This is the our first post in the new Obstacle Series. There are upwards of 28 obstacles total in Tough Mudder's across the world, and we will be bringing them all to you. Twice a week (on Tuesday and Friday) our blog will be updated with a new obstacle, and will include what this obstacle is, its difficulty rating, how to train for it, photos and how the TMTour2014 fared on it.
You will be able to see all obstacle posts by clicking on the "Obstacle Series" button under categories on the right of your screen.
You will be able to see all obstacle posts by clicking on the "Obstacle Series" button under categories on the right of your screen.
Obstacle: The Arctic Enema.
Objective: Some claim this to be the worst obstacle of all - even beating out the Electro Shock Therapy. Jumping into a skip of freezing water, filled to the brim with ice, is not anyone's cup of tea. But that's not all; you also have to duck your head under the wooden sign and under the icy water, and come out the other side. Then you have to wade through the rest of the ice and water, and jump out at the end. Simple concept, but very difficult to pull off successfully.
Difficulty: Physical - 2/10 | Mental - 9/10
Objective: Some claim this to be the worst obstacle of all - even beating out the Electro Shock Therapy. Jumping into a skip of freezing water, filled to the brim with ice, is not anyone's cup of tea. But that's not all; you also have to duck your head under the wooden sign and under the icy water, and come out the other side. Then you have to wade through the rest of the ice and water, and jump out at the end. Simple concept, but very difficult to pull off successfully.
Difficulty: Physical - 2/10 | Mental - 9/10
The physical difficulty rating for this obstacle is low as it is a simple task - jump into the water, duck under the sign, jump out at the end. No physical strength is needed, but mental strength is a must. For some people, putting their head under water is bad enough, but freezing cold water surrounded by ice? That's a tough ordeal for some.
How to Complete: The key is to not think about it, don't psych yourself out. Just jump in and do it. The longer you wait on the edge before the obstacle, the more likely you are to chicken out. It is only cold water folks. It can't hurt you! It takes all of 10 seconds to complete this obstacle, and then you'll be back running again warming up.
One thing you can do to make it a little easier for yourself, is to jump as close to the divider in the middle as possible. This saves you a metre or two of icy water you have to wade through if you just climb in.
Quickness is key. When you get to the divider, take a quick deep breath, and duck right under. Don't think about it. Just do. The initial shock you get when sticking your head under the water will be only momentary, so don't worry! Use the divider to help yourself go under, come up for air, and get the hell out of there. The longer you stay in, the colder you will become.
A last word of advice - hold onto your GoPro's and headbands. Many people have lost these in the bottom of the Arctic Enema. You don't want to lose your camera, or even worse, your Mudder Legion Headband!
Training: As this is a mental obstacle more than a physical one, there isn't much training you can do for the Arctic Enema. One thing you can do though is every time you have a shower, jump in with just the cold taps on, stand under the freezing water for 10 seconds, then turn the hot water on. You can increase the time if you want, but Mudder's aren't generally in the Arctic Enema longer than 15 seconds.
Our take: I personally think this to be the best obstacle in Tough Mudder, much to everyone's disbelief. I have no troubles jumping into freezing cold water and ducking my head underneath. I'm even happy enough to stand down the end and help a few people out of the ice (not for long though). A very easy obstacle overall.
What was your take on the Arctic Enema? Did you enjoy it, or is it one of your more hated obstacles? Hit us up in the comments below with your Arctic Enema story!
How to Complete: The key is to not think about it, don't psych yourself out. Just jump in and do it. The longer you wait on the edge before the obstacle, the more likely you are to chicken out. It is only cold water folks. It can't hurt you! It takes all of 10 seconds to complete this obstacle, and then you'll be back running again warming up.
One thing you can do to make it a little easier for yourself, is to jump as close to the divider in the middle as possible. This saves you a metre or two of icy water you have to wade through if you just climb in.
Quickness is key. When you get to the divider, take a quick deep breath, and duck right under. Don't think about it. Just do. The initial shock you get when sticking your head under the water will be only momentary, so don't worry! Use the divider to help yourself go under, come up for air, and get the hell out of there. The longer you stay in, the colder you will become.
A last word of advice - hold onto your GoPro's and headbands. Many people have lost these in the bottom of the Arctic Enema. You don't want to lose your camera, or even worse, your Mudder Legion Headband!
Training: As this is a mental obstacle more than a physical one, there isn't much training you can do for the Arctic Enema. One thing you can do though is every time you have a shower, jump in with just the cold taps on, stand under the freezing water for 10 seconds, then turn the hot water on. You can increase the time if you want, but Mudder's aren't generally in the Arctic Enema longer than 15 seconds.
Our take: I personally think this to be the best obstacle in Tough Mudder, much to everyone's disbelief. I have no troubles jumping into freezing cold water and ducking my head underneath. I'm even happy enough to stand down the end and help a few people out of the ice (not for long though). A very easy obstacle overall.
What was your take on the Arctic Enema? Did you enjoy it, or is it one of your more hated obstacles? Hit us up in the comments below with your Arctic Enema story!
The next part in the Obstacle Series coming this Friday - Cage Crawl.
Have a squiz at TMTour2014 on Facebook for all your Mudder needs
Have a gander at TMTour2014 on Twitter for Mudder training tips
Have a looksie at TMTour2014 on Flickr for more photos
And subscribe to TMTour2014 RSS Feed so you don't miss the next Obstacle Series post!
#TMTour2014
Have a squiz at TMTour2014 on Facebook for all your Mudder needs
Have a gander at TMTour2014 on Twitter for Mudder training tips
Have a looksie at TMTour2014 on Flickr for more photos
And subscribe to TMTour2014 RSS Feed so you don't miss the next Obstacle Series post!
#TMTour2014