Tough Mudder Melbourne...Easy??
I just completed the Melbourne Tough Mudder. Firstly I gotta say it was a great day, I had a blast! Much more fun than I thought it would be.
Despite the fun I was a little disappointed with how easy it was. I would call myself moderately fit. Not a marathon runner or triathlete by any means. Parts of it were a little intimidating, but me and my group kept asking ourselves.. when does this get really tough? Many of the obstacles were actually pleasant. It seemed like quite a lot of people there were either overweight or hadn't ever been to a gym before. I was so full of adrenaline, anticipating 'the toughest event on the planet' but was left feeling like I could run around the circuit one more time. I reckon a half marathon would be much harder, let alone an ironman event.
Unless this was a particularly easy TM compared to others, TM seems to me to be an event for normal people who want to feel like they are heroes for a day. To feel like they have really achieved something. I guess thats a good thing. For all those fat people who did get to their limit and exceed it just to finish, hats off to ya.
Anyone else feel the same way? Or am I underestimating my level of fitness.
Despite this niggling negativity, Im already making plans to go do the Sydney TM.
Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by Ben Quinney on -
My sentiments precisely David - I had never ran 20km before - but other than pushing to keep running the obstacles did not present a huge challenge.
I came up against cues for up to 20 minutes for some of the obstacles which meant that I had plenty of time to recover for the next running section between obstacles.
In my opinion "The Tough Bloke Challenge" (http://www.toughblokechallenge.com.au/) was harder as the event was timed and places were given.
Thank you though Touch Mudder - it was a fabulous day!
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Permalink Reply by Byron Gallagher on -
Disagree. I won my age group (30-39) 2 years ago at tough bloke, loved it, but mudder was way better, obstacles included. What was tough about tough bloke??? devils gate???
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Permalink Reply by Ben Quinney on
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Hi Byron,
While I agree that some of the obstacles were certainly tougher in TM I was unable to try and run the entire TM course because of having to wait for up to 20 minutes to attempt various obstacles. I would completely agree with you that TM would have been tougher than TB if only I was able to push as hard as I had wanted to.
Congrats on your 1 hour 40 minute course time - fantastic effort. Hopefully by opting for the first starting time next year I will be able to experience TM in all of its glory. I will be aiming for under 2 hours 30 minutes!
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Permalink Reply by Benjamin Gohier on -
I share this thought about the event....
I didn't train for the event at all and found the course rather 'easy'. Sure my muscles were sore afterwards but still, the challenges weren't exactly "challenging".Overall i think the water was the worst thing of all due to the temperatures but the fire, log carries, tunnels and waiting times were not as i expected at all.
I lost about 2hours in total just waiting in lines to do obstacles; with the worst being Mud mile, Everest and the mud climb (one after grease lightning). Just making the obstacles wider would have help this problem
Despite this I still enjoyed the event a lot. I had great fun running through the mud, getting electrocuted and beaten up but the obstacles. Just maybe next year have groups start 30min after each other instead of 15min or just reduce the amount of people per start group and span the event over 4 days rather than 2?
I know this was the first event done in Australia and so there were a couple of kinks that needed to be worked out by trial and error. I just hope that next year they will take what they've learnt and what we have recommended/suggested into account to make next year even harder and better managed.
I'm defiantly doing it again next year and I'm that it will be bigger, better and even more challenging.
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Permalink Reply by Kimberley Topp Worsteling on -
Totally agree here. We stood around waiting (and in mud mile slowly wading) for up to 3 hours. We finished the course just after 6pm, and the hardest part was definitely the waiting around.
I found the actual course pretty easy, but fun. I certainly needed help getting up and over the 2nd and 3rd Berlin Walls (I'm only short), plus that mud hill and Everest. I also fell off the monkey bars at about the 4th bar, which was disappointing since I'm normally great at monkey bars. The swim across the dam was harder than I expected with clothes & sneakers weighing me down, and having to go back to help one of my teammates.
I reckon the course earlier in the day on Saturday would have been easier as it wouldn't have been muddied up by then. I have heard people say they could sprint up the mud hill early on saturday, whereas by later afternoon we needed LOTS of help getting people up.
It was heaps of fun; reminded me of playing on our farm as a kid, but for my next challenge I think I'll do an OD triathlon. Love the cameraderie, but love the competition more ;)
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Permalink Reply by Byron Gallagher on
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Like the signs read... try running...
I guess I would have found it easy too if I hadn't run as hard as I could and put down a 1 hour 40 minute effort...
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Permalink Reply by Tim Kacprzak on -
I ran hard too , finished in hour and 58 minutes , maybe paced myself too much, and I tryed to stay at a couple obstacles to help like I was helped out , so boasting about time means you didn't really take in all that TM had to offer, I ran hard , I helped ppl out when needed and I really enjoyed the day, thank you TM
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Permalink Reply by Byron Gallagher on
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Being that I entered very early, I was privileged with an 8 am start and therefore had no hold ups and being that the first person to finish did it in around 95 minutes, there wasn't a great deal of people that needed 'help' by the time I had gone through. People.... Stop whining about hold ups and enter early next year/time.. Remember... Tough mudders do not whine... Children whine... See you all in Sydney!!
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Permalink Reply by Kimberley Topp Worsteling on
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Real tough mudders wait until the course is really muddy and then do it, rather than when it is still clean and pretty. Real tough mudders know it is a team event and not a race for the fastest time ;P
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Permalink Reply by Byron Gallagher on
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So why this thread then?
You guys have way too much time...
I'll just have to aspire to be as hardcore as you then..
Cross fitter by chance? Lol.
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Permalink Reply by Patrick Bateman on
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Byron, your time is not impressive, nor your attitude towards the event. You are like so many other want to be tough guys who feel validation by attempting to prove themselves better than everyone else. The truth is that you didn't really achieve anything and that you wouldn't know team work and camaraderie if it came up and bit you in the ass. The wounded warriors (several whom I have served with) would would not be impressed by you, and would instead be disappointed in your selfishness. Tell yourself what you want. But at the end of the day, you missed the point, Champ.
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Permalink Reply by Byron Gallagher on
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Typical internet keyboard warrior. This topic started regarding the fact that it was not that hard, I stated that it was if you pushed yourself, some comments have deflected the topic to team work. If you entered to jog with a team, so be it, some of us, including teams joined to test themselves and push hard. You don't know me, I find you offensive and arrogant, but hey, hide behind a Hollywood name chump. I am more Of a team
Player than you'll ever hope to be, the difference between us chump is that I am competitive and don't hide begins alias's if I want to speak down to people like you. Over and out hero. Pftt.
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