By Kirsten Vesterback

If you’ve been running traditional road races and you’re ready to switch gears and try something new, consider an obstacle race. With names like Spartan Race, Dirty Girl Mud Run or Tough Mudder, these types of events feature all kinds of challenges to contend with in your pursuit of the finish line. Tackling one of these races may seem intimidating and there are plenty of training plans to choose from, but your preparation can be broken down into a few simple, if not actually easy, steps.

Form a team. You can attempt these races on your own, but part of the appeal of an obstacle race is getting through as a group. Helping each other when you can and accepting help when you need it lets everyone feel a sense of pride and accomplishment. Once you have formed a team, add group training sessions to your solo workouts at least once or twice a week.

Get comfortable running. Granted, your distance is broken up with obstacles, but those breaks, in running will tire you out. Don’t just work on building muscle, work on your cardio too. And while you’re at it, ditch the road for a while. Instead, run on dirt, uneven ground and hills. Your path in an obstacle race won’t be smooth, so neither should the surfaces you train on.

Pay extra attention to your upper body and grip strength. Practically every obstacle will incorporate upper body strength and grip strength to some degree. Suspension bands, hand weights and body weight exercises such as push-ups and pull-ups are excellent ways to help you get over walls, through tubes and underwires.

Mental toughness is important too. Try to train outside in the wet and cold. Slogging through pits of ice water and mud can be a shock. Practice managing these challenges ahead of your race so that elements of the course will not be a surprise.

Keep your expectations reasonable and don’t beat yourself up if the course is harder than you thought; that’s kind of the point. If this is your first time, go with some manageable goals in mind. Finish the race, get your team mates through, and gain enough strength to attempt every obstacle. After all, once you complete your first obstacle race, you may find you’ve caught the bug and it will be no time before you start training for your second.