I love everything that Tough Mudder stands for; teamwork, camaraderie, epic obstacles, etc. I also love competition. I get a rush every time I’m running against my fellow competitors and also against the clock. How far and how fast can I push myself? What are my limits? Now I can combine the two with Toughest Mudder, which is a game changer.
I’ve often wanted to experience the best of both worlds with Tough Mudder, but World’s Toughest Mudder has always felt out of my range. I consider myself a distance runner and while I enjoy running Tough Mudders, marathons and the occasional ultra, 24 hours of obstacle course racing seemed like a giant leap (maybe off a cliff?). With Toughest Mudder, I can have my cake and eat it too.
Eight hours is the sweet spot for me. It’s longer than a marathon takes (usually), yet doesn’t have those additional 16 pesky hours staring you down at World’s Toughest Mudder. It’s easier to mentally comprehend, especially if you put it in terms of an average work day. Show up at 9, work for a few hours, sleep for a few hours during lunch, work for a few more hours, look at Facebook, mentally shut down around 3:30 and go home at 5. Just for the record, that was a joke.
All terrible joking aside, Toughest Mudder intrigues the hell out of me. I have eight hours to go as far as I possibly can. As someone who is looking to push past the marathon distance, without just running for a set amount of miles, this is a unique opportunity. It’s a new gateway to see what I am made of, while at the same time being surrounded by people who embody the Tough Mudder spirit.
Oh yeah, it’s also at night. Seriously, night running is amazing and a little bit terrifying, but it adds a whole new dimension (not that you needed another one, what with all the obstacles in your way). Running from midnight to 8 am, getting to see the sunrise and experiencing the course both at night and during daylight is a unique experience not found in many other places.
I’m excited for this new event series and glad that Tough Mudder is keeping everything I love about it, but adding a dash of competitiveness to spice up the evening. I’m looking forward to toeing the line in 2017 and redefining my limits.
