This week, I want to answer a few questions I was recently asked pertaining to training for the Spartan and the Tough Mudder races.

Obstacle races have become very popular and are designed around the U.S. and British Special Forces BUD/S-style obstacle courses and training aspects. BUD/S stands for Basic Underwater Demolition/SEAL.

Military training puts a premium on endurance, ensuring each person can withstand the demanding conditions of combat operations. For BUD/S training, the first two months consists of exhaustive physical training. Once the first weeks are completed, each person must meet a number of minimum requirements.

Here are a few examples of those requirements:

* 1,000-yard swim: (20 minutes or under)

* Push-ups: minimum 70 (two-minute time limit)

* Dead-hang pull-ups: minimum 10 (two-minute time limit)

* Curl-ups: minimum 60 (two-minute time limit)

* 4-mile run: in boots (31 minutes or under)

As part of Special Forces training, they incorporate daily and weekly endurance training that also factors in obstacle courses. These obstacle courses generated the idea to design them for civilian use, bringing us the races like the Spartan, Warrior and Tough Mudder. Here are a few other examples from BUD/S Training:

* Weekly 4-mile runs in sand, wearing boots

* 2-mile ocean swims

* Rope climbs, Tyrolean traverses

* High wall hurdles, spider walls and rappelling towers

* Vaults, barbed-wire sand crawls and cargo net climbs

* Balance logs

Obviously you do not need to train at the levels of Navy SEAL BUD/S training. So how can you train to have fun and survive a Spartan or Tough Mudder without BUD/S training? Let's take a look at the basic training needed to have a great race.

Since I have completed a number of these types of races, it became clear to me early on that each course and race, although different, were designed to wear you out quickly. The course is designed to strip you of your energy within the first few miles. For example, the Montana Spartan puts about 1,000 vertical feet of running, scrambling or hiking uphill before you get to the really tough obstacles. Then as your endurance fades and you lose strength, the remaining obstacles can be impossible to successfully complete. Since you will be faced with somewhere between 12 to 25 obstacles depending on the race, each subsequent obstacle then becomes your next worst nightmare.

Training for these events becomes critical not only so you can finish, but for safety reasons, too. If you are not conditioned properly, the odds that you will be injured increases significantly and the odds of finishing drops quickly. In the last three years, I have seen several broken ankles, broken collarbones and more than my fair share of dehydrated folks carried off the course. All this becomes no fun fairly quickly.

Here are some basic training points that somewhat match the BUD/S training to ensure you will finish healthy and happy.

* Build endurance - run a minimum of 3 miles, three days a week for 6 weeks prior to your race.

* Do short 1-mile run on steep terrain once a week.

* Swim 500 yards once a week at a minimum. It would also be a good idea to find deep mud to wade through to become accustomed to those conditions.

* Hit a climbing wall at least twice a week or more. Spider walls on the course can be most difficult to manage, so be prepared.

* Find a great set of monkey bars, cargo nets, and balance beams and start working them on a regular basis.

* Practice dead-hang pull-ups every other day for six weeks prior to the race. Do as many as you can until you're exhausted.

* Push-ups, push-ups and more push-ups...

* Learn to execute the perfect set of 30 burpees! It will come in handy if you fail an obstacle in a Spartan race.

OK, what about food to fuel you through the training and the race? Depending on your level of exertion in an obstacle race and how much you weigh, it can be estimated that you will burn about 400 to 600 calories an hour. If you're doing a 13-mile course, it can take between 3 to 5 hours. Do the math - you must fuel properly before and after the race.

Keep your nutrition plan simple, just focus on food types and calorie intake. The very first thing to think about is dropping sugar, snacks, soda and sports drinks... Just don't do it! Then eat the following as your training progresses; soon you will see the benefits of proper fueling as endurance builds.

* Eggs, or hard boiled egg, chicken and lean beef.

* Green leafy veggies like baby spinach mixed into a salad with chicken, eggs or fish.

* Protein shakes with fruit, made with almond or coconut milk.

* Greek yogurt, oatmeal and peanut butter to add options.

* Mixed salads with variety of vegetables like asparagus and broccoli.

* Quinoa or brown rice for your side dish.

* Fruits like banana, apple, pear, orange, honeydew or watermelon to feed your sweet tooth.

* Drink plenty of water daily.

Another thing to consider is running with wet feet. Try a few training runs with wet feet so you know what to expect. Drink lots of water to stay hydrated. Some courses limit water availability meaning you may not find water every mile or so. Be sure to bring your ID and a change of clothes. Be prepared to toss your race clothes, as they will be trashed. Get yourself in great shape and you will have an amazing time.

Judd Jones is a director for the Hagadone Corporation.