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October 21, 2013

Tough Mudder Mid-Atlantic Fall 2013

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We did it! My friends and I are officially Tough Mudders. And most importantly: we all finished smiling and without any injuries. Happy day. ๐Ÿ™‚

tough mudder mid atlantic

And now, for a recap! A big thank you to the media team at Tough Mudder for providing me and Matt with free bibs in exchange for sharing our experience here on the blog! In case youโ€™re wondering, I got all these pictures using my trusty waterproof camera, which I carried either in my hands or in my sports bra throughout the whole race. ๐Ÿ™‚

The Tough Mudder Mid Atlantic Fall 2013 was a full day adventure. It was in West Virginia, and our start time wasnโ€™t until 12:15 but we were told to get there early with plenty of time to spare. Everyone met at our apartment at 8:30 a.m. and an hour and a half ish drive to the parking lot, a half hour bus ride to the starting area, and check in later, and we were ready to rock.

tough mudder 2013 dc

Our team consisted of me, Matt, my college friends Sarah and Kathleen, my brother Steve, Mattโ€™s high school buddy Nick, and my high school friend Lara and her boyfriend Jim. 4 guys, 4 girls. Perfect!

We decided to go for a neon theme, with Sarah, Kathleen, and I all wearing our bright orange Parks Half Marathon shirts. I also wore a little head wrap thing I got at a previous mud race (Lara wore hers, too) โ€“ it was great for keeping the mud and water from dripping down into my eyes โ€“ and for keeping my hair in place and my head/ears warm!

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On bottom, I decided on black capris to keep my knees covered, my calf compression sleeves since we were going to be running for quite awhile (the Tough Mudder is about 11 miles total), and an old beat up pair of my standard Brooks ravennas that I was planning on donating after the race (thereโ€™s a shoe donation area).

In standard Mudder fashion, there was a wall to climb before you could get to the starting area. ๐Ÿ˜‰

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We made it!

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And before we knew it, we were off.

The Tough Mudder Mid-Atlantic Fall 2013 course was about 11 miles long and included 1,775 feet of vertical gain, 700,000 gallons of mud, and 19 official obstacles as well as a number of โ€œburn stationsโ€ where you did pushups, lunges, etc. Whew!

Our first challenge was โ€œKiss of Mud,โ€ where we crawled underneath barbed wire. The barbed wire was low so you had to basically drag yourself on your stomach!

tough mudder kiss of mud

At one point my butt went too high in the air and I got a snag in my capris โ€“ thankfully they didnโ€™t tear or I would have been half naked the whole rest of the course!

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With one obstacle down and many more to go, we carried on, excited and nervous. The course took us through the forests of West Virginia; the views of the hills and in the woods on the trails were gorgeous, but it was SO hilly! Our team made a pact to stay together the whole time โ€“ occasionally in the running portions some people went ahead or stayed behind, but we always waited for and helped each other at all the obstacles.

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Thatโ€™s my favorite thing about races like this โ€“ that everyone is in it together. Itโ€™s not a race, just a challenge; everyone sticks with their team and helps to make sure everyone is safe, makes it over the obstacles, and finishes having fun.

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Itโ€™s important to have guys (or very tall, strong girls) on your team for a Tough Mudder โ€“ some of the obstacles were really high and we needed help getting over them!

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There were 6 water stops on the course, one about every couple miles, thanks to race sponsor CamelBak, which was great. We all gulped a cup down at every stop.

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Lol to this sign:

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Lunges station!

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Obstacle #3 on the course, after the pushups and lunges (which I think were there to slow us down so there wasnโ€™t a pile up at the obstacle), was the dreaded โ€œArctic Enema.โ€ YIKES.

tough mudder arctic enema

The arctic enema is a big dumpster filled with ice and water. The average temperature in it is 28 degrees, and there is a wood plank overhead partway through that forces you to go fully underwater before you can get out.

