Hellobee Boards

My dad and brother did one a year or so ago! they had a blast!

Just a warning - my friend did this a couple weeks ago and broke her ankle in 2 places. They had a spot where you jump in water and it wasn't deep enough and apparently tons of people got injured in that one spot.

bahaha your excuses crack me up!!!

I don't know if I'm tough enough to brave the tough mudder yet - BUT Men's Journal did an expose on several different types of obstacle races and some were a little less challenging than the TM and I would love to try a milder one first! I am at the gym 1-2x a week at this point (a lot better than my past) and I am slowly building up my endurance, stamina and strength. I know DH would totally do something like that with me.

I was actually just talking to my BFF about those types of races and she wants to do it too so we might do it together

I did a 5k mud run and it was alright--I just did it for fun, not to seriously try and win. My arms got really tired from the climbing obstacles and I skipped one of the tall ones. Make sure you don't only do cardiovascular training, but strength training for your arms and legs! Also, it was in 90+ degree heat and the water stations were not stocked. Fail!

My friends just did one here in the Seattle area...other than increasing their running/endurance cardio type training before the event, they didn't really "train". But I think it looks like a fun way to motivate you to get in shape! Everyone seemed like they had a ton of fun!

DH and his friend did one last year. I will never do one, but I'll go watch and take care of him afterwards. It's a lot more than running. You need a lot of upper body strength, more than anyone on his team was prepared for. They're actually thinking about doing it again this year, even though he bruised his ribs last year and was in pain for weeks. At least this year, he knows more about what and how he needs to train.

We did Warrior Dash last year and it was such a blast. We did not train at all though, but still had fun. I mentioned Tough Mudder to DH and he had no interest, it was a little too intense for him. I have been thinking about it for next year and doing with some friends though.

Personally I'm not a fan of the mud/obstacle races. They always have really high entry fees and seem like a fad. Although it seems like TM is one of the more hard ore ones. But ultimately you should do whatever you are interested in to get motivated. Warrior Dash is about 5k (3miles) and a lot of places are making their own. There are also the color races. I prefer a regular old road or trail race, preferably a less crowded one, without all the fuss.