Tough Mudder

[climbjtree]

So I just registered for the October event in Virginia. I'll be starting at noon. Anyone else planning on going?

The website will explain it better than I ever could. Tough Mudder.

[01101010]

Christ, I am sore just reading through that website. Good on you for even considering it... myself? I need a nap.

[K9]

I have a couple of friends who did these over here in the UK; they are as tough as advertised. You need to be serious about your physical condition if you want to do one. If you finish it, I'd consider that a solid achievement.

[climbjtree]

I'd say I'm in pretty good shape and don't think I'll have any problem with any of it.

That said, I think just about anyone can "do" one of these. I don't think you have to complete every obstacle as intended and it's only 10 miles.

[Tale]

I did what that site would call "your average lame-ass mud run" in Australia late last year: http://www.maxadventure.com.au/mudrun/index.html

I was with people who had done it before. They were all enthusiastic. But this time it had been raining for weeks, so what had been ankle-deep mud flats the previous year had turned into kilometres of waist-deep mud, with horseshit swept in from a nearby riding club. And what had been a stream to ford the previous year, was now a raging 3m torrent where you had to cling to ropes.

I had good running and cycling fitness, so I made it through, but most of us have no plans to go back!

[FatuousTwat]

I can't seem to find the full size pic of this :


Someone needs to post it (it's a guy doing one of these competitions in one of those over the shoulder thong things).

[DraconianOne]

That's from an unaffiliated event called "Tough Guy" which has been running in the UK for years. They have two events a year - one in January (fucking cold icebreaker) and one in July (called Nettle Warrior because of the 6ft stinging nettles they cultivate). The Tough Mudder is, I guess, very much inspired and influenced by Tough Guy.

The course consists of mud, hills, fire, barbed wire, underwater tunnels, electric fencing, rafts, ropes and other obstacles. They used to have a challenge called Last Man Standing where people would keep going around the course until they collapsed. I recall the record was 9 times.

The mankini shot was from the January 2009 event:



Also, this:



This:



And this:

[DraconianOne]

That said, I think just about anyone can "do" one of these. I don't think you have to complete every obstacle as intended and it's only 10 miles.

You don't have to be super fit to do it - I've seen plenty of people who look like they've never run a yard in their life take part and finish it. The January Tough Guy has the added risk of hypothermia which forces quite a few people each year to drop out. The summer one is two circuits of the "Killing Fields" assault course. The slowest finishers do it in 4 to 5 hours (even though the course is only about 7 miles in total)

I've no idea how it compares to "Tough Mudder" although as there's one in London next year (mud? In London?) I may investigate.

[Bunk]

I'd say I'm in pretty good shape and don't think I'll have any problem with any of it.

That said, I think just about anyone can "do" one of these. I don't think you have to complete every obstacle as intended and it's only 10 miles.

I'm pretty sure you over-estimate how many people in this world are capable of completing a 10 mile jog, let alone an obsticle course. Seriously.

I could jog ten miles in my mid twenties. Now, after ten years worth of desk job, not so much.

[K9]

My friends did the Januray Tough guy, and the biggest issue is the massive changes in temperature they faced. I don't doubt you can will yourself around the course, just don't expect to feel good at the end of it.

[Lantyssa]

Shouldn't be a problem.  I'm pretty sure the point of these is to prove how miserable you are capable of being.

[K9]

I know one of them was pretty ill for about a week after doing it. Running through fire and freezing rivers will do that to you I guess.

[Sheepherder]

Those aren't very serious fires.

[DraconianOne]

Those aren't very serious fires.

Obviously. They're also easier to get through than the 3-4 foot deep, shit-filled pools either side of them that you have to wade through to get to the burning bits.

Speaking from experience (done a few of them, both summer and winter), none of the obstacles are that challenging in themselves. But taking them consecutively after about 7 miles of hard cross-country running (far, far harder than most regular X-C races), coupled with mud and freezing cold water, definitely ramps up the difficulty.

I'm pretty sure the point of these is to prove how miserable you are capable of being.

Personally I just blamed a mid-life crisis. Certainly didn't feel any more miserable than being deskbound in a 9-to-5 every day.

[DraconianOne]

Shit filled pools:


Underwater tunnels (fucking horrendous when it's sub-zero temperature)


The Tiger:

(Nicked this from the official site. As a bonus, it turns out that the running man in black near the bottom is me - as if proof were needed.)

[Mosesandstick]

What are those tunnels? No air?

[K9]

Flooded tunnels; they're not very long, but they're pretty claustrophobic before you even add in the fact that you can't breathe.