Are You Tough Enough?

A cloud of bilious orange smoke (from a military smoke bomb) signaled the start of the Nor Cal Tough Mudder on Saturday. It followed what seemed like a string of interminable disclaimers, announcements, and incantations. The testosterone level in that 50 square yard start area could have moved a mountain. The 300 or so entrants in that first flight (of 17) were starting a 12 plus mile experience which featured 24 obstacles while climbing up (and down) from Squaw Valley’s village to one of its peaks some 2,900 feet higher. Everyone who entered knew they were going to get muddy, jump into several snow lakes or pools of very cold, often muddy water, and feel at least fatigue for somewhere between a few to several hours. Why would they do this? It certainly wasn’t the offer for those who finished: a free Mullet (or Mohawk) haircut, a tattoo, a tee-shirt (and garish orange headband) and a pint of beer.

Tough Mudder started back east a couple of years ago. It was intended to be the hardest experience of its kind. Its definition isn’t meant to be a comparison of alternatives like ultra marathons like the Western States 100, the Trans Tahoe Swim, or even the fabled Ironman triathlon. What’s the difference? Mud, barbed wire, and sometimes sadistic “obstacles”. Such as what?  Read on.

Since formation, TM has gone viral, essentially by word of mouth and the Internet. (Forbes said TM is one of the 50 names you need to know in 2011). In 2011 there will be  a dozen such events around the world, mostly in the US. They are usually contested at altitude. In our case Squaw Valley starts at about 6,000 feet. Some have extreme weather, as recently seen in Southern California. In that event the temperature at the mountain peak was 10 degrees, with wind. Over 100 entrants were pulled for hypothermia. In each case, the course is “tested” on Saturday and Sunday. Note, if a contestant wants, he or she can enter both days for a discount. Even better, one can “double” the same day for no additional charge. (I am sure someone has or will do this). Part of the allure of this event is it is so informal. Race promoters (we will get to the math in a minute) are “loose” with details. Our event was billed at 11 miles, but we passed a marker for mile 12 before we got to the finish line. Tough Luck. Since this is an “experience”, it is not seen as a race. While top finishers are recognized, the goal for most others is to be able to yell the “F” word, as they cross the finish line. “FINISHED!”

The promoters of Tough Mudders seem hip, irreverent, quick to change. They may be riding a wave which may be more in control than them. While I don’t know any details, let’s “do the numbers”.

Revenue is largely the entrant’s fee, which probably averaged $125. (Early applicants get a cheaper rate.) That’s $875,000 for Squaw Valley, cha-ching. Add tickets purchased by spectators, a likely five digit fee paid by Squaw Valley (which probably saw $3mm of incremental revenue from meals, lodging, etc in the area), sale of event gear, and finally a nice cut of the inflated cost of photos sold. A gross revenue of $1-1.25 mm is probably reasonable for the weekend. Of course there are costs. One hundred temps working for a week to build and take down all the sites probably costs a hundred thousand. (Remember, there are some skilled trade’s men, who pull the average pay up). Insurance, equipment rental, materials would add another $100 -150,000. I assume the beer and Power Bars, etc. was comped for promotional consideration. Thus, net revenue sounds like $600-750,000 for the weekend. Yearly net revenue sounds like $7-10mm. Note, in their short history they have raised over $2mm for the Wounded Warrior Project.

I am betting as the popularity of TM grows, they will cut tougher and tougher deals with host locales. I won’t be surprised to see Nor Cal move next year, as it did this. Tough Luck Squaw Valley. In addition, the fields are growing each time they hold one. Last year there were 11 start groups, this year 17. Good Luck for TM. Note, a 20% increase in participants probably triggers 3% increase in costs. Good margin increase.

Getting back to the event Saturday, my adventuresome friend Rob Bond and I re-signed with his sons’ team Debbie Does Northern California. This year we were about half the size of our 15 person team last year. However, I bet that is not a trend, particularly since those Bond Boys each were top finishers! Way to go Chris & Jeff. And, of note, Zach Righellis flew from the Middle East to compete.

