WHICH OBSTACLE ARE YOU?

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You might enjoy clambering over them, sharing photos of you conquering them and designing them yourself, but which obstacle matches your personality? No we haven’t lost the plot but yes lockdown is very long and without events we’ve had think of some weird new ways to talk about obstacles. Enough questions? Let’s find out what it means if you think you’re more of a Mudderhorn than a Mud Mile (just go with it okay).

WHICH OBSTACLE MATCHES YOUR PERSONALITY?

We’ve chosen four of our favorite Tough Mudder obstacles which clearly represent personality types. If you’re looking for some intelligent insight into your psyche – this isn’t it. However, if you want to waste five minutes in the zoom meeting that could have been an email, then honey, this is for you.

ELECTROSHOCK THERAPY

Some people love it and others would rather do Arctic Enema repeatedly on an October day than set foot anywhere near finisher obstacle Electroshock Therapy. If you find that people either want to be your best friend or can’t stand to be anywhere near you, EST is for you. Those of us who identify most with this sparky number are likely to be blunt, bossy and to take no bullsh*t. It might sound bad but this person is a badass. They definitely don’t whine (kids whine) and they’ll give you the tough love you need to get over any obstacle.

MUDDERHORN

Mighty Mudderhorn stands proud over all obstacles. If you and Mudderhorn are one and the same (or as much as you can be with scaffolding and net) then you’re likely to be proud, sophisticated and unique. Mudderhorn is the tallest ever obstacle on course after all. At an event you’ll be the leader (although it might put you at odds with your friend, EST) but instead of telling your team what they don’t want to hear, you’ll be inspiring them with motivational speeches and tales of adventures gone by to get them over the finish line.

BLOCK NESS MONSTER

Look, everyone wants to be Block Ness Monster. Consistently voted Mudder Nation’s favorite obstacle Block Ness Monster is beloved as our most fun obstacle and the one which requires absolutely everyone to work together. Block Ness Monster Mudders are always up for a laugh, they have a silly sense of humor but they’re always ready to pitch in and help anyone and everyone when the time calls. If you think you’re Block Ness Monster, we suggest you ask your teammates, it’s very possible you’re a little more Mud Mile.

MUD MILE

Ah Mud Mile, just as fun and friendly as its friend Block Ness Monster but somehow in a much less refined way. Mud Mile Mudders are loud, excitable and a little bit messy (okay a lot a bit messy). You could be considered a Mud Mile if you always forget things you need for event day but never let it spoil your buzz. You’re probably a legionnaire with plenty of laps under your belt because it won’t matter how many times you tackle an obstacle, you’re always ready to go again once you hear the first few notes of Eye of The Tiger.

SHOULD I SKIP AN OBSTACLE?

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Tough Mudder obstacles are the biggest and baddest in the business. For nearly 10 years, our Obstacle Design Team has continued to raise the bar and test your will and your courage. So, if you ever feel the natural urge to hesitate before attempting an obstacle, believe me, you are not alone.

Every weekend and at every wave of Tough Mudder obstacle course events, I make it very clear that there are no penalties for skipping an obstacle. Tough Mudder is designed for you to reach deep into yourself, but absolutely never to a point where you are meant to feel ashamed or punished for not doing something. Tough Mudder is about growth. I have seen it. From the beginning of the run to the finish and from event to event, teamwork, camaraderie, and courage grows.

DESIGNED TO CHALLENGE

The obstacles on the Tough Mudder course are all designed to challenge you in different ways: Confined spaces (hello, Cage Crawl), heights (talking about you, Mudderhorn), physical capacity (Funky Monkey at the ready), and, of course, teamwork skills (meet me at Block Ness Monster!). I like to say that there is something for everyone.

Personally, it’s Arctic Enema that makes me pause. No matter how many times I’ve been through this obstacle, there is always a part of me that says “Skip this.” It’s not so much the dunking of my head under water, but the cold! It’s only with the help of my teammates that I put my head down and go for it. I’ve done over 50+ Tough Mudder courses and every time this one obstacle scares the sh*t out of me. And every time I get through it, I feel so accomplished. I faced a fear and made it. Man, it feels good just thinking about it now as I write this!

