Tough Mudder Las Vegas 2015 | Race Recap

Here I am, a little over a week after Tough Mudder and the scars are healing, bruises are starting to fade, and my face has already peeled from being sunburned. I guess you could say, recovery is going great 🙂

Tough Mudder was my first OCR (obstacle course race) in 2013 and it will always have a special place in my muddy heart! There was no Team Tough Cookies this year and neither Jason nor my sister could come to cheer me on because they both had to work that day. I jokingly told Jason, you know you’ve done too many races when no one comes to cheer you on 😦 But, it seriously turned out to be a great race and I had a blast! I teamed up with Britt, who I met at boot camp. This was her first Tough Mudder and she was really excited about it and had trained hard for it. Come Saturday morning, we were ready to take on the course and just have a good time. When we got to the race, we met up with my pal, Eve, and she ended up running the course with us too! Our other friend, Kelly, was there supporting another team but she cheered us on too and took photos for us along the course, which was a really nice surprise.

Tough Mudder promised there would be mud in Las Vegas and they did not disappoint. There was tons of mud! It was that creamy, soft mud that looks like pudding or frosting! At least, that’s what it LOOKS like, but don’t be fooled because once you’re all up in it, it does NOT smell or taste like chocolate frosting at all! Take my word for it 😉

It took us about 3 hours to complete the 10 miles and 20 obstacles. We were in the 3rd group to go out so the course wasn’t crowded and we didn’t have any real bottlenecking at the obstacles which was great! My teammates and I were determined to try every obstacle and we all gave it our best. I failed at only 2 obstacles, the Funky Monkey and King of Swingers. Honestly, those are 2 I didn’t really try. I knew I wouldn’t make it far on the monkey bars, I mean, someone had to give me a boost up just to reach the first bar! I felt bad for not trying and seriously was ready to do my 30 penalty burpees, then remembered this was Tough Mudder not Spartan Race, so I moved on. For King of the Swingers, I actually did climb up to the platform but I just couldn’t get over my fear of heights this time. There was no one there to push me over the edge, so once Britt jumped I just climbed back down in shame 😦 Maybe next year….

Most of the obstacles had been redesigned and were a lot harder than previous years. It took me 3 or 4 tries to run up Everest 2.0 with its higher, curved edge, but I was not going to give up! It felt so awesome when I ran up and finally made it on my last try! I think having to slide into Arctic Enema 2.0 made it easier to just get it done and over with but it felt colder to me than the previous years. Maybe they had recently added more ice? I don’t know, but it took me a long time to get my toes to move again…YIKES!

So, as a Legionnaire, meaning I’ve done another Tough Mudder before, I didn’t have to do Electroshock Therapy again. But, like I said, this was Britt’s first Tough Mudder and I didn’t want her to have to go through that alone. So, I sucked it up and we went through it together. It was just as awful as I remembered from 2 years ago. The pain is real. I’d say it is maybe similar to being shocked with an electric socket or like when you rub your feet on carpet then have to touch a metal door knob, but times 1000! The shock goes through your entire body and just knocks you down and paralyzes you for a few seconds. It doesn’t last long, but just seeing those wires hanging in front of you and knowing what’s coming really did paralyze me out of fear!

But, the feeling of accomplishment after you conquer those obstacles is indescribable and it makes you forget the pain or at least makes the pain worth it in the end! Tough Mudder is all about team work. Their obstacles are designed to be tackled together and I’m so grateful to my teammates, Britt & Eve, for their help getting though some of those obstacles. Thanks for the boosts up those Berlin Walls, the pushes over that crazy mystery obstacle with it’s revolving cubes, and thanks for all the encouragement throughout the course! I’m so proud to have you ladies as teammates and friends. Ya’ll rock! XO

Have you ran a Tough Mudder before or another obstacle course race? Love it? Hate it? Tell me all about it in the comments below! I love to hear other people’s stories! XO

World’s Toughest Mudder 2014

There are athletes and then there are tough mudders. These men and women supreme. This year World’s Toughest Mudder was held in Lake Las Vegas and I had the privilege of being part of my friend, Eve’s PIT crew. She was part of the first ever all women’s team to participate in World’s Toughest Mudder! Yea, I was stoked to be a part of that team, even if I wasn’t running it! A few other folks and friends I knew from Camp Rhino were also participating in the event and I got to support and be there for them too! It was such an amazing experience to be there among such badasses! It really takes a different kind of person to participate in this 24 hour event. Most of these people have been training and participating in Tough Mudder events all year to make it to this point. To be at World’s Toughest Mudder 2014.

