One Month Training Guide for a Mud Run

We are less than one month away from the Kansas City Ruckus mud run (and we’re expecting the 10:00am and 11:00am waves to sell out this week!)  This is an exciting and important time for everyone involved in Ruckus. While one month may seem like a while, it will go by fast! It’s important to maintain strong consistency with your training in order to achieve the mud run goal you’ve been working toward (and maybe even surpass it!).

So whether you’re a veteran runner or a first-time participant in a mud run, these helpful tips will ensure your success:

1.      Step up your training.
When runners are training for a marathon, they begin their hardest workouts a month before the big race. Training for the Ruckus, or any mud obstacle course for that matter, is no different. Begin your longest, hardest workouts now to make sure your body is totally prepared for the mud run. If you’ve been running three miles a day to train, start running four. That extra push will put you over the competitive edge.

2.      Get your gear in order.
Now is the time to take a full inventory of all your gear for the mud run. Leave nothing unaccounted for. This is important to do especially if you are ordering specific types of shoes or clothing that are only available online (this will ensure that ample time is allotted for shipping). It would be really disappointing to have a key piece of gear missing on race day. (Another helpful tip: don’t wear brand new shoes on race-day whether you’re in a mud run or a regular race.  First are foremost, you don’t want to ruin them.  And secondly, without breaking in your shoes properly, you could damage your feet with blisters and calluses.) 

3.      Beat yourself.
If you’re participating in Ruckus, odds are you love the idea of being the best version of yourself you can be. If you haven’t already been keeping track of your mile-times, pace and intervals, do so now. One month out from the mud run, track how long your runs are taking you and aim to improve by a few seconds each time. When it comes time to participate in mud run, a few seconds can make or break a runner winning a heat. MapMyRUN has excellent tools to help you track your routes, progress and times. Set out to beat yourself!

4.      Rest up.
The month before an event like Ruckus can lead to lack of sleep (perhaps you lay awake visualizing crossing the finish line!). However, research shows that lack of sleep can severely impair your physical capabilities. Sleep deprivation also takes a while to recover from, so sleeping a lot a couple of day before Ruckus won’t do you much good. Instead, reorient your life to match a healthy sleep schedule. You’ll be much better off for it in the long run – not just for Ruckus, but in general.

5.      Revel in your impending glory.
You are so close! You have taken a bold risk by stepping outside of your comfort zone and you have prepared for quite some time. Now it is time to enjoy the fruits of your labor. Push through and achieve the dream you’ve been looking forward to! In a month, we’ll be applauding you as you reach the finish line. For now, we’re applauding you as you approach the starting line. Let’s do this!

Have tips on how you're training for Ruckus?  Want to share your training experience with us?  Have an incredible Ruckus training story?  Share it on Facebook! 

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!   

Ruckus St. Louis Training Guide: 40 Days Out

Believe it or not, Ruckus St. Louis is only 40 days away. Are you doing everything you can to prepare for this year’s craziest, muddiest and most challenging obstacle course yet? Or are you sitting on the couch, eating potato chips and saying, “I’ll start tomorrow?”

Forty days isn’t a lot of time to build your endurance up, but it is long enough to train your body for the Ruckus Heater and the RuckusChallenge. If you start today, your endurance will be increased by the time Ruckus St. Louis begins on May 5^th. But how can you build your endurance up in just 40 days?

It’s time to begin your Ruckus training! Here’s what we recommend 40 days out from competing in Ruckus:

Slower-paced, longer runs

Start off training by incorporating long, slower runs into your regimen this week. Try to build up the distance toward the middle of the week (Run 2 miles Monday, 3 miles Tuesday and break Wednesday), then go backwards for the rest of the week (Run 3 miles Thursday, 2 miles Friday). The following week, try 3 and 4 milers. Before you know it, you’ll be up to more miles than you ever thought you could complete! This will help build up your endurance, but also allows you to recover in between the tough runs.

Incorporate some interval training

Once or twice a week, try out some interval training. Intervals (a combination of jogging, walking and sprinting) help build endurance even faster. Try doing intervals for 20 minutes at first, and then work your way up. Sprint for one minute, jog for 2 minutes, walk for 1 minute and then repeat until you just can’t take the sprints anymore!

Start eating your veggies and drinking yourwater

Incorporate a healthy diet in your Ruckus training. Here’s are some quick tips for your training/eating plan:

• Never run on an empty stomach! You need energy to power through those runs. Eat at least one hour before you run—and be sure to pack in the protein!
• Eat within 30 minutes of completing your run to maximize your window of recovery. Get the energy you need by eating 80% carbohydrates with 20% proteins.
• Hydrate, hydrate, hydrate! Drink water until you’re full.

Bring on the obstacles!

Although no Ruckus runner knows exactly what to prepare for when it comes to the obstacles, there is a way to train for the difficult challenges that lie ahead! How? Weight training! Lift weights on the days that you do not run to beef up muscle and improve your strength. When weights aren’t an option, try out some body weight exercises like pushups, pull-ups, dips and plank holds. And don’t forget the abs!

We’re 40 days out, Ruckus St. Louis runners! Are you preparing?