Sweaty, muddy milestones

POSTED BY CLAIRE: Earlier this year, I participated in my first half marathon and enjoyed it SO much (sarcastic voice) that I signed up for Tough Mudder and Cardiff Half Marathon the moment the corks stopped popping. Come to think of it, alcohol consumption may have influenced my decision to participate in such challenging events.

For those that don’t know, Tough Mudder is a team-oriented 12 mile (20 km) obstacle course designed to test physical strength and mental grit. It puts camaraderie over finisher rankings and is not a timed race but a team challenge that allows participants to experience exhilarating (if you rate electrocution as exhilarating) world-class obstacles they won’t find anywhere else.

I wasn’t joking about the electric shocks. And I’m serious when I say that wading through a container of ice-filled water, crawling under barbed wire and using people as step ladders as you climb over a pyramid were some of the easier obstacles.

But success and elation came as me and my bootcamp team mates completed the course and survived to tell the tale - over a pint that is shoved in your hand the moment you crawl through the finish line. As challenges go, you simply can’t beat Tough Mudder and the whole ethos of their events. Definitely one for the bucket list.

After all that, Cardiff Half seemed like a walk in the park. Well, not really, but I like to forget the pain of the 21K route, and the pain of the safety pin that was stuck in the sole of my trainer into my foot for approx 2k before realising what it was and yanking it out. The weather was glorious, the crowds were amazing, fellow runners were inspiring and holding both my kiddies in my arms after the 2 hour 20 minutes it took me was… really hard. And made it all worthwhile obviously!