Tough Mudder 2010 (Northern California)
Wow, was this thing fun! Jordan and I had a great weekend at Bear Valley. We met a ton of really fun people and had a great time during the race. We ended up finishing the race in 1:52. A lot of the time was spent waiting for Jordan, but overall he did pretty well. He needs to work on his high altitude training!
The VFF's were excellent for this event. They were grippy when they needed to be, our feet didn't care when they got wet or muddy and for the most part, rocks did not enter the shoes. At one point, Jordan did get a small rock in his, so he just emptied his shoe while I watered a tree. I was so happy with how the VFF's worked for me, I will definitely wear them in any Tough Mudder event I do. If you decide to do one of these events in them, make sure you are well trained. I was a little sore a couple days afterward since I didn't train enough, but Jordan and I both had no problem finishing (then playing disc golf afterward where Jordan seriously kicked my ass).
Some of the highlights of the event were:
The bag piper at the starting line. Nothing gets you more in the mood to charge than quality bag-piping! The energy at the start was just fantastic.
The Gauntlet -> This is where you ran up a half pipe full of mud while being strayed with snow makers in the process. I saw a few people wanting to cry when the water hit their face but I thought it was great! It was super refreshing at this point of the race.
Kentucky Derby -> Getting over a cylinder eight feet high is not an easy thing to do. This was the only event I would have not been able to do alone. But with the help of Jordan and a couple others, it wasn't too bad. It was very fun and the only event I could see someone getting hurt on.
Underwater Tunnels -> The whole part where they made you swim/wade through cold water was extremely hard! I wasn't sure Jordan was going to make it, but we both made it through alive. I honestly thought my balls had shrunk and disappeared forever! Seriously....I was a little worried....I like my balls. It was fun sliding down into the freezing water (Greased Lightning), but damn was it chilly! They did a good job giving you a 'hard' obstacle right after the icy water to warm you right up.
Hold Your Wood -> This was where you got to carry a block of wood for a VERY long walk. It was a great way to warm up after the ice encrusted water. You could either carry a wooden block alone, or a huge wooden log with two people. Jordan and I chose to carry the big log together. This was a great event for us because we passed about 30 people. We didn't find it very challenging, but apparently all the other people did!
Fenced Off -> Jumping back and fourth over an eight foot fence a bunch of times was super fun towards the end of the event. It really got the blood going and once you got a rhythm, it was really fun!
There were a couple times when we got to hike up super steep hills and they were great! I love a nice hard hike. This was another area where I passed a ton of people. Living in Salt Lake City, and doing a lot of running in the mountains really gave me an advantage over most people.
Overall, the event was great! I emailed the company a few things I thought should be changed, but it was still loads of fun. I am sure these events are going to get bigger every year. I can't wait to do another Tough Mudder but for the time being, I have a couple other events on my plate.
After a day of fun, Jordan and I went to eat dinner at the Bear Valley Lodge and while we were waiting to be served, we met a couple guys: Bill and Greg! At first we thought they were a gay couple, but then later when Greg's girlfriend and Bill's lady-friend showed up we learned that Bill and Greg were not together, but they would have made a cute couple anyway. We spent all night with these guys along with Christi and Meredith. Meredith might have taken a little offense when I told her I would remember her name because of 'Bitch', a song by Meredith Brooks, but I think she forgave me over time. I suck at names so I do what it takes to remember them. We all had way too much fun that night and we made some great friends. I learned that Bill and Greg were into doing Ironmans, and they totally convinced me (without realizing it at first), that I needed to do one. The second I got home, I started researching what I needed to know and I signed up for my first Ironman. I like a nice challenge so I decided I wanted Ironman St George to me my first (the hardest Ironman behind Kona). In my next post, I will probably mention how training is going and the route I decided to take. My friend Dave has given me a couple books to read on the subject so hear I go!!!
The VFF's were excellent for this event. They were grippy when they needed to be, our feet didn't care when they got wet or muddy and for the most part, rocks did not enter the shoes. At one point, Jordan did get a small rock in his, so he just emptied his shoe while I watered a tree. I was so happy with how the VFF's worked for me, I will definitely wear them in any Tough Mudder event I do. If you decide to do one of these events in them, make sure you are well trained. I was a little sore a couple days afterward since I didn't train enough, but Jordan and I both had no problem finishing (then playing disc golf afterward where Jordan seriously kicked my ass).
Some of the highlights of the event were:
The bag piper at the starting line. Nothing gets you more in the mood to charge than quality bag-piping! The energy at the start was just fantastic.
The Gauntlet -> This is where you ran up a half pipe full of mud while being strayed with snow makers in the process. I saw a few people wanting to cry when the water hit their face but I thought it was great! It was super refreshing at this point of the race.
Kentucky Derby -> Getting over a cylinder eight feet high is not an easy thing to do. This was the only event I would have not been able to do alone. But with the help of Jordan and a couple others, it wasn't too bad. It was very fun and the only event I could see someone getting hurt on.
Underwater Tunnels -> The whole part where they made you swim/wade through cold water was extremely hard! I wasn't sure Jordan was going to make it, but we both made it through alive. I honestly thought my balls had shrunk and disappeared forever! Seriously....I was a little worried....I like my balls. It was fun sliding down into the freezing water (Greased Lightning), but damn was it chilly! They did a good job giving you a 'hard' obstacle right after the icy water to warm you right up.
Hold Your Wood -> This was where you got to carry a block of wood for a VERY long walk. It was a great way to warm up after the ice encrusted water. You could either carry a wooden block alone, or a huge wooden log with two people. Jordan and I chose to carry the big log together. This was a great event for us because we passed about 30 people. We didn't find it very challenging, but apparently all the other people did!
Fenced Off -> Jumping back and fourth over an eight foot fence a bunch of times was super fun towards the end of the event. It really got the blood going and once you got a rhythm, it was really fun!
There were a couple times when we got to hike up super steep hills and they were great! I love a nice hard hike. This was another area where I passed a ton of people. Living in Salt Lake City, and doing a lot of running in the mountains really gave me an advantage over most people.
Overall, the event was great! I emailed the company a few things I thought should be changed, but it was still loads of fun. I am sure these events are going to get bigger every year. I can't wait to do another Tough Mudder but for the time being, I have a couple other events on my plate.
After a day of fun, Jordan and I went to eat dinner at the Bear Valley Lodge and while we were waiting to be served, we met a couple guys: Bill and Greg! At first we thought they were a gay couple, but then later when Greg's girlfriend and Bill's lady-friend showed up we learned that Bill and Greg were not together, but they would have made a cute couple anyway. We spent all night with these guys along with Christi and Meredith. Meredith might have taken a little offense when I told her I would remember her name because of 'Bitch', a song by Meredith Brooks, but I think she forgave me over time. I suck at names so I do what it takes to remember them. We all had way too much fun that night and we made some great friends. I learned that Bill and Greg were into doing Ironmans, and they totally convinced me (without realizing it at first), that I needed to do one. The second I got home, I started researching what I needed to know and I signed up for my first Ironman. I like a nice challenge so I decided I wanted Ironman St George to me my first (the hardest Ironman behind Kona). In my next post, I will probably mention how training is going and the route I decided to take. My friend Dave has given me a couple books to read on the subject so hear I go!!!
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