OCR Trip - Week #1 Summary
Event: Tough Mudder Twin Cities
First week down and just a few more to go. The weekend started off with Tough Mudder X. Just for a quick explanation; Tough Mudder X was deemed the “toughest mile on the planet”. The mile consisted of 10 obstacles and 10 fitness zones which alternated. The movements and obstacles ranged to take into account all of the various fitness backgrounds. Just to be clear, it was destroying athletes left and right. And these weren’t just your run of the mill athletes. It ranged from OCR, Crossfit, Olympians, Harlem Globetrotters, and more! On top of that it is going to be televised on CBS!
I got the honor of being a judge for the event. We were split up into groups and judged a couple of disciplines. Our group was on pull-ups and shoulder to overhead. Two simple movements, but like with any competition they have to be judged with standards in mind. I was lucky and got to be the judge that took the leaders of the heats and finals. So, on a side note there is a good chance you’ll see me on TV! I can’t say much more except I did have to no rep one of the leaders in the final. He wasn’t thrilled about it but he didn’t finish the rep correctly. That’s what you get when you have a perfectionist as a judge. This isn’t a plug (but it’s a plug), you should really watch it. It was fun to be a part of and I may have to train to try for it in the future!
On to the Tough Mudder. Saturday was an experience. I ended up running with one of the judges, Bendon, I met from the previous day. He had a good pace and I figured all would be fine going into a standard Tough Mudder. I’m not sure if it was the driving 1,500 miles to get to Minneapolis, or standing around all day on Friday but my idea of doing two laps faded very quickly around mile 6 of my first lap. My legs just shut down and my kilt got really heavy. Yes, I wore my kilt. It’s tradition now and I figure if I keep running with it I’ll just get stronger. Anyway, my mind said yes, but my body was telling me other things. I even failed an obstacle that I have never failed before. It was KONG, a ring rig. Super fun, usually easy. Guess Saturday just wasn’t my day. The thing that helped me get through it was Brendon. He was a champion supporter. Tough Mudder is all about teamwork and he was a solid teammate. He backed of his pace and kept me going. I can’t thank him enough. I decided after I was done that it would be smart from an athletes perspective to not try a second lap. I have many of these events do to and I want to make them all. After I was done at the course I refueled, stretched and prepared for the next day.
Sunday was a far different experience than Saturday. I showed up and hour early on accident. Got killer parking though! The crowds are smaller than Saturday so it really does turn into a Sunday Funday. As I was waiting in line I met four newbies to the Tough Mudder world. I explained what I could and tried not to freak them out to bad when explaining some of the obstacles. I kept tabs on them during the day and of course I supported them as they went through Electroshock Therapy at the end. Rachel, you still owe me a better effort 😉. As I got through the check in area I ended up meeting a bunch of Worlds Toughest Mudder veterans. To say this is a good group of people is an understatement. These people are awesome! Aside from getting my 10th headband with my sister and two good friends, this had to be one of the best experiences so far at a Tough Mudder. Granted they’ve all been good, but this one will go in the memory banks as something unique. My legs were tired, my body was a little sore but once you get going and if you’re around the right people, there’s no stopping. It’s hard to put into words what it was like. It was instant friendship because of the common bond of Tough Mudder. The obstacles were there and we all knew what to expect. We talked about previous mudder experiences, and of course I picked their brains about Worlds Toughest Mudder and learned about the do’s and don’ts of the weekend. Over all it was great. One lap, new friends, a lot of laughing, and of course that frosty beer at the end.
I also got to share the reason I’m running. It seems to come up when people ask me where I’m from and I have to tell them “nowhere currently”, or even better, “my truck”. Once again, everyone that I share my mission with is extremely supportive and positive about what I’m doing. I’m hoping this movement will snowball and turn into something great for the Whole Kids Foundation.
Overall, I couldn’t have asked for a better start to my adventure. It came with all kinds of ups and downs. I am already looking forward to the next event. Long Island in only a few short days!
As always, I’m sure I left a lot out. If I did, or if this doesn’t make sense, I apologize. Funny thing is I did alright in my creative writing class in high school. You would think I could’ve retained some of that.
