How to survive a Tough Mudder?

Having recently completed my second Tough Mudder (2hrs 40 for those interested) I thought that I would pass on some of my tips on how to survive the 12 mile, mud filled, electrifying experience that it is.

As a bit of background, for those who haven’t heard of a Tough Mudder, you can read all about my first encounter here.

As I had learnt from my first Tough Mudder, it’s not a race but a challenge. You need your team around you, mental grit and determination to complete the course. I have compiled a few snippets of wisdom: these may prove vital if you ever dare to join the legion of Mudders:

Fellow Mudders

Nothing is worse than losing your will to push through Mud Mile, a container full of ice, or the final home straight. Having a team around you where everyone helps each other is vital. They’ll give you support when you need it most and keep your spirits high to the end. So make sure you sign up with a team around you.

Training

Having experienced cramps and tortuous pain on my previous adventure, I set out to complete longer runs in the weeks before the event. Rather than 3-4 3-mile runs a week, I set myself the goal of 1 long run of 6 miles or further, and a shorter run each week. This really helped and I didn’t suffer anywhere as near as much, but in hindsight I would have liked to complete a few more 8-10 mile runs. Strength conditioning was a different beast, with high reps and low weight the main aim. To build stamina and strength at the same time is notoriously difficult, but by using a lower weight and doing more reps this helped to get over some of the obstacles.

Nutrition

With all the training in the world, without the right nutrition you wouldn’t see the benefits. Try to eat lean and healthy on a staple of protein (mainly chicken) vegetables (broccoli etc) and low carb alternatives (sweet potato) to get your body in the optimum condition. 2 weeks prior to the event I added in more carbohydrates to begin my ‘carbo loading’ phase. This consisted of brown pasta, rice and porridge, but still combining with protein and veg. When getting enough protein was a struggle (recommended 1.5g per pound of body weight) I supplemented with protein shakes. Throughout the race I had a selection of gels, energy tablets and bars to sustain me, although the course is well set up to provide you with enough nutrition to keep you going.

Support

Having friends coming to support myself and team was a real benefit. Just seeing them throughout the course gave me a boost of energy (helped by the fact that they were carrying energy drinks and bars). Not only would they give you great encouragement but the crowd that gathered were a real motivator and helped us all cross the finish line.

Mindset

For me, most important to overcome a Tough Mudder is being in the right mindset. You’ve got to be ready to face 12 miles of running through uncomfortable terrain, taking on freezing cold water and climbing some tricky obstacles. If you can get in the right frame of mind then nothing will stop you. The pre race music and warm up help to some extent, but you have to set yourself up for success before you start.

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With a great team, friendly support, the right mindset and a bit of preparation, you too can complete a Tough Mudder. I hope that these tips will help you in any future challenges, physical or mental, and that you achieve all that you can be. Thank you for reading. Here’s me enjoying my ice bath…

 

By Richard Dukes