With the booming mud run craze, it’s easy to see why many runners have changed out their standard 5K “run around the park” to mud runs complete with obstacle courses. They make you feel like a kid again and give you the perfect excuse to get dirty and burn calories at the same time. Here are a few tips to know before you click on that registration button:
Bring your friends. Often mud runs allow for team events–this is a great way to bond with others and even bring co-workers for some fun team building event.
Buy tight clothing at a discount store. Because of the level of muddiness you will incur, you probably don’t want to wear your nice, expensive running outfit. Save the apparel you buy from First to the Finish for your training runs and regular races. You don’t want to ruin those clothes! You’ll end up so dirty you’ll probably just want to toss out what you have rather than bring it home and ruin your washer and dryer.
Volunteer at an event first. Because most know little about mud runs until they actually do one, you can acquaint yourself with the race by volunteering. It’s actually a very smart way to acclimate yourself to race conditions and lend a helping hand in the process.
Train. Although a mud run sounds like something you’d do “just for fun,” it still requires you complete the full mileage–along with plenty of obstacles to boot. Some mud races require you scale walls, jump over hurdles and practically swim through mud under low-hanging wire. It’s actually HARDER than a standard 5K.
Don’t worry about time. Because of the difficulty of the obstacles, you really need to go at your own pace and not care about your competition.
Try adding one of these to your autumn schedule. Whether you’re in high school or you’ve been running for decades, anyone can enjoy a mud run. Who doesn’t love to play in the mud?
Sources:
http://www.mudrunguide.com/mud-run-faq-beginners-guide/