120902 ToughMudder Practice

5 hr run @ VFP w/ the following:

- 2 half mile log carrys
- 9 mile run
- 30 decline pushups
- 30 diamond pu
- 90 box hops
- chair dips
- 8x steps
- wall climb
- hill repeats 5
- rock climb
- water crossing w rock overhead
- sewer crawl
- downhill run
- i beam crossing under bridge
- switchback up mt joy
- hill climb to observatory
- 5 bench hops
- 10 standing log presses
- 10 burpees
- 2 bear crawls
- 2 alligator crawls
- 8 fence hops
- 5 rail balances w pushups
- 30 table lifts
- 7 sets of tree Pullups

120722 TM Training

Training took place at a gymnastics gym @ 6:30 this morning. Karen the kids and I had free reign for 3 hours with a couple of dudes from Mudder Fudders. Did a few different circuits getting a great total body workout but there was definitely more emphasis on the upper body. The shoulders are completely smoked today.

Finally got to climb a proper climbing rope and made the most of the opportunity by going up multiple times. Was even able to go halfway up holding a rope in each hand. Never thought I would have ever been able to do this.

Oddly enough the hardest part of the day was trying to get out of the foam block landing pits. That in and of itself was a workout.

And seeing the uneven parallel bars for the first time in person gives me a new respect for what proper gymnasts are able to accomplish on those things. I had no idea how far apart they were. The thought never even crossed my mind to give it a shot.

The kids had a blast and seeing their faces when we launched them as they were strapped into the training harness was priceless.

So looking forward to doing this again.

120603 TM Training Run

Ran 7mi. @ VFP

Stopped at the usual spots for:
Push-ups
Pull-ups
Burpees
Bear Crawls
Alligator Crawls
Railing hops
Found a new spot for box jumps.

120415 TM Training Run

6mi training run @ VFP.
Pull-ups: 6-5-4-3-2
Bear crawls: 1 x 60'
Alligator crawls: 1 x 60'
Burpees: 1 x 10
Elevated push-ups: 3 x 10

120406 Tough Mudder S&C

Buy in:
3 x 200m run
5 min DROMs

Strength:
Bench Press
#95 x 5
#115 x 5
#135 x 5
#155 x 5
#185 x 4

Metcon:
100m Tire drag
15 #30DB Travelling Lunges
15 #30DB Shoulder Press
100m Tire drag
12 #30DB Travelling Lunges
12 #30DB Shoulder Press
100m Tire drag
9 #30DB Travelling Lunges
9 #30DB Shoulder Press
100m Tire drag
Time: 9:30

Cash out:
Pull-Ups 6-5-4-3-2-1
Weighted (#20) Bar Dips 4 x 6

Proximal hamstrings smoked from the lunges. Need to do these more often.

120325 Tough Mudder Training Run

7.5 mi training run at VFP. Stream crossings, hill climbs, bear crawls oh my.

Tough Mudder Post Mortem

While this stuff is still fresh in my head just thought I would get this down for future reference and anyone who happens to stumble onto this.

Training
To make the experience as enjoyable as possible you've got to put in the time. Can you do it without training? Maybe. But I sure as fuck wouldn't want to be THAT guy. I saw him on Sunday and he was NOT having a good time. And honestly the training was much harder than the actual event. I didn't do much running unless it was part of a CrossFit WOD aside from our Sunday morning 7mi team sessions at Valley Forge Park and 2x/week doing sets of 100m repeats with the truck tire. And this running only took place 2 months out from the event.

Crossfit
CrossFit was the perfect complement to this event. The Tough Mudder is a true test of general physical preparedness (GPP) and that's what CrossFit aims to improve. It's immediately apparent why we're doing all of those box jumps, pull-ups and burpees. So many of the obstacles directly correlate to these movements.

Strength
CF alone will get you there but I think my dedicated strength work played a huge factor in my success. A linear progression program like CrossFit Strength Bias or Jim Wendler's 5/3/1 will have you doing plenty of squat work and deadlifts to help getting on top of the obstacles. And while runners like to shy away from strength training, on a cold day like yesterday it would behoove you to put a little extra meat on your bones. I saw some typical runners and they were cold. Very cold.

Hill sprints
I did some, I'll be doing more next time around.

Mobility
Just go to mobilitywod.com every day and do the work. This is the shit no one likes to do but just a few minutes a day will help stave off injury and transform you into a supple leopard. Being able to get into a strong position is a huge factor in being able to do the strength work as well. Again, just take my word for it and do it. You'll thank me later.

Gear
Compression gear
Under Armor-type compression gear is a must. When you're wet you WILL be cold and the long sleeves and pants will provide that extra level of comfort.

Gloves
Some say they're not necessary but I disagree. Gloves are less about keeping you warm and more about grip, and you'll need plenty of it. Thin, mechanics-type gloves are all you need.

Shoes
I rock the New Balance Minimus Trail MT10's. They drain well and provide plenty of grip and I don't even notice them. They are a minimal shoe, so if you've never used this type of shoe before ease into training with them and train with them often. Your calves will thank you.

