Tough Mudder Pros and Cons

Last Summer, my friend, Vivianna Landeros encouraged me to sign up for the Tough Mudder. Interested in a new challenge, I teamed up with her and signed up. On Sunday, February 10, 2013, both Viv and I completed the Tough Mudder SoCal Winter event held in Temecula, California. It was an interesting and motivating experience. If you're thinking of doing the Tough Mudder, I'll go over some pros and cons as well as some advice that will help you get through it.

First the pros:

The Tough Mudder cultivated and environment of camaraderie and it was clearly evident in how all the Mudders (competitors) were more than willing to help each other. It was pretty awesome to witness people helping each other get through obstacles.

The Tough Mudder was mentally challenging and very rewarding once the 12 mile course was completed. While each individual obstacle was physically challenging, but very doable, the real challenge would lay in the mental grind of the 12 mile course and multiple obstacles.

The Tough Mudder event was well run. There was plenty of staff on hand to keep things running smoothly. From the staff running the registration and bag check-in, to the staff running the water and snack stations, everyone was helpful and really nice.

The cons:

The Tough Mudder is not cheap! When I registered in July of 2012 for this event in February, the base fee was already $105. Then, there was the hidden fees added to that. A $15 charge for insurance, and another $8.80 online fee. My total sign up fee ended up being $128.80 I hate hidden fees and found those ridiculous! Just include everything in one simple fee Tough Mudder!

You can not transfer your Tough Mudder entry to someone else. The person that signs up, is the only person that can do the course.

If you suffer an injury or illness and need to transfer to a different Tough Mudder event at a later date, there's a $30 fee. I found this out the hard way when my partner, Viv, came down with a kidney infection the week before. She couldn't pass on her entry to someone else, and when I e-mailed Tough Mudder, they informed me that medical documentation would need to be shown, and that it would still be a $30 transfer fee per person!

Luckily, Viv felt better the week of and decided to suck it up and do the event. Yup! She's brave! I was a bit worried for her but she did and awesome job!

Parking was $10 and it was a mile away from the registration and start area. WTF? That's just bad planning!

How to prepare:

One of the reasons I decided on doing the Tough Mudder is to prove that short intense workouts will transfer over to endurance events. If you can do my 12 day Fat X Program, I'm confident you'd be able to complete the Tough Mudder. Although, I would add in some hiking and jogging so that you condition your joints.

I'm not a runner and my joints were taking a beating on the 12 mile course. Especially on the downhills. Make sure to wear good running shoes. I didn't and I payed for it the days after the event. My left knee really hurt and my right foot was swollen and painful. Donating my shoes at the end of the 12 mile course and then walking a mile back to the parking lot was no fun! It probably added to my joint issues.

Make sure that you eat well the night before and also that you hydrate. Get in your electrolytes! I saw many people cramping. Hydrating and getting in your electrolytes will prevent any unnecessary suffering.

Ready for a Tough Mudder in 2013? Here's one of the Tough Mudder training workout videos I put together last year as a bonus to my 12 day Fat X Program that will help you prepare.

By the way, if you're wondering. Yes! I have cut my hair. No more long locks, the long hair phase is over. I must admit, it's easier to wash up after tough workouts. ; )

If you're interested in training with me, and you're in the Pasadena area, contact me for rates, and availability.

If you have any questions, feel free to contact me. I want to help you succeed, because when you succeed, I succeed as a fitness coach.

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