The Pleasure of Pain

I know I'll be laughing at myself 50 years from now when I'll be Laz-E-Boy Ridden with a walker, while re-reading this post.

In 7th grade, my baseball coach used to say, "Pain is good," and I've tried to live with that mantra ever since then. I know I may pay for it someday, but the pain of pushing beyond your limits is the only way I can get the results that I want.

In the past week, the workouts and diet have increased in intensity and discipline. I took 3 days off from the gym and running on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday, but I've jumped back on the wagon as of Monday. A 1 mile run to the gym followed by a leg and shoulder routine gets the blood flowing. The workout was as follows:

Jog to the gym 1 mile.
Squats: 135lbs x 3 sets of 15 reps
Seated Military Press - 140lbs x 3 sets of 10 reps
Lateral raises - 30lbs x 3 sets of 10 reps
Reverse Flies on Pec machine - 145lb setting 3 sets x 10 reps
Shrugs - 270lbs x 10 reps.
Jog back from the gym 1 mile.

Yes, it was painful, with short rests in between each exercise, but I know the pain results in just that....results. Most important detail to remember from this workout is to minimize rest in between sets. Since the Tough Mudder is an amalgam of strength, stamina, and endurance you have to train like such. Also, be cautious of your form, as injury prevention is crucial. Bad form leads to bad training, resulting in injury and it also can be counterproductive.

Tuesday involved a little back routine and was more relaxed as I was trying to let my body recover from Monday. However, tonight's workout will involve some more upper body exercises like plyo pushups, hanging leg lifts, incline bench, and some more running. Here's an example of hanging leg lifts from this young fellow.




-Norm

Tough Mudder - Pure Insanity?

So, I got a text from my best buddy Ray Poole that said, "You should come to WI on 7/23 and do the tough mudder with me! 10 miles with obstacles...." So obviously my pride was only going to allow me to answer with a yes. I responded, "buy my entry and I'll do it."

Next thing you know, I'm online making reservations for Milwaukee.

So what is the Tough Mudder? It's a 10-13 mile offtrail course consisting of a numerous daunting obstacles throughout the path, which include a running through fire, jumping in ice cold water, and running through 10,000 volts of wires, all while cold, wet, and muddy! Yes, it sounds a bit insane, but nothing ventured nothing gained. Here's a preview of the event if you're not familiar with the Tough Mudder.






The event is on 7/23, which leaves me with about 2 months to train. Throughout these next 2 months, I'm going to be documenting my training for the Tough Mudder and all of the pain involved. I've always been the one that has had to help out the injured, but it looks as if I'm going to be a patient real soon.

So what's training going to consist of? Off the top of my head, I'm thinking long runs with wet shoes, heavy lifts, lots of pull ups and push ups, weight vests, and plenty of plyometrics. So come with me on my adventure for what may be the most challenging, yet "fun-filling" event I'll partake in thus far!

Best,


Norm Eng, DC