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.

When Average is a Good Thing

Well, I've had a little bit of a setback the last couple of weeks in my training program getting ready for Tough Mudder.  My right knee has been talking back to me when I'm doing squats and lunges--and I am doing a wack of them getting ready for this challenge. There was a bit of swelling, clicking and pain.

I decided to go to a physio therapist at the Waterloo Sports Medicine Clinic and see if there were any serious issues. I had a great therapist named Julie who put me through a battery of moves and stretches.

The good news is that I'm "average" and that the problem with my knee is that the muscles on one side are not as strong as those on the other. Now average might not sound great to you, but it actually made me feel good. Before I started training for this challenge, I'm sure that I was well below average in strength. So to be "average" means I've progressed. I wonder if she meant average athlete or average person or average person my age?

Anyway, I have these special exercises to do that will help strength the muscles around my knee. My least favourite is the one-legged squat. 

But I think these exercises are really working. My knee feels better and better everyday and I'm hoping for a fairly quick return to full strength.

This has caused me to reflect on how fortunate I am. I have access to someone who can assess my problem and give me some exercises to do to get me on my way. I have health benefits that help to cover the cost of these assessments. But the women and children that I'm raising money for through World Relief Canada rarely have that luxury. To them an injury can be devastating and even life-threatening. That's why I'm motivated to do Tough Mudder and raise funds for these programs. I'd like to even the playing field for as many of these courageous women as possible.

Stay tuned...

Did Your Mind Tell You to Quit?

I have begun to realize that getting ready for Tough Mudder is as much a mental preparation as it is a physical preparation. Last week my trainer, Karen Martin, said something that has really stuck with me.

I was doing push-ups and the idea was to go until I couldn't go anymore. This was my second set of agony, so you can imagine that my arms were starting to feel the love. Karen is telling me I look strong, that my form is bang on.

And then I stopped.

She looked me in the eye and said, "Did your mind tell you to quit, or did your body"? Busted. She was totally right. I did have more left. Not only that, but yesterday when I was out for a run, I thought about stopping early and her voice was ringing through my head.

So, I've decided that whenever I think I'm done, I'm going ask myself whether my mind is telling me I'm done or if I've actually reached my physical limit. (For the record, I finished the full run yesterday!)

I have a feeling I'll need this advice on Tough Mudder day.

I've Been Muddering Along All Winter...

I think we can all agree that this winter lasted way. too. long. I actually didn't mind all that much, because I was really busy with my winter term course at McMaster Divinity College. When it's nice out, it's a lot harder to buckle down and write those papers and study for exams.

But there's been another plus side to this winter...I've been faithfully working out almost every workday morning at 6:00 a.m. at Pinacle Health & Fitness getting ready for Tough Mudder. Three mornings a week I join Karen Martin's fitness class. Karen is amazing--she pushes us to our best potential. Squats. Planks. Burpees. Lunges. Push-ups. Weights. Cardio. And it's starting to make a difference!

When I joined the gym, I didn't realize how important these classes would be for me. I've met some really great people who help me out when I'm struggling and celebrate when I break through a milestone.

Jane usually works out right behind me. I love talking with her every morning. When the going get's tough, I can always look back and know that we won't give up--she won't let me!

Julie is in front of me. She is soooo strong. She sets the pace in the class and is always doing the most challenging version of the exercise. But even though she is so fit, she still takes time to ask me how it's going and to notice when I'm able to make it through the set or use heavier weights. She could totally be a gym snob, but she's not. I love that about her.

I won't lie to you. It hasn't been easy getting up every morning at 5:20 to head for the gym. I made a choice to go and Jane, Julie, and Karen make it a lot easier to do that. Most of you will know the reason I'm doing the Tough Mudder Challenge...to raise money for women and children overseas with World Relief Canada. These women face very difficult circumstances every day. They don't have the choice like I do--they face their obstacles to survive.

Stay tuned.

Why Not Me?

I'll admit it. I watched the Superbowl Sunday night. When you have a son who loves football, you have to get your head in the game. It's something I've come to enjoy. I have to say that before the game I didn't really know that much about the Seahawks quarterback, Russell Wilson, but something he said really caught my attention.

Wilson has always been told he was too small to be an NFL quarterback. But he reached back to something that his dad had told him years earlier:  "Why not you?" I can just hear that conversation...probably about not letting something like that stand in the way. That "Why not you" provided the inspiration he needed to overcome the obstacle, perfect his skill, and eventually lead his team to a Superbowl victory.

Those three words have really stuck with me this week. Why. Not. Me. I shared in a previous post that I'm training for Tough Mudder to raise funds for women and children overseas, through World Relief Canada. People might say I'm too old or not fit enough to do this--and they might be right. But I think about the problems that need to be overcome and I want to draw attention and resources toward providing a solution. So like Wilson I say--Why not me?

Thanks Russell, I needed that inspiration this week.

Never Underestimate a Barn Kitten

When I was about eight years old, one of my favourite pastimes was heading out to the barn on our family farm and looking for the barn kittens. One kitten in particular stands out in my mind. This kitten wasn't very big and looked "soooo cute" so I decided I would try to pick it up and hold it. I had grand visions of carrying around this little ball of fur as my personal companion.

Yeah...that was until that kitten threw a big hissing fit, complete with teeth showing and eyes glaring. That kitten had no desire to be picked up, cuddled, or carried. I soon dubbed the angry kitten as Curly Tongue Spitter. The name says it all. I had completely underestimated what that small ball of fur was capable of.

I think we can underestimate ourselves too. We can think of all the very good reasons why something may not be possible. We talk ourselves out of starting something new, reaching for a higher goal, or tackling a big obstacle.

Well, I've decided that for the Tough Mudder Challenge  (I'm doing this to raise funds for Tough as Her) I'm not going to stop before I've started or let my age or current level of fitness stand in my way. No, I'm not going to throw a hissing fit, but I am going to get down to the business of serious training. There's no turning back now, I've paid the fee and it's non-refundable.

How have you underestimated yourself?  What do you want to do about that?

This Resolution started on November 1

For the first time in a long time I didn't make a New Year's Resolution. That's because I made a really big one on November 1, 2013.


I am part of a fantastic board of directors for World Relief Canada. We're passionate about ending world poverty. On that Friday the board heard updates on how things were going within our charity. Finances. Programs. Fundraising.


Our director of Philanthropy, Eric Frans, had just updated us on his experience doing Tough Mudder and the money that he had raised for women and children in developing countries. His vision was to expand the participation in 2014 and have teams participating across Canada.


Inspiring!


When I said I thought we should put in a board team...I thought Eric's jaw was going to hit the floor. Tough Mudder is a gruelling course, both physically and mentally. To be truthful, I had not idea how hard it really was. That's probably a good thing. I'm not in my twenties...or anything really close to that and I'm not really fit either. I'm just thankful Eric didn't laugh out loud.


I'm not the kind of person who needs to complete a miraculous feat just to say that I did it. That doesn't motivate me at all. Those who know me well would say I'm reserved. As I thought about the incredible obstacles that these women and children face everyday, I knew that I had to step up to the plate...and possibly go down swinging.


So now I'm going public. The campaign is called Tough as Her. Quite frankly, I don't think I'm as tough as her. I've got a lot of work to do. But this time being passionate means more than just making a donation.