Why I'm Retiring the Orange Headband

 

Earlier this summer I participated in my second Tough Mudder event.  In my recap post, I wrote that I didn't think I'd be doing another one and I'd elaborate further in another post.  This is that post.  

Before I go on, let me say that I do not mean to offend anyone who enjoys Tough Mudder, deems it challenging, or finds it worthwhile to travel the country to face the Arctic Enema in Colorado and the Funky Monkey in Vermont.  Or even just do it when it comes to your city.  No, that is not my intention.  If you follow my blog you know I was all about Tough Mudder myself until very recently.  The reason I got into TM in the first place is that I was looking to challenge myself in a different way.  I love boot camp and strength training in unique ways, so this seemed perfect.  

After doing TM Michigan, however, I decided it was time to retire the orange headband.  

Here are my reasons why:


Cost

Depending on when you register, TM can cost up to $150 just to run the event.  On top of that you need to pay an additional $10 parking fee and $5 gear check fee.  What does all that money get you?  The chance to participate in the event, a tee shirt (which may or may not be a tech shirt - my first year it was cotton), an orange headband, and a Dos Equis beer (which I don't even drink).  Think your money is going to Wounded Warrior Project?  Nope.  That's separate fundraising.  So you are totally paying all this money just for the event.  Yes, it costs a lot to put on the event but it's still a lot of money.  Especially if you've done it more than once.   

 
Lack of Challenge

When I did my first TM in Indiana, it was really tough.  It truly did challenge my physical strength and mental grit, as promised.  When I competed in the event this June in Michigan, however, I hardly felt challenged at all.  Of course, having done it before you could say I knew what to expect, which is true.  

I hadn't, however, trained for the obstacles like I did last year.  But that didn't matter because they were easier.  I think they are making the newer obstacles easier for the masses and therefore they aren't challenging.  My guess is that they are trying to lure people into World's Toughest Mudder - a 24-hour endurance event that has you paying up to $450 bucks.  Uh, no thanks.

The running parts were also very easy - mostly flat, muddy grass and gravel.  Last year's event had swamps with waist-high muddy water to wade through.  There was quicksand that had people losing shoes left and right!  We were pulling ourselves up steep hills with tree branches.  At one point I felt like we were running through a desert.  Not this year.  Again, this year was WAY too easy.


Injury/Health Risk 

I always come out of TM with scrapes and bruises, but it's never anything that doesn't heal after a few days.  And I've never injured myself seriously in one of these events.  But the risk is there.  How stupid would it be if I hurt my foot jumping off a Berlin Wall?  Now that I'm in marathon training mode (and will likely be next year as well) I need to consider this.

In addition to the risk of injury, you also come into contact with a lot of standing water and mud which undoubtedly contains a sh*tload (pun intended) of bodily fluids.  This year over 200 people contracted norovirus from TM Michigan.  Thankfully I was not among them but it can very easily happen at one of these events.  I'd like to think I take precautions - mouth and eyes closed, don't eat with dirty hands - but really, it can happen to anyone at an event like this.  I'm just lucky it didn't happen to me.


So there you have it.  Although this post was geared specifically toward Tough Mudder, there are a lot of other mud runs and gimmicky races out there (Warrior Dash, Color Run, Foam Fest).  I look at those as more of "fun runs" where I wouldn't expect to be challenged like TM.  Because of that I think there is less risk of injury and barring any important upcoming races, I don't see the harm in participating in them with friends for fun.  As long as you don't mind shelling out $50 for a 5K, that is.

Me?  I think I'm going to stick to road races - and do my monkey-bar work at the local playground for free! 


Do you participate in Tough Mudder or mud runs/obstacle races?

On the Run: Warrior Dash 2013

This weekend Warrior Dash came to Michigan and I participated in it for the first time.  Yes, I've done Tough Mudder twice, the Down and Dirty 10K but never Warrior Dash.  I was invited two years ago but promptly said no because - get this - I was going to get dirty!  Haha!  Clearly that is a non-issue with me now.  I LOVE to get dirty!  

I started my day with a 5-mile run and then picked up my sis-in-law Jaime to make the 1.5 hour drive to Mt. Morris, MI.  (I didn't quite realize how far away it was when I signed up!)  Thankfully it was mostly expressways and we didn't hit any traffic backups.  Parking was easy and we didn't have to wait in any lines for packet pick-up, gear check, or port-a-potties.

