If you had to pick a “weekend warrior” out of a lineup, you might not pick Carrie Hill. The 26-year-old’s demeanor seems more fitting for a special education teacher, which she is. But don’t be fooled. This 9-to-5 nurturer is an adrenaline seeker when not on the clock. She is currently getting ready to participate in one of the grittiest events on the planet, the Tough Mudder.
“Tough Mudder is not your average lame-ass mud run or spirit-crushing ‘endurance’ road race. It’s Ironman meets Burning Man, and it is coming to a city near you. Forget finish times. Simply completing a Tough Mudder is a badge of honor.” – www.toughmudder.comThe event’s website touts it as a “hardcore 10- to 12-mile obstacle courses designed by British Special Forces to test your all-around strength, stamina, mental grit and camaraderie.” Although not a mad dash to the finish like the 7 Bridges Half-Marathon that Hill recently competed in, the word “mad” still applies – the Tough Mudder incorporates hills, mud, water, ropes, walls, electric shocks and fire.
“I just love, I think, that competition,” says Hill, who began competing in triathlons when her college soccer career ended upon graduation from ETSU in 2010. “I think it’s so fun to push yourself and see how far you can go. That feeling you get when you’re done is just incredible.”
In light of the incredible challenge that awaits her, she said her goal is just to finish the event and have a good time. The idea of wall climbing, mud slogging, ice water dunking, monkey bar traversing and huge slip n’ slides doesn’t intimidate her. The only thing that gives her pause is the possibility of having to crawl through cramped tunnels half-filled with water.
“I’m pumped up about [the Tough Mudder] but not really telling the world, because a lot of people tell me I’m crazy,” she says. When asked what she hopes to gain by participating she “[doesn’t] want to say confidence that I can do things, but I think there will be a little bit of pride that I overcame these nasty obstacles, and teamwork.”