Tough Mudder Midlands

30th May
2015

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Sarah Wanden 3.15.00

 

Tame and then tough! Race report, Tough Mudder Midlands Saturday 30 May

A lovely friend gave me her place at Tough mudder as she was unfortunately unable to run. I found myself strangely looking forward to it, it's been a few months since I've done any obstacle racing and I've been working hard to try to improve my fitness, this was a good test!

Waking early I saw the sunshine and decided to chuck a Parkrun in too, why not? It was great to see so many friends there and I didn't go crazy but still got a decent time.

The very lovely Chris picked me up a bit later and we tootled off to Boughton House in Kettering where the race was held. Let me tell you, this is a very slick run operation, loads of merchandise for sale, showers, bag drop (chargeable but for charity, great idea!) sponsors tents with activities, food vans, the lot! They even collected old trainers to recycle for charities and there were hundreds of pairs donated. Numbers collected we jumped in with a crowd about to leave and set off.

A bit of a run out first, which was a nice warm up (it's a stonking 11 mile course) the first obstacle was a bunch of hay bales - this I think maybe to lull race virgins into a false sense of security ..over we hopped and another run, now I'm going to get the obstacles mixed up, and forget a few, there were 24! I hung from things, I climbed high things, I doubted myself and was encouraged to do things I would never dream of trying. The Mudder ethic is pretty much 'it's not a race, it's an achievement and we all help each other' when I thought I couldnt, others helped, we all mucked in (literally) and got each other round.

There was much laughing, careering down muddy hills into soup thick baths of pale brown mud, sliding into skips of icy water, falling into and swimming across rivers, taking amazing blind leaps of faith relying on others to help, climbing up ropes (well done to my new stronger arms!) running with mud heavy clothes and legs of lead to reach yet another obstacle (I soon figured out that the more paramedics the more dangerous the obstacle!)

The very last (and worst) obstacle was the electric shock one. 10,000 volts hanging down in wires across 40ft of ground, there was no escape. I saw grown men standing staring at it, fear in their eyes. I decided to not think about it and just go (having employed this attitude all day it had worked thus far) roaring I ran into the obstacle, wow, the first shock hit, it nearly knocked me from my feet, my word i didn't realise it was so bad!! Well, I was in now so I barged through about 3/4 in and then hit the mud and crawled. It was terrifying!

At the end we were presented with our headbands, t shirts and a towel, followed by some goodies to eat and drink.
Wow, it was exhausting and totally mind blowing. Having done others this was up there with the hardest one, almost, that I've done.
I was a total mud monster so cleaned myself down with a hose and we headed off home.

Two baths later I've found a wealth of bruises and a few cuts too, I can also tell you that sliding down muddy hills on your bum leaves some very strange scratches!!

Thanks to lovely friends Chris and Mandy I had the most amazing experience yesterday and would encourage anyone to give an obstacle race a try, even just once to see and be part of some amazing teamwork and feats of human endurance.
 
Over and out!

MuddyBop