RACE RUNDOWN: Tough Mudder (Midlands)

Yesterday, I returned to Tough Mudder. You may remember my first experience back in 2014 at London South (full review here) and whilst I decided that once was enough, I got the urge to try it again. I guess I wanted to see if I could take on a different course and improve on my strength for the obstacles, something I previously struggled with. 

So, myself and a couple of training buddies (husband included) opted for The Midlands race, held in the stunning grounds of Belvoir Castle. It look set to be a great weekend and we were all super stoked! Sadly for me though, disaster struck on Friday when I suffered a bout of sickness and nausea (something linked to medication I am currently taking). Highly unexpected and a shock to my system, it was a hard decision but I decided on the morning to opt out as my body felt incredibly weak and empty. There simply was nothing in the tank.

Despite my gutting setback, the two guys I came with were geared up and ready to go and I couldn't let them down. So, I headed out on the spectator route to see them round the 11 miles, 26 obstacle course. Luckily, the weather was on their side, albeit it a bit chilly and windy. What was also really great with this event was the layout of the course. From a spectator point of view, it was brilliant as a lot of the obstacles were in one centre field, meaning friends and families were able to see runners at various points.

Anyway, onto the actual obstacles and I think it is safe to say there was a lot of (smelly) mud. I first saw the boys at at Sewer Rat and did have a good giggle at everyone coming out of the tunnels and slipping all over the muddy bog that followed after. This was the second obstacle in and it's fair to say everyone was looking fricking filthy! 

Next, I watched them go over Bale Bonds (essentially a small tower of hay bales) and waved them off into the distance where they went through a swampy obstacle and took on new obstacle, The Liberator. This involves a slanted high wall with thin ledges for feet and small holes to insert pegs into and climb up. Following this was another tunnelled challenge, Birth Canal, followed by Kiss of Mud 2.0. This obstacle I remember being a tricky one that involves lots of bruises and scratches as you lay under barbed wire and drag yourself through mud, stones and grit. Bleughhh. 

By this point, they were under four miles in and coming back into the main field to take on the worst of them all, Arctic Enema. This year, they have modified this obstacle to involve a drop shoot, so there is not avoiding a gentle, steady entry into the icy water. I recoiled in memory of the sheer pain I felt when I did this and watching the boys drop down the shoot and come out the other side, the horror and shock was clearly etched on their faces. 

By this point, they looked tired, muddy and bloody freezing but with grins still in tact, they headed off down a small stream for a quick swim and then up into the distant hills to carry a tree (one challenge I fondly remember) and take on Killa Gorilla, which simply is running up and down ridiculously steep hills - nice!

Coming back into the main field, next up was Everest 2.0. I LOVED this one when I did London South. I did it at the very end of the race and my quick speed got me up the halfpipe on my first go. This year, the halfpipe seemed more slippery and maybe even slightly longer but shallower. They also had handy ropes at the top for those to grab onto if they couldn't reach the summit. Now I was a spectator and not a participant, I did enjoy watching people on this. 

After Everest 2.0, the boys took on the obstacle that was my worse fear at London South - Cage Crawl. I certainly wasn't upset to be missing this one but both of the lads hopped in and pulled their way through. It looked like they had made the gap between the water and fence tighter, meaning less room to manoeuvre - not good for claustrophobics!

The next time I saw my team mates was at mile seven where they took on King of the Swingers. Now I must say I am absolutely gutted to have missed this particular obstacle. It looked awesome! Involving a metal lever you jump onto, the aim is to swing up high to ring a bell, before falling into a pit of murky, muddy water. Whilst the boys didn't manage to hit the bell, they did get close - below is Dan's attempt on the left:

At the point, the guys had to run through the field and I managed to join them for a gentle jog alongside them to see how they were doing. Both were on an absolute Tough Mudder high and having the best time ever! I stayed with them until they got to another new challenge, The Blockness Monster. This consists of two revolving barriers submerged in water where Mudders have to climb over. It involves teamwork as you have to help others get over the barriers through pulling them down or pushing them up. Here's my team mate Paul halfway getting over the first barrier (in a rather elegant style I must say):

After this, the Mudders' ventured off into the connecting fields again for some longer run periods where they took on the Hero Walls (where us shorties suffer sadly) and Mud Mile (this I remember being a hilarious one where you are faced with a pit of thick, gooey mud you have to drag and pull yourself through). 

By mile 10, the boys were on the home straight with their final challenges being the Pyramid Scheme. Another one where team work is crucial, this involves a slanted wall where Mudders' have to lay down and build a human pyramid to the top. Expect bums in faces and elbows in ears for this one!

