Well after months and months of training the day finally came and Team Mitten Mayhem kicked butt at Tough Mudder Pittsburgh! The whole team finished and no one was injured (though apparently afterwards everyone, except me, came down with a pretty nasty virus). We all did pretty darn well for a 10.5 mile clay and rain slicked trail run with awesome obstacles of fire, water, and ice. The event was held at Powerline Park in Ohio, next to the West Virgina border (our hotel was actually in WV). The park was a large off-roading park for horses and quads, which meant the trail was rutted and those ruts filled with brown water and then there was the fact that we were running through crazy terrain- up and down mud slicked hills, grabbing onto vines and brush to pull ourselves up.
Dave and Ajax came down as well to watch, but in hindsight 4 was a little young as the spectators hiked roughly 5-6 miles themselves in the August heat. Dave ended up carrying Ajax a good part of the way, lol. Afterwards when I asked Ajax if he had fun he said no because he wanted to run in the mud with me. Trust me, however, when I say that he found plenty of mud to play in (as evidenced by his destroyed sneakers).
Overall – my mother-in-law, three sisters, and a friend- did wonderful and I am so proud. As our support crew we had all the husbands and boyfriends, and the nino. Not a bad support team.
Now, because I have participated in Tough Mudder I would like to share what I have learned because I feel I have earned it. Please note I am not a fitness expert-
- Work and prepare. You will not walk onto the course and jus’ do the thang. You will poop out at mile 3. As my cousin told me – be able to run at least 5 miles, and do as many push ups and pull ups as you can. I prepped using Shaun T’s Insanity and had wonderful results.
- The arctic enema was the worst. My husband is from northern Michigan and always told me that falling through ice was painful. Well, now I concur, it’s very painful and I swore a lot when I hit the water. When you pull yourself out of the freezing water, stop and do a bunch of push ups and get your blood moving. Don’t try to start running or your muscles will cramp up.
- Some areas were too muddy and slick to run and you have to take it slow. I saw many people trying to race past on slippery ground only to bite it.
- When you do the funky monkey pull your knees up, don’t let them just hang down. Also, the bars are slick so take your time.
- You may want to safety pin a small ziplock back to the inside of your bra or shirt with some kleenex or tissue inside. One of our team got a bloody nose and I had to give her my glove to pinch with. Also going through the water, if you get anything in your eyes or mouth, well that’s just too bad. Keep your mouth closed at all costs.
- Gloves. I loved having on gloves. I went to Meijer and bought a cheap $3 pair of gardening ones and cut off the fingers. Because we were doing trail running, they protected my hands from thorns and pickers that lined the path. I did not use them for climbing though.
- You will have an opportunity to take a quick shower at the end of the race. By “shower” I mean you will get a hose and someone will yell at you – this is not the shower of your life so move it. Therefore, you will have time to quickly rinse off and then go change. Don’t forget two towels- one to stand on and one to change and then I would recommend throwing them away.
- REMEMBER where you parked! When you get there you will be so pumped and nervous that you’ll park, jump out of the car and race to the buses. Pay attention to where you have left your car. Trust me.
- Also, at our event there were over 10,000 people. Have a plan people. If your group gets separated make a meeting spot. Ours was the giant Wheaties inflatable.
- Have fun and be positive. My mantra on the course was “No Judgment.” Do the best you can, encourage everyone running with you, and have fun. If you feel the need to bypass an obstacle, do it, no judgment. Be safe.
Yes. We had time for pictures.
