Toughest Mudder Europe Preview episode!
If you can’t listen right now, download for later and read this now:
The elevation at Toughest Mudder Europe will be similar to Toughest Mudder Atlanta. Expect hills, but not “Toughest L.A. Hills”. Weather is expected to be cold; 40 to 50 degrees Fahrenheit (5 to 10 degrees Celsius) and a 50% chance of rain. 10 to 15 mph winds for most of the night. Wear your wetsuit and windbreaker.
Congratulations to our three winners of the Merrell Agility Peak Flex trail running shoes! If you’d like to join the Winner’s List for a chance to win a pair for yourself email WorldsToughestPodcast@gmail.com with Subscribe in the subject line and three things in the email body: 1) Your name 2) Your email address and 3) Your phone number. If you’re already on the list you’re automatically entered to win next month. No need to rejoin.
In this episode we talk about the elites that we know will and will not be at Toughest Mudder Europe and give you some athletes to watch this weekend. We also talk with Will Chung and Daniel Stephens. Wil and Daniel are both from England and have both run regular Tough Mudders at Grantham, site of Toughest Mudder Europe.
Wil Chung ran in the first ever international edition of Tougher Mudder last weekend at Midlands UK and he walks us through how it went. Wil will be running Toughest Mudder this weekend and we talk about what he expects from the event.
Daniel Stephens ran the first Tough Mudder of the UK season last Saturday morning. Then he got on a plane and flew to America where he ran Toughest Mudder Atlanta that night and put up 25 miles. Daniel tells us about that whole experience and how it went for him. We also talk about his experience at World’s Toughest Mudder. Daniel was not happy with his performance at his first WTM in 2015. He talks about how he dealt with that and came back stronger in 2016 to finish 50 miles.
Who would you like to hear on the podcast? Let us know on the WTM Community page, the World’s Toughest Podcast Facebook page, or leave us a review on iTunes. Don't forget to subscribe and listen for new episodes every Tuesday.
Allison Tai joins us to talk about Toughest Mudder Atlanta and her second place finish among the women and 7th place overall. You can find out more about her new gym opening June 1 at vancityocr.com.
Before we talk to Allison, Will talks about Toughest Atlanta and shares a few stories about the course. He loved it.
We also try out something new, with some short quick phone calls to members of the community that ran Toughest Atlanta. It's interesting to get a quick insight into what others thought about the event.
Will announced in this episode that he's giving away his personal tickets to Toughest Europe and Toughest Philly. He says if you want his ticket though, you're going to have to work for it while you're at the event. Will is looking for audio content for the podcast in exchange for his ticket. If you're interested, email WorldsToughestPodcast@gmail.com with Toughest Europe or Toughest Philly in the subject line and in the body of the email, your name, email address, and cell number, along with what type of audio content you feel you'll be able to provide the podcast from the event. This is not a contest. Will is selecting who he's giving his tickets to. The whole audience is counting on you!
Also, Merrell and World's Toughest Podcast are giving away three pair of Merrell Agility Peak Flex shoes on next weeks episode! If you'd like a chance to win a pair, email WorldsToughestPodcast@gmail.com with Merrell in the subject line and your name, email address, and cell phone number in the body. That will subscribe you to our Winners List to hear about World's Toughest Podcast news and events, as well as contests like this.
Who would you like to hear on the podcast? Let us know on the WTM Community page, the World’s Toughest Podcast Facebook page, or leave us a review on iTunes. Don't forget to subscribe and listen for new episodes every Tuesday.
Bonus episode of World’s Toughest Podcast! Last Minute Toughest Mudder Atlanta Edition!
We start with a weather report for Toughest Mudder Atlanta. It’s going to be hot. 69 degrees at 12:00 midnight. The coldest it will get during the race is 60 degrees at 6:00am. No rain in the forecast but humidity will be between 20 and 25 percent for the eight hours.
Jim Campbell ran Tougher Mudder this morning and talks about the course. Block Ness Monster is DEEP this time. Be careful guys. After we talk about the course we talk about the elite athletes running tonight and who to watch.
Sean Corvelle was working the start line and was outstanding as always. We heard through the grapevine that TMHQ has added four additional dates to Sean’s schedule for 2017. Sean had a great line he doesn’t use all the time: “Tough Mudder does not build obstacles to hurt you. Any fool can do that. We create a course to challenge you.”
