One of the major concerns for me going into my Tough Mudder event last April was the weather. Consider this; Tough Mudder event organizers plainly state that they will not cancel an event due to inclement weather, unless it's extremely dangerous. Basically, anything short of tornadoes, lightning, hurricanes, etc. So when Tough Mudder begins their schedule in February in the Southern states, you may experience a wide variety of weather and temperature possibilities. Last year, TM held an event in Georgia that experienced freezing temperatures and high winds which made the course a living nightmare for those brave souls who challenged it.
My event was in mid-April in Northern Ohio. Considering how mild the winter was last year, I was unsure of what type of weather I was going to experience. April in the Midwest can have 60's and sunny, or 30's and snowing. And in fact, you can experience these wild fluctuations in a matter of days! I had already decided that I was going to purchase some gear for the event and I was rather dismayed at the lack of credible information on the interwebs. Tough Mudder reviews on other sites and blogs were filled with bad asses who felt the need to prove how hardcore they were by running a course in nothing but shorts on a 40 degree day. To be honest, you really DON'T have to purchase any gear for these events if you don't want to. TM encourages attendees to dress up in silly costumes and not take the event too seriously. I agree with this mentality but I didn't follow it. I wanted to be completely prepared for the conditions on the course and I did not want anything to hinder my ability to complete it.
I utilized Mudder Nation for most of my gear questions but that site was hacked a while ago and I believe it is still down as of today. From the reviews and opinions I found online, I decided to purchase the following gear for my event:
Under Armour ColdGear Compression Crew
Under Armour ColdGear Compression Leggings
Vibram KMD Sport - Five Finger Shoes
Injinji No Show Toe Socks
Carhartt C-Grip Gloves
I will be reviewing each item so that you know how they worked for me on the course and whether they are worth the money for your event.
Under Armour ColdGear Compression Crew and Leggings
The Under Armour gear was the first stuff I decided to use, but it was the last stuff I actually purchased. The main reason was that I simply did not know what the weather was going to be like on the day of the event. In March the temperature was nearing record highs of the 60's and almost 70's. I did not want to purchased ColdGear clothing if the temperatures were going to be above 50 degrees. Eventually I decided to purchase them because I figured the temperature at 9 AM was still going to be cold enough. Luckily, or unluckily, the temperatures ranged in the mid to upper 40's with light to moderate rain.
The Under Armour clothing was AMAZING for the event! The compression fit prevented any moisture from weighing me down and kept me warm for the beginning of the day. Once submerged in water and mud, no amount of moisture-wicking fabric was going to keep me dry and warm but it served its purpose. Bottom line is if you are running your event in temperatures 50 degrees or less, Under Armour is your best option. One look at 80% of the Mudders in attendance will confirm this.
Vibram KMD Sport Shoes
I had read many reviews about footwear for Tough Mudder and I became convinced that the Vibram Five Finger shoes were the best bet. The shoes mimic your bare feet but still give you the protection of a rubber sole that is molded for your exact fit. Although they feel weird when you first try them, they become extremely comfortable and easy to run in as you wear them. The Vibrams, or whatever shoes you buy for Tough Mudder, NEED to be worn in months prior to your event. I cannot stress this enough. You don't want to be forming a blister halfway through the event because your shoes were too stiff and unused.
I used the KMD Sports for 2 months prior to the event when I worked out and on runs. The Vibrams, by their design, help to strengthen your foot instead of weakening with a ton of unnecessary padding and support. The only issue I had was the event was at a quarry, so there were small rocks everywhere. After 11 miles of stepping on rocks my feet were killing me. That's not the fault of the shoe, but of the terrain I was running on. Overall, I HIGHLY recommend these shoes for Tough Mudder.
The Injinji Toe Socks were not necessary as most people choose to wear Vibrams by themselves, but I was persuaded by reviews online explaining the benefits of reduced friction while running. They were a nice purchase and I find that I actually prefer wearing them with the Vibrams rather than without.
Carhartt C-Grip Gloves
I really felt that I was going to need a nice pair of gloves for protection on the walls, for gripping the monkey bars, and for generally going through the obstacles. For protection, the gloves were great and the rubber grips were great on the walls and for yard work at home. However, when the gloves got wet they were completely useless on any obstacle that required a strong grip (Funky Monkey, Hangin' Tough). If I wear gloves for a future event, I'm thinking about a pair of fingerless kayaking gloves. In summary, the gloves were not very helpful and they were easily the one piece of gear that I regret purchasing.
So, should you purchase a bunch of gear for your Tough Mudder? The simple answer: do your homework and make an educated decision. I feel like Under Armour gear is great for cold weather events, although its probably not as necessary for warm weather. You can complete a Tough Mudder event without needing gloves. You cannot complete Tough Mudder without a good pair of shoes. Whether you purchase the newest, state-of-the-art, heavily engineered running shoes, or Vibrams, or you wear your yard work tennis shoes, make sure your footwear is supportive and you have broken them in. By the way, no cleats are allowed. Don't even bother.
I hope this has been helpful. I will be purchasing some new gear for my next TM event in June but it won't be much. I will update the blog as these items are purchased.
Later
Wednesday, January 23, 2013
Tuesday, January 22, 2013
On the Road Again...
So now it's January 22, 2013. Jason and I completed our Tough Mudder event last April and it was nice to take a break from workouts and just relax. Savor the feeling of extreme accomplishment, which is truly amazing after completing such an arduous event. The orange headband and Tough Mudder t-shirt will be displayed in my new drum room in my basement. The hard work is done.......
...not so fast...
I will freely admit that taking a long break from workouts and physical activity was needed and necessary, for a while after the event. My knee was swollen for a few days and I had lingering pain and bruising for a couple months. But the fact is, Jason and I finished the event and we both agreed that we would love to do it again. Call it masochistic, call it insanity, we loved every grueling second of that experience. Sometime in late summer/early fall 2012, I received an email from Tough Mudder which listed the 2013 schedule. There it was, June 29 and 30, 2013. Tough Mudder was coming to Michigan! No long drive to Ohio this time. This time the event will be held at the Michigan International Speedway which is about an hour 1/2 away from me.
Jason and I have both enlisted for the Saturday 6/29 event, with a requested start time of 8:20 AM. I figure that the earlier starting time will be good for us considering the event takes place in the hottest part of the year. Quite the change from our last event which never got above 50 degrees. So with this new event on the horizon and and upcoming trip to England and Ireland planned for March, I have to get my ass in gear and start losing some weight!
I have less than 6 months to get in shape, which is more than enough time to do P90X or Insanity, but it is VERY easy for me to procrastinate. That happened last time and before I knew it, I was 3 months away from the event with no weight loss to show for it. Already, I have let almost the entire month of January go by without one day of exercise logged. I have enough time to do a complete round of P90X and a full round of Insanity if I choose to. That probably won't happen but completing one program in full is my current goal. That will get me to a respectable weight, build my strength, and prepare me for the warmer months when I will begin my endurance runs.
I did so poorly on the strength-related obstacles last year (Funky Monkey, Hangin Tough) that I really want to improve my upper body endurance this time. Ultimately, when I am in the last couple miles of the course with Berlin Walls and Everest ahead of me, I want to be able to conquer those without begging for help from other Mudders. P90X will hopefully get me there, but I need to start the program and get motivated. I've been way too complacent and my weight and health have suffered.
So anyways, in addition to my new found determination to change myself, the blog will be undergoing some changes in the next week. I plan on a new Blog structure, color scheme, new Tough Mudder countdown clock, and an updated section for gear options. I also plan on posting a full cold weather, Tough Mudder gear review that will expand upon the information I provided at the end of my last post. I want to provide information that any future and returning Mudders can review so they will go into their event fully prepared. I may even post a Vlog one of these days.
Stay tuned as I am...
"On the Road again..."
...not so fast...
I will freely admit that taking a long break from workouts and physical activity was needed and necessary, for a while after the event. My knee was swollen for a few days and I had lingering pain and bruising for a couple months. But the fact is, Jason and I finished the event and we both agreed that we would love to do it again. Call it masochistic, call it insanity, we loved every grueling second of that experience. Sometime in late summer/early fall 2012, I received an email from Tough Mudder which listed the 2013 schedule. There it was, June 29 and 30, 2013. Tough Mudder was coming to Michigan! No long drive to Ohio this time. This time the event will be held at the Michigan International Speedway which is about an hour 1/2 away from me.
Jason and I have both enlisted for the Saturday 6/29 event, with a requested start time of 8:20 AM. I figure that the earlier starting time will be good for us considering the event takes place in the hottest part of the year. Quite the change from our last event which never got above 50 degrees. So with this new event on the horizon and and upcoming trip to England and Ireland planned for March, I have to get my ass in gear and start losing some weight!
I have less than 6 months to get in shape, which is more than enough time to do P90X or Insanity, but it is VERY easy for me to procrastinate. That happened last time and before I knew it, I was 3 months away from the event with no weight loss to show for it. Already, I have let almost the entire month of January go by without one day of exercise logged. I have enough time to do a complete round of P90X and a full round of Insanity if I choose to. That probably won't happen but completing one program in full is my current goal. That will get me to a respectable weight, build my strength, and prepare me for the warmer months when I will begin my endurance runs.
