How to train for adventure races in 6 weeks

Fun and adventure are probably what you're looking for if you're joining the increasing number of people signing up for short fun runs and obstacle-laden adventure races across the country.

But, as with any athletic event, you have to prepare right, or the fun can turn quite un-fun and the adventure can turn particularly painful.

"To prevent injury, give yourself at least four to six weeks to prepare," says Derek Ochiai, an orthopedic surgeon in Arlington, Va., who has surgically repaired many shoulders and ankles dislocated or broken in adventure races.

So how do you prepare?

You can always go to the sites for the races, such as www.spartan.com (the Chicago Super Weekend is Aug. 15-16) to check on training plans and tips and to get an idea of what the many obstacles - which can range from ice baths to 15-foot climbing walls - look like.

Robert Gillanders, a Washington, D.C. physical therapist who treats runners and other athletes, says he would go and watch a race firsthand to get a good lay of the land.

"That way, there is no question mark about what you are getting into," Gillanders says. "If you're a runner and you see a half-dozen obstacles that you have to scale over, then it's clear to you that you'll need to work on push-ups and pullups" in addition to the run training.

If there is jumping involved, some plyometrics may be in order, and if there is lots of crawling, ab work is essential, he says. "Specificity of training is really important."

In fact, he recommends strength and flexibility training - in addition to endurance (running) training - for a whole two months leading up to an adventure race. The training should include measured progressions - in other words, no going from couch to box jumps without doing lunges and squats and more in between.

"Progression can be tedious, but you need to start slow and make adjustments in small increments."

Some of the adventure race obstacles, granted, could be difficult to train for - for example, getting slapped with electrical wires while running.

ToughMudder.com (which has a Wisconsin event Sept. 12 and 13), however, suggests these routines: "Wearing thick woolen socks, shimmy across your carpet without raising your feet. Find various metal objects and touch them" and "High Knees - Perform 20 reps. Rest for 30 seconds. Repeat 3 times. Sprints - Sprint 100 meters. Rest 1 minute. Repeat 6 times. Bear Crawls - Crawl forward for 20 yards. Rest for 30 seconds, then bear crawl back. Repeat 3 times."

Sounds tough.

Ochiai says the upper-body strength required for scaling walls and traversing monkey bars can be overwhelming - particularly for women.

"You need to take stock of where you are physically," Ochiai says. "Can your rotator cuff support you?" And if you're not ready on race day, monkey bars and other pullup obstacles might best be avoided: "A dislocated shoulder usually results in surgery, and recovery time is about 6 months - not a snap-your-fingers kind of recovery," he warns.

Jackie Quindlan, 29, wishes she had skipped her fourth obstacle - a 12-foot wall - back in 2012 during a Tough Mudder race in Pennsylvania. When she jumped off the wall she landed wrong and broke her left ankle in two places - later repaired by Ochiai.

"It was pretty gruesome-looking," Quinlan says. "(The foot) was pointing the other way by more than 90 degrees."

But could that have been prevented through training?

Maybe not, says Quinlan, an accomplished marathon runner, but she wishes her 26-year-old self had prepared better mentally.

"I didn't have the self-control not to do the obstacle," she says. "If I were to do it again, I would hope I would have some more self-control to say, 'This is not for me.' "(Also, she says, she would prepare by doing upper-body strength work.)

You have the choice of skipping some obstacles because in adventure races you don't have to do all of them yourself. You are part of a team, and as long as one member does the obstacle, you are off the hook.

That team spirit appeals to many participants.

"It's very team-focused, which is part of what I like about it," says Will Jacobsen, 36, who did a Tough Mudder in 2013 at Lake Tahoe and just completed another one in Doswell, Va.

"And there are no clocks anywhere. You never have the sense of falling behind," says Jacobsen.

Everyone who finishes gets a reward (a headband in the case of Tough Mudder) no matter what their finishing time. In other words, it's not really a race against others, it's about teamwork, conquering fears and having fun, Jacobsen says. But, he acknowledges, it's more fun if you are mentally and physically prepared.

