I am a triathlete... I no longer have any of the above.

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http://www.jennyslight.org Offer help. Get help.

Maybe you should start dating an Endurance Geek? ;-) That is, if you have the time.

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What if the Hokey Pokey is what it is all about?

I dunno, if that were the case everyone would be racing bikes

Just did the Tough Mudder PA two weeks ago. They specifically make it so that it is not a race. The one I did, the run parts were mostly so rocky that you could not event run if you wanted to. You really don't need to be able to swim, there was only one thing where you jumped into deep water that you couldn't touch the ground. I do have to say that it was a really tough even to get through. Jumping into ice water. climbing up walls, etc are not easy. But it is an "event" but not a race. You don't have to fast, or tough, or sane. If they want to really test people, then don't let people skip whatever they want to. And don't do stupid stuff like electrocute people.

Triathlons and marathons are harder,

Ah the Kenny Powers mindset.

When I start seeing tough murder types win triathlons, I will believe their words. Heck just show up and racing would be a start.

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You will remain the same person, before, during and after the race. So the result, no matter how important, will not define you. The journey is what matters. ~ Chrissie W.

Hmmm, that sounds a lot like my tri training schedule.

Tough Mudder should be applauded! They are filling their races, providing an enjoyable time to their customers, and filling their own pockets. That's the American Dream, isn't it?

So in the process they sling some mud at marathoners and triathletes. And they overpromote their "toughness" because that is what their customers want to hear.

Where are all of those people on here that were bashing ZackC for his lack of business sense? The same people should be commending TM, Muddy Buddy, Warrior Dash, and others for branding themselves and becoming main stream events.. I hope for their sake they sell out before the fad dies!


This whole thread reminds me of a few elementary school arguments I had, they all ended kind of like "yeah, well, my dads tougher than your dad".......................

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Austin Hardy -

I did the Colorado one last year. It's held at beaver creek. Anyone that could run the uphill parts probably had at least one mountain goat for a parent. It was fun but not particularly tough. Although I did fail at the monkey bars. I sure as hell didn't just go around them though.

It's twisted, isn't it: People feel they have to carry a bigger cross than everyone else. Kind of like an existential version of "How much 'ya bench?"

But hey, whatever gets you up in the morning....

...and that is why I was surprised that Tough Mudder actually wrote what they did. Why belittle endurance athletes while trying to build up your own cross?

says the company that charges for parking and guest entry.

FWIW, I signed up for one with a buddy and ended up spectating due to a sports hernia. He is a 9-time IM guy and thought the TM was "tough". He ran hard, played hard, but waited in line like everyone else. Definitely seemed like an event best enjoyed with a group of friends that aren't in a hurry. I can see why type A triathletes wouldn't like these types of events and TM is smart not to market to that demographic. FWIW, after watching that one while having a hernia I decided that I won't ever be participating in a "muddy" event. I get phantom pains every time I think about my right foot slipping.

I have done the Pendleton Mud Run 5 times. It is a blast (mostly because there are some pretty good looking girls covered in mud. And there is a massive, co-ed, cold shower at the end). It is a 10k and while not nearly as "tough" as any triathlon that I have done, it beats a lonely training day and the cost is reasonable. And they serve beer afterwards.
I have also done the Boot Camp Challenget at the Marine Base in San Diego. A 5k run thru the boot camp training course. Also fun, but not particulary "tough". We ran as a team a few years ago and we won the 5 person team division. And the other 4 guys on my team were in terrible shape.

Tough Mudder:

They offer haircuts:



and long-lines to climb up piles of snow. (reminds me of triathlon lines for the toilets pre-race)

BECAUSE IT SELLS...

Lets assume that everyone wants to be tougher than everyone else. I think this is a fair statement, we all want to feel special.

So, now lets take a few minutes to look at the potential market of folks who might be potential TM customers.

1) Probably not overly athletic, maybe some varsity sports along the way, but I think we are talking about mostly "participators"
2) On the younger side, fans of other sports
3) Socio economic they are mostly white, suburban, middle income.. Probably a similar college rate to triathletes.
4) very social

There are other traits I am sure, but I feel pretty safe assuming these four to be accurate.

So, as a marketer you feed them a line about being tougher than those rich geeks with too much time on their hands.

It's almost as if they are calling out all the generation X and Y folks saying "Hey guys.. We know your overpayed jerk bosses race triathlons and marathons, but that stuff is for weenies.. Come hang out with us Saturday and you can prove to yourself and your buddies that you are tougher than the stupid boss!".

Its great marketing.

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Austin Hardy -

"The guilty take the truth to be hard"
-Nowhere in this does it say triathlon or triathlete. Triathletes and Ironmen do not run 40 miles... Maybe they are comparing Tough Mudder to ultra running?

Sounds to me like you read that quote in red and thought of yourself? Just saying...

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"I wanna go fast!"

u made spit my coffee! LOL

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The entire event (IM) is like "death by 1000 cuts" and the best race is minimizing all those cuts and losing less blood than the other guy. - Dev

These obstacle races make me chortle. My unathletic (well he did play HS football and basketball) borderline-alcoholic brother, who has said he would love to do a triathlon but doesn't think he can make it is actually signed up for one of their races. He will probably finish strong; that tells me all I need to know. Perhaps one day I'll do these for a kick, but don't blow sunshine up my arse and tell me the event is more difficult that an ultramarathon or an Ironman.


Edit: I will train for this type of event using only CF or CFE, but only to prepare myself for the mentality of the organizers and competitors.

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It seemed like a good idea at the time. . .

That's the beauty of what they are doing!!! They are NOT blowing sunshine up YOUR ARSE.

They are blowing it up the arses of lots and lots of people that are ready, willing, and able to BELIEVE it! Deep down inside everyone wants to be special. Tough Mudder is exploiting that by allowing THOUSANDS of people to pay to be "tough" and feel special.

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Austin Hardy -

1. TM's are cool for fat people.
2. TM's allow many to participate; few will ever race.
3. TM's are trendy and the TM trend will go away.
4. TM people will never race a triathlon as good as a triathlete will race a TM.
5. TM is NOT as hard as running or as hard as triathlon or as hard as cycling or as hard as swimming.

If "cycling & triathlon" is like "apples & oranges," "endurance sports and TM's" are like "apple pie & horse shit."

That's all I needed to read.

You can't buy tough. But you sure can get rich selling it.

No way can a mudder compare to a tri. Most people Iknow that do these couldn't swim 800 meters.

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RON ARTHUR

A single tough mudder is probably not that difficult. But if you are in the top quarter or something you can go to the "World's Toughest Mudder" where you do a tough mudder with more obstacles for 24 hours and the winner is whoever makes the most laps. That sounds much more like an endurance sport and much more difficult than an ironman. I don't think many people finished the full 24 hours, but the guy that won made it through like 7 times or something.

let me guess, his name was Lance?

That wasn't TM, it was some other race.

IIRC, the organisers offered something like $100k to anyone who could win 10, and when this guy hit 7 they put up another offer of $25k to anyone who could break his winning streak.

Edit - found it, it was the Spartan Race series. Hobie Call was the guy http://www.outsideonline.com/...-Force.html?page=all

For your reference: http://toughmudder.com/...udder-series-finals/


I don't just post shit without knowing what I'm talking about.

This is a single day event. No one won 7 in a row, the guy that won made it through the course 7 times in 24 hours.

I have no idea what you are talking about.