Lap 1

Looking good after Lap 1. Weather really could not be better. It is actually kind of hot. They are in mile 8 now. The guys are in great spirits and Pat's legs are still working. You can track the each "contender" on RaceResults360. Type in their bib numbers: Danny 1209, Pat 1737, and Brian 1718 and you can see which mile they are on and the split times. There is also a handy Race Results 360 app in case you are out on the golf course and want to follow along (Dad).

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Ok now I get it... sort of

All I can say is WOW. After an inspiring speech like this there is little wonder why these three Bad News Mudders have been putting themselves to the test all year. For me, all I can say is that I am really glad it not raining because the rumor was that this course (and this pit crew) should stay relatively dry today. We'll see. Right now the guys are out running the first 5 mile lap. As I type this entry while sitting in the parking lot, I can hear the announcer congratulating the first few superhumans who are already finishing. Stay tuned.

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WTM Dinner at Ciro's

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We Are Here

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The Final Ingredient - Support

Have you ever had that dream where you’re walking over a train bridge and just around the corner you catch the first glimpse of the oncoming locomotive that is speeding right toward you. Where can you go? It’s too late to turn around. You can’t jump the 600 feet to the winding river below. You know you can’t take the train head on either. What to do?

I can remember several months ago when I would log on to our blog and check the latest stats or read one of the new posts from my two crazy partners on this journey and take a quick glance at our World’s Toughest Mudder countdown clock. It would always read 256 days (funny that I have a distinct memory of checking it on this particular random day), 223 days, 175 days, etc and so forth. One of the things I remember most is how distant it felt. I always seemed to find myself in preparation mode for the next ticking clock leading to the next Tough Mudder on the horizon. Over time I guess I grew a little numb to the whole exercise. I mean minus a new obstacle here and there, I knew what I was getting into. Well let me tell you this, as I have looked at this speeding train getting closer and closer, I have finally come to realize how unprepared and scared I really feel. Yes – I said scared dag nabbit.  I think you would be a fool to be not a little frightened of an oncoming, speeding train.

One of the things I keep reflecting on though gets back to one of my overarching themes in all of my posts this year. This is the Tough Mudder that I have been training for. Now that it is here, I’m scared to death. Not scared in any real sense of the world. I think it is more of a fear of the unknown and not being 100%. Not that anyone is ever 100% but the 55 miles we recently did at the Tri-State and Mid-Atlantic Tough Mudders really took their toll on my legs. (And that is the last time I will bemoan any injury. None of us out there will be 100% and I have nothing to prove to anyone but myself.)

But – this is my Tough Mudder. This is the thing I have been preparing for and am excited to get started. What I have found most interesting over the past couple of weeks are my reflections and what has really seemed most important to me, and I think it ties really nicely into the idea that it doesn’t matter what your particular Tough Mudder is – it is just important that you have one and are working each day to get there.

These reflections have allowed me to focus on that one final, and possibly most critical element, in the whole journey of preparing for a Tough Mudder in life – SUPPORT. With all my personal drive, my commitment to working out and living a healthier life, none of this journey is possible without support. It is so critical to keeping you going when the last thing you want to do is too keep going. So I would like to take a moment to offer some thanks.

First to my mom and dad. No this not a sappy, you raised me, you fed me, you clothed me – I think I will be offering those thanks for the rest of my life. The support in this specific context is the fact that they are taking my two girls for the four days my wife and I will be up in New Jersey. While I really wanted to take the girls to the race as well, I honestly think they are going to see me go by a couple of times and start to think – O.K. what’s next. My parents juggled their entire weekend around so that they could help me make my Tough Mudder a reality. While this may be something small to them, it is taking a big worry off of my chest in that I know they are being well taken care of – and will be able to check in on our blog regularly to see how dad and Mr. Brian and Mr. Pat are doing.

 

My next thought is to my wife Tasha. While she has never stopped stating I think you guys are completely insane, she has also been the lone voice at times that has told me, “What do you mean you aren’t going to do World’s Toughest Mudder… You’ll regret it.” The truth is she’s usually right. She has even hit me with the old, “The girls will be so disappointed.” I mean having these conversations has been a workout in and of itself – “You’re completely nuts…what do you mean you are not going to run.” I mean talk about mental grit training.

She is also coming with us on this trip to offer whatever support she can in the pit. She has agreed to be our event blogger and follow us around the course for video and interviews so she can load them up to the blog immediately for everyone to be there with us – all of you out there who are our larger support networks. Another piece of our support puzzle that just makes all of this a little more exciting that we will be able to share this crazy journey with so many more people. Thank you for being there and always giving the nudge or kick that was appropriate and exactly what I needed to hear.

And then there are the two crazy mudda bruddas that have been with me on this entire journey. You guys are insane, and I would not be here without you. I am pretty sure we have all tried to talk each other out of this craziness with one subliminal message or another, but none of us ever bit on that type of talk, and this has been really critical. One of the things I have learned on this journey is that it is great to have others who share your same interests and are training for the same Tough Mudder. It is so, so much better when you have someone to do this with – who are just as committed (or need to be committed), and who understand that there is nothing left to do but run up and meet that train rather than just letting it plow into you.

