Tough Mudder 2013 and Getting Fit

I recently took part in a Tough Mudder event, which consisted of almost 12 miles of running and 20+ obstacles.

I had been training for the event since January of this year. I remember back then weighing myself and measuring my body fat. At the time, I was 105lbs and at 21% body fat. I didn't care so much about my weight; in this, I guess I may differ from a lot of other females. Instead, my main goal was to trim myself down to 17% body fat.

I didn't think I could do it, but guess what? I did. Woohoo! I'm now at 110lbs (increase in muscle mass) and the 17% body fat I was aiming for.

In large part, I have to credit a change in my diet. I cut out rice almost completely. So hard to do with rice being a staple of Asian diets. I missed it immensely and still do, but the craving for it is no longer there. I also increased my intake of vegetables and added in foods that I had generally never eaten before, such as quinoa and steel cut oatmeal. For me, changing my eating habits and diet was the hardest part of getting fit.

As for the training, in the beginning, I lifted weights once a week and ran 2 to 3 times a week. Slowly I increased this to lifting 3 times a week and running every other day. I'm most proud of my improvements in running as that has never been something I enjoyed or was very good at.

So what was Tough Mudder like? It was a great experience and a lot of fun! It's really more about teamwork and enjoying the experience than it is about competition.

Some pictures from our Tough Mudder event:

Me getting over a 12ft wall. It really takes teamwork, especially for a shorty like me.

The last and often most dreaded obstacle: the Electric Shock Therapy. Those wires that dangle down deliver a large shock to your body when touched. Ouch!

My husband making his way through dark tunnels and mud.

Incline and decline monkey bars.

Overall, I think everyone should try to do a Tough Mudder or similar event at least once in their life. Just for the heck of it. And if nothing else, let it motivate you to get fit. :)