Are you ready for a Tough Mudder?

Do you have what it takes to compete in a Tough Mudder or any other obstacle course race? | Jens Meyer/AP

Even if you are a seasoned runner with many races under your belt, obstacle course competitions are a totally different animal.

If one is in your near future, get yourself ready for the experience by joining up with the Gottlieb Obstacle Course Training Team.

With obstacle course competitions like the Tough Mudder so popular right now, this class is a great idea. The 12-week course is designed to improve your stamina, mobility, strength and of course, mental toughness. After all, you’ve got to have the right attitude to power through these competitions. And just like the obstacle courses, expect the unexpected in the class, which is open to all fitness levels.

The training will be led by John Hayley, a certified strength and conditioning specialist as well as a Spartan Group X coach. Hayley’s no stranger to tough competitions. Besides competing in the Chicago Marathon, he has participated in the Men’s Health Urbanathlon, Spartan Race Ultra Beast, Wild Wild West Marathon and the Ragnar Relay Race.

The course will be held from 5:30 to 6:30 a.m. Tuesdays and Thursdays or from 7:30 to 8:30 p.m. Mondays and Wednesdays. It begins Feb. 9 and continues through April 30. It’s $300 for non-members and $240 for members of the Gottlieb Center for Fitness, which is where the course will be held. The Center is at 551 W. North Ave., Melrose Park.

To register, call Gottlieb at (708) 538-5790.