Here are my brother and Nick emerging triumphant:

tough mudder arctic enema

When we had dinner the night before the race, Kathleen and Sarah said that this was the obstacle they were most nervous about. I thought it would suck, but I didnโ€™t think it would be that terrible. Here we are, ready to find out:

tough mudder arctic enema

Oh. My. God. That sucked WAY MORE than I thought it would. Totally ate my words about thinking it wouldnโ€™t be that bad! It was so cold that you had trouble breathing and when we got out, we were all aching for at least 5 minutes after. But: we did it. ๐Ÿ™‚

tough mudder arctic enema

Um, yeah, no kidding. Lol.

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With one of the scariest obstacles behind us, we charged on, feeling triumphant and relieved.

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Here is the cutest picture ever of Kathleen mid-jump into a mud pit โ€“ this was part of the โ€œMuddy Mile,โ€ which is a series of really slippery mud hills and mud pools.

tough mudder muddy mile

Action shot selfie in the trenches!

tough mudder muddy mile

Next up was a fun wheelbarrow walk challenge โ€“ below is my brother and Matt in action. Kathleen and I rocked it and I loved feeling like a kid again!

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Next up: a team log carry.

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Followed by more hilly running! This course was SO hilly, but the views mostly made up for it. ๐Ÿ™‚ With the exception of a few of the REALLY steep hills, we ran almost the whole time.

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Up and over! You had to take a running start to get over these:

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Next came one of the obstacles I was nervous about: the โ€œBoa Constrictor,โ€ which was a crawl through these circular pipes into some shallow water, and then a crawl out the other side.

tough mudder boa constrictor

It was a little claustrophobic in there but I actually ended up having no problems with it. Whew!

tough mudder boa constrictor

Wading through the muddy water with Lara just in front of me:

tough mudder boa constrictor

This hill was SO STEEP. And slippery! Definitely walked, not ran, up this one. I think my brother was the only one crazy enough to run up it. ๐Ÿ™‚

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I loved this obstacle โ€“ called the โ€œCage Crawlโ€ for obvious reasons โ€“ you were in water with a cage right above you:

tough mudder cage crawl

And to get through, you lay on your back and moved yourself backwards by walking your hands along the cage. This one was actually kind of relaxing โ€“ nice to let your feet dangle behind you and not do any of the work!

tough mudder cage crawl

Next up was the โ€œElectric Eelโ€ โ€“ I did not like this one! Those hanging wires conducted shocks of up to 10,000 volts. I hit them a few times and MAN did it sting! Just for a second, but it sure surprised you. Sarahโ€™s face in this picture below says it all!

tough mudder electric eel

Our next challenge was the โ€œBerlin Wallโ€ โ€“ this obstacle was teamwork at its finest. There was no way to get over without help from a buddy (or three)!

tough mudder berlin wall

Here are some of the guys helping a woman who was out there on her own:

tough mudder berlin wall

It worked best to have a guy at the top to help pull you up and a couple at the bottom to act as footholds.

tough mudder berlin wall

And then it was on to the next challenge! I didnโ€™t get any photos, but at some of the water stations they also had fuel โ€“ half bananas (I ate a couple throughout the course), plus some Clif Shot Bloks โ€“ I had a few of those, too, and also a granola bar that Matt and I brought with us and stashed in a SpiBelt, as well as a Clif Shot Gel about an hour in. It worked out well! I felt perfectly fueled and hydrated between that and the water stops.

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This challenge was fun โ€“ it was a partner carry! Sarah and I alternated carrying each other on our backs, and Kathleen was paired with Nick! Lol. We were impressed she carried him. ๐Ÿ™‚

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Here I am walking the plank:

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I made it without falling in!

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And so did the rest of us. Go team!

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Next, it was time to Walk the Plank. Up we climbedโ€ฆ

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And down we jumped! Wow, thatโ€™s high!

tough mudder walk the plank

Lara was scared at this obstacle so we were really proud of her for doing it! It was higher than it looks in this photo of her hitting the water!

tough mudder walk the plank

Next up โ€“ Funky Monkey!

tough mudder funky monkey

The monkey bars were super slippery AND they twisted, so the girls and I fell off basically immediately. Most of the guys made it! Here are Matt and my brother (farther along on the right in the orange tank) rocking it.

