Tough Mudder Race Day Tips, Tricks, and Packing List!

Below are some great race day tips and a packing list.  But before getting to that I want to share the amazing training experience our Supreme Health and Fitness Tough Mudder Training Camp had the six weeks leading up to the big event.

We met three times per week with crazy fun and unpredictable workouts including: log rolling (of course), Elver hills with logs on our backs, obstacle distance runs, playground adventures, animal games, log pushing, heavy weight lifting, TRX Rip and Suspension training, and the grand finale of playing in ice water and being chased by fireworks (yes this really happened).

As goofy and fun as this all was, Peter and I learned a lot from this 6-week training experience.

• Choose an event as a goal.  If you have a goal in mind (doesn’t have to be an 11 mile death run… even a 5K or a bike ride will work!) training then has a purpose and is much more fun!

• Exercise can be fun.  Fitness does not have to be 20 minutes on the treadmill followed by boring circuit training equipment.  Fitness can (and should) be fun and adventurous!

• Train with friends.  The accountability and laughs make it worthwhile!

• Do a job you love.  I will never become rich working in the fitness industry, but I cannot think of any other job that provides so many laughs, accomplishments, and good times.

• Have adventures with the one you love.  What really made this class a blast was working as a team with Peter.  We had more fun programing and plotting than we did teaching!  The experience brought us even closer and we can’t wait to teach more team classes.

WAY TO GO MUDDERS!

Tough Mudder Race Day Tips and Tricks

Your big day is just about here!  You’ve done hours of running, crawling, lifting, swimming, trudging, climbing, pulling, and balancing in all different conditions.  Now it’s time to have fun and enjoy your race!

The below tips were stolen from several reputable sources.

What to Wear

Clothing:

• Most obstacle course races feature mud, water, and off-road conditions. You might want to choose clothing, shoes, and gear that you wouldn’t mind discarding after the race.  

• Choose comfortable athletic clothing and fabrics that wick moisture and dry quickly. Consider compression shorts, tops, and/or socks.  Avoid cotton
“You’re gonna be wet, you’re going to be fully submerged at some point, and it’s going to be cold.” Stay away from cotton, which will soak up the water and mud, dragging you down and keeping you chilled. Instead, opt for materials that wick away moisture, like Dri-FIT or COOLMAX, and fit closely to the body to reduce chafing. That said, there is no dress code, and costumes are encouraged, so if you want to go shirtless or wear a tutu, do it. Just remember to bring a change of clothes so you can enjoy the post-event party dry and warm.

• No Capes.  

Shana is Wearing:  Lululemon (total brand plug) Capri spandex pants, dri-fit tank top, under armour long sleeve top, coolmax socks, and under armour cap.

Shoes:

• Race in something you have trained in. Do not try a new pair of shoes or compression shorts on the day of the race.

• Opt for trail running or off-road shoes.  Wear old, grippy shoes
“Wear an old pair of sneakers, especially a pair that has trail treads,” Patterson says. Pick a pair that isn’t completely beat, but that you don’t mind getting permanently stained.

• No Capes. 

Shana is wearing: Old pair of asics running shoes with shoe laces tucked in and triple knotted.  

Gloves:

• Consider athletic or weight lifting gloves to help with grip and protect your hands.  
“A good pair of gloves with open tips so the water drains out of them will help you grab onto things when you’re wet and doing the obstacles.”  Weight lifting or cycling gloves will protect your hands and improve your grip on obstacles like monkey bars or rope climbs. Several competitors swear by Mad Grip gloves with the fingertips cut off.

• No Capes

Shana is wearing: Mad Grip Gloves with fingertips cut off.

What to Bring

• Hydration Pack

• Athletic Tape (if needed)

• Watch and/or Heart Rate Monitor

• Elbow/Knee Pads (if needed)

• Extra Change of Clothes

• Towel

• Toiletries

• Cash for food and merchandise

• Energy Bars or Gu

• Antibiotic ointment and Band-Aids for after race

Other Race Day Tips:
• Take out earrings and other piercings- the electricity will go right to these objects.
•Shocks on the Rocks/Electric Eel: Don't be a douchbag. If you get shocked, EVERYBODY gets
shocked. Stay low and go slow.
•Twinkle Toes: These beams will be wet and muddy. Even the Gabby Douglas would fall walking
straight-on. Stand sideways and shuffle to avoid taking a dip in the drink.
•Everest: Just keep running. Even if you feel as though you will fall backward. Run longer than you
think you need before you leap.
•Electroshock Therapy: If there are hay bales stay low and crawl over these. If you go airborne and
get shocked (which is highly likely) you will wake up on the ground asking for your mom with a potential serious injury.

Arriving at Registration…

• Arrive early to avoid any stress of being late–getting lost, traffic jams, finding parking, missing your start time, etc

• Make sure to bring your Photo I.D. and your confirmation e-mail from Tough Mudder HQ

• Be sure to drop any valuables at the baggage drop facility available at each event

Find your team! If you signed up with a team, make sure you start and do your best to stick together. If not, there’ll be plenty of people around you cheering and helping you along.

Warm-Up!

Take at least 15-20 minutes before your heat to warm-up and stretch. It doesn’t matter how seasoned of an athlete you are, Tough Mudder is designed to test every ounce of your physical ability. Be sure to take the time to warm up your body properly in order to avoid injury and an early exit from the race.

Ideal Warm-Up:

5 minute slow jog

20 feet of high knees, butt kicks, side shuffle, walking lunges

10 leg swings in each direction

1 minute arm circles in various directions

30 seconds trunk rotations

20 seconds each stretch:

Standing Quad

Standing Calf

Standing Toe Touch

Standing Chest Stretch

LET’S PARTY!!!