Tough Mudder
Pennsylvania
April 28/29
May 12/13
Pocono Manor
Let’s Chat With Shan Egan
Mud Junkies 2011
I had the pleasure of interviewing Shan Egan about last year’s Tough Mudder event that he took part in. I could not wait to find out what it was really like out there! So let’s get right to it-below is my interview with Shan. Hope you enjoy it as much as I did! Good Luck to you and the team on Saturday, Shan!
Diane: Tough Mudder is new to me. I have never heard about it until a few months ago. Can you tell me a little bit about it?
Shan: Tough Mudder events are hardcore 10-12 mile obstacle courses designed by British Special Forces to test your all around strength, stamina, mental grit, and camaraderie. With the most innovative courses, half a million inspiring participants, and more than $2 million dollars raised for the Wounded Warrior Project, Tough Mudder is the premier adventure challenge series in the world.
Diane: I love how Tough Mudder supports The Wounded Veterans. Is that part of the reason you enter the event? Do you have a personal reason for entering?
Shan: Supporting the Wounded Warriors is most definitely a motivator for us, we want to show our support somehow and Tough Mudder is a great vehicle for accomplishing that. We all have personal reasons as well; it’s about turning back the clock, camaraderie, fighting through the “pains of age”, setting examples to our children and ultimately staying relevant in a society that has more excuses than ever. We want to be that tangible inspiration to our children, family, friends, colleagues, acquaintances, and to the masses. We want to be the motivating factor that actually makes the change, not just sit around and talk about it.
Diane: As I understand, you were part of Tough Mudder last year. How extreme was it?
What was the toughest part?
What was the toughest part?
Shan: Extreme. Tough Mudder mixes up so many elements, exhausting you from head to toe. For some, the toughest part was physical, for others, the mental aspect. You have to overcome fears and uncertainties about yourself that you may have never realized had you not been challenged. Whether you have a fear of water, cold, heights, confined places or need a boost over a wall, you get over them with the help of your team. Camaraderie is the key, we start together and we finish together.
Diane: Are you competing with your own team? Who are they made up of?
Is it the same team as last year?
Is it the same team as last year?
Shan: Our Team name is the “Mud Run Junkies” (the MRJ’s) and are currently comprised of 19 members who are registered for Tough Mudder. The MRJ’s are a diverse group of men & women mostly in their late 30’s and early 40’s from Montgomery, Chester & Delaware counties, and all but 1 have children. Some members are the same as last year and some are new members. Shan Egan, Michele Dougherty, Kate Stopa Solomon, Paul Solomon, Dennis Gunzelmann, Ashley Bevington, Dan Feola, Missy Salamone, Matt Snyder, Dawn Haftl, Jason Haftl, Ian Stoddart, Liz Higgins, Nick Higgins, Stephanie Carter, Sean McCarraher, Matt Sitting, Christine Noble, Matt Dutton
Diane: HOW does someone prepare physically and mentally for Tough Mudder?
Shan:We meet weekly to do our “terraining”. We start our runs on groomed trails and transition onto “Mudder-esque” type terrain with mud, rocks, & roots, regardless of weather. In addition, we all train regularly; including high intense cardio/plyometrics classes run by Shan Egan, as well as normal strength training. Mentally, we psych each other up with positive talk and discuss how much fun we are going to have!
Diane: I am in awe of anyone that even enters Tough Mudder! Congrats on being a part of it last year. What is it like when you finish the course?
Shan: THANK YOU! It’s the most euphoric sense of accomplishment we’ve ever experienced!
I’d love to thank Shan for taking time out of his busy life and preparation for Tough Mudder to conduct this interview. I wish him and the team the VERY best! What an inspiration to us all!
This weekend I have the pleasure of attending one of the toughest events in the country, maybe in the world called Tough Mudder. Tough Mudder is an event that takes places on a about a 12 mile course filled with extremely tough obstacles. The course consists trudging through mud, fire, ice water and 10,000 volts of electricity. There are also 12 foot walls and underground tunnels. Tough Mudders never go it alone, they work as a team. To date Tough Mudder has raised more than 2 million dollars to donate to the Wounded Warrior Project. I will be at the Tough Mudder Pennsylvania this weekend. You can check it how to sign up in PA or anywhere Tough Mudder takes place in the world by clicking here.
Disclosure: Special thanks to Tough Mudder and Shan Egan. All opinions are that of 3decades3kids/DianeSullivan. Email: ELGeorgia@aol.com Twitter: @3decades3kids
Had a blast doing this event this past November with the above group. Seven of us pictured above trained at MaxOut Strength Studio to prepare!A bunch of us from the studio are doing it again tomorrow, with some new additions to our team. Watch for us in our bright yellow Team MaxOut shirts! I am especially proud of my clients Danny & Paul 🙂 Good luck to all of the teams tomorrow and Sunday!