I anticipate some of you may be asking what is it like. Here are some impressions which stand out, and some thoughts on how I approached this event.

Tapering       I work out a lot. I like the release, and the challenge, although it is not as satisfying as the competition of sports. Lousy knees stopped my running, playing squash, and the like. Tough Luck. Getting ready for TM, I worked on upper body strength, essentially doubling such work for the 6 weeks before the event. On the Tuesday before the event, I started tapering. Each day I did less cardio-work, and more stretching. I wanted to be fresh and ready for a long day. Good concept, but I am generally not described as a calm person, so having all that unused energy is tricky. I got through this phase fine, although slept a bit less. At the starting line I was sure I had plenty "in the tank". I assumed the only reason I wouldn’t finish is an injury. I never rule out that happening.

That morning          I usually sleep well, 6-7 hours a night, sometimes 8. I generally feel refreshed when I get up, which is usually 4:30-5:30. (You got it, I don't see the 10PM news much.) I had a restless night’s sleep the night before, in part because we went to bed before some of you had eaten dinner. I had two vivid dreams, not related to the event, so I know I slept. Never really thought too much about the event. When I arose, I realized I like the quiet, dark space of early morning. While the registration line was big and chaotic, I was in my own small zone. The half hour before the event I was alone, despite being surrounded by people heading every which direction, officials rushing to finish one last thing, and the constant noise of people yelling to each other, exchanging pre-event greetings and good luck. Ready to go. Let’s see what happens…..

                                                            7:15 AM Checking In

When did it start? The first 100 yards of the course were very steep. Some ran, but most walked figuring there was a very long way to go. To me the event started about 5 minutes later when we climbed a short hill to meet Kiss the Mud. The pond of muddy water was 20 feet wide and probably twice as long. Walking through this would have been mildly uncomfortable, since you would get wet and probably get some sand in your shoes. TM amped this up. First, they made the water cold by adding ice. Second, they installed barbed wire with small, but painful, barbs about 18” above the water’s surface. Thus, you were forced to crawl through the water, essentially keeping you head slightly above water. However, it gets better.  You did this with 299 other people, so you could only go as fast as the people in front of you. If they stopped, you did. Too cold? Tough Luck. Cut or caught on barb wire. Tough Luck. When I emerged, I had sand and small pebbles in my shirt, on my arms & legs, and of course in my shoes. The scrapes on arms and legs had started. I am thankful the sun was out so we were dry in 10 minutes or so.

                                    

                                                            Kiss the Mud

What was the hardest obstacle?  I failed three obstacles, despite repeated tries on one. I believe that was called Everest. Think of a skate board half pipe with 10’ high sides. In TM’s case there is only one side wall, and that is vertical for the final 7 or 8 feet. Thus, the challenge is to run as fast as you can on a slippery, slopped plastic surface, then extend your arms so others on top of the wall can pull you up. I went 0-3 on this one, and have the black & blue marks on my shin to prove it. Tough Luck.

Number two was a structure which had 20 or so rows of a series of about 30 chin up bars, each about 18” apart. Think monkey bars. They started at about 8’ above the surface, but build to perhaps 10’, then trended back down at the end. Navigating just that would just take a lot of upper body strength. TM adds two features. First, the bars were greased and roll when gripped. Second, if you let go you fall into very cold water. As I was headed to yet another dunking, I was having second thoughts about the huge plate of pasta I had the night before. Tough Linguine.

However, number Uno in terms of difficulty was two obstacles, which I managed to do. In Walk the Plank you climbed a 15’ structure, and then jumped into a lake. What made that tough was the fact you knew the water was going to be very cold. It was. Next you swam 30 yards to get to get to the Underwater Tunnels. However, don’t underestimate the challenge of swimming when you can’t get your breath (because of the cold and altitude) and with heavy shoes on. When you get to the second phase you are required to swim under three sets of barrels. The last time I was breathing so hard was when I saw my first X rated movie.

