Run In Mud Obstacle Race Training-9/21/15

Big race this coming Saturday with the 2015 Decatur Urban Assault. I am attempting to taper my distance and workout, but still maintain my fitness for the races a few weeks later. I've decided to taper to 75% distance and 50% obstacles strength training. The obstacle strength training takes more time to recover. So, this week I'm working in short run distances and sprints.

Run 4.1 miles at 10k pace.
Do 10 spider man burpees each mile
Walk .5 miles
Do 3 sets of 7 pull ups with leg lifts

Run in Mud Obstacle Race Training-5/26/15

Warm up:
Stretch
Rotate

Main Set:
Run a 10k
Along the way do the following three times:
Run along curb for balance for 20 feet x 2
Leap over 3 foot fence x 4
6 pull ups with leg lifts
10 box jumps
Monkey bars

Cool down:
Walk .5 miles

Leap over

Pull ups anyone?

Monkey bars in the back

Nice curb for balance

Run in Mud Obstacle Race Training-1/5/14

Military Style Exercises

Do a Murph minus the run. This engaging military based exercise will have you wishing you were running. The Murph should involve a 1 mile run followed by 100 pull ups, 200 push ups, 300 squats and another 1 mile run, so feel free to add the run if you have time. I am taking a run recovery 2 weeks off.

The calisthenics can be performed in any order and as many sets as necessary. Just keep moving; it's tough, but doable.

100 pull ups

200 push ups

300 air squats

Run in Mud Obstacle Race Training-8/22/14

Hot August day? Here's a great workout that you can do without overheating. Just add a pool and find a shady area to run. Keep up the pace and you'll be ready for your next Run in Mud Obstacle Race event. 

7 pull ups with leg lifts
Rope climb

Run 1 mile for personal record
Monkey bars x 2
Swim 600 yards (12 laps there and back in a 25 yard pool)
Monkey bars x2
20 burpees

Run 1 mile for personal record
7 alternate grip pull ups
20 burpees
Rope climb

Run 1/2 mile for personal record
10 burpees
monkey bars x 2
200 yard swim 4 laps there and back in a 25 yard pool
10 burpees
monkey bars x 2
Run .6 miles 

Total of 3.1 mile run, 1/2 mile swim, and 60 burpees. Huah!

Great obstacle race training workouts in the Army Physical Readiness Training Manual. Great obstacle course construction ideas as well: 





Write your own book:

Run in Mud Obstacle Race Training-12/12/13

Good Swag here

No time to run today with the evening commitments. I teach 5th and 6th graders at church and keeping up with these young and energetic people is another reason I like the challenges of obstacle race training. These exercises help keep you fit and provides energy well after dinner. At church, we are studying Peru. This study includes sampling some national dishes. On the menu is a dinner of a mix of corn, yellow peppers, feta cheese, shredded chicken, and onions. 

Another dish consists of multiple types of beans, avocado and other veggies and finally rice pudding. The meal is served cold, that's refreshing and no frying or other fattening preparation. Just good flavor and healthy portions; energy when you need it.

5 burpees

5 burpees

5 burpees

Pull ups with leg lifts to muscle failure

5 burpees

Pull ups with leg lifts to muscle failure

5 burpees

Pull ups with leg lifts to muscle failure

5 burpees

Walk with a 45 backpack for one mile at a brisk pace

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?

Get motivated with this great swag. http://www.cafepress.com/redbikepublishing

Obstacle Race Training-4/15/13

This is my quad chart....
Get your obstacle race swag

I could not run today as I rolled my ankle last week. Tested the ankle with an upper body and leg workout.

• 51 Pull-ups 
• 30 Leg lifts
• 100 burpee with Push-ups
• 50 Air squats
• 10 Jumping Lunges forward
• 10 Jumping Lunges Lateral
• 20 Box Jumps
• Stretch

Obstacle Race Training-01/19/13

Grab some buddies and go for a leisurely 10k run. Make plans, talk about the future, whatever; just enjoy the experience.

