Tough Mudder Whistler 2015 with Good Friends.

Tough and not as muddy as we thought. 18 kilometers of running and 19 obstacles for getting over/under/through/whatever. We started out in a long line to get our bibs, checked in our bag and headed toward the noise. We hopped over a wooden barrier and into the warm up area. Mr. Steroid-man was waiting for us with his colorful tattoos and bulging veins. He meant well, I'm sure. Bless his heart. So he did his job and got us alllllll pumped up. Then we moved onto the starting line with Mr. Sentiments. We grouped up and got cold as he asked us to take a knee and explored the reasons for running this race ie fathers, cancer, homeless children, each other/family/community/idk. So, we were ready to go. And off we went. Slightly inspired and more motivated to just leave. Woot! So we were off! The first few obstacles were a wooden wall style requiring a little hop and jump and over. Then "Cry Baby" was next. We were told to prepare for a gas chamber of sorts. I immediately thought mace and tear gas and police brutality and World War II, etc. It was menthol. A low to ground chamber of fog infused menthol vapor that burnt our lungs and chilled our skin. It was refreshing. And we kept running. Mud was next. Lots of it. All over the trail. And runners. We mainly stayed to the side where there was less mud cause honestly when given the option to run 10 miles with mud in my shoes or not, I generally go with not. But it was challenging! Lots of small stumps that could impale our bodies and plenty of chances to slip and brake an ankle. So good! And more running! So much running!

Our feet taking a break after 12 miles.

Then, "Hold Your Wood". A team effort to pass a 10ft log through several hole and over several walls with a "no wood on wood" policy loosely followed and never enforced. And more running. Which, by the way, offered an incredibly beautiful scene. Snow spotted peaks pulled up from a lush green costal forest of evergreen trees and thick underbrush. Creeks, streams, and hopeful rivers crossed our path as we made our way to the next challenge. A soupy mud bed with a barbed wire canopy waited for us. Oh, and culverts to crawl through that landed us in a watery light brown bath. It was refreshing. More frolicking through the forest and then we got the good stuff. The joys of a highdive! So good. And by dive, I mean no diving allowed but we got to jump 15 into water!/mud./other. It was fun! And then there was "Everest", a big slippery ramp that we had to sprint towards, throw our bodies at and hope someone at the top caught us. It worked out and I really like it. The camaraderie was awesome; everyone helping each other and encouraging each other to push themselves to the limit. A bit like the Kentucky Derby but everyone is rooting for each other and no one has horses and there are no winners and no large bets are made with a free beer at the end and no one dies.

Post race rootbear float.

So, then ice. Ice bath. "Ice Enima" was the words they liked to use. I was a little scared. But it was refreshing. We slid down into a tank of ice water with cage over head that forced us to go all in, then had to hop over a divider board and into another tank of ice water and then out. Wooh! It was cold. Luckily we had great weather. That sun was doing work yesterday! Upper 70(f) degree weather made it worth the dunk. We passed by the long ski jump course used in the 2010 Winter Olympics. Up the steep hill and onto the last few obstacles. "Funky Monkey" was a set of monkey bars that led to a bar that swung over to a suspended bar which we shimmied along, all over a light brown pool of water. It was like I was on the play ground in grade school again! Those were the days. Life was simple. No dirty water.

We were almost done! Another kilometer to the dredded dangling electric shock therapy. So much hype and mental prep for that. After 18 km though, I was over it. We bolted through and felt a slight irritation of electricity towards to the end. And we finished!! Mission accomplished. It was long. We sprayed off and got a head band. So legit. I actually wanted a medal, but that's okay. The race as a whole was so beautiful and calming and good for my soul. A little push of mental and physical in an incredibly glorious place, Beautiful Britiah Columbia.