How to Train for a Mud Run

Are you considering taking on the challenge of a Mud Run? These popular races are held all over the country with a variety of tasks and distances. They can range from 3.1 miles (5 kilometers) to over 12 miles. The difference from a traditional race is that you do not just run when you compete. You have to complete various obstacles that can be downright difficult if you are not prepared.

So how do you prepare for a mud run? Running is obviously a good choice as you’ll need to run to each obstacle to complete the required distance. However, that is only one piece of the puzzle. You need to strength train in order to successfully complete a mud run. Many of the obstacles will require upper body strength, so you need to develop your shoulder and arm muscles. Leg strength will help you run, climb, and jump, so don’t skip leg day either!

In addition to traditional strength training, dynamic workouts are helpful. Consider doing plyometric workouts that involve burpees, squat jumps, and tuck jumps. These will help you react more quickly and efficiently as you conquer each obstacle. These exercises can be performed in short workouts that can be added onto the end of your traditional strength training sessions.

Using Achieve On, you can make a plan for each week as you train. Decide how often you want to strength train and what body parts you will work each day. For example, you could choose to work upper body twice a week and your lower body twice a week. Then, you can break down each workout to focus on specific muscles, like biceps, triceps, hamstrings, and quadriceps. Don’t limit yourself to just these muscle groups though! Focus on hitting each muscle group every week. Don’t forget to add in your plyometric exercises as well. These can be incorporated throughout the week but you must schedule rest days in between each session.

If you are running this race with a partner or team, then invite them to join you on Achieve On. They can follow your progress and keep track of their own workouts as well. You can all keep track of how much weight you are lifting, when to increase weight or reps, and when to take a rest day. You’ll need to work together to complete the obstacles on the race, so practicing working together now is a great idea.

Click here to see a sample goal page for a mud run. You can use this as an example of how to set up goals and subgoals. As your training progresses, you can add in more subgoals as you complete them. You can also keep track of your progress using different metrics. Just customize them to fit your needs.

Mud Run Goal Sample