Because I can...and so I did. One week ago today I ecstatically crossed the finish line after completing Tough Mudder Dallas 2013. I survived 12 miles and 25 obstacles with names like electroshock therapy, warrior carry, Everest, devil's beard, cliff hanger, article enema, cage crawl, boa constrictor, mud mile, electric eel, glory blades, and Berlin Walls. If you've never heard of it, look it up! It is a team oriented endurance challenge that supports Wounded Warriors. To give you an idea of what it is all about, the pledge you say before crossing the start line (which requires scaling a wall to even access) states, "as a Tough Mudder I pledge that I understand that Tough Mudder is not a race but a challenge, I put teamwork and comraderie before my course time, I do not whine - kids whine, I help my fellow mudders complete the course, I overcome all fears." It is a truly inspirational and just downright cool experience complete with war paint, face tattoos (temp of course) of Leave no Mudder Behind, and exuberant shouts of OohRah!
So why, you ask, would I put myself through such torture? Because I can. Because just shy of two years ago I couldn't even bend my knees. Because I gained 70 lbs of water in 3 months while my body slowly ate away at 25lbs worth of muscle mass. Because I couldn't stand for more than 10 minutes without nearly passing out or having water seep from the tiny tears forming in my legs as the skin was stretched so severely that had literally reached breaking point. Because I was so tired that I needed a nap after taking a shower. Because in 3 months my life went from perfectly normal to a nightmare of kidney failure, extreme edema, high blood pressure, and uncontrollably high cholesterol. Because a freak disease took away my quality of life and left me reeling in the aftermath. Because while FSGS took 3 months from me, it did not take ME. Because I fought back and I won. Because I could. And so I did.
January 2012 was a dark time in my life, but it proved to me that I was stronger than I ever imagined. And now less than two years later I accomplished something that was physically harder than anything I have ever done in my life. OohRah!
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| Warrior Carry |
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| Mud Mile #1 |
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| Mud Mile #2 |
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| Concentration on the Funky Monkeys. Don't let it fool you...I promptly face planted into the water! |
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| This 20ft drop scared the crap out of me! |
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| Even after all that...we were all smiles! |
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| Cold is an understatement! |
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| Made it across Just the Tip! |
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| All smiles! And some squinting to try to help the mud out of my eyes. Finding a clean anything to wipe your face was a luxury! |
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| Tagged! |
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| Berlin Walls at 10 ft |
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| Cage Crawl...another mind over matter |
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| Just downright dirty! |
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| I can't seem to arrange these, but you get the picture. Mud, miles, smiles, and a whole lotta fun :) |
