The Journey To World’s Toughest Mudder 2012

19 weeks ago I started to train for the biggest race of my life: World’s Toughest Mudder (WTM). In just 3 short weeks, I head up to Englishtown, New Jersey to race in this 24 hour world championship event. It is time for me to prove to the obstacle course racing world that I am a legit contender that will be competing in these races for years to come. It’s my time to shine.

World’s Toughest Mudder – November 17 &18

It all started with the Tough Mudder in Dallas, TX. My friend told me about the event and at first, I did not want to do it because I wanted to continue to improve at marathons. Long story short, it was the best decision of my life! I finished in the top 5% in the race, which qualified me for WTM. From the day I received the qualification email, I started and implemented my own training plan. I have been working out 6 days per week, combining running, biking, swimming, and weight training into nearly every workout.

The journey has been far easy, but when I toe the starting line on November 17^th, I know I will be ready. For most of my training plan, I was working 60-70 hours per week and had to train in the late hours of the night and sometimes, I wouldn’t start my run until after midnight! My workouts averaged a little over 2 hours per day. Some were less, and some were up to 8 hours.

As things start to wind down, and WTM is quickly approaching, I have one last key workout before I take it down a notch. I am going to start a gear testing run at midnight on October 26^th, where I will throw on my wetsuit and head to the lake in 30 degree, windy weather. There I will do a little bit of swimming and running in the mud and water.

Training for this 24 hour event has made me more mentally tough than ever before. To succeed in this type of race this is your most important attribute. 80% of this game is mental, the rest is physical. If your do not have a strong mind, you will not accomplish much, no matter what you do.

If you would have told me 2 years ago, when I first got into endurance races, that I would be in the position I am today, I might have laughed at you. This really goes to show you that you can do ANYTHING you set your mind to. Your mind is the strongest muscle in your body.

Highlights: On September 1^st, I came in 1^st place in the elite heat of Race the Reaper 6 mile obstacle course. I then ran 2 more laps and was good enough for 2^nd and 9^th place as well. On October 13^th, I ran 31 miles at the Lake Arcadia trails in Edmond, OK. This training run was a significant confidence booster because my previous best long run was 26.2 miles.

“Good, better, best. Never let it rest. Until your good is better and your better is best.” – Tim Duncan

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