With Tough Mudder Ireland 2016 just around the corner we have our top tips for all your planning and training for the big day!
10. Avoid cotton
You’re gonna be wet, you’re going to be fully submerged at some point, and it’s going to be cold. Stay away from cotton, which will soak up the water and mud, dragging you down and keeping you chilled. Instead, opt for materials that wick away moisture, like Dri-FIT or COOLMAX, and fit closely to the body to reduce chafing. That said, there is no dress code, and costumes are encouraged, so if you want to go shirtless or wear a tutu, do it. Just remember to bring a change of clothes so you can enjoy the post-event party dry and warm.
9. Run
If you lack the cardio aspect of conditioning, you’re gonna struggle. There’s no rule against walking, but if you want to finish strong, you’ll have to train to run. The events incorporate 10 to 12 miles of running up and down mountains, across mud, and through obstacles—i.e. not in a straight line. Tough Mudder says you should be able to run five miles.
8. Wear gloves
A good pair of gloves with open tips so the water drains out of them will help you grab onto things when you’re wet and doing the obstacles. Weight lifting or cycling gloves will protect your hands and improve your grip on obstacles like monkey bars or rope climbs.
7. Enlist friends
Most importantly, get yourself a crew of awesome friends—people who are gonna laugh when they fall, and get back up. Put your team together early. That way, you can help each other through workouts. The typical team size is between five and 10 people. If you can’t convince anyone to join you, don’t fret. If you’re alone, you’ll end up joining a team at the first obstacle. People who didn’t know each other before they started have made lifelong friends from having done a Tough Mudder together!
6. Train outside
Tough Mudder requires functional strength to lift yourself over walls, carry a log, or slither under barbed wire. Create muscle memory by imitating these movements outdoors with plyometric exercises. Don’t sit at the air-conditioned or heated gym and do bench presses and curls. Mimic obstacles. Go to your local playground and climb around on the monkey bars. Get out in the fresh air, run up a hill, or climb a freaking tree!
5. Get wet
It will be cold. Don’t let event day be the first time you face the mind-numbing shock of plunging into icy liquid. Train in the elements as much as possible. That includes training outside on cold mornings and in the rain.
4. Wear old, grippy shoes
Wear an old pair of sneakers, especially a pair that has trail treads, Patterson says. Pick a pair that isn’t completely beat, but that you don’t mind getting permanently stained.
3. Fundraise
Team NRG is raising money doing this year’s event for Jigsaw Galway! Friends, family and colleagues will only be happy to contribute!
2. Embrace the insanity
Conquering the unknown is part of what bonds Tough Mudders together, and every race has one mystery obstacle that you can’t prepare for by looking at the map or obstacles. You will fall, you’ll look ridiculous, and at some point, you’ll probably be scared. Enjoy it. People will be watching. After the race, we’ll grab a beer, and stand and laugh as people come through Electroshock Therapy!
1. Don’t stress
If for some reason you don’t want to complete an obstacle (ex: you can’t swim, and the obstacle requires jumping off of a platform into a pond), it’s OK. You can run around if need be. Just know that to qualify for the world’s toughest mudder, a 24-hour challenge in which competitors complete as many loops of a Tough Mudder course as possible, you should be able to do all of the obstacles.