As for fun runs - usually 5K - you can probably finish if you are generally fit. But if you want to feel good crossing the finish line, there are plenty of training programs that can get you there. For example, look for training trips on www.coolrunning.com.

On race day, a common problem, during summer in particular, is dehydration, Ochiai adds. And that would take the fun out of the fun run since it can cause dizziness, confusion and rapid heartbeat. So drink up before, during and after.

Because preparation - from training to hydration - is everything. Or as Benjamin Franklin said, "By failing to prepare, you are preparing to fail."

Area races

Here is a sampling of some upcoming races in the suburbs.

<span class="fact box text bold">Run the Runway at CEA (PWK):</span> At 8 a.m. Friday, July 3. A 5K Run and 1 Mile Walk on the main runway and taxiways at Chicago Executive Airport in Wheeling. The course is USATF Certified and the 5K race is chip timed. No dogs, strollers or skates. Registration through July 2: $40, Race Day registration: $45. All proceeds from and donations to the event will benefit the PAPA Scholarship Fund, the scholarship fund of the Chicago Executive Pilots Association. runtherunway5k.itsyourrace.com/register/.

<span class="fact box text bold">Advocate Good Shepherd Hospital Family Fitness Run: </span>At 7:15 a.m. Saturday, July 4, A 5K/10K /2K Fitness Walk. Begins in downtown Barrington, corner of Park and Cook. Entry fees are $30 for the 10K Run and 5K Run/Walk ($35 on race day),

$15 for the 2K Fitness Walk (includes T Shirt). Online registration will close at 7 p.m. Friday, July 3. www.signmeup.com/site/online-event-registration/107471.

<span class="fact box text bold">Frontier Days Stampede Run and Walk in Arlington Heights:</span> At 7:30 a.m. Sunday, July 5. A 10K Run, 5K Run, 5K Walk, ¼ Mile Kids Dash. Race start is at Miner School, 1101 E. Miner St. Arlington Heights, and race finish is at Recreation Park, 500 E. Miner St., Arlington Heights.(The Kids Race will start and finish at Recreation Park.). Cost is $30 for Stampede 10K and 5K, $25 for 5K walk, $10 for kids run. http://frontierdaysstampederun.itsyourrace.com/register/

<span class="fact box text bold">McHenry River Run:</span> At 8 a.m. Saturday, July 11, a 5K and 10K. Both races begin and end at McHenry East Campus High School, 1012 N. Green St. Registration costs $20 by July 9, $25 day of race. register.itsracetime.com/Register/?event=31755.

<span class="fact box text bold">Adventure Run in Naperville:</span> At 7 p.m. Thursday, July 23. Naperville Road Runner Sports Adventure Run is a free, fun, 60-minute scavenger run with giveaways, raffle prizes, music and beer. You run to checkpoints to grab as many free raffle tickets as you can. Starts at 2555 W. 75th St. Naperville. www.eventbrite.com/e/2015-naperville-road-runner-sports-adventure-run-tickets-15050258729.

<span class="fact box text bold">Glo Run in Hoffman Estates:</span> At 8:45 p.m. Saturday, July 25. A 5K Run/Walk at 2046 Lakewood Blvd., Hoffman Estates. Cost $50-$65. theglorun.com/hoffmanestates/hoffmanestates_register.html.

<span class="fact box text bold">LLV Chamber Mud Run:</span> 9 a.m. Saturday, Aug. 1. Starts at Dering Park, 5241 W Dering Lane, Lake Villa, There will be a minimum of 12 obstacles and a children's course for the little ones to get dirty. Fees: $40, $50 Day of event; $20 per person for groups of five or more registered by July 20; $5 for kids under 12. www.active.com/lake-villa-il/running/races/lindenhurst-lake-villa-chamber-of-commerce-mud-run-2015?int=.

<span class="fact box text bold">Savage Race Chicago:</span> At 9 a.m. Saturday, Aug. 22, at Richardson Adventure Farm, 909 English Prairie Road in Spring Grove. A premier obstacle course challenge with 25 obstacles. Cost:$76-$91. https://register.savagerace.com/event/SavageRaceChicago2015