Throughout the month of January we’ve been celebrating the life moments that prepare you to run through miles of muddy terrain littered with kickass obstacles with the #ItsAllBeenTraining photo and video contest. Training can be as light-hearted as eating an ice cream cone outside on a snowy day, or traversing monkey bars in a tight pea coat, but it also comes in the form of life adventures that challenge your mental and physical toughness on a whole other level. #ItsAllBeenTraining has reminded us that training for a Tough Mudder isn’t always about lifting weights, or even running on a treadmill, but that some of the best prepping you can do lies outside the walls of a gym.
Our grand prize winner, Siobhan Henderson, did just that by taking her workout to the mountains of Norway, on a quest to reach one of the most breathtaking, scenic cliffs the country has to offer, Trolltunga. “Trolltunga was the most epic things I have ever done to date. It took 5 hours of gruelling climbing to reach the summit and when we got there we realised we only had half the tent with us.” says Henderson. “We had to build a makeshift cover with just the poles and 1 layer of fabric, then slept on the ground. We woke in the morning with ice lining the inside of the tent and no feeling in our feet.” While the experience was less than ideal, Henderson notes, “It was worth every second though, the views alone were incredible and it built my confidence in being able to achieve every challenge set in front of me. Arctic enema is nothing compared to sleeping on a mountain top!”
Having run two Tough Mudders (both in Scotland), Henderson plans on running her third in June. “I showcase my green headband with pride in my flat as a reminder of what I’ve achieved, and what I’m working towards.”
