Straight From the Mudders Mouth
How much or how long you need to train for Tough Mudder depends on your existing level of fitness. You will definitely need to be able to run/walk a distance of 12 miles. To conquer the obstacles, Toughmudder.com provides “Are You Tough Enough,” a questionnaire to help you determine if you’re fit enough for this challenge. The site also offers a program that focuses on cardio and circuit training as well as a Tough Mudder Boot Camp to help you prepare. Participating in this event will directly impact an individual from head to toe. If there are any glaring weaknesses to your overall strength and conditioning, or existing ailments or injuries, they will likely be exposed.
“I prepared for this event through triathlon training (biking, swimming and running) but this was an intense mental challenge,”
said Saudy Tejada, a development associate for the Bronx River Alliance and DJ, who is also an accomplished triathlete.
“It made me push my body to a threshold I never knew was possible which I would not have discovered otherwise.”
Paola Ronquillo Floyd, a bank examiner for the Federal Reserve Bank of New York, also based her training on her triathlon regimen and added dragon boating (paddling) to her routine which helped her gain the upper body strength needed for many of the obstacles.
“Core and strength training exercises are important to any training program,”
Ronquillo Floyd said.
“The upper body strength I had was most valuable to completing the obstacles.”
“Triathlons are individual efforts,”
Tejada explains.
“Tough Mudder is different because you need the collective effort of your teammates and random competitors to get through the obstacles. It helps you to work together and you gain strength from the camaraderie.”
Ronquillo Floyd agreed.
“Psychologically, given how afraid I was of certain obstacles I felt very accomplished after having completed the race.”
If endurance events test an individuals’ fitness, Tough Mudder tests an individuals’ mental fortitude. In addition, teamwork plays a vital role. There is no I in team, nor is there one in Tough Mudder, but you’ll certainly finish with mud in your eye.
This years’ event is scheduled to take place at Raceway Park in Englishtown, New Jersey on October 20th and 21st on the same grounds that Tejada and Ronquillo Floyd tested their mettle last fall. The Worlds’ Toughest Mudder will also be in Englishtown on November 17 and 18. For information or to register visit “toughmudder.com“