Tough Mudder Toronto 2013 Review

Sunday, May 12th.

6:00 am - Wakeup call
7:00 am - Pick up Team Cuddles
7:30 am - Depart for Barrie
10:40 am - Start of the most physically challenging event of my life

Team Cuddles -- before

I'm not sure any kind of training could have prepared me for the obstacle course event known as Tough Mudder. When we first arrived at the site and stepped out of our cars, we were struck with a blast of cold wind, which was then quickly followed by a mass of groans, "Damn, I should have worn more layers", "Shit, I wish I had bought gloves", "Fck, I'm already cold and we haven't even started." On the shuttle bus between parking lot and site, an organizer stepped on the bus and hastily explained the registration procedure and casually mentioned, "Oh, and by the way, there was snow on the mountain this morning." Of course there was.

This is the middle of the May. But nevermind that, this is Canada, and Mother Nature loves to be fickle. The weekend prior, temps had been in the high 20s. Today, the temps were hovering around zero and there were now reports of snow, rain, hail, and blistering winds. For those who did Tough Mudder on the Saturday, ya'll got nothing on us ;)

While most people did the second obstacle, diving into dumpster bins filled with ice water -- aptly named Artic Enema, I might add -- by the time the next two kilometres rolled around, what had initially seemed like a fun idea had turned potentially dangerous. At the 4km mark, I could no longer feel anything -- not my hands or my face, and perhaps most frighteningly, I couldn't feel my legs at all. We warmed up on the buses that were stationed at the rest stops and saw runner after runner load up on the buses that would return them to home base. 12 km left to go. This was the turning point for me. Either turn back now -- there was no shame in that; I value my health above all, and hypothermia was more than just a distant possibility -- or keep on going. Our team looked around at each other. Nope, not leaving anybody behind. Onwards!

The total distance was a little over 16 km with 22 obstacles. I'd be lying if I said that I did every single obstacle. I'd say you'd be hard pressed to find anybody on Sunday who did every single obstacle. Most of the Tough Mudder obstacles incorporated some hydro element, and it was just simply too cold to do all the water obstacles and keep your core warm. Additionally, as we were the last heat of the second day, and given the freezing temps, I suspect that they closed off a few obstacles early, as there were some on the map that I don't recall us even having the option of doing (i.e. Wounded Warrior Carry). As a result, I'm sure that the race was very likely less than 16 km. As we continued on the course, I noticed that most of the obstacles that involved water, especially nearing the latter half of the course, (Underwater Tunnel, Smoke Chute, Cage Crawl, to name a few) were vacant and some no longer had volunteers standing by to supervise, as if to say that they, too, had given up on these obstacles.

Tough Mudder Toronto - Spring 2013 course map

I remember trudging up an umpteenth hill and cursing myself for signing up for this. In dragon boat, when you reach the last 200 metres of a 500 metre race, you're told to "empty your tanks" -- in other words, give it all you've got. I had barely reached the halfway mark and my tank was already empty. How was I supposed to keep going another 6 km? But like many things in life, this was very much a mental game (although it didn't feel like it at the time). One step at a time. One foot in front of the other. And as Jillian Michaels loves to say, "Unless you puke, faint or die, keep going!" I'm sure she hadn't factored in hypothermia in that equation, but in any event, I wasn't ready to quit just yet. I kid you not, the one phrase I kept repeating to myself over and over again was, "You are one tough motherf*ker!" Over and over again. Until we rounded a corner and saw the finish line ahead.

I cannot express in words how happy I was to see the finish line. One last obstacle to go -- electroshock therapy! -- and we could get our orange Tough Mudder headbands and call it a day, call ourselves Tough Mudders. We regrouped. We ran as a team, Team Cuddles, through the final electroshock obstacle, 10,000 volts and all, and passed the finish line as a team. I couldn't be prouder. I was so proud of my team for sticking together, pushing each other over walls and shouting words of encouragement through the howling wind and hail. I was so proud of myself. I did it. Having never run more than 7km in a single run in my life, I just ran 16 km uphill, downhill and through mud. I have no doubt that as much as this was physical, it was mental too. Immediately after running through the last obstacle, I collapsed a few feet past the finish line. My leg cramped up so quickly and violently that I was literally cheering with my team one second and ass-on-muddy-ground the next. I guess my body had finally had enough, but only after my mind said it was okay. I did it.

