rAwTEAM

T - 9 Weeks and 2 Days

Thought I would give the team a little incentive to step up the training, and also get rid of John's bloody knee as the first thing you see on the blog.

If you visit the course map, you can roll over each obstacle, and it tells you a little bit about each of the lovely challenges. Don't know which one i'm looking forward to most but whether it is fire, water, mud or the insane im sure the beer at the end will be well deserved.

Run tonight for me I think!

Things I have learned…

My bloody knee

Over the weekend I took a bit of a tumble while out running. I looked up to see how close I was to the gate at the end of a trail just in time to miss a small, cunningly placed and well disguised root. Slammed straight into the gravelly path, leading with my right hand and knee.

Fortunately I only lost some skin. Quite a bit of it but nothing that won't grow back. So, after I picked myself up, did a damage assessment and decided to carry on, I spent a while thinking about what would've happened if I'd seriously hurt myself in the middle of nowhere.

For a start, I wasn't carrying my mobile. So, lesson one, that. No need to be out of communication with the rest of the world, though maybe stick it on silent. A lot of you will have your generic smartphone taped to your arm to provide tunes anyway but, if not, stick a phone in your pocket. Ideally one with charge and credit…

Keep your eyes on the trail so you can see where you're putting your feet. I had only glanced up for a second, but that's all it took. My peripheral vision would have picked up the gate before I ran into it.

Avoid paths that are particularly overgrown, you need to see the roots, rocks and potholes. Also, low branches can ruin your whole day while thistles, thorns and nettles are irritating. Stay away from anywhere that's particularly dark too. If you can't then at least slow down.

I have a pair of fingerless cycling gloves with padded palms that I wear when training with kettlebells and such. I'll be wearing them when running from now on too, just in case. I like having skin on my palms and anything that helps keep it there works for me.

Get those knees up! If your feet are skimming along just above the ground then anything sticking up will do you a treat. And if the ground is particularly treacherous, slow down.

Finally, carry cash. If you don't need an ambulance or an airlift but don't fancy finishing your run or limping back then having enough money for a taxi home is a bonus.

Happy trails!

First Mud

Given that the event is called "Tough Mudder" and not "Tough Running Around The Stray", I figured it was time to get off road and get muddy as well as pounding pavements. Being a bit of a nerd, this meant I immediately went shopping for trail shoes and waterproof socks.

The lovely folk at Up&Running brought out a variety of shoes for me to try and I finally settled on the inov-8 X-Talon 212 because they were lightest, most comfortable and looked completely bad-ass. The socks were easier as there wasn't really any choice and I picked up a pair of ankle length Sealskinz.

For the first time in ages I was actually looking forward to going running, eager enough to get up (relatively) early on Saturday morning, strap those bad boys on and, after a few quick stretches, I was off looking for mud.

I live really close to the Yorkshire Showground and the fields there have been pretty grim for months, I often walk our dog through them, so ideal for my purposes.

My first run was only 5k or so, down the side of the Showground and into the woods at the back. Long grass and mud in the fields made for a fun start and finish. Roots, rocks, more mud and huge puddles in the woods made the middle section of the run hugely entertaining. I was so busy watching where I put my feet that I didn't realise how tired and sore I was until some minutes after I finished.

For this reason alone I highly recommend trail/fell running. Jogging on roads and pavements is really dull with nothing (except maybe the occasional cute girl jogging the other way) to distract from sore feet, sore knees, ragged breathing and a general feeling of crapness.

Verdict (1): I'm a convert. I'll run round the Stray with Adam (and Craig when he can be bothered) after work on a Tuesday as usual but, ideally, the rest of my runs will be muddy. I've been extending my runs and soon the Showground and Hookstone Woods won't be big enough to contain me so I'll soon be looking further afield for fun places to run. If you have any recommendations on that front, they would be gratefully received!

Verdict (2): The inov-8 X-Talon 212's are great. I don't really have anything to compare them to but they're really comfortable, grippy in the mud and still look good despite being caked in mud.