I did so poorly on the strength-related obstacles last year (Funky Monkey, Hangin Tough) that I really want to improve my upper body endurance this time. Ultimately, when I am in the last couple miles of the course with Berlin Walls and Everest ahead of me, I want to be able to conquer those without begging for help from other Mudders. P90X will hopefully get me there, but I need to start the program and get motivated. I've been way too complacent and my weight and health have suffered.
So anyways, in addition to my new found determination to change myself, the blog will be undergoing some changes in the next week. I plan on a new Blog structure, color scheme, new Tough Mudder countdown clock, and an updated section for gear options. I also plan on posting a full cold weather, Tough Mudder gear review that will expand upon the information I provided at the end of my last post. I want to provide information that any future and returning Mudders can review so they will go into their event fully prepared. I may even post a Vlog one of these days.
Stay tuned as I am...
"On the Road again..."
Friday, January 4, 2013
End of the Road...My Tough Mudder Experience
EDIT from 1/3/13:
I never finished this post back in April 2012 because I was not able to obtain a full listing of all the obstacles on the day of the event. As such, I summarize half of the obstacles as best as I can remember them. The course map that Tough Mudder provides on their website is only an example and what you see and will NOT be what you experience on the day of the event. Furthermore, the course map provided at the event itself was also wrong as they moved, changed, and removed obstacles in order to address weather and course conditions. My friend got lost for most of the day spectating because the map was terrible. Onto the post...
It has been a day since I finished Tough Mudder with my friend...I am bruised, scratched, sore, and extremely happy! The headband is mine along with the memories of a day filled with mud, rainy weather, and great people. Before I give you the full report, let me just say that if it wasn't for my friend Jason and countless other Mudders on the course, I would not have been able to finish the course properly. There were times yesterday when my hands and feet were numb, my upper body just not functioning very well, and I had to scale the 12' Berlin Walls and Everest. It was during those times that I received help that allowed me to get over the walls and conquer Everest. The camaraderie shared by all Mudders on that course was truly inspiring and I know that the reason most of them have their headbands today is because they received a helping hand at some point. That's just how it was. So thank you Mudders! This was our victory!
Onto the event. My friends and I stayed at a local Motel 6 in Amherst and the place was an absolute pit. It reeked of an acrid antiseptic smell and there were things on the floor that looked suspiciously like animal droppings. We had a terrible night of sleep and woke up at 5:45 AM to get ready for our 9:00 AM start time. Registration for the event begins at 7:00 AM and TM advises participants to allow 2 hours for parking, shuttle pickup and drop off, and final event registration. We arrived at the parking lot at 6:30 and were bused over to the event at Amherst Quarry. Once on site, Jason and I lined up for our packet pickup which consists of your participant number which is pinned onto your shirt and your number being sharpied onto your forehead. All in all we were done with this process by 7:00 and had two hours to wait for our start time. The temperature was a brisk 47 degrees with a slight drizzle so waiting was a little tedious. At 8:00 AM the first wave of 600 participants was sent onto the course and another wave would be let loose every 20 minutes. We noticed that no one was confirming start times for the participants so Jason and I decided to hop the small Berlin wall at the starting corral and run the 8:40 wave...20 minutes before our start time.
Once in the corral, and almost on queue, the speakers began to play "Chop Suey" by System of a Down and I can't tell you how pumped we were to start the course. After a few minutes, the Tough Mudder pre-race MC gave a rousing speech to amp us up even more with plenty of chants and reminded us of why we were doing this in the first place...the Wounded Warrior project. After the National Anthem ended, "Eye of the Tiger" began to play and after a short countdown we were let loose onto the course. Prior to the start, the course map that TM provided us and the spectators showed Arctic Enema to be the first obstacle and it was located within a few hundred feet of the starting line. This was false information as the course had changed so we were instead herded along the southern edge of the quarry to our first obstacle:
Obstacle #1: High Steppin'
High Steppin' consists of columns of about 10-12 wooden hurdles connected to each other with 5 lanes. Mudders must hurdle through their lane to the end of the obstacle. Pretty simple.
After that, we ran along the western side of the quarry for a long ways, u-turned, and came back towards the start where we ran straight into the dreaded...
Obstacle #2: ARCTIC ENEMA!!
I had my reservations regarding this obstacle, mainly having to do with jumping into truly freezing ice water while the temperature at the event was in the 40's. Arctic Enema is four large dumpsters filled with neon colored ice water. In the middle is a wooden barrier topped with barbed wire to prevent you from jumping over it. Mudders are forced to jump in and submerge under the barrier to reach the end of the dumpster. From what we saw, the two dumpsters on the right did not have as much ice as the one's on the left did. But that may have been only because they had not dumped in fresh ice yet. Nonetheless, jumping into that water was cold, but submerging under the barrier was crazy. My head felt like it shrunk and I was having a hard time seeing straight. Instinctively I jumped and rolled my body out of the dumpster where I bent over trying to catch my breath. It was fucking crazy! A sign nearby said "C'mon, it wasn't that cold was it?"
Now soaked in neon green ice water, we continued on our merry jog. The terrain in between the obstacles varied from flat grassland, hilly trails in in the trees, and muddy swamp areas.
Obstacle #3: Berlin Walls 1
Since we were nice and wet at this point, the course designers thought it would be prudent to make us climb a couple 9' walls. They were not too bad since there's a little step a quarter up on the wall. If you're a guy, be careful of sitting on your "cash and prizes" when swinging your leg over the wall. Ouch.
Obstacle #4: Firewalker
A mystery obstacle and one that was quite pleasant I must say. Simply run through a path that is lined with burning bales of hay. The fire was nice and toasty and the smoke reminded me of campfires.
Obstacle #5: Bale Bonds
Simply get a running start and climb over a few large bales of hay. Nothing too complicated.
It should be noted that the distance between obstacles averaged about .5 miles, although some stretches were longer than others.
Obstacle #6: Killa Gorilla
We jogged out of the woods into a clearing and our next two obstacles were in front of us, along with the first Water and Aid Station. Killa Gorilla consisted of scaling a couple large hills of dirt and sand, wading through some water, and returning from whence we came. As we approached the obstacle, a sign mockingly declared that this was where Warrior Dash ended, but Tough Mudder was only beginning. In retrospect, it was at this point (about 3 miles in) that I feel the course stopped being "fun" and really turned the screws in terms of pushing the limits of human endurance. From this moment on, there were no simple bales of hay to climb. It was now time to meet the first obstacle that I like to call the Unholy Duo...
Obstacle #7: Walk the Plank
There was a lake formed by the quarry and on the edge were 4 large wooden platforms that had been erected. The object was to climb to the top, patiently wait your turn, and fling yourself off a 25 foot drop into the 40 degree lake below...and THEN swim out to the shore. With Arctic Enema, you can simply jump in and jump out. Walk the Plank requires you to swim yourself to shore while your body is shutting down. When I finally got out, I felt completely drained. This obstacle is no joke.
We hit up the Aid Station for some water and then began a stiff-legged jog to our next obstacle.
Obstacle #8: Mud Mile
This consisted of an extremely muddey and meandering path through fens and weeds. Funny thing is on the way to this obstacle I asked Jason where the mud was. Here we got it in spades. Heaps of mud caked to your legs and feet. The last section consisted of 3 mud pits about 5 feet deep and impossible to jump over. Basically, this is the "I wish I went to Woodstock 94" obstacle.
The remaining obstacles:
As the course dragged on for miles, Jason and I really started to slow down. It seemed like the course designers made a concerted effort to place the more challenging obstacles later in the course when you were tired and beat to shit. After mud mile I pretty much forgot the order of the obstacles and I can't find any information online. The following list is from memory:
Dirty Ballerina: A series of 10 small dirt mounds with 5 foot gaps between filled with muddy water. This is the obstacle that both of us got hurt on. The mounds were so wet and muddy that I didn't have the traction to jump over the gap properly. I ended up smashing my knee into the side of it which tore a hole in the leggings and my knee itself which swelled up almost immediately. Jason tried the same thing and he slammed chest first into the mound. For the rest of the obstacle we crawled over each mound, getting soaking wet every time. Just an awful, punishing obstacle that wasn't on the original course map. Fuckers.
Boa Constrictor: This is a Mudder standard. Slide down a plastic drainage pipe into muddy water and crawl up another. When you are soaking wet and freezing cold, it is damn hard to crawl up tight pipe like that.
Devil's Beard: Crawl under a giant, heavy, muddy cargo net that is securely fastened to the ground. Sounds harder than it is. The net forces you to crawl and the ground was very muddy. Unpleasant.
Electric Eel: Going into the event I was pretty nervous about Electroshock Therapy...I've never been shocked by electricity before. What I didn't realize was that about 14 obstacles prior to that I would have to deal with Electric Eel, and it would be 100 times worse than Electroshock. Basically, you army crawl under numerous live electric wires that hang down, all while you are in a few inches of water. Every time someone would get shocked, everyone in the water would feel a jolt which was truly heinous. I managed to get through the obstacle unscathed.....until I decided to give my hand to a guy to help him up at the end. When I lifted him up I pulled him right into a wire and I felt every nerve in my body spasm. I was still feeling the effects a half hour later.
