Run in Mud Obstacle Race Training-3/29/16

Short run and core / grip breakdown. One and a half weeks until Battle Frog greater Nashville.  I'm still working on core and grip strength in preparation to meet the platinum rig challenge. If I can just keep my arm band I can place in the Master's division.

Here's how I'm getting ready:

Stretch and rotate muscles and joints
10 burpees x 2
Run 1 mile
10 burpees
Run short distance
10 burpees
Run 1 mile
10 burpees
Run short distance
10 burpees
Run 1 mile
10 burpees
Run short distance
10 burpees
Monkey bars (as many as possible)
Run 1 mile

Be the neighborhood Ninja Warrior:
Carry wreckbag .2 miles
Carry bucket with gravel .1 miles
Hang various handholds from monkey bars and go at it.
Squeeze grip trainers


This is in my kit bag for obstacle rig training:

Grip holds-grip a hold and hang for as long as you can. Change grips and holds.

Hang these from monkey bars and instant platinum rig; kinda.

             

Run in Mud Obstacle Race Training-3/30/16

Run a 10k at a moderate pace
10 pull ups
10 chin ups
6 pull ups on rock wall hand holds x 5

Run in Mud Obstacle Race Training-3/28/16

Run 8 miles
Do repeats on monkey bars, rock climbing grips, rope hangs and etc. Concentrate on spending time hanging and improving grip endurance.
Pinch dumbbell plates with fingers and thumbs. Hold as long as possible.
10 Romanian Squats x 2
10 squats x 2
Rope climb with arms only x 2
5 pull ups on rope climbing holds (fingertips) with leg lifts x 6

Run In Mud Obstacle Race Training-3/26/16

Here's a great question. Does your day go as planned? I mean, can you put your plans on paper down to the hour and have confidence that things will go as planned?  Mine don't go that well either.

Take today for example. It's Friday and I decide not to work out at 5 am and sleep in a bit. I can get my workout in at the end of the day. I pack my running clothes and my kit bag of obstacle rig parts to mount on monkey bars, and plan to workout immediately after the whistle blows.

That was until 1 hour prior to the end of the day and I lock my keys in the car. It was innocent really. I was taking a quick break to load my lunch dishes and my coat into my car so I wouldn't have to carry a lot of stuff when I got ready to work out. I put everything in my trunk and slammed it shut.

Then it hit me. I had put my keys in my jacket pocket. For the rest of the afternoon, my priorities changed from working out to getting back in my car. After calling endless numbers for tow trucks and locksmiths (it's late afternoon on Good Friday), I couldn't get any attention. Finally my wife came through and rescued me.

My plan was to run four miles on a track and do some grip strength training. However, I was able to alter the exercise to running the trail near my office and doing pull ups and carrying heavy weights with my thumbs and finger tips.

Always have a backup plan...

Run 4 miles at a moderate pace.

5 pull ups slow for warm up x 2

Hang from bar and with hands walk 1 step, pull up and repeat for as long as possible x 2

10 Romanian squats x 2

Carry dumbbells or weight plates with thumb and finger tips for as long as possible (don't need too much weight, just conditioning hands and forearms.

This is in my kit bag for obstacle rig training:



Grip holds-grip a hold and hang for as long as you can. Change grips and holds.

             

Run in Mud Obstacle Race Training-3/24/16

Run 4 miles. Incorporate sprint intervals.

Run in Mud Obstacle Race Training-3/23/16

 Yesterday was a long slow run, today will be a moderate run at a moderate pace with a moderate distance. We are going to add strength training along the way. What does it all mean? Block Party is back, let's get busy.

What you need:

1. Route that repeats on an area that allows you to do strength training.

2. Workout area for strength training; could be your yard, school, circuit training route or playground.

3. Running route should lap at the training area.

Choose a running route that allows repetition. My block is 1 mile wide and I have several routes the repeat at both at my home and the neighborhood playground.

Warm up:

Stretch and rotate muscles and joints

Main set:

5 pull ups on wall climbing hand holds

Rope climb

Run 1 mile

Monkey bars as many times as possible

Plank for 1 minute, push ups for 30 seconds, plank for 30 seconds

10 chin ups

Run 1 mile

Bear crawl

Rope climb

8 pull ups on wall climbing hand holds

Rope hang (grip training)

Bear crawl

Run 1 mile

Bear crawl

Rope hang

6 pull ups on wall climbing hand holds

Bear crawl

Run 1 mile

Bucket brigade-Carry 5 gallon bucket filled with gravel for .1 miles

60 lbs sand bag on shoulders for .1 miles Carry 30 pounds in each hand for .05 miles

Run in Mud Obstacle Race Training-3/22/16

In an earlier article I wrote about obstacle or mud run racing research results. All research supported running every day and including both sprint and endurance workouts. The rationale is that the participant must be able to perform technical and strength based tasks while their hear rates are 180 bpm or higher. Mixing running with strength building exercises helps to do just that. Race distances are getting longer and obstacles more technical. Let's get ready to meet the challenges.

Run slow for a long distance. Try to run between 1 and 1 1/2 hours.  I ran 8 miles in 1 hour and 12 minutes.