Team Cuddles at the finish line

Despite not doing many of the water obstacles, I am still proud that I pushed myself through the ridiculously cold weather to complete the course with the rest of my team. Nothing else will ever seem as hard or as cold as that day. Would I do it again? I'm not sure. Perhaps not unless I get a weather guarantee of no snow. I would like to do the entirety of the course with all the obstacles. Does that mean I'll see you again at Tough Mudder Toronto in September? Maybe.

Here is the official video for Tough Mudder Toronto Spring 2013. I've gotta say, though, that most of the footage is from the Saturday, as Sunday was all snow and hail!

If you want to see want some of the footage from Sunday looked like, check this vid out, especially at the 20:50 mark and watch it for at least a minute to get a sense of the weather:

Team Cuddles -- after
WE ARE TOUGH MUDDERS!

“They take pictures of mountain climbers at the top of a mountain. They’re smiling, ecstatic, triumphant. They don’t take pictures along the way cause who wants to remember the rest of it? We push ourselves because we have to, not because we like it. The relentless climb, the pain and anguish of taking it to the next level. Nobody takes pictures of that. Nobody wants to remember. We just wanna remember the view from the top. The breathtaking moment at the edge of the world. That’s what keeps us climbing. And it’s worth the pain. That’s the crazy part. It’s worth anything.”

— Grey’s Anatomy

I Heart Summer

I have been meaning to write this post for a while. So much has been going on in the last couple of months that I really haven't made time to blog. I do miss it. And more often than not, if I don't write an entry as soon as I've done something, I probably never will. Or I'll end up months later, on a Friday night, sitting at my computer typing up a post. Like, say, tonight. But hey, it's been a busy summer, so I'll take whatever down time I can get.

Squeezing a water-filled glove to help with the circulation

On May 17th, I was finally able to donate blood (my hemoglobin levels were 134 this time!). The procedure was easy and took about an hour from start to finish -- normally it's shorter, but as it was my first time, they kept me back a little longer for observation post-donation. The snacks were yummy, I had good company, and I walked away super happy that I finally got to donate blood. If you can, give it a try. It's in you to give. 

“No one has ever become poor by giving.” 
― Anne Frank, diary of Anne Frank

I've reached the 56-day mark so I'll make an appointment again soon when my weight goes up. Speaking of weight...

I started Insanity  on April 16th. It's supposed to be 4 weeks training 1 week of recovery (I did 2 wks), then 4 weeks Max training. So I basically did 5-6 days of workouts for 2.5 months. Let me tell you, before April, I. Did. Not. Work. Out. I have been blessed with an awesome metabolism thus far, but I wanted to do Insanity to build up some cardio before Spartan Race. I've never been the type to stick to a dedicated workout plan, but I was determined to see Insanity through until the end, even after my workout partner quit in the first month. The first 2 weeks and the last 2 weeks were the hardest; the first 2 because I was hurting majorly and I struggled with sticking to a daily workout schedule. The last 2 weeks were hard because I was so close to race day and the videos were becoming really tedious. I'd be lying if I said I didn't slack a bit in the last 2-3 weeks.

I am happy with the results, though. I'm sure I could have gotten better results if I actually watched what I ate, but I've never been one to stick to a diet or watch what I eat. I eat what I want to eat, when I want to. Even if that means eating instant noodles at 2 a.m. That being said, I did try to limit eating out, incorporate more veggies into my diet, cut out white rice almost entirely. Here are some before and after pictures. I don't know if I'm ready for P90X yet, but my plan is to do Insanity again, or work exclusively on abs..(I've had "get a 6-pack" on my new year's resolution list since I was in high school).

