It was the Muddiest of Times...Reflections on Tough Mudder

It was the best of times. It was the muddiest of times.  It was a time to lean on friends and a time to encourage teammates. It was a day to make a significant impact and give voice to the struggles of women and children in poverty. 

Some of you have asked if I could give you a few details about the day. I have a few pictures, but they are somewhat limited because we really didn't carry anything with us on the course. The course was 16.5 km of mostly hills and mud with 20 obstacles. Several obstacles would plunge you into mighty cold water if you didn't make it across. (Yes, I got wet! Yes, more than once.)

This is a photo after the first time we did the Mud Mile...a series of clay mud hills and ditches. The only way to make it through is to receive a boost from the bottom and the top...and to return the favour to the person in front or behind. The phrase "here's mud in your eye" has a whole new meaning! We look pretty fresh in this picture...it was the second of twenty obstacles.  The final Mud Mile at the added fun of crawling through mud under barbed wire. What a quagmire!

Unfortunately, we were separated from two in our group because their shuttle buses got held back due to registration glitches. With 17,000 participants over the two days, it is a logistical feat. A huge shout out to my fellow board members Joanne Beach and Joel Emery for taking up the challenge! It's a honour to serve on the board with you.

Joanne

A distant picture of Joel and Joanne at the finish.

 I knew Tough Mudder would be all about endurance and keeping my mind focused on completing the course. The temptation would be to give too much at the front end to keep up with my very fit teammates—and then have nothing left for the end. I had trained hard, but I knew I had physical limitations. I was so grateful that my team was patient and worked together to make sure all of us got through the obstacles. (Except the log carry...Sheri and I grabbed a log thinking at least one of the guys would be with us, but we lost them in the crowd and ended up carry that big 80 pound log on our own!)

 

Lucas showing us how Glory Blades is done!

Probably the biggest sense of accomplishment for me was when Eric and Mark helped me up on the Berlin Wall ( I think about 10 feet high) and I was able to push myself over to the other side. Although I gave my arm a really big bruise that would hinder me later in the course, it felt fantastic to beat the wall!

 

Going up and down that steep ski hill over and over again was a test of determination and stamina. Because of some knee trouble earlier in my training, I wore a light brace. The legs and the knees did not fail! After each hill completed we’d all say...that’s one less hill! As the rain continued to pour down, the course got colder, muddier, and slipperier.  Even in the flat areas the mud oozed over the top of our shoes. I wish I had a picture of Jordan, who slid down a long muddy slope on the hill leading up to the Mount Everest obstacle. We laughed so hard!

During one of the downhill treks, Eric Frans and I got talking about Jenifer, one of the people we’ve been able to help in the South Sudan—I had a photo of Jenifer in my gym bag and her story has been an inspiration to me. Jenifer and her mother ran for three hours to escape violence in her city and World Relief Canada is helping them to start over again.

I imagined that Jenifer probably didn’t have the best workout gear for her run like I did. And while I was able to “pace myself,” her run was one of fear. When I compared the toughness of what I faced to her situation---there was no comparison. How could I complain about anything?  I couldn’t. No, not even about the 10,000 volts zapping me during the Electric Shock Therapy obstacle at the finish line. I am definitely not Tough as Her.

 

Mark, Jordan, Eric, Me, and Sheri at the final obstacle.

Thanks to Eric Frans for dragging me out of the electric shock after I fell. 

A moment of celebration at the end with Laurie Cook, president of World Relief Canada and Eric Frans, Director of Philanthropy. Love these guys, the World Relief staff, and the tireless work they do. 

And some sass with my teammates Jordan and Sheri. Jordan, thanks providing a strong arm up the last stretches of a few of those hills! 

Tough Mudder bling...the coveted headband and t-shirt. 

I came away from the event feeling grateful for all the blessings of living in Canada—where we do Tough Mudder out of choice and not out of fear for our lives. 

I was also incredibly overwhelmed by the support of family, friends, and co-workers who supported the fundraising efforts of Tough as Her. We had a goal of raising as a team $30,000 and at the last check we were very close to meeting our goal. With matching government funds of 2:1 or 4:1 this will go a very long way! A huge thanks to everyone!

If you didn't get a chance to donate and you'd like to, you can do that here within the next few days or directly to World Relief Canada after that.

What's in my Gym Bag for Tough Mudder

Well...it's only two more sleeps and Tough Mudder will be here. Yup. Saturday, August 16th has been on my mind for months and months. I've trained hard. I've done all that I can. Now it's time to get the job done. These last two days I've just doing some light jogging, practicing my warm-up routine, and walking. I'm keeping hydrated and limber!

I though it might be fun to share what's in my gym bag for this Saturday.

Well, as much as I'd like to wear shorts this weekend, we will be crawling through some rough terrain, so I'm going with compression capris. They will protect the legs and knees from getting super scrapped up. Note the cool "venting" system behind the knees to keep me cool. Who knew they made that stuff?