Funky Monkey: Ahh the monkey bars. Half inclined and half declined, all over cold water. I thought I had it, I thought it would be one of the "easy ones." Unfortunately I was so beat, soaking wet, and weak that when I grabbed the third rung I fell into yet another pool of water. Not the last time!
Hangin' Tough: More upper body work. Free-swinging rings over another pool of.....you guessed it! Cold water! Once again, I had no strength to hold on which resulted in another dunk for me.
Hold Your Wood: Grab a large log and lug it through the woods. Pretty straight forward but more challenging than it sounds.
Twinkle Toes: Balance beam over more cold water. If you fall off, which I did, don't grab the beam which is wired for electric shocks.
12' Berlin Walls: The fuckers had more Berlin Walls three obstacles from the end, and these were 12' high. This was one of those obstacles that if it were not for my fellow mudders, I would not have made it over. I simply had no strength.
Everest: The second to last obstacle and to be honest, the one I was the most intimidated by. Standing in front of that huge half pipe, surrounded by a throng of spectators, I truly understood what pressure was. I did not want to be the guy who couldn't make it over. On my first attempt, I made it to the top but the guy who gave me his hand couldn't hold on. On my second attempt, in pouring rain, I got to the top again, begged for my fellow mudders to hold on, and luckily I was able to summit. Soooooo happy!
Electroshock Therapy: Compared to Everest...meh...this was easy. With the finish line in sight, the only obstacle in the way was a grid of live wires to run through. I didn't get even get shocked. Once through I let out a yell of triumph. We had done it!
At the finish line you get your orange headband, a free Dos Equis, and a free t-shirt. Then we jumped on the bus back to our car. I was so cold that I stripped butt-ass naked in the parking lot because I simply did not give a fuck. I changed into some dry clothes and I felt great! Tired as all hell, but I was now a Tough Mudder!
A couple quick notes about my gear. The Vibrams held up great on the course. The only problem I had was that it was a little painful to run on rocks all day. That is the direct consequence of the course being at a rock quarry. The Under Armor was AMAZING and I strongly recommend that you use Coldgear compression wear if your event will be in weather 50 degrees or less. The Carhart gloves were great for protection but terrible for grippiness on Funky Monkey and Hangin' Tough. When they got wet, they were utterly useless.
So that's that. It was an amazing experience and I would love to do it again...........
The End?
I never finished this post back in April 2012 because I was not able to obtain a full listing of all the obstacles on the day of the event. As such, I summarize half of the obstacles as best as I can remember them. The course map that Tough Mudder provides on their website is only an example and what you see and will NOT be what you experience on the day of the event. Furthermore, the course map provided at the event itself was also wrong as they moved, changed, and removed obstacles in order to address weather and course conditions. My friend got lost for most of the day spectating because the map was terrible. Onto the post...
It has been a day since I finished Tough Mudder with my friend...I am bruised, scratched, sore, and extremely happy! The headband is mine along with the memories of a day filled with mud, rainy weather, and great people. Before I give you the full report, let me just say that if it wasn't for my friend Jason and countless other Mudders on the course, I would not have been able to finish the course properly. There were times yesterday when my hands and feet were numb, my upper body just not functioning very well, and I had to scale the 12' Berlin Walls and Everest. It was during those times that I received help that allowed me to get over the walls and conquer Everest. The camaraderie shared by all Mudders on that course was truly inspiring and I know that the reason most of them have their headbands today is because they received a helping hand at some point. That's just how it was. So thank you Mudders! This was our victory!
Onto the event. My friends and I stayed at a local Motel 6 in Amherst and the place was an absolute pit. It reeked of an acrid antiseptic smell and there were things on the floor that looked suspiciously like animal droppings. We had a terrible night of sleep and woke up at 5:45 AM to get ready for our 9:00 AM start time. Registration for the event begins at 7:00 AM and TM advises participants to allow 2 hours for parking, shuttle pickup and drop off, and final event registration. We arrived at the parking lot at 6:30 and were bused over to the event at Amherst Quarry. Once on site, Jason and I lined up for our packet pickup which consists of your participant number which is pinned onto your shirt and your number being sharpied onto your forehead. All in all we were done with this process by 7:00 and had two hours to wait for our start time. The temperature was a brisk 47 degrees with a slight drizzle so waiting was a little tedious. At 8:00 AM the first wave of 600 participants was sent onto the course and another wave would be let loose every 20 minutes. We noticed that no one was confirming start times for the participants so Jason and I decided to hop the small Berlin wall at the starting corral and run the 8:40 wave...20 minutes before our start time.
Once in the corral, and almost on queue, the speakers began to play "Chop Suey" by System of a Down and I can't tell you how pumped we were to start the course. After a few minutes, the Tough Mudder pre-race MC gave a rousing speech to amp us up even more with plenty of chants and reminded us of why we were doing this in the first place...the Wounded Warrior project. After the National Anthem ended, "Eye of the Tiger" began to play and after a short countdown we were let loose onto the course. Prior to the start, the course map that TM provided us and the spectators showed Arctic Enema to be the first obstacle and it was located within a few hundred feet of the starting line. This was false information as the course had changed so we were instead herded along the southern edge of the quarry to our first obstacle:
Obstacle #1: High Steppin'
High Steppin' consists of columns of about 10-12 wooden hurdles connected to each other with 5 lanes. Mudders must hurdle through their lane to the end of the obstacle. Pretty simple.
After that, we ran along the western side of the quarry for a long ways, u-turned, and came back towards the start where we ran straight into the dreaded...
Obstacle #2: ARCTIC ENEMA!!
I had my reservations regarding this obstacle, mainly having to do with jumping into truly freezing ice water while the temperature at the event was in the 40's. Arctic Enema is four large dumpsters filled with neon colored ice water. In the middle is a wooden barrier topped with barbed wire to prevent you from jumping over it. Mudders are forced to jump in and submerge under the barrier to reach the end of the dumpster. From what we saw, the two dumpsters on the right did not have as much ice as the one's on the left did. But that may have been only because they had not dumped in fresh ice yet. Nonetheless, jumping into that water was cold, but submerging under the barrier was crazy. My head felt like it shrunk and I was having a hard time seeing straight. Instinctively I jumped and rolled my body out of the dumpster where I bent over trying to catch my breath. It was fucking crazy! A sign nearby said "C'mon, it wasn't that cold was it?"
Now soaked in neon green ice water, we continued on our merry jog. The terrain in between the obstacles varied from flat grassland, hilly trails in in the trees, and muddy swamp areas.
Obstacle #3: Berlin Walls 1
Since we were nice and wet at this point, the course designers thought it would be prudent to make us climb a couple 9' walls. They were not too bad since there's a little step a quarter up on the wall. If you're a guy, be careful of sitting on your "cash and prizes" when swinging your leg over the wall. Ouch.
Obstacle #4: Firewalker
A mystery obstacle and one that was quite pleasant I must say. Simply run through a path that is lined with burning bales of hay. The fire was nice and toasty and the smoke reminded me of campfires.
Obstacle #5: Bale Bonds
Simply get a running start and climb over a few large bales of hay. Nothing too complicated.
It should be noted that the distance between obstacles averaged about .5 miles, although some stretches were longer than others.
Obstacle #6: Killa Gorilla
We jogged out of the woods into a clearing and our next two obstacles were in front of us, along with the first Water and Aid Station. Killa Gorilla consisted of scaling a couple large hills of dirt and sand, wading through some water, and returning from whence we came. As we approached the obstacle, a sign mockingly declared that this was where Warrior Dash ended, but Tough Mudder was only beginning. In retrospect, it was at this point (about 3 miles in) that I feel the course stopped being "fun" and really turned the screws in terms of pushing the limits of human endurance. From this moment on, there were no simple bales of hay to climb. It was now time to meet the first obstacle that I like to call the Unholy Duo...
Obstacle #7: Walk the Plank
There was a lake formed by the quarry and on the edge were 4 large wooden platforms that had been erected. The object was to climb to the top, patiently wait your turn, and fling yourself off a 25 foot drop into the 40 degree lake below...and THEN swim out to the shore. With Arctic Enema, you can simply jump in and jump out. Walk the Plank requires you to swim yourself to shore while your body is shutting down. When I finally got out, I felt completely drained. This obstacle is no joke.
We hit up the Aid Station for some water and then began a stiff-legged jog to our next obstacle.
Obstacle #8: Mud Mile
This consisted of an extremely muddey and meandering path through fens and weeds. Funny thing is on the way to this obstacle I asked Jason where the mud was. Here we got it in spades. Heaps of mud caked to your legs and feet. The last section consisted of 3 mud pits about 5 feet deep and impossible to jump over. Basically, this is the "I wish I went to Woodstock 94" obstacle.
