Today I participated in the 2019 Boston Tough Mudder Classic. Billed as a 10 mile course with 25 obstacles it was closer to 8 miles for which I have no complaints. Pictured here is the 3-story cargo net Mudderhorn, the last and one of the easier obstacles with the Tough Mudder Village in the background. Organizers emphasize that this is not a race but rather a challenge. The goal is to complete the course and as many obstacles as you can with an emphasis on using teamwork to get everyone through. I successfully completed 24 of the 25 obstacles and helped teammates on the team oriented ones. I was unable to get all the way across the Funky Monkey inclined horizontal ladder which required more upper body strength than I could muster. The consequence is falling into a deep pool of water which at this point in the course is a welcome way to wash off all the caked on mud that you have accumulated. Below is a video from the Los Angeles version of this event which shows most of the same obstacles. The Gauntlet was by far the hardest one for me and the most satisfying to complete. I finished in a little over 3.5 hours and was completely spent by the end. My arms were so fatigued that lifting a can of Coke was a challenge. I have several cuts and scrapes and a broken or cracked rib. Am I glad I did it. Hell yes! Would I do another one. Not likely!
Pictured below are two of the easier but muddier obstacles. I went back after a shower and change of clothes with my camera to grab a couple of pictures. Crawling under the barbed wire is not that difficult but your knees take a beating on the embedded gravel and rocks. This trick is to lift your body up on your toes. Easier said than done. The net which is staked to the ground is very heavy. Ten steps in and you are exhausted. The trick is to work with teammates and to walk backwards. Doing so allows the netting to ride up more easily and once it is elevated teammates can pass under it with less effort.
