You want to be as light on your feet as possible. I wear the Salomon Speedcross. Most guys wear something similar and some switched into a gym type shoe for indoor stages. I wear a Velocity Systems shirt because they wear well under a plate carrier and dry quickly. If a stage has us doing something that can rip up pants I throw on a pair of UF Pro Urbans. There are stages where you are better off with a pair of running shorts. Other than when you need those rip resistant pants do not think about any sort of tactical clothing. Think running and working out clothing.
As for the training I'll also respond to
@TonyTheTiger. For reference I compete in the masters.
The gear you will have on almost always is your carbine, a minimum 15lb plate carrier, and a pistol.
Shooting - if you have done USPSA and 3-Gun you will find TTG very basic. There is nothing technical whatsoever about it. It's just that you will have done a lot of work before the shooting so you will be breathing pretty hard. Just make your shots. If you are not accustomed to this type of shooting just shoot some 2-gun matches or shoot a 3G as a 2G (many clubs allow this). Be sure to wear the exact some rig you will use in TTG.
Shooting will not win you the competition but you must make your hits. For a lot of 3 gunners TTG shooting may seem boring. I think this sucks as so many guys either currently or at some time in the past did things like this for a living and there are sponsored 3 gunners who compete in this.
Physical training - You would do very well if you conquer 3 things, rope climbing, the aggregate, and running. There are lots of monster weight lifters and some who look like they have been prepping for a body building contest. These guys do not even show up on the radar during the competition but for some reason they make the highlight photos.
The rope - You don't have to climb an 18ft rope in 2 pulls and descend in 0.1 seconds. Be steady, get there in 3 (maybe 4) pulls, be smooth and be able to do it when you are tired and 100% without fail.
The aggregate - Be able to do the aggregate at a decent clip (jogging pace is fine)
without stopping, and with the ability to do some sort of manual manipulation in between each exercise. They may have some rifle disassembly/reassembly in there. If you can run hard for the whole thing then great, but you don't have to. There are plenty of videos on this event but it goes something like this:
- Farmers carry (75lbs in each hand) 50-75 yards, 10 pistol shots on A/B steel at 25 yards. Carry back to start line
- 50lb sandbag 50-75 yards, repeat the pistol shots, and back to start line
- 75lb sled drag, repeat the above
In addition to the aggregate they will sprinkle a few variations of this throughout the course. Carrying 2x 5gal water jugs about 250 yards before climbing 8 flights of stairs... running 200 yards with a 40lb sandbag before entering a building, and back again after you come out,... Train so that this is not a struggle as there is a ton of other shit thrown in there.
Every Sunday morning I do 3x aggregates over 100 yards with about 4 minutes in between sets. Be sure to get some stair work in. Dumbbells are more difficult to carry than the barbells with handles, so train with those.
Running - This is the one you absolutely cannot slack on. The top three finishers can run fast with their gear. They are quick on their feet (scrambling around corners, on stairs and ladders and over distance). I have crushed the first and second place finishers in the rope and aggregate only to be passed on a longish run. I can beat them in a 100 yard dash but get my ass kicked in a 5K
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Running fast under a load is a win or lose thing in TTG.
My goal for Meridian is to be able to do the following times with all my gear:
1 mile - 7 minutes
2 miles - 16 minutes
3 miles - 26 minutes
I know two competitors who can do the 3 miles in 21 minutes
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A last note on training, dedicate 2 consecutive days to training. Maybe run a 5k before a 3G then do the aggregate the next morning. Too many guys struggle on the 2nd day.
The best training I did so far was a sprint triathlon with gear on Saturday. I wore long pants and a belt for the swim, threw on a shirt and the speedross for the bike ride (no clip in pedals, obviously) and wore the plate carrier for the run. The next morning I did the aggregate workout followed by running up and down a few small hills with a sandbag.
If I haven't said it enough, every time you train or take your dogs for a walk or mow the lawn have your plate carrier on. Wear side plates to bump it up.
Finally, TTG is an assload of fun. I have made a few new friends and the cadre are fantastic. I'm a bit addicted.