Team Pandavores set loose on Tough Mudder Vegas!! Crazy fun if you're into pushing hard physically, not afraid of water, and like helping others (you know who you are: you put the a** in bada** - in a good way ;) 4-stars instead of 5 doesn't mean I'm not a giant fan, LVTM! But I do have a small 2013 "Mudder List"; it's like a wish list--but dirtier: 1. Electrocution - *This is for the laying down in the water obstacle only* THAT ISH WAS TURNED UP WAY TOO HIGH/had too many shock wires active/whatever. I got knocked completely unconscious the last 2 feet of the obstacle, face down...submerged in water. Our new TM friend we met along the way got knocked out twice. (The end electrocution obstacle however, was challenging, painful and awesome :D) 2. The cat crawl over water. I got all excited when I heard about this one, thinking I would cat crawl on a suspended rope, only using arms and legs to propel across (STRENGTH, baby!) ..and...it's IN the water...and you just drag yourself across water on the cable...The only challenge was to keep water out of your nose :/ 3. I was surprised by how clean we were afterwards! Not as much as mud here as ours, but then again, we live in a perpetually wet state lol The mud makes running the rest of course tough ;) 4. ...But on that note, I was super put-out by the fact that the "mud soup" obstacle we had was immediately followed by the spinning monkey bars over water: WTH?? No running time/obstacle to dry/rinse before?? I have tiny hands anyways but liiisten, those bars are thick and [my] gloves were wet and caked with thick mud. Man, I didn't even have a chance! 5. The running parts were my favorite! Tons of steep hills (we had to walk instead of run a couple hills) tricky gravel, rocks, and mad navigating downhill at high speeds. My Mudder wish? All that lovely terrain--and the course was only 10 miles. Jay H. and I would have loved those extra 2 miles ;) And of course there's the Arctic Enema: The ice water pool you jump into, then go under a wood wall underwater... ...I will always, and forever, hate your icy face, Arctic Enema. I'll never get used to you. Staff were beyond great. The Sunday Mudders were not numerous at the 9:30am time slot. While that was good for running the course, the obstacle Everest (the ramp you have to run up and *hope* someone catches you at the top) was light on help at the top. Loved the swimming under the buoys, wall-scaling--all the rest of it! Lots of parking, easy to find out in Beatty, NV--just follow the tumbleweeds 2 hours out of Vegas. For more on prepping for this, check out my review for Tough Mudder in WA! Rock on, 2013 Vegas Mudders!! read more

Tough Mudder - Sub 2-hour run! - Boot Camps Near Me - Beatty, Nevada

Anyone who knows me, knows I'd been training for quite a while for my first Tough Mudder. It did not disappoint! Arriving at 7:30 for my 9AM heat, I was led straightway to the Info line to pick up my Season Pass packet (allows you to do as many Mudders as you want to in a year. Go big or go home :) Everyone was super friendly and the announcer at the starting Berlin Wall got us amped to take off. Thought calling it LV Tough Mudder is a bit misleading, as it was at Spicer Ranch in the tiny town of Beatty, NV about 2.5 hours North. I took a room in Amargosa, at Death Valley Junction (40 miles away or so) Fri & Sat so it would be less of a trek before and after Mudder. Loved the way the course was set up, as in most spots (particularly the steepest climbs & there were many) you could see folks who started after coming along and just how far you'd ventured. For me, it was very inspiring and kept my head in the game. The obstacles I was dreading most turned out to not be as bad as I'd imagined: but all were challenging. At a point, most of my team adopted a completely anti Mudder strategy & wanted to leave slower mates behind to improve course time. That is so not cool, so we splintered off and met many teams along the way who helped us at every opportunity. Saturday was my birthday and I'd bump into teams who sang Happy Birthday in English, Spanish & Tagalog at aid stations and on course. How cool! Also bumped into some of the trainers I know from 24 and did some obstacles with them. My family enjoyed watching the Mudders come through at their table with an umbrella to block the unrelenting sun. Mom said "so many beautiful, muscular men asked if they could sit for a moment; very well-mannered!" They had a good time checking out the booths, music etc and found the parking and spectator check in easy. It was also easy for them to find me when I crossed the Finish Line, which made for an unforgettable moment and nary a dry eye amongst all. Again, there were many steep hills...impossible for me to run, but conquered with determination. The camaraderie was incredible from hearing "keep going" to feeling a push up from behind over an obstacle = amazing. Water and bananas were plentiful on the course, and one aid station had Sharkies, too. A couple of gels added to this and I had the fuel necessary to power through. The only part I found unfortunate, was the last station was at mile 10, on what was billed as a 10.5 mile course. I didn't take as much there because I wanted to get through last 5 obstacles in .5 miles. Well, the course was closer to 11.5 miles and the last 5 obstacles were stacked. Made it ok but would have hydrated more for that extra mile. Mudder Nation is a sight to behold. It was a cathartic day in my life. Crossing that finish line into the waiting arms of my family, I broke down and cried like a little girl. For those who have participated in other "mud" runs, this has tons of mud. Lots of it. And manure & clay. And rattlesnakes. Oh my! I was coated in all of the above (sans rattlers but you could hear them & had to choose your squat bush accordingly) A cool option offered is to leave your kicks in the parking lot; they are then cleaned and distributed to needy folks. Looking forward to my next Mudder. Vegas will be in April. Would love to set up a Yelp Team: who is down? Try it, you'll love it!!! read more