Verdict (3): The Sealskinz work just fine. If I go through a deep enough puddle my feet feel wet but that's only because they get cold. Once I'm home and peel them off my feet are still dry, well, other than a light sheen of sweat.

Note: Four weeks on from my first run and those fields are even worse. If you've been following the news, you might have noticed that the Great Yorkshire Show was cancelled after the first day because parking cars turned the fields into a total quagmire. Not so great for show attendees and farmers but perfect for me. Tomorrow's run is going to be epic!

Beat the Heat

Simple steps to make the most of summer running.

Well last nights run was a tough one, summer had finally arrived and the temperature was pushing around 70°. Feeling very hot, sticky and slow before we even headed out. Also walking to the start line past all the people sat drinking outside the Alexandra pub made it even more difficult.

We still put in some respectable times for our point in training, but I will learn my lesson from going off so fast, as I paid for it over the last couple of K. Our new time to beat for 5k is 26.02 and im sure with a cooler night it will be smashed.

Here are a few tips I have found to help keep cool and last longer while running in the heat.

SET YOUR ALARM Sunrise is the coolest time of day. It will still be hot at sunset because the ground radiates accumulated heat. Plus you can then join them in the beer garden after work.

GO TECH-Y Technical fabrics wick away sweat, another option is to wear loose clothing. MIght not look so cool but try keeping sun out of your eyes with a visor, not a hat, which traps heat as most of it escapes through your head.

DRINK UP Drink about 250ml of liquids before you head out and two to four sips of water every 15 minutes.

SLOW DOWN Every five-degree rise in temperature above 60° F can slow your pace up to 20 to 30 seconds per mile.

RUN IN WATER If you have easy access to a pool substitute one weekly run with a pool running session of the same duration. Use a flotation device and move your legs as if you were running on land.

COOL OFF On very hot days, run for eight to 15 minutes, then hose yourself off, jump in a pool or chuck some water over your head. Repeat as necessary.

What Is Tough Mudder?!

Tough Mudder events are hardcore 10-12 mile obstacle courses designed by British Special Forces to test your all around strength, stamina, mental grit, and camaraderie. As the leading company in the booming obstacle course industry, Tough Mudder has already challenged half a million inspiring participants worldwide and raised more than $3 million dollars for the Wounded Warrior Project. But Tough Mudder is more than an event, it’s a way of thinking. By running a Tough Mudder challenge, you’ll unlock a true sense of accomplishment, have a great time, and discover a camaraderie with your fellow participants that’s experienced all too rarely these days.

A word of WARNING not to skip training!

It can't just be a muddy hill, now get your knees up!

Its time to start RUNNING

Since the dreaded cross country at school the extent of my running has been a quick dash from the entrance of my flat to my car when it rains. With our trainer Justin telling us that the most important part of our training at this stage is to ‘get the miles under your feet’, I figured I should take the plunge and try that ‘jogging’ thing I’ve heard so much about! Not wanting to suffer alone I enlisted serial runner, mountain goat style artworker, John to run with me.

So, on Monday 30^th April we headed out on our first run after a busy day in the office, the aim – to do 5km without stopping, we weren’t bothered about our pace, so long as we didn’t stop. To my surprise we actually managed it (for those that like running this might not sound like a big achievement, but for me it was awesome!), we might have been a bit sweaty but we’d done it. Over the following few days we continued with our 5km runs after work, around The Stray in Harrogate. Each day it seemed a little bit easier, and, as much as I hate to admit it, I’ve actually found myself enjoying and even looking forward to our post-work runs! I’ve even started running on my own on a weekend, on bank holiday Sunday I clocked up 10km up and down the canal in Leeds.

