Perhaps my most challenging extreme activity yet. Can I do it in only 2 months?
For those who don’t know, in December last year I decided that 2018 would be the year of doing crazy things. Specifically, I would do 12 extreme sports or adventures throughout the year – I’ll release a post detailing all of them v soon. But Tough Mudder was definitely on the agenda, and as per usual I left preparation until the last minute.
Week 1
I kick things off by letting a fitness app run my life for a week. This means healthy, protein-packed meals all week, and 5 moderate home workouts.
Week 2
Uni week. I literally entered a man vs food challenge and won. And then a complimentary dessert.
We’ll say no more about this week.
Week 3
I took a trip to Wales, and stopped off at a Ninja Warrior-inspired obstacle course. Although I could complete most of the obstacles, including the Warped Wall, I struggled to pull myself up. It became apparent I seriously lack any discernable upper-body strength.
I then climbed Mount Snowdon, a 1,085m mountain, up the second hardest route. I enjoy the scenic waterfalls on the first half of the hike, but toward the final mile, the path all but disappears, leaving a treacherous scree and a lot of danger. That’s a whole other post, but I already ached from the obstacle course the previous day, and ended up covered in bruises and scrapes. Still, they sell fudge at the top…
I ditch Parkrun in favour of a lie in, and a later run of 7km. I don’t know if it was because I was already tired from Snowdon, or just didn’t feel well, but I definitely didn’t feel well by the end. There was a lot of walking, and I finished with a time of 40:53, and a pace of 5’50”.
Week 4
I run 8k in 49:11 for a pace of 6’07”, and continue working out, eating clean. Later in the week I manage 9k in 52:30 for a quicker 5’49”.
Weeks 5 & 6
I make a momentous decision – wait for it… I stop running. It’s partly because there’s nowhere suitable to run that isn’t sketchy AF, and partly because I’m a lazy b******. It’ll be fine; there are obstacles to intersperse the 12 mile course.
Weeks 7 & 8
My workout schedule goes out the window a little as I get very busy with work and uni and personal things, but I continue to eat clean, good food, and drink lots of water.
Week 9 – The Big Week
The day before…
I remember stumbling – tired and ill – from my broken-down car to the shop to buy a big box of caffeine pills titled ‘ENERGY KICK’.
Hyped up on various forms of glucose and caffeine, I make it through the course. When in doubt, drugs!
This is not the recommended method, and in 2019 I trained and performed much better. Still, Tough Mudder rounded out a great summer – check this out: