It seems appropriate to describe a BIG GIANT VERB for my first post. This past Sunday, I completed Tough Mudder.
In a nutshell, Tough Mudder is is a 10-12 mile foot race with 25+ military style obstacles. The race itself is designed by British Special Forces and is hosted all over the world in various locations. I raced on May 20th in Somerset, WI, near the Twin Cities, which is the land I call home.
To be 100% honest, signing up was kind of an impulse move after a rough-ish breakup. Granted, that was over seven months ago and ceased being my motivation long, long ago, but I still thank that guy a little (little little little) bit in my head for sorta prompting me to do this. Not much, though. SORRY, BUDDY.
I signed up with a few buddies from college, pictured here (Maggie, Kaleb, Megan, Kari). We graduated from Augustana College the day before the race and decided to make a show of it. The alumni network will be utterly delighted with the pictures!
After months of hard training, including a triathlon and many, many days of walking like a gimp, it was time. We carbo-loaded the night before, got up at 5:00 a.m., and drove out to Somerset for our suicide mission. At 8:00 a.m., we hit the ground running.
We scaled vertical walls. We belly-crawled under barbed wire and again under LIVE wire. We jumped into ice pits. We dove twenty feet into dyed water. We tottered across two-by-fours suspended over dyed water. We shimmied through underwater pipes. We slogged through ankle-deep mud. We swung across monkey bars. We sprinted through live wires and got zapped the whole way through. We hauled lumber. And we had so much damn fun.
Every muscle in my body was exhausted and shaking by the time we crossed that finish line, eleven and a half miles later. I was in pain for two days afterward. And it was worth every minute.
Tough Mudder inspires a kind of camaraderie that can't really be explained. On every obstacle, people helped each other. Men I didn't know hoisted me up over the vertical wall and dragged me up and over the halfpipe. I caught women I didn't know as they dropped over the other side and cheered strangers through the live wire. No one cared about speed. We were a team, all of us.
It was, without doubt, the coolest thing I've ever done. I've never felt so accomplished in my life. That orange headband? Greatest trophy ever. I may wear it at my wedding.
I've also turned into an utter junkie. I'm signing up for Go Commando and the Warrior Dash with friends this summer, both 5K versions of Tough Mudder.
I can't wait.
Verbingly yours,
Maggie
In a nutshell, Tough Mudder is is a 10-12 mile foot race with 25+ military style obstacles. The race itself is designed by British Special Forces and is hosted all over the world in various locations. I raced on May 20th in Somerset, WI, near the Twin Cities, which is the land I call home.
To be 100% honest, signing up was kind of an impulse move after a rough-ish breakup. Granted, that was over seven months ago and ceased being my motivation long, long ago, but I still thank that guy a little (little little little) bit in my head for sorta prompting me to do this. Not much, though. SORRY, BUDDY.
After months of hard training, including a triathlon and many, many days of walking like a gimp, it was time. We carbo-loaded the night before, got up at 5:00 a.m., and drove out to Somerset for our suicide mission. At 8:00 a.m., we hit the ground running.
We scaled vertical walls. We belly-crawled under barbed wire and again under LIVE wire. We jumped into ice pits. We dove twenty feet into dyed water. We tottered across two-by-fours suspended over dyed water. We shimmied through underwater pipes. We slogged through ankle-deep mud. We swung across monkey bars. We sprinted through live wires and got zapped the whole way through. We hauled lumber. And we had so much damn fun.
Every muscle in my body was exhausted and shaking by the time we crossed that finish line, eleven and a half miles later. I was in pain for two days afterward. And it was worth every minute.
Tough Mudder inspires a kind of camaraderie that can't really be explained. On every obstacle, people helped each other. Men I didn't know hoisted me up over the vertical wall and dragged me up and over the halfpipe. I caught women I didn't know as they dropped over the other side and cheered strangers through the live wire. No one cared about speed. We were a team, all of us.
I've also turned into an utter junkie. I'm signing up for Go Commando and the Warrior Dash with friends this summer, both 5K versions of Tough Mudder.
I can't wait.
Verbingly yours,
Maggie
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