Happy Thanksgiving!

Thanks to all who have donated to any causes for which we have raised awareness or written an article, and Happy Thanksgiving to all!  Thanks for following, subscribing, and reading!  Remember to think of a challenge and pledge and send it our way!

Living Social Toys for Toys for Tots

LivingSocial's deal in Washington D.C. (and I believe nationally) is $5 for a $10 donation to Toys for Tots.  You have 6 days to take advantage of this deal, and it is for a great cause.  This is like your 401(k) employer match - yes you have to sacrifice $5, but not taking advantage of it is like throwing away $5...FOR CHILDREN!!!

Please donate, and START SENDING US CHALLENGES!

Tom's Movember Everyday

What is Movember? It's men growing moustaches, posting pictures of their ridiculous new look, and awesome people (you) donating money to support the men in their efforts to raise money in the name of men's health.  For more specifics on the cause, check out Brandon's article on the charity.  His photos are also included there.  I stopped shaving on Sunday the 30th, so techinically day 1 was my 3rd day unshaven.  Check back daily for photo updates.  Here goes nothin:

Movember is in Full Swing

So the month has been upon us for five days, and Brandon has predictably failed to make a posting on our beloved month.  What is Movember?  It is a charity that is changing the face of men's health.  When Mo Bros show their grow, our cancer foe takes a blow.  OK, so I'm not a poet, but I am cultivating my facial hair from clean shaven to goatee to moustache for the sake of raising money to support prostate and testicular cancer research, as well as education and awareness for many men's health issues.  So why donate?

One in two men will be diagnosed with cancer in their lifetime (so will one in three women,) and one in six men will be diagnosed with prostate cancer in their lifetime.  Experts estimate 240,890 cases of prostate cancer will be diagnosed in 2011 - 33,720 of these men will die.  Testicular cancer is the most common form of cancer in American males aged 15-34.  Experts estimate that 8,290 cases of testicular cancer will be diagnosed in 2011 - 350 of these men will die.  Smoking accounts for at least 30% of all cancer deaths and 87% of lung cancer deaths.  One in five americans will be diagnosed with skin cancer.  Movember has compiled these and more facts and stats on men's health. 

Tough Mudder the Third

Not many pictures of these obstacles - they were not easily accessible to the spectators who started where the race did.  We'll see what we get towards the end though.

Obstacle 19 - Berlin Walls #2

These Berlin Walls were significantly taller than the first.  This was another obstacle at which a line formed - and for good reason.  Only the real athletes in the group could handle this obstacle without any help, and we saw quite a bit of teamwork in order to get over them.  To get over the walls, you had to either get boosted from underneath by one (or more) other mudders, or you got a running start, planted one foot into the 2x4 step that was horizontally attached to the wall, and jumped up to grab the top of the wall.  Then you had to be able to pull your whole body up from just your hands. This might have been my favorite obstacle of the day, and came as a nice break from the running.  Of course I went over with no help - I like a challenge.

Obstacle 20 - Mystery Obstacle 

The only way to describe this is as a dropslide.  We climbed up a wooden rigging to get to a platform on the top that had smoke from a smoke machine rising out of it.  We had no idea what we were walking into.  We were told to count to 10 starting when the person in front of you dropped in.  When we get to the top on the platform we see why.  It was a 10 foot straight drop that curved and spit you out forward.  Basically a slide that had a vertical drop built in.  Jamie was terrified of this becuase of the drop feeling. I admit I was nervous, but less due to the drop and more due to the scaffolding being built on uneven ground.  The left side was lower than the right, and I felt like I was going to fall into the wooden barrier on our left.  Alas, I didn't and both our fears were unfounded. 

Official Tough Mudder Video Recap

In case you have been reading my recap and thinking I am either exaggerating or that it doesn't seem that hard, this video does a pretty good job capturing some of the atmosphere and whole aura around Tough Mudder.  I'll have the Part 3 of the Tough Mudder recap posted a bit later tonight.  For now:

Tough Mudder Part Two

Obstacle 6 - Hold Your Wood
After a small downhill and then lateral mountain trot that included a sign warning us to sign on trail or we'd be devoured by velociraptors, we reached Hold your Wood. A huge pile of lumber of varying sizes lay in front of us. Team logs, individual size, and in between were all there. I almost convinced Jamie she could only handle carrying a piece of bark, but she stepped up and got one of the individual size logs. We then proceeded to walk up, do a 180, and walk back down what I think was the mountain's bunny hill. It wasn't easy, but at the same time, it provided my lungs a much needed rest.

