[Chet]

Read Nickys announcement here ...and thought I'd put up a wee post about Tough Guy as I'm sure we'll be having some banter about it in the forthcoming months.

On a personal note...if Nicky is able to do Winter TG (which I really hope is the case) this Jan I will be joining her

In fact, even if not, I will very likely go solo.

IMO TG is an awesome test of functional fitness - indeed of fitness in the CrossFit sense, and plan to use TG as a regular indicator of my comparative fitness levels.

Who else has done it? What were your experiences of it?

Who is planning to do the summer one/future winter ones?

Thoughts/comments about TG as a fitness indicator?

All constructive input welcome

[nickyhusky]

Well, here's a few of my thoughts, having done the summer one twice.

TG is the main reason I run... I'm not a good runner, but you have to be able to do it to do TG, and it's all good for me!

I LOVE the assault course type stuff. There's something so much fun about getting wet and muddy, challenging yourself and doing things you normally wouldn't, like (for me) 'walking the plank' and jumping into water - I dread that bit! They're building a higher plank platform for this winter. It looks horrendous. I think they're keeping the old one as well,so you have a choice of heights to jump from. I really hope so. Maybe in the summer I'll go for the high one...

There's also a great atmosphere at TG. It's not competitive - well it probably is if you're one of the elite ones at the front, but not for the rest of us - and there's always someone who'll give you a hand or a friendly shove if you get stuck. It's a great day out even if you're just watching, which I did last winter.

If you look on the TG website, it does look incredibly scary. It isn't as bad as they make out - at least, that's true for the summer one. I think there'll be quite a difference between that and the winter one though. The main issue in the winter is the cold, so it does require cold weather training, getting yourself used to freezing water etc etc. Which reminds me, I'm due another run in the river...

There are another couple of broadly similar races I'd like to have a go at. One's called the Grim, and the other one is something military - basically they open some forces' assault course to the public for a day. They're both down south - one's in Aldershot and I forget where the other is. They sound less 'assault course-y' than TG though - more natural obstacles I think. If anyone fancies a go, let me know

[Chet]

All sounds like fun too me

Yes, TG will play a motivating factor in my running, and also....perhaps not for this one, but for future TGs...may well help shape the type of run training I do (eg including reasonable ascent/descents where I may not have otherwise)

On that note, I also like the fact that you are "forced" to do things you would not do otherwise, challenging yourself mentally and physically...

Who is seriously up for the summer one then?

[Davie]

ok...mentioned this to the guys I go climbing with/train and they nearly wet themselves with excitement.

Where is it, when is the summer one, how much etc

[Chet]

Lol. Sweet

Lets get a FuncKey team together for the summer one

Its all here, on the website bud

Date is 27th July 2008.

Will grab some of the key details from there and stick then up on here shortly anyway - will be good to have on the thread

[nickyhusky]

TG is the last Sunday in July and the last Sunday in January. costs I think £60 if you get your form in before 1st March. Once you've done it once you get a discount. I've just paid £150 for the next 3 TGs. Oh, and it's near Wolverhampton. camping is available onsite.

go for it Davie. You'll love it.

[Chet]

Thanks for the TG summary

[snaggletooth]

I'll dae it.

[nickyhusky]

snaggletooth, on Nov 23 2007, 06:53 PM, said:

I'll dae it.

Cool! so that's you, me, Paul, Davie and Chet so far then...

[Chet]

...and Sarah I think.

Sweet

[Chet]

Oh...and Davies mates by the sounds of things

[snaggletooth]

Chet, on Nov 23 2007, 10:44 PM, said:

...and Sarah I think.

Sweet

Paul will be pleased!!

Hehe, I'm going to get some mileage out of this one

[Paul]

i'm going to get very bored of this one, very soon!!!

[Chet]

Hmm...trying to get my tough guy entry sorted, but am a little confused by the referendum stuff.

Apparently if you sign it, you save a tenner off the entry price.

But not sure exactly what I am signing away by signing this (most probably my life...literally )

Can anyone help/clarify?

[nickyhusky]

Chet, on Nov 27 2007, 12:50 PM, said:

Hmm...trying to get my tough guy entry sorted, but am a little confused by the referendum stuff.

Apparently if you sign it, you save a tenner off the entry price.

But not sure exactly what I am signing away by signing this (most probably my life...literally )

Can anyone help/clarify?

Um, no. Just sign everything. You do have to sign their 'Death Warrant' which says you won't hold TG responsible for horrible diseases or death that you may incur... but hey, if you're doing TG you don't exactly expect to be roped up for all the high stuff and nice rubber matting to land on do you... actually they do do a load of H&S stuff which they'll send you.

I don't remember any referendum stuff, and I thought referenda were to do with voting anyway...?

[nickyhusky]

Ah, ok. I just got out my last TG mailing to have a look... it's something to do with some guy who's trying to take TG to court for some injury or other - he's got one of those 'no win no fee' lawyers on the case. They want people to sign to protest against the way this country is becoming like 'sue your ass' America etc etc - if it does, then events like TG would probably have to stop because there is no way to guarantee everyone's safety (though they do their best, and have loads of marshals, first aiders, divers etc on hand), so if they're in danger of being sued, they can't continue.

Mr Mouse is one of the old school, who's got a healthy disregard for red tape and bureacracy, and is as mad as a hatter, but he's doing what he can for his charity in his own inimitable way. I like him. I'll sign the referendum, but if you don't want to, don't.

I'll sign my dog tag and send it off tomorrow.

[Chet]

Fair enough, it looked to be something like that.

It just also seems that by signing that, you're signing even more of a disclaimer for TG, as it were - ie saying that you accept that no insurance will cover you, etc, etc

Which is probably true.... but you know what I mean, lol

What do you reckon?

[nickyhusky]

Chet, on Nov 28 2007, 08:30 AM, said:

Fair enough, it looked to be something like that.

It just also seems that by signing that, you're signing even more of a disclaimer for TG, as it were - ie saying that you accept that no insurance will cover you, etc, etc

Which is probably true.... but you know what I mean, lol

What do you reckon?

There isn't any insurance anyway! You get your own from www.sportscoverdirect.com. TG did have 3rd party public liability for spectators but I'm not sure they do any more - some technical problem, I forget what.

so yeah, you're signing to say you won't hold TG responsible for anything at all, really. But that's all part of the fun imo.

[Chet]

Aye thats what I meant, I know there isnt any insurance from TG, there would no point for entrants, lol.

Anyway, enough talk about insurance

I'll just get the damn form off.

[nickyhusky]

Chet, on Nov 28 2007, 10:29 AM, said:

Aye thats what I meant, I know there isnt any insurance from TG, there would no point for entrants, lol.

Anyway, enough talk about insurance

I'll just get the damn form off.

Quite!

That just reminded me to get a quote for insurance. One day's insurance is £12-something, and annual is £84 for most sports that I'd be likely to do. Am thinking about the annual, but depends what I think I'm likely to get up to over the next year!! Probably worth it if I'm running in rivers etc etc...