This was Jaime's first mud/obstacle race experience so it was exciting to be doing it together.  She was nervous, though!  I tried to calm her nerves by singing "Don't Stop Believing" when we were waiting at the start line.  I don't know if it helped at all but it may at least have been entertaining for the other people in our wave.  Or really annoying.  We were actually slotted for a 4:30 start but because no one checks we were able to get into the 1:15 wave.  Yay!  In fact, there were people who were clearly running for a second time.  Seems that anything goes at Warrior Dash!

The obstacles at were fun but not exactly challenging.  Well, with the exception of the Deadweight Drifter, maybe.  With that you had to pull yourself out of the water onto some blocks that were floating.  It was all upper body strength and I did it in the most awkward manner possible.  Jaime looked way cooler than I did!  There was another one that was a tube of cargo nets to crawl through that was a little tricky.  Other than that it was a lot of climbing up and down walls.  There were some tires to jump through, fire to jump over, some mud to wade and swim through, and a balance beam.  Like I said, fun but not challenging.

I have to give Warrior Dash huge props for the running portions.  The terrain was great!  After doing Tough Mudder at MIS in June and having nothing but flat grass and pavement, I didn't expect a whole lot out of this.  Instead, Warrior Dash was all sandy/dirt roads and trails in the woods.  It was beautiful!  There were actually hills to run up and down, trees to run around, and logs and branches to jump over.  I also heard that you mostly only ran the first mile but there was also another good stretch of running later in the race.  So even though it is still only 3.25 miles I got some decent running out of it after all.  

Silly us forgot to put our timing chips on our shoes so we don't have official times but unofficially it took us 45 minutes.  Not that we cared about time anyway.  How can you for this?  We had fun and that's all that matters!

At the end Jaime and I hosed off and donated our shoes.  She and I had both worn pairs that I'd taken to GLR and they were trashed even before the mud.  (What WAS that smell??)  We got into dry clothes and headed home.  The long drive home.  

I definitely had a lot of fun doing Warrior Dash and would think about it again next year.  It was great to do a non-competitive, down and dirty fun run.  I think we all need something like that every once in a while to level us out.

And LOOK!  I got my fuzzy warrior horns!  

Did you do Warrior Dash this weekend?  Tell me about it!

 

Tough Mudder, Michigan - 2013

Last Sunday I completed my second Tough Mudder event.  (You can read about my first here.)  For anyone who is unfamiliar with Tough Mudder, it's a 10-12 mile obstacle course designed by British Special Forces.  There are 20 obstacles on the course that challenge you mentally and physically.  Many of them cannot be done alone and therefore you need a team or at least a partner to help you complete the course.  Meet my team - the Iron Eagles:

Iron Eagles (from left to right): Brian, me, and Andy

We were ready to take on Big Mudder and all he had to throw at us.  This was Andy's 3rd TM.  He and I did Indiana together last year and he also recently did one in Chicago. As I said, this was my 2nd.  Although this was Brian's 1st, he's been training for over a year so he was good and ready.  Time to put all our running and monkeying around at the park to the test.  Were we ready?  HELL YEAH!

This was the first year that Michigan hosted Tough Mudder so people showed up to Michigan International Speedway (MIS) for the event in record numbers.  We signed up for Sunday, which turned out to be a slower day than Saturday.  Everything went smoothly - parking, registration, and bag drop.  No lines for port-a-potties even!  We hopped the wall just in time for the opening ceremony for our 9:20 start time.  And we were off! 


THE RUNNING

We ran the entire course, only slowing down when it was really slippery with mud.  But we didn't walk.  The terrain wasn't challenging because it was basically flat with only a few small hills.  There was some gravel and one part that was a wooded trail but the majority of it was muddy grass.  Anyone who is a good runner shouldn't have difficulty with the running component of the event, at least not here at MIS.  Plus, the longest distance between obstacles was only about a mile, so you get a lot of breaks in your running. 


THE OBSTACLES

Glory Blades (8' angled wooden walls) - The Glory Blades aren't particularly challenging but they certainly aren't meant to be completed on your own.  Because the walls are angled, there is no foothold to get you started.  (Although I think Brian may have gotten over on his own!)  With a boost from Andy, I could grab the top, push myself up, and swing my legs over the top and slide down the other side.

Kiss of Mud #1 (crawl through mud under barbed wire) - The barbed wire wasn't all that low on this so I was mostly able to stay on my hands and knees.  There were a few parts where it hit my head or back and I had to dip to my elbows but I emerged from this obstacle unscathed.