The remaining obstacles:
As the course dragged on for miles, Jason and I really started to slow down. It seemed like the course designers made a concerted effort to place the more challenging obstacles later in the course when you were tired and beat to shit. After mud mile I pretty much forgot the order of the obstacles and I can't find any information online. The following list is from memory:
Dirty Ballerina: A series of 10 small dirt mounds with 5 foot gaps between filled with muddy water. This is the obstacle that both of us got hurt on. The mounds were so wet and muddy that I didn't have the traction to jump over the gap properly. I ended up smashing my knee into the side of it which tore a hole in the leggings and my knee itself which swelled up almost immediately. Jason tried the same thing and he slammed chest first into the mound. For the rest of the obstacle we crawled over each mound, getting soaking wet every time. Just an awful, punishing obstacle that wasn't on the original course map. Fuckers.
Boa Constrictor: This is a Mudder standard. Slide down a plastic drainage pipe into muddy water and crawl up another. When you are soaking wet and freezing cold, it is damn hard to crawl up tight pipe like that.
Devil's Beard: Crawl under a giant, heavy, muddy cargo net that is securely fastened to the ground. Sounds harder than it is. The net forces you to crawl and the ground was very muddy. Unpleasant.
Electric Eel: Going into the event I was pretty nervous about Electroshock Therapy...I've never been shocked by electricity before. What I didn't realize was that about 14 obstacles prior to that I would have to deal with Electric Eel, and it would be 100 times worse than Electroshock. Basically, you army crawl under numerous live electric wires that hang down, all while you are in a few inches of water. Every time someone would get shocked, everyone in the water would feel a jolt which was truly heinous. I managed to get through the obstacle unscathed.....until I decided to give my hand to a guy to help him up at the end. When I lifted him up I pulled him right into a wire and I felt every nerve in my body spasm. I was still feeling the effects a half hour later.
Funky Monkey: Ahh the monkey bars. Half inclined and half declined, all over cold water. I thought I had it, I thought it would be one of the "easy ones." Unfortunately I was so beat, soaking wet, and weak that when I grabbed the third rung I fell into yet another pool of water. Not the last time!
Hangin' Tough: More upper body work. Free-swinging rings over another pool of.....you guessed it! Cold water! Once again, I had no strength to hold on which resulted in another dunk for me.
Hold Your Wood: Grab a large log and lug it through the woods. Pretty straight forward but more challenging than it sounds.
Twinkle Toes: Balance beam over more cold water. If you fall off, which I did, don't grab the beam which is wired for electric shocks.
12' Berlin Walls: The fuckers had more Berlin Walls three obstacles from the end, and these were 12' high. This was one of those obstacles that if it were not for my fellow mudders, I would not have made it over. I simply had no strength.
Everest: The second to last obstacle and to be honest, the one I was the most intimidated by. Standing in front of that huge half pipe, surrounded by a throng of spectators, I truly understood what pressure was. I did not want to be the guy who couldn't make it over. On my first attempt, I made it to the top but the guy who gave me his hand couldn't hold on. On my second attempt, in pouring rain, I got to the top again, begged for my fellow mudders to hold on, and luckily I was able to summit. Soooooo happy!
Electroshock Therapy: Compared to Everest...meh...this was easy. With the finish line in sight, the only obstacle in the way was a grid of live wires to run through. I didn't get even get shocked. Once through I let out a yell of triumph. We had done it!
At the finish line you get your orange headband, a free Dos Equis, and a free t-shirt. Then we jumped on the bus back to our car. I was so cold that I stripped butt-ass naked in the parking lot because I simply did not give a fuck. I changed into some dry clothes and I felt great! Tired as all hell, but I was now a Tough Mudder!
A couple quick notes about my gear. The Vibrams held up great on the course. The only problem I had was that it was a little painful to run on rocks all day. That is the direct consequence of the course being at a rock quarry. The Under Armor was AMAZING and I strongly recommend that you use Coldgear compression wear if your event will be in weather 50 degrees or less. The Carhart gloves were great for protection but terrible for grippiness on Funky Monkey and Hangin' Tough. When they got wet, they were utterly useless.
So that's that. It was an amazing experience and I would love to do it again...........
The End?
Wednesday, April 4, 2012
10 Days left...time for another update
I don't have much to update at this point. I got a little off track recently with working out, which is kind of stupid since I'm so close to the event. However yesterday I did my neighborhood run and finished by cutting 10 minutes off my previous time. I am posting my runs here. I really want to try my other route which is twice as long so I'll probably do it in the next 3-4 days. Tough Mudder is all about endurance so these runs are good for me.
I lost one of my Injinji socks so I have to go buy another pair. That's what happens when you only buy one pair of socks I guess. Other than that, I am counting down the last 10 days until my event and my excitement is reaching a fever pitch. The only two obstacles that I am concerned about at this point are Arctic Enema and Everest. Everest for fear of not being able to scale the wall in front of everyone and Arctic Enema for fear of freezing my nuts off...literally have them crack off.
I will probably post the day before the event so that I can give you my final thoughts and then I will post a full report on the event itself. Later.
I lost one of my Injinji socks so I have to go buy another pair. That's what happens when you only buy one pair of socks I guess. Other than that, I am counting down the last 10 days until my event and my excitement is reaching a fever pitch. The only two obstacles that I am concerned about at this point are Arctic Enema and Everest. Everest for fear of not being able to scale the wall in front of everyone and Arctic Enema for fear of freezing my nuts off...literally have them crack off.
I will probably post the day before the event so that I can give you my final thoughts and then I will post a full report on the event itself. Later.
Tuesday, March 13, 2012
Final Gear Purchases, Training, and Mudder Essentials
With almost one month to the date until my event, it's pretty hard to express just how excited I am. Every single day I am watching Tough Mudder videos, going on their website, going to the Mudder Nation website, and overall just becoming completely absorbed by this whole experience. This has been a long road full of great successes (I am down 10 pounds since January!) and predictable failures (my long absence during the holidays). When it comes down to it, I am glad I signed up for this event and now that it is finally coming up I am mentally ready for the challenge it presents. Physically? I am almost there.
The good news is that I am up to week 3 of the second phase of P90X. Only 1 more week and then I move onto the last phase. I have supplemented a couple days of my weeks to include more cardio and this past Sunday Jason and I went to a local High School and ran for a couple miles. Keep in mind that I haven't "gone for a run" since Junior High and it's quite important that I become conditioned to do so by the event. I thought two miles was a good start and our plan is to go 2-3 times a week and increase our distance each time. If we can get to running 5 miles without stopping than I believe we will be ready.
I have updated the blog with my final gear purchases on the left column so you can see what I will be using for the event. The gloves were my final purchase as I took some Mudders advice and looked at the Mad Grips gloves. Unfortunately, Amazon was out of stock so I went with a similar brand and they will be arriving on Thursday. The Under Armour shirt and leggings are great and I know that I will be warm enough for the event. My advice to anyone looking to buy some gear for event:
The good news is that I am up to week 3 of the second phase of P90X. Only 1 more week and then I move onto the last phase. I have supplemented a couple days of my weeks to include more cardio and this past Sunday Jason and I went to a local High School and ran for a couple miles. Keep in mind that I haven't "gone for a run" since Junior High and it's quite important that I become conditioned to do so by the event. I thought two miles was a good start and our plan is to go 2-3 times a week and increase our distance each time. If we can get to running 5 miles without stopping than I believe we will be ready.
I have updated the blog with my final gear purchases on the left column so you can see what I will be using for the event. The gloves were my final purchase as I took some Mudders advice and looked at the Mad Grips gloves. Unfortunately, Amazon was out of stock so I went with a similar brand and they will be arriving on Thursday. The Under Armour shirt and leggings are great and I know that I will be warm enough for the event. My advice to anyone looking to buy some gear for event:
- You don't have to buy special clothing/gear for this event. I did because I am taking this WAY too seriously. There are many people who dress up in Speedos, Tutu's, etc.
- Comfortable shoes are key. My personal recommendation are Vibram Five Fingers because they have worked so well for me and many others. With the Injinji Toe Socks they are very comfortable and strengthen your foot as you use them.
- Purchase gear that is weather-appropriate i.e. Don't buy Under Armour ColdGear leggings if you are running Tough Mudder during summer.
- I feel that gloves will be important for protecting my hands on the various wooden obstacles like Berlin Walls and Log Jammin. By no means are they necessary.
Once I have completed the event I will list my opinions of all my gear choices and how they worked out along with a full review of pretty much every aspect of my experience.
Also, a lot of people always wonder what they need to bring to the event. Here is what I am packing (Keep in mind I am spending Friday night at a local Motel 6. I hope they leave the light on for me...)
- Basic Toiletries
- Gear for the event
- Directions to the event
- Photo ID for event registration
- Copy of registration confirmation email
- Change of clothes for post-event activities (Hoodie, jeans, skull cap...stay warm)
- Towel
- Trash bag to store muddy clothes and shoes
- Gatorade/Energy Bars (My friend Paige will be spectating so he will bring these on the course for us)
This is all I have for now. Tough Mudder stresses that you bring a photo ID and your confirmation email to the event so that you can sign in. I'm bringing all of my important documentation (ID, directions, hotel confirmation, etc.) in a folder to keep it organized. Once again, I will post about the whole race-day procedures after I actually do the course so you can get a clear idea for how the event works.