That, though, is the perfect reason to talk about why you maybe shouldn’t skip obstacles. Personal accomplishment is a major reason why our Obstacle Design Team does what they do to challenge us on course. The feeling of overcoming a fear, especially when there is teamwork involved, has long lasting effects on your life.

POWER OF TEAMWORK

Mudder Nation now numbers over 4 million participants worldwide, and we don’t exist because of how muddy the course got us. It’s about the personal transformations that happen out there. When we are scared, intimidated, and overwhelmed and yet still make it through obstacles?  It flips a switch in your mind; all the other challenges you may face in your daily life suddenly take on a much lower stress level.

All you need is a little help from your friends. The community here at Tough Mudder is the most supportive group of people I have ever met in my life. I regularly see runners literally sacrificing their bodies on course to ensure that perfect strangers are able to achieve their goals. The sight brings such joy to my heart and highlights one other major point about Tough Mudder obstacles.

BELIEVE IN YOURSELF

The obstacles may be tough, but they are not impossible. More often than not, the reason why people don’t skip obstacles is because they believe they can do it. I will tell you right now, if you want anything on course bad enough, there is no way you will not accomplish it! This fact should light a fire in you to come out, challenge yourself, and grow as a person and as a Tough Mudder.

Be open to new challenges and never feel like you “have” to do anything you are not 100 percent sure about. I’ll see you on course, and as always, I’ll be the first to lend you my hand, knee, or simply motivation to help you achieve all that you are capable of!

HOW TO STAY ON TOP OF YOUR GOALS WHILE SOCIAL DISTANCING

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I think we can all say with plenty of confidence 2020 has been a weird year, Mudder Nation.

Before we get into the nitty, gritty of this blog, we want to give you a little reminder. You don’t have to be continually busy and continually productive to be successful. Now is a great time to fall in love with rest and recovery. Take a step back, call your loved ones, and use this period to reflect. It’s an important, healthy action during this period of transition and uncertainty.

OKAY, NOW LET’S TALK QUARANTINE GOALS:

Many of us have a lot of time right now to reflect on life and find ourselves with an abundance of free time. And while it starts off as a relaxing period of chilling out, we might quickly find ourselves falling into negative cycles, developing bad habits, or slacking off in ways that don’t feel great.

This ample amount of free time without structure can become overwhelming and uncomfortable. A good way to minimize that discomfort during that period of uncertainty is to develop some quarantine goals and use this time productively. We’ve outlined a few steps you can take during this time to honor your goals. Let us know your thoughts and if the following is helpful:

REFLECT ON HOW FAR YOU’VE COME AND IDENTIFY THE GOALS YOU WANT TO ACHIEVE

Like we said, life is in transition and taking time to reflect is really important right now. Maybe you have been running around like crazy the past few months trying to juggle work and training for the 2020 Tough Mudder season. Or maybe you’ve been in a funk and haven’t used your time productively before all this happened.

Either way, you likely have more time now than you’ve had in a while (unless you’re a medical professional or critical worker, in which case thank you for all you are doing right now).

But for the rest of us, go for a walk, journal, think about how you want to use this time. What goals do you want to achieve and why do you want to achieve them? Do you want to lose weight or do you want a more active lifestyle? Where would a more active lifestyle lead you in the next 6 months or the next year? How could a more active lifestyle reshape your family structure and your friendships?

Now is a great time to reflect, ask questions, and develop a goal for the next few weeks.

SET BENCHMARKS FOR YOUR GOAL

It’s been said it takes 21 days to build a routine and 90 to form a habit. Use this time to focus on your goals and focus on the next 3 weeks to make that goal a part of your daily life.

Write out specific goals you want to achieve each week and one major goal you want to achieve at the end of this period.

BUILD A SUPPORT SYSTEM THAT WILL KEEP YOU ACCOUNTABLE

Having a community is always important, but it is especially important now, when we find ourselves socially distanced from each other and unable to connect like we may have in the past.

Lean into your support systems, connect with others, FaceTime your friends. It’s really important right now.

FIND A MENTOR OR BUDDY

Even within a community it can be really helpful and necessary to have one or two people who are especially holding you accountable and working through your goals with you. This person should be somebody you are checking in with regularly, will pick you up when you’re down, and will motivate you to push harder when you’re feeling good.

