Tough Mudder - June 26, 2011

The Tough Mudder.

Beaver Creek Village hosted 9000 racers over two days. Crazy costumes, mud, blood, sweat, and all smiles. I've participated in fun races, challenging races, and awesome events, but NONE compare to the Tough Mudder. At the very last minute, thanks to the help of Tim Baker, I joined Mark and his sister Alli and the three of us, clad in old MMS uniforms, took on the Mudder. Unfortunately Jake had to work, but we already have it on the calendar for next year! We started 150 yards up a ski run at Beaver Creek where we were warned of the perils that lay ahead of us. The coolest part of the Tough Mudder is the emphasis on camaraderie. It's not about winning, or time. Infact they don't even have a time clock at the finish, and you only know your time if you go and ask. The Mudder is about team work. Seconds before we started, we stood with the 500 other competitors in our heat and took the Tough Mudder pledge.

The Pledge:

As a Tough Mudder I pledge that…

* I understand that Tough Mudder is not a race but a challenge.

* I put teamwork and camaraderie before my course time.

* I do not whine – kids whine.

* I help my fellow Mudders complete the course.

* I overcome all fears.

And then we started the 10 mile course; 5 10 foot walls, mud pit covered in barb wire, crawling through drainage tubes that spit you into cold muddy water, sprinting up a ski slope, jumping over hay bails while people are aiming fire hoses directly at you, carrying a log for 200 yards, swimming under obstacles in 36 degree water, ice baths, cargo nets over the river, the mud mile, scaling hay bales, crawling up a snow covered ski jump underneath a net, giant slip and slides, dark tunnels, monkey bars 20 feet high over a pit of mud, and the grand finale - running through electric shocks.

Ali Mark and I

Our trio running through some icy water from snow makers, making our way to the giant slip and slide.

I went hands first, which in hind site only increased the amount of water in my face.

Mark on the other hand had much better form.

This looks MUCH easier than it was. Its a 1/4 pipe for skate boarding. Covered in vegetable oil.

And the electric charges. I was seriously concerned about this, but figured if 7000 other people could do it, I could too. After all I am one tough mudder. Turns out it does hurt, just for a second, but it hurts. I got shocked 3 times, and screamed like a little girl, much to the pleasure of the 100's of spectators.

Alli taking the heat as well.

Our fantastic team crossing the finish line.

Donning our awesome new sweatbands, and ready to change and be warm!! At many points we were covered in mud, but the multiple dunkings and dousings of icy cold mountain water left us fairly clean, and freezing cold!

I had a fabulous time, couldn't have asked for a better way to celebrate my birthday, and can't wait to do it again next year with my hubby and an even larger crew of friends. It's worth a trip to Colorado to participate (hint hint)!

wild winter

A quick update on winter at the Bangtson hostel.

Scene One:
Tim moved in during the fall. We love Tim. He's great to live with, makes us laugh, and is always up for an adventure. Plus Tim perfected the art of baking bread at 8000 feet and he and I can clean the house in less that 30 minutes. Great person to have around!

Rocking Jovie's sunglasses... Classic.
Before the snow flew Tim Jake and I biked in Durango for the weekend.

Scene Two:
In short, Tim climbed a mountain and brought Hailee home.
Meet Hailee.

Hailee is fantastic! After a brief stint in the Midwest Hailee graced us with her presence in Colorado all winter. Always up for an adventure, she mastered the snowboard, and had a series of 1st's while in Colorado. We snowshoed, snow boarded, swiss bobbed, back country skied.. and cooked and ate fabulous food.

Scene Three:
April, my friend that I biked with last summer, moved into Del Boca Vista.

Meet April. April brings great conversation to the table, from saving the Earth to celebrity gossip, she's got it all!! Thankfully she is laid back and enjoys people, because we seem to always have a house full.
April Jake, April's nephew Alex (19) and sudo niece Orion (10) went on an awesome trek up to the Polar Star Hut for a night in January. It was super cold, and a LONG hike, but we did it!! We shared the hut with this sweet family from Boston, and had a pretty amazing all hut game of pictionary.


Scene Four:

Tim and Hailee, in need of more adventure, decide to ride their bikes from San Diego California to Jacksonville Florida. Tim is counting down the days of adventuring before grad school, and Hailee, well her life is adventure.

For the full story check Hail's blog.

http://haileerustad.wordpress.com/

Scene Five:

Just days after April nestles in, Brenna and Travis take up on our forever and for always offer to stay with us. They move in just days after Tim and Hailee depart leaving us with 5 adults, 1 three year old, one beautiful baby boy, and 3 rather large fur covered dogs. And we LOVED every minute of it. Brenna and Travis are fantastic to live with. The Williams clan is easy going; rolling right along with our full house. Jake and I adored having Jovie and Kalen in the house. Jovie kept us laughing every day with her singing and dancing. We did our best to hold it together when she was naughty (so much funnier when they aren't yours). And getting to live with a 2 month old. SO COOL. We got to see all the little changes that parents always talk about, holding up his head, smiling, too cute.
We had the privilege of taking care of Jovie when Bren and Trav were in the hospital welcoming Kalen into the world. Seriously, babies are SO amazing.


The fourth dog in the back is Mark's. During the bustle of Del Boca Vista's winter months, Mark still came up every weekend. And brought his crazy dog: Bumba.

Jovie's 3rd Birthday!!

Anyhow, we adored living with our BFFs. And somehow we even managed to fit all of our food in the fridge :)

Scene Six: Farewell, not goodbye
Sadly, they moved out June 2nd, back to da UP where we will thankfully still see them every time we go home!

April headed back to West Virginia the last day of school, and Tim and Hailee were in and out after the bike trip, but are now back in the flat midwest.

After our wild winter, its back to Jake and I and Kobe and Rip. Enjoying Colorado summer.