So as I count my bruises...14...15, 16 I can’t help but smile. There is one very large one on the underside of my left thigh, and it’s in the shape of a hand print. I’m not exactly sure whose hand, but it doesn’t really matter. I know when I got it. It wasn’t Saturday night in the Irish pub, but Saturday afternoon climbing over a twelve foot ‘Berlin’ wall at the Tough Mudder in Whistler.
The Big Kahunas, our team of 16 men and women entered willingly into the 19.3 km challenge off road run with 22 military style obstacles designed by the British Special Forces. All but one crossed the finish line to receive the coveted orange Tough Mudder head band. The one who didn’t finish had a shoulder injury, and two who did finish had knee injuries. A few cuts a few scrapes and plenty of bruises round out the listing.
Someone asked me before the Mudder ‘why would I do such a thing?’ My answer was the challenge, and the goal. I am a person who needs a goal to work towards, and a challenge is usually something I can’t turn down, like learning to run last year to participate in the 10 km Vancouver Sun Run. Goals become reality when you focus on achieving them. The Tough Mudder was tough all right, but we had trained and we were prepared. The worst of it for me was not the waist deep mud in some places, the electric shock, the barbed wire, the steep slope climb next to the Olympic ski jumps at the 10 mile mark, when you thought you were almost done, but probably the ice water. Not the first one, but the second one in the frozen lake, and then the third one which was all muddy and went up my nose after I slid off a greased monkey bar and fell into and under the water. But, we all just kept on going, even Steve with his twisted knee from very early on, and Scott also with a twisted knee later on.
So was it fun? Yes! Would I do it again? Probably, since I am already planning costumes for next year.
Eight of these Big Kahuna’s are from Bowen Island, Fawn Gill, Scott Begg, Joanne Mogridge, Carlos Vela-Martinez, Melodie Mosier, Johnny Bacon, Tim Hausch, & David Kurt. Thanks to all of you for your help and team support.
Joanne
PS: Here's Tim's legs after the event, after being rinsed...
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