Tough Mudder

There is a first time for everything! 

My friend Carrie Yost approached me on the last day of school while we were both volunteering at the Elementary Field Day and asked if I would like to participate with her and several others in the Tough Mudder Utah. I asked her what it consisted of and at the moment it was all a bit overwhelming.  12 miles of running with 25 obstacle courses mixed in between. The day she had asked me, I hadn't ran since high school basketball practice...that was a long time ago. 12 miles seemed like an impossible feat. I thought about it for a few days and decided to sign-up and pay the entry fee, that way, I was committed. I started out running 1 mile and ran that 5 times, then I  increased by a 1/2 a mile, and ran that amount for 5 runs, then I continued to increase every 5 runs by a half a mile. It seemed to work rather well for me and I found somewhere inside that I LOVE to run! It is very refreshing and a quick and easy way to exercise. My mind was  so clear after a run and I slept so good at night. I stopped increasing at 6.5 miles and continued to run that weekly up until the race. I can't believe how fast September came, I was starting to get nervous. If I could have found a way to get out of it, I would have. I am glad I didn't though. It was AMAZING, very difficult and challenging. Pushing yourself to limits that you normally would never go can be a good thing on occasion. It was definitely mind over matter. I can say that I successfully completed every obstacle  but one, the Funky Monkey, the 12 miles seemed like nothing even while running up a huge mountain. It was a great experience, one that I will always remember. I think it would be a very fun event to do with your spouse. What do you think Dirk, maybe sometime?

Note: The pictures are not very flattering, just the opposite!