Firewalker (leap over fire pit into water) - I really enjoyed this obstacle, however, I was completely unprepared for it because it's been changed since I last did Tough Mudder.  While we used to run around burning hay bales that emitted thick black plumes of smoke, you now simply vault over a fire pit and plunge into a pool of muddy water.  As I ran to the flames I came to a slippery halt because I was surprised to see the water on the other side.  In the end this was much more fun - and better for my lungs!

Arctic Enema (plunge into icy water) - Ah, the Arctic Enema.  Unlike last year, I at least knew I would have to swim under the ice cube-filled water.  But knowing it didn't make it any easier.  There's still that sense of panic as you're standing in that frigid water, like "You want me to go WHERE?!" because you have to swim from one side of the icy trailer to the other.  And the only way to get there is to go under the wooden board that divides the trailer in two.  But then you do it and you're done.  The feeling comes back to your extremities.  Eventually.

Underwater Tunnels (swim under rows of floating barrels) - This was a new obstacle for me.  There were three rows of barrels tied together and all your did was swim under each row when the lifeguard told you to go.  Only a problem if you can't swim, in which case you shouldn't attempt the obstacle.  Duh.

Mud Mile (climb over a series of muddy trenches) - Because thousands of people went before us on Saturday, the mud hills had so many footprints to step in that climbing up and down wasn't hard.  Not much slipping and sliding here.  And it isn't an actual mile of mud.  The name is quite deceiving.

Logjammin' (crawl under and over logs) - This was a little bit tricky in spots because some of the logs were slippery from the rain and from muddy feet. 

Hold Your Wood (carry heavy log around a track as a team) - Last year we each carried our own piece of wood, which was easy enough.  This time we carried a team log.  Brian took the front, Andy the back, and I went in the middle.  Brian shouldered the bulk of the log's weight because he's shorter than Andy and it sloped downward.  The whole thing was quite awkward, especially on a slippery, muddy track. 

Walk the Plank (jump off a 15' platform) - I have a fear of heights so I had to psych myself up a bit for this one once I was at the top.  Then I held my nose and went for it.  Do true Mudders hold their nose?  Yes.  Yes they do.

Boa Constrictor (crawl through sections of 3' pipe) - I did this one last year but for some reason this time it freaked me out!  I had a total moment of panic as the water level was rising and I had to turn my face to the side to keep it from going under.  Before going into the second pipe I actually had to put my face under because there wasn't enough air space in the pipe and again, I had that panic moment.  I was glad to be past this obstacle!

Trench Warfare (crawl through earthen tunnels) - These weren't very shallow so we could crawl through on hands and knees.  Not scary or challenging.  No moments of panic.  (Probably because I've seen Titanic more times than movies about people being buried alive.)

Funky Monkey (monkey bars over water pit) - The Funky Monkey has nothing on me!  While it is a challenging set of bars, I'd gotten my practice in at the local park and DO eat a lot of bananas, so I was confident I would make it all the way across.  I was a little nervous about my hands being wet but was able to dry them off on the wooden boards of the monkey bar structure.  Easy peasy!  The other Iron Eagles need to eat more bananas.

Cage Crawl (pull yourself along a cage while lying on your back in the water) - Basically this was an assisted back float.  Quite refreshing and relaxing.

Electric Eel (swim/slide over water getting shocked) - Okay, so the Electric Eel sucks.  I'll give you that.  Luckily I was able to find a good path so I only got hit a few times.  Andy and Brian each got about 10 shocks but even they didn't think it was brutal.  We did, however, hear some horror stories but I think those are people who hung out in the water for too long.  The longer you're in the water the worse it is. 

Warrior Carry (carry a fellow Mudder on your back) - Since we had an odd number, this is how we worked it out: Brian carried me to the halfway exchange point while Andy hopped on one foot.  I thought I might be able to carry Brian.  Uhhh, NO.  So then Andy carried Brian while I hopped the rest of the way on one foot.  Did I look and feel ridiculous?  Yes.  Is hopping on one foot through the mud a killer calf workout?  Yes it is!

Kiss of Mud #2 (crawl through mud under barbed wire) - Same as Kiss of Mud #1, but a bit bumpier and the paths weren't as straight.

Bale Bonds (jump/climb over hay bales) - This is where I got most of my scrapes.  These were huge rolls of hay in various sizes, some as tall as 6'.  Mostly I was able to boost myself up on my own, or pull myself up with the rope that held the roll together.  Andy definitely helped me on one of them.  He and Brian were good on their own.

