Mud Run Preparation

Before you lace up your clean and tidy running shoes, read these tips which will make a difference between loving and hating the experience.

Goal Setting

The good news is that working toward a goal may do more to improve your physique and mental health than you might think. Experts recommend picking an event that will require physical training like a walk-a-thon or 5K.

According to a recent study, runners reported that just completing the event or race gave them an increased sense of accomplishment. Newcomers and seasoned veterans alike agreed that they felt more confident and more powerful in all areas of their lives after completing the race. They felt stronger mentally and physically and more able to master problems at work and in relationships.

Train harder then the actual event will be

There is a great advantage in training under unfavourable conditions. It is better because the difference is comes as a tremendous relief in a race. It may rain during your race or you may want to take part in a mud run, so you want to be prepared.

Train like you run

Before the event try out your kit under muddy race conditions. It would be annoying if you find out half way through a mud race that your kit gets uncomfortable or starts chafing when wet and muddy.

Practice running in wet shoes and wet clothes, maybe on a rainy day. Get into what you want to wear on race day, go down to the river or lake or beach, and run across/up and down the river, lake or beach.

Jump into a bog or a lake, then go for a run, then jump in again and run some more. Train on dirt, mud, sand and through water. Run hills and stairs. This may be a bit of a challenge, but gets you seriously fit.

If you have no bog or lake nearby, take a shower or bath in your kit, or use the hose pipe to soak it. Then go for a run. Feel the weight of the water in your clothes, the weight of the shoes.

Combination Training

Beginners should start with combining walking and running. Begin by alternating four minutes of waking with two minutes of running for a total of 30 minutes. Follow this regimen every other day for at least two weeks then add a minute to the run and subtract a minute from the walk.

After a couple of weeks at this level, step it up to four minutes running, two minutes walking. Keep going until you are running continuously for 30 minutes or settle into any walk/ run combo that suits you.

A week before the race, cut distances by about two thirds and limit running the last two days. As the weeks progress, it will be tempting to crank up the speed, but overdoing it increases your risk of injury.

Pool Training

Use a pool for resistance training, good for muscles or rehabilitation after injury.

Start wading in chest deep water. Then do movements like Nordic Ski, walking on one spot with alternating arm and legs moving forward and back.

Finally, jump up, quickly spread your legs and bring them together again before you touch the ground.