This year my Life Group, which is made up of relatively physically fit men and women - took on a new challenge. When the concept of running a Tough Mudder event came up, we agreed that with enough training we could take on one of these mud-soaked, 10-12 mile obstacle courses. Tough Mudder was designed by British Special Forces as a test of camaraderie, physical strength and mental grit and is billed as, “Probably the Toughest Event on the Planet”. The course obstacles, usually between 20 and 25 per course, range from the relatively tame commando crawls under barbed wire in “Kiss the Mud” to sprints through 10,000 volt live wires in “Electroshock Therapy”. To date, over 750,000 people have participated in one of these races which benefit the Wounded Warrior project that supplies medical devices to our soldiers returning to the States.
It was understood going in, that participating in this challenging event would require commitments both physically and financially in order for our team to be successful. For me, the process started in January with early event registration of $140. Endurance training began also in January with the purchase of a 3-month gym membership to Vandalia Recreation Center – via a $48 GroupOn certificate. This allowed me to run 3+ miles indoors during my lunch hour, 3-4 times per week. As my gym membership expired I was introduced to CrossFit by one of my team mates. For the three months leading up to the challenge I participated in CrossFit classes 3-4 times per week with an out of pocket expense of $375. These classes went a long way towards getting me physically and mentally ready to take on the Michigan course.
The core of our team consisted of the men of my Life Group: Nate Gibson, Jeremy Greth, Rory Hoke and Brian Rudy, later augmented by friends and relatives who couldn’t bear to be left out of the ensuing fun. Our spouses agreed to cheer us on from the sidelines and photo document our apparent midlife crisis. My wife and I were very excited when the course site was revealed - it was found to be only 8 miles from my parent’s house which would allow our whole group to stay and eat together. Financially, this avoided us all having to rent hotel rooms for two nights near the course. We also greatly decreased our travel costs by eating at my parent’s as opposed to at restaurants. My parents were equally excited to host, less so when they came to the realization that it would be nine mud encrusted men and their families – seventeen guests in all. Beyond the $25 spectator fee for my wife and $90 in running gear, the expenses for the trip were limited to fuel and groceries.
The C-Town Beatdown showed up the morning of the race clad in matching black jerseys with our running shoes duct taped to our feet to prevent them from getting sucked off in the deep mud. Rather ominous Death Waivers were signed and tag numbers were copied to foreheads and forearms in case anyone was found on the course without their tag. To date there has only been one fatality, but hospitals are commonly overrun with injuries ranging from broken bones to heart attacks. Prayers for our team safety and those around us were sent up as we entered the starting queue for our heat. The energy within the pen was electric as the Tough Mudder Oath was recited and the countdown clock ultimately ran out. Our team pack ran through, over and under everything that the course could throw at us. Snaking through nearly submerged drainage tile, scaling twelve foot walls, carrying 8’ sections of tree trunks, swimming under water through 35 degree ice water - we worked together as a team and meshed as brothers. If a team member was having difficulty with an obstacle – we rallied together to overcome. Team members were carried and fears of heights and confined spaces were pressed aside for the good of the team - a force greater than the sum of the individuals.
What began as a curious article about extreme obstacle course races in “Men’s Fitness” magazine last November, nearly ended for me about 11.5 miles into the Tough Mudder Michigan course. Not a cramp, not a pulled muscle – a calf spasm that was driving the leg muscle nearly to my ankle and flexing uncontrollably. The calf spasm stopped me in my tracks – two obstacles and just over ½ mile from the completion of the course. I wanted to leave the course, have my team go on without me. Leaving me behind was not an option for my team. Nate, Jeremy and a total stranger from another team supported me as Rory massaged and pressed the tensed muscle back up my leg. While not one of my most relaxing massages, after several minutes the muscle ceased its spasm and I was again able to jog again towards the finish. Shortly thereafter, two of my fellow teammates were able to grab my hands and pull me up the remaining few feet of “Everest”, a grueling 15’ tall quarter pipe obstacle slicked with mud and rain. Our final obstacle was the live wires – in an effort not to have anyone fall in the shin deep mud/water mixture and get left within the shorting wires – we locked elbows and marched through the shocks as a team.
By the end of the challenge, it’s not a race – we were all covered with scrapes and bruises albeit some camouflaged by mud. Our Life Group pulled together, supporting each other – quite literally and figuratively, to complete the course. Everyone on the team had a great time and everyone finished the course. Some struggled, cramped and crawled, but they knew that there would always be hand there to pull them up if they fell. Overall, we are a stronger and closer group for taking this on - we will be back next year Tough Mudder.
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