Berlin Walls (scale two 12' wooded walls) - To get over these, Andy and Brian boosted my feet in their hands so I could grab the top of the wall.  Then I pulled myself up to sit on the wall, and gently dropped down the other side.  Brian helped Andy.  On the first wall, Brian somehow managed to climb it all by himself!  When I dropped down from the second wall I held up my arms like a gymnast.  Some nearby EMT's gave me a 9.5 (they knocked off points because I didn't stick my landing).

Everest (greased up 1/4 pipe) - The obstacle I was least looking forward to was not 10,000 volts of electricity, not icy water, and not burning flames.  No, it was Everest - a slippery 1/4 pipe to run up.  In the end, it wasn't really so slippery.  But it still sucked.  When I was hanging there, it was my left leg that needed to go up and over.  In training, I always favored my right and 99% of the time ignored Andy's advice to practice using my left leg to swing up and over walls.  Yet here I was, faced with needing to use my left leg.  A woman I didn't know was helping to pull me over and I think she physically grabbed my foot as I shouted at her, "I don't have good mobility in my left hip!"  She just rolled her eyes. 

Electroshock Therapy (run through electrified wires) - I said this before and I'll say it again: knowing you're about to get hit with 10,000 volts of electricity is worse than actually getting hit with 10,000 volts of electricity.  Just put your head down and go for it!


THE FINISH

And we were done!  We finished the 12-mile course in 2.5 hours.  HooRAH!  Considering I can run a half marathon road race in about an hour less than that without any mud or obstacles, I'd say that's pretty damn good.  

We hung out for a while after and did some people-watching at Electroshock Therapy.  Andy drank his free beer and mine while Brian got as many deodorants and razors as he could stuff into his free Advil bag.  Then we showered up and headed home.  

Did I love doing Tough Mudder?  Absolutely!  It was a blast, thanks to these guys right here.  Will I do another one?  I don't think I will.  But more on that in another post. 

Did you do Michigan Tough Mudder?  What did you think of it?

 

On the Run: Merrell Down & Dirty 10K

Ever since doing Tough Mudder at the beginning of the summer I've been itching to do another obstacle/mud run so when I found out about the Merrell Down & Dirty National Mud and Obstacle Series, I signed up right away for the 10K.  (If you haven't heard of it before it may be because this was the first year it's been in Detroit.)  I didn't sign up with anyone but hoped that maybe I could convince a friend to join me in the fun.  If not I'd just go it alone.  Unlike Tough Mudder, none of the obstacles are difficult enough to need a team and with it only being 6.2 miles, I wouldn't get too lonely before it was over.  As it turned out, however, friend and fellow Tough Mudder Andy signed up, so we went on the adventure together.  We took his Subaru, which got us free VIP parking and lots of great Subaru swag - tee shirts, sun screen, and lip balm.  So we had to get a picture with the Subaru.  (Shhh, don't tell my Ford husband!  Although I suspect he may see this post.)

The event was held at Kensington Metropark, which turned out to be a great location.  There was a nice open area for the start, finish, showers, bag check, etc. and the trails were beautiful for the course.  There was also a nice lake for the water obstacle.  And it only took us about 40 minutes to get there so as I said, a great location!

The 10K started at 7:30 and was organized into waves that were 4 minutes apart.  It wasn't too busy of a race but that definitely helped keep the trail and obstacles less crowded.  We started in the first wave that wasn't military and safety personnel (that wave only had a few runners in it) so we were right up at the front.  Andy took off like a shot as I struggled up the first damp grassy hill.  It was at this point that I remembered my plan to do more trail running this summer.  oops.  Because that's all this race was - trail running.  But once I got warmed up I felt great!  I love running on the trails, up and down the hills, through the trees, over sand one moment and grass the next, not knowing what's coming next.  It's such a different sensation than what I'm used to with road running!  

Although I was a little behind at the beginning, I quickly gained speed and momentum and started to pass one person after another during the first 3 miles.  To steal a Scott Jurek term, I "chicked a lot of dudes."  haha!  I noted that many people slowed down a bit after completing an obstacle; I just kept right on going.  They would scale a wall and then stop for a drink.  I would hop down and keep right on running.  It was awesome!  