"Don't be upset with the results you didn't get from the work you didn't do."

Pre-race. Still clean.

Spartans! Aroo!

 I also did Spartan Race in Toronto this year! I don't think I'll do it again next year, as I found it was more running than obstacles (as was Warrior Dash last year), but it was still muddy and fun. Poorly disorganized though, and we spent more time lining up to get our bags back than we did running the race. Oh well. And next time, I'll remember to actually train myself to run...Insanity was soooo not enough, hahaha. Watch the epic Spartan Race Toronto promo here. 

On June 12, I met up with an old friend, W, and he surprised me by taking me to Xtreme Couture for a Brazilian Jiu Jitsu class. Now, BJJ was never on my bucket list, but I had chosen "Compete, play, destroy" as our activity for the evening and I must admit that W chose quite appropriately. I'll admit that I was a bit hesitant at first. It was definitely out of my comfort zone. While the open mat class didn't offer much instruction, especially for beginners like us, I still had a fun time pushing W around and pretending like I would actually have a chance in a one-on-one situation, haha. The next morning, I woke up sore, but totally pumped. For the next few days, I spent a considerable amout of time researching MMA gyms and muay thai classes. But alas, as time went on, my fears and insecurities crept up on me and I lost whatever confidence I had garnered from being thrown into an open BJJ class. Looking at my bucket list, I realize that most of the items, with the exception of one or two (i.e. joining a paintball team) aren't really out of my comfort zone. They are all things I would be willing to do on my own. But sometimes you need that extra little push to realize what you're missing out on, and what you're really capable of. Thanks, W -- if it weren't for you, I never would have even dreamed of jumping into a BJJ class. New addition to my bucket list: Take a BJJ/Sanshou/Muay Thai class.

Not-so-little sis and I

 And a small plug for KT Tape. It. Is. Amazing. A tad expensive, considering how much I go through it (I always take it off after a day of beach volleyball because it gets so sandy and dirty), but it is single-handedly the only reason I've been able to pick up a volleyball this summer at all. Nearly every weekend since Victoria Day, I've gone to Woodbine beach to play beach volleyball. I used to hate volleyball, and I can count on one hand the number of times I've played it in the last five years, if only because I couldn't bump the ball without my wrists ballooning, or have aches in my wrists from hitting/volleying/serving the ball (though my skills, or lack thereof are another story entirely). But ever since I've started using KT Tape on my wrists, I've had no pain. I do have to get neutral colours for when I'm at work though, as bright pink doesn't exactly look very professional in the courtroom =P But I'm hoping that with constant use, it will help ease my carpal tunnel symptoms. Shopper's Drug Mart should be selling them, but I haven't had any luck so far. If you can find it in Canada, let me know!

Look at a day when you are supremely satisfied at the end. It's not a day when you lounge around doing nothing; it's when you've had everything to do, and you've done it.
Margaret Thatcher

Stepping Stones

After all those failed tests, I finally passed my 140wpm Q&A, 140 Lit and 160 Jury, which was enough for me to get my diploma in court reporting from my school. It's not enough to get a national certification, but it's enough for me to start work at the firm associated with my school. In the last two weeks, I've started working as a court reporter (albeit not realtime) in Toronto. Within a matter of days, of passing my test, I purchased my professional software, professional back-up recording devices, and my long-awaited professional stenograph machine. Though I've still got a long way to go to get to 225 words a minute, this is been a milestone that has been a long time coming. At least now I'm finally working and getting the experience I've been wanting so desperately. I haven't really celebrated yet, as I don't feel like I rightfully deserve to party until I reach 225, but I am proud of myself. So I've modified my bucket list entry a bit -- I've completed court reporting school. Next up: Realtime Court Reporter (225 wpm). Big dreams, baby steps!

