A little advice for the one seeking the orange headband. . .

The orange headband, yes, I had it with me at work. Don’t judge.

To my Aunt Lori who will be earning her very own orange headband this weekend.  .  .

Think of all the amazing athletic accomplishments of the last few years of your life– the dashes, the tri, the half’s, the marathon (and not to mention the fact that you are now a certified instructor) and you will realize before you even cross the starting line that you’ve got this little Mudder thing down no problem. F-E-A-R no longer exists in your vocabulary.

But in case you are still a little anxious after my brief pep-talk above, keep the following in mind when tackling the Mudder:

• The ice water compares only to jumping into a frozen Minnesota lake in January. It hurts and it will LITERALLY take your breath away. Wait a few seconds for your breath to return, and then go for it. Don’t panic, just breathe.
• Being shocked also hurts. It can stop you in your tracks, but, the pain lasts for only a second or so. Don’t panic, just breathe. The faster you go through, the better. Electricity be damned. You are a mudder.
• The walls get slippery and are a bit higher than the dash. Take your time, it’s worth it. If you slip a bit, hang on tight, don’t panic, and just breathe. (I saw a lady biff it off the tall wall from half-way up. She didn’t land too prettily. Can you say ouch?)
• Wear clothing that won’t hang to your knees when it gets wet and stretched out. See my photo below. Not the best look or very comfortable or conducive to wall climbing and crawling under barbed wire.
• Lastly, SOAK UP EVERY SECOND OF THE AWESOMENESS! BREATHE IT IN!

Me, in all my muddy glory, May 2012.

To anybody else that may be reading  this and are contemplating the Tough Mudder (or any other big physical challenge) know that YOU CAN DO IT! I was 210+ pounds, 43 years old, and could only run (and I use that term loosely) just over a couple of miles at a time when I completed the Mudder. My best advice? JUST DO IT! You never know what you can accomplish until you choose to try. FEAR is nothing but a four letter word and life is way too short to just stand on the sidelines.

To my Aunt Lori and anybody else facing some fears this weekend as you set out to accomplish new fitness goals, don’t panic, just breathe. YOU CANT DO IT BECAUSE YOU ARE AWESOME!