tough mudder funky monkey

Even though we were out on the course for about 3 and a half hours, the time flew by. Before we knew it, we were approaching Everest, the second to last obstacle and one of the hardest. Itโ€™s a big half pipe, and you have to run as fast as you can and grab the hands of someone above so they can haul you up. It was SO hard.

tough mudder everest

Most of the guys made it on the first try, and so did Kathleen! Sarah, Lara, and I needed a couple more shots โ€“ they made it on the second try, and it took me three! Here I am at the top, pumped to have made it. I was not going to give up until I made it over that freaking thing!

tough mudder everest

Suddenly, we were all at the last obstacle. More electricity charged wires to run through โ€“ eek! Somehow I made it through this time without hitting any of them, but I heard some โ€œAHHHH!โ€s coming from around me!

tough mudder electroshock therapy

The 8 of us all crossed the finish line holding hands. ๐Ÿ™‚ Go team!! I was so proud of us.

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As soon as you cross the finish line, volunteers award you with your orange Tough Mudder finisherโ€™s headband, as well as a finisherโ€™s t-shirt, which is a nice technical tee.

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They also gave us all foil warming blankets. It was COLD out there, especially by the end! 11 miles and about 3.5 hours total of hilly trail running, obstacles, and mud? That calls for a beer.

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Our team had such a good time. The Tough Mudder was fun, well organized, and I loved how team-focused everything was โ€“ everyone was helping everyone else out, whether they were part of your team or not. Iโ€™d definitely recommend this race if youโ€™re interested. Donโ€™t be scared! Itโ€™s fun, and everyone is just out there to have a good time. ๐Ÿ™‚

tough mudder mid atlantic

I think marathon training prepared me really well for this race โ€“ it was hard, but not as hard as I thought it would be. I must be getting used to being on my feet for long periods of time! That said, I was definitely sore yesterday โ€“ especially my hips from all those hills and climbing over things, and of course my arms from all the obstacles!

What a fun way to spend a Saturday. Thanks to my teammates for making the race so fun, and again to the Tough Mudder media team for the opportunity to run it! Iโ€™m so proud of us for rocking it. ๐Ÿ™‚

Anyone else race this weekend, mud or no mud? Howโ€™d it go? Iโ€™m SO relieved no one twisted an ankle at the Tough Mudder! One month to go until the Richmond Marathon on November 16, and Kathleen, Rachel, and I have one final really long run, 22 miles this coming weekend, on the docket, and then itโ€™s time to taper. Exciting!! I canโ€™t believe itโ€™s almost here!

