TOUGHEST

I am still reeling from what feels like the most impulsive thing I have done in a long time. Reeling. Thinking about it though, I don't perhaps it was not actually all that impulsive. After all, can deciding to do was something that I had been thinking about for a while really be called 'impulsive'? I had thought about it and thought about it and thought about for the longest time. I have always been keen but something always stopped me from taking that step from thinking to doing, so never actually came close to doing anything about it.

TOUGHEST. This is what this is about. Toughest, for those not in the know, is a superlative in more ways than one. It is an increasingly popular obstacle race in Scandinavia, and reportedly the only one in the Nordics selected as a qualifying race for the OCR World Championships. It’s run in 8 cities across Sweden, Denmark and Norway and is marketed as being “The Most Intensive Obstacle Race!”* The one in Malmö is in May.

When I first heard about Toughest two years ago, I could not believe that something like this had been going on in Malmö for a few years and I had managed to have not heard about it. I was psyched. You see, I have always been that person: I watch people on television do obstacle races, boot camps, marine training, even biggest loser, and my bones itch. The adrenaline starts pumping and I want to be there. I want to be there, scrambling over that wall, pulling myself up that rope ladder, making that jump, pushing that extra mile. Oh, don’t get me wrong, I am by no means confident that I can do it all. But boy, do I want to try. And I there are few things I look forward to more than tough workout. Remember my dilemma about cancelling social plans because I wanted to work out? Yeah, I know, it is an addiction. The classes which leave me unable to pull myself off the floor are those I look forward to the most. To push myself to my limit and then finding that extra to keep going, it is such an incredible high - I love it! 

Since finding out about Toughest, I kept an eye on it. Part of me was very, very keen. The other part of me though had an Everest of hesitations. In the end, I did not sign up. My excuse was that the race was to be held the day after I got back from a three and a half week holiday. I say 'excuse', but it was legit. I knew full well that I would not be doing much other than eating and drinking for three weeks, without much exercise to go with it. It would have been foolhardy to go straight from that to running “the most intensive obstacle race”, dispute that title though I may. And yes, of course I could work out while I was on holiday. But realistically, it was never going to happen. The intensity and frequency of the workouts I would have to do, would not have been possible without compromising my holiday. I did go to check it out on the day, and had a great time walking around watching the contestants propel themselves over barriers and through mud, and wearying trudge on step by step. In my head, I was checking off the obstacles into categories of (1) those I would manage without any great difficulty; (2) thought I would manage without some effort; (3) those I would really struggle and might have to opt for the penalty detour instead; and (4) OMFG!!**

Since then, I realised that the biggest (ahem) obstacle in my way was that I lacked a training partner. Or at least, a sign-up buddy. I did not necessarily need someone to train with. But I needed someone to talk about it with, and discuss difficulties and tips, and yes, every now and then, train with. Someone to push me and keep me going, just by being in the picture. And also, someone to be there on the day with. Someone to lend a hand if I needed it. And all that works both ways. Knowing that I was keeping someone else motivated, and being there to lend someone else a hand, all that adds to the experience as a whole. 

And now comes the impulsive part. At about 3pm on one fateful day at work a few days ago, I ran into a colleague who knew about my interest in Toughest from the previous year. The first thing he asked me was whether I had signed up for the upcoming race. I hadn't, and had not thought to. I knew that it was going to be in the beginning of May, and I was going to be away then. I told him so. He mentioned something about it being on the first weekend in May. After that conversation, it occurred to me that I might actually be around on the Toughest weekend. When I got back to my desk, I checked. And lo and behold, it is in fact a few days before I am to leave. But the question of a sign-up buddy still remained. So though I could sign up, I did not think that I would.

Shortly thereafter, my phone rang. It was a friend, let's call her Anna, who was around town, suggesting that we make the most of the sunshine and take a walk. It was perfectly timed, as I was thinking about going for a walk after work anyway. So, we walked, and we talked. And as we walked, it suddenly occurred to me that Anna could have Toughest sign up buddy potential. I waded in gently with a series of probing questions.

“You work out quite a bit, right?” – She does, but not recently, which is pretty much the same situation I am in.

"Are you competitive?" - Yes.

“Do you like to challenge yourself?” – I could see her start to get suspicious. She answered, somewhat uncertainly and hesitantly, but said yes.

“Do you like to challenge yourself physically?” – Yes! This time, the answer was immediate and definite. And on the heels of that, as the suspicion that something dangerous or unpleasant was about to happen grew: “uh-oh”.

I laughed, and explained. Not long afterwards, we were both giggling almost hysterically as we decided that yes, we are doing this! We continued walking, and we continued talking, and we continued occasionally giggling almost hysterically. The end of that walk saw us both back at my place, bent over the keyboard, typing in credit card details. And so it was that within a few hours of me telling my colleague that I was not participating in the race, I was staring at the Registration Confirmation email in my inbox! 

Oh, and the stress of it! What have I done??! I dealt with the immediate overload of adrenaline after signing up by heading straight to the gym; the first gym session in almost a month. And I’ve activated the training plan which I get on the gym’s app. Yes, my gym has an app…  It recommends a training plan based on your physical details, and goals. Of the many different preset goals to choose from, I chose “I want to train hard and get into shape”. Based on that, they recommended several classes to go for, most of which were classes I attend anyway, so that suits well. Then they also recommend a few strength training programme. And let’s just say, some of the exercises they recommend, will definitely take it to the next level.

Since then, well since the moment I signed up really, I have been in a perpetual state of semi-stressedness. It is positive stress, mostly. On a whole, I have been a cocktail of nervousness, exhilaration, fear and excitement. There is a heavy feeling in the pit of my stomach when I think about the obstacles before me, and an anticipatory sense of achievement at the thought of overcoming (some of) the obstacles. I am fully charged! The mere thought of the race alone is enough to make it me want to jump up and run around, do burpees and push-ups and dance around!! I am psyched!! 

60 days to go. Come 2^nd May 2015, you know where to find me.

* I dispute that claim. By no stretch of the imagination is it more intensive than Tough Viking and Ninja Warrior, and I think that some of other Toughest races in other cities are slightly more full on.

** There was really only one in category (4). And true to the spirit of pushing people to the very limit, it was also the last obstacle.