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Tri-State Tough Mudder – The Most Firsts

While the Tri-State Tough Mudder has not been officially voted upon and named – there were truly a lot of possibilities – I thought I would go with the idea of it being titled The Most Firsts. I always find it interesting that no matter how much you train for something, how much you think you know what the goal is, there are always so many little things that always arise, make you shake your head, and in the end become the driving force that keeps you going and makes you want to come back for more.

I’m sure my fellow educators out there can all relate to some degree. In an earlier post titled Mental "Freakin" Grit Baby, I posed the question – What mudder are you preparing for? The general idea here was that you don’t have to be gearing up physically and mentally to traverse a series of monkey bars nor do you have to be mentally prepared to throw yourself through some live electrical wires, but in the end we all need to dedicate ourselves to something that helps us push our limits and find out what we are really made of.

Keeping focused on a goal, preparing ourselves to try something new, those are the things that wake us up in the morning and help us push through those parts of our lives which can become a bit monotonous. This is why reflecting on the Tri-State Tough Mudder has been so much fun. Our driving goal, that Mudder we were preparing for, was to complete the Black Jack run – 2 laps on Saturday and 1 lap on Sunday. This was to be our test, or so we imagined, for our ability to actually compete in the World’s Toughest Mudder.

There were also individual goals. For me it was conquering some of my nemesis obstacles. I did not do well on Funky Monkey during our last Mid-Atlantic race and I was disappointed given that I had already completed Funky Monkey on our first ever attempt at a double Saturday Mudder in North Carolina. You would like to see that first of all firsts one more time - I could go for that.

Walk the Plank - NO FLEPS!

That video certainly warms the heart. For me there were, and I say were, Berlin Walls as well. I have gotten so tired of needing a push to get over those things and was committed that this was my race to beat them myself.

What I keep reflecting on, and I think the power of reflection could be an entire post in itself, was no matter what we thought our goals were, what we couldn't keep talking about were those little things that we had never done or witnessed before - those “Firsts” as I've labeled it - that pushed us around the course. Things that were not part of our overall mission but nonetheless became more of the focus and kept a smile on our face with each turn. It was these “Firsts” that kept us laughing when our bodies wanted to stop, and actually helped refocus on all those little things we would have walked right by. For me, this had a really incredible effect. I began looking for these little things everywhere and in the end, before I knew it, 30+ miles and three laps and 3 laps were complete.

Here are a few of those "Firsts" for you to enjoy – I'm sure my Mudda Brudda has plenty more to add. 

• First Black Jack run (2 Laps on Saturday and 1 Lap on Sunday)

• First Triple Funky Monkey (followed by the First Quadruple Funky Monkey for the heck of it)

1st Funky Monkey

• First Island Hopping experience

• First Walk The Plank with an actual plank

• First Greased Lightning mud hill slide (not to future mudders – slide on your feet – this is not Greased Lightning. This is bruise your as* lightning) 

• First large hay bale in the middle of Electroshock (thanks TMHQ – that was fun)

• First time enjoying Electoshock after the race (we will make it a point to do this in the future – hee- larious)

• First time run with Team Ilene

Finished Electric Eel - Lap 2

• First time of yelling “You Are Freakin’ Awesome” at random times throughout the course. (That is what happens when I get no music on the course. I begin to imagine my life as Start Line Sean.)

• First time of seeing the true effects of Kryptonite on Superman – poor fat Superman – poor, poor fat Superman.

• First time of seeing Mudders make an obstacle where there was none. (For all future Mudders – there are volunteers at each obstacle. Just because people are picking up a random pile of tires does not mean you have to help move them.)

• First time of being criticized for not participating in made up Mudder tire obstacle carry.

Triple Funky - Day 2

• First time for Extreme Mudder rules on Everest (please consult TMHQ official rules and policies ;)

• First time thinking wouldn’t it be great if his name was Finish Line Fred?

• First writing of the bib number on your Mudda Brudda’s head (guess they really do need more volunteers)

What does this all amount to – simply having fun. We all set challenges for ourselves. Hopefully we are all working on identifying that Mudder we are planning to train for, and most of all taking the time to enjoy those little things along the way that let us have fun. Without the fun, there is no coming back. When you hurt, when you're tired, when you want to quit, it is finding the ridiculous that can keep you going, make you shake your head, and decide one more time to lace up your sneakers. Laughter is such a cure all. We simply need to take the time to look for it - especially in the most unseemly of places.

So my challenge for everyone in this post is to keep looking for that Tough Mudder that interests you. What is the Tough Mudder that you are preparing for in life...in the classroom? But remember to keep things in perspective. If you aren’t having fun with it, there is nothing that will keep you coming back when you mentally or physically want to quit.


Now let's enjoy the "First" ever Cuatro Funky Monkey!!!

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The Blackjack

I'm guessing that right about now my Mudder brothers are either listening to the starter at Tough Mudder New Jersey, or have started their journey around the course.  I just wanted to take a quick second to say good luck, and II can't wait to hear the stories.  Wish I was there with them.

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