- anne
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37 comments
  • Jackie
    October 21, 2013 ยท 9:04AM:
    Wow that looks killer!
    Reply
  • Maggie October 21, 2013 ยท 9:18AM:
    I did it this past spring in Virginia. It was so much fun! Im surprised it didnt look that busy from your photos. My husband did it two years ago and he started at 12 or so. He said he spend about an hour just waiting in the lines. The only way he would do it again was to start early in the morning. We were in the first heat to go at 8am when we did it this year. It was perfect and not busy at all. Tough Mudder is the hardest/best mud run out there. Now im pretty much a mud run snob towards the others. haha
    Reply
    • Anne
      October 21, 2013 ยท 9:37AM:
      There were honestly no lines for anything really! Matt was saying last year when he did it there were longer lines, too. No idea why it was smaller this year - maybe they spaced it out better - or because it was in the middle of nowhere so less people signed up?
      Reply
  • Lea October 21, 2013 ยท 9:18AM:
    I've always wanted to try a Tough Mudder but have never felt like I would be strong enough but I agree, now with marathon training I think I can probably handle it. =) Good luck on your long run. I'll be out running the MCM.
    Reply
    • Anne
      October 21, 2013 ยท 9:36AM:
      Nice - I'll be out cheering!
      Reply
  • Lara P October 21, 2013 ยท 9:40AM:
    i totally made Mt Everest in the first go! great recap, Anne! My memories were already getting hazy, i'm so glad I can read this to not forget a thing! and the pictures are great...what a fun day!!!
    Reply
    • Anne
      October 21, 2013 ยท 9:52AM:
      Omg you did?? Rock star! What a fun day and great team! Xo
      Reply
  • Sophie @ life's philosophie
    October 21, 2013 ยท 10:41AM:
    Awesome job! This looks terrifying to me. More so than a marathon. I cannot believe the electric eel and arctic plunge. I would be a major baby through the entire race for sure. Looks like you really toughed it out!
    Reply
  • Mitch
    October 21, 2013 ยท 11:24AM:
    That was an awesome Tough Mudder blog post! Carrying a camera the whole time must have been hard, but those are some really cool pictures. It's not too often that you get an inside view like that of a Mudder. Not sure if this makes me want to run one more, or if it makes me dread running it! Honestly, you made it look really fun and rewarding.
    Reply
  • cassie October 21, 2013 ยท 11:26AM:
    I know someone who had hypothermia after the dumpster of ice/water. She doesn't recommend these races to ANYONE. Glad you guys had fun and made it through safely but there is definitely a lot of risk/danger in these types of races.
    Reply
    • Anne
      October 21, 2013 ยท 12:08PM:
      I'm so sorry to hear that - yikes!
      Reply
  • Ja @Ja on the RUN
    October 21, 2013 ยท 11:41AM:
    This looks so much fun! You are a hardcore! I read online reviews about Tough Mudder and i learned that, it's one of those difficult obstacle races! It's intimidating. I did one like this last year though! It was difficult too but a lot of fun. I may have to look at Tough Mudder for my next obstacle race! :) Thanks for the recap! It was fun reading it! :)
    Reply
  • Dana @ Conscious Kitchen Blog
    October 21, 2013 ยท 12:30PM:
    Wow - crazy! I've never done an obstacle/mud run, but I think it's something I'd like to try. I agree with you that the teamwork aspect of this type of an event would be the best part. Congrats!
    Reply
  • Taylor @ Single-tracked Mind
    October 21, 2013 ยท 1:01PM:
    Looks crazy (and fun)! Congrats!
    Reply
  • Kelsey
    October 21, 2013 ยท 1:02PM:
    That's awesome that you got so many pictures on the course - gives a really good picture of what to expect! I've been saying I'm going to do a Tough Mudder but just need to commit! There is one in the Poconos in Pennsylvania in the spring. Did you think a team of 8 was a good size? Too small or too big?
    Reply
    • Anne
      October 21, 2013 ยท 4:38PM:
      A team of 8 worked well! I wouldn't do any bigger... probably 4 to 8 is ideal. Half girls, half guys was great, too, for obstacle assistance purposes!
      Reply
  • Kelly @ Kelly Runs for Food
    October 21, 2013 ยท 1:15PM:
    This looks awesome and super hard core! I think I would definitely like it better with a big group of people like you had!
    Reply
  • Hunter October 21, 2013 ยท 1:46PM:
    Anne congrats! You guys all look so pretty and put together in the photos- I can't believe that was 11 miles! How did you keep the camera dry? Great photographs :-)
    Reply
  • Taylor @ LiftingRevolution
    October 21, 2013 ยท 1:52PM:
    Congrats! My husband wants to do one so bad, perhaps next year! That's an awesome race!
    Reply
  • Kathleen October 21, 2013 ยท 2:17PM:
    Tough and muddy as advertised... but so worth it! Are you as sore as I am???
    Reply
    • Anne
      October 21, 2013 ยท 2:52PM:
      Omg yes!!
      Reply
  • Shel@PeachyPalate
