Welcome to the third post in the Obstacle Series. This time we are talking about my most hated obstacle ever, the Trench Warfare. Claustrophobia setting in, feeling like the walls and roof around you are going to fall in - how do you overcome such devastating fears? Read on!
Obstacle: Trench Warfare
Objective: To crawl (on your hands and knees if you're small enough, or on your stomach if you aren't) underground through a winding tunnel approximately 20-30 metres long. This obstacle has been known to be partially underwater as well, although no Australian Tough Mudder has yet been so.
Difficulty: Physical - 4/10 | Mental - 8/10
Crawling through tunnels would seem quite easy, child's play even. This is definitely not the case. Once again we have a mind over strength obstacle in the Obstacle Series (this seems to be a recurring theme so far). Those with claustrophobia and fears of being buried alive will have a lot of trouble with this obstacle. I believe this to be the second most bypassed challenge of all Tough Mudder obstacles, behind only the
Objective: To crawl (on your hands and knees if you're small enough, or on your stomach if you aren't) underground through a winding tunnel approximately 20-30 metres long. This obstacle has been known to be partially underwater as well, although no Australian Tough Mudder has yet been so.
Difficulty: Physical - 4/10 | Mental - 8/10
Crawling through tunnels would seem quite easy, child's play even. This is definitely not the case. Once again we have a mind over strength obstacle in the Obstacle Series (this seems to be a recurring theme so far). Those with claustrophobia and fears of being buried alive will have a lot of trouble with this obstacle. I believe this to be the second most bypassed challenge of all Tough Mudder obstacles, behind only the
Electro Shock Therapy. That being said though, those who are in control of their fears will fly through this challenge without even a second glance behind them.
Fears aside, there is a simple objective here for this challenge - crawl through the tunnel towards the daylight. The physical difficulty is a little higher than you would expect, due to the winding tunnel, and the almost pitch blackness under the ground. But still, a 4 out of 10 ranking for an obstacle is easy compared to the larger, more dangerous obstacles!
How to Complete: Do not think about it. Just do it. Like many obstacles in Tough Mudder, it is easy to get freaked out. Don't stop and think about your paralysing claustrophobia. Don't think about getting buried alive when the walls and roof cave in. If you do this, there is a good chance you will just end up bypassing this obstacle. Tough Mudder is about conquering all your fears.
So get in there, and go against what everyone says in the movies - go towards the light at the end of the tunnel! Simple.
Training: I've heard of people heading down to their local playground and crawling around in the sandpit and through the tunnels there, and calling that "training". This is Tough Mudder, not some 5km Spartan Sprint. Let's try for some real training here! I suggest getting your plank times up for starters. Really working on those stomach muscles. Doing this every second day will be good for your health, not just for Mudder.
Fears aside, there is a simple objective here for this challenge - crawl through the tunnel towards the daylight. The physical difficulty is a little higher than you would expect, due to the winding tunnel, and the almost pitch blackness under the ground. But still, a 4 out of 10 ranking for an obstacle is easy compared to the larger, more dangerous obstacles!
How to Complete: Do not think about it. Just do it. Like many obstacles in Tough Mudder, it is easy to get freaked out. Don't stop and think about your paralysing claustrophobia. Don't think about getting buried alive when the walls and roof cave in. If you do this, there is a good chance you will just end up bypassing this obstacle. Tough Mudder is about conquering all your fears.
So get in there, and go against what everyone says in the movies - go towards the light at the end of the tunnel! Simple.
Training: I've heard of people heading down to their local playground and crawling around in the sandpit and through the tunnels there, and calling that "training". This is Tough Mudder, not some 5km Spartan Sprint. Let's try for some real training here! I suggest getting your plank times up for starters. Really working on those stomach muscles. Doing this every second day will be good for your health, not just for Mudder.
Next I recommend Mountain Climbers. You want to really push yourself with these. Aside from a great training excercise, its a perfect way to warm up.
Start of with 30 seconds on, 30 seconds off for 4 minutes. Then build up to 1 minute on 45 seconds off. And finally, when you can reach this level, try 1 minute + followed by half that time in rest, for as long as you can go.
Start of with 30 seconds on, 30 seconds off for 4 minutes. Then build up to 1 minute on 45 seconds off. And finally, when you can reach this level, try 1 minute + followed by half that time in rest, for as long as you can go.
Our take: I have a real problem with claustrophobia, which I only discovered on my first ever Tough Mudder run back in 2013. Before then, I was blissfully ignorant of my fears. Because of this, I find this obstacle challenging, not physically, but mentally. You can always tell a claustrophobic person by the amount of swearing coming from them as they emerge from the dark tunnels in the Trench Warfare obstacle!
What I do, and the only way to get me through these tunnels, is to not think about it. Clear my mind. Think about getting that next Legionnaire Headband, or that finishers beer. And then I crawl as damn quickly as I can through those God awful tunnels!
Who else has a fear of dark, tight tunnels? How do you overcome this fear? Let us know in the comments down below, and we can add them into the how to guide for overcoming fears later on!
What I do, and the only way to get me through these tunnels, is to not think about it. Clear my mind. Think about getting that next Legionnaire Headband, or that finishers beer. And then I crawl as damn quickly as I can through those God awful tunnels!
Who else has a fear of dark, tight tunnels? How do you overcome this fear? Let us know in the comments down below, and we can add them into the how to guide for overcoming fears later on!
Check out our other posts in the Obstacle Series! Every single Tough Mudder obstacle will be covered by the time the next Australian Mudder comes around in mid-August! Posts twice a week, so stay in touch via here.
What obstacle do you want to see covered next? Let us know on Facebook, Twitter or leave a comment down below!
Now get off the computer, and get outside and start training! Hoo Rah!
#TMTour2014
What obstacle do you want to see covered next? Let us know on Facebook, Twitter or leave a comment down below!
Now get off the computer, and get outside and start training! Hoo Rah!
#TMTour2014