“Can Fat People Do Tough Mudder”

Yeah, I just broke a taboo, deal with it. But the fact of the matter is that behind the scenes to this website, I can see all the search terms viewers type into search engines that lead them to my site. It’s completely anonymous, no doubt, but I can still see them… some are quite entertaining I might add. Anyway, something along the lines of the title of this post, “Can Fat People Do Tough Mudder”, seems to keep popping up on a regular basis. This means there are a lot of people out there that seem to realize they are fat/overweight but have a desire to take part in the great Tough Mudder challenge. This post will answer that question, but more generally will be of help to anyone who is overweight but feels limited as to things they can do.

“Can Fat People Do Tough Mudder?” The answer is, “yes… but”. When I did it, I saw very few overweight people in the challenge. And by very few, I mean probably 10 or so during the 3-4 hours I was out on the course. I saw fat people sitting on the side of course catching a breather, I saw them skipping obstacles, and I saw them entirely drop out of the race… but I also saw them finish. So, like I said above, fat people “can” do Tough Mudder… but that shouldn’t be the question in the first place.

The real question should be, “can I get in shape to do Tough Mudder?” If you are asking the question, “can fat people do Tough Mudder?” Then that means your mentality of yourself is that you are stuck inside your body and are limited to what it can do. It is because of that mentality that you are overweight and always will be… unless you do something about it. If you want to do Tough Mudder, or anything for that matter, you shouldn’t be asking yourself the question based off your current limitations, you should be asking yourself what you can do to change those limitations. In a matter of months, with strict adherance to living healthy and exercising, I can promise you that you can lose 30+ pounds and feel better than ever… WITHOUT using gimmick pills and silly As Seen On TV machines.

For me, personally, I achieve the greatest when I set goals for me that are currently out of my reach. If I commit to something that I know would be near impossible for me to do, today, then I will work for it until I can achieve the goal by the time the day comes of which I committed.

So get off your ass and set a goal and DO IT! It may seem daunting, but it’s actually rather simple. 80% of it is just in what you eat, and the remaining 20% is working out at least 30 minutes a day. That’s it. Everyone can do that, you just need to be mindful. Here is a link to 5 steps I wrote to make this easy. Let me know if you have any questions, I will always be of help to you. Just click “Contact” at the top of the page to do so.

My Tough Mudder experience:

http://iantimberlake.wordpress.com/2011/07/25/my-epic-tough-mudder-wisconsin-2011-challenge-every-bit-of-this-weekend-roadtrip-was-crazy/

Related articles

• Tough Mudder: Who’s comin’ with me?? (ithoughtthiswouldbeeasier.com)
• Guess What We’re Doing? The Tough Mudder – 12 Miles in the Mud (2wired2tired.com)

Tough Mudder: The Most Demanding Mass Race On Earth

Tough Mudder is hands down the most demanding mass race on Earth. I will be doing this race 4 days from now with a team of 4 that I gathered several months ago. A quick overview of the race is a 10-12 mile obstacle course through mud and icy water, over hills and into trenches, through fire and electricity and more. A death waiver is required for all applicants while only 3/4 of the racers actually complete the course. You want tough, this is tough.

Tough Mudder was created a couple years ago by a Harvard student who had a project tasked to him by a professor in a goal of finding a potentially successful start-up company that is unique in today’s world. When the professor heard of his this student’s idea, he thought it was crazy and he would be lucky to get a hundred people at the first event. Well, the Harvard professor was wrong, over 10,000 people showed up! Tough Mudder now holds races once a month (on a Saturday and Sunday) all over the world with each course being completely and totally independent of the last.

The costs range from $80 up to $200 depending on how soon in advance you sign up. The majority of the money goes to the Wounded Warriors Project while the rest goes to paying staff and course construction. This is why the prices seem so high, but when you see where the funds are going, you’ll be happy. I always find it funny that people will donate hundreds or even thousands of dollars to their political party of choice for the upcoming election but might consider a tens of dollars to wounded veterans a high price to pay. Makes me curious, hah.

Anyway, there are 24 obstacles in the upcoming Wisconsin race I am doing. Obstacles include: Braveheart Charge, Death March, The Gauntlet, Boa Constrictor, Funky Monkey, Berlin Walls, Devil’s Beard, Cliffhanger, Kiss of Mud, Turd’s Nest, Log Bog Jog, Shake and Bake, Walk the Plank, Underwater Tunnels, Spider’s Web, Berlin Walls, Greased Lightning, Firewalker, Everest, Ball Shrinker, Twinkle Toes, Dry Wood, Mystery Obstacle, Chernobyl Jacuzzi and Electroshock Therapy. Look here for course map.

All of these obstacles take place in heavy mud, water, fire or electricity, or all at the same time. And between the obstacles are nothing but wet and muddy hill climbs… often times involving the carrying of a partner or a log. Speaking of partners, this is supposed to be a team challenge. It literally cannot be completed without the help of a friend or some random stranger willing to help. In fact, immediately before the race, at the Braveheart Charge… they make everyone take the “Tough Mudder Pledge” which states that no Tough Mudder will be left un-helped if help is available to be given.

It is NOT a race but a challenge, but if you CHOOSE to time yourself you have the possibility of making it into the World Tough Mudder challenge, which is probably the only event that is tougher than this.

Tough Mudder takes the average person about 2.5 hours to complete… and this is for mostly athletic people. Overweight people are rare on the course but you do see them. I give such great props for men and women who are overweight and attempt this course. If it was a goal set or the stepping stone in their road to healthy living, it sure is one big one.

Once/If Tough Mudder is completed, you will receive an orange Tough Mudder headband, admitted into the after party with a live band, drinks and food. You also receive free tattoo vouchers for the Tough Mudder logo and you get the honor of being one of the few who have completed the challenge… a challenge less accomplished than a marathon. If you really want to test your toughness and have an awesome time doing it, sign up, it’s totally worth it AND it’s a charity. Look forward to reading about my experience when I get back from Wisconsin on July 24th, 2011… hopefully having accomplished the race.