We also talk to David Thanos about the course. He ran Tougher Mudder this morning. He also talks about the water depth at Block Ness Monster and the rule changes to Tougher Mudder. TMHQ has added penalty loops to Funky Monkey and Kong. If you fail either of those two obstacles you no longer have the option to retry the obstacle. You must take the penalty loop. However, even if you fail them, as long as you complete the penalty loop you will qualify for the Tougher Mudder headband.
If you finish on the podium tonight at Toughest Mudder Atlanta be sure to find Will Hicks afterward for the World’s Toughest Continental Breakfast. We’ll talk about the race while you enjoy some fruit, carbs, and a chilled Starbucks Carmel Macchiato or a Throwback Mt. Dew (with Real Sugar!)
If you'd like to join the World’s Toughest Podcast Winners List and enter the contest for a free pair of Merrell Agility Peak Flex shoes email WorldsToughestPodcast@gmail.com with Merrell in the subject line and the following in the body: 1) Your Name 2) Your email address 3) Your cell phone number 4) Yes or No to the question "Would you like to receive updates from Merrell and World's Toughest Podcast?"
Who would you like to hear on the podcast? Let us know on the WTM Community page, the World’s Toughest Podcast Facebook page, or leave us a review on iTunes. Don't forget to subscribe and listen for new episodes every Tuesday.
Jay and Heather Bode join me to talk about their experience at Toughest Mudder Los Angeles and to talk through the course map for this weekend at Toughest Mudder Atlanta.
Jay and Heather host the Overcome and Run podcast, as well as writing for their site, OvercomeAndRun.com
Jay and Heather talk about the details of their Toughest race in L.A. and how you can use that info as you finalize preparation for Toughest Atlanta, including what gear they wore, what food they brought, and how they handled cramping on course. We also go through the course map and talk about each obstacle at Toughest Atlanta and how to complete each one.
Congratulations to Alexandria Badenhop! She's the lucky winner of an entry to Toughest Mudder Atlanta and a pair of Merrell Agility Peak Flex trail running shoes. She won because she is subscribed to the World's Toughest Podcast email list so she heard about the 48 hour "Flash Contest" held this past weekend. We're in the middle of a big Merrell giveaway. Now is a good time to get on the list.
If you'd like to join the list and enter the contest for a free pair of Merrell Agility Peak Flex shoes email WorldsToughestPodcast@gmail.com with Merrell in the subject line and the following in the body: 1) Your name 2) Your email address 3) Your cell phone number 4) Yes or No to the question "Would you like to receive updates from Merrell and World's Toughest Podcast?"
Who would you like to hear on the podcast? Let us know on the WTM Community page, the World’s Toughest Podcast Facebook page, or leave us a review on iTunes. Don't forget to subscribe and listen for new episodes every Tuesday.
Tiffany Aab is my guest this week. You know Tiffany as the international TV Star of "Road to World's Toughest Mudder" on CBS Sports last December. Tiffany is very honest about her struggles with a bad marriage and cancer. She competed in her first WTM in 2016 exactly one year after being declared cancer free.
The connection and friendship formed though Tough Mudder is important to her. “The community has helped me be a better version of myself than I was last year” She says people don’t need to be intimidated by WTM. For most people, “It’s all about our own race”.
WE GOT A SHOE DEAL! WITH MERRELL!
Merrell and World's Toughest Podcast will be giving away a FREE pair of shoes this month and every month leading up to WTM 2017. We're kicking it off with THREE PAIR of the Merrell Agility Peak Flex.
Be sure to visit the World's Toughest Podcast Facebook page at Facebook.com/WorldsToughestPod to find out how to enter.
Walter Lyon joins us to talk about World's Toughest Mudder and Team Four Eyes.
Before we talk to Walter, Will gives us an update on Tough Mudder Arizona along with an audio clip of Clinton Jackson encouraging Neil and Amanda Gerard through Electroshock Therapy. After you hear the audio, track down the video. It's great.
Chad Trammell talked with Matt B. Davis on the Obstacle Racing Media podcast. We listen to some clips of the interview and break down Chad's schedule vs. Ryan Atkins schedule. As it stands, Chad and Ryan will only face each other at one more Toughest Mudder, possibly two depending on how Ryan does in the Spartan US Championship Series.
We also get a quick recovery update from Amelia Boone. Spoiler: She did a Spartan Race last week and had a great time.