As we were driving home, I asked Rob what was the toughest for him. He hated Boa Constrictor. Last year this was just a horizontal 30 foot length of pipe, through which I could barely fit my shoulders. Object is to crawl through, and not get freaked. (Yes, if the guy in front stops, you do to.) To add to the fun, this year the pipes were cut into the ground more. The first half dropped maybe 3 feet. Thus, at the end was, you guessed it cold, muddy water. Swim through that (barb wire above, so no walking), then realize you need to hold your breath to get to where there is enough clearance to breathe normally as you ascend. My knees and forearms ache thinking of the hard gravel which was all around.

Would you do it again?      Sure.

Did you lose weight?          Remember the huge plate of oil & garlic pasta Friday night? Did I mention the great burger Friday afternoon? I figure I burned about 2,500 calories in the event, which got me just about even from the above.

Any brilliant take aways?    I can easily walk a 4” wide beam for a fairly long distance. (I do this on curbs and the like all the time.) One of the last obstacles was Twinkle Toes. Walk about 50 feet on a 4” beam. Of course, if you fail, you go in deep, cold water. Tough Luck. My legs felt OK as I stood at the front of the beam. I thought I could do this. As I took my first step, my legs were shaking. I took about 30 very tentative steps which might have covered all of 10 feet.  Then I was in the water, once again. Thus, fatigue steals balance and judgment. The next morning I went out to play golf. Pared the first hole, and I thought this feels great. I soon realized my hands felt like cement. Shot a horrible 98, and was lucky to do that. Recovery time is a bit slower than when I was in my 30s. Finally, I was surprised driving home wasn’t uncomfortable. Sunday my body felt tired, but not too much pain. Monday it got a bit worse. So don’t assume you have paid the full price for something like this for a few days.

So what gives? Why did 7,000+ people pay $15-50 per hour to expose themselves to all this? I am not sure I know much about TM, but the following factors make sense to me:

• It all starts with that American entrepreneurial spirit. Two young guys came up with an idea, and probably invested less than $50,000 of their money (or that of friends). They have developed this concept effectively, and one can be sure they aren’t about to stop. According to the above math, they are now netting a few to several million dollars a year, in their development stage activity. Probably, they will never grow to the scale of General Motors. However, the US government will likely not be asked to bail them out. The US still develops great new ideas and products, even if we don’t make much anymore.
• Next, add a pinch of camaraderie. In the modern world all of us spin in our separate orbits. How many of you really know your neighbors? Last time you worked on a group project? TM goes to great lengths to explain it is an experience, not a race. Many of the obstacles require entrants to help one another. In addition, while you are on the course for hours, there is time to talk with others struggling up a hill or having finished some obstacle. Met Barbara and Molly, two 40ish moms who are members of Boot Camp in Las Vegas. They work out hard a few days a week. Tough Mammas.
• Finally, Americans are still pioneers. Always testing the limits, willing to press on into the unknown. No one could predict with 100% confidence they would finish. Too much stuff could happen. I have no idea what percentage of the entrants do finish but I am sure it is well less than 100%. The constant sound of the helicopter hovering over the course reminded me someone was being cautious. Along the way I watched a guy fall awkwardly from about 9 feet attempting to scale a wall, watched a young woman turn an ankle which immediately started to turn colors and swell, and  others grimacing with cramps, or other signals which cried No Mas. Tough Luck.

DAB, Rob, Chris and Jeff Bond at the Finish

If you are interested there is lots of information available. The Tough Mudder web site (www.toughmudder.com) is a good place to start. They have recorded over 1 million Facebook “likes”. Lots of photos from Nor Cal event. You can also see the team of 20 or so Gen Ys who run this machine. The king pin appears to be a guy named Will Dean, a Brit and Harvard MBA, who wanted something different. Another source is You Tube. Just type Nor Cal Tough Mudders and you can see the video of those who carried cameras.

See you there next year.

 

September 20, 2011