When signing up to Tough Mudder, perhaps I should have thought more about why the word “Tough” was in the title.

Was it really tough you ask? Yes.
Would I do it again? Yes.
So, a few months ago the Seen in the City team were offered the chance to give Tough Mudder a go (you can read my first article about it here.) In case you’re not familiar with the concept, it is a gruelling 13 mile run incorporated with 26 different obstacles, all designed to test you in different mental and physical ways. And that it did.

We camped overnight before to fully immerse ourselves in the experience – one of the team commented that the camping was surely the hardest part (it was so cold our tents frosted over) this was not, however to be the case! The camping field is great, a really nice, spacious area with pleasant enough toilets and clean, hot showers for after the run. (We all agreed the post-run shower was probably the best we’d ever had.) There is an area for BBQ’s and a tent which serves as a bar. The atmosphere is buzzing and if you get the chance to camp up,  definitely take it.

When the morning rolled around, we all donned our sports gear for the run – don’t wear anything you remotely care about, it will get ruined! The main area hosts a whole range of things to do, stands and stalls and a number of food vans. The atmosphere is electric and there are such a wide range of participants milling around, stretching, eating, you really get the buzz to get going. Runners are of such a vast range of fitness abilities, shapes, sizes and ages so don’t worry about being an odd one out or worrying you’re not ‘fit enough’. Prior to commencing the race, you are led into a warm up area and an instructor leads you through a short warm up, prepping you for what is to come.
This ends with a Tough Mudder pledge:
“I understand that Tough Mudder is not a race but a challenge”
“I do not whine – kids whine”
“I overcome all fears”
With one last look at my teammates, we were off. Keeping at a steady pace, we made it through kiss of mud – the first obstacle of the day. This involved helping eachother other a 10’ slanted wall – hoisted up by one team mate, and helped over the other side by another. The second obstacle was Kiss of Mud – one of my personal favourites. A deep path of mud covered by a low roof of barbed wire, meant you had to crawl low to get through. You got wonderfully dirty from your toes to your face, but it was good fun!

The next three obstacles involed ‘Bale bonds’ (clambering over high hay bales), ‘Killa Gorilla’ a gruelling run up a very long hill and ‘Hero Walls’ – another requiring strong teamwork. It was as Obstacle six came around that it became well and truly tough… Arctic Enema. This involves a near-vertical slanted slide into a skip filled with ice cubes and water reaching -20’C. Once submerged, you have to then swim underwater to get out the other side. Simple enough right?
Nothing can prepare you for how cold this water is, you feel momentarily paralysed, and mustering up the strength to resubmerge your head under to swim out was no easy feat. I would recommend removing your top, shoes and trainers for this, so you have something dry to put on once you’re out.
The look on Mark and Josh’s faces say it all…

Skip forward a few miles, we’d hoisted ourselves up 10 foot walls on ropes, crawled through tunnels and attempted the hardest monkey bars I’ve ever tried. (Tried being the operative word, I ended up falling into a pool of water!) I was absolutely shattered, drained and yet having great fun.

The obstacles were all a unique challenge and an experience I would otherwise have been unable to try. They pushed me in ways I’d never been pushed and the sense of camaraderie and tremendous atmosphere propelled you not to stop, not to give up and to push even harder.
Hero Carry was a challenge- you take one team member on your back and then halfway you swap and they carry you. After having run 8 miles already, this was no easy feat! But was managed by the whole team. One of the best obstacles of the day was definitely the mud mile.
Whilst not actually a mile, it was the chance to immerse yourself in a quagmire-like thick stretch of mud. People were rolling around, pulling eachother in- it was great fun. And whilst we all emerged looking rather feral, there were high spirits all round.

The last quarter stretch was definitely the toughest. Tiredness was setting in and my leg muscles were beginning to cramp up. We crawled through a tight tunnel (mine shafted) dropped backwards into water from a pipe (shawshanked) and were preparing ourselves for the Electroshock Therapy which was the only thing holding us back from the run and the finish line. Upon first look at the obstacle, it’s tempting to ‘pooh-pooh’ it. After all, just how bad can a few tiny dangling wired really be.
Well that was until I saw large, fully-grown flung to the floor. And I realised first impressions really can be wrong.
My top tip for this is to run. Hold your hand above your head, prepare yourself and use up all your remaining energy to make it through to that cider and Tough-Mudder T-Shirt on the other side.

The feeling of euphoria once you cross the finish line is one that is hard to be replicated. The sense of achievement, the buzz at what you’ve just put yourself through and come out even stronger and tougher than you were before is amazing. It was definitely a buzz that took a good few days to come-down from.
Whilst my brain was undoubtedly euphoric, muscles which I did not even know existed made clear their objection to what I’d put them through. In the days to follow, bending down to put on socks, reaching up to fetch a cup from a cupboard were all challenges in themselves, my muscles still grieving the event.
To conclude, this event was tough. Don’t underestimate it. If I were to do it again, I would make sure to train a lot more rigorously so I could worry less about the running and more on the obstacles. But the sense of achievement is one you won’t replicate. Whether doing it for charity or just for Tough Mudder Completion status (can you get any higher in status?!) it is well worth a go. Rile up your friends or your work colleagues and sign up here…

What the team had to say:

Mark:  “Tough Mudder was a great experience, the atmopshere and the buzz was amazing on the day. I would certainly compete in another one! The hardest bit for me was the water challenges- diving into a pool of ice and running afterwards was the coldest I’ve ever been! Saying that, Tough Mudder was one of the most rewarding experiences of my life and I’ll never forget it.” 

Josh: “The course was as challenging as it was fun, the entire day was extremely grueling but the vibe was incredible. Everyone had a smile on their face and it was truly a team event. Everyone was helping everyone and the feeling when we finally crossed the finish line was incredible.”

Anouska: “The feeling of achievement completing tough mudder is worth the pain!”

Aaron: “Tough Mudder was absolutely brilliant! This was my first tough mudder and won’t be the last! Throughout the entire course I felt physically and mentally challenged, well deserving of the name tough mudder! The entire day was perfectly executed and provided everything we needed for a fantastic (yet exhausting day)!”