We didn't snag a picture of him, but some animal had a team log across his back and shoulders and did the whole obstacle with a 3 person log.

Tough Mudder: Results are In (Part 1)

So it's all said and done, and I am indeed still kicking.  I carpooled down to Wintergreen Resort with two friends: my fellow mudder Jamie and my friend who came to spectate Ryon.  We departed at around 7 AM, and stopped along the way to pick up quick breakfast consisting of protein bars, power bars, pop-tarts, and drinks. 

Out of the Darkness

You may find this hard to believe, but I made a friend at James Madison.  This friend happens to be a girl (yes, I have even spoken with many.)  My friend Shaylee and I both studied accounting, so we shared a few classes.  We worked on a couple of projects together, spent some weekends partaking in malty beverages, and generally enjoyed the company of one another.  Shaylee had a younger sister who, unbeknownst to me, was in the thros of a difficult battle with depression throughout my friendship with Shaylee.  When we graduated from JMU's Masters Program and left JMU in the summer of 2010, we temporarily parted ways, only to be reunited in the DC-Metro area by one of our old past times - we are suckers for those malty beverages.

A couple of months later I received a facebook invitation from Shaylee to participate in an Out of the Darkness Community Walk - an organization that raises money for the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention (AFSP.)  After looking further into the invitation, I discovered that Shaylee's younger sister took her life in August of 2011 after struggling and suffering with depression.  As the youngest child in a family of four children, I immediately sympathized with my friend, and could only imagine the pain that losing a sibling to such a tragic event had caused her.  After reading about the charity, I jumped at the opportunity to join the upcoming 5k walk at the DC Tidal Basin and support my friend.  I set a goal to raise $100 for the cause, and would appreciate your contributions to my efforts - click here to donate in my name.

Picture preview of Tough Mudder Course

The pictures for this course have just been uploaded to facebook.  Check them out and let the anticipation begin.  I'm going to dominate those icy water pits.  Something tells me some of that hay will be on fire, too.

Some Tough Mudder Training

Not only is this guy a total badass because of his training regimine and barefoot warmup running, but he is ready to roll straight into Movember, and absolutely crush donations.  Him at 45 really makes you question any time you are feeling lazy at roughly twenty years younger.  I've been stealing segments of his workout regimen and putting them into my own workouts, and they are awesome regardless of what you are training for.  Without further ado:

Anybody else have a sudden desire for training ropes?

Pre-Mudder Jibba Jabba

So as I explained yesterday, I began the quest to finish this Tough Mudder with some friends from work.  Donations still being accepted.  One of our team members signed up for the Sunday race, and another had to drop from Saturday due to knee surgery.  In my quest to unite forces, I inquired to see if the two would be able to switch their slots, thus giving us the ability to all compete on Saturday as one unit.

The ensuing email chain resulted in the birth of a momentous tattoo idea.  At the end of Tough Mudders they have tattoo artists ready to make your accomplishment a permanent fixture anywhere on your person.  To find out just how incredible this tattoo would be, read on after the jump.

Movember tease...

One of the first ideas Tom and I had was participating in Movember. This organization raises money and awareness for prostate cancer by having men grow mustaches, and having others sponsor said mustaches. We all know Tom can't really grow one so I think if he can raise over $250 he should have to dye it jet black. Thoughts?

Tom Does Tough Mudder, Is More Charitable Than Brandon

Being targeted by high pressure hoses, hauling lumber up and down ski slopes, greased monkey bars over a frigid pool of water, 12 foot walls. Did I forget the live hanging electrical wires? These are just some of the 25 obstacles spattered along the 10 mile route that make the Tough Mudder at Wintergreen Resort in Rockfish, VA one of the most mentally and physically tough races in the US.  To check out all the obstacles I will face on Saturday, October 22nd, 2011, check out the course map here but if you donate, be sure to do so through the link below.)

When a co-worker first introduced me to Tough Mudder, I was intrigued, but very skeptical. It sounded pretty ridiculous. After reading more about the event - that it was designed by British Special Forces, was designed to address mental toughness as much as physical grit, and supports the Wounded Warrior Project - I became more interested in taking part myself.  So after a short time deliberating, I signed up and began encouraging other co-workers and friends to do the same.