There has never been a better time to be interested in fitness.
Go back a few years and you may have been the odd one out in your group. The person who would run, not because you were being chased by something but because you enjoyed it. The person who would pick up the heavy thing, not because it needed to be moved but because you wanted to know you could. Nowadays it’s completely different. Take this website, thousands of people getting ready for any one of a thousand events. Maybe that’s what brought you here, you’ve signed up and now you have a date looming in the distance to be ready for. Where do you start?
Find your Passion
If you’re coming to Tough Mudder this year or getting ready for a 5km, the principle is the same. If you’ve signed up that means you have at least some degree of interest and if you’re not careful that interest could bloom into a full-blown passion. I did my first Tough Mudder in 2017. I knew going into it that it was something I had been interested in doing for a while but I had no idea I would fall in love with events like this to the extent that I have. Training can sometimes feel like a chore, especially if you’re new to it but if you have that passion, you’re already halfway there.
Identify a Weakness
Whatever you feel is holding you back from taking part in any event, that’s where we’ll start. Don’t think you could run a 5km, no problem, I bet you can walk it. This should be the foundation of your training. Being a Tough Mudder ambassador, it’s a topic I talk about a lot and a common response is “I could never run that distance” and each person I’ve had that conversation with has surprised themselves with how they performed on the day. Just a few weeks of targeted training with a goal in mind can and will make a huge difference. So if you have a 5km coming up, train to run 10k. Identify a weakness and make it a strength.
Make it Fun
There is no limit to the number of activities you can take part in to start getting ready for your event. Don’t see yourself in a gym, counting reps? No problem, try a group class or just train with a friend. Prefer to be outdoors? Off you go. Find a route that has some hills and either run, jog, or walk it. Play with your child, walk your dog, do some housework. As long as you’re moving, you’re making progress. You’ve been in training for this event for months without realising it.
You got this!
[…] on a desert island, with enough food, water and shelter to last indefinitely; how often would you train? I’d guess that many of us wouldn’t run nearly as much as we do now and some of us wouldn’t […]