With just a week to go until the big event day, I thought I share my training with you.
First of all I downloaded the Tough Mudder training guide for the Tough Mudder Half event I’m attending. If you don’t know how to start training for an obstacle course race, that schedule is very good.
What you need is basically total body conditioning with focus on upper body strengthening.
My training endet up being partial in the gym and outdoors. I love classes, so I attended 1-2x a week a pump class and also some extra arms and shoulder training using the machines in the gym. On top of that I tried to get back into regular running. Starting with easy 2km jog to the park, exercising and back home.
In the park I was using the outdoor gym. I chose the one in Hampstead Heath and Primrose Hill. Both had monkey bars like shown in the pic above. How to tackle them? To begin with I suggested to my team mates to just hang and feel your full body weight impact on your grip. There are different ways to move across. What works for me is once your hang and start moving with left, right gripping the bars you feel the momentum, swing and you go with that flow. On the same time I move my legs like running high knees.
You might come as far as 3 bars during your first attempt, but remember it’s the muscle you build up and also your hand getting use to the grip. Toughen your skin on your palm of your hands. It takes a few weeks but trust me if you train monkey bars over a couple of weeks you see the improvement.
Cheeky selfie with Mary and Lara. We felt like teenagers again when we took over the playground and turned it into an obstacle training base.
Crawling, balancing and jumping over obstacles. At the time there were no kids around, I guess we looked hilarious.
My final training advice is hill running. On the pic above you see the regulars joining Air Conditioned hill training every Wednesday at Primrose Hill. I know Jon for a few years and always enjoy his classes. Can’t belive that this on is for free. No excuse not to join. My legs were not used to any hills anymore, so I endet up being the last one all the time. Doesn’t matter! Training counts and it will pay of on race day.
Last but not least remember the journey is what matters. On event day of Tough Mudder we might manage a few and fail a few obstacles. That’s fine. It’s abut you and your team to complete the race. It’s not about time.
Enjoy training and you will benefit from it every day.
Have fun with your team, laugh and support each other.
It will be tough but an awesome experience!
More about the race day on my next post.
Sabine xx