The morning started with a slight tension in the air, the bite of a chilly summer Wisconsin morning cutting against the skin. As we emerged from our cars and came upon the site where we would do battle, the tension turned to excitement. Our fears became our courage and before we knew, we were all covered in mud.
Just two short weekends ago, months of training was put to the test when we spent several hours of Sunday afternoon drudging through 11.8 miles of muck to earn an orange headband, a beer, and a sense of satisfaction.  It feels a bit like a dream.   Yes-we scaled walls and got electrocuted.  Yes-we jumped into a pit of 32 degree ice water.  Yes-we pushed and pulled each other through it.
Before the big day, we spent hours scouring blogs and videos for tips from past runners.  The one thing that in reality helped us finish the race?
All 9 of us.
There were some that could run the entire course, and some that needed to walk for a bit.  A few that killed the Funky Monkey bars, and several of us that fell into the below pit of muddy water.  Those that pushed people over the Berlin Walls, and then used their own incredible arm strength to pull themselves right over.  That’s right.  As you’ll see in the video we captured just for you, we did it together. No man or woman left behind.

As we came upon the final 20 yard dash, we looked at each other once more – electricity was all that stood between us and the end. After a moment, silence came over us and we all began to grin. We let our excitement show, knowing nothing was going to stop us. And we drove straight in. The shocks were nothing more than motivation and the last test we had to face to do what we set out to do from the beginning. The icy cold water, mud, and fire-hot shocks propelled us across the finish line were we all stood victorious…together.
Some of us shed tears of joy while others gave out their best war cries of victory. But in the end, we knew we had accomplished something special as a team and we were stronger for it.
There’s just something about experiencing the strengths and weaknesses of the people you work with on a daily basis and exposing yours to them.  It brings you together, and makes the day to day a whole new experience.  You can sense when Aimee has a stressful moment, and when Anthony has a great call with a new customer.  It all translates, and helps us jive as a team.
You won’t regret it if you find an opportunity to do something like this as a team outside of your work environment. Walk a 5K together. Play tactical laser tag as a group. Celebrate a record month with a happy hour outing. Do a 4 week wellness challenge and commemorate with a fun night out.  It’s a commitment well spent-  the investment of time and money is minimal compared to the rewards you’ll realize.

This week, you’re extra lucky: two authors for the price of one. Kentucky Fried Sales Chick Megan Pierce & the 6th Man Nick Carreiro team up to share their Tough Mudder experience – and urge you to do something different than the 9-5 with your own team. Like what they have to say? Share in the comments below!