If you don’t know, World’s Toughest Mudder is a 24 hour obstacle challenge with double the obstacles per mile of any other Tough Mudder event. This year, each 5 mile lap consisted of 23 obstacles with an elevation gain of 800 ft per lap! Participants entered either in teams or individually and have 24 hours to complete as many laps of the course as possible. If a mudder fails to complete an obstacle, they have to complete a penalty option. I gotta say, I love the names of some of these obstacles, such as sewage outlet, ladder to hell, birth canal, and tight fit! Of all the obstacles, the most terrifying for me would be the The Cliff, a 36 foot drop into the lake. Yea, I’d most definitely be doing the penalty option for that one 😉

I spent my morning helping where I could with setting up the PIT/ Camp area. It’s amazing how much effort and time is spent into getting ready for something like this! And not to mention how much stuff is needed! From food, clothes, wetsuits, water, vaseline (don’t ask!) medication, etc..

It was so exciting to watch them take off. You could feel the buzz and the energy from the runners. It almost made me want to put down my camera and go running with them..ALMOST! I stuck around until they got back from their first lap, but I had to go and work (shoot a wedding) for a few hours before coming back that evening.

When I got back the team was in the middle of their fourth lap. While I waited for them to come through, I got to help out another friend gather a few things from his tent before heading out to run another lap. When my friend’s team came back they were freezing cold but in good spirits and most of them went back out for another lap. This is around the time it got ugly! And by ugly, I mean windy. Being out in the desert with 30+ mile per hour winds brings on some nasty dust storms and dropped the temperature down to nearly freezing after midnight! We struggled to keep the canopy tent from blowing away, but once we brought it down it was a bit better. Battling that wind/dust storm and cold during the night was truly another challenge to the course and I am so proud of these women for braving it out there all night. Some ran, some rested, but nonetheless they all stuck it out and were there for each other. That’s what being a team is all about.

The day after WTM we had family over for dinner (yup, I was totally sleep deprived!) and my nephew asked why? Why do they do it? Why do people sign up for this? Good question. Why do they do it? {Stay tuned for a few interviews coming up in the next couple of weeks where I ask some of these athletes that same question.} They aren’t necessarily in it to win it. No, the ladies on this team and all other Tough Mudders have their own personal reasons for participating in World’s Toughest Mudder. Yeah some do it for the prize money, the recognition, the sponsorship, the fame, but most…most do it for reasons way beyond that. I think they do it because they want to see how far they can push themselves both mentally and physically. Because they want to challenge themselves. They do it to show how far they’ve come. Because it’s who they are. Because coming out of something like this changes a person. Because if you can do this, you can do anything. They do it because they can.

How about you? Would you ever run a World’s Toughest Mudder? I’m not sure I have it in me for 24 hrs but I’m already registered for my 3rd Tough Mudder in 2015! You should join me 🙂

A Couple that Runs Together, Stays Together

I am so proud of Jason for running his first half marathon (Bryce Canyon Half Marathon) with me earlier this month. He trained hard and it totally paid off. He finished strong and more importantly we finished together. It was pretty amazing.

Our 18 year wedding anniversary is coming up and it got me thinking about how we do so many things together and enjoy lots of the same things too and I think this makes for a happy marriage, it really does!

When I started this “fitness journey” Jason was so supportive and understood that in order for it to work it had to be a lifestyle change. He knew that eating healthy and exercising wasn’t just about me, but about the whole family. He not only stood by me, he joined me. We’ve been having so much fun running races and participating in obstacle course races together. Not only is it better for our health, it’s been better for our marriage and our family life. Having a spouse support you in following your dreams and cheering you on is so important!

Running is such a metaphor for marriage. It’s about staying beside each other even if you know you can go faster, it’s knowing when to take the lead or slow down a bit. Jason’s helped me up dozens of walls and obstacles, he’s literally carried me on his back, he’s encouraged me to not give up. Jason has been to every race of mine either, cheering me on or running besides me. No matter what life throws our way, I know we’ll be able to deal with it. Together. Our marriage is one big fun crazy adventure and I love it more and more each year.

What are some things you and your spouse do together to keep your marriage strong?

Tough Mudder Las Vegas 2014 | Team Tough Cookies 2.0

In 2013, Tough Mudder changed my life! You can read more about it HERE. This year, I was excited to give it another go. I was especially excited to become a Legionnaire. Basically, as past Tough Mudders, Legionnaires go on a different loop and finish line than first time Mudders and we can opt out of Electroshock Therapy at the end. Yup, not getting electrocuted at the end sounded awesome to me!