Team Four Eyes is made of Walter, Joe Van Dyke, KC Hereth, and occasionally features guest stars Amelia Boone and Cassie Harris. KC is the motivator. Walter says “He can motivate a rock into doing a somersault”. Joe Van Dyke is the ironman triathlete on the team. He’s got 130 triathalons under his belt. He NEVER gets tired. Walter is the team captain/secretary. Walter prefers the title of captain instead of secretary though.
Walter has been at every WTM since 2011. He is one of just a few people who can say that. He talks about how difficult that first year was, and how 2014 was similar to 2011.
Walter also ran Tougher Mudder this weekend in Arizona. We talk about the competitive series and his plans for Toughest Mudder this year.
Who would you like to hear on the podcast? Let us know on the WTM Community page, the World’s Toughest Podcast Facebook page, or leave us a review on iTunes. Don't forget to subscribe and listen for new episodes every Tuesday.
Cassie Harris is our guest this week. She is an active voice in the World’s Toughest Community, and she is a cancer survivor. She talks very intimately about that and how the WTM Community rallied around her when she needed them most.
After Cassie talks about her personal story, Will and Cassie shift gears to talk about Tough Mudder Arizona taking place this weekend. Cassie lives in Phoenix and is very familiar with the location this weekend. They spend some time talking through what people can expect on the course including strategies for completing each obstacle.
Who would you like to hear on the podcast? Let us know on the WTM Community page, the World’s Toughest Podcast Facebook page, or leave us a review on iTunes. Don't forget to subscribe and listen for new episodes every Tuesday.
Ian Drake Stumbough stops by for a chat with Will Hicks.
Drake was one of the first WTM Community members Will met out on a Tough Mudder course. He's easy to spot with his large orange hard hat and the music coming out of the boom box in his backpack.
Drake talks about his successes at WTM, but also the challenges he had to overcome last year. Like most people in the community, Drake has to juggle a job and a family with his time training for WTM and Tough Mudder. He talks about that struggle and how he makes it work for him.
Who would you like to hear on the podcast? Let us know on the WTM Community page, the World’s Toughest Podcast Facebook page, or leave us a review on iTunes. Don't forget to subscribe and listen for new episodes every Tuesday.
We are fresh off the inaugural Toughest Mudder and we loved it. Will Hicks ran Tougher, Toughest, and Tough over the weekend in Los Angeles, and only regrets running two of those.
The first half of this episode is chock full of audio from the media on site. Tough Mudder, CBS Sports, and Obstacle Racing Media were the only companies with media representation on site this weekend.
Among the people we’ll hear from are Will Dean, Nolan Kombol, Ryan Atkins, Stephanie Bishop, Chad Trammell, and a few surprises.
After the on-site audio, Will has a phone call with Josh Cox where they reminisce about the five miles they spent together over the weekend.
For more information on Toughest Mudder L.A. search iTunes for the following three podcasts: Obstacle Racing Media, Overcome and Run, or The Obstacle Order. Also, you can search for “Toughest Mudder”.
Who would you like to hear on the podcast? Let us know on the WTM Community page, the World’s Toughest Podcast Facebook page, or leave us a review on iTunes. Don't forget to subscribe and listen for new episodes every Tuesday.
Wesley Kerr joins us to talk about Toughest Mudder Los Angeles. We talk about five main areas of preparation for Tough Mudder's first ever eight hour race. We discuss Pacing, Obstacles, Pitting, Nutrition, and General Tips for the race.
Because the first four hours are on a 5 mile loop with little to no elevation gain, it will be important to get your miles in early. This is especially true if you are trying to reach 50 miles this weekend.
An interesting thing Wesley told me is he's not planning on wearing a wetsuit. As long as he keeps moving fast enough, he's planning to wear his red running tights or possibly his 1mm thick Frogskins. By way of disclaimer Will said he will ABSOLUTELY be wearing a wetsuit, so everyone else will have to make up their own mind.
We are putting together a Sean Corvelle appreciation episode. If you'd like to be a part of it call (302) 786-9868 and leave a voicemail with your name and a story about how Sean has made an impact on your life.
Who would you like to hear on the podcast? Let us know on the WTM Community page, the World’s Toughest Podcast Facebook page, or leave us a review on iTunes. Don't forget to subscribe and listen for new episodes every Tuesday.
