Ohio Tough Mudder 2013

We did it.  Again.

 You may remember last year. 

We are all a year older….and none the wiser.

Apparently we didn’t get enough of  mud, dirt, and grime.

Didn’t get enough of the camaraderie and team work.

Didn’t get enough of the 20 foot walls and electrical shock.

First, as the picture above shows….we have added a member to our small crazy team.

Four strong.

Matt, Shawn, Me, and Jeff.

Second, if you aren’t familiar with the Tough Mudder.  Check them out.

It always begins (and will end) with a bus ride.

Yellow school bus, bus ride.

Followed by packet pick up and baggage drop-off.

Then, bib numbers on forehead.

And always, me finding my inner-Elvis.

And this year, Jeff and I were chosen to record a bit for a Tough Mudder commercial.

Fingers crossed we make the cut!

To make it to the starting line…there is a wall to climb, or in my case, a wall to be boosted over.

 

Remember at the end…my socks were once PINK.

Overall, there are about 20 obstacles within the 10 mile course.

Monkey bars and rings ( I consider them swimming events) to muddy trenches and log carrying.

Andrea, my awesome sister-in-law, traipsed through the muck and the mud – along with Matt’s mom, girlfriend, and sister – and took all the pictures you are about to see.

Huge kudos goes out to them!!

We might be crazy.  This dude was bonkers.

Keep Calm and Chive On!

Kiss of Mud or army crawl under barbed wire.  No bigs.

 

 Nice and muddy brings a smile to my face.

 

Arctic Enema.

aka…fill a construction sight waste bin with ice and a touch of water.

Cold is an understatement.

Muddy Mile.

Or…claw, dig, climb over loosely packed muddy mounds and slide/jump/fall into water filled trenches (of unknown depth)…and repeat x 8.

Post muddy mile.

Stairway to Heaven.  Or was it Hell?  Glad I climbed fences when I was a kid.

Conversation between Jeff and I at the top…

“mom can never come to one of these” – me

“yeah, no joke” – Jeff.

Walk…

The…

Plank.

Boa Constrictor.

Claustrophobics need not apply.

Matt just dove in.

You go in and down…

Across, in, and back up.

Being short has its advantages here…

Everest.  Oiled/mud slicked quarter pipe.  Same thing.

It takes a bit of contemplation.

Some game planning.

A bit of praying.

First up, Jeff.

Boom.  Boom.  Pow.

With one of my guys up there…it was my turn.

With Jeff pulling UP and some random guy grabbing my ass…I made it up and over.

Matt…Killed. It.

Hands out…ready for Shawn.

This is my favorite shot.

It sums up the entire event.

Shawn.  Up.  and Over.

We are 4 for 4.

The guys hung out up top for a bit…until their spots were taken by other tough mudders…

Without the help of others, 99% of us would never be able to complete this obstacle.

Fact.

Next up, Electroshock therapy…

Matt bites it first.

And then Shawn goes down.

I get it on the hay bales…

Goes down Jeoff.

We. Are. Tough. Mudders.

The electrical shock may have caused damage.

Michigan, you are next.

#Gemini.