At the final streak was the beastly Electroshock Therapy and participants weren't hanging around for this one. Dashing through the dangling live wires, people were jolting and falling at the electric hits, before tumbling/crawling through the finish line to be crowned with their must deserved head bands. 

The boys had made it and I was so proud of them! Despite the aches, pain, mud stains, cuts and bruises, they were beaming from ear to ear and clearly exhilarated to have achieved everything within the whole experience. To give you an idea of the impact, here's a rather humorous before/after shot of the champs themselves:

Being a spectator oddly put an interesting spin on this review. Whilst I was so upset to not take part, I oddly don't feel like I missed out on much. With the grounds of Belvoir Castle allowing a lot of the obstacles to be easily accessible, I was able to watch a large chunk of the race and I honestly really enjoyed seeing the action happen for once, rather than be a part of it. 

Of course, I haven't been able to form a fair comparison between this event and London South but from what I saw, The Midlands looks like a goodie. With beautiful grounds, a slightly flatter run and more obstacles closer together, it seems highly action packed and adventurous. With it also being an hours train journey from London, it was really easy to get to!

Whilst The Midlands event won't until next year, the 2016 race series is still in full swing, with five events across Scotland, North and South England still to come! With places available, it is worth considering for a fun day out with friends/family/colleagues. The teamwork and camaraderie is incomparable to any other obstacle challenge I have done and nothing quite beats getting the beloved headband at the very end - something that all Mudders' treasure forever. 

To find out more about Tough Mudder and the UK events remaining, visit the website here. Book by the 31st May before the prices increase!

Lipstick Runner.

Tough Mudder 2016: What's to come

So the season of mud pits, freezing murky waters, obstacles and cross country running is upon us - or in simpler terms Tough Mudder. At the end of April, the series of events kick off in London and then travel across the UK to seven locations (I have Midlands in the diary!). This year, the team behind this super tough obstacle race have upped the anti, introducing two new obstacles to the mix: Blockness Monster and Backstabber.

In 2014, I experienced my first ever Tough Mudder (see my review here) and whilst I walked away with mixed reviews, I thoroughly enjoyed the day. My favourite type of obstacles were those that didn't require height (at 5"3 I could not reach up to walls, rings, ledges etc) so I really like the look of Blockness Monster. I would hope this will be after a really muddy obstacle so we can wash off the layers of mud congealed on our clothes. Backstabber looks like an obstacle that will require height and I can't see myself getting very far up the frame - I hope there will be a platform at the top for someone to pull me up!

As well as these new obstacles, some of the classics are returning. Kiss of Mud is back by popular demand and I have already planned how I am going to get through this without scraping my legs and knees on the gritty surface (FYI, this is the place to roll and not crawl). Arctic Enema was also a likely choice to return and I have never forgotten the pain that shot through my body as I hauled myself out of the shipping container full of ice. Then there is also Electroshock Therapy, Cage Crawl, Everest and many more which make up the 20 obstacle, 12 mile race. 

With Midlands just over a month away, both myself and my husband (who will be joining me to claim his first headband) will be getting ourselves prepped. For me, it is all about recovering from my achilles injury (which has caused a huge set back in my running) and focussing on strength and core work. I know this was my weakness last time and I want to ensure I have the ability to fight through the obstacles that require strength and not endurance. 

Here's to claiming my second headband!

Lipstick Runner. 

Tough Mudder Take TWO!

That's right, after saying I wouldn't attempt it again, I am taking part in Tough Mudder for the second time.

I said I wouldn't return (you can read about my first experience here) yet, for some reason, a couple of weeks back I got the urge to give it another bash. I was at a wedding reception and was discussing with one of the groomsmen about all the crazy obstacle races out there nowadays and how much fun they are. I was speaking about my Tough Mudder experience and whilst relaying it all, I felt a pang of curiosity within me to do it all again.

Looking at next year, I have started to reassess all that I want to achieve fitness wise. A few months back, I was beyond keen to do a marathon and avidly entered myself into one for April 2016. Rooky call as shortly afterwards, I started to have doubts about whether this was actually something I wanted to do. Deep down, yes I do want to do one but realistically, not right now. What I want to do now is make the most of my time to train for triathlon more and next year plan to take part in an Olympic distance. Aside from endurance sports, I also want to try and build my strength. Pull ups, push ups, weight lifting, stomach crunches are all things I don't currently do enough of and I have realised that this sort of exercise is super valuable for any runner/triathlete in training.

