The Top 3 Skills You Need to Dominate Your Next Mud Run

Obstacle course racing requires a wide variety of skills and abilities. More physically and mentally challenging than almost any other athletic activity out there, mud run training requires a balanced approach to developing skills that range from having the capacity to run long distances to tackling challenging obstacles which require as much mental strength as physical.

The Savage Race HQ team has a pretty good idea of what it takes to be your best on our course, so we put our heads together and came up with the top three skills we believe you need in order to dominate your next mud run or obstacle course race.

STAMINA

[stam–uh-nuh]

Stamina is the ability your body has to produce a lasting output of energy over a period of time. It is closely related to having cardiovascular endurance and being able to sustain an activity, such as running, for the duration of a race.

Stamina is built by incorporating a variety of speed and distance training over a range of time domains. Here are three different workouts that can help you develop stamina:

5-10 Interval Sprints @ 100 meters
Sprint 100 meters, then walk back leisurely. Repeat five to ten times.

Run-Walk-Run 5-7 Miles
Jog or run for as long as you can comfortably sustain a challenging pace, and then walk for as long as it takes to slow your heart rate back down again. Repeat until you cover your target distance.

 5k Run
Run a 5k at the fastest pace you can handle.

STRENGTH

[strengkth, strenth]

Strength is the ability the muscles in your body have to perform the tasks you’re asking them to do. Things like lifting, pushing, pulling, dragging, etc. all require strength. Closely related to strength is power, which is an explosive application of your strength.

Strength is built by challenging your muscles. Body-weight calisthenics are great at building strength. Adding additional resistance, especially for your lower body (which often tends to be naturally stronger), is also valuable. Here’s an example of a callisthenic workout that can help you build strength.

Pull Push Squat
Complete 10 pull-ups (or chin-ups), 20 push-ups, and 30 body-weight squats. Rest 2 minutes. Repeat 5 times, making sure to rest 2 minutes in between each round.

If you’re in the gym and want to add a level of difficulty, switch out the body-weight squats for weighted back or front squats.

COORDINATION

[koh-awr-dn-ey-shuh n]

Coordination is how your body is able to combine multiple movements into something… well… coordinated! Closely related to coordination is balance and agility. A great tool to help develop coordination is a jump rope. Practicing jumping rope, starting with single jumps and advancing to double-unders (where the rope passes under your feet twice per hop), will certainly help develop coordination. Many sports activities, such as playing softball or tennis, also develop coordination, balance, and agility.

BONUS SKILL: GUTS!

[guht-s]

Sam Abbitt, CEO and Co-Founder of Savage Race, believes that having GUTS is a key to dominating obstacle course racing. No doubt about it, crawling through narrow tunnels, scooting under barbed wire, jumping over fire, and leaping off of a 15 foot platform into murky water below requires guts. Having a positive can-do attitude and pushing aside any hesitation is a key to success in any athletic event. Coming prepared to push your physical and mental limits, support those around you, and have the time of your life is what Savage Race is all about!

To recap, the Savage HQ team believes that stamina, strength, and coordination (along with a healthy dose of guts) are absolutely necessary to dominate your next mud run. Stamina is especially important as you cover the 5-7 mile distance of Savage Race. Strength comes in to play when you come up on obstacles such as Colossus, where you have to make it up a 16-foot high quarter pipe, or Sawtooth, as you have to monkey across a 35 foot span requiring a sold grip and dominant upper-body strength. Coordination is required as you traverse the 3-inch beam at Nutt Smasher or make your way across the small foot and handholds on Kiss My Walls.

We believe that if you emphasize stamina, strength, and coordination in your training program, you’ll make a lot of progress towards finishing your next race MORE SAVAGE than ever before!

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