So you want to be a Mudder?

Team Space Lord Mudders

I'm writing this from the other side of a 6 month journey. When I signed up for Tough Mudder Wisconsin I did it because I wanted the challenge. I wanted to push myself and test my limits. I wanted to prove to myself and the world that I was Tough. In the end it became so much more. What follows is my personal account of what I felt and learned. The beauty of this is that every experience is different. You will laugh, you will cry, you will cringe, overall I hope you will be inspired to do something you've never done before, maybe something you'll never do again, but at least you can say you tried.

I woke up the morning of my event with a lot on my mind. Every ounce of sanity in my body (which some would argue isn't much) was screaming I never should have been here. I had been a ball of nerves for days. "What if I blow out a knee?" "What if I start to seize and can't finish"  With my plethora of health concerns I wasn't an ideal candidate to take on this course, but there was no going back now.

I ate my oatmeal in silence, watching the other Mudders staying at our hotel as they passed through the breakfast room. Some looked jovial, others looked like they wanted to puke in their shoes. I decided I was somewhere in the middle and that was a good place to be.

I went back to my room and started getting ready. Full length cold gear tights? Check. Nike Pro team shirt? Check. and so on, but there was something else on my mind. I had decided long before that day that I was going to do this in honor of TOF. This is a nickname given to my Uncle by his wife. It is very to the point as it stands for "Tough Old !@#$&!" (you can figure it out) TOF, having already beaten Leukemia, is now battling lung cancer. I've wished for so long there was something I could do, something I could give, to show how much I care. 9-7-13 marked the day I attempted my greatest athletic achievement to date, it was going to take all I had in me, and that was all I had to give. I dedicated my first TM, whatever the outcome, to TOF. He is not a man who enjoys attention or being fussed over, in fact he may cringe, if he happens to read this. But my hope is there will also be a little tug of a smile.

As I finished getting dressed a clap of thunder sounded and the skies opened up. It began to rain. And when I say rain I mean pour. Huge heavy drops were smattering the window and I started laughing. Suddenly I wasn't nervous anymore. It was go time. I was ready. 

There was a quick break in the rain and I was able to grab this shot before we started. Representing for Fierce Forward and TOF! This is also the only photo I have my race number as it was lost on the first obstacle.

Fast Forward to the starting corral. I call it a corral because as a farm kid this is the best way I can describe it. Here is the scene. It's still pouring, our shoes are soaked just walking under the starting arch. We follow the horde to a wall, probably 8 feet give or take, which we are responsible for getting over. Once we get over we are greeted by Marines screaming over the rain for us to keep moving forward, as we had to squeeze 100 more people into the area. There was literally steam rising up off all the warm bodies because the rain was that cold.

Once an appropriate amount of Mudders had made it in we are addressed by the Man himself, Sean Corvelle. Sean is an actor, comedian, and most recently Emcee for Tough Mudder. It's his job to get us pumped, and he did. Tough Mudder is a huge supporter of the military (the course was designed by special forces) and more specifically the Wounded Warrior Project. I am proud to say that Team Space Lord Mudders with the help of family and friends raised nearly $300 for WWP, more if you count the pull ups that Thack knocked out in the burn zone. After thanking our service men and women and playing the national anthem, the shot rang out and we were off. 

At this point I want to break away from my usual writing style and get down to the meat and potatoes of this. I know many of you are reading this in hopes of gathering intel for your own TM experience. Hopefully I address some of your concerns.

1. GEAR- even if it is going to be hot when your event is taking place I recommend long tights (Ladies we don't have all that leg hair to protect us like the dudes do...err...at least I HOPE we don't) and if it is going to be chilly a long sleeved top as well. You will STILL come out with plenty of bruises and scratches so don't be a hero. It will hopefully spare you some of the nastier things like embedded gravel, hay slivers, and chafing. Avoid cotton at all costs. Remember you aren't just getting dirty. This course takes you underwater and cotton will soak all that filthy water up and leave you carrying it. Also, don't forget to apply a strong waterproof sunblock and eat a good breakfast. There are water stations and bananas provided along the course but they aren't going to be enough if you skipped a morning meal. 