As I mentioned, all of the obstacles were easy enough to complete without help.  Up to this point they were the Monkey Cross, Cargo Net Climb, Balance Beams, Marine Hurdles, Tires, Ladder Walls, Low Walls, 5' Walls, Sand Bag Carry, and Pushups.  Funny story about the pushups.  I read ahead of time that we were going to have to do 20 of them but when we got to that part the military guy was telling us we had to do 10.  I said, "10 pushups?  I thought it was 20?"  He shrugged and said, "Okay, 20 pushups!"  I know everyone hated me.

I actually caught up with Andy again, I think around mile 5, heading up the steepest hill in the race toward the inflatable slide.  I had been running with another girl who, too, had passed a lot of guys and then the three of us sort of stuck together for a bit - through the Tunnels, the Water Crossing, and the first Mud Pit.  Then Andy and I pulled ahead.  We were almost to the end.  Three obstacles remained - the High Wall, Slippery Mountain, and the final Mud Pit.  High Wall?  Not so high, really, and with hand and footholds it was a cinch.  Slippery Mountain?  Well, they were not kidding about it being slippery!  It was a huge slanted wall coated with shampoo and you had pull yourself up by a rope.  I managed it in one attempt but it was definitely a challenge.  The most difficult obstacle by far!  Poor Andy didn't have such an easy time.  He completed the obstacle but it took him a few more attempts.  Don't ever say he's not a fighter!  

Then there was the final Mud Pit before you ran across the finish line.  I finished in 57:33 and placed 3rd in my age group.  Wahoo!  That's only 2:30 slower than my than my slowest non-obstacle 10K!  I didn't realize that I get a bronze medal but I supposedly have it coming in the mail.  I'll be sure to show you that when I get it.  Andy was just a few minutes behind me.  I was so proud of him!  This was only his second timed race and his first 10K.  He rocked!  (If only it weren't for that damn soap wall!)

After getting properly photographed, we hosed off and changed before heading over to the Burger Bash.  I gotta say that Down & Dirty knows how to do a Burger Bash right!  You ordered ahead of time and could choose either a meat burger, veggie burger, or fruit salad.  Yay for fruit salad!  It was pretty good quality fruit, too.  We just hung out on the grass enjoying our food, listening to the live music, and soaking up the sun. 

Then Andy got a haircut.  (It was for charity.  And he needed a haircut.)

Did I mention that there was a human hamster wheel?  I still regret not going in the it but we'd already been at Kensington for the entire morning so we figured it was time to get going.  And once you get in that thing there's no telling how long you'll stay in it.  Next year I'm definitely going in the human hamster wheel!  Maybe while Andy is getting his hair cut.

This race was so much fun.  I can't wait to do it again next year!


Anyone else get Down & Dirty?

Tough Mudder, Indiana - All the Muddy Details

Tough Mudder was early Saturday morning so we set out Friday night in our rented mini-van, heading to our first hotel in Lafayette, IN.  Andy graciously volunteered to drive but seemed to be regretting that decision about 45 minutes into the 4-hour drive.  (Not entirely without good reason but we do have to stop and use the bathroom at some point!)  Luckily we found a "Disco Divas" CD at the gas station and that really seemed to lighten the mood.  At least for the duration of the CD.  

Eventually we made it the Super 8, where we met an extremely frazzled concierge.  Knowing there were a lot of people staying at that and surrounding hotels for TM, we innocently asked if there was some event happening.  She said, "Something called Tough Mudder?"  In a very disgusted tone, she started going on and on about how you pay all this money just to get dirty, it's so stupid, you don't even get a shirt (which you do, although it turned out to be a crappy cotton one), blah, blah, blah.  She went on for like 5 minutes.  We were laughing so hard!  Especially because Haikel was going along with it, acting even more incredulous than she was.  She had no clue that we were there for TM ourselves and we thought it was best not to tell her.  Maybe you had to be there but it was hilarious! 

Anyway, then we pretty much just finalized plans for the morning, made sure we had our uniforms set and ready, and went to bed.  I think it was maybe around midnight by that time.  

Erica, Christie, and I set three alarms for 6:00, 6:03, and 6:08, got dressed, and were at the van promptly at 6:30.  Everyone was kind enough to make it a Starbucks breakfast for my sake so I could have oatmeal.  Erica, Scott, and Cristie had oatmeal, as well.  Haikel had one of the sweet breads and Andy had already eaten some homemade chia gel.  I also ate a banana.  No coffee, though.  I think that would have put me over the edge.  And then we were off to Attica, Indiana.  

Me, Erica, Haikel, Christie in the van

Our wave time wasn't until 10:40 but we were hoping to get there early and jump into an earlier wave.  It was already hot (temps were in the mid-80's) and the later we started the hotter it was going to be.  Everything was easy when we got there - parking, packet pick-up, bag-drop-off.  They wrote our bib numbers on our forehead and arm or leg.  (You can wear your bib if you want but most of us opted not to do so since most people lose them anyway.)  

Andy, Erica, Christie, and me after the registration tent

Scott is ready to go!

We were able to sneak into the 9:00 a.m. wave.  To get in you have to climb a wall, but that was super easy compared to the Berlin Walls that were to come later.  Once in you listen to a motivational pump-up speech about how hard the course is, mental grit, and helping out your fellow Mudder.  You sing the "National Anthem".  And of course there's some Eminem.

Then you just start running.  Through the sand and gravel and dirt.  Over rocks.  Up hills and down.  We ran for almost a mile, I think, before we came to the first obstacle, which was the first set of Berlin Walls.  Honestly, I can't remember the order of the rest of the obstacles - it's all sort of a blur right now - but these are the obstacles we faced on Saturday:

THE OBSTACLES

Berlin Walls #1 (wooden 8' walls) - The first set of walls wasn't so bad.  Of course, for me, none of them were too bad because I just put each of my feet in a guy's hand and they launched me up to the top.  Then I pulled myself up and over and dropped off the other side.  The guys basically got themselves up and over on their own.  There were 2 walls right in a row.  

Swamp Stomp (run through a swampy area) - This was our first taste of mud.  Literally.  Scott made sure to splash us all with mud when we ran through and I got some in my mouth.

Kiss of Mud (crawl under barbed wire) - The website billed this as 8" barbed wire so I anticipated having to belly crawl through this part.  It wasn't that low, however, because I was able to go through on my hands and knees, which was good because instead of mud it was gravel and very rough on the elbows.  This one was easy.

Arctic Enema (plunge into icy water) - What shocked me most about this one wasn't the temperature of the water.  It was the fact that A) it came earlier in the course than I was anticipating and B) the water was disgustingly dirty and I had to dunk myself under it.  That I was not anticipating.  I guess I should have watched a video of this one beforehand to know what to expect.  Anyway, poor Andy was standing in the ice bath, quite literally freezing his balls off, trying first to coax me into the water and then convince me to take a deep breath and swim under the water.  When I finally did I emerged for air with a muddy ice cube in each eye socket.  Sweet.

Greased Lightning (giant Slip 'N Slide down a hill) - I sat down, slid a couple of feet, and then just stopped.  I had no momentum!  Just as I was about to push myself to get going, Andy came flying from behind, scissored me, and we both went down the hill together.  It was hilarious!

Mud Mile (run over a series of muddy trenches) - I was pretty dainty on the mud hills here, choosing to run down instead of slide.  I could have saved some time if I had slid - and probably had more fun!

Log-Jammin' (crawl under and over logs) - This was one of my favorite obstacles.  It was just logs stacked 2-3 high that you alternated going over and under.  Only once did I need help going over.  Usually I was able to find some footing to help myself up.  It was a fun challenge.   

Berlin Walls #2 (wooden 9' walls) - A little higher, a little more challenging.  Again there were two walls.  I cursed loudly upon seeing the second wall.

Walk the Plank (jump off a 15' platform) - I was a little nervous at this but not as nervous as I thought I'd be.  I didn't linger long thinking about it.  We all just went for it.  Scott and I jumped on the count of 3.  I held my nose.  At the last second I remembered my head band but it was too late and I lost it.  That was the worst part about this obstacle.

Creek Crusade (run up a riverbed) - We didn't run here because there were a lot of rocks and logs to trip on, plus the depth of the water kept changing so you never knew when you'd suddenly be in a hole.  It felt a lot safer to walk. 

Devils Beard (crawl under a stretched cargo net) - Just like it sounds.  Not at all difficult.

Killa Gorilla (run up and down steep hills) - These seemed to be all throughout.  You had to just go for it and keep running so you didn't backslide on the sandy hills.  Going down was often harder than going up.

Trench Warfare (belly-crawl through earthen tunnels) - Like the barbed wire, these were high enough to go through on hands and knees.  They were also filled with gravel so hands and knees were a better option than belly-crawling. 

Firewalker (run through burning hay bales) - This one wasn't nearly as bad as I feared but only because it was so quick.  It was over before we knew it. Thankfully - because inhaling that smoke for any longer would have been brutal!

