Tough Guy advice

Anyone done the winter Tough Guy? I am looking for advice on what to wear and any training tips you might have. My main concern is upper body strength and managing the larger of the obstacles. I am running 4 times a week, doing hills and strength training a couple of times a week. Anything specific that would help?

Thanks

I have done this race, it is great fun.

In terms of clothing you are going to get wet so the less you can wear the better as you will actually be colder if you are running around head to toe in soaking wet gear. I would suggest shorts and a close fitting tech t-shirt. Also, wear a pair of gloves. I used fingerless cycling gloves to protect your hands on ropes etc.

For training... as much XC running as you can do. I would say the single best exercise you can do to help with the obstacles is pull ups.

Set off running fast at the start otherwise you will be stuck behind queues of people who appear almost stationary trying to go over the obstacles!

Thank you - were there many women doing it? I am wondering if my small size will be a help or a hindrance?!

Reading this with interest, I am also doing this for the 1st time and am looking for clothes advice. I was thinking knee length tight shorts, a termal helly long sleeve and a short sleeve running top over it with a swimming cap as I have waist length hair ? Does that sound ok? x

Sounds plausible. Not tried running in a swimming cap though - would you boil in a swim cap ?  Maybe a beanie and then put it into the cap for the under the pole lake swim ? Thats right near the end anyway.

Helena - you do need a bit of upper body strength - and other than that - just the ability to keep running. You get cold very quickly if you're knackered and have to walk.

(or queue - so a fast run to begin with will help)

Hey, thank you. I was thinking of attaching it too me and putting it on when I got to the killing fields....the more i think about this the more i think 'Why'! ha ha

minimal old clothing is the best - don't wear tights or jackets as they will just get weighed down with mud and water and will become very heavy and uncomfy.   you might also want to consider some elastic knee bandages - not for support but as a way of preventing losing knee skin on the rougher sections where you need to crawl.

as for swim hat - too hot. Cougs idea of a beanie is good or you could try a plastic shower cap.  TG were handing them out one year as you came out of the underwater section with the suggestion that they would keep the head warm (for a short while yes!) and with the missive "keep moving or you'll die"  

Thanks for the advice. Will remember to keep moving!! LOL

when i did this it was freezing cold, the first ones round literally broke the ice for those that followed. i wore tight technical 'helly hansen' type top, gloves, tight neoprene 'wetsuit style' shorts and inov8 mudroc 290's. i also wore a cycling skull cap and swimming hat and certainly didn't overheat. problems as others have said are queues at the obstacles (unavoidable unless you pay loads to start at front) and i smashed my knees to buggery clambering in and out of the water/ice pits.

that said it was great fun and as long as you are 'cross-country' fit i wouldn't stress about upper body strength too much.  enjoy !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!