TOUGH MUDDERS!

Copying the post my fiance wrote in an Obstacle Run Group. We had an AMAZING time!

Alright guys, I did it. My fiance and I completed the Tough Mudder in Jersey this past weekend. Let me start off by saying this... you all should do one!!! Despite being extremely uncomfortable physically, it was one of the most self-gratifying things I've ever done. So if you are interested in a mud run/obstacle run... do a Tough Mudder!!! Now to the details. There is a reason why it's called a "MUDDER." I've never seen soo much mud in my life, nor have I ever had as much mud on me as I did following that event. But there's something to be said about getting muddy, and it not being a problem or out of the ordinary... kind of liberating. Ok... as for the water obstacles, WOW. The first water obstacle was a huge dumpster filled with freezing cold water, ice cube, and ice blocks that kept it a refreshing 35 degrees!!! Yeah... Tough Mudder said they would have made it colder, but then the water would freeze over and start turning to ice. So crazy. I've never been in water so cold in my life, but having jumped in, swam under water to get under a board, and out of the other side was very gratifying. However, the next obstacle was jumping off a 20' ledge into a lake, and that water was not much warmer. So if the shock of hitting the water wasn't bad enough, then you had to make your way across the lake in water that was up to your chin, and the lake was at least 250' across. The remaining water obstacles were pretty fun. Not sure if the water was warmer, or if my body just got accustomed to the freezing temperatures. Climbing the walls, going over and under logs, crawling through pipes and everything else was just fun. All of the things you are doing definitely take your mind off the fact that you are running 12.09 miles. And before I knew it, we were running through the "Shock Therapy" obstacle, which is a 20" long contraption, about 15' wide, with tons of live electrical wires hanging and you can't avoid hitting the wires. But once you do that, you are done. That's the last obstacle. As soon as you finish you are greeted by an event staff member who puts the vaunted orange "Tough Mudder" headband on you, and then you make your way to the bar where you get your free pint of beer. We don't have an exact time, but I know it was under 2 1/2 hours. I've never had as much fun running that far or doing all those crazy things. I can't wait to do another one!!!