Ok You Were Right, That Was Fun...

It really did shock me, this extreme elation that stuck-around throughout the event. I had assumed pain or at the very least boredom might trump and rouge endorphins - I only knew one of my team-mates at the beginning of the run (her name is Harriet, and she was back for seconds, having actually managed to completed what I wimped out of in the Spring).

Last weekend, I did Tough Mudder. I know: go me. Hooray, well done, and - wait, didn't you bail last time? Yes yes. We all remember.

And funnily enough - as with most things I dread with extreme vivacity - I actually enjoyed it. Who would have guessed it.

It really did shock me, this extreme elation that stuck-around throughout the event. I had assumed pain or at the very least boredom might trump and rouge endorphins - I only knew one of my team-mates at the beginning of the run (her name is Harriet, and she was back for seconds, having actually managed to completed what I wimped out of in the Spring). But endurance has a funny way of flinging you into intensely intimate relationships with abject strangers. By the end, I'd had hands in places I don't care to admit, and DMCs with all five ex-strangers, and shouted loudly at one girl that her bumhole was getting bigger (I meant the tear in her leggings that had hilariously revealed her lack of sensible knickers.

I feel like the turning point in going from strangers to team-mates happened round obstacle five, which was really -I'm quite convinced - not designed to be particularly challenging. The obstacle itself was basically a long ramp that you had to get over without running. Essentially, they wanted you to human pyramid your team over. Simples. Except for if you're a slightly fastidious bunch of London journey who decide that the extreme treads on our Merrell trail kicks would hurt each others shoulders, and that this was frankly Not OK. Instead, we sort of lunged crawled and slid, and somehow managed to kind of wing out ways to the top. Except Steve. He'd sprawlled his form onto the ramp and was wilding peddling his feet which were refusing to make any traction at all on the shiny ramp. He'd made absolutely zero progress up the slide, although had made wriggled about a foot to the left. We grabbed him by the armpits and dragged him backwards up the slope. I'm not even kidding. He literally slugged his way over a 20ft wall. Exceptional.

I've always been a bit of a loner when it comes to working out. Running is my thing, and aside from a brief dalliance trotting alongside my giant of a running buddy, I tend to do it solo. I have now entirely changed my tune. Yesterday, I did a Barrecore class with my friend Kimberley. Next week, I plan to do more and more. Watch this space - I'll let you know which ones to try.

Olivia x

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