That's it for now. I am in my final training phase for the event which will mainly be focused on increasing my cardio endurance. I will still have 2 days out of the week to focus on resistance training but at this point I don't think it's as important as being able to run for long distances. I will post again soon as we get closer to the event but at this point it will be to update my training. Later.
Tuesday, March 6, 2012
Locking in the final details...40 days left
Today's post is not really exciting in any way, other than the fact that I am less than 40 days out from Tough Mudder. My friend Jason FINALLY registered for the event and my friend Paige will be joining us as a spectator. This will be helpful because he will be able to bring a change a clothes for us without us having to check bags at the event, which I heard is very time-consuming due to the amount of people.
Yesterday I remembered that I still needed to book a hotel room for the night before the event. A lot of places in the area were booked up for obvious reasons, but I eventually booked a room at the luxurious Motel 6 where Tom Bodett will hopefully be running the course with us as well. So now I have officially completed all planning aspects of the event. The only things left to do are to continue my training and purchase the rest of my gear for the event. I plan on buying the Injinji toe socks and gloves this weekend but I am still unsure about the Under Armor stuff. I just don't know what the weather will be like and I want to wait a little bit before committing to the cold or warm weather gear that UA provides. The clothing is not very cheap.
I am finally getting back into a workout schedule this week after a couple weeks off. From 2/18 thru 2/25 I was in Florida for my birthday and when I came back from the beautiful 80 degree weather to 20 degree shit in Detroit, I immediately got sick. So I spent most of last week recovering and I started my second week phase 2 for P90X yesterday. Scratch that, I picked up where I left off as I did the first day last Monday and then came down with a cold. Plyo yesterday was pretty rewarding and I felt very energized to do the workout even though I didn't get much sleep the previous night. I's really amazing to see the improvements you make as you continue through the program. I really felt less winded through a lot of the moves and I wasn't completely wasted by the end of it.
Very soon I am going to start running outside in order to build up my endurance so I will be purchasing a heart monitor/step tracker for this so I can gauge my runs. Hopefully P90X will provide enough strength training to get me through the upper body-based obstacles such as Funky Monkey and the Rope Climb, while the running will help with the...uhh...running..part of the course.
Today's workout is Back/Bi's which is tough as hell but is a killer arm workout. I look forward to the coming weeks of training and preparation for the event.
Yesterday I remembered that I still needed to book a hotel room for the night before the event. A lot of places in the area were booked up for obvious reasons, but I eventually booked a room at the luxurious Motel 6 where Tom Bodett will hopefully be running the course with us as well. So now I have officially completed all planning aspects of the event. The only things left to do are to continue my training and purchase the rest of my gear for the event. I plan on buying the Injinji toe socks and gloves this weekend but I am still unsure about the Under Armor stuff. I just don't know what the weather will be like and I want to wait a little bit before committing to the cold or warm weather gear that UA provides. The clothing is not very cheap.
I am finally getting back into a workout schedule this week after a couple weeks off. From 2/18 thru 2/25 I was in Florida for my birthday and when I came back from the beautiful 80 degree weather to 20 degree shit in Detroit, I immediately got sick. So I spent most of last week recovering and I started my second week phase 2 for P90X yesterday. Scratch that, I picked up where I left off as I did the first day last Monday and then came down with a cold. Plyo yesterday was pretty rewarding and I felt very energized to do the workout even though I didn't get much sleep the previous night. I's really amazing to see the improvements you make as you continue through the program. I really felt less winded through a lot of the moves and I wasn't completely wasted by the end of it.
Very soon I am going to start running outside in order to build up my endurance so I will be purchasing a heart monitor/step tracker for this so I can gauge my runs. Hopefully P90X will provide enough strength training to get me through the upper body-based obstacles such as Funky Monkey and the Rope Climb, while the running will help with the...uhh...running..part of the course.
Today's workout is Back/Bi's which is tough as hell but is a killer arm workout. I look forward to the coming weeks of training and preparation for the event.
Thursday, February 9, 2012
Anticipation...Good workouts and CrossFit
I spent a lot of time today watching Tough Mudder videos; both the official videos on their site and one's made by people who ran the damn thing. My excitement is building along with the apprehension of knowing that my friend Jason has yet to sign up...bastard. This poses a problem because Jason was the one who told me about the event in the first place, and now the Saturday date is 90% sold. Damnit.
I also was reviewing different blogs from people who did Tough Mudder and I came across one that mentioned CrossFit as a training method. I've never heard of it but I was intrigued by their horrific stories of sweat, vomit, and dramatic weight loss and muscle building. Here's the link:
Crossfit
First off, let me say that I don't think this workout is for me. I like P90X for how tough it is but I can still do the workouts from Day 1. CrossFit is completely fucking crazy because they expect you to do 15 minutes of non-stop exercises, including olympic-style deadlifts, from Day 1. I imagine that any CrossFit student that would hear me whine about the program, without trying it first, would call me some colorful names. From what I've seen....well, I know my limits and CrossFit just may be beyond them. A lot of people swear by the program and I may look into it further as I get into better shape, but for now I will stick with P90X. Hell, I had a very hard time with Insanity so I can't push myself further into a program that looks 10 times HARDER. Not yet.
After watching all those videos and learning about CrossFit, I was pretty amped up to do Core Synergistics today. It's pretty fucking weird to admit that considering I hate Core Syn. I had an awesome workout today! I really tried to limit my breaks and push myself further than I had a couple days ago. You know what? I was topping my rep. goals and really crushing the workout. I checked my weight and I am officially down 6 pounds as of today!!
I only have one more day of my recovery week and then I start phase 2 of P90X which means I have to deal with the pure hell that is Chest, Shoulders, and Tri's. That workout is a fucking monster! My goal for the next phase is to do Ab Ripper after my resistance days since I skipped it during phase 1. Also, I plan on purchasing the rest of my Mudder gear so that I can start my trail running.
I am getting close guys...only 63 days left until I am deep in the shit at Amherst Quarry. 6 pound weight loss is nice but for me it is just the beginning. Tough Mudder awaits and I need to be in fighting shape.
Tough mudder tough mudder tough mudder tough mudder...
I also was reviewing different blogs from people who did Tough Mudder and I came across one that mentioned CrossFit as a training method. I've never heard of it but I was intrigued by their horrific stories of sweat, vomit, and dramatic weight loss and muscle building. Here's the link:
Crossfit
First off, let me say that I don't think this workout is for me. I like P90X for how tough it is but I can still do the workouts from Day 1. CrossFit is completely fucking crazy because they expect you to do 15 minutes of non-stop exercises, including olympic-style deadlifts, from Day 1. I imagine that any CrossFit student that would hear me whine about the program, without trying it first, would call me some colorful names. From what I've seen....well, I know my limits and CrossFit just may be beyond them. A lot of people swear by the program and I may look into it further as I get into better shape, but for now I will stick with P90X. Hell, I had a very hard time with Insanity so I can't push myself further into a program that looks 10 times HARDER. Not yet.
After watching all those videos and learning about CrossFit, I was pretty amped up to do Core Synergistics today. It's pretty fucking weird to admit that considering I hate Core Syn. I had an awesome workout today! I really tried to limit my breaks and push myself further than I had a couple days ago. You know what? I was topping my rep. goals and really crushing the workout. I checked my weight and I am officially down 6 pounds as of today!!
I only have one more day of my recovery week and then I start phase 2 of P90X which means I have to deal with the pure hell that is Chest, Shoulders, and Tri's. That workout is a fucking monster! My goal for the next phase is to do Ab Ripper after my resistance days since I skipped it during phase 1. Also, I plan on purchasing the rest of my Mudder gear so that I can start my trail running.
I am getting close guys...only 63 days left until I am deep in the shit at Amherst Quarry. 6 pound weight loss is nice but for me it is just the beginning. Tough Mudder awaits and I need to be in fighting shape.
Tough mudder tough mudder tough mudder tough mudder...
Wednesday, February 8, 2012
65 Days and Counting...Gear Options and P90X Updates
65 fucking days and counting!!
I am a little over 2 months left until my date with Tough Mudder and I am PUMPED!! P90X has been going great for me...3 weeks in and I am down 5 lbs! I am concentrating a lot on the more cardio-based workouts of the program like Plyometrics, Kenpo, and Cadrio X. However, I am still following the classic program with the resistance days, except for Legs and Back because I hate that workout. As of this writing I am on day 3 of my first recovery week so I get to do Kenpo again, which I absolutely love. Yesterday I had to do Core Synergistics which I absolutely HATE, so the program tends to balance itself out that way. Like I said in the last post, I won't be able to complete the program prior to Tough Mudder but I will be able to get far enough to see some major improvements in my physique and endurance.
The left side of the blog displays the gear I am looking to use for the event. The only gear that I have purchased so far are the Vibram shoes which are awesome! I got them for Christmas and I use them for almost all of my workouts. They're great for balance and doing cardio workouts like Plyo and Kenpo. As we get closer to the event I plan on going running on trails with them to start getting used to running outside and on uneven ground.
