Signed up for your First Obstacle Race? Start Here!

So you did it. You signed up for your first obstacle endurance race.

You’re ready for the challenge. Your team named is picked. You picture yourself crossing the finish line.

There is nothing that can stop you from this! Well, except one thing: how in the heck do I train for this?

Whether you’re going to be a Tough Mudder, a Spartan, or a Warrior, one thing for sure is logging some extra elliptical time and bench press reps isn’t going to cut it!

When I signed up for my first race, I thought if I can make the miles I’ll be set; I couldn’t have been more wrong!

Yes, cardiovascular endurance is key to these challenges, but you will most likely be climbing, jumping, swinging, and crawling through barbed wire and mud for this challenge; logging miles isn’t going to be enough!

Depending on the location of your race, there are many different obstacles you’ll face; both mentally and physically. So I’ve put together tips and a glimpse of my training to get you prepared!

5 things to do for your first obstacle race:

Get the gear. Whether 12 miles or 6; depending on your normal gym gear is the first mistake for your big race. My essentials? Gorilla gloves, thick compression style pants, shoes with traction that are light weight, and glasses or goggles.

Bottom Line: protect your body at all times. That includes hands, legs, eyes.

Talk the talk, walk the walk. Unless marathons or obstacles courses are part of your yearly training; dedicate time to training. Too many times, races can creep up on you, make sure to give yourself adequate time to train for success. I soft outline of training should be 3 weeks for every mile your race calls for.

Hydrate! The biggest struggle for most of the races is well, getting through them! During my first race, I saw multiple competitors sidelined because of cramping and dehydration. Make sure to keep your hydration up through training, pre-race, and post.

Axis Labs NGAGE is always a staple in my training routine; but this product literally saved me before and during my race! With muscle recovery and hydration vital to my race performance, this product is my go to!

Carb load. Think you’re going to run up and down a mountain for 12 miles on a banana? Think again.

Carbohydrate loading is a vital process to how your body responds on race day. I start a light carb load of 40-50 extra grams two days prior to the day before the race. The day before, I adjust my carbs to 70-90 grams extra from my normal daily nutrition.

By the way, NASCAR doesn’t fuel its race cars with cheap gasoline, the same thing goes for you! Fuel yourself with nutrient dense, sustainable carbs like sweet potatoes, quinoa, and brown rice for race day.

Don’t just run. In my experience, most of my races I never got the opportunity to log more than 3 straight miles. Between waiting in line for other teams or grinding out inclines and climbs; your biggest challenge isn’t going to be the miles; it’s what’s between them.

Make sure you add variety to your training to anticipate any obstacle thrown at you!

My endurance training includes: sprinting, high intensity interval training, distance running, and plyometrics to name a few.  

So know that you have an idea of what to prepare for in the big race; let’s get started!

Check in next week to see a glimpse of a full week of my training, getting prepared for the Colorado Tough Mudder.