Tough Bloke / Chick Challenge 2012

ARE YOU TOUGH ENOUGH???

I have decided to do something different this year signed up for this event. Completing the Tough Bloke Challenge (TBC) event will prove once and for all that I am indeed, a TOUGH BLOKE!!! Ok, seriously, I just wanna have a bit of fun and this also kinda remind me of the standard obstacles course (SOC) that we do day in, day out during our national service. Feeling a bit nostalgic. This is not only a bloke's only event, chicks also can take part and go through the same course.

So here it is, race day Saturday 3-Mar-12...

The weather at its best, NOT... it was drizzling and cold. I was especially stoked when Angelena, her mum (aka Lena), and her mum's mum (aka grandma) decided to brave the elements and came along  to support the madness that I was about to go through.

We reached Wonga Park around 10am for registration. The course have waves of starting time and my start time was 11am. The last obstacle "Hell's gate" and finish line are located just in front of the registration area. We can see different faces that tackle Hell's Gate and cross the finish line.  

Registration area... Nice weather huh...

Tough Chicks, Rhona, Evette and Tough Bloke, yours truly in the making...

Challengers!!! Are you ready!!!

As we have timing chip on our shoe, it does not matter what time we start. The chip will record the start and finish time accordingly when we cross the timing mats. One by one, we were waved off into the course. In true gentleman fashion, I took to the course ahead of the 2 ladies. 

I think we did about 2km (ok, no Garmin on me, just an estimation) of trail running before hitting the first obstacle. There are then some more running between obstacles... I think the average distance is probably about 500m... 

Click on this link for details of the TBC course. 

1) Mud pit - Great way to start by getting wet and dirty... We have to crawl under barb wires in mud... I stupidly enter the pit with my head too high and got a small cut from the pointy barb wire... Yes, it can hurt you!!! Luckily, we got hose down shortly after... cannot imagine carrying the mud on my face throughout the course...   

Oh, sorry, no more pictures until the last obstacle... I think you will agree that it will be wise not to bring camera along for this course... just use your imaginations...

Managed to clear the next 4 fairly quickly... no dramas...

2) Log wall

3) Multi-vine Traverse

4) Tyre swing

5) Rope net bridge

6) Piranha pit - I thought I had this, but somehow, my grip slipped and I fell into the ditch... oh well... no penalty as long as you come out the other end... pressed on...  

7) Turbo steps - No dramas... 

8) Log balance - Sigh... In my eagerness to get over this obstacle in the shortest possible time, I mistimed my last step and fell to my left, hitting my ribs against the pole... The hit was pretty hard and it felt like I have been punched by Mike Tyson in the ribs... took me a few seconds to regain my breath... The marshal kept asking if I need to get medical assistance... As I was breathing normal now, I decided to continue... Oh, also scratched my hands and legs as I landed on the fall... I can never imagine myself having problem with the log balance... pretty disappointed... 

Once again, I breezed though these next few obstacles... 

9) Monkey bar

10) The tube

11) Swing step bridge

12) Hole-in-one

13) Chain walk

14) Tyre wall

15) Cargo net

16) Organ pipes

17) The Wall - I hit the wall, literally... I expected the wall to be lower and have a stronger rope for me to pull myself up... This wall, however, is almost about 2-3m high... The height is ok, but without a strong rope for me to pull myself up, I can see myself struggling... Lucky for me, the people inf front of me offered to provide me with a lift so that I can reach the top of the wall... I kindly accepted the offer and as a result, cleared the wall was able to clear the wall with ease...

18) Ups and downs - no dramas...

19) Hell's gate - We swam across a 10m ditch / pool before reaching this obstacle... hence the reason why my hair was wet and my clothes are clean...

Queuing up for Hell's gate... Nice hairstyle right?

more waiting... 

Go go go!!!

smashed it... I had reached the end before Lena head to the finish line... Hey, what is Nick (marshaling) doing here? 

Proud finishers... aka Tough Chicks!!!

My finisher's medal and bib... was amazed that the bib actually hold up after going through  mud and water...

Race summary...
Course: It is fun, but not as challenging as I would expect it to be... maybe because I had experienced SOC that is much intense and more technical then TBC... Not withstanding my fall at the log balance, I feel that the only obstacle that could have caused me grieve would be the wall...

Weather: Not the best, around 18-20 degrees with light drizzle... luckily no wind...

Atmosphere: All types of participants, ranging from elites (yes, there are elites for this event...) to your everyday people (aka me) who just wanna enjoy a day outdoor doing something different... this event can easily become a team building exercise... in fact there are groups of people doing this together and helping each others along the way... Go team work!!!

Finally, I really enjoyed the company of Angelena, Lena and her mum. I thought that they would pulled out because of the weather. They didn't... So they are though also chicks after all... Also, it was nice to do the challenge with Evette and Rhona...

Will I do it again? Depends, but most likely not... What did you say? What about Tough mudder next year? Hmmm...