I am running the Tough Mudder in SoCal. Does anyone have any tips on training, gear, best practices etc...

I ran the Warrior Dash...which is a much more tame version of Tough Mudder. I was planning on Tough Mudder but I've since been busy with other things than training.

Training-wise, I created my own training program. It mixed everything from Insanity/P90X to speed track workouts, to cross-fit, and pretty much the hardest workouts I could come up with. I've got it all laid out if you're interested. About 30 different workouts. I focused on speed and overall body strength and much less on super long runs and pure weight-lifting. I turned into a fast, lean, and completely toned beast. It was awesome.

As far as advice...don't make the same mistake I did and take it too seriously. These extreme obstacle runs are supposed to be fun. I hated it when I ran my race because I won my heat by about 2 minutes so I ran by myself the whole time. The second time through that day I went half as fast with some friends and had an absolute blast. Make sure to bring 2 pairs of shoes, towels, lots of water, and sun screen. The obstacles in Tough Mudder are more serious, but again, it's an event, not a race, so have fun with them.

Oh, and the right shoes are important! I ran in New Balance MT101's. They're super light-weight, shed water very quickly and have great traction. Most people had 10 pounds of mud caked to theirs shoes the whole race and I was zooming along without issues. A little warning is that these are a stepping-stone towards barefoot running. They're tough on your calves the first 2 weeks but after that you'll feel faster than you ever have before. I graduated to the Merrel Barefoot Trail Gloves...and I'll never ever go back to anything else. The most comfortable shoes ever...and they are built for Tough Mudder...tons of traction even compared to the MT101's...and they clean up MUCH easier than anything else.

Oh, and my big secret for doing well was that I ran TONS of hills...including training on a quarter-mile BMX course that was ALWAYS covered in sloppy mud. It got me used to being uncomfortable and slipping in the mud.

One last thing...haha. I ran in my Radars. I would suggest not wearing anything at all. I had to run in the woods for a lot of it, and it was still dark out in the AM, so I had to have them on top of my head to see. On top of that, there was a lot of time spent underwater, so I couldn't keep them on. The hydrophobic worked well for all the sweat and stuff and to get the lenses clear after being submerged though. I watched in horror as about 10 people lost their O's in a mud-pit towards the end of the race. I even stopped to look around for them in the mud on my second attempt but couldn't find anything.

Very nice to see a mudder on here! I am actually doing the Sep 16th Tough Mudder here in Missouri. How many have you done so far?

I will be running it in my Vibram Five Finger Trek Sports by the way...should be fun although I am a bit afraid of the "open electrical wires".

Sounds fun! I'd give those Vibrams a quick run in the mud before making sure you wear them in the race. I've tried a few mud-runs in mine and slipped all over the place. It's nice to see a fellow barefoot enthusiast on the boards!

Good advice! I've been running in the Bikila on pavement forever, and now just got the Trek Sport due to having a thicker sole. I have never run on mud before though so I'll have to give it a try!

Good luck sir!

This is going to be my first.

I ran a 1/2 marathon with my wife this past Sunday. The Mudder is on 2/27.

I went with the Brooks Cascadia 6. I love them for trail running.

Don't worry, I will be properly representing the O