Tough Mudder SoCal 2012

Three girls embarked on their second Tough Mudder journey to a place in the desert 7 hours from home. Starting with an overnight camping trip, which began with setting up in the dark, cooking pasta in a pot that never boiled, and freezing our asses off. Did we mind? Not at all, true Tough Mudders can handle a few little camping mishaps. Especially as it was all 3 of our first time camping without any guys to help us out with building fires, setting up, and keeping us warm. The next morning we woke early after a good 10 hours of sleep and proceeded to braid hair, make oatmeal, get dressed, and break camp. After that we cranked up the music in the Landcruiser and set out for Tough Mudder. Bouncing and laughing through the dirt parking lot we smiled and shouted excitedly with other future Mudders as we made our way to our parking spot. Then we got in line with a large group to catch buses to the main event. The excitement and trepidation never wearing thin all the way through registration and to the starting line. At the starting line, we immediately were faced with an obstacle, an 8 foot wall to scale, just to be allowed to start. Climbing it easily as we were veterans at this, we jumped down and joined our fellow mudders in the buzz of excitement. Hopping up and down and and listening to our charismatic MC we got ready to embark on our journey. Stilling our nerves and excitement long enough to listen to the National Anthem was difficult, but well worth the beauty of that glorious song, and it's impeccable deliverance. Finally, after raising our hands and shouting out the Tough Mudder Pledge, we were off, and straight into sneaker sucking mud! I braced my teammates as they struggled not to lose their shoes. Mine were duct-taped on, so no worries there. After that, we were off to the death march. Living up to its name, I literally felt about to pass out from the heat after those first couple of gruelling miles, but the first part is always the worst, and not for the faint of heart. The day proceeded in true Tough Mudder fashion, unforeseen obstacles loomed ahead, crawling through dirt, climbing over scratchy logs, and getting knocked flat on my stomach as I crawled under shock wires. A jolt going through my whole body woke me up and continued to tingle as the sight of water to drink finally came into view. We scrambled on our hands and knees to drink from a spigot sticking a foot out of the ground and then on to the unknown. Over walls, and through breath sucking ice water, off a drop into more cold water, that seemed a lot higher than I remembered, and off again for more running through hills and dirt, water and mud. Spashing through creeks, and balancing on boards, climbing muddy slopes, and over cargo nets. Several were forced to stop and lose their breakfasts by the trails side, others had to stop to retie shoes, and help fallen comrads. Onward we went though, helping and being helped along the way, making cheerful exhausted chit chat with total strangers, and always pushing ourselves ever onward to find out just what we are made of. The entire environment was surrounded by a sense of fellowship and cameraderie that is difficult to find anywhere else. When you are pushed to your limits, and everybody around you is in the same situation, it's truly an awesome sight to see humanity come together. For me, that's what Tough Mudder is all about.