We are Tough Mudder F#@kers!!

How do you train for an event that requires you to hoist your team over 8 foot walls, crawl on your belly through tubes and under wires, carry a heavy log on your shoulders through the forest, traverse through obstacles in freezing water while your balls are wondering if they'll still be able to have kids, and run up a couple thousand feet of terrain so steep that you sometimes have to put your hands down?

Yeah, I don't know how to train for that either. Which is why I'm fu#@king sore today!

We got a team of 6 together for this event called Tough Mudder. Four Americans, a Brit, and an Aussie. A couple months before the event the British guy became deeply concerned when he saw that the legal waiver had words specifically saying that you could die. I had to explain to him that because of our crazy tort laws in America, that there would definitely be adequate safety measures. I also explained that, if anything, the "death waiver" was a ploy to make you feel tough.

And a ploy it was. All over the course were signs reading "You signed a Death Waiver," including this large banner that we proudly stood under for a picture. I felt pretty damn tough standing under that. :)


The course was 7 miles and 19 obstacles. The race was more of an interval workout than a marathon, due to the many rest periods encountered while performing the obstacles. Some of the obstacles were challenging and fun while others were a joke. In a race that claims to be "the toughest one day endurance race on the planet" I expected a bit more of many of the obstacles.

For example, the photo below shows me climbing out of a tube. From the course description I had imagined this tube being about a football field in length, not a mere 20 yards. I suppose one could argue that it tested the mental grit of those that are claustrophobic. Physically it was something my grandma could do. In fact, I think that's my grandma pulling herself out of the tube to the left...


Aside from the few lame obstacles, the race was a good challenge. There were definitely times during the race when you felt totally beat. Mostly though, it was nice just to get together a team of friends and have a fun day enjoying the dividends of all the workouts we do.

Here's the team. Mike, Andrew, Jason, Dan, me, and Rick. We're all wearing our orange Tough Mudder bandannas that they give all the finishers as a badge of honor.


Before the race, Dan, Rick and me stood for a picture. I thought we were all making tough faces in this picture. They had to show me up with their fancy smiles!


And lastly, an ignited Tough Mudder sign. The flame is a signature piece of the race, since the final obstacle in every Tough Mudder race is to run through flames. In some races they ignite bales of hay, but in this race they had an industrial looking gas powered contraption. We all had to jump over metal grates of lowly lit flames. It pretty much makes you feel like a badass right before you cross the finish line.


My next event is the Santa Barbara International Marathon. Since you can't really fake a marathon, and it's next month, its definitely time to get in some long runs. Until next time.