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If you read my first review of Tough Mudder then you'll know that I was told its like cocaine. Well... a few races later, and another Tough Mudder completed, I have to agree. Its like a certain high you get. My first go at Tough Mudder I remember waking up feeling like I was hit by a truck. This time I woke up feeling like it was another day, kind of like Mud Crawling Obstacle Slayer during the day and an normal citizen at night. I would recommend Tough Mudder to anyone that wants to do something fun with their friends, family, class reunionees, comrades, neighbor, etc etc. Yes its a bit physically challenging, but with the right attitude you'll get through anything. There is no obstacle that can't be done by a normal person. I did fail the talking to the Degree Deodorant model cutie though... :( ANYWAYS here are some tips I've learned from obstacle running: 1. There will be hills, tons of it. Stretch out your legs, quadriceps, hamstrings, calves, foot, hip, butt, etc. Do box jumps, squats, StairMaster, or something similar, you'll thank me when you're not cramping half way up the hill. 2. Tons of mud, no avoiding it, run through and don't look back. 3. Gloves can help prevent injuries to your hand, but will hinder your performance. 4. If you can't stand the cold, make sure you dress warmly. Good chance that if you don't finish the obstacle you'll fall into cold water. The arctic enema is the arctic enemy fellas. 5. It would be good to learn how to swim. As swimming is important, but not 100% necessary. 6. You can skip obstacles, but you came here to accomplish something right? Why pay $120+ if you're not going to enjoy the experience? 7. A teammate would be nice to have, to push and help each other. 8. It's not a race, chances are you won't be finishing in the top 50, have fun with it. 9. Work on those legs! 10. Bring a change of clothes, towel, and sandals. There are changing tents and "showers" for you to use. 11. CRAB CRAWL. No need to crawl on your forearms and knees, most of the barbed wires are high enough for you to maneuver around sideways like a crab. 12. Help someone out 13. LEGS! If you have a question, message me! read more

Tough Mudder - #teamhungry - Boot Camps Near Me - Beatty, Nevada

Tough Mudder puts on a great event! The Las Vegas course (held just outside of Beatty, NV) was a wonderful course. Almost entirely made of hills, this mudder event was challenging throughout, without being over-the-top. The natural springs of the area created for some intense, often stinky, but always fun mud scenarios. The mudder classics, Arctic Enema, Funky Monky, Everest, Cliffhanger, Walk The Plank, Mud Mile...etc. went of without a hitch, and were well done...doesn't matter how many cold showers you take nothing prepares you for your balls colliding with your tonsils courtesy of the Arctic Enema. I was not as excited about some of the Vegas specific (or new) obstacles, such as the Dong Dangler...once a few people were on the lines you essentially are just pulling yourself through water instead of inverted over the water. Still the obstacles were great all-in-all! Additionally Tough Mudder does a real good job with the details. They were organized, parking and registration was a breeze. The staggered heats went off successfully. The starter did a great job before the start of each heat...built up excitement...interacted with the crowd of mudders...created a strong sense of community! Refreshments along the course were well spaced and adequate. Post-event was nice as well... protein bars, water, beer, t-shirts all included in registration or given by sponsors! We will be back for another Vegas Tough Muder! Tough Mudder is excellent for groups...so put together a team for next year and push yourself like nothing else! PS personally loved the Berlin Walls with a running start...up and over easy as pie! read more

