26 Weeks: Tough Mudder

Check out that wingspan!

Just rubbing my face with my feet...no big deal

The clothes come off and the feet go up!

This past weekend Mikey, Brian, Darin, and I went down to Dallas to run the Tough Mudder.  Its basically a half marathon through mud and several obstacles.  Its a race series that travels the country and is even in Canada, Australia, and a few other places.  Each course is slightly different, so you never really know what you are going to get.  Our course was 12 miles with 23 obstacles.  We also had to climb up and down huge ravines in the woods.  Tough Mudder focuses a lot on team work and camaraderie.  You take an oath before you begin the race vowing not to leave any mudder behind.  The course is designed to attack people's biggest fears.  Many people are afraid of water and heights, so there are several obstacles that force you to face these.  I'll include a brief list and description of some of the obstacles that we faced.  

Brian and Darin ran on Saturday with a team.  There were 22 of them!  It seemed like a lot of fun!

1-30th Field Artillery (I think)

The team in the holding area before the start

Getting a motivating talk from the M.C.  

The start of their 8 hour journey

There was a costume contest...the winner got free entry for life

The beginning of the race had a series of muddy hills to run up and down

Arctic Enema:  This obstacle was about 1 mile into the race.  It was obstacle number 4.  You had to jump into a dumpster full of ice water, dive under a board that went almost all the way to the bottom, then swim to the other side to get out.  

Tough Mudder gives many of their proceeds to the Wounded Warrior Project.  There is always a team of wounded warriors that runs.  The man carrying the flag only had 1 arm and completed all of the obstacles to my knowledge.

Brian approaching Everest...about 11 miles into the race

It was 86 degrees and sunny all day.

Everest: essentially a half pipe covered in mud and grease.  You have to take a running start and try to get up.  Your fellow mudders are there to help catch you and pull you over the edge.

It was a long hot day for poor Mikey

Walk the Plank:  Just climb up, jump off, and swim to the side.  It looks much higher when you are standing on the top.

The team getting ready to tackle the final obstacle and head to the finish

Electroshock Therapy:  Many live wires dangle from the top.  Some contain 10,000 volts!

touch a 10K volt and you drop to the ground

You get a beer and a headband at the end!

Tough Mudder

I ran on Sunday, it took me about 4.5 hours to complete the course.  It was not nearly as crowded though.  

About to drop over the wall to the holding area

We're off!

I ran in my Vibram Five Fingers...they were AWESOME!

Except for going down slightly muddy slopes...they are road running shoes and have ZERO traction

Most of the people there were not strong swimmers.  There was a pretty good current sweeping across the pond, so I swam against it to get to a less crowded area.

A lot of people had serious problems getting under these barrels.

Underwater Tunnels:  This was one of my favorite obstacles.  All you had to do was dive under them and come out there other side.  This was the first obstacle on the course.

Tough Mudder is all about teamwork.  Everyone gives everyone a hand when they need it.

Arctic Enema

Mikey wants to be a Tough Mudder

He spent about 16 hours out there in 2 days, so I would say he earned his headband

Approaching Everest...after 11 miles of mud, ditches, water, walls, etc...

Seriously contemplating if I wanna do that or not

About to give it a try

Launch!

Fail

after about 12miles...time for monkey bars

They were caked in mud, grease, and spin A LOT

and I didn't make it...I'd rather swim anyways

Headed to the finish!!!

I'm a Tough Mudder!

Hosing off

They take muddy shoes and donate them.  Pretty epic pile

So...the obstacles that I can remember are as follows:

Underwater Tunnels: Involves swimming under barrels that are submerged just enough to make people uncomfortable.

Kiss of Mud: Involves doing a low crawl under barbed wired that is 8 inches off the ground.  It goes into a pond that you must wade through.

Berlin Walls: You must make your way over 12 foot high walls that are caked in wet mud.  

Arctic Enema:  Involves jumping into ice water and swimming under a barrier.

Creek Crusade: Is basically running through waist deep sludge.

Devils Beard: A long cargo net anchored tightly to the ground...of course going through mud. 

Cliff Hanger:  Scale a mountain of wet, slippery mud.

Carry Your Wood:  Carry a log for a certain distance, then through a creek.

Log Bog Jog: Navigate through a bog with many fallen trees...water is about waist deep

Mud Mile:  Run about a mile in super sticky, thick mud...try to keep your shoes!

Berlin Walls 2:  Make your way over walls that are even higher than the first set.

Ball Shrinker: Make your way across a rope bridge

Boa Constrictor:  Crawl through a tube that ends 3/4 submerged in water.  Then enter another that is 3/4 submerged and make your way out.

Twinkle Toes:  Run across a swaying board.

Dirty Holes: Climb over mud mountains that are in between muddy water filled holes.

Log Jammin': Climb over and under logs...and of course mud and barbed wire are involved!

Kinky Tunnels:  A trench made that is very narrow and dark.  Also filled with mud.

Just the Tip: Make your way over a water trench with just a tiny board for your hands and a tiny one for your feel...only your fingertips can hold on.

Funky Monkey:  Greased and spinning monkey bars.  If you fall it is, of course, into mud water.

Everest:  Get over a muddy and greased half pipe.

Walk the Plank: Jump 15 feet into water

Electric Eel: Low crawl under live wires.

Electroshock Therapy:  Run through live wires that are up to 10,000 volts

Mikey is now sitting completely on his own and trying his hardest to crawl.  He is also trying to stand on his own...he is no longer excited by sitting.  He did great over the weekend, we spent a lot of hours out in the heat and he was a total champ.  He's battling a little cold right now, but sleeping much better than he did the last time he had a cold.

I completed week 3 of Insanity in addition to running the Tough Mudder.  I took 2 days off this week to let my body recover, but am resuming today.

I made pesto stuffed shells as my new recipe and it was delish.  I also made my award winning chili as my crockpot dish.

I think that's it for this week!