BUILD BREAKS INTO YOUR QUARANTINE GOALS – BUT DON’T SKIP MORE THAN ONE DAY

Finally, Mudder Nation, nobody is perfect. Let’s cut the crap and acknowledge there will be good days and bad days. And if there’s a day you’re not feeling it, you can skip. Give yourself the freedom to skip and build breaks into your routine.

However, a helpful rule is to never skip more than one day in a row. Skip one day and get back on track the next day. If you skip two or more, it’s really easy to fall out of the routine.

HOW RUNNING CAN HELP YOUR MENTAL HEALTH

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EVER HAD ONE OF THOSE DAYS WHERE YOU JUST CAN’T FOCUS?

Maybe you have too much to do but don’t know where to start and can’t for the life of you remember what you were supposed to tell that person? Then you decide to go out for a run to ‘blow off some steam’ and it just feels a little easier and clearer afterwards? That is science. Running has been scientifically proven to reverse the damaging effects of stress on the brain.

It doesn’t matter if you’re training for  World’s Toughest Mudder, just starting out on our Couch to 5K program, or somewhere in between. Running can be used as a therapy to help improve your mood and decrease stress. Furthermore, runners will tell you post-run that they feel happy, free, calm, and more peaceful. Science backs this up to. Here’s why running is so good for your mind:

HAPPY FEET 

We’ve all heard of the magical ‘runners high’. The moment you get to the end of your run and feel like you could conquer the world. That is brought on as a result of an increase in levels of endorphins being released in the brain. Known as the feel-good hormone. Endorphins are released steadily at low levels throughout the day, but running causes them to be released at much higher levels. Getting those feet moving and pounding that pavement really can make you feel happier and better overall.

And while running isn’t the only activity that releases endorphins, it is a good one to have in the mix. Other activities that release endorphins include all physical exercise, laughing, meditating, eating chocolate, or doing any activity that makes you smile.

ALONE TIME

If things are stressful at work, you have the daily battle of homeschooling, or you are about to lose it because your roommates are driving you mad, maybe it’s time to take a break. Running alone is a great way to get out and have some well deserved time to yourself (if you are able to follow guidance).

If you feel comfortable, stick in earphones and listen to that Spotify playlist or podcast you haven’t got round to starting and just zone out for a little while. Let your feet carry you and see where you end up. Sometimes 5 minutes is far enough before you want to turn round, other days you might go the furthest you’ve ever gone. Having realistic goals is a good way to push yourself, but sometimes it’s also beneficial to not put any extra stress on yourself and just be happy to have gotten out for a little while.

KEEP ON RUNNING

We all know that running has physical health benefits and improves general fitness, but for many people, it isn’t just about putting one foot in front of the other. Running can be a form of meditation in its own right and is ideal if you find the thought of sitting still in silence for 30 minutes a day worse than the thought of going through Electroshock Therapy more than once in a row. It’s a peaceful, repetitive activity that provides a stillness in the mind.

Using running as a form of meditation offers a variety of things:

  • The natural rhythm provides the ideal chance for your mind to be purely in the present and become attuned to your surroundings.
  • Discovery of your inner voice. Using this and turning it into a positive self-talk exercise is a very effective tool to change your focus and give you a boost. Even if it’s just to tell yourself you can reach the next lamp post without stopping.
  • Relaxation and tranquillity often follow a run. The mind is calmer, and the body feels less stressed and some of the things that seemed overwhelming beforehand suddenly feel achievable.

 

THE FIVE BIGGEST OBSTACLES YOU’LL FACE WORKING FROM HOME

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We’re living through a pretty unprecedented time Mudder Nation and with countless companies moving their workforce out of the office we’re spending a lot of time in our homes. With none of the office politics, smelly lunches or troublesome commutes, working everyday in your favorite place is surely the dream? Not so fast.

So from our living room to yours and using our favorite metaphor (everything = an obstacle) these are the top five obstacles you’ll face when working from home.

