Cuda Takes On Tough Mudder 2015

For the second year in a row, a group of Cuda employees formed a team to take on the Tough Mudder fitness challenge. Last year, Barracuda sponsored 30 employees to take the challenge.  It was such a successful event for us that we almost doubled that number this year.

Duy Pham was the team captain who helped sign up Team Cuda. Once Duy extended the invitation to those on a first come, first served basis, the list filled up almost immediately and training began shortly after.  We all trained on an individual basis, and we’d meet up on weekends to hike Mission Peak.  This is about a seven mile hike, and is a great trail to help prepare for the 11 mile Tough Mudder.

Fast Forward to Tough Mudder weekend…

On Friday, we started our trek to Tahoe/Truckee to get a good night’s rest before the big day. Friday nights are typically laid-back and relaxing. Alarms are set, clothes are laid out, time to call it a night. This enabled our team to be fresh and energized before our bright and early Saturday morning start.

Hopefully, you wake up Saturday morning well rested, have a good breakfast and get ready to take on the mountain. With obstacles such as: Cry Baby, an enclosed structure filled with a safe tear gas-like substance and littered with hazards along the way, Electroshock Therapy 2.0 which features a color-coded “hot zone” which houses wires with increased voltage, and Arctic Enema 2.0, a short slide, under a chain-link fence, and into freezing cold ice water – you’d better be ready to go!

Now that might all sound like a tough go-round, but the great thing about Tough Mudder is that it’s a team event. Sure, there are competitive teams that go out and really try and set a blinding pace and try and beat their times from the previous year, but more often than not, it’s a team event with the goal of just finishing.

The Tough Mudder Pledge says it all –

I understand that Tough Mudder is not a race but a challenge.

I put teamwork and camaraderie before my course time.

I do not whine – kids whine.

I help my fellow mudders complete the course.

I overcome all fears.

 

The free pint of Shock Top at the finish line was a great reward too!

After challenging your body and owning Tough Mudder, it was great to get together with the team and have a nice, relaxing cookout and discuss what the most challenging part of the course was.

I encourage everyone to try Tough Mudder at least once. Put your mind and body to the test, you’d be surprised what you can do with the help of your comrades.  You’ll get muddy, you’ll get sore, you’ll be tired, you’ll want to stop, but at the finish line, it’ll all be worth it. That moment when you look back and say “I DID IT,” – there is no greater feeling.

See pictures and video from Team Cuda! Enjoy 🙂