Back in November of 2014 I took on Men’s Health Survival Of The Fittest which was my first and so far my only Obstacle Course Race (OCR). Over those 2.5 years OCR has become more and more popular and although I wanted to do another one, the right location, right time, right event just never came up until now…
Tough Mudder is the leading brand in the new world of outdoor obstacles races with more than 120,000 participants in 2016 in the UK alone. Of the 19 races across the the UK the biggest are the eight in London which top and tail the season.
What sold it to me was the “Half Mudder” distance; five miles of obstacles …but no idea or electricity. And 5 miles is a decent distance, just short of 10km and with all the obstacles in our way it won’t be a walk in the park! …oh and then, I won’t be doing it alone which is a massive bonus for me!
Our team is being supported by For Goodness Shakes who have become big sponsors of Tough Mudder events. They pretty much invented the ready-to-drink protein/recovery drink category and I’ve only ever heard good things about their products.
Event Details: Tough Mudder Half London South — Saturday, 23 September 2017
Read on to find out why they’ve put themselves forwards for a 26.2 miler, and how they’re preparing (mentally and physically) for race day.
Our Strong Woman: Hannah Lewin
Find her on Instagram: @hannahlewinfitness
I am a qualified personal trainer, working solely with women- I also teach spinning. Getting to work with lots of amazing women every day is a dream come true after a decade of corporate life. My current is real mix of spinning, HIIT training and resistance work outs- I’m currently working on continue to develop my upper body strength further.
My Motivation: As a PT I often struggle for time to fully concentrate on my own workouts, and this is a fantastic opportunity for me to make sure that I am properly structuring my training to work towards a set goal.
My Biggest Fear: Getting muddy!!! Noooo!
I’m most excited about: Working within a team of lovely ladies! I generally train alone, and I’m looking forward to completing the course as part of a team.
Why I’m running an Obstacle Course Race: I love having a challenge or a goal to work towards, and any opportunity I can find to push myself that little bit harder I am always grateful for. (I may not be saying that afterwards..)
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So about that team of awesome ladies….
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Our OCR King: Michael Adeniran
Find him on Instagram: @theurbanchallenger
I’m Michael from London. By day I’m in the fun world of recruitment and most weekends I am rolling around in mud, climbing over walls or wading through rivers being The Urban Challenger. My blog is about me taking on as many challenges as possible whether it’s a Run, OCR or endurance event and helping people get into them. I take part in OCR’s on a regular basis so have quite a bit of experience in them, but I’ve got a lot more to complete. My training includes a lot of running and weight training.
My Motivation: My biggest motivation is testing and pushing myself to my limit. I don’t like settling and if it doesn’t test you then it isn’t going to make you better.
My Biggest Fear: My biggest fear is probably failing. I always believe that no matter what you are doing there is a way to get past it. So failure shouldn’t be an option.
I’m most excited about: I’m definitely most excited about trying out a new Race; one that everyone knows and says is great but I haven’t tried yet. I can’t wait to get there with a team and smash the event.
Why OCR is different: Obstacle course races are different because they work every part of your body and take you to a point where you might want to quit but everyone around you is on the same page and pushes you along. The camaraderie is amazing regardless if your a first timer or a seasoned pro!
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And this was all my bright idea having completed just the one OCR….
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Team Captain (by default!): Elle Linton
Find me on Instagram: @ellelinton
Photo Credit: The Wellness Collective
Y’all already know me. Blogger, Studio Instructor and everything in between! I’m currently training for a ride to Paris in July but I’m already thinking about my next challenges once that is done. I’m picking carefully though and Tough Mudder is one event I’ve always had an eye on but never committed to taking part…
My Motivation: The one time I did complete an OCR, I absolutely loved it although I was super slow! I’m keen to give it another go especially getting to share the opportunity with a team.
My Biggest Fear: I’ve come along leaps and bounds over the years when it comes to being outdoors and getting messy so the only fear I have is getting hurt. I know Tough Mudder have electrocution in their events but our distance doesn’t include it so that was a massive plus in my decision to sign up!
I’m most excited about: I’m planning on laughing my way through the entire event and I know camaraderie is high in OCR anyway but it will be fab to do this with the team I’m introducing you to today!
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Last but not least….
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Our Competitive Chick: Tash Thomas
Find her on Instagram: @tasht.uk
I am a professional Singer/Dancer and have had the privilege of performing on stages all over the world. I also work as a Fitness Instructor for The Tracy Anderson Method, a dance based workout originating from the US. This is my only form of training as The Method is trainer led so I do all the workouts with the clients. I previously ran last years Half Mudder and the training seemed to work well. I also run a blog that focuses on lifestyle, fitness and events with a positive and motivational twist.
My Motivation: My motivation for this years Half Mudder is the sense of achievement when you finish. I love pushing my body to see how strong it is.
My Biggest Fear: My main concern with anything like this is injury. My body is literally my livelihood and so any injury is a serious problem. But I’m not one to let fears stop me from having fun.
I’m most excited about: I’m most excited about running this year with fellow athletes. I previously did it for charity with friends and family, who were content enough to know they had finished. So this year it will be exciting to have a slightly more competitive team.
Why I’m running an Obstacle Course Race: I’m not a huge fan of just running, if this was a straight 5 mile run, I wouldn’t be interested, but I do love obstacles. They challenge your body in different ways and break up the monotony of running. Also, who doesn’t love going back to their childhood and being covered in mud and dirt.
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In my head, September is a long way away but we all know that in reality these kinda things juts creep up on us!
Have you done a Tough Mudder before?! Share your experience / tips with me in the comments below!
[ Sign Up here ] — [ Join Our Team here ]
If you haven’t done one before, would you be up for it?! Use the links above to sign up for the event and then join our team!
Elle :)
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Originally published on Blogger
