Mudder tough

  • Published
  • By Senior Airman Melissa Harvey
  • 301st Fighter Wing Public Affairs
NAVAL AIR STATION FORT WORTH JOINT RESERVE BASE, Texas --  Jumping through fire, swimming through ice water, climbing walls, crawling through trenches or the fun task of being shocked by electricity are all examples of the types of physical challenges a small team of women recently overcame when they completed their first Tough Mudder event.

The team consisted of Senior Master Sgt. Erin Buchanan, Master Sgt. Molly Huston, and military spouse Erin Graf, all from the 44th Fighter Group, a geographically separated 301st Fighter Wing unit at Holloman Air Force base, New Mexico.

In order to get through the course to the finish line, a well-rounded approach to training was needed to handle the distance, course conditions, and obstacles. Needless to say, preparing for the event was no easy task.

"I started training for the Tough Mudder last October when our youngest turned one. Having small children in the home, I did most of my cross fit workouts and weight training during naps and completed lots of miles with the double stroller and our dog," Graf said. "The children were great motivators to keep running and to run faster!"

Another driving force of motivation for Graf in addition to her children was her family and friends.

"I have an unbelievable husband and family in Wisconsin and Texas who would keep me focused on what I wanted to achieve," she said. "Also, I ran this race with two incredible women...who I couldn't have asked for better team members. They are the strongest ladies I know."

Although they ran the same race, training didn't look the same for all of them.

For Huston, who is a first sergeant for the 44th Fighter Group, training included a lot of running. "I normally run 35+ miles a week and weight train 3 times a week, so physically I was ready," she said. "I did incorporate more pull ups into my routine and I would go up to Cloudcroft, N.M. which is almost 9,000 feet elevation and run up there and climb fences."
While each member prepared themselves for what lie ahead, they faced challenging obstacles that pushed their limits on the course.

"By far the toughest obstacle was the "Funky Monkey" monkey bars," Graf said. "These monkey bars started in an incline and rotated. We were muddy and wet so our hands struggled to keep a tight grip."

Huston's most challenging obstacle lie a little more on the cold side, rather than muddy.

"The obstacle that I was most worried about was the "Arctic Enema," you have to jump into freezing cold water (32 degrees) and swim under a half wall and then pull yourself through water and ice," Huston said. "Your body starts to shut down fast and numbness comes quickly. We counted to three and jumped in without hesitation, the cold instantly took my breath away and it was hard to catch my breath enough to get under the wall, but I managed to swim under the wall, pull myself through the ice and out. My body was completely numb; so numb in fact that I thought my clothes weren't on anymore, after a quick check I was relieved to see my clothes intact."

Making it through these challenges to the finish line is a memorable accomplishment for these women.

Tough Mudder was an experience that I will never forget, Graf said. From the start of the 10-12 mile race with 20-25 military obstacles, you take an oath that states that you will overcome all fears, put team work and camaraderie before your course time and not leave anyone behind. The military lifestyle reflects all of these aspects. I am a military wife and can speak for most women that our job at home can be very difficult at times. We have to face fears of deployments, TDYs, and time away from our loved ones while keeping strong and raising our children to be strong. Us military wives think of each other and help our friends, who we consider family, get through the tough times that we face in our military life.

For Huston, camaraderie and facing fears made the event for her.

"I felt a huge sense of relief and that I could accomplish anything when I finished each obstacle, sometimes you just have to jump in, grit your teeth and bear it," she said. I was very proud of myself and my teammates for racing so hard and having such a good time doing it, but I was also a little sad when I crossed the finish line because the race was over and I truly enjoyed every second of it... I faced many fears on this race and I did so willingly and with a smile on my face, I will never forget my first Mudder experience and I couldn't have asked for better teammates."

After training and completing the Tough Mudder, the ladies have a few tips for those who are thinking about participating in the event.

"Just take the first step and sign up for an event," Graf said. "Even if it's just a little local event, knowing that there is a deadline and you made a commitment you will be less likely to give up."

"Make sure you're in decent physical shape, be prepared to act quickly and impulsively, and pick your teammates wisely because they can make or break the race," Huston said.

The team has decided that this won't be their only event to overcome together.

"The three of us made a pact during the Tough Mudder to meet up once a year and race together no matter where we are," she said.



Senior Airmen Ben Calantas and Jeremy Roman also contributed to this story.