Life is Muddy!

 June 7, 2014

I drove a new stake in the ground.

 I waved the flag liberating my warrior

Going into this event, I knew would change me!  I was ready for more transformation.  I watched all the videos to pump myself up.  I knew I was mentally and physically strong.

Tough Mudder…. is not an "alone" kinda event

I am grateful for the crew I ran/walked this with.  You need your peeps to help pull you up over mud moguls, walls, arctic enemas     (to (cheer you on getting out of that!), and to carry you on their back literally!  Your peeps encourage you to keep going when you don't think you can go another step.  Everyone  is your comrade…..and I do mean EVERYONE… In fact, I almost got engaged to a stranger near the end!  Just kiddin'….. kinda.

Tough Mudder is  one  big muddy "love fest"  and you know how much I love to love!

It  represents how we should do life in community.    We should call out each others strengths.  We should encourage and motivate our people to keep going strong and hard, reaching out a hand when needed.

My biggest buddy…Kim and I stuck together thru the mud, trail running, muddy miles, climbs, and just the muck!  Did I mention that I met Kim on the first mile of the run?  My  "bad-ass-i-tude" began on that first mile with Kim

Upon arriving at the 5,000 person event, I was desperate to find a bathroom (not all that unusual), so I lost my group to save my dignity of  wetting myself right there…. It took me awhile to find them, and I was actually a little worried I wouldn't  find them.  

The voices started at that point.

Those familiar sinister voices accusingly attack:  "You are gonna fail.  You are not strong.  Everyone else is stronger.  You will get left behind."  Yeah, those condemning ones that still visit me at times.  I pushed them aside.  Found my group… and we started corralling for our 9:30 start time.  Wow, the energy was electric.  Music played, chants were repeated to pump us up even more.  Star Spangle Banner  was played.  Off we went up and over our first wall!  At this point, I knew …. THIS JUST GOT REAL!

 adrenalin was flowing and  I was feeling strong!  I had a team and we were all invincible!   At this point, I found my friend Kim who was at my pace, and we spent the rest of the day encouraging each other through the obstacles and runs…..

Ten miles and 20 obstacles in 4 hours aint half bad!  I don't have pictures for all of the obstacles, but here are a few, in no particular order of how the day played out!

Balls To The Wall

I loved this event.  I was strong, and no problem getting over it.

Wow ladies….There were tons of cute guys… mud and all!   What a great place to see what it is truly like to be treated like a lady.  Men I didn't know where offering their hands to hoist me over hills and walls;  Telling us we were looking good as we ran by… and DON'T THINK FOR ONE SECOND I DIDN'T OFFER MY ENCOURAGING WORDS TO A MAN OR TWO ALONG THE WAY!  LOL.  Kim and I laughed  about  what a great way to meet my new "man"  I mean he'd see me at my best and/or worst (however you wanna look at it).  So yes, there was flirting going on here and there.

Meet my almost fiancé!

We seemed to keep finding our way back to each other.  Here at pure exhaustion, and one of the last obstacles called Mud Moguls, he helped me with his big strong hands.  Lol.  To me, he was the most handsome muddy man in the whole world!  And such a gentleman!  Our first meeting was when he volunteered to base me on the Human Pyramid Scheme

Where the human pyramid is advertised to look like this….

Mine below…..Not so much! Lol!   In my defense…… I was told to do this by the men basing me!  Not sure why he said turn on my back and reach up…. but I did what I was told.  Thankful for my new pal Matt who pulled me up!  Glad he trained hard and did his push-ups!

See that  hand lifting my left foot?  Isn't it the most beautiful hand you have ever seen?  This sweet muddy lug let me stand on his left shoulder while my other foot stood on Eric's shoulder….  Oh, and the guy at the top right hand corner of this pic?  That's Matt.    Super thankful for those muscles of his!

The next picture is of the Funky Monkey and no, this is NOT me.  I don't have one of me on them.  But it was one of the obstacles I was most afraid of.  I was worried that I would not get across.  

 Starting out, I had my groove, and my body swing to help me get to the next bars.  The monkey bars were up hill… and once you got to the middle, they started to slope down….  My gloves hindered me to get the grip I needed, but a  big mistake I made was stopping for a rest in the middle.  It stopped my body swing, and my glove gripped caused me to slide off into the muddy water below.  I KNOW WHAT TO DO NEXT TIME TO GO ALL THE WAY ACROSS.

Team work  is everything!  How else could I have done This!

or THIS!!!!!

My next challenge that had me a bit worried….

 EVEREST

I missed on my first try, sliding down the wall in defeat.  Life is about picking ourselves up, brushing ourselves off, and trying again!  And I did it on the 2nd attempt….. Yay!

A week ago today, I was recovering from this great event!   I still smile thinking about my new lifelong muddy buddies, and  the life lessons I learned from this adventure.  The plan is to begin training now for the October Mudder in Dallas.  I have one person committed to doing it with me.  If you want to join us let me know!

Here's to getting muddy in life and encouraging each other, lifting each other up, and dragging each other along the way!