Hi All, Sorry for taking long getting back to you.
Anyway... yes, completed with my 2 friends and loved it. All of your advise was so welcome and so true. I wore wetsuit gloves with rubber fingers - I might add this was the only woosy wear, the rest was strictly lycra... I know, that's not great on a bloke either! They worked a treat though.
Start was exciting as hell, although they did get it a bit mixed up and everyone just started belting through which left us at the back.
Anyway, the sprints and cross country was brilliant. Surprised that the ditches came so early and even more surprised how thick that flipping ice was!!! Slalom was great and my bag, so helping my friends along and doing a lot of shouting at people with encouragement and dragging people up the final parts.
The water was unbelievably cold, and I'm Scottish! We were still breaking ice with our shins while running through and keen to complete the course properly, we were submerged under the water quite a bit and taking the hard route round as much as possible (we were NEVER going to win it that was for sure).
By half way round or so and plenty of water action I began to lose feeling in all of my lower half of my body and I could see my legs running, but could not actually feel the muscle action apart from the thudding as I was hitting the ground... weirdest feeling ever, although, with numbness brings the taking away the pain which was nice!
By the time we got to the walls there was a lot of casualties strewn all over, St. John's doing a great job running all over the place with people just convulsing and shaking. Met a group of girls who were in a terrible state, one was quite blue and shaking quite violently. On replying that I didn't feel too bad, but couldn't feel my legs she looked even worse (think she was disappointed to hear my report) and I remembered I had brought a heat patch for my back (previous prolapse disk) in case it went on the way round and gave it to her, so hopefully it helped and she got to the end, even if it gave her just a bit of comfort and encouragement.
Somme was great, loved that.. and the rabbit runs? (The mass series of ditches where you climb in a nd out, helping each other) brilliant!... then when almost at the end I could start to feel the, yeh, this is great but had enough now thanks and the finish line was there... me and my pals ran for the line and got through... brilliant experience.
Showers... not power showers - you know what I mean. I found a man who crouched down not saying a word, so I asked if he was OK, no response, and again, no response... then on the third time he looked up looking like God knows what and just said NO, then started shaking like having a fit... St.Johns again were there like a flash and sorted in right out.. bunch of heroes that they are.
Anyway, that was my experience.. I loved it, my pal 'Big Al' loved it, but my other pal Kenny says if I ever drag him into something like this again, he "will kill me"... so not for everyone I guess!
That's about it apart for a warning to anyone who hasn't done it yet, mind the hot chocolate at the end. I managed to calm my shaking down (left to right) so I could drink it and just as I put it to my lips, started shaking again, and threw it right in my own face ala Morecambe and Wise stylie. Is luke warm, so no problems, just funny.
Thnk Big Al and I are looking at the German one next year which is "Supposed' to be tougher... but it is in April, so will be much warmer, so can't see it myself. If anyone knows or has done it, let me know please, that would be great.
Thanks to all there including all fellow TG's, what an experience of the great and strong willed people. You are all a credit to yourselves, your parents and your countries.
Comments
Anyway... yes, completed with my 2 friends and loved it. All of your advise was so welcome and so true.
I wore wetsuit gloves with rubber fingers - I might add this was the only woosy wear, the rest was strictly lycra... I know, that's not great on a bloke either! They worked a treat though.
Start was exciting as hell, although they did get it a bit mixed up and everyone just started belting through which left us at the back.
Anyway, the sprints and cross country was brilliant. Surprised that the ditches came so early and even more surprised how thick that flipping ice was!!! Slalom was great and my bag, so helping my friends along and doing a lot of shouting at people with encouragement and dragging people up the final parts.
The water was unbelievably cold, and I'm Scottish! We were still breaking ice with our shins while running through and keen to complete the course properly, we were submerged under the water quite a bit and taking the hard route round as much as possible (we were NEVER going to win it that was for sure).
By half way round or so and plenty of water action I began to lose feeling in all of my lower half of my body and I could see my legs running, but could not actually feel the muscle action apart from the thudding as I was hitting the ground... weirdest feeling ever, although, with numbness brings the taking away the pain which was nice!
By the time we got to the walls there was a lot of casualties strewn all over, St. John's doing a great job running all over the place with people just convulsing and shaking. Met a group of girls who were in a terrible state, one was quite blue and shaking quite violently. On replying that I didn't feel too bad, but couldn't feel my legs she looked even worse (think she was disappointed to hear my report) and I remembered I had brought a heat patch for my back (previous prolapse disk) in case it went on the way round and gave it to her, so hopefully it helped and she got to the end, even if it gave her just a bit of comfort and encouragement.
Somme was great, loved that.. and the rabbit runs? (The mass series of ditches where you climb in a nd out, helping each other) brilliant!... then when almost at the end I could start to feel the, yeh, this is great but had enough now thanks and the finish line was there... me and my pals ran for the line and got through... brilliant experience.
Showers... not power showers - you know what I mean. I found a man who crouched down not saying a word, so I asked if he was OK, no response, and again, no response... then on the third time he looked up looking like God knows what and just said NO, then started shaking like having a fit... St.Johns again were there like a flash and sorted in right out.. bunch of heroes that they are.
Anyway, that was my experience.. I loved it, my pal 'Big Al' loved it, but my other pal Kenny says if I ever drag him into something like this again, he "will kill me"... so not for everyone I guess!
That's about it apart for a warning to anyone who hasn't done it yet, mind the hot chocolate at the end. I managed to calm my shaking down (left to right) so I could drink it and just as I put it to my lips, started shaking again, and threw it right in my own face ala Morecambe and Wise stylie.
Is luke warm, so no problems, just funny.
Thnk Big Al and I are looking at the German one next year which is "Supposed' to be tougher... but it is in April, so will be much warmer, so can't see it myself. If anyone knows or has done it, let me know please, that would be great.
Thanks to all there including all fellow TG's, what an experience of the great and strong willed people. You are all a credit to yourselves, your parents and your countries.
I am Tough Guy.