Obstacle Race Training-1/17/18

Most of the south is enjoying warm sunshine. Great day to go and run. Find a 2.5 mile route and get to it. This is a great workout that incorporates up to 11 obstacles. Most 5k mud runs involve 12 obstacles, equivalent to one every quarter mile. This gets you ready to test your lungs for the run / obstacle / run pattern so familiar to obstacle athletes. Enjoy!

• Run .5 miles
• High crawl or bear crawl for 50 feet
• Run .75 miles
• 15 burpees with push-ups
• Run .75 miles
• High crawl or bear crawl for 50 feet plus
• 10 burpees with push-ups
• Run .5 miles
• leap over 3 foot obstacle 2x
• Cool down walk for 2 minutes
• Plank for 2 minutes
• Rest for 20 seconds
• Left side plank for 1 minute
• Rest for 20 seconds
• Right side plank for 1 minute
• Stretch
• Extra
• 3 x chin-ups to muscle failure (with leg lifts)

Need a place to do chin-ups and dips?

Obstacle Race Training-01/11/13

Warm up:

Stretch

Run 5 miles. Take advantage of grass, trail and field conditions to prepare for obstacle race settings. Sprint the last mile in the following manner:

Sprint-count every time left foot strikes ground. Sprint for a count of 20.

Run-for a count of 60.

Repeat for last mile.

Main set:

Move to a track or obstacle course for a mile run with obstacles

Work in four 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, perform five Jeffreys (burpee with two push ups for each one).      

·        Eight foot tall ladder obstacle to climb over

·        Chin up bars (5 pull ups with leg lifts)

·        Tire trot

·        Rings (monkey bars)

·        Run a lap

·        Five foot wall

·        Rings

·        Chin up bars (5 pull ups with leg lifts)

·        10 Incline sit ups

·        Run a lap

·        Incline rings

·        Parallel bars

·        Rope climb

·        Balance obstacle

·        Run a lap

·        Monkey bars

·        Chin up bars (5 pull ups with leg lifts)

·        Run a lap

Cool down:

Stretch

Build your own obstacles. Here is an obstacle from US Army Physical Readiness Training

Obstacle Race Training-1/5/13

Work in the yard for a few hours. It’s a good day to keep up with heavy weight chores that require lifting, racking, pushing a lawn mower and etc. Make sure to work vigorously and with purpose. If possible, fill a wheel barrow with rocks and bricks or something heavy enough to weigh it down. Sprint while pushing it up an incline and repeat a few times.

then: 

• Chin-ups with leg lifts to muscle failure
• Rest
• Pull-ups with leg lifts to muscle failure
• Rest
• Alternate grip pull-ups with leg lifts to muscle failure

Obstacle Race Training-1/3/13

Obstacles in most races involve walls, monkey bars, tarzan swings, rope climbs, burpees, and other exercises demanding upper body strength. Your training should include exercises like to following to allow explosive lifting from well trained muscles. Hands need to grip tightly, shoulders and arms need to pull body weight swiftly, legs need to jump high, lungs need to breath and the heart needs to pump. These exercises will help get you there.

• 25 minutes on the elliptical
• 3 x dumbbell curls sets to muscle failure
• Farmer dumbbell carry 20 yards

• Rest
• 3 x dumbbell press to muscle failure
• Farmer dumbbell carry 20 yards
• Rest
• 3 x dip sets to muscle failure
• 1 set of pull-ups with leg lifts to muscle failure
• Rest
• 1 set of chin-ups with leg lifts to muscle failure
• Rest
• 1 set of alternate grip chin-ups with leg lifts to muscle failure
• Rest
• Plank for 2 minutes
• 40 sit-ups
• Plank for 2 minutes
• 20 leg lifts
• Stretch

See more in Army Physical Readiness Training