3 Tips for Getting into the Ruckus Champion’s Heat

So you’ve decided to participate in Ruckus – way to go! You’re joining the coolest mud running obstacle course in the world. We know you’ve done your training and you’re ready to compete.

Many of our participants go above and beyond the call of duty and shoot for making it into the Champion’s Heat. The Champion’s Heat consists of the top 10% of the men and women’s races from the morning runs.  The Champion’s Heat runs the same course in the afternoon, bringing their total Ruckus mileage to 8 miles for the day. The winners from each division bring home the coveted Golden Helmet!

Planning ahead for the Ruckus Champion’s Heat will be crucial to your success. Here are a few tips for achieving your Champion’s Heat goal:

• Train as if you are going to run the entire 8 miles. This will give you a lead in the regular Ruckus race, while also preparing your body for the Champion’s Heat later in the afternoon. If you are prepared to run 8 miles, the first course will go much smoother.
• Train on challenging terrain. Kansas City is full of steeps streets, lengthy tracks and outdoor stairs (the Plaza and UMKC to name a couple). Training on steep, challenging terrain will make the Kansas City mud run more approachable on race day.
• Pace yourself. It can be easy to overreach during the initial course if you’ve got the Champion’s Heat in mind. Remember, you need to be in the top 10% of your division to compete. Pacing is crucial to ensuring you don’t expend all your energy on the first course, leaving you empty for the Champion’s Heat.

We are so proud of all our participants. Your drive to be healthy and have fun in Kansas City’s great mud obstacle course reminds us of the difference we’re making through Ruckus. We can’t wait to see you out there...whether you’re in the Champion’s Heat or not!

Top 10 Treadmill Workouts to Prep for Ruckus

Ruckus Kansas City isn’t until April 6, but now’s the time to start training!  The only problem is that Kansas City winter weather is a little unpredictable—one day, it’s mid-fifties and the next, it’s in the teens. Running in freezing cold is no fun (we all know that “my-lungs-are-on-fire” feeling!).

But rather than letting the winter weather deter you from training for our Ruckus mud run, we’ve compiled a list of the 10 best treadmill routines that’ll have you in Ruckus shape, even when the thermostat is below 0! 

1.  30 Minute Intense Interval

2.  Walking Lunge Interval 

Do the same workout as above but during the resting segments, drop the speed to 1.2 and perform walking lunges.

3.   Short Intervals, High Incline 

4.  Speed Increasing Ladder

Same as the above workout but instead of a speed of 7, start at 6.6 increasing by .1 each segment. By the end of the 10^th segment, you’ll finish at 7.5 

5.  King of the Mountain 

6.  Climb the Ladder

Perform the King of the Mountain but this time, start low and increase every level. Start at an incline of 1 and raise 1 with each segment. Feel free to manage speed accordingly.

7.  Sprinter's Paradise

8.  Endurance Sprinter's Paradise

Same workout as above except you increase the sprinting interval time to 1:15 and decrease the resting interval to 45 seconds.

9.  The Ruckus

Also known as the never-ending sprint, this bad boy will get you in Ruckus shape in no time!

10.  The Ruckus Level 9000

If The Ruckus is a little too easy for you congrats—you’re a beast! If you need something more challenging, perform The Ruckus, but after each interval, bring the speed down on the treadmill so you can safely exit. Once off, perform 30 seconds of jumping lunges.  When complete, get right back to it. Yowza! 

These workouts are perfect for the beginner or those eyeing a golden helmet in the Champions Heat. So what are you waiting for? Sign up for Ruckus today and then hit the treadmill—you’ve got some training to do!

The Countdown Continues: 25 Days until Ruckus St. Louis

Can you even believe it?  We are only 25 days away from Ruckus St. Louis!  That means that you only have 25 days to get ready for muddy trenches, swinging ropes, mounds of tires and Mount Ruckmore—our coolest obstacle yet. 

Are you getting in Ruckus shape?  Here are a few quick tips on how to train for Ruckus when you’re just 25 days out:

25 Days Out for the 2-mile Heater: 

For all of you sprinters out there, the 2-miler heater may seem short, but it’s a toughie!  The 2-mile heater consists of more obstacles and less running, so we recommend trying out some of these cool exercises to prepare for your Ruckus experience:

• Weight lifting:  During the Ruckus Heater, you need to be prepared for some heavy lifting.  Get those biceps and triceps in shape and hit the dumbbells at the gym.  Strength training is one of the best exercises you can do to prepare for this obstacle-heavy run.
• Body weight exercises: Ruckus implements a lot of body weight challenges, so make sure to work on our pushups, pull-ups, planks and more.  The more body weight exercises you do, the more prepared you will be!
• Playground exercises: Head to the school playground (hopefully not during recess) and try out the monkey bars, balance beams and slides.  Get your hands prepared for some blisters, because the Ruckus Heater will bring them out!

25 Days Out for the 4-mile Challenge:

Ruckus’ 4-mile Challenge takes all of the innovative obstacles from the 2-mile Heater and adds a little more fun (AKA running).  Therefore, in order to prepare for the Challenge, you need to get ready with:

• Endurance: Be sure to prepare for the Challenge by beefing up your endurance workouts.  Go on long, slow-paced runs, but incorporate short sprint bursts as well.  Try running some hills, too.
• Body weight exercises: Just like the 2-mile Heater, the Challenge will bring a lot of obstacles that require muscle.  Do pushups, pull-ups and planks every day and you might make your way to the Champions Heat!

25 Days Out for the 8-mile Champions Heat:

Ruckus’ 8-mile Champions Heat is a doozy, and it’s something you can’t really predict to be in or not.  If you’ve done a Ruckus Challenge before, we suggest that you come prepared for the Champions Heat—you might just make the cut!

• Even more endurance:  If you qualify for the Champions Heat, you’re going to need a lot of endurance to make it through the day.  That’s because the Champions Heat takes the best of the 4-mile Challenge runners.  So get that endurance training going!
• A lot of everything:  In order to succeed in the Champions Heat, a RuckStar needs a little bit of everything; sprints, endurance, body weight exercises, weight lifting and overall athleticism.  Do a little bit of everything this week to prepare yourself for muscle confusion! 

25 Days Out for the Ruckus Mini:

Like we said, Ruckus is for anyone from age 2 to 92.  And if you’re under the age of 15 and are signed up for the Ruckus Mini, it won’t be too difficult to get in Ruckus shape.  After all, you’ve had hours of recess and intramural sports to practice.  Keep using up your endless energy to get into the best Ruckus shape possible—try out some monkey bars, climb up the slide (if you’re allowed!) and get those running legs moving!  It shouldn’t be too challenge, because you’re a little ball of energy, aren’t you?

We’re 25 days out!  We hope you’re prepared to bring it on May 5^th in St. Louis!