Tough Mudder SoCal - My Insane Adventure

Monday, May 30, 2011

(This recap is going to be in two parts. The first, here, is the objective description of the Tough Mudder. The second, still to come, is the way I felt before, during and after running the event.)Saturday, May 28th, I ran the SoCal Tough Mudder. Without a doubt, this was the single most intense, demanding, and inspiring athletic event I have ever done. It was ten miles of rugged terrain, an elevation ascent equivalent to climbing a 300 story building, and a lack of oxygen that comes from running at nearly 8,000 feet altitude.

In other words, the Tough Mudder was exactly what they promised me: Probably the Toughest Event on the Planet. And this is the official description: Tough Mudder is not your average lame-ass mud run or spirit-crushing ‘endurance’ road race. It’s Ironman meets Burning Man, and it is coming to a location near you. Our 10-12 mile obstacle courses are designed by British Special Forces to test all around strength, stamina, mental grit, and camaraderie. Forget finish times. Simply completing a Tough Mudder is a badge of honor.

And this is the Tough Mudder pledge that every Mudder swears before the start:

As a Tough Mudder I pledge that…
* I understand that Tough Mudder is not a race but a challenge.
* I put teamwork and camaraderie before my course time.
* I do not whine – kids whine.
* I help my fellow Mudders complete the course.
* I overcome all fears.

Here is a link to the video I made during the event using a helmet-cam. The times on the obstacles below correspond to their appearance in the video, in case you want to fast forward to a specific obstacle.

And here is a breakdown of the obstacles, and nearly every one of them was done while we were being sprayed with ice cold water:

(06:00) Braveheart Charge – The start of the event, with a wave of 500 people cheering and yelling and charging downhill



(09:00) Boa Constrictor – Crawl through small pipes with sand, mud and grit



(13:00) Kiss Of Mud – Crawl on your belly through mud under low wire 8” off the ground




Platform Cross – Up and over a slick wooden platform


(14:30) Mile of Mud – Run through a mud pit



(15:00) Jocks on the Rocks - Jump into a pit of mud and ice


(17:45) Log Bog Jog – Leap over fallen logs

(21:30) Funky Monkey - Swing across monkey bars over cold, muddy water



(23:00) BBQ Pit – Low crawl through a pit, underneath hot coals and ash


(25:00) Hold Your Wood - Pick up and run up a steep hill with a heavy log


(27:30) Underwater Tunnels - Swim underneath barrels held on the surface of the water


(31:10) Ball Shrinker - Traverse ropes stretched across a pond




(34:15) Walk the Plank - Jump off planks into a super cold pond and swim across



(39:00) Dirt Hill – Climb up soft sand and a lot of it


(39:55) Box Trot – Leap from box to box… or fall like the rest of us and slog through the mud


(41:00) Bottleneck – Single file through a tight trail, then rock climbing to get up and out

(41:50) Devil's Beard – Crazy cargo netting

(43:15) Death March - Steep climb up one of the ski slopes

(43:35) Primal Scream – Near the top, let the world hear your call

(46:55) Evil Knievel – Race up the greased half-pipe, reach out, and hang on


(49:15) Cliff Hanger – Climb straight up the mountain



(52:58) Greased Lightning - Slide down a steep hill into the cold water and swim back out



(55:08) Kentucky Derby – A crazy mix of logs to navigate over


Gauntlet - Up and down a steep ski slope while being sprayed by high-pressure hose

Berlin Walls - Climb over 12’ walls made of wooden planks


Platform Crawl – Crawl through a low passage drenched in mud and packed with hay


Electroshock Therapy - Run through live electric wires (seriously, live wires)



And of course, the glory that came with finishing!

Losses and Gains

(This is a long blog, folks, but it's personal and from the heart. Thank you for taking the time to read it and I hope that it conveys all that I am feeling right now.) 

When I began my journey, my focus was on what I hoped to lose. Inches and pounds. I had no idea that my bigger reward was what I would gain. 

It's been sixteen months since I really began using Spark People. And it's been eleven months since what I was reading and writing online sunk in enough that it became an integral part of my real-world activities. Sure, I knew that exercise and healthy eating were important and I tried to stick with them, but my success was hit-and-miss. But then, something clicked. I finally understood that I needed to build consistency if I truly wanted to live a healthy life. 

My early goals were simple. I wanted to lose weight. I wanted to drop pounds and shed inches. I wanted the fat gone. And day after day, week after week, month after month, I worked hard to achieve those goals. I dropped 5 pounds, then 10, then got into One-derland. I kept dropping, down another 5 and another 5 and another. And now, I've stopped focusing on the number on the scale and started judging my fitness by non-scale variables, like how my clothes fit, my energy levels and my overall mood and attitude. 

