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Run like a Pro |
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 like you run
Check it out yourself. Get into what you want to wear on race day, go down to the river or lake or beach, dressed in your favourite football team sweats, tape up and run across/up and down the river. Feel the weight of the water in your clothes, the weight of the shoes, the traction of your shoes taped, the flexibility of your feet when taped. Then wear Spandex or nylon shorts try your shoes double-knotted and socks tucked. Huge difference!
Before the event try out your kit under muddy race conditions. Jump into a bog or a lake, then go for a run, then jump in again and run some more. If you have no bog or lake nearby, take a shower or bath in your kit and then go for a run. 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.
Train harder then the actual event will be
There is a great advantage in training under unfavorable 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.
Training for a rainy day
Practice some running in wet shoes and wet clothes. Use the hose pipe to soak your kit, or jump into the ocean or a pool and then go for a run. This may be a bit of a challenge, but gets you seriously fit.
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 toghether again before you touch the ground.
Training
- Train like you run. Practice running in wet shoes and wet clothes. Jump into the ocean or a pool and then go for your run. Train on dirt, mud, sand and through water. Run hills and stairs.
- Check it out yourself. Get into what you want to wear on race day, go down to the beach, lake or river, dressed in your favorite football team sweats, tape up and run into the water, then up and down the beach or river. Feel the weight of the water in your clothes, the weight of the shoes, the traction of your shoes taped, the flexibility of your feet when taped.
- Then wear spandex or nylon shorts. Try your shoes double-knotted and socks tucked. Huge difference! You don't see Marines running up the river with duct tape on their feet, right? Usually, they wear boots and camo gear.
- Don't duct tape your shoes, just double-tie your laces and TUCK them in. People whou duct tape their shoes have the tendency to tape too hard and reduce circulation, or limit the range of motion in your foot, causing injury.
By taping, you loose 50% or more of the traction on the bottom of your shoes as well. 300 meters into the race is the first mud hole! From the first obstacle on, it's mud, dirt, mud after mud for 2 miles, You do the math. Have you seen any Marines running up the river with duct tape on their feet? Usually, they are wearing boots and camo gear.
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Don't wear goggles or sunglasses
Contact lenses can be a pain when mud gets in your eyes.
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Race Day
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Take photos of yourself before and after the race.
You'll have more fun later.
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Stay Hydrated
Drink half a litre (500ml) of fluid two hours before your run, then another 600ml of fluid for every hour that you exercise. You'll need more water during high humidity and hot temperatures. Drink the water they offer along the route.
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Warm-ups and Stretching
Warm up your muscles before you begin any run. Warm muscles stretch with greater ease. Strength your muscles before and after you participate in the sport. This will improve your flexibility and reduce chances of injury.
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Join a Team
Join a team or find a partner to run with. First-time mud runners may want to run with a friend. You are more likely to stay strong to the end when you have someone else running with you. Be sure the others on your team are at your same intensity level; don't pair a slow runner with other fast runners Ask for help along the route when you need it, there are lots of volunteers around
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Positioning
If you are serious about your race time, arrive to the start line early and try to start at the front of the race.
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Listen to your body
Take breaks as you need them. Drink more water. Don't walk or slow jog down big hills, run and pass other competitors with caution.
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Obstacles
When you crawl through the tunnels and under the wires, do a bear crawl. Do not crawl on your knees or you will scrape them on small rocks.
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Mud Pits
Don't run through the middle of the creeks or mud pits where they can get deep; run along the shallowest sides (edges) of the water obstacles. There may be unexpected divits and holes in the creeks and in the mud pits; proceed with caution.
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