THE FRIDGE

A strange phenomenon occurs when working from home, somehow although you’re doing the least exercise you’ve ever done in your life, all you want to do is eat. Held inside the fridge’s chilly realm are lots of things to eat, from tasty snacks like yogurt and chocolate to the bizarre dregs of the vegetable drawer – but anything is edible if you try hard enough. If you want us on a weekday between the hours of nine and five, we’ll have our heads stuck in the fridge. See you there.

THE SOFA

Oh Mudder Nation, anyone who works from home starts with such good intentions. They’ll find a desk or a table, set up their screens, bring over a couple of pens and a pad and in the morning they’ll shower and dress and sit at their makeshift desk ready to work – so idyllic. Fast forward a couple of weeks and you’ll find them unwashed, in pajamas and slumped on the sofa, laptop balancing precariously on one knee. The sofa is soft, the sofa is warm, why would you work anywhere else other than the sofa? Oh yeah, productivity…

THE TV

If you’ve ended up on the sofa there’s no way that you haven’t slipped into TV land yet. You might have tried to resist but the day will come when you’ll just pop it on for some lunchtime viewing and from then, it will never be off. When else will you have the chance to enjoy daytime TV? Endless reruns of Friends and The Price is Right await you, there is no escape.

BED

If you end up in bed there really is no coming back – you might as well hand in your two weeks. The thing is, that it always seems such a good idea to begin with. You wanted a change of scenery perhaps, or maybe your dining room chair is just far too uncomfortable – either way the second you choose to work from bed you’re surrendering to the working from home cardinal sin…napping.

YOUR PET

Little fuzzy Mr. Tinklefloof probably seemed like a welcome comfort on those first few days, especially if you’re stuck working from home alone. He was company, you could talk to him about anything (even that really passive aggressive email exchange you promised you wouldn’t complain about). He just looks at you with loving eyes and soft, soft fur, he accepts you. Until Mr. Tinklefloof realizes you aren’t going to work anytime soon and yes you will be here interrupting sofa-scratching time every. single. day. Then Mr. Tinklefloof decides to jump on your laptop during a video conference with the CEO and your boss and your boss’ boss. Dammit Mr. Tinklefloof.

17 TOUGH MUDDER DOGS IN HEADBANDS THAT LOOK BETTER IN IT THAN YOU DO

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DOGS IN HEADBANDS ARE THE PICTURES THE INTERNET HAS BEEN WAITING FOR.

Seriously, who can resist a pic of cute dogs in headbands? Or a cute dog getting muddy? For no reason other than your viewing pleasure, we submit the following dogs, all stars of Tough Mudder’s Instagram, who are Probably the Toughest Pooches On the Planet. You’re welcome.

1. THIS PROUD BOY WHO KNOWS THE VALUE OF GOOD NECKWEAR:

2. THIS GOOD DOGGO THAT’S PROBABLY WAITING FOR A TREAT:

3. THIS BUDDY THAT’S ALL TUCKERED OUT AFTER HIS FIRST MUD RUN:

4. THIS SASSY LEGIONNAIRE THAT KNOWS ALL THE OBSTACLES:

5. THIS VERY SKILLED PUPPER THAT DIDN’T EVEN NEED A WETSUIT:

6. THIS RETURNING CHAMP WHO’S ON TO NUMBER 3:

7. THIS MUSH THAT KNOWS HOW TO ROCK A HEADBAND WITH STYLE:

8. THIS FETCHING YOUNG LAD THAT FORGET THE HEADBAND BUT STILL LOOKS SHARP:

9. THIS DOG THAT IS JUST SHOWING OFF NOW:

10. THIS PUPPER LOOKING TO COOL DOWN:

11. THIS GOLDEN THAT’S WONDERING IF YOU NEED HELP WITH THAT FOOD TRUCK TREAT:

12. THIS FLUFFY PUP THAT’S MORE TEDDY BEAR THAN DOG:

13. THIS FLOPPY-EARED POOCH YOU DIDN’T KNOW YOU NEED IN YOUR LIFE:

14. THIS SLEEPY PUPPER THAT JUST WANTS TO SLEEP AFTER A HARD DAY ON COURSE:

15. THIS POOCH THAT NEEDS A SMALLER SIZE:

16. THIS QUIZZICAL POOCH THAT LOOKS WAY TO CLEAN FOR TOUGH MUDDER:

17. AND FINALLY, THIS INCREDIBLY PHOTOGENIC PUP:

THREE TIPS FOR BETTER SLEEP

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IT MIGHT SOUND STRANGE TO BE WORRYING ABOUT SLEEP WHEN YOU’RE BARELY LEAVING THE HOUSE.