Not only do I want to focus and train hard, but I also want to have fun with it all. With all these thoughts and ideas in my head, I saw Tough Mudder as a way to secure a sense of achievement for my overall strength but will also be a time to have fun. I can't deny that the first time was hilarious. Despite all the pain, I was grinning the whole way round. So when it came down to revisitng my experiences at this wedding a couple of weeks back, when I was asked 'would you do it again?' my answer was actually 'you know what, yes!'.

So on Saturday 21st May 2016, I will be taking part in The Midlands event! Here I will face 20 obstacles over 12 miles of muddy terrain. Really hoping that the King of the Swingers will be making a return as this looks super fun. Also keen to tackle Greased Lightening and Funky Monkey. At this time though, the choice of course for 2016 has not been unveiled but I have every faith that it will be as action packed as the last.

So all that is needed is for me to get in Tough Mudder tip top shape! Looks like I will be digging out those dumb bells alongside my half marathon and triathlon plans!

If you are interesting in learning more about Tough Mudder, or better yet, keen to enter, visit the website here.

Lipstick Runner.

*photos courtesy of the official Tough Mudder team

OPERATION BRIDAL BOD: Falling off the wagon

This post basically replaces my eight week update. Mainly because I am embarrassed to show the current results. I guess you could say I have slipped off the weight loss wagon. OK, maybe hurtled off it landing like a sack of crap on the floor. A heavy one at that matter.

My reasons? No reasons at all. Just excuses but ones that we all are guilty to at some point in the weight loss journey. When I began Operation Bridal Bod weight loss wasn't my main goal. It was physique. I wanted a strong, athletic body but one slim and toned to pull off a swanky wedding dress. My mind was set and driven and by week four, I was doing brilliantly (as you can see from the results HERE). My tummy was a lot flatter, I appeared slimmer and my skin was glowing. Hurrah! After a check up at the doctors, it was also revealed that I had lost 5lbs. Added bonus!

So what happened next is, well, life I guess. In the month that followed my routine became a bit misshapen. I wasn't training regularly, just fitting in odd runs and swims here and there, plus my eating habits got a little out of control. And then there was the alcohol consumption too.*guilty face*

The last few weeks have been very social for me. I have caught up with lots of former work colleagues which always results in eating out in the heart of Soho, gorging on all sorts of foods and sipping wine. I didn't just go for one odd meal. I went for four, back to back. Disgusting I know! From delicious Spanish tapas to Nandos to Honest Burger, I ticked all the unhealthy food boxes. *guilty face again*

Along with my restaurant picks, I have also let me hair down in other areas which can only really be described as binge drinking. I am not a big drinker. Never have I come home from work and cracked open a bottle of wine to unwind. Never have and probably never will. However, that doesn't mean I don't like a drop of alcohol from time to time. Or a gallon of gin. Combining a day at the races with a catch up with best friends was always going to lead to a haze of slimline gin and tonics. And that it most definitely did (plus the £53 I lost on bets). I got to wear a nice dress though which made a change.

There have however been some highlights amongst all this. I have completed two races - Cabbage Patch 10 and Tough Mudder. Both of which aren't a walk in the park (the latter especially!), these two events have helped to keep me focussed and I completed both of them in a far better time than I imagined. I even think for the first time, a race photographer papped me looking in a half decent state!

That said though, both events resulted in this:

*guilty face AGAIN*

Along with eating out alot, I have also found the sudden change in weather has had an impact on my foody habits. The UK has gone from mildy cold to absolutely freezing almost overnight! The heating in my flat is cranked up full notch, the slipper socks are out and my sports gear cupboard has rotated onto full leg leggings and base layers.

This instant change in weather has also had a damaging effect on my appetite. I literally cannot stop eating! It's like my body is never full. Work has been the worst. I am finding myself constantly picking at food and my willpower has been left back in Autumn. From the Hobnob biscuits in the cupboard, to birthday cake and mixed nuts left over from an event, I have spent 9am - 5.30pm munching down on food as if it was going to be taken away from me at any moment. This I think has been the hardest part and one I need to stop NOW!

So how do I rectify this? Well with my first ever wedding dress hunt taking place in two weeks, I need to think of something fast! Whilst I currently think that starving myself seems the only hope, I know I need to make changes that will carry on long term.

Weekly food shop - I need to make sure I am preparing my lunches to be healthy but hearty. By ensuring I eat a lunch big enough to fill me up, my snacking will hopefully ease up. At the moment I am eating small meals meaning I never feel satisfied and so turn to all sorts of bad snacks. By also stocking up the fridge with fresh fruit, I know that if I do want a snack, my options are not unhealthy.

