Training for Tough Guy

BlackDragon · 24 Feb 2010 at 23:29

Hi Guys,

I'm looking to enter the winter Tough Guy competition in 2011 or 2012. I've done a bit of searching online for training tips, but haven't found that much info.

Since about nearly 4 years ago, I have been fairly active, and for about two years I trained quite hard in a cross country club at uni, so I've got a fairly good level of fitness now. Now that I'm working, it's more difficult to be part of a club and find other people that I could train with. In addition to my runs during the week, I've started using the bike and weights at the gym at work.

Can anyone offer any links or tips for training for this competition?

Thanks

reiyushin · 25 Feb 2010 at 14:31

You've got 1-2 years of training. You need to pick which competition you want to enter and plan for that one or decided to enter both but treat the first one as practice.

Competitions like this are best beaten by simulating the tasks you have to do in them. Got any local assault courses you can befriend?

Challenge your body in different ways. You've got a fair bit of CV fitness under your belt. How's your power? Your endurance? Raw strength?

georges · 25 Feb 2010 at 19:18

fyi Scout camps usually have assault courses

ethan · 25 Feb 2010 at 23:05

A mate of mine did this recently and indicated to me that there is also one in the Summer. His training mainly consisted of running outdoor up to four times a week along with optional weight training (not excessive) of up to three times a week. The main obstical, taking into consideration you already possess some level of fitness, will be in dealing with the extremes of temperature and water. The length of the "race" is also 8 miles. Certainly a few laps around an obstacle course in all weather conditions would be very helpful. Goodluck and happy training.

Participant · 26 Feb 2010 at 09:02

This looks brutal. Good luck!

thevet · 26 Feb 2010 at 13:34

cardio i think will be more important here,do a heavy leg workout and then go for a long run,not on a treadmill,go outside....or what i do is go to my local 400 metre running track and go around that 3 times with a skipping rope,if you want to be prepared for anything like this you have to train harder so its easier when you actually come to do it
"train hard,fight easy"

ethan · 27 Feb 2010 at 00:14

Tough Guy Race 2010
Five thousand runners. One race. Plenty of pain

http://www.metacafe.com/watch/4122568/fire_ice_and_bombs_the_tough_guy_challenge/

Begbie · 28 Feb 2010 at 21:14

Would love to do this at some point.

Can't remember where I read this, might have been mens fitness at work.

But one of the guys who had previously done it. His top training tip was to jump in the bath fully clothed and then go out for a run!

Sounds like fun!

kinobestew123 · 2 Mar 2010 at 20:23

I did this last year (2009) and honestly it is not that bad. Up until about 2 weeks before it I was still enjoying beers in the pub and all that. I managed a very respectable time finishing 3rd in my team of about 10 of us (time of 2hrs 33mins).

In terms of training, I was going out on runs every other/3 days for about 6-8 miles and was also swimming 1mile every other day where possible.

Me and a friend also spent weekends in january going to a local river and lying in them for 20seconds then running around the field. Fully clothed. Rinse and repeat about 10 times. The first time we did this we felt like death and our muscles started feeling tingly, completly numb. About the 3rd time however we really started feeling the benefits.

Don't get me wrong, the water at tough guy is the coldest I have ever felt, the air temperature was many degrees below 0 and it was snowing sometimes. When we arrived, all the puddles and ponds had ice layers. I was unfortunate enough for my trainer to come off in the mud which proved a nightmare to get back on as my feet were completely numb and pressing down induced cramp.

I think this competition is something which on the day if you put your mind to you can do easily and feel you've really achieved something at the end. I agree with the comments about trying to recreate parts of the event. Another thing me and a friend did was run up and down a very steep hill near my house. It took less than a minute to get to the top but after going up and down about 10 times I was nearly sick with the effort. Knackering. The idea behind this was training for the slalom section (up and down hills for ages) which in my opinion was the worst (hardest) part of it.

Having read back what i've just said, i've gone all over the place and can't be bothered rewriting it. Hope i've helped, if you have any questions what so ever, feel free to ask.

EDIT: Oh yes! I forgot our best training moment, we got in our swim shorts and took it in turns to stand in the shower whilst it was on as cold as it would go (in winter this is VERY cold) whilst "eye of the tiger" played full blast on our speakers. We then had to stand outside for a further 5 minutes in just swim shorts whilst it snowed. So motivational having that song playing.

FURTHER EDIT: After the ice cold shower above we stood outside in swim shorts still soaking wet, no drying going on...

UltimateBadger · 2 Mar 2010 at 20:38

kinobestew123 said:
EDIT: Oh yes! I forgot our best training moment, we got in our swim shorts and took it in turns to stand in the shower whilst it was on as cold as it would go (in winter this is VERY cold) whilst "eye of the tiger" played full blast on our speakers. We then had to stand outside for a further 5 minutes in just swim shorts whilst it snowed. So motivational having that song playing.

Bonus man points for this! Brilliant!