This past Saturday I ran in the Nashville Tough Mudder with some Crossfit friends. This was the first race I had ever ran and by far the longest I’ve ever ran. I surprised myself on some things and disappointing myself on others, but mostly I had a blast. I highly recommend running one at least once. If they come back next year I’ll run again and do even better. This article isn’t just about the fitness aspects but survival lessons learned from the race. So let’s jump right into this like a mud puddle.
The Run
The race was a grueling 10.6 Miles through mud and obstacles. I’ve never ran 10 miles before, hell I’ve never ran five miles before. I’m not going to lie and tell you I flat out ran the entire distance. I did keep moving through all the cramps. There were a ton of fun obstacles. I have a hard time picking the one I didn’t like. Most would tell you they hated the Arctic Enema, a polar plunge in freezing water. I actually enjoyed the chilly dip so much I may join the polar bear club. The two miles through slippery mud though were annoying. The big lessons learned from the run would be I need to train running more. I didn’t have the speed or endurance I wanted. I also fell on the Funky Monkey, a monkey bar climb over water. I need to work on my grip strength.
Preperations
I used sunscreen and a waterproof one at that but must have missed a few places. My tank top must have moved and those places got burn. So put on more than you think you need. Then put on more. Maybe carry a tiny bottle with you. I didn’t hydrate well enough leading up to the event. I think that and not doing much of any carbs contributed to my many cramps. I took normal hiking precautions with my feet and wore two layers of socks. One thin synthetic base layer and light weight wool hiking socks. My feet did very well like that, no blisters or any comfort issues. My shoes, cheap walmart ones which were on their death bed anyway got tossed at the end. In the future I’ll also bring a change of clothes and a towel and use the changing area and not between cars.
Survival
I think the Tough Mudder and similar races have real potential for training for us preppers/ Survivalists. A lot of the obstacles are over the top and that’s great. I can see real benefits for running through various terrain: mud, creeks, hills. During a bug out you will face many kinds of terrain and having trained and been through them before will be a huge benefit. Climbing wall’s and jumping into icy cold water will show you your weaknesses so you can learn from them. You will learn what your limits are and how to push through the pain and finish strong.
Final Thoughts
I actually went into this not sure I would be able to finish. I knew that just six months ago I could not have. I am getting stronger and fitter all the time and I owe it to my gym and the community there. My team pushed me kept me going. Big thanks to them Team Delirious Acrobats! I looked through the tough mudder facebook page to find pictures of us and found none. Hopefully more come in and I’ll update this post. Hope some of you decide to run and good luck!
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