Tough Mudder was in Lake Las Vegas this year, so we didn’t have to drive 2.5 hrs to the event, it was just a quick 30 min. drive. Another plus! Saturday’s weather was windy and chilly, so I was glad we were signed up on Sunday because the weather couldn’t have been better! However, there were only 4 waves on Sunday and we went on the last wave. This made for a pretty sparse spectator and participant course. Yet there was no lack of camaraderie from our fellow Mudders throughout the course and at the obstacles!

This spirit of camaraderie could not have been more evident to me during my drama on Walk the Plank. I was feeling nervous when I first saw photos of other events where rather than one long platform to jump off of, there were now individual rows with planks that led out into the water for you to jump off. Just typing about it now, my palms are sweaty!! My plan was to just walk up and jump. Yea, that didn’t happen. The rows were close enough were Jason and I could hold hands, but I just couldn’t physically extend my arm away from my body, so I told Jason we’d count to 3 and jump. He jumped. I didn’t. Our other team members jumped and Jason came back up to the platform to help me out. I just couldn’t get myself to jump but the crowds on the ground and behind me in the platform weren’t going to let me off that easy. I mean, that’s what Tough Mudder is about, right? Overcoming your fears. Well, it took about 30 minutes, a U.S. Marine, 3 coaches from Camp Rhino, the volunteers, and basically everyone there chanting and encouraging me to overcome my fear. And even then I had to ask the volunteer to push me. I’m glad he did. I would have been very disappointed in myself if I’d turned around & climbed back down. Plus, I knew I didn’t want to let all those people down. They were there for me. They didn’t have to be there. But they were. They cheered me on, encouraged me to face my fear and jump, but never once made me feel bad for being scared. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you.

Again, Tough Mudder changed my life. Again Tough Mudder showed me that I can do anything I set my mind to, even if I require a little push. I was not the strongest person there, I wasn’t the fastest, but I was there, I gave it my all, and I had a blast doing it! And, I got my green 2X Tough Mudder headband 🙂

Big shout out to my sister for taking all these awesome photos and her hubby for coming along and cheering us on throughout the course! Love you guys 🙂

Have you ran a Tough Mudder event? I’d love to know what you thought about it or any other event that you felt changed you! xo

Gearing up for Tough Mudder Las Vegas | Tough Cookies 2.0

Here I go again…getting that same nervous, anxious energy I felt before the Spartan Super earlier this month. This time, I’m gearing up for my second Tough Mudder event coming up on Sunday! If you are new to the blog, you may not know how Tough Mudder changed my life, but it really did. I won’t bore those how already know the story, but you can read my thoughts on Tough Mudder HERE and HERE!

I've been having a real hard time practicing this obstacle at Camp Rhino. Not sure what my problem is,but I know it's all in my head. I start running towards the ramp and then stop myself halfway. It's really annoying! I did it before, I can do it again and this photo proves it! I will get up Everest again. — I’ve been having a real hard time practicing this obstacle at Camp Rhino. Not sure what my problem is,but I know it’s all in my head. I start running towards the ramp and then stop myself halfway. It’s really annoying! I did it before, I can do it again and this photo proves it! I will get up Everest again.

I’m excited to be taking on my second Tough Mudder with 2 really good friends of ours! Last year, our friend Veronica couldn’t do it since she’d just had a baby a month before, but we convinced her hubby, Ernie, to join our team. This year, Veronica is joining team Tough Cookies and the 4 of us are ready to take on the 10+ mile course full of crazy obstacles that will really test our stamina and mental grit! We’ve been training at Camp Rhino and it’s been very helpful to give the obstacles a try. We’ve been calling our training sessions “double dates”! Yea, that’s how we roll! I encourage you to find an obstacle training gym/facility in your own city and if you’re from Vegas, you gotta check out Camp Rhino!

New obstacle - Fire in Your Hole. Like Wet N Wild, but with fire &muddy water at the bottom! — New obstacle – Fire in Your Hole. Like Wet N Wild, but with fire &muddy water at the bottom!

I’m so happy we don’t have a 2.5 hour drive this year to get to the event, since it’s being held at Lake Las Vegas, just 30 minutes away. I’m also anxious to try out the brand new Legionnaire Loop, which is only open to repeat Mudders and has some pretty challenging & fun looking obstacles. My sister will be coming along is the official Tough Cookies photographer and her hubby will be a spectator too! This is the first time he’s gone to any one of our crazy obstacle races, so it’s gonna be a real treat for him & hey, maybe he’ll even join us for the next one (Javier, are you reading this?!)

It’s really going to be fun having them encouraging us along the course! I just hope they’re nice to us for the Family Feud obstacle 😉

Getting knocked down by spectators during the Family Feud obstacle. This actually looks like fun!

