Last week, I ran the Warrior Dash for the first time with a group of friends. I’m not a runner, so the thought of doing a 5K obstacle course seemed a bit daunting. I decided I needed to prepare myself.

Since running the Dash, I’ve also included a few other tips to help future warriors. So here are the methods I used in my training, and some other ideas to keep in mind as you go along.

Build momentum for yourself

Six weeks out from the Dash, I devised a plan for myself. Like I said, I’m not a trained runner since I’ve never done cross-country or track. I started by running a mile every day for a week. Then 1.5 miles. Then 2. By the time I got to 2.5 miles, though, I could only run 3 days a week because of an erratic work schedule and other conflicts. Starting a summer class and a full-time job meant that I could only find one day in a week to run 3 miles, and the same for 3.5 miles.

A 5K race is only something like 3.25 miles, but I thought by preparing myself for 3.5 that I would be ready for a lesser distance. I ran another 5K race six days later, with no training in between, and I had to stop and walk twice.

Run in similar conditions

The Warrior Dash isn’t generally held on a straight road or a track, which were my general training conditions. Though, a few times, I made it to the park where I ran on dirt trails on little hills that best replicated conditions at the Warrior Dash I attended.

Unless you have jungle gyms or your own obstacles, it’s probably difficult to train for those. If you’re a rock-climber, that may help you. The obstacles, in my opinion, weren’t that difficult and actually allowed you a chance to rest in between the run since you had to slow down for everybody else.

Be careful

As I ran up a hill, my foot was on a slight slope and I thought I rolled my ankle about halfway through. I felt it ache but I kept going. By the time I completed the race, I was limping out of the mudpit trying to keep my balance.

The Warrior Dash conditions are slick in spots because of the mud, and you aren’t given any safety devices when you climb the obstacles. Granted, a fall from the height wouldn’t kill you, but it’s a little more precarious when you’re hot, sweaty and a bit worn out from running.

Don’t be afraid to get dirty

Not only will you be sweaty, but you will be caked in mud. The final obstacle is a giant mudput, covered by strands of barbed wire that force you to army-crawl through a pit of filth. You are only allowed to wash your face and hands after the race, so the rest of the time will be spent caked in mud.

Unless you’re like us, and you find a tiny water hole where everybody else as washed their filth off and you’re just bathing in nastiness.

Have fun

We had about a 90-100-minute drive from home, so we had fun in the car blasting music and we motivated each other as we ran. The Dash has bands on site and offers you a free beer once you’ve finished.

We are just six days away from the Warrior Dash.

And my training wasn’t up to the level it was last week.

On the positive side, I ran three times. I clocked 3 miles and 3.5 miles continuously on separate days. Between those runs, I tried to run at the time our race is, though I decided to go after I mowed. After 1.5 miles, I gave up. I was hot and exhausted, and I just didn’t feel like it.

On the negative side, I lifted no weights last week. I’d like to think I’ll be able to this week, but with two nights of martial arts practice, a new full-time job and everything that goes into being a successful student taking a summer course, I don’t know how realistic that will be.

Though I’m extremely busy this summer, my costume arrived tonight and it looks sweet. It’s kind of a shame its inaugural wearing will see it get sweaty and dirty.

My next Dash-related blog will be about the event, so stay tuned!

Last week, I mentioned how I was planning on retooling my workout routine.

And it worked out great. I ran and lifted three days each this week.

Sure, I wasn’t running five days a week as I’d originally planned. But I feel I had more time to recharge in between runs. In fact, after two days off, I ran three miles in about 25 minutes tonight.

I’m also looking at making a slight increase in dumbbell weight this week, too.

Last week was especially fun. After a run on my typical route south of town, I was worried about my stamina after hitting the 2.5-mile mark. I had to stop and walk for the first time. Thinking I needed to switch things up, I went for a great jog through the park north of town where time and distance breezed by. On Friday, I met my other Warriors in Peoria to run through Springdale Cemetery. I was happy with my conditioning, considering we ran during the peak of the afternoon heat in a place I’ve never been before.

