You can hear the screams almost a kilometer before you reach your next obstacle. That can only mean one thing. The electricity is in the air! Today’s Obstacle Series post will help you overcome your crippling fear of getting zapped by 10,000 volt live wires. It’s not as bad as it sounds. Really!
Obstacle: Electric Eel
Objective: As fast as you can, crawl through the water, with the live electric wires dangling down over your head. You can try and swerve around the wires, but odds are you will get hit by at least one! The obstacle is only about 20 metres long, and only lasts maybe 30 seconds to a minute – what’s a minute worth of being zapped in comparison to a lifetime of Tough Mudder memories and stories once you finish?
Difficulty: Physical - 2/10 | Mental - 10/10
Physically, this is a simple challenge. Commando crawling through a few inches of water. Not hard at all right? It’s the mental aspect of this obstacle that gets to people. Anything to do with electricity is set to freak
Objective: As fast as you can, crawl through the water, with the live electric wires dangling down over your head. You can try and swerve around the wires, but odds are you will get hit by at least one! The obstacle is only about 20 metres long, and only lasts maybe 30 seconds to a minute – what’s a minute worth of being zapped in comparison to a lifetime of Tough Mudder memories and stories once you finish?
Difficulty: Physical - 2/10 | Mental - 10/10
Physically, this is a simple challenge. Commando crawling through a few inches of water. Not hard at all right? It’s the mental aspect of this obstacle that gets to people. Anything to do with electricity is set to freak
out the most hardened Tough Mudder.
For anyone that has completed this challenge before, knows the faster you get it over and done with, the better. I know from experience that if you get shocked and stop crawling, you will not stop getting zapped. You can stop crawling mid obstacle, start crying and refuse to move, but the Tough Mudder marshals’ wont turn the electricity off for you!
Push through the pain. Once you get out the other side, have a look back, and see what you’ve just accomplished. If 10,000 volts couldn’t stop you, then nothing can stop you in life!
How to Complete: To complete this obstacle, it's plain and simple. Commando crawl as damn fast as you can! You can try and crawl around the wires a little, but you WILL get zapped at some point, so just push through! I know from experience that getting zapped on the crown of the head, or anywhere in the face is the most unpleasant feeling ever. It only hurts for a second, but still sucks! Try, if you can, to not let any wires touch your head – that’s the best advice I can give you for this challenge!
Training: Two training methods that I have found to be useful for this obstacle are Commando Crawls and Planks. When you are doing your hill sprints, after you finish your set do a few sets of crawling up the hill. If you train to crawl up hills, then crawling on flat ground at Mudder will be a piece of cake for you.
I like to finish every work out with a few sets of planks. Hold your plank as long as you can, then rest for half that time, hold the plank as long as possible again, rest half that time, and one last plank. Killer core workout!
Our take: I find this obstacle worse than the infamous Electroshock Therapy, because at least with that obstacle, you can run at full pelt and get through it quicker, whereas in the Electric Eel, you have to crawl, and can only go so fast! I hate electricity, almost as much as I hate Trench Warfare (for reasons I've discussed in previous Obstacle Series posts). You will know about it if you get zapped in the face, or on your head. Hurts like hell!
That being said, I have found that it’s more the anticipation of getting hit that’s the killer for this obstacle. If you are able to go in expecting to get hit and that it will be the worst pain in your entire life, then when you do get zapped (and you will), the damage isn't that bad. It’s all about your mentality!
And finally, spectators love this obstacle. Anything to do with electricity they eat up! They love watching us Mudders get zapped, even though they are too scared to even enter the event. There will always be a crowd watching, so try not to scream like a little girl too much! Keep your composure, and pride!
For anyone that has completed this challenge before, knows the faster you get it over and done with, the better. I know from experience that if you get shocked and stop crawling, you will not stop getting zapped. You can stop crawling mid obstacle, start crying and refuse to move, but the Tough Mudder marshals’ wont turn the electricity off for you!
Push through the pain. Once you get out the other side, have a look back, and see what you’ve just accomplished. If 10,000 volts couldn’t stop you, then nothing can stop you in life!
How to Complete: To complete this obstacle, it's plain and simple. Commando crawl as damn fast as you can! You can try and crawl around the wires a little, but you WILL get zapped at some point, so just push through! I know from experience that getting zapped on the crown of the head, or anywhere in the face is the most unpleasant feeling ever. It only hurts for a second, but still sucks! Try, if you can, to not let any wires touch your head – that’s the best advice I can give you for this challenge!
Training: Two training methods that I have found to be useful for this obstacle are Commando Crawls and Planks. When you are doing your hill sprints, after you finish your set do a few sets of crawling up the hill. If you train to crawl up hills, then crawling on flat ground at Mudder will be a piece of cake for you.
I like to finish every work out with a few sets of planks. Hold your plank as long as you can, then rest for half that time, hold the plank as long as possible again, rest half that time, and one last plank. Killer core workout!
Our take: I find this obstacle worse than the infamous Electroshock Therapy, because at least with that obstacle, you can run at full pelt and get through it quicker, whereas in the Electric Eel, you have to crawl, and can only go so fast! I hate electricity, almost as much as I hate Trench Warfare (for reasons I've discussed in previous Obstacle Series posts). You will know about it if you get zapped in the face, or on your head. Hurts like hell!
That being said, I have found that it’s more the anticipation of getting hit that’s the killer for this obstacle. If you are able to go in expecting to get hit and that it will be the worst pain in your entire life, then when you do get zapped (and you will), the damage isn't that bad. It’s all about your mentality!
And finally, spectators love this obstacle. Anything to do with electricity they eat up! They love watching us Mudders get zapped, even though they are too scared to even enter the event. There will always be a crowd watching, so try not to scream like a little girl too much! Keep your composure, and pride!
What was your experience with the Electric Eel? Is this your most hated obstacle? Are you a first time Mudder absolutely dreading this challenge? Hit us up in the comments below with your take on this fantastic challenge!
Check out the other obstacles in the Obstacle Series. Every Tuesday and Friday a new obstacle will be posted live, helping you through the tough times on the Tough Mudder course. Helpful hints, what to do, what not to do, and how to overcome the greatest challenges Tough Mudder can throw at you.
What should be featured in the next Obstacle Series post? Let us know on Facebook, Twitter or in the comments below!
Now drop and give me 20!
#TMTour2014
What should be featured in the next Obstacle Series post? Let us know on Facebook, Twitter or in the comments below!
Now drop and give me 20!
#TMTour2014