    October 21, 2013 ยท 3:04PM:
    Well done!!! We had one very similar here in Ireland, or we do, 3 times a year, the Winter one is the worst but they're only 10k and that's plenty! 11 miles is epic, well done!!!
    Reply
  • Elliot October 21, 2013 ยท 4:15PM:
    I know you were sponsored by Tough Mudder so perhaps you're not allowed to say this, but I feel that you should note that someone died during this event recently: http://www.nytimes.com/2013/10/08/sports/racing-at-the-risk-of-your-life.html?_r=0
    Reply
    • Anne
      October 21, 2013 ยท 4:37PM:
      I'm allowed to say whatever I want! I did hear that someone died in the spring Tough Mudder... very tragic accident.
      Reply
  • Courtney @ Don't Blink. Just Run.
    October 21, 2013 ยท 4:33PM:
    You guys did awesome! Way to go! One of my fitness goals is to do a Tough Mudder by the end of next year. The hard part will be finding people to form a team. I'm starting working on strength training for it now though. It'll take me that long to do half of those obstacles! Thanks for a glimpse inside. Now I'm even more terrified! LOL
    Reply
    • Anne
      October 21, 2013 ยท 4:37PM:
      You can do it!! :)
      Reply
  • Kate October 21, 2013 ยท 4:55PM:
    Anne! Wow! I know a few people who have done Tough Mudder here in Australia but I've never felt like I was almost a part of it like I did when I read through this blog! Thank you for all your pictures and comments, although I'm not sure that I would attempt this one, at least, not just yet. It's great that it's such a team focussed event and I love that pic you've got of the girl going it alone but the blokes helping her up. Good luck for your marathon - not long to go now! Enjoy the tapering period and try not to be too tempted to go out hard, your body needs time to be at its absolute best and fully replenished so you can give your all on the day. Just so you know, I completed my second marathon (Melbourne Marathon) last Sunday 13 October. I'm a walker but jogged more of this one and completed in 5hrs 35mins, which is over half an hour faster than last time. My fiance (husband in only four days now!) completed his first in about 5hrs 40mins, even after experiencing painful runners knee from about 6-7km! Next challenge for us? Wedding, honeymoon then a few more pre-Christmas runs - Relay For Life, City2Sea, Variety Santa Fun Run and Emma & Tom's Christmas Run. :)
    Reply
    • Anne
      October 21, 2013 ยท 4:57PM:
      Happy almost wedding, and congrats on your new marathon PR! :)
      Reply
  • Kimberly
    October 21, 2013 ยท 5:26PM:
    This looks awesome! Do you think it would work if only two people did it? My fiancรฉ would probably be willing to do it with me but I don't know many other people who'd want to join. It might be tough for the two of us to do on our own!
    Reply
    • Anne
      October 21, 2013 ยท 5:42PM:
      Yeah I think it would be fine - other teams could help you out when needed! Have fun!
      Reply
  • Roadrunner October 22, 2013 ยท 4:31PM:
    Awesome endeavor, Anne. Well done to you and your comrades! Wonderful photos! Great work -
    Reply
  • Gena
    October 22, 2013 ยท 8:57PM:
    While this looks like my personal idea of hell, I commend you on a job well done. Congrats, rockstar :-)
    Reply
  • Kris S October 23, 2013 ยท 7:08AM:
    You guys are all badasses!! I am supremely impressed :D
    Reply
  • Austin Bonds
    October 23, 2013 ยท 10:20AM:
    This sounds like lots of fun! I've run eight marathons, but have been wanting to change up the scenery a bit. Tough Mudder will be in Atlanta in April 2014, and my brother has signed on to potentially go with me. I'm thinking that having one more person would be ideal when it comes to the wall climbing. I do agree that this event should not be downplayed when it comes to the running portion. Since it's 11-12 miles based on the location, half-marathon training is the name of the game when it comes to preparation. The Warrior Dash and Spartan Sprint, similar obstacle races, are roughly 5K distance. But the Tough Mudder and Spartan Beast are more aligned with a half-marathon - so plan accordingly so you're prepared! Above all, have fun! Austin
    Reply
  • Sara @ Zero to Sixy
    October 24, 2013 ยท 12:48PM:
    That looks like a lot of fun! Do you only have to finish the race as a group? like you can opt out of lets say the shock thing if one of your teammates do it cause that just sounds awful! haha Sara :)
    Reply
    • Anne
      October 24, 2013 ยท 3:46PM:
      Any obstacle you're not comfortable with, you can go around, don't worry!
      Reply
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anne mauney fannetastic food
Hi, Iโ€™m Anne! I'm a Washington D.C. based Registered Dietitian, mother, runner, and lover of travel, adventure, and the great outdoors. I've been blogging since 2009, sharing a mix of lifestyle content, recipes, and fitness tips. Come for the recipes โ€“ stay for the fun!
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