Let’s do this!! Hoorah!!

Training for Obstacle Course Races

I will begin this post by clearly stating that I am no expert on obstacle course races (OCR), nor am I a personal trainer! I’m just an average girl who really loves to push her limits and see what she can do. Last year, I did 3 OCR, including Tough Mudder and this year I’m signed up for Tough Mudder again and Super Spartan. I will probably add a few smaller ones too by the end of the year….what can I say, I really do love OCR!

So that being said, I thought I’d share with you a few tips that helped me complete (read: SURVIVE) Tough Mudder last year and what I plan to do in these next 2 months leading to my obstacle course races in April.

Eat Clean! They say a good workout can’t out-exercise a bad diet and I really believe this. I’ve noticed that when I allow myself a lot of “cheat meals” my workouts suffer. I’m more sluggish and slow and of course, I don’t see the results I want. So, eating clean in the month(s) leading up to your OCR will help you get lean & strong!
Focus on Building Upper Body Strength! This was huge for me. Most of us ladies tend to have weaker upper body strength and a lot, if not most, of the obstacles you’ll encounter will require strong arms. Army man crawling, pulling yourself up walls & ropes, monkey bars, etc.. these all require strong upper body strength. Find a workout that is best for you and work on getting those muscles! Push ups, tricep dips, and pull ups (Disclaimer: I have yet to master 1 pull up. It’s on my to-do list!)
Run! You’re not training for a marathon, but you should be able to run at least 3 miles nonstop. Work on sprints and hills to really get those legs ready for the 10 + mile course.
Interval Training! You’ll be doing all sorts of things on an OCR from jumping over fire, crawling under barbed wire, and balancing on boards. You’ll have to build up your endurance and agility. Tabata, HIIT, Boot Camps, these are all great examples of high intensity training. Get lots of lunges, high knees, mountain climbers, and frog hops done!
Burpees! I don’t know anyone who loves a burpee, but everyone agrees they get the job done. And if you’re planning on doing a Spartan race, just know that the penalty for not completing an obstacle is 30 burpees..Yikes!!
Stretch! Don’t forget to stretch after your runs and workouts! This will aid in recovery, flexibility, and help prevent injury!

Also, do some research and check out what you’re up against. Go to YouTube and look for videos of the OCR you’ll be doing, specifically in your city. This will help you visualize what you’re going to be facing and get you pumped up! Tough Mudder has this great Boot Camp Training on their website where you can build your own workout circuit based on your fitness level and it’s designed to get you through their toughest obstacles! I’d also recommend checking out a training facility in your town. We have Camp Rhino here in Las Vegas and it rocks. We went last year and plan to go again this year. They have a beginners class where you can try out the obstacles, plus they give you tips and techniques for conquering the race. Lastly, have fun training 🙂

So, which OCR are you signed up for? I’d love hear about it and how you’re training!

14 in 2014 Running Challenge | Fitness Friday

During my morning coffee and blog reading earlier this week I came across Jill Conyers 14 in 2014 Challenge. Maybe it was the caffeine rush or the lack of sleep from the night before, but I signed up almost immediately! It seemed like such a great idea and such a fun way to stay motivated. Well, now that the initial caffeine rush has subsided, guess what? I’m still excited about this challenge! Yes, it’s a little scary for me to commit to running 14 races in one year, considering that last year I ran 6 and proclaimed it the Year of the Races! Hello!! But, it’s challenges like this that keep me motivated and moving forward, so I’m up for it! How about you?

Yesterday I started researching and writing down some races that I was interested in doing. There will be some virtual races I’ll be participating in too, but so far I have 10ish tentative races on my list, 3 that I am pretty sure I am doing, and only 1 I’ve actually signed up for! Yikes, I’ve got my work cut out for me, huh? Here’s what’s on my list, so far:

Jan:

Feb 1 – Death Valley 10K (Death Valley, CA)

Mar 1 – Blood, Sweat, and Beers 10K Trail Run (Las Vegas)

April 5 or 6 – Super Spartan (Las Vegas)

April 27 – Tough Mudder (Las Vegas) REGISTERED

May 24 – Trails of Fury 10K Trail Run (Las Vegas)

June:

July:

Aug 29-31 – Disneyland 10K or Half Marathon

Sept 21- Sprint Triathalon (Las Vegas)

Oct:

Nov: Napa Valley 10K (date TBD)

Nov: 22: Valley of Fire 10K

Nov: 27: Hoover Dam Half or 5K

(There’s no way I can or want to do all of these races in 1 month, but they all have potential, so I hope to get one of them done)

Dec:

If you’re interested in reading more about the challenge or if you want to sign up, you can check it out HERE! If you know of any other races around Las Vegas, NV, Southern California, Southern Utah, and maybe even Arizona, please let me know!! I’d also love to hear about your upcoming races and fitness goals for 2014! Happy Running!!