Call the World’s Toughest Voicemail at (302) 786-9868. Leave your name and a voicemail and we may use it on the podcast!
Matt B. Davis joins us for the second of our three episodes this week. Matt is the co-founder of Obstacle Racing Media and the host of the longest running podcast in OCR, the Obstacle Racing Media podcast. You can find more about Matt at ObstacleRacingMedia.com
Matt got a chance to sit down with Nolan Kombol and Eli Hutchison of Tough Mudder recently and asked them some additional questions that we did not cover in our recent talk with them in Episode 004. Matt and I listen to audio from his podcast and discuss what their answers mean for Tough Mudder and Toughest Mudder.
Some of the topics we discuss are the new Team Relay category at WTM 2017, the four different kinds of bibs you’ll see at WTM this year, and how likely it is that someone will win the $50,000 bonus for a man reaching 110 miles or a woman reaching 100 miles.
Who would you like to hear on the podcast? Let us know on the WTM Community page, the World’s Toughest Podcast Facebook page, or leave us a review on iTunes. Don't forget to subscribe and listen for new episodes every Tuesday.
Tougher Mudder New Orleans Recap.
Kailey Brodhacker and Mark James join us to talk about their experiences at the first ever Tougher Mudder, held this past weekend near New Orleans, Louisiana.
Kailey finished in third place for the women and talks about her experience helping her competitor complete an obstacle and then having to run her down afterward.
Mark ran the course and did a write up for his new blog, ToughMudderSphere.blogspot.com on his way home from the race. He talks about the differences between the requirements for Tougher Mudder and Tough Mudder, such as removing the first ring from Kong so you have to jump out and grab onto the second ring before you can swing your way across.
The top finishers at Tougher Mudder New Orleans are:
Men:
1st. Matthew Kempson, 1:34.06
2nd. Eddie Henry, 1:41.24
3rd. Brandon Eddards, 1:42.15
Women:
1st. Theresa Edwards, 1:41.19
2nd. Nikki Perry, 2:28.00
3rd. Kailey Brodhacker, 2:34.43
Stay tuned for the end of the episode to hear Sean Corvelle brief the Tougher Mudder wave and give them the competitive pledge before he sends them out to find their best.
Who would you like to hear on the podcast? Let us know on the WTM Community page, the World’s Toughest Podcast Facebook page, or leave us a review on iTunes. Don't forget to subscribe and listen for new episodes every Tuesday.
Jim Campbell is the only person to complete 100 Tough Mudder events and he’s still going. Jim is going to sit down with us to talk about his story and what Tough Mudder has meant to his life in a few weeks. On this bonus episode Jim walks us through the course of the Tough Mudder 2017 Season Opener in New Orleans, Louisiana.
The NOLA Tough Mudder will have 22 obstacles over a 10-12 mile course. For a look at the course map go to ToughMudder.com or check out the World’s Toughest Podcast Facebook page.
The obstacles are:
1) Pitfall
2) Skidmarked
3) Kiss of Mud 2.0
4) Hero Carry
5) Devil's Beard
6) Ladder to Hell
7) Tire(d) Yet
8) Haha Ditch
9) Pyramid Scheme
10) Mud Mile 2.0
11) The Block Ness Monster
12) Berlin Walls
13) Everest 2.0
14) Augustus Gloop/Snot Rocket
15) Turducken
16) Birth Canal/Black Hole
17) Monster Mash
18) Stage 5 Clinger/Reacharound
19) Arctic Enema: The Rebirth
20) Funky Monkey: The Revolution
21) 6 Feet Under
22) Electroshock Therapy/Kong
Who would you like to hear on the podcast? Let us know on the WTM Community page, the World’s Toughest Podcast Facebook page, or leave us a review on iTunes. Don't forget to subscribe and listen for new episodes every Tuesday.
Melissa “Sharkbait” Dugan joins us again, and Carlo Piscitello of the Pis-n-Cox show joins us for the first time.
Sharkbait joins us to talk about the 2017 Season Opener in New Orleans, Louisiana. Houses have been rented and shenanigans have been planned. Also, they’re running a Tough Mudder. Sharkbait also updates us on the latest in the rap battle feud between Keith Allen, Matty Gregg, and Kris Mendoza.
