Training for Tough Mudder

There are now just 6 weeks until I take part in Tough Mudder – billed as the world’s toughest event. I’m part of a team of people that Julia has put together – we’re all graduates of her fat loss fitness programme. I’ve never done a mud run before, let alone one with obstacles and each time I watch the video on the website my stomach does a few flips when I realise what I’ve signed up for.

Tough Mudder events are hard-core 12 mile-long obstacle courses designed by the Special Forces to test your all around strength, stamina, mental grit, and camaraderie. I expect completing it to be as tough, if not tougher than completing the London Marathon.

The event organisers never publish the exact details of the course before the event – they like to keep things as a surprise. But from reading the website, and blogs of people who have completed the event we can expect mud, freezing cold water, 12 foot walls, mud, fire and smoke, mud, heights, more freezing cold water, tunnels and pipes, mud and some electricity.

Nice.

So why on earth have I signed up to do this?

First and foremost to challenge myself and to prove to myself that I can do it. It scares me and I think that’s a good thing. 3 years ago I would not have had the confidence or the belief in my physical fitness to even consider entering an event like this. I’ve come a long way in that time – it’s time to prove to myself just how far.

Secondly because I’m doing it as part of a team – some of the obstacles are designed to be impossible to complete on your own. The fact that I’ll be with a team of people helping each other around the course makes the whole thing a much less daunting prospect.

Thirdly because it fits perfectly with the kind of training that I’ve been doing this year, since signing up for Julia’s programme. I’m going to need a combination of strength, explosive power and endurance to get around this course.

So how am I preparing for it? The Tough Mudder website recommends a combination of strength training, plyometrics and running. Julia’s workouts deal with the first two and I’ve been adding some running into my schedule as I’m also preparing for the Edinburgh Half Marathon at the end of May.

Upper body strength is currently my main concern so I’m concentrating on that and I’m going to add some hill work into my running as well. And of course, continuing to shed fat so that I’ve got less body weight to haul over all the obstacles! Since I finished Julia’s programme 3 weeks ago I’ve lost another 2% of my body fat so things are still moving in the right direction. With 6 weeks to go I’m hoping to lose another 4% before the event.

I’ll post some more about my training and fat loss in the run up to the event, so watch this space to find out how I get on.

Is anyone else doing a Tough Mudder event? How are you preparing for it?