Tough Mudder - Day 1.

I've neglected my blog lately - probably because I haven't been doing anything that excites me and blogging the minutiae of life in the 'burbs isn't my cup of tea.

Anyways..... in what can only be described as a fit of temporary insanity bought upon by the lateness of the hour and a pressing need for distraction I entered myself in a Tough Mudder event in September.
Then just to make sure I couldn't back out I let everyone know that I had done so.

What is Tough Mudder you ask? It a 20km obstacle course. Obstacles being fire, mud, ice and 10'ooo volt live electrical wires (sometimes at the same time).

Smart move ChloChlo.

There was one in March but luckily I wasn't quite crazy enough to think that I could be fit enough in 8 weeks so instead I have given myself 8 months to train.

Day 1's training consisted entirely of deciding what to wear. Yes, clearly I'm going to kill this thing.

It's actually more complex than it sounds because I wear a scarf so I need an outfit that covers me but is also appropriate for crawling through mud and receiving electric shocks.

Luckily for me there has been an explosion in recent years of awesome athletic wear for Muslim women.
Capsters in The Netherlands makes wonderful head coverings for sport.
Compression garments weren't designed for Muslim women but they are awesome as bottom layers and they also design some for hot weather . All I need to do is pop a tennis skirt or a pair of running shorts over some tights and a yoga top with a tight waist band over the top and I'm covered and ready to rock the Mudder.
Lorna Jane stocks some lovely tops that are loose with a waist band to keep them in place but I've asked about their supply chains and they couldn't give me satisfactory answers about their workers. I got the line about being paid award wage which, in China, isn't a living wage so I don't shop there. Luckily RockWear in QLD manufactures right here in Australia and there are numerous other fitness brands who also provide ethically manufactured clothing. Funnily enough a lot of them are primarily Yoga brands - I guess I can see the link.

Maybe tomorrow I'll figure out what colour to wear. Or maybe not, I'm boring like that. I nearly always wear black.

Hopefully over the next few months I'll visit my blog more to track my exercise and progress.
Before the school holidays my routine was BodyPump™ 2 or 3 times a week. Cardio on the days I didn't do BodyPump™ and BodyBalance™ and some heavy weights once a week.
The boys start school on Tuesday so I think that for the next month I will stick with that to ge back to where I was and then start to build on it.