I RAN A TOUGH MUDDER... Here's 3 things I learnt about my training.

My cousin lured me in to rolling around in the mud down in Peterborough last week. Plus, 15k of running & 25 brutal obstacles! I had trained for it a bit but, at about 2 runs weekly for the last 4 weeks, it's not as much as I would've liked. Guess what... I loved it! It was far more manageable than expected & I have already signed up for next year. But some things did take me by surprise, I learnt about my body & my training which you might find helpful too. So, I'd like to share 3 key takeaways with you...

1. I spend too much time on aesthetics - they don't help you in real-life physicality.

   I lift weights 3-4 times per week, alongside 1 run & some yoga/Pilates. On paper, this is a more than decent weekly schedule fitness wise. But those weights sessions are focussed mainly on building my chest, back & quads. None of these muscle groups worked well for me during the race. That's because when my back was working, so were my hamstrings, glutes & so on. When my chest was working, so were my shoulders, arms & so on.

   Our muscles are designed to work in collaboration with other muscles. This is why compound lifts are king, & I will be adding far more into my programming. Functional training ticks this box, but be aware it allows less for rest days, with most workouts being full body.

   
   

2. Road running is great for VO2 Max, but not so good for body conditioning.

   In events like Tough Mudder, you very quickly realise how much harder trial running is. It's also much more pretty & better for your joints & muscle function. All my training is on roads, meaning I have vastly improved my endurance & VO2 Max (oxygen absorption capacity), but I struggled more on the hills, rough ground & slippy mud. Trial running is great for your leg strength, knees, ankles & core. A combination of the two running types would be incredibly beneficial for both your fitness & body function, which is why I'll be switching between the two from now on.

   
   

3. Community is the key to commitment.

   I'd love to pretend I'm always super motivated to train, especially to lead from the front for my clients. But I'm not. I never will be. However, Tough Mudder provided me with the perfect combination of extrinsic motivation in both a target to aim for & a community of people to do it with. In psychology, we often refer to the SMART system below, as it is proven to be the most effective way to get us humans to achieve our goals.

   S pecific

   M easurable

   A chievable

   R ealistic

   T ime-based

   Events like this one tick all of the boxes above, as well as providing accountability between the team. I do it to keep up with them & they do it to keep up with me. The final piece to the puzzle is the enjoyment of doing it with friends. Running 15k every week is much easier when you can laugh about it with 5 mates too. THAT'S why I've booked next year already, & you should too! It can be any event, walking, running, cycling, hyrox, rugby... anything that gets you moving, gives you a reason to train & helps your mental health/motivation through community. If you don't know where to start, I'll see you on my team at Tough Mudder next July! Don't wait, get going & have a great week.

   P.S. Check my insta for all the vids & pictures! (@elliothutchinson.pt)

   
   

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Elliot Hutchinson // 13.07.2025

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