2. I know a lot of you, like me, are not excited to be electrocuted. There are 2 electricity obstacles. Electric Eel, and just before you finish, Electroshock Therapy. You can read about the specifics of the obstacles on the Tough Mudder website. What I was not able to find was a clear description of what it would feel like to be shocked, though I'm sure it differs from person to person, and definitely depends on how much of a hit you take. This will either ease your mind or terrify you and I found that ignorance was very near bliss so read at your own risk. 

Still reading? Ok, here you go.

I got hammered by both electricity obstacles and it hurt, badly. The little shocks are kind of like being slapped, the big ones, which I took a few of, are like being punched, hard. You feel the hit, then the burn, and by then you're most likely getting hit again, unless you are getting out of the obstacle. My biggest hits  literally took my breath. I saw one guy get laid out from a shock. This being said you can get through the obstacles relatively quickly. Watch the people ahead of you, don't get stuck behind someone who is going to freeze because if they do you're just standing there getting electrocuted. When it comes to electric eel, stay low, low, low. Don't stick that butt up when you're crawling, that is just asking for it. 

3. If I had to choose 3 things I would have done better in preparation it would have been, more upper body work, more work on stabilizer muscles, and more work on balance. Climbing/pulling yourself over those walls is difficult, even with other mudders or your teammates lending a helping hand. You are literally running through slippery mud. Cue blown out knee, twisted ankle, etc. If you have time work on those areas, I promise you won't be sorry. 

4. The hold your wood obstacle is no joke. You carry that log for a solid quarter mile, maybe longer, and it's in the super slippery mud. Don't expect to find a small log. Most of them are bigger than you are. I manned up an carried my own. I wanted to be a beast, but I also didn't want to drag my team down with me if I slipped. Make sure you are prepped for this. It sucks, but it makes you feel totally B.A when throw that thing down in triumph. 

5. Arctic Enema. Oh, Arctic Enema. What can I say? I started sitting on the edge of the dumpster, put my feet in for a second, then dropped down in. Honestly sitting on the edge and even getting in I thought I could handle it with relative ease and little pain....then I had to swim under the wall. That is when it gets painful. You come up out of there and it's a total body brain freeze. Be sure to keep moving, if you can muster the strength, keep running after this. It's important to stay warm or you'll start to cramp up. I've heard of Mudders taking cold showers beforehand to prep. In my opinion that is just prolonging the agony for no reason. You can't prep for this. Take a hint from Nike, Just do it. 

6. Walk the plank looks a lot higher from the end of the plank that it does from the ground. The water will be cold when you hit it because it's deep. Do NOT open your eyes or mouth. I loved this obstacle but then again, I am not afraid of heights. 

7. Everest is a lot harder than it looks. This is where that balance and upper body strength will come in handy. Run as hard as you can, jump and if you reach the rope don't let go. This is all about team work and no Mudder left behind.

You want more? Check out these 2 videos put together by my teammate Adam. He did an awesome job and you really get a feel for the event. You'll be rooting for us by the end! 

http://youtu.be/QbDYkZyFV-M   and part II  http://youtu.be/c3Paur8S0E8

Unless my memory is still failing me (it's entirely possible) I think that covers most of the big ticket obstacles . I should note there is a new obstacle, Cage Crawl, that was just debuted at TMWI. If you are claustrophobic this could be a problem. You slide into a water filled trench and there is a chain link fence above you with only an inch or two of clearance between it and the water. I loved it, I glided under on my back, using the fence to propel myself forward.

Crossing the finish line was bittersweet for me. Let's face it you have to be a bit crazy to want this, you have to, in a way, enjoy the pain. I had trained for so long. I loved every step, even the painful ones, and now it was over. But in the end isn't that what fitness, and life, is all about? Pushing yourself to become better. If it doesn't challenge you, it won't change you. As Hemingway said, "Be wholly alive with all your might". For me, this was therapeutic, I came out feeling like a million dollars. I left all my shreds of self doubt back in the mud, which was what it was all about in the first place. 

As I made my way out of the finisher chute, a muddy orange headband on my head and a cold beer in my hand, I was left with two thoughts.

I did it. 

Life is good.