SUMMER CHALLENGE VI: OBSTACLES

DIY obstacle course training park. Taken by Pksenagore August 16, 2016, All rights reserved,

OBSTACLE RACE TRAINING!!!  NEW TRIAL!!!
​PREPARE TO ANSWER "THE CALL OF THE MUD”, OR NOT!  Entering and competing in an obstacle course competition is NOT required!!! When resistance training is combined with aerobic exercise the health dividends are increased.  A 6-week obstacle course training plan will be offered for those who are looking for a structured approach to incorporating strength work into aerobic sessions.

Earned Runs will feature a plan developed by Pete Williams that was released in 2013 by womensrunning.competitor.com.  It was updated in October 2016, and presented in the article “Train for An Obstacle Course Race.”  It’s designed to be performed outdoors.
 
The plan can be downloaded; it comes in 2 portions, weeks 1-3, and weeks 4-6, Monday to Sunday. The exercises are clearly meant to prepare trainees to function under conditions presented on an obstacle course: burpees, pull-ups, mountain climbers, push-ups, triceps dips, planks, squat jumps, and monkey bars, to name some.
 
The workouts are defined as “Park Bench Routine” (PBR), “Interval Run” (IV), “Obstacle Run” (OR), “Park/Beach/Playground” (PBP) workout, “Active Recovery” (AR), and “Rest”.  The total amount of workout time, spent repeating the exercise and run sequences, begins at 25 minutes and increasingly lengthens to 65 minutes. Each workout is different.
 
I am currently attempting to follow this plan, to “test drive” it in order to adapt it for use by those who won’t be aiming to finish an actual obstacle course. It’s for someone like me who likes to perform strength exercises outdoors after a walk or run, in a park or area with benches or structures that can be used to perform certain moves. 
 
I am walking the ‘run’ sections and swapping exercises that require jumping for those that do not! Trying to make it friendly for myself and other challengers who want to strengthen, but not competitively test the functional limits, of their bodies. And those who need to be kind to their backs and knees.
 
Williams article is a good read.  He spills the “dirty little secret of these races”, that “many participants walk the majority of the course”.  Having completed just one and a half weeks of the plan I know why. After the exercise sets (initially I did the burpees), my legs are so wobbly it takes a bit of effort just to walk fast during the running portions of the session before heading into the next exercise set repetition. Plus, I am trying to stall for extra time to recover.
 
As stated, 2018 will be a trial for this challenge.  So far, I love the fact that I’m forced to fit in a number of tough exercises while still outdoors after a HIIT walking session.  Even in rainy and foggy weather the obstacle course training session has been a great experience. When it's time to head home, the day’s work is DONE!
 
As soon as an alternative set of exercises for the plan is developed, by testing each workout, that program will be offered (roughly another 4.-5 weeks). But you don’t need to wait for the Earned Runs version; try making changes that fit your abilities and needs.
 
RUN & MOVE HAPPY!
 
http://womensrunning.competitor.com/2013/11/training-tips/6-week-obstacle-race-training-plan_17987