A few words to the Tough Mudder Run. It is a fun run, with no time take, no competition. The obstacle courses runs through the forest and test mental and physical strength over 9 or 18 kilometers. As I did not want to miss any obstacle, my colleagues and I enrolled for the 18 km course. I honestly was not sure if I could jog for 18 km. But challenges excepted.
The day started at 4:30 am, as my colleagues and I had a 3 hours drive a head of us to Wassertrüdingen. My excitement was really high because I did not know if I trained enough or if I would even make it to the finish line. Regarding my training, I trained 6 months – 3 days a week in the gym for muscle power and 1 or 2 days a week jogging. The official web page provides a training program, in order to get in shape for the run.
Our start time was 8 am, which was challenging because we got only 5 degrees in the morning and the second obstacle was already water.
First we got a warm up with 100 other starters. Even that over the day several thousand participants do the run, only 100 starters start together every 15 to 20 minutes. All was really nice organized, from the check-in over the warm up, to the catering points and the finish where we got our finisher shirt and a beer.
Do you have to be crazy to do this?
No. As you see in the picture above, I made it to the finish line. All my fears were completely for nothing. The running part for me was easy because you do not have to run 18 km all together. At the beginning of the run the distance between the obstacles are 1 to 2 km. At the end it is only 500 meters. With it there is enough time to relax. The obstacle where also fine. There is so much help from all participants.
Which obstacle I remember the most?
ARCTIC ENEMA – The Rebirth: This obstacle is a slide into a water pool with ice cubes. A lot of ice cubes. If it is not already challenging enough to slide in the pool, in order to get out you need to dive through a wall. And guess what, when I stand at the top of the pool, the person in charge needed to put 2 more bags full of ice cubes into the pool. I had such a hard brain freeze, I could not think for a few seconds. I was even not sure how I got out of the pool.
Which obstacle I feared the most?
AUGUSTUS GLOOP: Is a tube floated by water that needs to be climbed internally. I am not a big water fan and I though there would be much more water in the tube. At the end it was easy. Another proof that there is more fear in our head, as there is in reality.
Electroshock Therapy: The name should say it all. Luckily I was not hit by any electroshock. 🙂
What I remember the most?
The trail running through the forest.
Some tips:
- wear clothes that you can throw away afterwards
- if you have glasses, try to get contacts for the run
- if you want to bring a go pro – have a waterproof one, get an attachment, write your name on it
- do not underestimate the jogging part
- come with a good fitness level – there is no time to rest for a longer time, because you will be wet for nearly 100% of the run
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