Boa Constrictor (crawl through sections of 3' pipe) - Initially I'd been worried about this one but it turned out to be one of my favorites.  Like the other crawling obstacles, these were tall enough to go on my hands and knees.  After going through the first set of tubes you emerge into a little pool of muddy water under some barbed wire before going back into another set of tubes.  It was like being in "Shawshank Redemption."  Very cool.

Just the Tip (shimmy along narrow board) - This turned out to be impossible for all of us, especially with wet hands.  I "attempted" it but it was a pretty lackluster effort.  I thought it was a dumb obstacle.

Hay Bale Pyramid (stack of hay bales to climb) - Just like it sounds.  It was fun and a good leg workout.

Berlin Walls #3 (wooden 11' walls) - These were obviously the most challenging, since they were the tallest and we were the most tired.  Even with the guys launching me up it took two tries because I had trouble reaching the top of the wall and getting a grip.  We were all relieved to get over the wall and see that there was only one this time. 

Spider's Web (crawl up cargo nets over a shipping container) - This one was fun.  It was just a huge web to crawl up one side and down the other.  When you were waiting to climb you had to help your fellow Mudders by holding the net steady otherwise it was really difficult.

Hold Your Wood (1/4 mile log carry) - The logs came in various sizes so you could find a good fit for you.  We walked but I guess we could have picked up the pace by running.

Electric Eel (slide over water getting shocked) - I have a funny story about Electric Eel.  This one is basically a flat, muddy Slip 'N Slide that you crawl across but it has live wires hanging down.  When they touch you you feel a shock.  Andy and I started crawling through and after a few seconds I said to him, "I haven't been shocked yet, have you?"  He said, "Yes, about 6 or 7 times."  Then I felt a little twitch in my leg and it registered that I, too, had been shocked about 6 times, as well.  I just didn't realize that's what it was!  So clearly, it wasn't that bad to be shocked.  I got hit quite a few more times before reaching the end.  No biggie. 

Twinkle Toes (balance beams over water pit) - I made it all the way across!  The beams were pretty wobbly and there were a couple of points where I wasn't sure I was going to make it but I did.  I think half of us made it.  The others just jumped/fell in the water and swam to the end.

Funky Monkey (monkey bars over water pit) - I was ready for the Funky Monkey.  We'd been practicing monkey bars for weeks so I was ready.  When we got to them my hands were really wet so I used the dusty ground to dry them off.  In fact, I even put on a little show for the crowd and did a Lebron James chalk toss imitation.  Then one of the spectators said, "We've even seen a few girls make it across."  After that I HAD to make it across.  And I did.  Hoo-rah!

Everest (greased up 1/4 pipe) - Ugh, Everest.  This one sucked.  BIG TIME.  I put this up there with the third Berlin Wall in terms of how challenging it was.  Not only is it hard enough to run up a 1/4 pipe but it's a greased 1/4 pipe with a mud puddle in front of it so your feet are very slippery.  Plus this is the second to last obstacle so you're pretty tired at this point.  Anyway, you basically just run up it and there are people hanging out at the top to grab hold of your hands or arms and pull you up.  My attempt wasn't very good but it was good enough for the guys at the top to grab my hands and pull.  Still it was pretty hard for me to swing my legs up and over the top because I was so low down and sort of pushing away from the pipe.  I almost couldn't do it.  I was so relieved to climb down the back and be done with that one! 

Electroshock Therapy (run through electrified wires) - Ah, electrocution.  The final obstacle.  I'd definitely built this one up to be much worse than it was.  I only got electrocuted three times, all in the arm, and it was basically just like a really strong shock.  I screamed each time but just kept running.  I think some wires had higher voltage than others, though, because Christie swears she saw a flash of white light.  Thankfully I didn't experience that! 

Mud Pits - All these obstacles were interspersed with countless mud pits to wade through.  The consistency of the mud varied greatly, from silky smooth to thick clam chowder to wet clay.  Sometimes the suction was so strong that I physically had to pick up my leg to with both hands to move it.  Or have someone else pick up my leg for me.  At one point I was so stuck that I had Andy pulling both my hands and two guys I didn't know lifting each of my legs to get me pulled up and out of the mud.  Those mud pits really slowed me down!  Poor Erica had to take off her shoes in two of the pits!


Check out the "Tough Mudder Indiana 2012 Official Video" below to really get a good idea of what we went through with some of the obstacles!

