Tough Mudder: Oct 4, 2015
Seagoville, TX 9am start
Course Description: 11.9 miles, 18 Obstacles
Time: 1 hr, 45 min, First overall finisher
This was something I had wanted to do with my boys earlier this year but declined as I really did not feel I was in any kind of shape to do this. Since that time in the spring I have lost 20 pounds, and really changed my physical and mental well being to a point I have not seen in 20yrs. I also took 2 inches off my waist now at 31”. I have been working out hard two times/day with a combination of running, bike trainer, and weights, pushups, squats with fast no rest repetition.
About a week prior to the event and still on a high from my Yosemite trip I looked up Tough Mudder not expecting to find an event close but what the heck. Well, there just happened to be one only 1hr away and 7 days away. I tried hard to find a teammate to go with me, work, Yosemite compadres, co-workers, neighbors but no takers. I went anyways not knowing what to expect and a bit apprehensive but not too bad as I have probably done worse things and lived. I arrived way too early but did manage to catch a gorgeous sunrise, out in the countryside. The kind that makes you remember you are alive and happy to walk the earth one more day. After checking in I met up with some fellow named Patrick and his partner and another couple. They invited me to join them and said they would run and walk the course. At first I thought I would do that but after the start that all changed once the gun went off. We were told the course was designed by British Special Forces and there were about 1k people here today and the guy with the microphone was really pepping everyone up and one thing he quoted from a former Tough Mudder really stuck, “When was the last time you did something for the first time?”.
After the starting gun I just got through some of the crowd so I could settle into MY pace rather than everyone else’s. I am a pace person, either I am on MY pace or I am just not myself. It was not long before I was in the front 8 runners, then front 4, then lead runner. I really was not thinking about that and really thought for the first 2-3 miles that there was a group in front of me. I was just enjoying the run. When I got to the first obstacle (carry a fellow TM), I realized I was the lead guy and had to wait on the next group to arrive to either carry someone or be carried. You could skip the obstacle and keep running but I elected to wait. Once through I resumed my stride and pace. Before I realized it I was at mile 6 and began to hear breathing from behind. A young fellow was behind and said, “Dude, you have an awesome pace”. We ran together for a mile or so then another young guy caught up and stayed with us. They both commented on my breathing rhythm and style, in through the nose out the mouth.
The 3 of us stayed together over the next 5 miles through the remainder of the obstacles.. They all came so fast I struggle to remember each of them. I found that I could really make time through them with my balance of upper body strength, and low weight. The other two guys were 28 and 19 yrs. old and built like brick shit houses, lot of muscle but heavy. I was first to get over, under, through almost every obstacle especially tight squeezes, or pulling my body up a net, rope, or ledge, or mud berm. They had the advantage at jumping vertically, my old body just does not do that well anymore. The King Of Swingers obstacle was the one where you climb a net up to a platform then grab a trapeze type bar swing out over a 12’ deep pond and release then try to hit a bell with your hand. I got up swung out and perfect release and got that stinking bell then down into the pit, crawl out and keep running. This would become the routine for the remainder of the TM, get out and keep running.
The Mile of Mud was a series of mud pits separated by a 5-6’ wall of dirt/mud. You swam walked or waded through a pit the tried to get a hand hold or footing on a berm, climb out and into the next pit and just repeat until you were through. I was well suited for this, not sure why. I gave the guys behind me an arm to grab and pull up the berms. Another obstacle was Cry Baby which was a tear gas enclosure that you crawled through but you went into a water mud trough first then came up for air in the chamber. The gas was thick and you really could not see much, just crawl on you belly and keep moving and take shallow breaths. There was another mud/water trough you went under a beam and then into a dark gas chamber then out to fresh air. Really not so bad and did not really burn my eyes or lungs just different buy plenty manageable.
The Arctic Enema was another one I was looking forward to as I know I can really make time through cold water and have spent my fair amount of time in cold water. You climbed a berm on a net then slid down a plastic sheet into the ice pit, submersion under a beam then crawled over another beam the climbed out on a net then slid down to the ground. Got through this way fast and on the ground running with my two friends still in the pits. I waited on them and we continued together on to the next obstacle
Beached whale was one I thought sure I would not be able to get over prior to the start. I went up and over that thing in 30s . I pulled myself up on the rope then hopped on top bounced and slid down and started running.
Funky Monkey was no problem just hanging out and get r done. One obstacle I did need help on was the Berlin Wall. This is a retro angled wall about 9-10 ft. tall. I just could not jump the height to get my hands on the top of the wall. The guys help me and once I got my grip on the rim of the wall I pulled myself up and over.
Dead Ringer was also a challenge to keep your grip and get that swing into a rhythm. I got to the last two pegs then missed my left arm release, swung out and my momentum ripped my right arm from the grip. Oh well
The next thing I knew we were at the finish with only two obstacles to go in the last 200 yards, Everest and Electro Shock Therapy. We all went up Everest together and Kyle and I got over first try. Raul, needed a hand so I helped him out. We got down and I noticed Kyle sprinting off to the finish. Raul and I ran up to Electro Shock Therapy and entered together. I ran straight through and to the finish then noticed Raul was not there. I turned around he had frozen up in the middle of EST. I hollered at him to keep his ass moving. Then an event coordinator came up to me to congratulate me on the first to finish. It seems that Kyle skipped EST and that made me first finisher not that it was a race but in any case it felt good especially for a 51yr old. I think we were so far out front that the camera crews were not set up so I do not expect any pictures of us to be posted.
The next wave of finishers where a good half mile behind us. As they trickled in about 20 young fellows approached me and asked how old I was. I smiled and said 51 and they just smiled back looking at each other and said, "Fuuuu$k. They said I passed them at mile 1 and all they saw for a bit was asshole and elbows then I disappeared out of view. They said they were inspired by my ability and look forward to seeing me again which was a great feeling. A bit later Raul the 19 yr. old college soccer player came up to me and said thanks for inspiring him to keep going. This far exceeded my expectations for where I thought I was with my fitness level and I had a lot of fun doing it and hope to do it again with my boys as I know they will push me to dig a bit deeper to find something more I did not think I had.
First Obstacle Mud and Wire yes barbed
First Obstacle a Mud Pit covered over with barbed wire
Starting EST, First one through for the day
Getting some grit after the first EST hit
OK at this point I have been hit in the face, leg and arm, cannot get worse. Just keep moving do NOT Stop
Raul, he stopped
After my finish, sitting in the beer garden watching others come through EST