I've been so busy lately -- producing transcripts is a lot harder than I thought! But it's nice to be busy again. It's nice to get a paycheque again. It's realllly nice to say "I'm finally working" hahaha. I'd be lying if I said that I have no doubts or that I don't get discouraged -- I do, absolutely. But I'm determined to see this through. I owe it to myself.

I'm hoping to pay off all my debt by the end of the year -- my parents are helping me with the capital I need to start as a freelancer. Between software and equipment, that's over 10 grand! *grimaces* So next year, I can start saving up for my own place...

Oh, and I've registered to try to donate blood again in two days. The last time I tried, my iron count was borderline low. Hopefully I can donate this time!

And as for my Project 365 ...I have been taking pictures every day (except for maybe missing 3 days since January)...I just haven't gotten around to uploading them. Sigh.

I also started doing Insanity! I'm in the middle of week 5 of 9. I'm due to finish just before Spartan Race in June! Six-pack, here I comeeee...or four-pack..or two. Although I distinctly remember that for as long as I can remember, "get a six-pack" was on my New Year's resolutions list, haha. I'll post before and after pictures when I'm done week 9 on June 17th.

Life has been good. I feel like everything is falling into place. I feel like I've sacrificed the last couple of months to get to where I am now. I have no regrets. Between the late nights studying, staying in because I quit work and have no money (ugh)...I finally feel like there's a light at the end of the tunnel.

It's not hard to decide what you want your life to be about.  What's hard is figuring out what you're willing to give up in order to do the things you really care about.
-Shauna Niequist, Bittersweet

High Park Cherry Blossoms...success!

Despite the clouds and drizzling weather, I was finally able to make it out to see the High Park cherry blossoms this year! We took the TTC down to High Park and spent the afternoon wandering the park. There were a lot of people around the cherry blossoms, but if you went past that and continued through the park, the crowds gradually thinned out and we were able to have a nice picnic lunch. We also managed to feed some squirrels some peanuts that some visitors had left behind.

It was nice to discover a part of Toronto I had never been to before. Definitely serves as a reminder that you don't have to look very far to find extraordinary things.

“Courage is not the towering oak that sees storms come and go; it is the fragile blossom that opens in the snow.”
 -Alice M. Swaim 

Up, up and away!

June 19, 2011

After our first two failed attempts (1. weather 2. wasn't feeling well), Shivan and I finally managed to suit up and jump out of a plane! We chose to jump from Skydive Toronto, which is in Cookstown, about 45 minutes north of Toronto.

I ended up writing "NO FEAR" on my hands (you can see it in the vid), partly as a shoutout to Kenny & Co., but I was pleasantly surprised to see that Shania Twain had written and signed the same thing inside the plane that we jumped out of.

We crammed at least 10 people in the tiny plane that took us up into the air. Between three jumpers, their tandem instructors, and the videographer/photographers, it was pretty packed. The ascent in the plane was a little nervewracking. It took a lot longer than I expected to reach 12,000 feet, and I spent the majority of my time staring at the altimetre on my hand, hoping that we had reached the necessary height. I didn't even see Shivan jump out of the plane (he was first, I was third). By the time it was my turn, I didn't even have time to be nervous anymore. It was just like 1...2...3...GO!

There was a slight moment of hesitation on my behalf when we launched out of the plane, but when you're attached to a tandem instructor, there's not much you can do -- you just go with him! Skydiving was nothing like I had anticipated. Freefalling is nothing like the feeling you get when you're on a rollercoaster. No big Gs, no dropping stomach. It really is just like a whole rush of air pushing against you. I can tell you that I felt absolutely no anxiety about freefalling, as I was falling, however I did have a really hard time breathing/catching my breath, so I spent a good chunk of my freefalling just trying to breathe, instead of really enjoying the experience. That being said, it was still incredible, looking down and seeing so much scenery and just KNOWING that you're the closest you'll ever get to flying.

That's me pulling the chute cord. You can see the parachute deploying.