As far as the rest of the gear goes, I have looked into Under Armour for their Cold Gear Leggings and Compression Shirts which I believe will be the best bet for me. The only problem is that frankly I don't know what the weather will be like in April. This has been a very unusual winter and by April it may not be 30's and 40's, but 50's and 60's. I still think I should go with the ColdGear stuff because it will be 9 in the morning and I will be jumping into ice cold water...and actual ICE WATER. Seriously, there is an obstacle in which you dive into a dumpster that is basically a giant 711 Slurpee. I don't want to wear anything that is loose which is why the compression Under Armour stuff appeals to me, and apparently many other Tough Mudder veterans. The only issue is that I don't have an athletic build so my skinny chicken legs are going to look real fucking awful in tights. I'm thinking about buying a pair of cheap gym shorts to wear over the leggings so I don't look too silly.
Another thing I'm deciding on is head gear. My original plan was to wear a Skull Cap but if it gets wet than it will be heavy and very cold. On top of that, if the weather is actually cold that day, I'm worried about sucking in cold air for three hours running in cold clothes. Under Armour makes a hood and face mask that makes you look like a ninja, but it prevents you from breathing in cold air while exerting yourself outside. That's a possibility for me. Another thing is whether I should wear toe socks with my Vibrams. My shoes fit very snugly on my feet, but a lot of people online recommend wearing toe socks with them to prevent blisters. I'm on the fence with this one.
Finally, I will be buying the kayaking gloves that I have listed because I want the protection they will provide against splinters on the wooden obstacles, and the dexterity for gripping the monkey bars and rope climb while they are wet. That decision seems like a no-brainer.
So final thoughts for today...the more Tough Mudder videos and preview pictures I view, the more excited (and nervous) I become. I feel like I am getting into the groove of working out and eating right so I know that I will be ready for the physical aspects of the event. I need to start running outside to get used to running long distances and on dirt, rocks, etc. I need to keep pushing play on my P90X workouts and I need to keep chanting the mantra...
tough mudder tough mudder tough mudder tough mudder...
I am a little over 2 months left until my date with Tough Mudder and I am PUMPED!! P90X has been going great for me...3 weeks in and I am down 5 lbs! I am concentrating a lot on the more cardio-based workouts of the program like Plyometrics, Kenpo, and Cadrio X. However, I am still following the classic program with the resistance days, except for Legs and Back because I hate that workout. As of this writing I am on day 3 of my first recovery week so I get to do Kenpo again, which I absolutely love. Yesterday I had to do Core Synergistics which I absolutely HATE, so the program tends to balance itself out that way. Like I said in the last post, I won't be able to complete the program prior to Tough Mudder but I will be able to get far enough to see some major improvements in my physique and endurance.
The left side of the blog displays the gear I am looking to use for the event. The only gear that I have purchased so far are the Vibram shoes which are awesome! I got them for Christmas and I use them for almost all of my workouts. They're great for balance and doing cardio workouts like Plyo and Kenpo. As we get closer to the event I plan on going running on trails with them to start getting used to running outside and on uneven ground.
As far as the rest of the gear goes, I have looked into Under Armour for their Cold Gear Leggings and Compression Shirts which I believe will be the best bet for me. The only problem is that frankly I don't know what the weather will be like in April. This has been a very unusual winter and by April it may not be 30's and 40's, but 50's and 60's. I still think I should go with the ColdGear stuff because it will be 9 in the morning and I will be jumping into ice cold water...and actual ICE WATER. Seriously, there is an obstacle in which you dive into a dumpster that is basically a giant 711 Slurpee. I don't want to wear anything that is loose which is why the compression Under Armour stuff appeals to me, and apparently many other Tough Mudder veterans. The only issue is that I don't have an athletic build so my skinny chicken legs are going to look real fucking awful in tights. I'm thinking about buying a pair of cheap gym shorts to wear over the leggings so I don't look too silly.
Another thing I'm deciding on is head gear. My original plan was to wear a Skull Cap but if it gets wet than it will be heavy and very cold. On top of that, if the weather is actually cold that day, I'm worried about sucking in cold air for three hours running in cold clothes. Under Armour makes a hood and face mask that makes you look like a ninja, but it prevents you from breathing in cold air while exerting yourself outside. That's a possibility for me. Another thing is whether I should wear toe socks with my Vibrams. My shoes fit very snugly on my feet, but a lot of people online recommend wearing toe socks with them to prevent blisters. I'm on the fence with this one.
Finally, I will be buying the kayaking gloves that I have listed because I want the protection they will provide against splinters on the wooden obstacles, and the dexterity for gripping the monkey bars and rope climb while they are wet. That decision seems like a no-brainer.
So final thoughts for today...the more Tough Mudder videos and preview pictures I view, the more excited (and nervous) I become. I feel like I am getting into the groove of working out and eating right so I know that I will be ready for the physical aspects of the event. I need to start running outside to get used to running long distances and on dirt, rocks, etc. I need to keep pushing play on my P90X workouts and I need to keep chanting the mantra...
tough mudder tough mudder tough mudder tough mudder...
Friday, January 27, 2012
A Long Absence...but the countdown continues
So obviously there has been a pretty large gap between posts, the last one being in October. First off, I can only blame myself for a lack of commitment to working out. Throughout the holiday season it was tough to get in a mindset to workout and eat right. Too many parties, too many large meals, too many drinks. It's a pretty common tale that I'm sure most of you deal with. So I stopped working out and blogging about working out. I'm not too upset about the lack of posts because there is no one following this blog to begin with so there is no real reason for me to continue to write inane bullshit on here.
Fast forward a few months and now we are 77 days until Tough Mudder. I'm still not in shape and time is running out. I went to the doctors for my yearly physical and found out that I have high cholesterol which may or may not be due to genetics. So I made a deal with my doctor to give me three months to see if I can lower my cholesterol through P90X and a nutrition plan. If not, then I will look into medication at my follow up appointment in May.
My wife has put us on a strict diet to get us both in shape and in the last week or so I have lost 3 pounds. I am on week 2 of P90X and I plan on completing the program, although I will not get to day 90 before Tough Mudder. I am fully committed this time to consistently workout and eat right and my weight loss so far is proof that it is working.
So here's where I stand: I will not be posting everyday because it's tedious and no one reads the posts anyways. From now until the event I will post updates that relate to weight loss, P90X accomplishments, Tough Mudder gear, and Tough Mudder news. Now that I am getting close to the event, I am starting to feel the pressure and I am truly nervous about whether I am physically capable of handling this challenge. As long as I continue to workout and eat right I know for a fact that I will be ready for the course, but I'm not sure whether I will be ready for the elements. April in Ohio could either be 50's and rainy or 30's and snowing.
My next post will be an update on the gear that I have purchased/will purchase for the event. I need to train in this gear for a while before the event so that I can break it in. The next post should be today or tomorrow.
Fast forward a few months and now we are 77 days until Tough Mudder. I'm still not in shape and time is running out. I went to the doctors for my yearly physical and found out that I have high cholesterol which may or may not be due to genetics. So I made a deal with my doctor to give me three months to see if I can lower my cholesterol through P90X and a nutrition plan. If not, then I will look into medication at my follow up appointment in May.
My wife has put us on a strict diet to get us both in shape and in the last week or so I have lost 3 pounds. I am on week 2 of P90X and I plan on completing the program, although I will not get to day 90 before Tough Mudder. I am fully committed this time to consistently workout and eat right and my weight loss so far is proof that it is working.
So here's where I stand: I will not be posting everyday because it's tedious and no one reads the posts anyways. From now until the event I will post updates that relate to weight loss, P90X accomplishments, Tough Mudder gear, and Tough Mudder news. Now that I am getting close to the event, I am starting to feel the pressure and I am truly nervous about whether I am physically capable of handling this challenge. As long as I continue to workout and eat right I know for a fact that I will be ready for the course, but I'm not sure whether I will be ready for the elements. April in Ohio could either be 50's and rainy or 30's and snowing.
My next post will be an update on the gear that I have purchased/will purchase for the event. I need to train in this gear for a while before the event so that I can break it in. The next post should be today or tomorrow.
Thursday, October 20, 2011
P90X Day 3: Shoulders and Arms
I was looking forward to doing Shoulders and Arms yesterday but that excitement quickly dissipated as the day went on. The soreness in my arms was and is pretty bad. My only solace was that by doing the workout I would stretch out my muscles and reduce the soreness. This was true during the workout but not so much after.
Shoulders and Arms is one of the "easier" workouts in the program but it's still a challenge. In the past, I ran into issues with my form during the exercises so I decided to reduce the weight I was using in order to complete the exercises with full reps. There are still a few moves that are just plain tough (Static arm curls, Deep Swimmers Press, Congdon Curls). Overall though, I feel great after doing this workout as I am a fan of bicep workouts.
I skipped Ab Ripper once again because of the overall soreness in my body. I think that I will skip it completely this week and start doing it during week 2 and allow the soreness to go away.
Tonight's workout is one of my favorites, Yoga X. I have to believe that the soreness in my arms are going to make this workout very, very tough and I don't think I'm going to do very well. We'll see.
