How To Survive Your First Tough Mudder

With my second, but first full Tough Mudder just around the corner, I thought I’d share a few of my top tips on how to survive your first Tough Mudder.

Yes it’s tough, yes it’s muddy and yes, it really is a whole load of fun. Believe it or not. This time though, running just short of a half a marathon, my nerves are already kicking in. Whilst last year’s 5k (half) Tough Mudder was quite challenging at times (mind over strength), I know already that this year’s is going to be a whole different ball game.

Team work makes the dream work

You’re going to be spending the next 3-4 hours with these people so make sure you pick a good bunch of eggs to run with, get dirty with, create human climbing frames with and who you don’t mind touching your butt every now and then to push you up and over walls.

Team work is key in any Tough Mudder so make sure you’re communication skills are on point and that you have a fair balance of skills. I.e, good runners and strong lads and lasses.

Fuel yourself properly

Tough Mudder will provide you with the goods whilst you’re running your track, however, I 100% recommend fuelling up the night before and the morning before with a whole load of carbs, fats and proteins (go on, get everything in there). The more energy you have, the better. Also, don’t forget to hydrate well in the morning beforehand too!

Rest the day before

If you’re a regular gym goer (or CrossFitter like me) then I really recommend resting the day before your Tough Mudder. Preserve your energy, rest those muscles and wake up on the morning with a tin full of beans. Well, let’s hope huh. 

Wear gloves

Ok Rob, I totally take this one back. Earlier on in the week my fellow team mate asked me if he should wear gloves on the day to which I turned my nose up at. But, after some logical thinking (which I don’t do much of apparently), gloves wouldn’t be a bad thing to take with you on the day. You’ll be doing a lot of crawling and getting wet so any extra grip you can get, the better.

Wear old, grip proof trainers

Last year I wore a pair of my old Nike flyknit trainers and whilst they got me through 5K of hell, I did take a few slip and slides when things got a little wet. It also made climbing the ridliciously high walls a little challenging too. This year though I’m set with Tough Mudder’s Merrell trainers and they are 100% grip proof. I actually wore them during my Strongman trial run last week and I was really impressed with their grip. It’s a thumbs up from me.

Leggings over shorts

You’re going to be getting wet so cotton is a big no no. As for your bottom half attire, I would recommend wearing leggings rather than shorts. My knee’s got pretty banged up last year from all the crawling and fumbling about on the ground so God knows what they would have been like if I wore shorts!

Hair back

Last year I sported two French braids. Out of sight, out of mind. Whilst it may seem like a minor thing, I’d suggest simply tying your hair back on the day to avoid anything getting caught. It’s just annoying, right? 

Vest over t-shirt

As I keep saying, you’re going to be getting wet. Really wet. And the way I like to think about it is that the more you wear, the more heavy your clothes are going to be and the more colder you’re going to get. Last year I wore a vest, sports bra and leggings and I wasn’t actually too bad.  Luckily, my clothes dried off pretty quickly too thanks to their quick drying material. Hint hint. 

Less is more (don’t carry any excess stuff)

I’m always asked this “Do I need to take anything with me?”. No, absolutely not. Perhaps a water bottle you can chuck once you’ve drank it but trust me, you don’t want any excess baggage.

Have the right attitude 

Whilst an *almost* half a marathon Tough Mudder may seem a little daunting, just go in there with the right attitude. With anything in life, the more positive you are, the better. Tell yourself that you can and you probably most likely will. At the end of the day, you’re there to have fun. If there’s an obstacle course that you absolutely cannot do, then leave it. Walk around and move on. Simple.

Run before you run

Almost everyone I’ve spoken to about their first Tough Mudder is always more nervous about the running than they are about the obstacles. Personally, I think it should be the other way round. Sure, you’re running quite a bit but it’s broken down and you can take it as it comes. Heck, you don’t even have to run it! I walked some of the course last year with my team. I would however, suggest getting in some training beforehand. At least a few 5K runs.

Strength training

Last year I really struggled with my upper body strength. You’re going to be pulling yourself up onto quite a lot of things and when I say you need upper body strength, I truly mean it. Pull ups, negative pull ups, rows and tricep dips will really help benefit you in the long run before your Tough Mudder. I know that I’m a lot stronger than I was last year (thanks to CrossFit) so it’ll be interesting to see how much of a difference those obstacles will be for me this year.