I understand that Tough Mudder is not a race but a challenge.
I put teamwork and camaraderie before my course time.
I do not whine, kids whine.
I help my fellow mudders complete the course.
I overcome all fears.
A cool, slight breezy morning. My start time was scheduled for 8:20am. I had no idea what to expect for the upcoming day, but I knew, no matter what happened I was going to make the most out of it. Around 6:30am my girlfriend and I arrived and waited for the check-in gates to open. We wondered around the outside fence, looking at some of the giant slides, walls and other obstacles I would be facing later in the day. With 15 minutes until the first wave was scheduled to start and the already large amount of mudders waiting to check-in outside the gates, I had a feeling there may be a slight delay to the exact start times.
After getting my bib number and body markings I still had a while until I was scheduled to start. To kill some time my girlfriend and I checked out the souvenir tent and wondered around. We worked our way to the start or as the signs said, "The warm-up area". It was getting close to 8 and the 20 minute waiting area was filling up fast. I got in line after giving an unmuddy hug to my girlfriend and lined up. After a few minutes we were headed to the warm-up area and waited for the wave before us to start.
The anticipation in the group was building as the first group took off and the only thing separating us from the start line was a giant wall to climb over. This is Tough Mudder remember. As the first handful of participants jousted themselves over the wall some were making their way to the side they felt more comfortable climbing over. On the left side was a somewhat less difficult wall to climb over-- Shorter with steps. On the right was a little more challenging. No wood steps, and the only way to get over was to jump and pull yourself up and over. I chose the right side and swiftly jumped over the wall.
We stood in the start coral as mudder after mudder made their way over the wall. After a run though of some course directions and some motivational words from no other than Sean "Hoo-rah" Corvelle we were off.
Kiss of Mud
Eat dirt as you crawl commando-style under barbed wire set just high enough for you to squirm under. This obstacle is true to its name – you have to belly-crawl through mud in order to avoid getting snagged by the barbed wire above
Packed tight down the narrow path to the first obstacle everyone started spreading out and picking a spot to crawl under the barbed wire. The sandy and mud covered ground dug into my elbows as I caught my shirt on the low barbed wire. I luckily managed to escape without ripping my shirt and ran the short distance to the next obstacle.
Pole Dancer
This obstacle makes the Olympic parallel bars look about as difficult as a tea party with your grandma. Keep your arms straight and don’t put your legs on the bars. Mudders don’t cheat.
As I came up to this obstacle a lot of people were struggling, especially toward the top where the metal bars bent going down. I quickly brushed the remaining sand off my hands the best I could and with locked elbows I worked my way up the bars. I found it easier to swing my body with my hands and straight arms moving up and back down the bars to the end.
Mud Mile
Slosh through a series of waist-deep mud pits and try not to lose your shoes in the process. Balance and coordination are key if you want to make it through this mud-run obstacle without face-planting
Hill, puddle, hill, puddle, hill, puddle. If all the sand that was stuck to my hands and body was not washed away by now I'm sure it was replaced by mud from this obstacle. Spectators were able to see this obstacle first hand as everyone clawed their way up the slippery mud mountains and slid down into a somewhat of a deep mud puddle. Luckily I did not lose a shoe, but they were quickly filled with mud and water that became my toes' new best friend the rest of the day.
Arctic Enema
This obstacle arguably takes the most mental grit of them all. Some athletes use ice baths for recovery, but your muscles aren’t going to be relaxed after a swim in this freezing skip. Climb right into the floating iceberg abyss—don’t overthink it. When you’re submerged, find the mental and physical strength to swim through the ice, under a wooden plank and pull yourself out on the other end. You’ll come out feeling like shrink-wrapped leftovers straight out of the freezer. Emphasis on the shrink.
FREEZING COLD is the first thought that ran though my head as I jumped into the ice fed frigid water. This obstacle is definitely well known in the Tough Mudder community and was one I was a little worried about to see how my body would react to the extreme and fast change in temperature. It sure did not help as the volunteer dumped bag after bag of ice into the water and said the one I was at is the coldest. Holding my breath I jumped towards the board in the middle that forced me to go all the way under the water and try to catch my breath on the other side. I quickly popped up and struggled to catch my breath as I scampered to get out of the freezing cold water and on my way to the next obsticle.
