Some thing is up with my MacBook, so I'm doing this post on my iPhone. Forgive any auto corrections.
This was a Tough Mudder, not an Easy Mudder or a Yeah, show up and get it done Mudder. It was Tough.
If you go back to some of my earlier posts, my work outs were a lot if running. Jogging. On flat terrain.
Mount St Louie Moonstone was not flat. I went up and down that ski hill four or five times. In three hours. Really, I lost count. The events pointed out my weaknesses - not found of heights, when I had to jump off a 15 foot ledge into water. Upper body strength relative to body weight. Not fond of running hills, nor of dark cramped spaces... This one I overcame by singing a march by John Philip Sousa as loudly as I could. I have no idea why that worked, but it did.
Being a good guy and being friendly to people was a strength that helped me. Some of the events were a lot harder to do if you did them by yourself.
Basic fitness is a necessity for this event. Merely completing it in less than four hours was my goal- I started at 9:30 and finished around 12:45pm. Just over three hours. Which, I'm told, is about average.
I jogged the downhills and as much of the flat areas as I could, but by kilometer 15, I was pretty much walking. The Kilometer 14 marker was two thirds up the mountain ..the forth time up the mountain. I got up that mountain by just keeping my feet moving. I did a fifteen count, one step for each player on my rugby team. Over and over and over again.
I keep telling people, especially young people that the only way to get up a mountain is one step at a time. I proved that to myself.
Overall, a very well run event, the key for me was being basically fit, being stupid early the day of the event and preparation. I think I let myself down on that last one, as I didn't bring any food for when I was on the course. I had money and Advil out on the course which did work well. Money was good for a nice beer and a t-shirt after. The gloves worked ok, too.
As a side note, the camel bak water system worked well for what I needed. It also held my stuff, but the bag check ins were so smooth here, that shouldn't have been a problem.
I believe I got what I trained for- a really good rugby result, a decent TM result and some insight into what my training and nutrition should focus on in the coming year.
I was leaving on a shuttle bus back to the parking lot and met some nice people who recalled seeing me on the course. We got chatting and were joined by another dude from the same heat. It was the guy who ran the course twice Saturday and once today,,, 16 TM headbands were on his bag, man!16!
Can you beleed dat?
Aug 20 my holiday begins, thank goodness. Can't imagine having to go to work Monday after an event like this. I'd be even more useless than normal.
Ugh, man.
One last thing... Anvil or alcohol for recovery?
Just as a follow up to this post, I became FB friends with the dude ... who by the end of October 2012, had 25 TM headbands to his name ...
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