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Ok, so I finally was able to compete in this event--after a lot of debating with myself and rescheduling--and was glad that I did. Plus it was great to be able to get a big team (roughly 15 of us) together to help out and get through all of the obstacles and offer insight as to how to get through them. First of all, I didn't realize that I'd have to scale a wall just to get to the start line. Then, take an oath to not leave anyone behind. Basically, a bunch of running uphill and downhill, getting through mud, water obstacles, walls, an underground tunnel, a couple of logs, scaling a cargo net, getting across a water obstacle via monkey bars (that rotated and were slipper), crawling under barbed wires, soldier carry, slithering through an electric shock obstacle that they made sure to fully power up via solar power after hosing you down at the beginning to make you good and wet, scaling what appeared to be a skateboard type ramp/quarter pipe with the help of other mudders, swimming across a tub of ice water, walking the plank/freefalling into a body of water, scaling a water obstacle by climbing underneath a rope and slinking over/attempting not to drown, swimming underneath various barrels and then getting yourself back to shore, jumping across a fire obstacle, jumping across numerous trenches, and finally jumping over various mud hurdles while trying not to get shocked by the electric wires dangling from above. Did I mention that I paid to "enjoy these obstacles?" Yep, it was kinda brutal. Let's just say that my lack of training regimen caught up with me--unless you could walking in stilettos and carrying around a tray adequate training, lol. I have to commend the race coordinators, since the course was well planned, plenty of support staff, parking was ample, registrants were organized according to name, as well as separated from the spectators and competitors. I made sure to get all of my wrist bands in order to be able to check in my belongings and claim my free beer from Dos Equis at the end, as well as the Cliff energy block samples. I made sure to get there extra early to make use of the port-a-potties, claim a spot at a picnic table, browse the free swag (Bic was handing out razors and Degree was handing out deodorant samples + signs), check out the UFC belt and display, look at the keg game, swing by the Dos Equis tent, and play around with some of the sample obstacles. I also liked the fact that they had ample water stations, nutrients (either the shot blocks or cliff bars, in addition to Builders Bars and bananas), as well as First Aid attendants. The only gripes that I had were the fees for parking and cost for spectators. Otherwise, fun times. I was glad that I got multiple confirmation emails prior to race day, and that the details were clear and specific enough that I couldn't misconstrue a thing. Let's just say that I enjoyed, and after all is said and done, I'd do it again. And to be honest, the tub of ice water (Arctic Enema) felt amazing. However, after numerous water obstacles--especially the one where we had to slither across water via rope--I did see some people succumb to hypothermia and stopped to make sure one of the girls was ok. Brutal. I know, as I've done the ice bath bit and succumbed to the same thing. I honestly thought that the coldness was a delight to my aching knees and joints, though. As for the walls and logs that we had to scale, I could feel my arms and chest being pushed to the limits. Yep, time to get back to upper body training, that's for sure. I definitely sucked it up during the monkey bars, but then again they were more slipper and actually rotated, so as to be a lot harder. I was quite thankful that there was no rope climb, to say the least, and that the most challenging obstacle where I almost had to suck it up was the wall where we had to climb sideways over a water obstacle and had to rely on upper body strength in the middle of it to get over to the other side where I could put my foot back down on some sort of support. Challenging, yes. Would I have been able to complete the obstacle without the support of my teammates yelling at me to continue, absolutely not. The other obstacles weren't so bad and I actually have to admit that the freefall/walk the plank felt kinda nice with the water underneath. The other obstacles that hurt me were the ones where I had to crawl on my knees (as they're pretty badly beaten up by lots of working out) and I was thankful to be wearing knee pads, in addition to gloves or jump across anything. Ugh. Thank goodness for Icy Hot, the water obstacles, and Ibuprofen. For me, the scariest obstacle: hands down the Electric Eel. A buddy of mine froze mid-obstacle and was shocked 7 times. I escaped with only 4 shocks. Mind you, these aren't little shocks that get your attention. These hurt. Bad. I'd definitely do this again with my teammates and proper training. Good job! read more

This was an absolute amazing time. It was my first Mudder and I trained really hard for it so it was tons of fun and I was able to complete it without much trouble. What I was really impressed by was the organization, camaraderie, and overall feeling of the whole event. Cars were directed where to park and all got in in a timely manner. Packet pick up check in lines were small and efficient. Spectator packet pickups were the same. Start times were staggered so there was no huge mass of people or waiting more than a couple minutes for any obstacle. In fact, I only had to wait for about 3 toward the end. The finish was organized and the post party was a lot of fun as well! My dad and friend came as spectators and they seemed to enjoy themselves. Some of my favorite and most memorable obstacles were the ice bath. This pool of ice cold water took my breath away and just demolished anyone who got it. I waited for my team and loved seeing peoples expressions as they crawled out. Mount Everest was great as well. I'm a big guy. 6ft 236lbs. and I want to give a special thanks to the 3 guys who helped my ass up that 1/4 pipe. I didn't think I would be able to do that obstacle. Maybe I should post a missed connections on Craigslist to thank them! There were too many other fun ones I can't recall off the top of my head and crossing the finish line is definitely a sense of accomplishment! If you're thinking about doing one I recommend running 3-5 miles a week, 2 crossfit type workouts and HILL TRAINING! Do this for about 5-6 weeks and you'll kill it! I'll be doing it again next year for sure! read more

