Are you Tough Enough?

When I started working with Trainer and Wellness Coach Liz Martins back in January of this year, I had no doubt I would be taking my fitness to another level. This woman is fierce, full of positive energy, and just knows her stuff plain and simple. What I didn't know is that within 6 months I would be wearing the coveted "orange headband" More about the head band later.

                                                     
The conversation went something like this:

Liz "Hey I'm taking a team to Tough Mudder this year; are you in?"
Me " Um yea, sure, why not, I like obstacle races, I did the Warrior Dash once - I'm up for the challenge."
Liz "Awesome - we need men too - sign your husband up - you'll get in the best shape of your life - I promise.

First Saturday meeting consists of meeting other team members, watching a video clip of Tough Mudder and disclosing our fears to fellow team members. Wait what??? rewind this video - 10 -12 miles, jumping in dumpsters full of ice, jumping off planks, electric shock - say whaaaaat??? I HATE ELECTRICITY - I've been zapped many a times by a horse fence - No Fun at all!

Tough Mudder events are hardcore 10-12 mile obstacle courses designed by British Special Forces to test your all around strength, stamina, mental grit, and camaraderie. With the most innovative courses

Sign me up - I am pumped!!! Now to convince the hubbie

Training starts sometime in February. Recruiting hubbie was a success. We train in smaller groups during the week at various times and then in big group trainings every Saturday at 7:00am.

Trainings consist of running, body-weight exercises, TRX System, resister run, kettle bells, running, push-ups, sit-ups, core exercises, climbing ropes, running, pull-ups, climbing stairs, sledge-hammering huge truck-tires, Jump-Squats, Mountain Climbers, and - oh did I say running? Yes we run - we run the beach, we run up and down sand dunes, we run trails, we run 5k races and we run the hills of Fall River. We even take a couple of  plunges into the 45 degree ocean to try and prepare us for "Arctic Enema" I would later find out there is no preparation in the world for this obstacle.

Liz may very well have been a Drill Sargent in her previous life. During our training sessions she shouts out commands military style, demonstrates exercises, and repeatedly reminds us that "I see EVERYTHING!" And if she detects what she perceives to be slacking by any one member of the team, it often results in extra exercises for everyone! HOORAH!!

I start seeing muscles I didn't know I had, Push-ups! I can do Push-ups!!! Not the girlie kind either - the real deal. Hubbie starts losing weight at break-neck speed. 5lbs, 10lbs, 15lbs, 20lbs, 25lbs, 30lbs! Say Whaaat?

I find a running buddy, Lisa - we meet a couple of times a week and run together. She gives me all kinds of tips and tricks to improve my running. She is awesome!

I meet wonderful, inspiring, and amazing people through this training. We become a team - encouraging one another, helping one another, and getting to know one another. Our team consists of 19 peeps including our leader. 15 amazing women and 4 good men! Our ages range from 18yrs(our little Road Runner) to 50 yrs! We become a team - We become "TEAM STRONG" Hoorah! Yea we chant that Alot!

Well the weekend of June 1, 2013 finally comes and we head up to Gunstock Mountain in Gilford New Hampshire. Gunstock Mountain - yea that sounds cool - we would later come to know that mountain in a very personal way. We would sweat on that mountain, bleed on that mountain, swear on that mountain and in the end CONQUER that mountain!

We arrive as a team wearing our beloved Lime Green & Black team colors - It's a frosty 90 degrees, but are all well hydrated and Liz has prepared us well! We check-in and get our numbers. I can hardly believe when an event staff person writes the number "66623" across my forehead. Not a huge fan of that number - But being the positive person I am, I tell myself "Ok that just means you go into Beast Mode Rhonda." Photos are taken by staff. We are a BIG team in comparison to others. Yea we feel like ROCK STARS!    We are scheduled for the 9:45 am heat but we quickly decide we will just jump in the 9:30AM heat. We are PUMPED!

 

First thing you have to do before you even get to the start is get over a 12-14 foot wall. As we are climbing over the MC announces "If you're having difficulty with this - you might want to rethink why you are here!" Of course we work as a team and are over.

We line up at the start and the MC begins his thing - Hoorah! You think you can do this?! You think you got this?! Are you Tough Enough! The National Anthem is played. We chant the Tough Mudder Pledge - We know without a doubt we will leave no one behind. Our motto all along has been "Start as a Team; Finish as a Team" Liz would have it no other way.

Holy Smokes the MC starts playing my favorite song "Eye of the Tiger" HOORAH! WE ARE READY!!! and we are off!

We start immediately heading up a good size hill about 1/3 of a mile long with about a 20% grade - not too too steep - but steep enough that you certainly don't want to sprint up it. We are met at the top with a welcomed water mister. A quick gathering of our team and we are down the hill and on our way to our first obstacle. "Kiss of Mud" A field of mud and low barbwire. Not too bad, low crawl and we are all through.

This "Mudder" above is a Mother of 5 !!

