Tough Mudder

Well I did it

But Tough Mudder is not about the running. It is about teamwork and testing yourself.

The warm up session of about 12 minutes was fantastic. It is a mixture of physical warm up, humour, bonding with your fellow runners (or fellow heroes) and psyching everyone up for the challenge. And soon we were off, a gentle run of nearly 1k to the first obstacles which were the Hero Walls – three walls of increasing height that you have to get over. And the great thing is that we all helped each other when it was needed.

I had to wait a couple of minutes at the Hero Carry for another solo runner to turn up so that we could take part in the challenge. And as there were no other solo runners at the Texas Hold Em, I had to miss that one out.

And then the mud started to kick in, with the Devil’s Beard (crawling under a cargo net), the Boa Constrictor (going headfirst down pipes into muddy water) and the Kiss of Mud (crawling through thick mud under barbed wire).

Mud and water kept coming thick and fast, until we got to the fifteenth and final obstacle, the Mudderhorn – not one to attempt if you haven’t got a good head for heights.

So what have I learned?

• I didn’t have to worry about the running. The first run is by far the longest, and I was still running at the end.
• I shouldn’t have worn my glasses. I took an old pair with me, which unfortunately turned out to be photosensitive. This meant that almost immediately they went very dark, and after the Mud Mile were covered in mud anyway, useless, and I couldn’t wear them for the rest of the course.
• I should have been more ambitious and gone for the Classic Mudder which is about 8-10 miles long.
• It is better to go as part if a team, not only for help round the course, but also to enjoy the atmosphere more.

Would I do it again? Most certainly. I can’t wait for the next one – and this time I will go for the Classic!