Tough Mudder

A few months ago, a friend of Brandon's asked him if he was interested in running a Tough Mudder with him.

What on earth is a Tough Mudder?  10-12 miles, outside, through mud and a couple dozen obstacles involving water, mud, electricity, climbing, and jumping.

Sounds fun, right?

Yeah, doesn't sound like fun to me either.

But to Brandon?  Hey, Brandon, here's a run on a course with challenges designed by British special forces, was described by an army doctor I know as "the hardest thing I've ever done, way harder than anything I ever had to do for the army", and you have to sign something called a "death waiver" before they'll let you participate.  Who makes you sign the death waiver?  The team of 5 lawyers that work full time at Tough Mudder HQ.

Yes, yes this sounds like a smart thing to do.  At one point a month or so ago, Brandon went to the orthopedic doctor because his knee was acting up, and I actually remember thinking, "It would be nice if the doctor recommended a little orthoscopic knee surgery maybe to clean out some torn cartilage.  Nothing requiring major rehab, just a minor surgery to knock the training off course just enough that Brandon wouldn't be able to do the Tough Mudder.  That way he doesn't have to do the electricity thing with all the water and the death waiver."  Yup.  I wished knee surgery on my husband so he wouldn't run in this stupid race.

Instead, that stupid orthopedic doctor told Brandon that his knee would be fine, and to come in before the race for a cortisone shot so it wouldn't bother him during the run.

Thankyouverymuch, ortho doc.  Maybe you didn't understand the gist of the plan, here.

Turns out, I had nothing to worry about.

Brandon and three friends headed out early on a Saturday morning, and posed for a nice clean pre-race picture.  And Brandon was wearing some of those teeny tiny shorts favored by bicyclists and triathletes.

Then they (and a bunch of other crazy people, including Aunt Val and Uncle Izzy)

did a lot of this

and then this

till they were very tired and disgusting

then they posed for more pictures after climbing over a giant pile of hay

until they finished (after Brandon DITCHED the rest of his team about 2/3 of the way through) all tired and yucky and muddy, but wearing cool orange sweatbands.

Thankfully, all four crazies came back safe and sound and in one piece.  Until next year, Tough Mudder!