The other area I need to protect is my hands. These half gloves will not only help me to grip things better, but they will also keep nasty rocks and splinters from doing too much damage. My look of determination is just a mind-game thing. Me against the Mudder.

I also read that it's a great idea to wear sweat bands on your arms. They won't stay dry, but they do come in handy for wiping the mud out of your eyes.

I've packed a garbage bag for the muddy clothes and stuff after the race. I've also got my warm-up plan, sunscreen, hat, and Advil...definitely gonna need the Advil!

But there's one more thing I'm taking in my bag...and it's the whole reason I'm doing Tough Mudder.

I'm taking this picture of Jenifer with me. Her and her mom have run away from rebel forces in the South Sudan and World Relief Canada is helping her and her mom to get started again. There are a lot of Jenifers out there and for me this event is about remembering these women and children and their stories and raising funds to bring them help.

I want to thank all of you who have donated. So far we've raised $6,800 (WHOOT!) and my husband Rod and I will match that amount up to $10,000. World Relief Canada also receives matching grants of 2:1 or 4:1 depending on the specific program, so that means our combined effort will go a long, long way!

If you haven't had a chance to give and you'd like to join in, you can do that here

This is likely my last blog before Saturday. Thanks for all your encouragement, thoughts, and prayers.  And yes, I will post pictures after!

Stay tuned.

A Hill to Die On

I've heard that one of the toughest things about Tough Mudder in Toronto is going up and down the ski hill at Mount St. Louis Moonstone.  So for the past couple of months I've been working on some basics to help me with this part of the challenge.

There is a dam near my house that has a good-sized hill that is about a 45 degree angle. For the first month I'd walk as quickly as I could down and up, down and up. Believe me, there's a lot of huffing and puffing at the top! And it's a great way to make your glutes talk to you! But oh no...that's not enough for my trainer, she likes to add a little more challenge!

Like doing the bear crawl up the hill! Knees low to the ground, but not on it. And why not add some mountain climbers at the bottom before you run back up!And you really should practice going down backwards.

And doing laterals on the way up. (Trust me, this is harder than it looks, especially on this kind of incline).

Then add some planks during your "rest" at the top. As if that isn't bad enough, let's run 3km first and THEN do our workout. 

Well the truth is, my trainer is right. All these variations prepare different muscles in the core, quads, glutes, and knees. The uneven, slippery grass will prepare me for the course conditions on the day, so that's a good thing. So many people get injured, especially on the way down the hill. And the running before just helps to simulate the conditions on race day. Can you do something tough after you've just run for awhile?

I have to say, this training has been a lot more fun because I've been able to do it with one of my teammates, Sheri Koch.

I've known Sheri a long time. She babysat my kids when they were little and now she has her own family. She is a complete BEAST when it comes to these hills. She actually runs pretty fast up them. She is so determined and it will be great to do this event together next weekend.

If you have been following the blog you know that we are doing Tough Mudder to raise money for 

international programs that will benefit women and children through World Relief Canada. With just over one week to go, I'm asking you to please consider donating to the cause. Here is the link.

I'd never ask you to give if I wasn't committed myself--so my husband Rod and I are matching all donations that come through my supporters up to $10,000. (We are actually just over half way to that goal!) With the matching funds that World Relief Canada receives from the governments (2:1 or 4:1) every dollar goes a long way! 

Thanks for considering it...and stay tuned!

I'm Never Afraid When I Run--Thinking of Jenifer

I never thought I would say this, but I have come to enjoy running outdoors. I particularly like running on trails through the woods--and when the sun is streaming in it's glorious!

I'm never afraid when I run, but I want to introduce you to someone who is often afraid and on the run from violence. Her name is Jenifer and she lives in the South Sudan.

Jenifer ran for three hours before she and her mom felt they were out of immediate danger. And though the sound of the gunfire on the streets of the South Sudanese capital Juba had been left behind, the fear of the men who had been responsible for the violence had not.

Jenifer and her mum are among more than a million South Sudanese who’ve fled their homes due to a conflict in this area. Jenifer’s fear-fuelled journey of escape was well justified. Along the way she saw many bodies by the side of the road and hundreds of people fleeing for their lives.

World Relief Canada provides aid as well as seeds and tools to help people like Jenifer and her mom. She'll be able to feed herself in the coming months and possible be able to sell the surplus to earn money for other essentials.

If you've been following my blog for awhile you know that I'm doing Tough Mudder on August 16th to help raise funds for programs just like this.  I wouldn't ask you to join in if I wasn't committed too. My husband and I are matching all donations made by my supporters up to $10,000. The great thing is that World Relief Canada’s programs are also matched by the government at least 2:1 and sometimes 4:1. That means every dollar donated goes a long way!

If you'd like to give, you can do so here.

