What Tough Mudder Taught Me

It was 2014 and I was about to turn 44 years old. My 25 year old friend had an idea. He said we should run a Tough Mudder. I thought it sounded like a good challenge. I really had no idea exactly what this event was. He had previously run one and told me to check it out online. I went to the site and saw the obstacles and got the basic idea. I was a little worried to be honest. I was 44 years old and I wasn’t sure if I could do this.

It was January and the event was in September. I had plenty of time to train. I was in decent shape, a little heavy, maybe a little “fluffy” but I figured we would give it a shot. Eight months later I finished my first Tough Mudder. It wasn’t easy for me by any means, but things with the most satisfaction and reward usually aren’t. After some time has passed, I can reflect on that day and the days leading up to it and I can say I learned so much about myself. So what did the Tough Mudder teach me?

Set Goals

If I have a dream or a goal in mind I know I can accomplish it. It may take months of preparation, daily dedication and working at the highest level of effort but any goal can be attained if I put my mind to it. Without a specific goal in the past I wandered aimlessly. I now know what it is like to set a goal and attain it.

Control my thoughts

I was able to control my mind and conquer my body. I ended up pushing myself almost 11 miles that day. There was sweat, blood, cramps and pure exhaustion. So many times I felt as though I couldn’t take another step or climb another obstacle. I quickly shifted my focus to “I can do this” and feeding off the energy of my friend and other people, I was able to finish and complete all of the obstacles. 

Perseverance

I found that when I think I have given everything I have, there is still more in the tank. I found out how to tap into that and keep moving that day. I thought I had pushed myself in high school athletics, but that was nothing like this, not to mention I was 26 years older now! I had never had to dig that deep inside myself in a very long time. Towards the end with 2 or 3 miles left I actually felt a rush of energy come over me. I had more in there than I thought I did.

Never Give Up

I learned that day what it is like to want to quit so badly due to pain and fatigue. I saw many people who quit that event throughout the day. There were a few out with injuries, cramps and dehydration. I was cramping and dehydrated for sure, but I would not let myself quit. I just kept focusing on crossing that finish line no matter what it took.

Satisfaction

My favorite saying in sports is second place is the first loser. I am very competitive and winning is everything to me. I know how to lose gracefully, however it still doesn’t sit well with me deep inside. I learned that September day it is the journey that makes you a winner not finishing in first place. I don’t know who the first person was to finish nor do I care. Crossing that finish line in probably 2000^th place felt better than any first place victory I had ever experienced.

So go out and participate in a Tough Mudder or other obstacle type race. You will learn so much about yourself in those few hours. You will feel a sense of accomplishment you may have never felt in your life before. All of these things I learned that day carry over into my everyday life. So go out and push yourself past your comfort zone. You will quickly figure out you were selling yourself short. Let me know how you do!