I started the tough mudder training in an old scruffy pair of Kswiss trainers, ignoring my team mates warnings that they would cripple me with blisters and shatter my knees. Don’t tell them, but they were right! After the 10km over the weekend had ruined my feet I decided to invest in a pair of New Balance running trainers, nothing fancy, but for my first pair of running shoes they’ll do the trick. My verdict: love em’! I couldn’t believe how much easier and more comfortable they were; a definite must for anyone starting out running, whether for an event or just to get in shape.

So I’ve been running regularly for about two weeks now, and while I won’t be dusting off marathons anytime soon, things seem to be going well and I’d like to think I’ll soon crack 5km in under 25minutes, I’ll be sure to update y’all soon!

Tough Mudder Melbourne 2012

Just a taster of some of what we are up against! Cant wait for the cold beer at the end, after the electric shocks obviously!!

CIRCUITS IN MUDDY APRIL

It was a cold wet day as summer doesn't seem to want to start this year, but it made perfect conditions for Tough Mudder training.

It also made us think about footwear as we slipped across the fields. Our PT Justin @powerplateman, suggests some serious cross country trainers like the ones on the right, definitely could be worth the investment as the events in November.

With a few drop outs this week, it left Craig Marshall, Adam Walsh and Jo Illingworth to pick up the slack with PT Justin only able to bark orders due to his strange tropical disease.

 

  Core exercises and Interval training to increase our metabolism

Session Plan

• Gentle jog to warm up

• Cardio Interval Training

40yd 3/4 sprint to the cones and back. 20 secs to get there and back with 20 secs rest plus any remaining time you saved doing it quicker. This was then repeated again and again then gradually times were reduced until we were down to 16 second to complete exercise with 10 second rest.

This was tough in the conditions with a few almost falls and a lot of wheel spin, it would have been good training for Dancing On Ice.

• Circuit Training

This involved 1 minute on each exercise, starting with a set of 3 then after a short rest adding another exercise and repeating we did this up to a total of 6 exercises then repeated a couple more times just for fun apparently.

EXERCISES

1. Medicine Ball Angular Chest Punch
2. High Knee Hurdles
3. Kettle Bell Swing
4. 5 yrd Side Steps with Toe Touch
5. Ladder Quick Step Side To Side
6. Squats with 15 kg Shoulder Bag

SEQUENCE

• 1-3, 3mins rest.
• 1-4, 4mins rest.
• 1-5, 5mins rest.
• 1-6, 6mins rest.
• 1-6, NO REST
• 1-6, Finish

Craig & Jo half way through the circuit

Training is underway!!

Who's idea was this? Well I can tell you, Sam Ward thats who!

The woman who has just had a baby, decided she was up for a challenge and thought she would coax us all into doing a little cross country course. So we all huddled round my mac and watched the video, soon realising the extent of what we were getting involved with. There was mixed emotions from denial (Excited, eager people) the slightly worried (I'll say yes for now) and the realistic (Not a cat in hells chance!) Those that stood up to be counted were about to take part in a 35 week training programme to enter TOUGH MUDDER UK!! a 12 mile obstacle course taking place on 18th November 2012.

Training has already started and we are now entering week three of our 35 week training programme that has been kindly set up by Justin O’Halloran, local fitness trainer and owner of Performax Fitness in Pannal.

So far we have completed two outside runs, the first a 5km which involved us running through a dark forest, through lots of slippery mud and up the hills in and around the Valley Gardens in Harrogate. Due to the rain and level of unfitness between the majority of the group it’s safe to say it was quite a struggle, however it left the team feeling determined to continue with the challenge and get fit!

The second group session saw the team complete a 6km run. This time we missed out the muddy forest and kept to the roads. However it wasn’t a simple jog around Harrogate as we had all secretly hoped - Powerplate man had us all sprinting through the gardens to help increase our fitness levels and get us used to the feel of how the body relates to obstacles. The determination had set in and people had been doing their best to exercise outside of group sessions which made last week slightly more bearable than the first.

We are now getting ready for week three and will keep you updated with our progress. Help us keep up our motivation by following our progress and seeing how we do on the big event.