Jenifer, I will be thinking about you on race day. You are brave and facing a lot tougher challenge than I will face for sure. 

Stay tuned....

Heather's Early Morning Workout #nofilter

If you haven't guessed it by now, I'm more comfortable talking about other people. So this post is a stretch for me as give you a sneak peak into my workout world at Pinacle Health & Fitness.

I've been preparing for Tough Mudder (which is coming up fast--August 16th) since December. I'm doing this to raise money for World Relief Canada for some fantastic programs they have that will benefit women and children. If you'd like to join with me and make a donation, you can do that here.

Here I am at 5:15 a.m. with my trainer, Karen Martin. I've been working with her once a week. She's fantastic! When I started with her there were so many things I was not able to do. I was out of shape in a significant way and I have a curved spine, which makes some exercises really challenging. Karen is a fantastic blend of adapting to what you can do and pushing you to the next level. My muscles usually talk to me for several days after a session with Karen.

Here we are with the renegade row. Think pushup position, but alternating lifting the weights in each hand. Great workout for the core.  (12 reps, 3 sets)

Next, the Turkish get up. Start laying on the floor keeping the weight up at all times and lift yourself up. Great for stability, hip strength. (5 reps each side, 3 sets)

No workout would be complete without squats! For Tough Mudder we will be doing a lot of hills, so the squats are awesome for building leg strength. Just for extra fun, I'm holding on to two 15 lbs kettleball weights. (12 reps, 3 sets)

Stability ball bicep curls. These are harder than they look!

TRX inverted row. Down and up. Note the look of sheer determination!

Whenever I work out, I usually add the treadmill at the front and back end. At the start, I ramp up the incline and give the legs a good workout to simulate hills. ( I also do outdoor hills, but I'll save that for another day) At the end, I like to do some running, just to help me prepare for running after I do something physically exerting.

Just under three weeks to go! I'll be at the gym tomorrow morning--bright and early.

A Song that Inspires in the Gym

When I'm working out on my own at the gym I often listen to music. I have a great playlist that I change up fairly often to stay engaged and to give me energy to work out in the wee hours of the morning.

Lately I've been captured by Matthew West's Do Something. This song pokes you in the eye to move beyond being concerned about issues of poverty, pain, and injustice and to actually do something.

I think we all care about something. And I encourage you to "Do Something" about that cause and make a difference.

This blog is about a cause I care about--helping women and children internationally through Tough as Her and World Relief Canada.

If you would like to join with me, you can donate to World Relief Canada on my Tough Mudder Donation Page.

Thanks...and stayed tuned!

I’m so tired of talking
About how we are God’s hands and feet
But it’s easier to say than to be
Live like angels of apathy who tell ourselves
It’s alright, “somebody else will do something”
Well, I don’t know about you
But I’m sick and tired of life with no desire
I don’t want a flame, I want a fire
I wanna be the one who stands up and says,
“I’m gonna do something”

If not us, then who
If not me and you
Right now, it’s time for us to do something
If not now, then when
Will we see an end
To all this pain
It’s not enough to do nothing
It’s time for us to do something

Waffling Between Confidence and Despair

Well, in just over five weeks I'll be doing Tough Mudder and I have to confess I'm waffling between confidence and despair. According to my trainer this is a normal feeling.

Why do I feel confident? I have a really great team of people who will be doing this race with me. I get a lot of energy and encouragement from them.

My board colleagues--Jennifer Stolte, Dr. Joel Emery, and Joanne Beach--are an amazing bunch of people who serve with me on the World Relief Canada board. They are dedicated and committed. Besides that, Joel has promised emergency medical assistance on the day of the event...how good is that? 

Jennifer, Heather, Joel, and Eric Frans...pumped about Tough Mudder!

Eric Frans is the Director of Philanthropy at World Relief Canada and he has Mudder experience. I love his passion--its contagious.

Check out Jennifers determination..love her attitude!

And if you've been following my blog you'll remember I was in physio for a while for my right knee. It was not happy, but it turn out that I just had some weak quad muscles around the kneecap. So I've been working really hard on strengthening those quads and I'm feeling great about that. I'm also seeing some good improvement in my strength and endurance.

All these things help me to feel confident.  So why the despair?

I have to admit, I've been thinking about some of those obstacles we'll be doing on race day. In particular the Arctic Enema. It is freezing cold water and then swimming under a plank. Just not sure I'm going to come out on the other side.  Seriously, can I attach a rope to someone?  Joel?  You can see all the possible obstacles here.

Really...what was I thinking?

I'll tell you what I was thinking. I was thinking about "her". Women and children who face very difficult obstacles every day. They don't get to chose if they power through an obstacle. They have no choice. I think about "her" every day at the gym. I give a voice to "her" by talking about what she goes through and how this event can make a difference.

So no more waffling. Just gotta do it...for her.

Stay tuned.