Cut the sugar - I am literally cringing as I write this as I feel a little nauseous thinking about all the sugar I have consumed these last few weeks. Sweets, chocolate, cakes and so much more have been around me all the time. I think the turning point was when I bought a huge pack of Moam's for Halloween trick-or-treats. Not one knock at the door and a week later I had consumed the whole pack. *yet another guilty face*

Get focussed - I need to seek the goal again for what I am doing all this for. I must imagine I am walking down the aisle in eight months time, in a dress that I look fricking fabulous in. I need to see that if I carry on the way that I am, this will not happen. Making small goals in the lead up to this big goal will also help carry me through. For example, my small goal now is to get prepared for my first dress fitting and this means banishing the bloated belly.

On a final note, my week 12 aim is to be able to SHOW my results on here, rather than hide behind the *guilty face*.

Lipstick Runner.

RACE RUNDOWN: Tough Mudder (London South)

Saturday 24th October, 6.30am. My alarm is buzzing and I am hauling myself out of bed ready to take on a challenge that was going to test my mind, determination, grit and almighty strength. I was about to take on Tough Mudder.

The event itself has caught my eye a few times, especially when I have seen friends take part and post their finishing, mud riddled snaps on Facebook. But then I have gone onto the website, analysed the obstacles, um'd and ah'd, seen the price and ruled it out completely. The event is £125. Not your average race entry and I have come across many people who have been put off by this hefty fee.

However, is it really worth every penny? Well when I was offered a place with a friend in a team, I thought this was the perfect time to test my true strength and fitness whilst also reviewing an event I have always been curious about.

I got the place a month beforehand so I really didn't have long to train but I honestly felt with my level of fitness, I could get round, albeit if it was a bit slower than intended. I run, swim and cycle every week and this, I thought, would give me a good basic level of strength and endurance. I also spent one evening faffing around with my partner's weights, pulling them left, right and centre, up and down until my arms felt like they were going to fall off.

So, as you can see training was very minimal. But I still felt confident I would complete the 12 mile muddy trail course with 20 obstacles. When travelling down to Winchester, we were all discussing tactics, remembering of course that the main thing was to enjoy it. By the time we arrived, we were keen to get going! 

We decided to go for a later wave of 11am as we were travelling from London and we were wondering how 'muddified' the course would be after so many people had already taken part. Even walking to the Tough Mudder village, we passed so many runners out on the course and we could even see several obstacles on the horizon across the fields that laid ahead.

We didn't hang around too long in the village. Grabbing our numbers and signing our waivers (which basically outlines that the course can cause death - wonderful) we dumped our stuff in the media tent and headed out to the start. My team mate lent me a pair of ultra thin Nike shorts which are incredibly lightweight, meaning they don't carry any additional weight from mud/water and I also opted to wear an old pair of trainers and top that I was ready to sacrifice for good. 

Heading to the start line, we were feeling SO nervous. There was a lot of hype and before we could even cross the line we had to head to the warm up pen where a couple of big, buff army dudes yelled at us during many drills. Then we had to jump over a practice wall which was in front of the starting pen. Ironically, I bashed me knee really hard as I jumped up to hurl myself over. This was the cause of my biggest bruise I have succumbed too. 

After shouting a pledge with all our fellow Tough Mudders ('I promise to help others, motivate and cheers fellow Mudders etc...') the horn sounded and we were off!

We unfortunately didn't have a GoPro with us and looking on the event Facebook Page, there isn't one picture of any of us (this makes me really sad). So I have featured below some snaps from my favourite/most challenging obstacles which are taken by official Tough Mudder photographer Kirsten Holst.

WHAT I LOVED

Walk The Plank

I LOVED this obstacle. It was the second one we faced and it really made me feel like I was doing Tough Mudder. Standing at twelve feet high you climb up to have a second to peer over the edge before you are counted down to jump into a pit of ice cold water. This definitely woke me and up but the feeling when dropping down was like being on a roller coaster. It was brilliant!

Mud Mile

More like 100m than a mile but still good fun. I did sneakily dodge the bog pits and I also witnessed my team mate almost lose a trainer. In all, this obstacle was a good giggle and definitely got us caked in mud!

Pyramid Scheme

OK, this has to be my favourite of them all! At around mile eight, this obstacle involved team work and communication. A curved wall with no way to run up it, the aim is to form a human pyramid to get yourself up to the top. We stayed on this one for ages, as it took a while to get everyone up but we also hung back at the top to help pull people up. This is where I definitely felt the team spirit of all involved. Everyone helped one another and no one was left behind.

