Chilliwack’s Ascent Fitness is holding an eight week training camp to help locals prepare for the Tough Mudder Obstacle Race, taking place in Whistler in June.
The Tough Mudder covers a 10 to 12 kilometre course dotted with obstacles that often require participants to crawl through mud pits, plunge into ice cold water, and jump through fire.
Designed to challenge endurance, strength and mental ‘grit,’ the Tough Mudder takes place in several locations around the world and has drawn 1.3 million participants since its inception in 2010.
Individual events average between 10 and 15 thousand people. Ascend Fitness sent seven locals to Whistler last year, trained by Tanja Shaw and her team.
She’s expecting to send 30+ this year.
“It is very motivating to have a goal, obstacle races are a great goal to train for and running through the mud feels like you’re a kid again,” said Shaw, the owner of Ascend Fitness. “One potential problem though is that people are not taking the proper measures to train for the intensity of the events. Many people sign up because friends are doing the race, but don’t put in the necessary training ahead of time. That can increase the likelihood of injuries.”
Shaw’s training program runs April 26 to June 19, combining fitness training, cardiovascular conditioning, trail running, strength training, nutrition, and expert coaching. The group will train on Saturday mornings, and one other day during the week.
“Training is necessary, but the right type of training doesn’t need to take much time,” Shaw said.
The program is open to anyone, even if they don’t intend to complete in the Tough Mudder.
For more information, please visit bootcampchilliwack.com or email tanja@ascendfitnesscoaching.com.
Reach Shaw by phone at 604-858-9947 or 604-819-3835.