Carlo Piscitello is the Pis half of the world famous Pis-n-Cox show, now showing exclusively on YouTube. Carlo talks about the origins of the show and how he and Josh Cox went from 300 viewers to 30,000+ on Tough Mudder’s Facebook page. Also, we commiserate over our inability to hit the bell on King of the Swingers.
Who would you like to hear on the podcast? Let us know on the WTM Community page or leave a review on iTunes. Don't forget to subscribe and listen for new episodes every Tuesday.
Nolan Kombol and Eli Hutchison join us to talk Tough Mudder 5k, Tougher Mudder, and Toughest Mudder. Nolan and Eli are the heads of the product development team at TMHQ. If you enjoyed WTM last year, you have Nolan and Eli to thank for a lot of it.
TONS of new information in this episode, but here's some highlights:
Tougher Mudder will be at (almost) every Tough Mudder in 2017, including several international locations.
Tougher Mudder will require 100% Obstacle Completion.
Tougher, Toughest, and World's Toughest form a three race Competitive series of Tough Mudders. They didn't say it specifically, but TM 5k, TM Half, and the regular Tough Mudder have formed a three race non-competitive series of Tough Mudder's.
There will be an online system for tracking your cumulative milage across Tougher Mudder, Toughest Mudder, and World's Toughest Mudder.
The "$100,000 for 100 Miles" team prize at WTM has been split into a $50,000 male prize and a $50,000 female prize. To qualify to win it you must be an Elite Contender going into WTM and then win WTM with at least 110 miles as a male or 100 miles as a female.
Lots of other information, including the Tough Mudder policy on podium T-shirts.
Who would you like to hear on the podcast? Let us know on the WTM Community page or leave a review on iTunes. Don't forget to subscribe and listen for new episodes every Tuesday.
Kevin Chow joins us to talk about how much he loves Electroshock Therapy. (It's a lot.)
Kevin has done WTM three times and has completed over 25 Tough Mudder events. Just for fun, we reopen the "Do you count event days or laps" can of worms.
Kevin has spent most of his Tough Mudder career on the west coast of the U.S. He talks about his top two favorite courses, Tahoe and Whistler, and why they're great.
Kevin also talks about his plan for Toughest Mudder in L.A. and his unusual nutrition strategy. It involves beer.
Thanks to everyone who has left a kind word on the World's Toughest Mudder Community page about the podcast. 100-Miler Kris Mendoza left a comment on the page about episode 001 that we talk about before the conversation with Kevin.
If you have a comment for the show or an idea for a guest, leave a comment on the WTM Community page or write a review on iTunes. Be sure to subscribe and listen for new episodes every Tuesday.
Matty Gregg has done 45 Tough Mudder events, including five times at World's Toughest Mudder. In addition to the WTM community, Matty is a member of the St. Baldrick's community. You might remember from the Christmas Day WTM show seeing Tiffany Aab and several other shave their heads for charity. That was part of a fundraiser Matty worked with that raised over $125,000.00 for St. Baldricks. Matty talks about that on today's episode.
Matty also talks about his first WTM in 2012, the obstacle he hates the most (It's Leap of Faith) and nutrition strategies for the new 8-hour Toughest Mudder races.
Who would you like to hear on the podcast? Let us know on the WTM Community page or leave a review on iTunes. Don't forget to subscribe and listen for new episodes every Tuesday.
Melissa “Sharkbait” Dugan is the most well known member of the WTM community. Every month she volunteers countless hours helping members of the community plan, prepare, and train for World’s Toughest Mudder.
At the 2016 WTM Post Race Brunch she was awarded the very first Community Teamwork Award by Tough Mudder HQ in recognition of the work she puts in on behalf of the community.
Melissa talks about the secret to conquering The Cliff, finding joy in miserable situations, and what she thinks about Toughest Mudder and the new obstacles debuting at Toughest Mudder L.A.
Who would you like to hear on the podcast? Let us know on the WTM Community page or leave a review on iTunes.
Welcome to the World’s Toughest Podcast, where we talk about any Obstacle Course Race you’d like, as long as it's World’s Toughest Mudder.
Each week we talk to members of the WTM Community and share stories of success and failure in the single greatest event in OCR.
Episode 1 will debut on Tuesday, February 14th, with new episodes every Tuesday.
Who would you like to hear on the podcast? Send Will an email at willhicks@gmail.com or send him a message on Twitter at @TheWillHicks.