I don't know about the location on this, but I'm just going to write it here.. the 2014 Tough Mudder was at Lake Las Vegas, not "Beatty," wherever that is. Finished the 2014 tough mudder with some classmates and had a blast! I volunteered on Saturday and ran on Sunday, so I definitely had a good perspective from different points of view. All the obstacles were great and a ton of fun, but boy I was unprepared for this hills! All the volunteers and employees were friendly and enthusiastic and definitely made the event lots of fun. Each obstacle seemed well-monitored (I paid special note to how "Walk the Plank" was run as I know this has been a problem for Tough Mudder) and it seemed very reasonable to me. A few things that I think could be improved upon 1. $10 bag check - I know that it said it in the registration packet, and I know that this is Vegas, but really? I volunteered in bag check and I can tell you that it is NOT that secure. And this is after we already paid $15 for parking and lord knows how much for participating (well, I didn't pay that much because you get a discount for volunteering, but you know what I mean). 2. Not enough water stations in the hot desert. My pals and I were parched - 3 miles between water stations in 90+ degree dry heat is too far! 3. No bananas?? Only 1 station with electrolyte supplements around mile 3 and the rest were un-delicious protein bars. Definitely lots of cramping problems along the route. read more

Consider me quite impressed. I was a spectator and not a participant. The course they found was incredible. Some really tough hills, but also some flat areas. They had paths so that spectators could get to a good number of obstacles without going far. Plenty of room for parking. Start/End area was not crowded and nice and roomy as well. Although calling this location "Las Vegas" is quite a stretch as it's a 2 hour drive out there. The picnic area wasn't too crowded and the tables had umbrellas for shade. The concession prices weren't too ridiculous. $3 or $4 for a burger or something. Like $2 for fries. Registration went pretty smoothly. They had some staffing problems, but I still made it through the line in under 10 minutes. Not bad at all considering packet pick-up was day of race only. Here's the cons: cost cost cost. Charging for people to spectate is ridiculous. Don't charge me for parking and then also charge $20 a person. $20 a person is ridiculous. Ridiculous. Perhaps just charge $10 for parking to encourage carpooling due to limited parking space. But $20 for the privilege of sitting around in dirt for nearly 3 hours is insulting. Additionally, the website is misleading. The website says that spectators "get to enjoy the Dos Equis Post-Party where we'll have burgers & beer, a rockin' band, and thousands of sweaty, athletic Mudders needing a little TLC." Sounded to me that the food and beer would be included in the $20 cost. It wasn't. All they were referring to was the concessions area where you can spend money additional to the $20. Speaking of included food. The food provided for participants was terrible. Just bananas. That's it. I've seen better food at nearly every 5K and marathon I've ever been to. They seemed generous enough with the beer, but I didn't see any gatorade which would have been nice to have as an option. read more

Oh wow, this has got to be the most funnest and exhausting event i have ever participated in during my lifetime! Tough Mudder is an event made to support our troops that have in the past or are presently serving our country. Its a great way to show how much you support your countries sword and shield and in my opinion should be done at least once in everyone's life. At this course, elevation was posted at 3,300 ft. A total of 22 obstacles are thrown at you which averaged about a half mile in between each other. I personally had the most trouble with Funky Monkey (slippery/loose monkey bars) and the Wounded Warrior Carry (sack'o potatoes style). The rest was in support of my height. Not to sound like a badass or anything, but overall i wish they had more Tough! obstacles to get past rather than running the whole thing. For example, i really wanted to partake in the lumber carry although it is not offered at this location. Dont get me wrong, i was beat from the running. My knees were shot by the 8th mile and all my leg muscles on both sides had never cramped so bad in my life. I guess you can say im more of a strength tester than cardio. read more

Just completed my 2nd tough mudder and I have to say I am a fan! My favorites: Mud Mud Mud! Call me a little weird and dirty but it felt awesome and was fun to rub on my teammates faces! Worst: The electric eel :( Last year I would have said the arctic enema which is still torture however I heard from a very reliable source that the usual 10,000 volts of electricity was increased to 30,000 this year (I wondered why I was tearing up like a baby this year). Atmosphere: Awesome! Inspiring music is played throughout the race (ie: rocky theme song), hilarious signs that make you laugh are placed throughout, people in goofy costumes and free beer! Overall great obstacles, very cold and a lot more water than expected. Most obstacles test your mental grit more than physical capabilities. I recommend this race to anyone who wants to challenge themselves, or do something different with friends and family. The only reason I give 4 stars (I wish there were more professional photographers at more obstacles to capture the spirit and feel of the entire race). read more