Shoulders and Arms is one of the "easier" workouts in the program but it's still a challenge. In the past, I ran into issues with my form during the exercises so I decided to reduce the weight I was using in order to complete the exercises with full reps. There are still a few moves that are just plain tough (Static arm curls, Deep Swimmers Press, Congdon Curls). Overall though, I feel great after doing this workout as I am a fan of bicep workouts.
I skipped Ab Ripper once again because of the overall soreness in my body. I think that I will skip it completely this week and start doing it during week 2 and allow the soreness to go away.
Tonight's workout is one of my favorites, Yoga X. I have to believe that the soreness in my arms are going to make this workout very, very tough and I don't think I'm going to do very well. We'll see.
Wednesday, October 19, 2011
P90X Day 2: Plyometrics
Doing a little catch up from last night since I was dog tired. I woke up yesterday to some serious soreness in my arms and shoulders. Yes it hurts, but it hurts soooo good! I missed this feeling throughout the 3 weeks of Insanity because those workouts are strictly cardio. Being able to lift weights and do push ups again...it felt great and the soreness is not that big of a deal. If you are doing P90X for the first time, let me just say that if you can get through the first two weeks than you can complete the program. It's all about pushing through the soreness.
After work yesterday I was just plain worn out. I was sore, tired, hungry, and when I got home I really didn't want to bounce around for an hour. The Beast, however, is one workout that I didn't want to miss. Not that I enjoy it. In fact sometimes I freaking despise Plyometrics, but I felt that my 3 weeks of Insanity would give me a head start and make it easier.
That is kind of true, but no one can say that Plyo is anywhere near "easy." I was able to complete a lot of the workout with no breaks so that was nice for me. I ran into some snags with the same moves I had a problem with before. Mary Katherine's, 180 Run Stance Squats, and Hot Foot. Those moves kill me every time. I was sweating my ass off and was bound and determined to finish strong so the sports bonus was pretty easy. By the time I get to that part of the workout I know that the hardest part is over with.
After the workout I mowed through a delicious stuffed red pepper that my wife made and then pretty much passed the F out. Later today I will have to do Shoulders/Arms/Ab Ripper so we shall see how that goes. I'm looking forward to the arm workouts as they should help to stretch out my muscles and reduce some soreness. Ab Ripper however will be very tough.
After work yesterday I was just plain worn out. I was sore, tired, hungry, and when I got home I really didn't want to bounce around for an hour. The Beast, however, is one workout that I didn't want to miss. Not that I enjoy it. In fact sometimes I freaking despise Plyometrics, but I felt that my 3 weeks of Insanity would give me a head start and make it easier.
That is kind of true, but no one can say that Plyo is anywhere near "easy." I was able to complete a lot of the workout with no breaks so that was nice for me. I ran into some snags with the same moves I had a problem with before. Mary Katherine's, 180 Run Stance Squats, and Hot Foot. Those moves kill me every time. I was sweating my ass off and was bound and determined to finish strong so the sports bonus was pretty easy. By the time I get to that part of the workout I know that the hardest part is over with.
After the workout I mowed through a delicious stuffed red pepper that my wife made and then pretty much passed the F out. Later today I will have to do Shoulders/Arms/Ab Ripper so we shall see how that goes. I'm looking forward to the arm workouts as they should help to stretch out my muscles and reduce some soreness. Ab Ripper however will be very tough.
Monday, October 17, 2011
P90X Day 1: Chest and Back...it's good to be back
I made the decision today at work to begin a round of P90X and to be honest I was extremely excited to get home and begin. You would think I'm crazy for saying that because this program is fucking brutal, but going back to resistance training after so much cardio is what I really want right now.
So today was Day 1 and that means CHEST AND BACK!!
Good ol Chest and Back...pushing and pulling. Pretty simple stuff and I pushed HARD through the first round of it. In the past, especially on the first day, I tried to pace myself during the first round so that I wouldn't die during the second. Today I was pretty ramped up for this workout so I pushed to fail for much of the first round. As usual, the unholy trinity of push ups (Military, Diamond, and Declines) fucking killed me. I will never get used to military style push ups, I just hate those damn things.
Other than that the workout felt great. By the end of it I was feeling a little light-headed but that is probably due to the fact that I didn't eat much today. We haven't shopped for groceries in a while so I am running out of food options. I couldn't bring myself to do Ab Ripper today so I apologize. I promise to do it on Wednesday.
It is time for bed and tomorrow is the return of the Beast...Plyometrics. Frankly I'm not that worried as I used to be. No workout will ever be as hard as Insanity's Pure Cardio. That was a fucking monster.
Of Quitting Insanity, Sicknesses, and Shin Splints...
So it has been about a week since my last post and although I don't feel too bad about it, I do feel some explanation is necessary.
First off, let me just say that I think Insanity is a great workout program. Being so cardio heavy, you are almost guaranteed to lose weight and lose it fast. As long as you stick with the nutrition and continue to press play every day, while consciously trying to improve your daily performance, it can be very satisfying. I cannot say anything bad about the program itself. The reason I am stopping is because of Shin Splints. There were days in the last week or two that I completed when I felt like my shins were on fire, even while laying down watching TV. Not to mention the pains that started in my ankles and feet. Only now have the dull pains finally subsided. This is not the fault of the program but with my own body. My legs simply cannot handle the day to day stress that these workouts present.
I stopped posting and working out last week because I got sick again. This time of year always sucks for me because of the changing weather. Living in Michigan you tend to have wild swings in temperatures which negatively affect my sinuses. So I dealt with a cold for most of last week which finally went away on Saturday.
So what comes next? I officially have 179 days before Tough Mudder and I need to seriously start losing weight and gaining strength. I have decided to begin a round of P90X as I had the most success with that program. I have been missing resistance training and it will be nice to go back to the program that gave me the best results. It is my plan to do a full round of P90X followed by some cardio training. Whether I go back to Insanity, do P90X doubles, or just start running more is up in the air at this point. I need to complete this program now without skipped weeks or excuses. If I don't do it I simply will not be ready for Tough Mudder. It is time to suck it up and BRING IT!!
I have deleted the Insanity countdown and test result links on the right as they are no longer relevant. You can still go back and view the 3 weeks of posts that I did complete.
My full focus is now on P90X and pushing harder than I ever did during my first round back in 2009. I promise you that I WILL NOT stop this program before 90 days.
First off, let me just say that I think Insanity is a great workout program. Being so cardio heavy, you are almost guaranteed to lose weight and lose it fast. As long as you stick with the nutrition and continue to press play every day, while consciously trying to improve your daily performance, it can be very satisfying. I cannot say anything bad about the program itself. The reason I am stopping is because of Shin Splints. There were days in the last week or two that I completed when I felt like my shins were on fire, even while laying down watching TV. Not to mention the pains that started in my ankles and feet. Only now have the dull pains finally subsided. This is not the fault of the program but with my own body. My legs simply cannot handle the day to day stress that these workouts present.
I stopped posting and working out last week because I got sick again. This time of year always sucks for me because of the changing weather. Living in Michigan you tend to have wild swings in temperatures which negatively affect my sinuses. So I dealt with a cold for most of last week which finally went away on Saturday.
So what comes next? I officially have 179 days before Tough Mudder and I need to seriously start losing weight and gaining strength. I have decided to begin a round of P90X as I had the most success with that program. I have been missing resistance training and it will be nice to go back to the program that gave me the best results. It is my plan to do a full round of P90X followed by some cardio training. Whether I go back to Insanity, do P90X doubles, or just start running more is up in the air at this point. I need to complete this program now without skipped weeks or excuses. If I don't do it I simply will not be ready for Tough Mudder. It is time to suck it up and BRING IT!!
I have deleted the Insanity countdown and test result links on the right as they are no longer relevant. You can still go back and view the 3 weeks of posts that I did complete.
My full focus is now on P90X and pushing harder than I ever did during my first round back in 2009. I promise you that I WILL NOT stop this program before 90 days.
Wednesday, October 5, 2011
Insanity Day 21: Plyometric Cardio Circuit
That is officially 3 weeks!! I am pretty geeked about finishing off this first month because it means I am one step closer to getting done with this friggin program. Seriously this has been a very tough regimen to keep up. The funny thing is I don't think I understand just how easy this has been compared to what's awaits me in month 2.
So another round of Plyo today but unfortunately I had to cut it short because I had dinner with the family...fish tacos. Not too bad for me, don't worry. I did the warm up and the first circuit so I still worked my ass off.
Tomorrow I begin my final week of month 1! Unfortunately I have to do Pure Cardio/Cardio Abs twice and that is never good. At least I will get a recovery week after this but the monster that is month 2 is patiently waiting. Oh well...I have to do it.
"tough mudder...tough mudder...tough mudder..."
So another round of Plyo today but unfortunately I had to cut it short because I had dinner with the family...fish tacos. Not too bad for me, don't worry. I did the warm up and the first circuit so I still worked my ass off.
Tomorrow I begin my final week of month 1! Unfortunately I have to do Pure Cardio/Cardio Abs twice and that is never good. At least I will get a recovery week after this but the monster that is month 2 is patiently waiting. Oh well...I have to do it.