Yep, I lost what I wanted to lose. But my real reward was in what I gained. 

Since losing the weight and becoming active, I have run a half marathon with my best friend. I have run a Super Spartan race with amazing friends. I have enjoyed a guys' weekend in San Francisco running Bay to Breakers with two Marine Corps buddies. And I have run a Ragnar Relay with a group of strangers that welcomed me and made me feel like one of the team. 

I have had the most amazing moments. I have run alone under the midnight moon, with friends through crowds of screaming supporters, along vistas offering spectacular landscape views, along harbors and bays and tree-lined paths. I have clung to and jumped from obstacles and ropes and into mud bogs. And in the months to come, I will endure a Tough Mudder, two more half-marathons, and finally, the Marine Corps Marathon. 

I have lost weight, sure. But I have gained experiences and moments that are the absolute definition of life well-lived. I have wept with pride and beamed with joy. I have crossed finish lines and hugged strangers and friends and family. I have staggered and stumbled and walked, sprinted and charged and crawled. I have shared moments of pride and accomplishment with loved ones by my side. I have felt more alive in the last year than I have in the forty-three years that came before. 

Yes, I have lost a lot over the last 12 months. But my true victory and success comes in what I have gained. No more wasting my life, sitting around and letting others experience the challenges and reap the rewards. I have been given a chan... no, wait... I have MADE a chance for me to live a better life, and there is nothing that can stop me now. 

Life. It's what I have gained. 

(Originally posted on SparkPeople.com)

Mammoth View

Out the front window

Jordin Sparks' "I Am Woman," or, More Pop Crap

Not sure why this has me so annoyed this morning, but here it is, anyway. Have you heard the new song by Jordin Sparks? It's called "I Am Woman." And it's crap. But here, listen for yourself.



Bad, right? It gets worse. Here's the lyrics:

It ain't easy walkin' in stilettos
But somebody gotta do it
Spend a day in my shoes
Then see what the hell I go through
It's so rigorous
Doing what I do
Always on point
Always on cue
Life's so hectic
Call it a zoo
Think you understand
If you only knew

I am (I am) woman (woman)
I am (I am) woman (woman)
I'm a woman
I'm a woman
Yes I am
Ain't nobody else can do it like we can
Said I am (I am) woman (woman)
I am (I am) woman (woman)
I'm a woman
I'm a woman
Yes I am
Ain't nobody else can do it quite like we can

My first thought? No, Miss Sparks, you are mistaken. No one has to wear stilettos. Women choose to because they think they make them look sexy. But they wear them by choice, not by mandate. Perhaps if you really want to sing an anthem for women, you might want to go with something like this:

Women wearing sneakers and flats
Look just fine 'cuz we're all that
Wearing stilettos, look like a whore
Make me do that, I'll show you the door

Yeah. I know. I'm no songwriter. But really, people, this song is bad. Terrible bad. Like, Beyonce's new "Girls Run The World" bad.

You've been warned.

Of Blame and Credit

Last night, a team of Navy Seals were dispatched to Pakistan to capture or kill Osama Bin Laden. Unfortunately, the team was unsuccessful. They failed. The details are still emerging, and it is unknown at this time if the mission failed because of mechanical, logistic, or personnel problems. Either way, the blame for this rests with the Special Forces team. They had their orders and failed to complete them.

Can you imagine if this had been the message shared by the President last night? This entire nation would be (justifiably) outraged that the President… the Commander-in-Chief… had put the blame on the Navy Seals. We would all be pissed off that he was shirking his responsibility and authority as the head of the United States military and, instead, criticizing the Special Forces teams. We would all remind him that he was ultimately in charge of everything that the military did, good or bad, and that he needed to step up and take responsibility.

So, why is it that some are so quick to attack the President for his words last night? Based on what I’m reading, the President is being criticized for taking credit for the successful mission launched against Bin Laden. First, I didn’t hear that in his speech at all, but that is an argument for another day. Even if he was boasting, why shouldn’t he?

Just as he is ultimately responsible for any failures of the military, he is also ultimately responsible for any successes. He is the C-I-C, and it was under his leadership and command that Bin Laden was brought to justice.

If you know me at all, you know that I am a passionate and dedicated supporter of our military. My support is more than just a bumper sticker, too. My husband and I happily give our time and our money to a variety of military-related charities, and we directly help our extended Marine Corps families. Like so many others, I have lost countless hours worrying and praying for our brave servicemen and women in harm’s way. And I say all of this to remind people that I would never take anything away from our military.