Glory Blades
Try getting up 2.5 meter walls that are slanted towards you. It's quite a close shave, if you know what we mean (don't worry; you’ll figure it out). Obstacle Stat: 50% of Mudders require teamwork to get over Glory Blades.
I was a little unsure as to how I was going to get over the slanted walls. After hoisting some people over I decided if I could get one leg over and pull the rest of my body over I'd be able to do it, which worked out perfectly. A few other participants saw my strategy and began doing the same. I did have a slight bruise on the inside of my right bicep after climbing over one of the walls, but it wasn't anything too serious to worry about.
Quagmire
6-8 foot hills of mud with chest deep water and mud between each hill. Claw your way to the top of the first hill and once you reach the top you'll see the fun has just begun.
Coming up on this huge hill of mud and water I could see it was going to be a little difficult getting up the slippery backside. After sliding into a deeper than expected mud bath between the mud mountains it took a few moments to get a grip on the muddy hill everyone had to climb up to get out. I managed to find some foot holes and slowly pull myself up and out.
Warrior Carry
Exactly what it sounds like. Carry your partner (or be carried) then switch half way to the end.
Luckily I was able to pair up with someone that was not twice my size for this obstacle. The what seemed light 150 pounder I had to carry was not too difficult. I was even able to slightly jog to the end after being carried for the first half of the distance.
Berlin Walls
Teamwork is key for this obstacle. Climb a set of 3 meter wooden walls that our Course Designers have strategically placed for when you’re at your weakest points during the event. Some Mudders℠ will be strong enough to make it over Berlin Walls alone, but most will need a boost from a fellow Mudder, whether it’s a teammate or someone else. There’s never been a better time to make friends with a stranger. Obstacle Stat: 80% of participants require teamwork to get over Berlin Walls.
This was the only obstacle I had trouble with. Luckily I had some help from a fellow mudder who helped me reach the top as I pulled myself up and over.
Devil's Beard
Crawl under a rope net. Except that the terrain is rough and that net loves to grab at things. Like your hair. And your bib. Which is held on by safetypins. Which open. And stab you in the back.
After almost losing my bib while crawling under the rope up hill I managed to make it through this without any rope burns and with my bib still intact!
Cage Crawl
This water-based obstacle will test your mental and physical strength as you swim under 20 meters of cage with only inches of breathing room above your head. Floating on your back may seem like a calm break, but the sense of being trapped will quickly begin to play with your mind.
The first half of pulling myself through the murky water under the cage was pretty easy, until I got closer to the end. The water slowly began to rise as my face crept closer and closer to the cage. I tried to look back, but that only caused me to get a face full of water so I just kept pushing on and finally reached the end.
Walk The Plank
Test your fear of heights with this 12 foot high jump into a deep muddy water pit. Don’t think too much before you leap – you’ll hold up others behind you, and the volunteers at the top of the platform don’t like to babysit Mudders. And don’t forget about the 40-foot swim on the other end.
Naturally I'm not scared of heights so this was not too tough for me. Climbing to the top I could hear volunteers coaxing other participants to jump with a short pep talk. When it was my turn to jump I waited for the previous jumpers to clear the water as I heard someone count down, "3...2...GO!". As I was in mid air the volunteer yelled, "Wait for the count!". Well, too late to go back now. I spun around in mid-air, looking back and yelling, "what?!" right before I hit the water. A short swim to the rope at the end and I was off to the next obstacle.
Prairie Dog
Slide down a plastic tube into shallow mud and water
Not much to this one. Just slide down a black tube and into a sandy and muddy hole.
Balls To The Wall
Obviously we’re talking about your intense grit here. Balls to the Wall is no elementary school gym class rope climb – but it has the potential to be just as embarrassing. This monster of an obstacle will have you scaling a wall three and a half meters in the air using only a muddy rope and what’s left of your strength. Once you reach the top, work up the courage to descend the rope on the other side.
"Captain!" a participant yelled at me as he sat atop the wall. After a few seconds of looking confused I remembered I had on my awesome new Captain America Under Armour compression shirt on. Giving him a thumbs up I quickly climbed up the rope and over to the other side.