Tonight, I bumped up to my distance of the week, three miles. Next week is 3.5, and that Sunday will be the Warrior Dash. We’ve decided on Spartan warrior costumes.

Almost to the final stretch!

After last week’s brush with injuries and knowing how much time exercising five days a week is going to take up, I’ve decided to adjust my Warrior Dash training.

Instead of running five days a week, I’ll be reducing that number to three. I feel like I can make just as much progress if I cut two days out. So that means I’ll be running and lifting dumbbells three days a week.

I can already feel that, three weeks in, I’m feeling burned out of forcing myself to run so much. And as the distance increases, I feel like my body should take more time to recover in between.

And if those excuses sound weak, well – it’s my summer, dammit, and I want to still find time to do some things. I’m finally starting to get more hours at the store, and starting next week, I’ll be taking a class into the month of July. I’ll drive myself crazy just doing school and working. I don’t need the pressure of working out every day on my mind.

Plus, with various martial arts practices and trying to find some time to study for the GRE I plan to take in August, I have my mind on other things.

I know I can endure the Warrior Dash after running the Jingle Bell, another 5K, back in 2009. Speed isn’t my goal. My only mission for this race is to do a better job than I did in the Jingle Bell, which isn’t even that lofty.

As far as last week’s progress goes, I wound up working out five days in a row – riding my bike after stubbing my toe so bad I limped for the next day, and then running the next four, with three sessions of weights sprinkled in.

I also wound up buying whey protein powder again for the first time in several years. I’m not a dieter by any means, but I have a few rules I keep for myself that I think has helped me lose upwards of 50 pounds over the last four years. Perhaps in another blog, I’ll share my tips. for what they’re worth.

Instead of running two miles this morning, as I had intended, I’m writing this blog.

Last night, I innocently stubbed my toe on a step. Pain shot through the joint at which the base of my toe meets the ball of my foot. This spot has ached on and off for a year, with the last major flare-up about a year ago when I ran for the first time after getting home from Dublin. About a half-mile in, I had to stop and limp home. Further Internet research leads me to believe I’ve developed a bunion.

A freaking bunion.

The redness on the side of the foot, pain right where the pain is expected and I’m noticing my toe make a slight angle to the left.

This makes sense to me. My toes have always been messed up, having had somewhere around 10 procedures performed on each side of each of my big toes for ingrown toenails when I was younger, resulting in a narrow nail bed in the middle of my chubby toes.

The toe is just the latest in a string of injuries.

Lately, my left hip and lower back have been hurting. My back pain has since settled into a dull ache on the lower left side. But my hip has flared up again.

In 2009, I was told I have “hip snapping syndrome.” When the hip moves around the joint, it makes a popping noise due to a muscle or a tendon moving abnormally over a bone. I was suffering lots of discomfort in my left hip. Mostly, this pain was caused my doing lots of kicking due to my karate practice. I really don’t know how I did 500 front kicks for my black belt test, because I start to feel pain when I get to 50 anymore.

I went to an orthopedic doctor and performed several therapy sessions throughout the summer using different kinds of stretches. I probably should’ve kept up with the stretches, but I neglected them with school. My hip never really bothered me when I ran (or rode my bike), but I’m thinking it’s starting to wear down a little bit now since I’ve been doing more of both lately.

The hip and back pain I can deal with as long as I keep readjusting myself. Doing heavy lifting at a grocery store isn’t going to help either, but I’m trying to pay attention to how I left heavy items now.

But the toe pain, of all things, it’s what’s keeping me down for today. I was able to ride my bike last night, but didn’t want to use those muscles again this morning.

Hopefully Wednesday will be better, both since I have to work for nearly eight hours and since I’ll need to run five days in a row to keep my goal for the week.