But the President IS the Commander in Chief. He is the man who made the capture or killing of Osama Bin Laden the highest priority. And yes, he deserves credit for doing his part to make this happen.

More details will surely come in the days to follow, but I did find this today. It's worth reading to get an idea of how this whole thing started.

My Brush With Celebrity, The Go-Go's!

I'll say it. I LOVE Twitter. I love that it creates instant connections between celebrities and fans.

Case in point, this response from the fabulous Kathy Valentine of the Go-Go's.



And the backstory. The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame is opening their "Women In Rock" exhibit, and the Go-Go's are absent. Stupid, right? Fans were vocally unhappy, and now the Rock Hall is claiming that they reached out to the band but their management never got back to them.

I called shenanigans. And I did so with a tweet to Jane Wiedlin and Kathy Valentine. Lo and behold, Miss KV replied to me via Twitter.

Yeah, I know it's silly. But it's fun. I have been a crazy fan of the Go-Go's for thirty years, and I'm still enough of a kid at heart to love when one of my music faves takes a moment to drop me a personal note.

I'm cool like that.

Blowin’ Shit Up

It’s why we join the Marines.



Seriously — people join the Army to be all they can be, while others join the Navy to see the world.

And folks join the Air Force to get a technical education or to pay for college.

But by and large young men tend to join the Marines in order to kill some motherfuckers and to blow shit up.

It really is that simple.

This was lifted in its entirety from the explicitly gay, often raunchy, always entertaining blog, "Bill In Exile." It's definitely Not Safe For Work, but I thought this post was too good to not share. When Scott (the blogger) talks about Marines, it's firsthand and always worth the read.

"What I Cannot Change"

Just something on my mind today...

[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iZhNQDab7Jg&w=480&h=390]

"What I Cannot Change"

I know what makes me comfortable
I know what makes me tick
And when I need to get my way I know how to pour it on thick
Cream and sugar in my coffee
Right away when I awake
I face the day and pray to God I won't make the same mistakes
Oh the rest is out of my hands

I will learn to let go what I cannot change
I will learn to forgive what I cannot change
I will learn to love what I cannot change
But I will change, I will change
Whatever I, whenever I can

I don't know my Father
Or my Mother well enough
Seems like every time we talk we can't get past the little stuff
The pain is self inflicted
I know it's not good for my health
But it's easier to please the world than it is to please myself
Oh the rest is out of my hands

I will learn to let go what I cannot change
I will learn to forgive what I cannot change
I will learn to love what I cannot change
But I will change, I will change
Whatever I, whenever I can

Right now I can't care about how everyone else will feel
I have enough hurt of my own to heal





I will learn to let go what I cannot change
I will learn to forgive what I cannot change
I will learn to love what I cannot change
But I will change, I will change
Whatever I, whenever I can

First World Problems

A little perspective goes a long way.

This morning, I had another one of my "wow" moments. Those are the times when a thought just pops into my head and stops me in my tracks.

It started like every other morning. I was brushing my teeth, thinking about the day ahead, and I noticed my running shoes on the floor. Out of nowhere, I thought, "those shoes cost more than some people make in a month." And the more I stared at them, the more I realized, I am a man with First World Problems.

I worry about having too much to eat. I worry about staying up too late playing with tech toys or watching TV. I worry about finding the motivation to get up early for the gym. I worry about my training program, wondering if it will be enough to get me to a sub-two hour half marathon. And I worry that I won't be in great shape when I go to my reunion in June.

In other words, I'm worrying over little things that pale in comparison to the struggles others are facing.

I'm not saying my life is perfect, but I need to remember that I am perfectly capable of dealing with anything going on in my life right now. I'm not struggling to find food or water. I'm not desperate to find shelter. I'm not alone and abandoned. I'm not facing a life-threatening illness. And my family and friends are equally blessed.

Perspective. This morning, I caught a little glimpse of it. And that's a good thing, indeed.

Safari Park Half Marathon Report

Alright, folks, here is your race report. Be ready for some long reading, because this post has it all.

First, a little background. I've never run a half marathon before. I've run 5Ks and 10Ks, and I've even run an eight-mile obstacle race. But a half marathon? Nope. And 13.1 miles can seem pretty intimidating. But I knew it was the next step in my development as a runner, so it was only a matter of time. That time was today.