I was supposed to pull the cord when we reached 6,000 ft on my altimetre, but I was so caught up in the experience that my instructor had to place my hand on the cord to remind me. After that, a quick jerk upwards as the parachute deployed, and we spent the next few minutes gliding gracefully down to the earth. Got in a bunch of turns too, and those were stomach-dropping but fun!

After landing, I couldn't believe the adrenaline rush! Admitedly, I had to sit down to catch my breath, and the crash after all the adrenaline tapered down hit me harder than expected. I would have taken a nap in my car if I could.

Post-jump

Overall, an incredible, exhilarating experience. I'd do it again (if it didn't cost nearly half a grand after vids/stills/taxes) in a heartbeat.




It is one thing to be in the proximity of death, to know more or less what she is, and it is quite another to seek her.
-Ernest Hemingway

Recap: The Big Apple

Five days was definitely not enough time for me to spend in New York City. I arrived in the city on Wednesday afternoon. I met up with Tammy, an old friend from Calgary who moved to Toronto, and then to NYC for school. We roamed around the city, meeting first at Bryant Prak, walking to Central Park, eating street meat, and making a stop by the Nintendo store and the Lego store. In the evening, my cousin and her bf took me to Boqueria (named after the incredible market in Barcelona, one of my fav stops in Europe), a tapas restaurant.

Pockets in the wall of the Lego Store with pieces sorted by colour!

Thursday was museum day. I (semi-) conquered the New York subway system and made my way to the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA), and later, the American Museum of Natural History. I'm not much of a art buff, so MoMA didn't interest me as much as the MNH, but I did get a chance to see "The Persistence of Memory" by Salvador Dali, "Water Lilies" by Monet, and "The Starry Night" by Vincent van Goh. They were all spectacular. I thoroughy enjoyed the MNH. It's like the ROM..but better! Also had some really good street meat. Waiting in line for over 25 minutes at 53rd and 6th. I think when I first counted, there were over 35 people in line! Absolutely worth the wait.

I can't even see the end of the line from this picture.

Thursday night was...memorable to say the least. My cousin took me to BonChon Chicken, a Korean restaurant that serves really, really good wings. YUM. I also met a bunch of her friends. Let's just say it was like real-life Sex and the City. Plenty of juicy gossip, scandalous news, sexy tidbits, and upscale fashion. It was nice to hang around girlfriends for a bit. Definitely a change from my gamer dudes back home.

Malaysian food for the munchies. Yum.

Friday was spent shopping around with a close friend of my cousin's. Shopped along Broadway and ate some yummy Malaysian food. Friday night dinner was extravagant and memorable, as we spent it at Morimoto (Iron Chef America, anyone?). Easily one of the most delicious Japanese meals I've ever had. Definitely pricey, but well, well worth it. Of course, in true New York fashion, we hit up another bar after dinner to continue the drinks. By Friday night, two other cousins had flown up from California and Texas to start our girl's weekend.

Can't seem to find the description of this on the menu..but trust me when I tell you it was yummy.

Avocado toast at Cafe Gitane. Tart, smooth, with a bit of a kick.

Saturday morning brunch was spent at Cafe Gitane, a hipsteresque cafe that serves French-Moroccan food. Tasty, I probably wouldn't go there again. No reservations allowed, and the wait was quite lengthy. More shopping for Saturday and Sunday. We also stopped by Joe's Shanghai. Best. Soup. Dumplings. Ever. MUST GO.

Soup dumplings!

Century 21 is easily my favourite place to shop in New York City. It's like...Winners meets Macy's. The store is MASSIVE (it spans over a city block) and has brand name everythings at cheap prices. Managed to pick up a bunch of Tokidoki purses. We also had dinner at Imperial No. 9, and hit up quite a few exclusive bars that I'll never. Partying til 3-4am in the morning every night is exhausting! I lasted until Saturday night, at which point I cabbed home early and crashed at 2 a.m.

Crack Pie from Momofuko. Doesn't live up to the hype

Unfortunately, between hanging out with my cousins and shopping, I never did end up making it to the Statue of Liberty, seeing Wicked on Broadway, or hitting up Serendipity 3. That being said, I did get a kickass view of the Empire State Building from the rooftop of my cousin's condo, visit Ground Zero, eat a lot of street meat, do a lot of shopping, and visit a bunch of museums. So, just because I didn't get to do all my bucket list items, I did have an extraordinary time during my stay. There's so much that I did while I was New York. I've detailed most of it, but there's still so much that was fascinating that I wouldn't be able to retell. The people, the culture, the experience, the atmosphere -- I'm glad I made the trip, even if it was all a little overwhelming. Still lots to do, and I'd have to spend over a week here next time I'm here. But all in all, I wouldn't have changed a thing.

View from the top of my cousin's apartment at 29th & Park Avenue.

Awesome view of the Empire State Building from her rooftop.

Ground Zero. Breathtaking, heartbreaking

The girls! <3 my fam

Concrete jungle where dreams are made of
There's nothing you can't do
Now you're in New York
These street will make you feel brand new
Big lights will inspire you
Hear it for New York!
-Empire State of Mind (pt II), Jay-Z & Alicia Keys

"The World is a book, and those who do not travel read only a page." -St. Augustine

I was recently asked if I had a timeline for my goals on my bucket list. To be honest, I don't yet. For the most part, it's simply because I don't have the financial means to accomplish some of the more extravagant things (travel the world) or I don't have the time to dedicate to achieving my goals (Ironman triathlon). Yes, I know that they're just excuses, and that if I realllly wanted to do them, I could. But I also realize I have priorities that simply trump my lifelong wishes (school, loans).

In the meantime, I suppose there's no harm in reflecting on some of the bucket list tasks that I had already checked off prior to putting together my official list. After all, I would have wanted to do it all before I die anyways!

First off, backpacking Europe. My half-assed blog details as much as I could while having infrequent access to a computer in the latter weeks of summer '09. I visited 6 cities in 5 countries in just under 3 weeks: Paris, France; Barcelona, Spain; Rome, Italy; Venice, Italy; Prague, Czech Republic; Vienna, Austria. It was a wonderful trip, albeit stressful. Here are some of my favourite pictures.

Eiffel Tower right before it lit up.

The last leg of the Tour de France. It was INSANE. I had to sit on Nam's shoulders to even see anything! Most people just watched the screen.

Bullfighting ring in Barcelona, Spain. Had to adjust the lighting in the pic because we were standing in the shadows of the arena. The bulls were huge!

Sitting on the steps of the Colosseum in Rome. The picture at the very top of this blog is from the Colosseum as well. I would go back in a heartbeat. Definitely need to go again. I absolutely love the history there.

Watching the sun rise of the canal in Venice. The story of why I was standing there is much less glamorous -- after an unbelievably crappy overnight train ride from Rome, our train arrived in Venice at 5 am. I am not exaggerating when I tell you it was THE most uncomfortable night of my life. When we arrived, nothing was open, including our hostel. So what else to do but to watch the sun come up and sleep on creepy church benches next to pigeons?

Prague Castle in the Czech Republic. We didn't actually get to go because we didn't allot enough time while we were there =( Next time!

Schonbrunn Palace in Vienna, Austria

Brrr...it's cold in here!

If it wasn't for Darren, I probably would have chickened out of doing a polar bear dip. Not because I'm scared of water, but because...really, who wants to jump into freezing cold (and dirty/possible nuclear!) water anyways? I'm not exactly sure why I chose this as a bucket list item. If anything, I suppose I can say I did it! (And isn't that the point?)

After much humming and hawing, we finally got out of the warm car and made the trek over to the water. In all honesty though, I think it was colder getting ready to jump into the lake, than actually splashing around in the freezing water.

It's a short vid, but here's proof that we actually did it!



High five, polar bear buddy!