2013 The Year of the Races

If you asked me last year where I thought I’d be at the end of 2013, this would definitely not be it!! I never dreamed I’d be sharing my personal ups and downs on this blog. I never imagined I’d sign up, nonetheless finish a half marathon. Yup, 2013 has been a life changer. I went from never participating in any sort of running/obstacle races to running 6 races in one year. It’s been an amazing journey and I couldn’t have done it without the support from family and friends, especially those who came out and ran alongside me! I used to dread working out and therefore rarely (read: NEVER) did it. I only ate “healthy” if I was on a “diet” and let’s be honest, fad diets aren’t healthy. They don’t last. Only a change in your lifestyle and your attitude is what makes the changes happen. The magic is in the commitment, not a pill.

I found that change in me by signing up for all these races/events. Signing up for these events has kept me on track with my exercise routine and eating habits. It’s given me a goal to reach and has made all the difference in my attitude towards working out and eating healthy. I can’t wait to see what 2014 will bring! So far we’re signed up for our second Tough Mudder in April and signing up for Blood, Sweat, and Beers 10K trail run in March. I really want to run a Ragnar Relay race and as soon as I learn to ride a bike (Yes, you read that right, I don’t know how to ride a bike!!) I want to do a sprint triathalon.

The Color Run 5K really introduced me to event racing. I had no idea what to expect, from the packet pickup to to the run itself, it was a great first experience!

After Color Run, I did Tough Mudder! I’d trained hard and really got into fitness during this time. I’ve said it time and time again, Tough Mudder changed my life!

The obstacle course race bug hit me hard and in May, I was ready for more! This time, it was a family affair and my sister, Norma, joined me for the Badass Dash 7K. The kiddos also participated in their first kid OCR and loved it!

Later in May, my sister and I, along with our friend, Veronica, did the Race for the Cure 5K with the LVAC team. This is a very important cause for us and our family and we were excited to have a part in raising awareness!

As most of you know, summers in Vegas are HOT! So, summer was spent vacationing and having fun with the kids with our Summer Bucket List. Towards the end of summer, I began training for the Rock N Roll Half Marathon!

I recently blogged about my first half marathon experience, if you missed it, you can check it out HERE! If you want the short version: It was by far one of the hardest and most amazing experiences I’ve had in my life!

Six days after the half marathon, I joined some of my book club girls for the Dirty Dash 5K and my son did the 1 miles Piglet Plunge! What a way to end a super fun year of races! You can read my review of that race, HERE.

I’d love to hear about your favorite races of 2013 and what you’re planning for 2014! Do you have any suggestions on races I should be looking into? Don’t be shy…

Tough Mudder Las Vegas 2014 | Tough Cookies 2.0

Yesterday I did it. I signed my husband and I up for our second Tough Mudder event. I’ll be honest, the thought of going through that electic eel makes me want to throw up. Yup, that’s me getting shocked by 10,000 volts of electricity ———————–>>>>>

When I signed up last year, I had no idea what I was getting into. I just knew I was ready to do something completely out of my comfort zone. I didn’t know it would change my life. Because it did. Tough Mudder changed my life (I’m not even exaggerating)! Training for the event got me to do workouts I’d never dream I could do. I’d never heard of a burpee before, let alone attempt to do one!! It got me eating healthier. I began to care for my body. It wasn’t about trying to get skinny anymore, it was about trying to get strong. It got my family eating healthier and becoming more active too. And once I completed Tough Mudder, I was hooked. Tough Mudder showed me that I can do whatever I set my mind to do. It takes a lot of discipline, determination, and some pain, but it’s possible. Just like Tough Mudder, you can’t do it alone. Ok, maybe some people can, but I ‘m not one of them. Our team was there for each other and we all helped each other out from start to finish. That’s how life is too. You need your support group to get you over those hurdles! And I have the best group of friends & family supporting me all the way. I’m sure I can get annoying sometimes, so thanks for putting up with me peeps!!!

I’m excited to get some of the original Tough Cookies back together for our second Tough Mudder and super excited to get some new recruits (you know who you are!!) These next 200+ days of Tough Mudder training are going to be amazing and I cannot wait for April 27th! But first, let me get through my first Rock N Roll half marathon, the Dirty Dash, and Spartan Sprint! See, I told you I was hooked 😉