Burpees and Tough Mudder!

The last two weekends were pretty busy.  On Sunday, April 27th, we held a fundraiser at Jade Mountain Martial Arts, and were really excited that it raised $2020 that we've put aside for moving expenses.  Moving Mountains with Burpees, we called it!  Each burpee (done by myself, of course) cost $1.  Yes, that means that I did over two thousand burpees that day.  Fortunately, I've done this before, and was able to use what I learned last time to make this time around much easier.  Well, that is, as easy as that many burpees in one day can be.

I started at 10am or so this time, and stayed with a simple, steady pattern of 5 burpees, and rest...5 burpees, and rest.  At that rate, it took me 7 hours and 18 minutes.  To be honest, I felt pretty good afterwards.  Last time, I only did 1641 burpees, and I was a WRECK.  I wasn't right for days, and was thoroughly exhausted when I was done.  This time was completely different!  Granted, it helped a ton that one of our assistants was kind enough to have a monster-sized burrito waiting on my desk when it was all said and done, but I wasn't completely trashed.  I went home, ate, took a shower, and dozed for a couple of hours.  When I woke, I felt groovy enough to do dishes and laundry and basically have an ordinary Sunday night.  Ok, yes, I was pretty low on energy for the next few days, and more than a little slow, but I was thrilled with how I felt!

It it was definitely worth it.  The donations were great, but the biggest thing I'll remember is how the students supported our effort.  Zuzu posted a good luck video all the way from London, and so many others stopped by, stayed awhile, cheered, sent money in, and generally supported what we were doing.  Folks were all over Facebook wishing us well.  It was really wonderful, and I get a bit choked up thinking about it.  Our students are a big family, and they mean the world to me. 

The next weekend was even more fun!  It was the Tough Mudder in Rockdale, TX!  I had managed to find the one hotel in about 100 square miles that had rooms available.  Cheap, clean, a bit worn, but perfectly located for our little team.  We all checked in with no trouble and then had dinner at the onsite Italian restaurant.  I think I ate my own weight in lasagna that night.  Hanging out with the crew was really great.  Jorge, Veronica, and Greg were TM newbies, while Kathryn, Leaha, and myself have been muddy before, so we talked about what to expect and the different kinds of hilarity we'd encountered in previous events.  And there was a lot of laughing. 

The next day, we all had breakfast tacos at a tiny place less than a block from the hotel.  Afterwards, we headed out of town, following a handful of Tough Mudder signs.  I remember thinking that there were not nearly enough cars on the road for me to be going in the right direction, but my the little blue dot on my phone appeared to be in the right place, so I continued onward.  I rode over the country roads, following the directions carefully, and saw a few more signs that implied I was on the right track.  Suddenly, I turned a corner next to a giant wheat field and BAM.  Cars everywhere on one side of the road and the obvious entrance to the facility on the other.  There were a few folks directing traffic and everything was quite orderly.  This was the easiest time I've ever had parking for a Mudder (yes, I did pay the extra $10 for Preferred Parking), and I was in my spot in just a few minutes.  Granted, it was about a mile away from the entrance, but what's another mile when you're about to do at least 10?  It was an easy walk to the front gate, with a pretty wheat field off to one side...I really loved how the wheat stalks flowed like water at every breeze.  I could hear the quiet but excited chatter of other Mudders as we all followed the road to get to the entrance, and it wasn't long before the rest of our team found their way in as well.  For those of us who had run before, we got new headbands to show how many we'd completed.  I was a bit bummed that mine was blue, while the 2x-ers got the cool green ones, but you can't have everything.  The sky was bright and clear, the weather was warm without being hot at all, and everything at check-in was quick and well-organized.  Awesome.

This event had to be the easiest and most pleasant TM we've had thus far.  Oh, the obstacles were still somewhat difficult here and there, but overall it just seemed...easier.  And it was FUN.  A leisurely 10 mile stroll through forest, river, wheat field, and mud.  Some of the obstacles had been modified slightly to make them just a tiny bit safer, which made them easier.  Balls to the Wall now had a ladder built into the back side, making it far easier to dismount.  The Cliffhanger was nothing more than a net laid onto the muddy slope on the bank of the river.  I nearly walked up that one.  Usually, that cargo net is a 15 foot vertical climb that takes some nerve and skill, but not so this time.  The mud obstacles, however, were a wonderful mess, almost totally impassable unless you got a helping hand (or foot or something) from a fellow Mudder.  At one point, I actually lost my grip and slid rather ignobly down the final slope on my butt.  Upside down.  At least I did it with style, I suppose.


My favorite obstacle is always the Arctic Enema, which for our Canadians is just a pleasant dip in the pool.  For me, it's a moment that puts me instantly at one with the entire universe.  A dumpster full of ice water will generally do that to you...I was AWAKE.  We navigated the other obstacles fairly well and only skipped one.  The new Pyramid Scheme had a giant crowd waiting in line and just looked like it was far too much effort for not a lot of fun, so we quickly voted to go around that one.  Otherwise, we just ambled along, having a fabulous time.  I must add that I completed the Funky Monkey again, although it was much easier because the rungs didn't move this time.  Sweeeeet.

When we finished, we still had time to get cleaned up, enjoy the festivities, rest in the shade of a giant tree and just take in the day.  I felt like I could easily have done the whole course again!  Relaxing there afterwards was really fun, talking about various funny moments on the trail.  We gathered up everything and made our way back to the hotel for a thorough scrub down.  My tub was a mess afterwards, but I was feeling fabulous!  Dinner was in a smoky steakhouse, and then I laid down to watch some fights on tv and passed right on out.  Although I felt great, my body apparently had decided that being horizontal after 10 miles of slogging along in the mud and other stuff was the signal to sleeeeep.

We've got another little Mud Run coming up at the end of May.  It's a cute little thing, only 3.5 miles, certainly not the length of the Tough Mudder.  It's a great way to get folks involved, though, and give them a good idea of what the TM is like.  I'm looking forward to it!

By the way, pics of the Tough Mudder are up on my Facebook page.  Whit's Facebook Page Feel free to enjoy the pics, I hope they bring a smile.  Be careful, though...you might just find yourself wanting to come with us next time!