WHAT I HATED

Kiss of Mud

I blame this obstacle for all the scratches up my legs! Around 25m long, a foot high and covered in barbed wire, the aim is to lay on your front and drag yourself through. I found this very low meaning you literally had to lay as flat as a pancake and scrape your body across the muddy gravel. I practically came out with burns across my legs at the other end!

Just The Tip

I had to use this picture. I apologise for whoever this is but I really feel for you. I had exactly the same problem when faced with this obstacle - height. Standing at a mini 5"3, when I came to this part of the course, I knew I was in for a challenge. After being lifted up to hang myself on the wall, I could barely touch the thin ledge with my tip toes. When it came to the gaps I had no hope in stretching my leg across to the next ledge. I was no where near reaching them so had to rely on my upper body strength to swing myself across (a bit like a monkey). By the time I reached the middle ledge, my arms were burning in agony I decided to hop in the murky water below as I knew I wouldn't reach the other end. 

Cage Crawl

In the lead up to the day, I had decided I was going to skip this obstacle. I have a huge fear of water after a surfing incident but I have an even bigger fear of being caged in it! This obstacle is definitely all about mind over matter. By the time I reached it, I was near the end and I had done every single obstacle so far and was more determined than ever to overcome my fear. I was very wary getting into the freezing water as the first thing you have to do is lie back and float. The water fills your ears so all you can hear is your breathing. Then it is all about speed as you crawl backwards through the water, looking up through the cage to the sky. I felt like it went on forever but by the time I reached the end, it definitely wasn't as bad as I had imagined. Still though, not something I'll be volunteering myself to do again.

Arctic Enema

If there is one thing I will take away and remember forever from Tough Mudder, it is the sheer pain I felt from this obstacle. A shipping container full of ice, this is another part of the course where you have to go in not even thinking about it. Hopping into the tank, your body immediately goes numb, yet you have to wade through the pool of ice and under a rack of tyres. Submerging your head under the icy water gives you sudden brain freeze and when you drag your body out the other end, pain ripples through your muscles and joints the second you land back on the grass. I remember wailing in pain but also laughing at the sheer ridiculousness of it. After walking around in circles for a minute or so, the pain eventually subsided and I was able to proceed with the running.

WARNING: BE PREPARED FOR A LOT OF RUNNING

This is a really relevant point to make. I remember discussing Tough Mudder with a couple of people who have taken part before and one point I raised concern about was running for 12 miles across muddy terrain. I was reassured that the amount of obatacles helps you to avoid the fact you are running almost a half marathon across endless fields. I can tell you now, one thing about Tough Mudder that hurts IS the running. Holy moley, I felt like I was running forever through mud and up and down endless steep hills (and I mean super steep!). At times, the gaps between obstacles seemed to go on ages and for me tiredness kicked in around the seven mile mark. 

Don't get me wrong, I am able to run 12 miles. But on road surface and without a shed load of hills. Put me on cross country terrain and I'm screwed. I can openly admit that. So for anyone out there there who is looking to take part in Tough Mudder, make sure you train lots for the running as much as the obstacles. Looking back at this mistake of mine, it really would be worth it!

Reflecting on the whole day though, it's fair to say I had a bloody good time. Never have I, or probably will I experience anything like Tough Mudder again. I waded through ice cubes, got electrocuted, carried a huge log, crawled through a cage of water and ran up a half pipe. Not your average Saturday.

By the time I crossed the finish line and my Tough Mudder headband was placed on my head, I really felt like I had been crowned a Tough Mudder champion!

Now back to the question - is it really worth the money? I've decided that is in fact a difficult one to answer. For me, an individual that takes parts in events and races regularly, paying £125 is ridiculous. Especially when there is no medal at the end! That said though, looking back at all the people I met on the course, they had entered Tough Mudder for many reasons. To set themselves a challenge, to help with weight loss, to be a part of a team, I could go on. The thing is, what I have realised is that no matter what the price is, Tough Mudder gives people the feeling of commitment. It makes you feel strong, focussed, driven and well, tough! For all the feeling and emotions you have when you cross that finish line and you are handed your complimentary pint of beer, the price of the event is long forgotten and what you are left with are a bucket load of bloody good memories!

Will I be returning? In all honestly, no. I like exercise that is clean and tidy but I can't deny the fun I had.

For more information on Tough Mudder, visit the UK website HERE. 

Lipstick Runner.