Hold Your Wood
Get your mind out of the gutter. We’re talking about actual logs here. Make like a lumberjack and carry a heavy wood log through a section of the Tough Mudder course. The length of the carry will be determined by the difficulty of the course terrain and the weight of the logs.
From doing previous obstacle course races I was familiar with this obstacle. I tried not to grab a small piece of wood as I was feeling pretty good at this point and was looking for a challenge. I picked up a medium size log and continued to lightly jog around the log carrying course. I quickly reached the end and threw my log onto the pile for the other mudders on the other side starting.
Hangin' Tough
This obstacle holds the title for the lowest completion percentage. You’ll need a strong grip and precise coordination to conquer it. Swing Tarzan-style across a series of hanging rings spaced 1.2 to 1.8 meters apart and suspended over a pool of muddy water. For those of you who talk a big game, this obstacle will show you just how tough you really are. Obstacle Stat: Only 30% of Mudders℠successfully complete Hangin’ Tough.
Being short is good for one thing; this obstacle. I stepped way back on the starting platform, swung out and grabbed the second ring, swung back again with my legs raised above the water and repeated until I reached the end. When I reached the end I looked back I saw a lot of people struggle with this obstacle as they would drop their legs into the water on their first swing to grab the ring, slowing their momentum before they could reach the next ring.
Funky Monkey
Sure, monkey bars were easy when you were 5 years old, but you’ll need an iron grip for Funky Monkey. These bars have been greased with our finest mud, and if you slip, you’ll fall into a pit of muddy water below. The bars are on a steep incline upward for the first half of the obstacle and they descend downward for the second part. Think you have what it takes to master this animal of an obstacle? Then try it backwards. Obstacle Stat: Only 40% of Mudders successfully complete Funky Monkey.
Coming to this obstacle early in the day before the bars were too slippery to grab. The first five or so bars were a little slick and required me to hang on a little tighter as I swung to each one. The first half of the obstacle, going up, was a little difficult, but I found using my body and some momentum helped. At the half way point, coming down, I was swinging to every other bar and moving fast. Swinging to the end, another tough obstacle was complete.
Everest
Conquering Everest takes major grit and teamwork. Sprint up this quarter-pipe obstacle and enlist the help of other Mudders℠ to pull you over the beastly summit. Everest is coated in mud and grease, a combo that might send you right back from where you came. Suck it up and keep climbing. The view from the top is worth it.
The one obstacle I was a little worried about whether I would complete was Everest. Before the race started I could see the giant half pipe wall and knew it would be waiting for me at the end. Up until this point I had completed every obstacle and my confidence was pretty high. I stood for a few seconds at the gates, looked at Everest and told myself, "you got this," and took off as fast as I could. Once I reached the base of the curve I took a few more steps, planted my foot and launched myself toward the top. I was well above the top and pulled myself up and felt a huge rush of excitement and accomplishment come over myself. At that moment, standing on the top, looking down at what I thought was going to be one of hardest obstacles I would face, I had proven again to myself I can do anything I put my mind to.
Electroshock Therapy
Run through a field of live wires that sure as hell don’t tickle. Watch out for hay bales and deep sinkholes, or you will face-plant into some electrifying mud. Some Mudders℠ try to stealthily wind their way through the wires, while others barrel forward to get through as quickly as possible. Just keep your eye on the prize: this is the last obstacle you face before you cross the finish line.
With the finish line in sight I had one more obstacle to complete. One, if not the most infamous obstacle of Tough Mudder, separated me from my first of many Tough Mudder orange headbands. I made up my mind and decided to get though the dangling yellow wires as fast as I could. I barreled through and did not feel any shock until just past half way. The first shock stopped me in my tracks, jolting my body as I was a little shocked at what was happening. I took another step, ZAP, my whole body stiff as I was just about to the end I leaped over a hay bail and in mid air felt the strongest shock through my entire right side as I just barley managed to keep my balance landing on my right foot. I had finally finished.
I must say as a first time Tough Mudder, it was a blast. The only change I would make is to join a team next year, even though I met some people along the way it would be fun in a group. Nonetheless, Tough Mudder taught me a lot about myself and my abilities to overcome obstacles I doubted myself on before I even tried them. It was a little hard to take in everything and process it with all the obstacles and being my first Tough Mudder experience. If it scares the crap out of you and excites you at the same time, you should probably do it!
