As you can see, my blog has had a makeover as well as my life (well..a lot has changed at least). I successfully completed the Tough Mudder in late September with Tommy. Dave was there supporting me so he was able to grab a couple pictures of us starting and of us at the last few obstacles. I've been talking about it the past few posts, telling you about my training and how close it was getting. Now it has come and past but man, what a ride it was! The course ended up being about 12-miles total (they added an additional mile in the last few days - so nice of them), had an elevation gain of 2,300 feet peaking at 9000' and I think there were 23 obstacles. They ranged from dodging giant (and by giant I mean big enough to knock you over) red balls being thrown at you to running through live wires with up to 10,000 volts. In that 12 mile stretch, we summited 3 different peaks, ran on surfaces varying from large boulders, single track trail, medium ankle-turning rocks, grass and of course mud, nearly froze and ate some apples. It took us about 5 hours to complete but it felt amazing to finish! But first, let me tell you about some of the obstacles.
The one that stands out in my mind the most when I think back was called the Chernobyl Jacuzzi. As you can see from this video, there are dumpsters filled with water and then completely filled with ice cubes! This was at about hour 2, or so, of running up a mountain side and making it through a few obstacles, so you're definitely out of breath by the time you hit this. They have you jump in one side, get to the middle, somehow catch your breath long enough to hold, while you swim under the plank in the middle, fight your way up through the 3 feet of ice cubes on the other side to get air and then attempt to walk through the ice shield to get your numb body out. It was insane and there is no way I can describe just how immensely cold it really was. My finger tips turned purple and for the next 20 minutes or so, I had to stick them in my armpits to warm them up and regain feeling.
It was a challenge to train and finish this race but I am so proud that I was able to complete it. It got me in excellent shape, too (although the altitude still kicked my butt a bit). Now I need to find some other race or challenge to keep me in shape and with winter coming - that will be a challenge in itself.
After the Tough Mudder, Dave and I departed for our road trip back to Madison, WI (which is the header picture above). We were going to stop at Lamoille Canyon to hike my trail but because Dave had to get back to WI for work by Thursday, we decided to skip it. Maybe one day. So, our first stop was Salt Lake City and since their beer is lame (3.2%) and we were both dead tired, we just crashed. The next day we got an early start and had a more exciting drive (not to say the desert and salt flats aren't exciting but I've been living in them for a year). We hit the mountains and boy were they beautiful!
Because our next stop was Vail, CO we took some back routes instead of just staying on I-80 and it was well worth it. Although those main interstates are so damn convenient and fast, you just don't experience the same drive as on back and/or less traveled routes. We made it to Vail, where we were staying with my friend Jackie, her boyfriend and their adorable dog Kaya. They took us up to Beaver Creek, where Jackie works and showed us the mountain. This is actually where the CO Tough Mudder took place which was cool to find out and compare terrains. :) They took us out to dinner and we enjoyed a few seasonal beers before we were all too tired to keep our eyes open anymore. It was a fun visit - Thanks again Jackie!!
We finished driving through the Rockies, where, unfortunately, I had to stop for gas at $4.39/gal!!!) We drove until I could drive no more and that landed us in Lincoln, NE. It was sad to leave the mountains and that part of the country and hit the flattest land I've ever seen in the mid-west. The one cool part of stopping in Lincoln was that is where my Nana was from - getting back to my roots. :) Our last and final stop was Madison, WI - where I now live.
Why in gods name would I move to Wisconsin, you ask? Excellent question. Well, you see, after my contract ended with AmeriCorps, I had no job or even a potential job and Dave and I have spent the past year apart going months at a time without seeing each other. It was tough and challenging but we made it through. We were both over doing the distance thing and since he has a job here and I had....well, a car full of my stuff, I decided to move here.
And that pretty much gets you up to date. I am still currently job-less and spend hours and hours each day scouring the internet for any potentials. I have even started just forcing my resume onto people who are not even hiring. Couldn't hurt. But if you're reading this and you know of anyone or anything that might help me get a job in the conservation field in the Madison area - PLEASE let me know (at this point I am not beyond groveling). Since this week has been beautiful (in the high 70's), I've been doing some hikes too, to keep up my sanity. You can see some fall pictures on Facebook!
