Tough Mudder Tips!

It may not seem like it here in the UK, what with the below freezing temperatures and thick snow fall, but Spring is upon us and that means Tough Mudder season is nearly here! Last year I was booked by Lucozade as one of their Tough Mudder "Made To Move" coaches. My job was to travel around the country with my team of fitness coaches and we motivated and trained Mudders in the thousands. It was one of the best experiences of my life, but I couldn’t quite get my head around why ANYONE would want to actually take part in the event itself.

We were initially asked if we would like to run the race on the last weekend, to which I responded "No, absolutely and definitely not." I did a quick browse of the website and decided that there was nothing I would like less than to run this event. It looked intimidating, hard, cold, wet, and pretty gross. I’m a yoga teacher and aerialist. I would suck at this.

My first weekend working at Tough Mudder North West, it rained ice cold all weekend. I was miserable, hungry, tired and soaked through. I watched Mudders cross the finish line shivering, head to toe in mud. I had definitely made the right decision.

Everyone on my team had already run the race and assured me this weekend was some kind of freak weather and that it is never like that; on my second weekend the sun shone (with some little UK April showers, of course). The vibe was like a festival. I now knew what to wear and bring with me for the weekend, the Mudders were in high spirits, and I started to see why people ran the race. The sense of team spirit was high. I loved watching people write their numbers on each other before the race. I was starting to be sold.

My main reason for eventually deciding to run was because I didn’t want to miss out—my entire Lucozade/ Our Parks team was running and I would have been the only one not. I’m not about that life. I was terrified. We ran the last wave of the entire Tough Mudder season, the last weekend of September, after a summer of mud. But as soon as I started the race there was a sense of togetherness, not just with the people we knew but with everyone. Everyone helped each other on each obstacle. If you’re not the fittest, the strongest, the fastest… someone there will be and they will help you.

Tough Mudder pushes your body in ways that it has never been pushed before; it is a test of the limits you can push yourself to. Arctic Enema, for me, was the most terrifying, shooting down a tube into a skip full of ice cubes, and you are instantly dunked under. My mind had decided that was how I died, right there, in an industrial skip full of ice, then you come up for air and you have to swim back underneath the water to get out. My body was in shock, but I just started running again; my survival instinct knew I had to get warm again.

Toward the end, the sun began to set and the temperature dropped, coming over the hill after 10km of mud and murderous obstacles to see the finish line was something I can’t describe, knowing that there were just two more obstacles to go. The first, Augustus Gloop, another water obstacle, by this point the cold was in my bones and the thought of sliding back into ice cold muddy water was not at the top of my list of things I wanted to do, but I’d made it this far and I didn’t want to cheat myself.

The final obstacle is running through thousands of live wires whilst simultaneously sinking into thick mud. I made the mistake of trying to walk through and soviet the wires, which were blowing in the wind. I probably got shocked way more than anyone else as I stood in the middle of the wires and screamed, rather than using my initiative and running through to the end.

Crossing the finish line and mud hugging my team mates was one of the best feelings I have ever felt. I would recommend this event to ANYONE… but before you do it here are some tips…

Team work wins!

If you don’t have any mates that are up for the race (boo hiss) then try talking to Mudders as you warm up or wait for your wave. Groups of Mudders are so friendly and willing to take on new members to their huddle. You will go into the race alone and leave with life long friends. Remember to help everyone out along the way. Tough Mudder is less about your time and more about the experience, so make sure you make it a good one for everyone. There is an early wave for those that are trying to compete in Toughest Mudder competitions, where you can track your time, if it’s more about the competition for you!

Remember to eat!

Eat. Eat carbs. Eat protein. Drink a lot of water (but remember to go to the toilet before you run, because trust me, I used the toilets on the course and it was one of my worst nightmares come to life). You are about to run 12km with obstacles that will test your mental and physical agility and strength the entire way. You will get wet, you will get cold, and you will need your energy. There are little stops along the way with water and lucozade and protein bites, but they will not sustain you alone.

Don't care about what you wear!

Do not wear your favourite leggings, or your favourite anything. Chances are it won’t be a very happy item of clothing after the race. Obviously, mud washes out, bu there are stones and barbed wires and all kinds of things that rip and tear your garms. Opt for something light. Lycra is great. It dries quickly and it doesn’t become too heavy when it’s wet. Cotton takes ages to dry and hangs heavy.

Don't take your phone!

Don’t take anything you love… watches, jewellery… anything that could come off and get lost, or get caught on something. Phones should be obvious but you’d be surprised how many people try… You are running through thick mud and jumping into deep water. Your phone will die… or get lost for good. Photos are taken through out the course and uploaded to the tough mudder server and they are usually pretty good.

Footwear choice is important!

Whatever shoes you wear will get absolutely destroyed. So bear that in mind when you’re lacing up your Nike 97 silver bullets…. Merrell do the best bet for Tough Mudder shoes. They have the best grip and actually manage to stay on your feet. If you don’t want to buy a pair for thrace, use your oldest, shittest trainers or boots.

https://www.merrell.com/US/en/tough-mudder/

Have fun!

The most important part, just enjoy the experience. I guarantee you will want to do it again. I can’t wait! I honestly have never liked being part of a team. I’ve always felt a bit of a loner or a loser. Tough Mudder and their team have opened up things in me I never knew I had. This race brings people together and brings people out of their shell. It is a great thing to achieve. Tell yourself you can do something and just go right in and do it. See you on the muddy side... You can sign up for the 2018 events nation (and world) wide... https://toughmudder.com