Socks
Thin, lightweight, wool running socks. They'll provide a bit of warmth and wick away moisture.

Monistat Chafing Relief Powder Gel
Apply liberally to your "under carriage" and run chafe-free. I cannot overstate how critical this was for me.

Nutrition
Now my wife and I have been kinda Paleo for the past year and that works for us. Very low carb, heavy on the protein and fats. When I was doing triathlons the go to meal the night before was pasta and bread. This is no longer the case for me. The night before the race we had a rib eye steak, baked sweet potato and roasted brussel sprouts. The morning of it was scrambled eggs and bacon and a small bowl of oatmeal mixed with walnuts, flax seed, ground coconut, banana and maple syrup. Just enough carbs to start the race then we supplemented with Cliff Blocks and water throughout.

And drink plenty of water in the days leading up to the event. If you're wondering if you drank enough, you didn't.

That should do it. Happy racing.

111311 TriState Tough Mudder

Awesome! Just AWESOME!

Of the 12 people on our team the 2 CrossFitters (Karen and I) finished strongest. Dare I say we even thought it was easy--we OWNED it. Not to discount the accomplishments of anyone who finished this beast, but now I know what Coach meant by "prepare for the unknown and unknowable." I get it now. The Tough Mudder was right in our wheelhouse thanks to CrossFit. It's a true test of GPP. Aside from a few bumps and bruises I feel like a million bucks today.

Surprisingly (but maybe not) the one-dimensional marathoners in the group were the ones who struggled most. Followed by the traditional cardio/weights and P90X'ers. But that's really splitting hairs. Everyone stepped their game up today and played like a champion. Emphasis on the play.

I can't remember the last time I had this much fun. It was as if I were transported back to my childhood, rolling through the mud and scrambling and climbing over obstacles. Without a doubt I am hooked and can't wait for the next one.

2012 Bear Creek, PA--we've got you in the crosshairs.

111106 Mudder Conditioning (long run)

Tough Mudder Conditioning

6mi run w/ the following calisthenics done throughout:
20 hill sprints
10 side hurdles
20 air squats
2 x 30 sit-ups
2 x 10 push-ups
4 passes on monkey bars
10 burpee pull-ups
25 box jumps

Time: 1:20:00

RRPuP Step 8:
5 | 4 | 3 | 2 | 2

111104 Crawl Complex

Warm up:
100 jumping jacks
15 Shoulder dislocates
2 rounds of:
20 Overhead Squats w/ dowel
15 65# Good Mornings

RRPuP Step 8:
5 | 4 | 3 | 2 | 2

Strength:
Off

WOD: from mudrunmaniac.com
Complete 2-4 cycles of the following:

20 Yard Bear Crawl Forward/Reverse
20 Yard Bear Crawl Lateral (Left/Right)
20 Yard Crab Crawl Forward/Reverse
20 Yard Crab Crawl Lateral (Left/Right)
20 Yard Caterpillar Crawl Forward/Reverse
20 Yard Caterpillar Crawl Lateral (Left/Right)
20 Yard Gator Crawl Forward/Reverse
20 Yard Gator Crawl Lateral (Left/Right)
Rest 2 minutes rest between each cycle.
Time: 28 min

Great prep for the Mudder. Made the mistake of taking 2min in between each crawl type, but it was much needed recovery. I only got through 1 cycle then had to call it quits because of time constraints. Could have done 1 more cycle but it would have been ugly. This was extremely difficult. Heart rate was jacked.

111028 Tire Pushes, Burpee Boxjumps and Runs

Buy in:
800m run
20 20# KB swings
20 air squats

WOD:
5 rounds for time of:
66 m Tire Push 106 lbs*
10 Burpee Box Jumps
100 m Run
Recovery walk back to start.

Post total time.

Time: 19:41

* Rounds 1,3 and 5 were tire pushes. Rounds 2 and 4 were 33m drags and 33m squatting power rows.

RRPuP Step 7:
4 | 4 | 2 | 2 | 2

Cash out:
Bar Dips 10-8-6-4-2

Squat Cleans 5 x 3
95 | 115 | 135 | 155 | 165

Really liked this WOD. Kept moving the entire time.

111026 Tough Mudder Conditioning

Tough Mudder Conditioning

Warm-up:
800m run
stretching

WOD:
5 rounds of:
66 m Tire Push 86 lbs
33 m Run (Weighted) 25 lbs
33 m Weighted Travelling Lunges 25 lbs
15 Sit-up (standard)s
Time: ≈22:00

RRPuP Step 7:
4 | 4 | 2 | 2 | 2

After the tire push weight plate is picked up and run with. Then lunges are performed with plate locked out overhead. The plate must not leave your hands until the lunges are completed. With the number of people we had there was some waiting, but each leg was an all-out effort.

111023 TM Training Run

Buy in:
100M tire push
100M tire pull

WOD:
Run 6.5 mi
175 push-ups
30 bench dips
15 Australian pull-ups