The event was the Safari Park Half Marathon at the Wild Animal Park in San Diego. The course went out the front of the park, around a few miles, back through the park, around another few miles, then finished inside the park. When I signed up, the course indicated only one big hill. But thanks to mudslides and a washed out road, the modified route included two big hills and a lot more inclines.



It was the first time for this event, so I expected a logistical nightmare. It started at 7am, so me being the over-achiever, I left my house at 4:30am. Traffic was light and the signage was screwed up at the park, so I ended up driving the wrong route in. They sent me around a weird way to get to parking, which ended up much better for me.

Here's the start line... and that is my green jeep immediately to the right.


The best part about parking there? No need for gear check and I got to sit in my heated car and wait for the race to start.

Here I am taking a quick pic of me with the start line.


While I had time to kill, I decided to wander up to the check-in area and see what was going on. Anyone else surprised at the difference in the lines for the men's and women's rooms?



Heading back to my car, I noticed this sign. Perhaps next year a "Race For Literacy" is in order.


My best friend and long-suffering running buddy, Jerry, was on hand to make sure I got through the run.


And thank you my friends, Andrea, Gwen and Christine, who were also there to cheer us on. It was great to have a little personal cheering section ready to go!

Now, the race report. Just a couple of borrowed photos from others here, because I was focused on running. Jerry had his Garmin Forerunner watch, so it was up to him to watch our pace.

We started on a bit of a downhill, so we felt strong and fast right from the beginning. The weather was cool but not cold, no wind, and just enough cloud cover to keep it pleasant.



The first couple of miles felt great, even with the inclines. But the hill up to the 4th mile was wicked. (I thought it was just me, but experienced runners are now describing the entire run as "hilltastic.")

After mile 4, we made our way into the park. It wasn't a long stretch, but it was nice to see some of the animals and hear the roar of the way supportive crowd. After mile 5, it was back out of the park and onto the highway again. A quick turn-around and we were back through the park, retracing our path through the crowds and by the animals. Mile 8 was back on the highway and running back over the earlier miles. (Yep, there was a lot of doublebacks.) We didn't hit the inside of the park again until after mile 12, and the last bit of the run was smack in the heart of the park.

There were so many highlights. First, of course, were the fantastic voice mails everyone left for me. They kept popping up in my iPod shuffle, and each time, they made me smile and laugh and feel totally recharged. I asked for help and my Spark Buddies showered it on me. There are no words to explain how motivating you all were for me while I ran.

Several of you gave me the same advice: "Don't get so focused on the ground below you that you miss the wonder of the race itself. See what is all around you and remember every moment."

So I did. I saw the mist across the hills of Escondido. I saw the smiles on the faces of the amazing volunteers and spectators. I heard the cowbells and the applause and cheers. I laughed at the other runners in costumes and I whooped and celebrated every single mile marker.

And when I came into the park for the last stretch, I looked to my left and saw the rhinos watching me back. It was surreal, running through the Wild Animal Park with these amazing creatures all around us. It was a fantastic location for my first half marathon.



My finish line moment was great, right out of a movie. As I crossed, I lifted both of my arms and shouted, "yes! yes! yes!" But my real emotional moment came back earlier in the race. At mile 11, it hit me. I was going to finish. Until that moment, I had been carrying a fear deep in my mind that I wasn't going to do it. Something was going to happen. I was going to be too slow and get swept, or hurt myself while running, or worse, just not have the speed and endurance to make it all the way.

I had been holding on to old fears and feelings of inadequacy. Until that very moment, I hadn't truly believed I could do it. But I crossed the mile marker and instantly, the tears came. I was smiling and crying at the same time, more than a little surprised by the flood of emotion I was experiencing. I tried to explain to Jerry, and I think he understood. He said, "John, I knew from mile 5 that I was going to be just fine, and I knew from the start that you were going to finish."

Yep, that's why he's my best friend. He sees the best in me even when I don't. And here we are, after the race, all smiles and happiness and finisher's medals.


Before I left the park, Jerry reminded me that I had one more thing I needed to do. I have earned the title "half marathoner" and I want the world to know. Now, at least, anyone following me on the highway will know.



And now, the results. Even with all the inclines and the two serious hills, we were able to maintain a steady pace and finish with a respectable 2:09:48. My goal was to finish, and we did. But the strong time for me absolutely made this day even greater.


If you think a half marathon is out of your reach, perhaps you are setting your sights too low. Because a year ago, I couldn't imagine doing what I did today. Heck, a year ago, running a 5K was more than I could do. But I have worked and trained and kept myself focused, and I have gone from the guy on the left to the guy on the right.


And today, I proved that I am capable. I am strong. I am a runner. And I am truly just beginning.