance run with no problems. Usually I cramp up or run out of steam on these events and don't finish as strong as I had hoped to. I'm still trying to wrap up to 30 to 35 miles per week but make it closer to 28 or 29 miles per week. So today I am extending my long run from 9 miles to 10 miles; I'll try to do that once per week.

Run 10 miles.

Running and Rowing for Meeters-11/8/16

This is one of the best exercises ever. Thanks to my gym, I get to focus on running today. For 20 minutes ride a bike, row, or run for maximum meters. Try to at least 1000m with a row machine and the rest bike or run.

Here's what I did:

Row 600m
Run 3200m
Row 500m

Stop at the end of 20 minutes and see how you do. I ended up running an additional three miles for a total of 5 miles running.

So, I found this log-Run in Mud ORT-11/7/16

Today's training focuses on hills and sprints with a little strength training along the way. The goal is to get an intense 5 mile run and push up hill as hard as possible.

10 push ups

10 air squats

Stretch and rotate muscles

Run 1 mile easy to warm up.

.1 mile bucket carry in a bear hug. (5 gallon bucket from Lowes with a bag of gravel inside. Or 5 gallon water can filled with water.

Walking lunges for 20 feet

From a seated position, use rope to pull yourself up to a standing position x 3

5 hanging knees to chest or toes to bar x 2

From a seated position, use rope to pull yourself up to a standing position x 3

Sled pull x 2 (Using thin rope pull two cinder blocks for 40-50 feet and carry blocks back to start position)

5 hanging shoulder shrugs x 2 (hang from bar or other handholds and pull body up while shrugging shoulders)

Run 1 mile-alternate jogging and faster running between mailboxes

Run 3 miles on hilly terrain. Alternate jogging and sprinting every 1/4 miles. I found a log and carried it .2 miles along the way.

- See more at: http://www.obstaclemaniac.com/jwbenne/activity/4744a69b-2dcb-60eb-ecff-c519a985e96e#sthash.PBz4jEzZ.dpuf

Run in Mud ORT-11/2/16

Run 9 miles

Run in Mud ORT-11/1/16

They just released the next location for 2017 OCR World Championships. It looks like the venue is once again in Blue Mountain, CA. It is a beautiful venue and looking forward to it. My son attended the 2016 OCRWC as a spectator and he became an instant fan. I thought my season was over, but...

My son wants to do an OCR event and now we are signed up to run.  Currently I am training for the ATL Super in December where I'll run the competitive heat. Then the next day I'll run the open heat with my son to show him the ropes (there's the rope to climb and that rope is used to hoist a sand bag that weighs as much as you).

Here's today's training:

Run 1/4 mile

Row 1000 meters or run 3/4 miles

Stretch and rotate muscles and joints

Bear crawl 10 feet

Walking lunges 10 feet

Do the following 5x:

6 air squats

5 pull ups

Do the following 5x:

12 kettlebell swings

Jump rope 60 jumps

Run 4.5 miles