Ohio / Michigan Tough Mudder Recap, Part 2

Finally after two more waves and two more national anthem recordings played, it was our turn to line up.

To even enter the starting corral you had to clear an 8 foot wall. Each member of the Atwell Arsenal leaped over with ease. Our confidence swelled. We milled among our fellow runners.

The hype man at the starting line responsible for getting everyone in the zone was absolutely astounding. The following is all paraphrasing, pieced together from memories clouded by adrenaline, electrolyte energy gels kicking in, and just a touch of fear. I highly recommend you sign up for your nearest/closest Tough Mudder race to get the full effect.

“Welcome to the Ohio Tough Mudder. Today we have a course designed to exploit your every weakness. To challenge your body and mind.”

The gathered mass hung on hype man’s words as he wandered to the middle of the start corral. “Bring it in close. People in the back crowd in. Now everybody bend your knees and sway.” We crowded in as he had us clapping, howling and shouting out words on command.
“If you've got a little something called 'Mental Grit', let me hear a hoo-rah.”
“HOO-RAH” six hundred voices answered in unison.

As Erick would later say “I could have dunked a basketball from the free-throw line after hearing him speak.”

“When I say TOUGH you say MUDDER. TOUGH”
“MUDDER”
“TOUGH”
“MUDDER”

“When I say TEAM you say PRIDE. TEAM”
“PRIDE”
“TEAM”
“PRIDE”

And as suddenly as hype man whipped us into that frenzy, he instructed us to take a knee. “Look around. These are your teammates today. Help them. Encourage them. They can't do this alone, and neither can you. Now stand up and say hello to the people around you.”

We did as commanded as he moved back towards the front. “Sarah,” he called to the side “Don't play it.” He turned back to us. “Now normally I save this until the last wave, but when I get a really great group I'll pull it out early. I'll start you off, but I want every last one of you to sing the Star Spangled Banner with me.”

“O-oh say” was barely out of his mouth before the 600 of us drowned him out. Our rendition would of made Whitney Houston proud.

Visibly pleased, hype man stood back at the front of the crowd at the base of a steep hillside and led us in the Tough Mudder pledge:

And with a long blow of the whistle, we were off.

The quest continues:

http://mudderarsenal.blogspot.com/2012/04/we-sprang-up-that-first-little-hillside.html