Tough Mudder

Like many people I have a bucket list. One of the many items on that list was completing a Tough Mudder obstacle race. I've completed half marathons, a full marathon and several 5K obstacle course races, but needed a new challenge to help me stay motivated to work out. I received the push I needed when a guy from high school sent me a message on fb inviting me to join his Tough Mudder team. I threw all my rational thinking aside and signed up.
I trained by running a few times a week, completing other cardio and strength training classes such muscle pump and circuit training at the Y. I definitely could have put more effort into training but I did enough in which I felt confident I could complete the obstacle course. It may not have been pretty but I would finish.
A couple months out from the race I convinced Conley and my co-worker, Kim to join the team. Suckers!
The Tough Mudder is 25 obstacles and 11-13 miles, most obstacles require a good bit of upper body strength, which is my weakness and obstacles that are high off the ground, which is my fear. I had been told that it takes 4-6 hours for an average person to complete the course. I wasn't sure if I was average or below average and I was about to find out......

Before .... 

Me & Kim (she is 55 and rocked it)!

 Me & Conley

 crawling through the electric eel

 Getting ready to climb Mt. Everest - this one took a lot of team work

Terry, me, Conley & Kim

 I may have dove belly first down a mud hill before this pic. So.much.fun.

Flying down a water slide over fire, scared me the most because I was launched in the air and had no idea where I would land. 

4 1/2 hours later Tough Mudder finishers! 

 Wearing our head bands proudly. 

Partially clean, but mud in places mud should never be. 

Terry's wife, Rosa, took many pictures of us through out the course. She captured many, fun action shots. All of those pictures are on my FB page though.
Oh, and the electric shock at the last obstacle was the real deal. It brought me, and everyone else that went through to their knees.
The Tough Mudder was the biggest physical challenge, aside from child birth, that I have ever completed. I couldn't have done it without the help from my team and other competitors.
 Would I do it again? Absolutely.