I did it.

Sunday I completed my first Tough Mudder. I was really nervous and I ended up waking up at 4:30 am because I couldn't sleep. I actually cried a little bit that morning before I got dressed. I was nervous about getting seriously injured or not being able to complete an obstacle and letting the other members of my team down.

But I ended up not doing any of that. I ended up finishing.

I am incredibly sore but I'm seriously considering doing it again next year. I've already gotten asked by a couple of friends who saw my photos and want me to do it with them.

It honestly wasn't as difficult as I thought it would be. Don't get me wrong, it is a very challenging thing and it is all about teamwork and you must train hard to complete it. But I was honestly surprised at how easily I was able to do some of them.

The course is designed to tackle many fears that people have--fire, heights, cold, electricity, dirt, etc. There are simpler obstacles such as walls you have to climb over, and tunnels you have to crawl through, to much more difficult ones such as the dumpster full of ice water (oh god that sucked), the greased half pipe you have to run up and over. and the pit of electric wires you have to run through. And yes, you will get zapped. That was the last obstacle of the course and those shocks hurt so bad I literally crumpled into a heap  in front of the wall of mud I had to climb over to get out of there. I was hysterically crying as I crossed the finish line because of the pain.

It's interesting watching the little bruises begin to pop up and form all over my abdomen, chest, arms, etc. I would say besides the electrical shocks (those really hurt!!!) that sucks, is the fact that I have to purchase new running shoes since mine were destroyed and muddied beyond restoration. I had to cut the laces off one of my shoes because I couldn't untie it.

Here are some photos from the day:

Photo of our team. Me, Corey, Ryan, Sean, and Stacy.

Here we are about halfway through the course.

Me in my car after the race. I'm still getting mud out of crevices I didn't know I had.

Exercises in exercise.

No fun hair dyeing adventures for me sadly. My hairdresser had a medical issue so when she is feeling well enough to work again she will call me and I will get it done then.

I am sitting here patiently waiting for my tiny 8GB iPhone 4 to download iOS 7. I've tried twice now and both times I let the screen go dark and so it restarts the whole process. I had to delete like half my apps in order to download and take off all my music. I hope this is worth it and that I can put that stuff back on my phone because I need it to be functional until at least January. My contract with Verizon is up then and then I can either choose to stay with them or move carriers or just upgrade my phone. I'm planning on purchasing an iPhone 5s. I don't care how tacky it looks, I want the "goldpagne" one. I don't like the 5c's. They look like giant pieces of gum.

I am so exhausted physically. But that's a good thing. I recently canceled my Planet Fitness membership and joined a gym in Lynbrook called BC BJJ MMA. They have a variety of classes such as Muay Thai, Brazilian Jiu Jitsu, boxing and kickboxing. And you get to attend unlimited classes for their monthly fee. It's within my budget and a friend of mine from the PD recommended to me so I joined.

First off, holy. fucking. shit. Ow. I went to class Monday night for kickboxing and my arms feel as heavy as lead balloons. I wanted to go back tonight after resting yesterday but I am still so sore and fatigued it's unbelievable. I knew this was going to be an intense workout because I've participated in a couple classes before joining to see if I like it. But honestly, by the end of the evening on Monday, my legs were shaking, my arms didn't want to move, and went I finally plunked down into my car, I literally burst into tears and cried for a good 30 seconds. I was a bit discouraged and down because I am clearly the weakest person in the gym. I can barely do push-ups, I get winded pretty quickly. I'm having difficulty with my footing when it comes to throwing my punches and my kicks on the bag.

But I know I will get better. And I know I will get in shape. I can feel my muscles getting stronger even now. I know that this will be a success and that if I just stay positive and keep at it, I will be in shape and fit enough for the physical fitness exams.

Now all I have to do is save money for LASIK. :D