Ruckus: More than a Physical Challenge

It takes a heck of a lot more than physical strength, agility and endurance to finish the Ruckus obstacle course.  In addition to the physical challenge that Ruckus provides, our obstacle course also poses a mental challenge to our participants.  In fact, many Ruckus racers have admitted to us: “it’s all mental!”

Anyone can climb a 10 foot wall made of rope—as long as they put their mind to it!  Ruckus is all about mental toughness.  It’s about going out onto our obstacle course and challenging your brain to push forward, even when it gets tough.

Although now is a great time to start training your muscles for Ruckus Kansas City, it’s also a great time to start training your BRAIN!  Here’s what you’ll need mentally in order to successfully finish a Ruckus obstacle course:

1.  A positive attitude

First and foremost, it’s important to go into Ruckus with a positive attitude!  We want all of our participants to have the time of their lives—and that all starts with a great attitude.  Whether you’re running to win or just to have a great time, making your way to the finish line with a smile on your face is the most important part.  The more positively you think during the obstacle course, the faster you’ll complete our physical challenges. 

2.  Think on your feet

Finishing Ruckus takes more than muscle—it takes muscle memory too!  When you train for a competition like Ruckus, you are also mentally teaching your muscles to remember certain movements.  This allows your body to react quickly throughout the obstacle course.  Prepare your body and your mind for difficult obstacles.  The more you practice, the less surprised you’ll be when you have to climb a 7 foot wooden wall splattered with mud! 

3.  Mental strategy

Think strategically during your Ruckus race—will it be better if you wade through the mud or crawl through it on all fours?  Should you take the race out fast and get ahead of the crowd or stay in the pack and save your energy for the end?  That’s your mental strategy coming through!  Figure out what works best for you (even before the race starts!).  

4.  Mental toughness

We guarantee that at least one of our Ruckus obstacles will mentally challenge you.  Staring at the course you may think to yourself “can I really climb that wall?” or even “will I really be able to finish a 5K?”  Always remember to fight through any mental barriers.  Keep a can-do mentality throughout the race and you’ll be sure to succeed. 

5.  Fun, fun, fun!  

And most importantly, remember: Ruckus is all about FUN.  We encourage you to determine some goals before the race, but in the end, it’s meant to be a fun, exhilarating experience.  Although you may not get the finish time you wanted, or if one of the obstacles got to the best of you, remember: after the finish line, it’s time to celebrate (with beer and all!). 

Learn more about Ruckus on Twitter! @RuckusSports

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?