Tough Mudder is coming to the North West of England.

Team Konkura are planning to enter the Tough Mudder event being held at Cholmondeley Estates in Cheshire on Saturday and Sunday the 17-18^th November 2012. Given we push ourselves to the limit in a whole range of strength, stamina and skill based Konkura challenges, we will be fully ready for anything the Tough Mudder course has up its sleeves! One thing is for sure, we won’t be going there to make up the numbers, we are there to win!

For those of you who are not familiar with the Tough Mudder events I will give a quick description of what these fantastic races involve. Each Tough Mudder is a 12 mile long obstacle course designed by the Special Forces to test competitors all around stamina, strength and mental grit. It also invokes camaraderie along with the fun which is generated through awards such as ‘the best costume’, ‘the worst costume’, ‘least clothing worn’ and ‘mostly likely to have been in the Village People’!

For the hardcore element you can have the Tough Mudder logo tattooed on you at the end of the race and there are free head shaves being handed out!

Whilst the Tough Mudder events give no monetary prizes, the top 5 percent of all finishers qualify for the World’s Toughest Mudder.

To top the day off there is a mega after-race party which all competitors are invited to.

It goes without saying that Team Konkura love a challenge, and Tough Mudder is right up our street. We hope our fellow Konkura athletes will take up the gauntlet and join us! 

If you also competing in an upcoming Tough Mudder race, why not try out the Tough Mudder Training Challenges to help you get in tip-top shape for whatever the race throws at you!!

Olympic Gold to US Open Champion: Andy Murray becomes a British great.

Two months on from the tears on Centre Court, Andy Murray wakes up today as the Olympic and US Open Champion 2012 after an epic triumph over Serbian nemesis Novak Djokovic at Flushing Meadows. The wait is finally over, all 76 years of it since the legendary Fred Perry became the last Brit to win a tennis Grand Slam singles event. After 5 final appearances it was beginning to look like Murray was destined to be the ‘nearly man’ of tennis, particularly with the fluctuating dominance of Rafael Nadal, Roger Federer and Djokovic showing no signs of waning. However, buoyed by his Team GB Olympic heriocs, Murray took the fight to Djokovic from the off, winning the first two sets 7-6 and 7-5 in front of a gushing crowd which included Scottish legend Alex Ferguson.

One thing we’ve come to expect from Murray is that he doesn’t do things the easy way. At 2-0 up and playing exceptional tennis despite the wind-swept conditions, he looked to have the title wrapped up. However, Djokovic is made from stern stuff and was not ready to wave the white flag just yet. The brilliant Serb fought back to level the match at 2-2 with convincing 6-2 and 6-3 set wins. The Murray fans began to fear the worse, was their man again going to fall at the final hurdle? No! There is a new found sense of purpose to Murray since the Wimbledon defeat and he showed he is now truly amongst the elite of men’s tennis by winning the final set 6-2 to take the title. The 23,000 crowd in the Arthur Ashe stadium went wild as Murray became a nailed on certainty to win the BBC Sports Personality of the Year Award. What a year for the Scot who became the first British man to reach the Wimbledon singles final in 74 years, the first to win an Olympic gold medal at tennis in 104 years and finally the first to win a Grand Slam singles title in 76 years. All this in the space of two months! TeamKonkura salutes you Sir Andrew Murray.

Why employing a PT is the best way to get fit.

The key to getting fit, keeping fit or improving your fitness is finding what works for you personally, and that is exactly what a good personal trainer will do with you! Whilst personal trainers used to be associated with celebrities and the affluent, they are now used by people of all ages and fitness levels the world over. This is due to them being perhaps the most effective method to improve health and fitness quickly. Many reputable personal trainers are now fully qualified to give advice on dietary matters and are conversant with the latest techniques to improve mindset and motivation, alongside the traditional exercise and work-out knowledge they bring to the table.

The below points illustrate why hiring a personal trainer could be good for you:-

They actually reduce the time you need to spend working out! By using a personal trainer you are working smarter, not longer. A competent PT will set you a program which will give results quickly and efficiently whilst taking into account all aspects of your lifestyle. 

Provide an accurate fitness evaluation. It is easy for individuals to under, or over, estimate their physical capabilities. However, a PT has no such problem and will asses and evaluate their clients based on tried and tested techniques. By doing this the PT can create a fitness program ideal for the client which will reduce the risk of injuries and maximise the impact of workouts. Contrary to what you may have previously read in certain fitness magazines, there is no such thing as an exercise program that fits all. What works for one individual may not work for another. The job of the PT is to find what works for you and build on that.

They will keep you motivated. Working out with someone can be really motivational, particularly if you don’t already have a regular training buddy or fitness friend.  Fitness professionals can be the perfect training companions.  A good PT will know exactly when to push you and when to ease off; when a stern approach is required, or when gentle encouragement and support are needed. They will also add accountability to your training, which if applied correctly alongside set fitness goals can have amazing results.

Variety is the spice of life. Boredom is the arch enemy of motivation, and a good PT will be on hand to eradicate this unwelcome blighter. An experienced PT will spot the early signs of boredom and react by changing your workout routine. They may also use other motivational techniques such as changing the times you train, add a competitive element in the form of fitness challenges or contests and even integrate you into a group of exercisers who are working out at a similar level to you.

Safety is paramount. Whilst improving fitness and progression will be firmly in the PT’s plans, doing so in a safe and injury-free way is most important.  Performing exercises with correct form and technique will be demanded. Lifting the heaviest weight or doing the most reps might look good, but it won’t win you any points with your PT if you’re not doing it in a safe and controlled manner.  This is particularly important if you’re new to exercising, or starting to get fit after a long lay off.  Too many people charge into a new fitness regime, or think they can pick up where they left off 10 years ago, get injured and lose interest and motivation.

They can teach you new skills. Do you want to participate in a new sport or fitness challenge? If you make your PT aware of your intentions they can tailor an individualised program specifically around getting you into the best physical and mental condition for the sport or event.  A good PT will have knowledge of, or the experience to know how and where to research, any sport, fitness or mind-body activity.

Many people are initially put-off by the cost and commitment involved in using a Personal Trainer. However, these are massively offset by the benefits described above. Using a Personal Trainer is a tried and tested method to improve fitness quickly and efficiently whilst minimizing the risk of injury or over-training.