The day started by picking up my buddy Aaron at 10 AM in Wasaga Beach. We then had to drive almost 1/2 an hour past Mt. St. Louis to the parking area and then be shuttled back to to the ski resort. We finally started the event at 2 PM. I had already decided at that point that I would never do a Tough Mudder again.
The first obstacle about 1 km in required us to lie on our bellies and crawl through mud. It was easy but the clasp on my fanny pack, which had to be removed for this obstacle, jammed up with mud and it wouldn't snap back together properly. I took a fanny pack because it was recommended by this guy on You Tube giving Tough Mudder tips. It was bad advice.
We then ran back down the hill to near the start and jumped in a 20 foot long container filled with ice water which was a shock but at least it remove a lot of the mud. It also removed my fanny pack which I realized after exiting. I couldn't go back in so it was goodbye $30, gel packs and Aaron's and my gloves.
We then headed back up the hill for some more slopping through mud, jumping ditches filled with mud, swinging from rings (I failed that miserably) and trudging through a shallow pond.
After getting covered in mud trying to jump the ditches my soccer socks (the guy on you tube with the tips said to wear compression socks to save your calves but soccer socks were a bad substitute) weighed about 3 pounds each so I removed them. Now my problem was the grit from the mud ate at my feet. Not very pleasant. Also going downhill was harder because of the grit and my toes started sliding forward into the front of my shoes. Eventually I started taking my shoes off for some of the longer downhills.
We had to miss 2 obstacles, the 15 foot jump into water was lined up because someone was being put on a stretcher and the water slide down the hill was closed because a woman was cut open on it. I could have done those two easily.
I also bypassed the monkey bars and the two 12 foot high Berlin Walls because I was just too tired to try them. I think my legs started to really started to tighten up at about the 10 km mark.
The electric eel was one of the toughest obstacles because you had to crawl on your belly through water for about 12 metres with electrified wires dangling down a few inches above the water level. Aaron, being thinner than me was only shocked once but I was zapped 6 times going through. We exited there for a grueling climb all the way back up the hill. Then back down the hill and then back up part way, grab an 8 foot log, throw it on our shoulders and carry it another ways up the hill and then back down the hill to where we had picked it up. It was then to Everest where you had to run and try to get up half of a half pipe. I made it first try thanks to the guys on the top who helped out. It should be mentioned also that the teamwork aspect of the event was admirably demonstrated by a great many participants and so I send a thank you out to them.
The final obstacle was running through electified wires suspended from above. This one was not so bad and I was able to only get shocked once while Aaron didn't get zapped at all.
In total I think we climbed up and down the hill at least 5 times and the total distance was 16 kms. I'm glad I made it through although I really didn't becaused I skipped some obstacles. I have got to hand it to Aaron as well, he did everything and made them look fairly easy. At the finish he didn't even seem that tired and he certainly impressed the hell out of me.
I will have to just cling to the fact that I may have been the oldest person I saw participating. I'm sure there were some people older than me but on average I would guess I was at least 25 - 30 years older than most of the participants.
NEVER act your age!!!!
ReplyDeleteHappy Birthday! Next year come and eat cake with Emily on the 19th rather than doing that shit!
ReplyDeleteThanks Susan. That sounds like a good idea. I can barely walk right now.
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