We then do some fun trail running in the shaded woods - we run as a team and Liz shouts out things like "Let's pick it up Team Strong!" and "Move it out Team Strong!" We run together and feel a great feeling of camaraderie. We encounter some other obstacles such as underground trenches, jumping over huge hay bales, "Hold Your Wood" where you and several other team members carry large logs on your shoulders and go up and around a loop. We continue to run a couple more miles all along knowing we will soon encounter the dreaded "Arctic Enema" 

This obstacle consists of several dumpsters filled with freezing cold water and ALOT of ice. The ice is replenished continually through out the day to ensure the contents of the dumpster remain at freezing cold temperatures. Here the Mudders are to jump from a platform into the dumpster. There is also a board right in the middle of the dumpster that you must go under in order to get out - there is no other way out -

As mentioned before nothing could have prepared me for this obstacle - I heard other teammates describe their experience but I can only describe mine. Thought prior to the plunge - It's 95 degrees this could be refreshing - NOT - I  jump in in blind ignorance, come up, try to take a breath, I can't breathe, I can't breathe! I want out, look to the left, look to the right, there is no way out but under the board. I don't want to go under again, I can't think straight, I can't breathe! I think I hear Dan in the distance "Go Under Rhonda! Go Under! Somehow I manage to go under, I come up, I still can't breathe, I think I see Dan reaching his hand out -  he is talking but it seems to be in slow motion. I am disoriented. What the heck have I done?? I've got to get to Dan but I can't move. Push Push Push - He grabs my hand and pulls me up and out without any assistance from me. See picture below - it isn't a proud moment for me; but I have survived. We have conquered Arctic Enema and we are off! HOORAH!

More running and up more hills. We climb what seems like forever and I think we are almost there until I see this:

And seriously it is. We climb and climb to the top of the mountain; at some points it is so steep some Mudders opt to climb using hands and feet. I am one of them. There are people sitting on the side of the mountain. There are medics driving up the mountain. The heat is brutal - but Team Strong presses on. We gather and regroup so no Mudder is left behind. Well what goes up, must come down. Going down has challenges all it's own. Slipping, falling, pressure on the feet (some of us even lost toe nails afterwards) and somehow knowing you will have to climb again.

At this point some things become a blur for me. I know we encounter several more obstacles. We climb over "Berlin Walls" thank goodness for the men in our group. They vault us up and we work the wall. We cage crawl (I really liked this one) We low crawl through the "Electric Eel" on our bellies through the mud while charged wires zap and snap at you all the way. There are the monkey bars, the Mud Mile, and Fire Pits. It is Crazy!! It is Fun! We are exhausted but we are Not stopping!

Mud Mile

Miles 10 - 12 more climbing - How cruel can this be - more obstacles - I remember climbing over a log obstacle and thinking we're headed to Mt. Everest and almost done - only to be routed up another hill. Could this break me? It could - but no way! I have my team, we have each other. But Damn this hurts!!

We come down the final hill - It's over to Mt. Everest - my quads are done - there is nothing left in them - I give it my all and begin to sprint but my legs give out. Most of the time I can motivate the mind and the body will follow - not this time my legs are shot. Do I feel defeated - Not in the least - I will conquer this one next time - wait what? Did I say next time?? I stand in awe and watch as the "Mighty Good Men" on our team brace themselves at the top and lift one teammate after another to the top. For one teammate Charlene, it is extra special - She wasn't giving up until she conquered Mt. Everest this year. She did it and she owned that wall! She sat at the top triumphant taking her moment in - check it out:

One last obstacle to overcome - It's my worst fear "Electroshock Therapy" Now this is the only thing that stands between me and my Orange Headband:

On the other side of this obstacle is the finish line - there are 10,000 volts of electricity running through these wires. My husband assures me it is not the volts that can kill you but the amperage. Ok - Thanks Honey. At this point Team Strong lines up in 3 rows - we link arms and the MC starts chanting "TEAM STRONG TEAM STRONG TEAM STRONG" and we run. There is mud and slats to maneuver, I trip and do a face plant, a wire cracks and snaps across my face, neck, and side. Uggggh! This sucks. Hubbie's "Hero Gene" won't leave me behind - he grabs me by the elbow, hauls me up. We run, I feel as though I am zapped over and over. Somehow I am through. Through the finishing arch to be crowned with my Orange Headband. Tough Mudder states this Orange Headband can not be purchased it must be earned! 

A fellow teammate later reports we have conquered 12 miles, 21 obstacles, and climbed some 2300 feet. We are happy, we are triumphant, We have completed Tough Mudder Boston 2013! There is nothing we can't do! We are TEAM STRONG!!

Bonus! Team Strong made the Official Tough Mudder Boston 2013 video - Whoo hoo! Take a look:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=csiQZggoQlM

Special Thanks to the wonderful family members (hubbies, moms, dads, friends) who came along for support. They walked the spectator courses and took the amazing photos to capture our memories forever! Thank you Thank you Thank you.

Some more pics if you care to scroll through: