Tough Mudder: Check

Steve Ryall - Tough Mudder | Trevor | Aug 22, 2012

        Saturday morning started at 8 am with a 2.5 hour drive to the parking location off site.  I was scheduled to start my race at 12:30 but we arrived at the race location at 1:05 after a 35 minute bus ride from parking.  Highway 11 was like a parking lot once we exited the 400.

        Once at Mount St. Louis Moonstone, I headed off to some signs stating to “Remember to Sign Your Death Waiver”.  Registration went very smoothly as we were handed a race kit with our bib, pins and bracelets for bag check and post race refreshments.  This is also where they put your race number on your arm and forehead with permanent marker.  It was pretty funny to watch and the lady said my big forehead sure helped.

        The starting line are was like a coral.  You had to leap a small wooden fence, about 6 feet high.  I say small because they sure got bigger later on in the adventure.  After about 15 minutes of ranting and dancing via a “Rapper/DJ”, who also had a unique way of delivering the rules and focus of the event in an inspiring way, we were off.  Climbing a long hill, about 3/4 of a km long of rocks, the adventure was on.  At the top, we found a 20 x 50 area of mud and barb wire.  This would be a good indication of the day.  This was followed up by more running, an ice bath called Arctic Enema and 1 of 5 climbs up the mountain.

        15 kms more, mud baths, mud climbs, 30 feet of monkey bars, a jump to water 30 feet below, climbing through culverts into water, log carrying and being electrically shocked several times at two locations, it was great to be greeted what looked like thousand of cheering family and friends.  The was called an adventure and not a race, so no time was supplied.  It would not make sense to supply a time as you were asked to help others and in some cases, had to wait at some of the obstacles.  Although flights were sent out every 20 minutes, you would find yourself passing those who started up to an 1.5 hours before my flight.

        This was an experience I will never forget.  The sense of accomplishment was much different than any road races or triathlon I have ever competed.  You had created a bond and camaraderie with many people for very short periods of time.  The even it all about supporting the www.woundedwarriors.caprogram, therefore, nobody was left behinds.  People were always willing to lend a hand up a cargo net, or across the ditches of mud mile.

        I am proud to say that I completed every obstacle without help, covered the entire course and made many friends and traded some contact information with some really cool people.  Some responses to questions I have received several times the past few days: “the hardest part was climbing the mountain several times, the incline burned every muscle in your legs, no matter which technique you tried”, “the 200 foot slide down the hill on a plastic water slide was a blast” and ‘” I feel pretty good, no injuries and will do it again next year”.

Amateur video of me on the Everest obstacle can be found at http://youtu.be/SUDGM4IoCMc

There are lots of pictures on the Tough Mudder FB page that will help you understand some of my blog above.

        Thanks to my wife and family for supporting me in the training and the day away from the family.  Thanks to http://www.kpepphotography.com/ for capturing the images of my training, too many to share, but full of memories.  Thanks to Alex Gasson at Adrenaline Training Centres for the gruelling weekly workouts.  And a really big THANKS to all the staff at Novack’s.  The equipment supplied really held up and the shoes in my mind gave me a huge advantage because of the grip in the mud and water, their ability to dry fast and stay comfortable all day, and being black and orange made me look faster than I am.

Thanks for reading and if you have any questions about my training, the equipment or the event, please ask me on twitter @FCRR_RD or email me at forestcityroadraces@mail.com