Mud, mud and more mud was the theme of the next mile or so along with climbing over and under things. One of my favorite obstacles in this stretch was Block Party where we had to pull ropes with a cinder block at the end of up a hill and then return the block to the base when done. Thankfully my training had me practicing similar tatics in the gym with ropes and kettlebells, so I was familiar with the strategy I needed to use.
Pedal to the Medal was way more fun for me. Here you laid on your back and "pedaled" a giant wheel with your feet to reel in a tire across the field. My issue on this one was that my tire got hung up along the way which needed a little extra "kick" to get it to the 'finish line'. Once completed, you took your tire back to the starting position. Man, that tire was heavier than I thought it would be.
After 2 failed jumps and stepping back, I DID IT! Good grief, that impact knocks you pretty hard. Between the chill of the water and the impact, it can throw you for a loop. There are signs up that say if you are not a strong swimmer, do not attempt this one...now I see why. I am sooooo happy I overcame that mental block and just did it - it was quite a thrill.
The one obstacle that I was eager to get to came up next....Nutsmasher which is essentially a wobbly balance beam with cold water below to cushion your fall. After watching a few teammates go down, I started to question my own ability to complete this one. It was WAY more unstable than I expected. I focused and engaged my core and legs to power through and I made it! That was the one that I wanted to beat and I did!
I charged to the wall and GOT THE ROPE! Now, don't let go! I made it most of the way up but then my legs started to give with the slant of the wall. Thank goodness for my team because they grabbed me and got me up! I thought I was about to snap like a wishbone at one point and it wasn't the prettiest, but I made it!