But getting quality shut-eye is key to boosting your immune system, especially during a global health crisis. But why is sleep so important and how can we improve the quality of the sleep we’re getting? We spoke to health experts and here’s what we learned.

WHY IS SLEEP SO IMPORTANT?

Think of your body like your beloved smartphone (are you reading this on it right now?). Throughout the course of the day you use multiple apps and crunch through tons of data. Consequently, the battery depletes. Just like us, we have multiple daily tasks to accomplish and they leave us feeling tired. But we’d get through our to do list a lot faster and more effectively if we began the day on 100% charge, meaning we’d sustain a higher level of performance for longer.

Performance is generally categorized as how well we do something physical however sleep is the savior for mental performance too. Right now while you’re sitting at home on lockdown we imagine you’re not all that worried about how fast you can run but you might be concerned about how long you can focus from your makeshift desk. When we get good quality sleep, we’re better decision makers, the frontal lobe of our brain is functioning better, we’re sharper and we’re at our best cognitively. It sounds pretty good to us.

Whether we want to get into better shape or perform more effectively in everyday life, it’s simple: poor sleep holds us back, quality sleep helps us excel.

HOW TO SLEEP BETTER

Worrying about not sleeping can be a really easy to interrupt your sleep (go figure!) and no one can blame you for struggling to shut your eyes as we’re living through an unprecedented time. However there are some really simple steps to help you get better quality sleep even now.

EXERCISE EVERY DAY

Oddly enough, just 30 minutes of daily exercise can have an enormous effect on sleep. According to a study from the sleep foundation, “a single exercise session found that a bout of moderate-intensity aerobic exercise (e.g., walking) reduced the time it took to fall asleep and increased the length of sleep of people with chronic insomnia compared to a night in which they did not exercise.” Bonus if that exercise includes fresh air too.

GO TO BED EARLIER

Lame right? After a childhood of enforced bedtimes, it can be tempting even as a full-grown adult to push the boundaries and stay up late watching TV. But going to bed just 30 or 40 minutes earlier can seriously improve your sleep, for example, someone who usually got seven hours of sleep per night could increase that by 10% just by going to bed 40 minutes earlier. It might not sound like a lot but your body and mind will thank you for prioritizing rest.

DIGITAL DOWNTIME

We know, we really are the fun police. We also know that the amount of time we’re all spending on our phones or looking at screens, in general, is skyrocketing while we’re being asked to stay at home. It might feel comforting to scroll through IG before you fall asleep but it’s impacting the quality of your snooze time and keeping you awake for longer. Try to avoid screens for 90 minutes before you go to bed and instead focus on relaxing; have a bath, read a book and fully unwind.

How Running can Help your Mental Health

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Ever had one of those days where you just cannot focus?

Maybe you have too much to do but don’t know where to start and can’t for the life of you remember what you were supposed to tell that person? Then you decide to go out for a run to ‘blow off some steam’ and it just feels a little easier and clearer afterwards? That is science. Running has been scientifically proven to reverse the damaging effects of stress on the brain.

It doesn’t matter if you’re training for  World’s Toughest Mudder, just starting out on our Couch to 5K program, or somewhere in between. Running can be used as a therapy to help improve your mood and decrease stress. Furthermore, runners will tell you post-run that they feel happy, free, calm, and more peaceful. Science backs this up to. Here’s why running is so good for your mind:

HAPPY FEET 

We’ve all heard of the magical ‘runners high’. The moment you get to the end of your run and feel like you could conquer the world. That is brought on as a result of an increase in levels of endorphins being released in the brain. Known as the feel good hormone. Endorphins are released steadily at low levels throughout the day, but running causes them to be released in much higher levels. Getting those feet moving and pounding that pavement really can make you feel happier and better overall.

And while running isn’t the only activity that releases endorphins, it is a good one to have in the mix. Other activities that release endorphins includes all physical exercise, laughing, meditating, eating chocolate, or doing any activity that makes you smile.

