Mudders

It's been just over a week now since Scott and I completed the Tough Mudder Minnesota, and my bruises are finally disappearing. We participated with a large team of 11 comprised of myself, Scott, Shaun, my cousin Luke, my cousin Melanie and her husband Bryan, and some of Bryan's cousins and family. This was my first Tough Mudder experience (and quite possibly my last). I was hesitant to sign up in the first place, but everyone kept raving about how fun and awesome it was, so I caved. I fully intended to train for it, but as with everything, busy life and work got in the way. While I was initially extremely anxious about the obstacles, the running proved to be the most difficult. It was a total of about a 10 mile course. I had run a 10K in May, so that was a good start, but I quickly came to realize that it wasn't enough. The course was super challenging - hills galore - steep hills - rocky, uneven ground over chopped corn stalks and sticks. It was impossible to get a pace going, and you had to keep your eyes to the ground to keep from spraining an ankle. In the end, it was more of a mix of running and walking.
And then there were the obstacles...jumping into a dumpster full of ice water (aka Arctic Enema), scaling 18 foot walls, jumping into mud water off a 15 foot platform, getting shocked by live wires, mud, mud, and more mud. The whole experience was by far one of the most difficult and exhausting things I've ever done. While some of the obstacles were physically challenging, others were heart-pounding and made you directly face your fears. I was so grateful to have such a supportive team, helping and encouraging the entire way. There are obstacles that are literally impossible without your fellow Mudders helping you out.
A few miles into the course, one of my teammates asked if I was having fun. At that point, I could honestly tell her "No way, this is hell!". Now, looking back at it, I still think it was hell, but I can appreciate parts of it that were fun. The best part was the sprint and excitement I felt as I crossed the finish line and got some food and beer in my hand. Scott thought it was awesome and amazing, of course, and he was able to complete all the obstacles with ease. He and Shaun have already signed up for Tough Mudder Wisconsin in September. As for me? We'll see if I'm crazy enough to do it again next year :)

Here are some photos from the day: