I am a Gladiator

This post has been a long time in the making.  About a year and a half ago, a friend sent me a link to a video for the event known as the Tough Mudder.  Tough Mudder is an incredibly intense obstacle/mud run.  I was hooked, I wanted to participate, but to be a realist - there was no possible way I could do that then.

So the goal became to enter for the summer 2014 event.  However due to scheduling the 2014 Tough Mudder dream had to be put on the back burner for another year.  Hey, there's always 2015.

Over the course of time I came across another event called the Gladiator Rock 'n Run.  An obstacle/mud run not quite as intense as the Tough Mudder, but nonetheless similar.  So I took the challenge.

I started getting up early in the morning and going for a run (which was more like a jog).  Often getting out of bed was more challenging than the run itself as those who know me know that I am not and never have been a morning person.  Two awesome friends agreed to participate as well.  Thank goodness for that.  Their encouragement and support was instrumental throughout the entire process.

Let's back track for a little bit.  You have to remember that I'm the guy who had an additional gym class in elementary school because my coordination and balance needed extra attention.  The kid who got chosen last or almost last for kick ball, dodge ball and the other team sports ... well, that kid was me.  I'm not an athlete and never have been.  I realized early in life that's just not where my talents lay.

But, something told me I could do this.  This event was achievable.  In hindsight, I should have worked harder in preparation and pushed myself more, but that is mud under the bridge.

To say I was excited would have been an understatement.  Event day came and I woke up at 3am.  I tried for the next two hours to get back to sleep, but was unsuccessful.  At 5 I got out of bed and finished grinding heifer feed that I started the day before.  And shortly before 8 I left to go to my friend's house.  

Our wave started at 10:30 and I wasn't prepared for the steepness of the hills and by the second obstacle was out of breath and winded and beginning to tire.  My friends stuck with me and we kept going. Two obstacles I pretty much failed at completing.  One was a rope climb, I made it about half way up the rope.  The monkey bars have never been my friend and my hands never saw the second rung, but I gave it a try.  I'm sure my form wasn't anything spectacular for any obstacle but I completed the rest of them. Sometimes help from others  was required to finish an obstacle and always the encouragement of my friends continued to spur me onward.  Seventeen obstacles and 3.2 miles (5k) later we finished.  

I was a Gladiator.

The sense of accomplishment and awe at what I had just done washed over me, and for the first time in a long time I was proud of getting out of my comfort zone. I felt God's love, the love of my friends, I felt sucessful and strangely enough I felt safe.  It was the best day I've had all year, possibly the best day I've had in over a year.



My official placing was 1090 out of 2069 participants.  I completed the course in 1 hour and about 23 minutes.  The average time of completion was 1 hour 27 minutes.  I was above average.

But don't think I'm done.  My Gladiator medal is awesome.  But it will look even better beside the Tough Mudder orange headband I plan on earning next summer.  That's a journey that starts now.


I can't thank Dan and Jess enough for being such awesome teammates and incredible friends.  And I would be foolish not to acknowledge the support and encouragement God Himself gave me as I prepared, ran, and completed the race.

May God bless you on your journey.

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