Out in the desert, 2 hours away from the glitz and glamor of Las Vegas and removed from cell towers and WIFI hot spots you'll find Tough Mudder Las Vegas 2013. This is my second Tough Mudder and first of this year. A few things right out of the gate that I noticed here was there were less people which made making your way along the rocky trails and working your way through the obstacles easier in one sense and less enjoyable in the other. It was easier because you didn't have to wait at obstacles and navigating around slower Mudders was easier since there was more room. BUT... I really missed the camaraderie of helping other people through obstacles along the way. There's just something about lending a hand to another exhausted person and helping them get over that wall or climb up that whosywhatsit that is rewarding. Don't get me wrong... there was still quite a bit of that happening but just not as much as what I experienced at the Washington TM last year. Also, the lack of entrants left Everest feeling like less of the grand finale it truly is. It should be packed with people waiting to run at the half pipe and chalk full of Mudders on the top waiting to help their brothers and sisters ascend to glory. All of that is fairly minor stuff though... believe me when I tell you that the willingness to help and cheer your fellow Mudders on as you all work your hardest is what makes these events special. Now on to the event itself. The electrical shenanigans seemed to be turned up a lot higher than I remember. Some of my smaller Mudder homies mentioned being knocked out for brief stints. Personally... I liked the extra juice being pumped into the obstacles with electrical wiring. I enjoyed seeing people stop before the obstacle so they could psych themselves out as I just dove right in. I also dug the tension and anticipation as I would work my way through these obstacles... never knowing which one was going to spark and cause me to yelp. Good times, kids! The cat crawl or Dong Dangler as they call it... WHAT. A. LETDOWN. This should be a suspended wire or rope that you traverse using strength and endurance. What it was... it was a cat crawl for the briefest moment and then you were simply hanging onto a rope in the water drying to swim/pull yourself along the rope without swallowing too much water. This obstacle was lame. If you want it to be challenging then do a proper cat crawl. If you want me to swim across a man-made lake then have me swim across a man-made lake. Maybe it's because we were in the Nevada desert... but there was almost no mud! Excuse me for thinking an event called Tough MUDDER would have lots of mud. The only part that had a good amount of mud was right before the monkey bars which I thought was poor placement. It was a short jog to the monkey bars after getting covered in mud. I still made it across the bars but I would have done it faster if I wasn't wearing 50lbs of mud and suffering from slimy mud grip. But Tough Mudder isn't supposed to be easy so I'll accept your challenge, beat it and then keep moving. Nice try, Tough Mudder. Lots of hills! I loved the terrain for the running sections. Granted some of the hills were so steep that I would move up them just as quickly walking as I would when I ran but otherwise I loved the varying terrain and hills. Unfortunately for me I pulled a Kobe and jacked up my left Achilles pretty bad right at the start so my pace was pretty horrible but I still love you TM. The staff is always awesome at Tough Mudder events. Happy, smiling, encouraging and sometimes just downright ridiculously excited. They're there to help you, guide you, motivate you and make sure you get taken care of if you get hurt. Better show them some love or the Tough Mudder nation will come down on you like two planets colliding. There were some cool new obstacles that I haven't done yet that were pretty rad. The parallel wall climb with narrow hand/foot holds was cool but should be much longer... or it should be what my TM homie CP made it by mistake... which is to climb up one side and then down the other. Let's make this ish HARD! Rawr! I also really dug the swimming with the buoys obstacle! Ice cold water? Check. Submerging yourself for longer and longer periods of time? Check. Swimming for a while after wards when your limbs and brain are frozen? Check! Love, love, love it! This was another awesome event that was definitely different from the Seattle, WA TM in 2012 but with a lot of similarities. I met some cool people that I'll hopefully see in Seattle for our TM in October, tested myself again and succeeded and got even more excited for more obstacle events in the future. Team Pandavores! read more

This thing was insane. It really put me to the test, but I have to say, out of all the races, mud runs, and everything I've been out doing, this thing, by far, was the best organized run I have been on. You can tell they were not new kids on the block. However, they set it up as if they were running it. A lot of unexpected things (like your carb intakes, bananas, water stations) were perfectly placed and exactly where they needed to be. Everything from the staff, to the course, was very well thought out. I can't say enough about the organization of this race. I am looking forward to many more ahead! read more