ALONE TIME

If things are stressful at work, you have the daily battle of homeschooling, or you are about to lose it because your roommates are driving you mad, maybe it’s time to take a break. Running alone is a great way to get out and have some well deserved time to yourself (if you are able to following guidance).

If you feel comfortable, stick in earphones and listen to that Spotify playlist or podcast you haven’t got round to starting and just zone out for a little while. Let your feet carry you and see where you end up. Sometimes 5 minutes is far enough before you want to turn round, other days you might go the furthest you’ve ever gone. Having realistic goals is a good way to push yourself, but sometimes it’s also beneficial to not put any extra stress on yourself and just be happy to have gotten out for a little while.

KEEP ON RUNNING

We all know that running has physical health benefits and improves general fitness, but for many people it isn’t just about putting one foot in front of the other. Running can be a form of meditation in its own right, and is ideal if you find the thought of sitting still in silence for 30 minutes a day worse than the thought of going through Electroshock Therapy more than once in a row. It’s a peaceful, repetitive activity that provides a stillness in the mind.

Using running as a form of meditation offers a variety of things:

  • The natural rhythm provides the ideal chance for your mind to be purely in the present and become attuned to your surroundings.
  • Discovery of your inner voice. Using this and tuning it into a positive self-talk exercise is a very effective tool to change your focus and give you a boost. Even if it’s just to tell yourself you can reach the next lamp post without stopping.
  • Relaxation and tranquility often follow a run. The mind is calmer, and the body feels less stressed and some of the things that seemed overwhelming beforehand suddenly feel achievable.

Whether you are new to running or someone who has been enjoying the benefits for a while, why not join our Tough Mudder community on Strava. Everyone is welcome, no matter what ability

I started training for Tough Mudder and lost 189kg

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In 2013, I weighed 604 pounds (274kg), wore a size 70 jeans, and had to special order my shirts in size 8xl.

I have struggled with my weight since my mid 20’s. I tried every diet in the world and failed. But my health was going downhill fast. I was in and out of the hospital several times a year with blood infections in my legs or pneumonia. Weight loss surgery was my last resort, but it was a second chance.

I was scheduled for surgery on April 29, 2013 but on April 28 of that year I went septic and almost died. After 6 days in the ICU and 11 days in the hospital I was finally allowed to go home. My surgery was rescheduled for July 17 2013. That was the day my life changed forever.

Fast forward to March 2016, when I first heard about Tough Mudder. Three of my co-workers were talking about doing the Tough Mudder Carolinas in October. I told my buddies I had to do it with them. I needed to prove to myself that I could do it. I needed to do it for my beautiful wife and soulmate, and my two beautiful grandchildren. I needed to do it to be the best husband and grandpa I could be. So my my coworkers and I started training 5 days a week to prepare for the Tough Mudder event.

4 years ago I could not get the mail, so to complete 10 miles and 20 obstacles year was a great victory for me… and I knew I had to do it again.

I currently weigh 187 pounds, and wear a size 30 jeans and medium shirt. Now I can earn as many headbands as I want to. I go to Planet Fitness 5 days a week to stay in shape and continue to train for my next Tough Mudder. Every day, my trainer, co-worker, and Tough Mudder teammate Chris Gore helps me push myself to the next level. He and I completed Tough Mudder Virginia in June 2017, and it was just as amazing as the first time.

I tell everyone I meet at weight loss conferences and on Facebook about my Tough Mudder experience, and I challenge my followers to find more in the mud with me. I had several first-timers joining me in Nashville and North Carolina.

Tough Mudder has changed my life in so many ways. It helps me to push myself and to believe in myself even if it seems nobody else does. It helps me see that I can accomplish anything. It helps me realize that there are always Mudders by my side to help me make it to the finish line. In April I even got the Tough Mudder pledge tattoo on my back.

Now that I can give my grandchildren piggy-back rides and play on the floor with them, I’m looking forward to more obstacles that will push me even more. But I love the new obstacles this year. My favorite is Kong because it really tested my upper-body strength.

Tough Mudder has changed my life forever.

Are you ready to start your fitness journey? Check out our Tough Mudder Training page.