THE RUNNING

What was the hardest part about TM?  The mud sucked, but that wasn't the worst.  It kills me to say this but for me, the hardest part was the running.  And you know I'm a runner.  I thought that's where I would breeze through.  But I'm not used to trail running.  And even though I knew it would be trail running it was still even harder than I imagined.  It wasn't just dirt, which I could have dealt with.  I ran on that last week and did pretty well.  This was sand, gravel, and rocks.  This was lots of up and down.  This was running with water-logged and mud-caked shoes.  This was running with an elevated heart rate after completing an obstacle.  This was running like I have never run before.  And I was slow.  At least I'd already acclimated myself to running in heat and humidity, so that was something I could deal with.  But the terrain was completely foreign to me.  And it was killing me.  Mentally more than anything, I guess.  

Oh, did I mention I also bruised my tailbone on the Slip 'N Slide around mile 2?  Yeah, so that slowed me down and made running for 10 miles pretty painful, as well.  So I suppose I could give myself a bit of a break on the running.  Christie injured her foot on the Slip N' Slide, so that slowed her down substantially for the remaining 10 miles, as well.  Seriously, we both got injured on the stupid Slip 'N Slide?!?  Go figure . . .

But we kept running.  Man, did we keep running.  It might have been slow but we ran the whole way baby.  From one obstacle to the next.  And let me tell you, there were so many people who were walking.  We'd get people cheering us on for running but it seemed silly to walk.  We weren't that tired and we just wanted to finish. 

THE FINISH 

The estimated completion time for the course was 3 hours but it took our team 4 hours.  Given the the heat, that was actually OUR estimated completion time so we were right on track.  Were we tired when we finished?  Yes.  But it was more like we felt like we'd just been out in the sun all day and needed a nap.  None of us felt like we'd just worked our asses off slogging through a 12-mile course of mud and obstacles.  I think that's where our training and already being in good shape really paid off.  

Were we muddy when we finished?  YES!  Throughout the course whenever I got into some really silky mud - spa mud - I'd rub it all over my arms to make "mud sleeves" for myself.  I figured it would help protect me from the sun and also give me a good spa treatment at the same time.  Plus it felt so refreshing and cooling! 

So after we were done, we got our stupid cotton tee shirts (seriously, this thing is sponsored by Under Armour and we got cotton tee shirts?!?) celebrated with our free beer (I donated mine to Haikel and Scott and ate a banana instead) and then went straight to the camp showers.  Haikel and I helped hose each other off.  I needed a LOT of work!  We we singing, "We're workin' at the car wash!" and hogging the sprayers for some time but it was so much fun!  And there was SO MUCH MUD!! 

There were also feats of strength afterwards like push-up contests, pull-up contests, a Jacob's ladder, and a keg toss.  Scott tried out the keg toss and came awfully close to taking down the cardboard cutout of Fabio.  So close . . .

 
A lot of people donated their shoes at the end.  I saved mine since I already have two more mud runs coming up in August and September.

We all had a change of clothes in the car so we just stripped down in the parking lot.  Even though we still weren't exactly clean it felt good to be in fresh, dry clothes.  We drove to our next hotel in Indianapolis where we all took long showers, used lots of Q-tips, got something to eat, and then all met up for drinks to celebrate.  

Then on Sunday we drove home.  Surprisingly, I didn't feel very sore.  Other than my tailbone - which will take some time to heal - I felt about as sore as I'd feel from a hard boot camp class.  I resumed my normal workouts on Monday without any trouble.  (Although I did get an extra good night's sleep on Sunday!)  

I've definitely got some scrapes and bruises but not much more than I got from our training sessions.  So all in all it was not nearly as bad as I'd feared.  Our training sessions definitely paid off and I would highly recommend them to anyone doing a TM event.  If nothing else, they took away my fear of getting bruised and scraped up, gave me the confidence to tackle the obstacles at hand, and helped us get comfortable working together as a team.

Would I do another Tough Mudder?  Hell yeah!  I already plan on doing the one next summer in Michigan (June 29th-30th, Ann Arbor area).  This time I'll be ready with the trail running, be more careful on the Slip 'N Slide, and hopefully be able to move through the obstacles more quickly.  For my first time, though, I just didn't know what to expect.  

But hey, we made it.  We are Tough Mudders! 

The Rhodes Scholars Team - Thanks for the capturing this moment, Degree Men! 

*Once I get the photos from the camera Scott took on the course I'll post them.  Those will be the muddy pictures!!