Wednesday, February 22, 2012

Well that was a mistake

Sorry, I have not posted in a while.  I do this while there is a lull at work and there just has not been any lulls.
I "ran" the Tough Mudder a few weeks ago and only made it to mile 5 before I had to call it quits.  I actually had a nasty cold and was downing decongestants like they were candy.  I do not think that was the main issue, though.  I this think this was:

I stole this photo from another blog

This is a big dumpster filled with ice water.  They put food coloring in it for no apparent reason.  This was one of the earlier obstacles and it did me in.  Whith an outside temp of 46 and winds up to 20 miles per hour, my body gave out.  I started having trouble breathing and my legs kept seizing up.  My eyes would not stop watering and I kept getting confused.  In a moment of clarity I remembered Rich saying don't do anything stupid.... I thought: I do not have health insurance.  This entire thing is stupid.  I then said to my partner in crime, "I just want to make it to mile 5."  Once at mile 5 I could see the next obstacle, so I did that.  I could see one more just up ahead and I thought I can do that one too.  When I got to the bottom of it, the pit of mud became visible.  A deep pit of mud. 


Kristen is 5'9"  I am 5'2".  This was a bad idea... someone that is already having a hard time focusing should not dive into mud up to their chin.  I stopped.  

On my way back to the car I started cramping REALLY badly and shaking uncontrollably.  I was nabbed by the medic people and taken back to the medical tent.  There they took my temperature, 90.5 and then stripped me of all my clothes (this was more than a little humiliating).  Women did the stripping but there were guys in the tent as well.  I was then wrapped in various blankets and stuck in the back of a heated ambulance for 45 minutes until my body temp was back up to 97.  

The after effects were horrible.  For a week I had an awful time regulating my body temperature.  My appetite was nonexistent, I was always tired and I would have cramps with out warning.  

Was it worth it?  For me, no.... but Kristen loved it.  Look at how much fun she is having in that mud. 

This is a picture of me (courtesy of Amy) before I almost died.