Tough Mudder is coming, what should I expect?

Lora7

Lora7

Joined
Aug 4, 2010
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As many of you are aware, I am signed up and raring to run my first Tough Mudder in a few short weeks. It's amazing to me how quickly the time has past. I'm a little nervous and feel ill prepared when it comes to what I should wear, pack and expect along the course. I've been searching websites, blogs and forums to find out what I'll need, but I'm still not sure if I have everything I'll need. To be honest, I'm not sure I'll be entirely ready until I've completed my first run. :cool: If I remember correctly, there were more than a few of you guys that had done some mud runs in the past. What bits of wisdom and lessons learned would you be willing to share with me?
 
Kick who ever is next to you in the shin.lol That's the best I got.

Good luck out there.
 
Cheat. Anyway you can, cheat. After seeing some of the videos I think I would get plastered before it started so I would not feel the pain.

Garth
 
Oh yeah, have fun. I will be the guy on the couch with beer and pizza routing for you.



Garth
 
I wore nike dri fit stuff and old shoes. Bring a towel or trash bag to sit on so you do mess up your car driving home.

Oh, and have fun in the arctic enema.
 
The trash bag thing is a good idea. Also some of that body glide stuff to prevent chaffing helps. When I did it they had periodic water points where they were handing out little electrolyte gummies but it was 8 degrees out and they were like trying to chew marbles. On of those liquid Gatorade energy packs helps at about the 3/4 mark. It's a fun run and the obstacles are not that bad. The monkey bars were the hardest and I think they grease a few of them. I was supposed at how much they shock you with. No more than a cheap stun gun but still enough to wake you up. I ended up donating my Merrill water shoes at the finish line. Not saying that shoes won't survive it but I don't think I'd wear your best ones. Getting ready to do the GoRuck challenge in September. Something about these type of runs gets addicting. Have fun with it.
 
Mad props for going through with this! Sorry that I bailed out, I know I wouldn't survive. I wish you all of the luck in the world!
 
Load up on Airborne cold remedy just after you finish. All kind of foulness gets hacked up into the mud during those mud runs. Also be careful is there is a swim component.
 
Shoes that are almost, but not quite shot, and shorts and a tee shirt, and your sense of adventure.
 
Clothes - UNDERWEAR - that dries fast. Shoes that are snug, and dry fast. Shoes get very lose when they get very wet. There were a LOT of shoes stuck in the mud for the last 5 or 6 miles of the event I ran. I used 5fingers, the velcro can continually be tightened, others in my group used Merrell's sockless running shoes.

Anywhere that rubs - apply this It WORKS

Get your restroom needs done before you get to the facility. The outhouses at the start-finish and for the first 6 miles are covered in shit and piss, unless you're in the very first group.

Pace yourself, it IS a long event, and the mud can be draining. My group let all of the numbskulls get ahead of us at the start, then passed them through the event.

Take a few gallon jugs of water and an old rag or car wash brush to wash yourself off with at the end of the event, the shower line is usually LONG.

Get ready to be VERY tired, you might want to nap in your car after the event so you don't fall asleep driving home.
 
After running two so far, I disagree with the shoe advise most people give.... I think it is important (if you want to actually keep a decent pace) to have good, supportive shoes. I have a pair or Merrell hiking shoes that have gone through both mudders so far and are all ready for a third at the end of August. Instead of throwing them away, bag them and power wash them in the driveway when you get home. Allow to dry and they are all ready for the next mud race. Crappy old sneakers aren't the best choice for running over muddy, rocky terrain. Have fun!!!
 
Maqua said:
Load up on Airborne cold remedy just after you finish. All kind of foulness gets hacked up into the mud during those mud runs. Also be careful is there is a swim component.
Click to expand...

I'm not a germaphobe...but I also don't believe in taking unecesary risks...

My local news just did a report on the germs that thrive in that muck and they took the sponsors to task about their due diligence about keeping the pits "clean within reason" and the sponsors' response was basically, "they sign a waiver, if they catch a superbug we warned them, they're consenting adults."

Don't want to be the "stick in the mud" but the sponsors they filmed undercover for the piece stated "they wouldn't be caught dead in that s*%t!"
 
I forgot about the water in the trunk. Had that as well (minus the scrub brush) and it helps get the mud out of the unwanted areas.

I cant even imagine what's in that mud. Kind of makes me want to add some bleach to the trunk water.
 
I haven't seen any suggestions for taking a few gallons of water to rinse off with after the race. That is a very good idea! :thumbup: I had read where people recommend taking a giant stack of Wet Naps or baby wipes to help clean themselves off, but the water seems like a great idea. There were also a lot of suggestions for wearing swimwear under clothes so you could just strip down to that and rinse from there. What do you guys think about that idea?

As for the Airborne, that's another thing I hadn't thought about. There were a bunch of links that told about sickness and disease that were linked to Tough Mudder from all the mud and water. I'll be sure to pick some up on my way there.

I'm really excited and nervous about this run. I can't wait to get it over with and I'm anxious to sign up for more. I have a feeling that you are right, Tankerwolf, I think I might find a new addiction with mud runs.
 
I've done 2 of these, at the end of each one they had a rinse station setup for you to hose down at. Swimsuit underneath might not be a bad idea. Either way won't get all the mud off til you get home to shower.
 
some day I want to do one of these looks fun.
I will keep dieting :)
The one in AZ had electrified lines hanging down that shocked the stuff out of you toward the end.

Good on you Lora, you go girl.
 
Almost every Tough Mudder that I've seen has had the "Electroshock Therapy" obstacle. This is always the final obstacle and there is an ice cold beer on the other side of the finish line. (At least that's what the website uses as a motivation to help push you through:)) It looks daunting, that's for sure. I'm not going in to be the fastest runner, I just want to say that I've done it and that I didn't bypass any of the obstacles. Thanks for the support everyone!
 
The TM I did had some snafu with serving beer at the end so we ended up getting these really nice Dos Equis (spelling?) pint glasses. Pretty cool consolation prize.
The best thing you can do is have fun with it and give it your best shot. Don't worry about time. That takes all the fun out of it.
 
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