Up that wall! F#$k that wall! HOO RAH! |
While Pipkin and Domo are off in sunny northern California, Captain Holly remained in Vermont to tough it out in mid-40s weather at Mount Snow for the Tough Mudder. "Tough Mudder events are hardcore 10-12 mile obstacle courses designed by British Special Forces to test your all around strength, stamina, mental grit, and camaraderie."
Tough Mudder isn't like a marathon or a triathlon, and it certainly isn't a 5k walk in the park. It's an event that encourages team work and cameraderie. There are some obstacles that can't be done without the help of your fellow Mudder. You help each other over the wall, through icy cold water, and down the steep, muddy, rocky and dangerous terrain. No Mudder is left behind! There's NO QUIT IN HERE.
If you're just spectatin' you can grab a sharpie and mark up the back of these signs to cheer on your Mudders. There's also a map of the course, which runs up and down and back and forth over Mount Snow's ski terrain, but SURPRISE! The obstacles arn't exactly laid out as planned, so you don't know when that Arctic Enema (an ice filled tank of water where you have to climb in, submerge yourself under a wall, and come out the other side and climb up and out of the tank. Did I mention it's filled with ice?!) is gonna rear its cruel self.
Each wave of 600 Mudders starts the course every 20 minutes. Every Mudder gets a muddy welcome, safety briefing, pep talk, makes the Tough Mudder pledge, and gets down on one knee in the mud to remember why we are here - to help raise money for the Wounded Warrior Project. Mudders pay anywhere between $80 - $200 to have a day of fun running these obstacles, but every day, there is a soldier who isn't doing this for fun - he's doing it for his country and he's doing it so you don't have to. No matter how tough the course gets, you have to remember that soldiers out there are made of the real tough stuff. Let's give them a HOO RAH!
Tough Mudder events support rehabilitating soldiers who have been wounded on duty, or those who need counseling or employment services.
After such a sober reminder, Mudders get to their feet and sing the national anthem, before charging up the hill at Mount Snow.
The course is no joke. It will hurt you. Good thing Captain Holly's a trained medic.
And you will get very, very, muddy. Even after you do the water obstacles and get cleaned off (a bit) you keep encountering mile after mile of muddy terrain. It ain't mud season in Vermont for nuthin'. Shoes are tied together as pairs, then tossed into a giant pile where they will be cleaned up and donated to those who are not fortunate enough to pay to do these things for fun. There are people, not just in the third world, but in your own community, who work hard and break their backs everyday and wouldn't dream of spending money this way. Let's give them a HOO RAH!
To find a Tough Mudder event in your corner of the world, visit the Tough Mudder Events page. Sign up, get training, and NO QUITTING!
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