Dirt in your skirt blog

The Countdown…

Posted on November 5, 2013 by Margaret Schlachter

It’s less than two weeks before the third edition of World’s Toughest Mudder. For another year the social media world is buzzing about rumors, 5 mile course, 10 mile course, new obstacles, new burn zone, and the list goes on. For those competing it’s time to obsessively check weather reports, last minute gear acquisitions from Amazon and any other retailer who ships quickly. Some are prepping to ship gear to hotels to avoid the dreaded lost luggage (just ask Joe Decker about that one in 2011).

 

For me it’s time to feel the body start to switch over into race mode. The longer the race the earlier this process starts. Having thought very little about WTM until now it’s like my body just flipped a switch into hyper mode. Luckily last minute gear acquisition is minimal this year and I have a direct flight from SLC to Newark. But it’s that time again where everything else in the world starts to fade away and all energy is geared toward the race and my team.

 

2011, this time before the race was filled with anxiety of the unknown and trying to fake my way through my first real endurance challenge. Today, no real anxiety, no real expectations, just trying to dig all my crap out of storage, make sure it all fits, load up on extra stuff, and get ready for another race. The biggest difference between 2011 and 2013 is expectations. Sure people might be guessing how I will do returning to the race that gave me nightmares after the fact, but everyone is entitled to their own opinions. For me, I have a few goals, but none really have to do with performance and all with experience. I realized in the time since 2011, you truly only race for yourself and not for others. No one really cares at the end of the day if you came in first or last, pretty much it’s all in your own brain.

 
So as the days inch closer and my brain is stuck in race mode, it’s time to pull out the neoprene, find the extra headlamps, and make sure I have enough body glide. Oh and it’s time to up calories before we go to race again on an unknown course of unknown distance for probably about 26 hours!