"tough mudder...tough mudder...tough mudder..."
Tuesday, October 4, 2011
Insanity Day 20: Cardio Power and Resistance
After the lost weekend I had and the fact that I was still getting over my cold, I honestly didn't think I was going to workout today. In fact I was psyching myself out of it.
"Just relax tonight. What's another day off...you've already had 3."
Instead I put on my shorts, put the DVD in and pressed play, and struggled through the hellish warm up. Overall it wasn't that bad of a workout but I know I wasn't pushing as hard as I could due to the fact that I was still getting over the sickness. The Globe Jumps followed by the walking push ups are pretty horrible and afterwards I was just plain exhausted.
I have one more workout and then I begin my last week of the first month of Insanity! I must...MUST power through this last week with as much intensity as I can bring because in two weeks I will not be doing these workouts again. Instead they will be replaced with the Max workouts and frankly I am scared.
"Just relax tonight. What's another day off...you've already had 3."
Instead I put on my shorts, put the DVD in and pressed play, and struggled through the hellish warm up. Overall it wasn't that bad of a workout but I know I wasn't pushing as hard as I could due to the fact that I was still getting over the sickness. The Globe Jumps followed by the walking push ups are pretty horrible and afterwards I was just plain exhausted.
I have one more workout and then I begin my last week of the first month of Insanity! I must...MUST power through this last week with as much intensity as I can bring because in two weeks I will not be doing these workouts again. Instead they will be replaced with the Max workouts and frankly I am scared.
Insanity Day 18 and 19: Being Sick Sucks
Well, it's that time of year and unfortunately I got sick. I decided last week that I was going to skip Cardio Recovery on Friday because my legs were killing me. Then I missed the next three days because of a cold. So here we are on Tuesday and I hate myself for another lost weekend...one that I can ill-afford.
I'm skipping Cardio Recovery and also using my rest day as a sick day which means that I have two workouts left in week 3. Hopefully I can get back on track. I hate being sick.
I'm skipping Cardio Recovery and also using my rest day as a sick day which means that I have two workouts left in week 3. Hopefully I can get back on track. I hate being sick.
Thursday, September 29, 2011
Insanity Fitness Test Results: Test 2
Test 2
1. Switch Kicks: 84
2. Power Jacks: 51
3. Power Knees: 88
4. Power Jumps: 30
5. Globe Jumps: 8
6. Suicide Jumps: 12
7. Push Up Jacks: 22
8. Low Plank Oblique: 55
Quite the difference from my first test. The biggest improvements were in the switch kicks (+33), Power Knees (+27), and Low Plank Oblique (+30). I lost 6 reps. on Power Jacks but as I explained before, I felt like I was cheating on the move the first time because there is no way that I did that many the with proper form.
1. Switch Kicks: 84
2. Power Jacks: 51
3. Power Knees: 88
4. Power Jumps: 30
5. Globe Jumps: 8
6. Suicide Jumps: 12
7. Push Up Jacks: 22
8. Low Plank Oblique: 55
Quite the difference from my first test. The biggest improvements were in the switch kicks (+33), Power Knees (+27), and Low Plank Oblique (+30). I lost 6 reps. on Power Jacks but as I explained before, I felt like I was cheating on the move the first time because there is no way that I did that many the with proper form.
Insanity Fitness Test Results: Test 1
I never posted the results from my first two fitness tests so I guess I will do that now. You can view the results from (eventually) all five of the fitness tests by selecting the links on the right side of the screen.
Test 1
1. Switch Kicks: 51
2. Power Jacks: 57 (I feel like I cheated when I did this because I wasn't able to top this rep. count on my second test.)
3. Power Knees: 61
4. Power Jumps: 23
5. Globe Jumps: 7
6. Suicide Jumps: 9
7. Push Up Jacks: 20
8. Low Plank Oblique: 25
Overall a pretty decent start considering I had not worked consistently in over a year. Although I probably cheated on some of the harder moves.
Test 1
1. Switch Kicks: 51
2. Power Jacks: 57 (I feel like I cheated when I did this because I wasn't able to top this rep. count on my second test.)
3. Power Knees: 61
4. Power Jumps: 23
5. Globe Jumps: 7
6. Suicide Jumps: 9
7. Push Up Jacks: 20
8. Low Plank Oblique: 25
Overall a pretty decent start considering I had not worked consistently in over a year. Although I probably cheated on some of the harder moves.
Insanity Day 17: Pure Cardio w/ Cardio Abs
I will tell you in all sincerity that I absolutely did NOT want to workout today. There was not an ounce of motivation in my body today and all that was going through my head as my work day ended was..."Fuck! I have to do Pure Cardio today."
It's always the warm up that I dread. Once I get passed the warm up then the rest of the workout, even though it's very hard, is just par for the course. I honestly believe that if you can get passed the warm up every day in this program, then there is no reason why you can't finish it. So begrudgingly I popped the disc into the player and began my daily mantra...
"...tough mudder, tough mudder, tough mudder..."
I plowed through the warm up and settled into the non-stop fun of Pure Cardio...and by fun I mean torture. Switch kicks, power jacks, Level 2 drills...fuck 'em all. This workout is just brutal in every way. By the time I got to the warm up I was absolutely drained. The sad part was I still had to do Cardio Abs. To tell you the truth I was sooooo close to turning off the DVD player. I just felt like there was no way I could go for another 15 minutes, but then the mantra returned in my head...
"...tough mudder, tough mudder, tough mudder..."
Sure enough I willed myself into continuing on with the second part of the workout and I don't know how I was able to do it. The C Position moves are just torture on my obliques and the final Plank Groin humping move is just funny...funny and exhausting.
So I'm tapped out for the night. I finally get Cardio Recovery tomorrow but to call it easy is a lie. There are some hard moves in that workout but at least I get a break from that damn warm up. Did I mention that I hate the warm up?
It's always the warm up that I dread. Once I get passed the warm up then the rest of the workout, even though it's very hard, is just par for the course. I honestly believe that if you can get passed the warm up every day in this program, then there is no reason why you can't finish it. So begrudgingly I popped the disc into the player and began my daily mantra...
"...tough mudder, tough mudder, tough mudder..."
I plowed through the warm up and settled into the non-stop fun of Pure Cardio...and by fun I mean torture. Switch kicks, power jacks, Level 2 drills...fuck 'em all. This workout is just brutal in every way. By the time I got to the warm up I was absolutely drained. The sad part was I still had to do Cardio Abs. To tell you the truth I was sooooo close to turning off the DVD player. I just felt like there was no way I could go for another 15 minutes, but then the mantra returned in my head...
"...tough mudder, tough mudder, tough mudder..."
Sure enough I willed myself into continuing on with the second part of the workout and I don't know how I was able to do it. The C Position moves are just torture on my obliques and the final Plank Groin humping move is just funny...funny and exhausting.
So I'm tapped out for the night. I finally get Cardio Recovery tomorrow but to call it easy is a lie. There are some hard moves in that workout but at least I get a break from that damn warm up. Did I mention that I hate the warm up?
Wednesday, September 28, 2011
Insanity Day 16: Plyometric Cardio Circuit
My chins and ankles have been very sore today so I was not looking forward to the ol' Plyo Circuit. I had some improvements on the warm up as I am able to get through the first two sequences without stopping. The third one is still a challenge though.
During the workout proper, I was concentrating on being able to complete certain moves and not taking as many breaks as I have in the past. I was able to complete suicides, Mountain Climbers, Jabs, Uppercuts, and Power Strikes in full. No breaks and with full reps. That being said, the Power Squats are just brutal and the Level 1 Drills are always a bitch. I was able to do a few more drills before I had to take a break so at least I am making some progress. The main thing is that these fit assholes in the video are stopping for breaks during that sequence so you can't tell me I'm supposed to be any different.
Overall I felt pretty good about the workout but my legs took a beating. They don't hurt now but I am going to put ice on them. It was hell during the workout. So anyways, I am about to sit down and watch Halloween since it is that time of the season. This weekend is my friends housewarming party and it will be the first time I have been able to drink since my wife and I started this sabbatical in September. I probably won't drink much considering I don't want to miss a workout day. Tomorrow is fucking Pure Cardio and Abs again...bleh.
During the workout proper, I was concentrating on being able to complete certain moves and not taking as many breaks as I have in the past. I was able to complete suicides, Mountain Climbers, Jabs, Uppercuts, and Power Strikes in full. No breaks and with full reps. That being said, the Power Squats are just brutal and the Level 1 Drills are always a bitch. I was able to do a few more drills before I had to take a break so at least I am making some progress. The main thing is that these fit assholes in the video are stopping for breaks during that sequence so you can't tell me I'm supposed to be any different.
Overall I felt pretty good about the workout but my legs took a beating. They don't hurt now but I am going to put ice on them. It was hell during the workout. So anyways, I am about to sit down and watch Halloween since it is that time of the season. This weekend is my friends housewarming party and it will be the first time I have been able to drink since my wife and I started this sabbatical in September. I probably won't drink much considering I don't want to miss a workout day. Tomorrow is fucking Pure Cardio and Abs again...bleh.
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