Be Careful What You Say

"Are you not entertained?" Crazy Scott bellered to the grandstands while standing on a short concrete wall. "Are you not entertained?" he repeated with hands raised high and facing the bleachers.

I recognized the scene from my favorite movie, Gladiator, and Crazy Scott showed up with the intent of winning the World's Toughest Mudder 2013. The start of 24 hour race was an hour away and Crazy Scott was already reciting his victory speech.

November in New Jersey is not the time or place for pleasant weather for an outdoor race. But, Big Mudder relished the punishing conditions and returned to Englishtown for the 2nd running of the World's. The winding 10 mile course was strategically littered with 33 obstacles that included slippery mud slopes, greased monkey bars over water, greased rings over water, a tricky balance beam over water, a series of stumps sticking out of water, a huge slide that ended in water, underground tunnels that dumped into water...noticing a common theme? But, there were a few obstacles that did not include water, like walls, ramps, mud pits, crawling under lots of barbed wire, and the dreadful Electroshock Therapy obstacle where masses of dangling wires must be run through. No biggy, right? Except the wires are surging with electricity with some turbocharged with lightning for spectator entertaiment. Oh, almost forgot, a lake also needed to be crossed, twice, on each lap.

I had met Crazy Scott the day before in the motel where Matt and his mother, Mum, brought all of us together. Matt was 19 years old, has epilepsy, and was from England where he made it to the World's as an alternate. He was there to challenge his mind and body with Mum being his biggest cheerleader. Both were over-the-top polite and had seen me the night before where they debated if I was the actual "Moustache Man." Moustache Man is popular on the internet with some training videos specifically designed for Mudder events and Matt is his #1 fan. 

While sitting in their motel room, I was introduced to Crazy Scott from Scotland who had such a thick accent and deep voice that Matt and Mum were used as interpreters. He spoke about how much "I likez the wimminz" but boasted that a female had not, and never will, beat him in a race. I warned him that he was about to eat his words, but he claimed he could "muster whatever it takes" to not be defeated by a female. I despise cockiness but Crazy Scott wasn't cocky...he simply spoke very confidently. His matter-of-fact style of speech was sprinkled with humor that was highlighted with his primitive sounding, raw voice where I envisioned him thundering around in Scotland's medevial castles with a flaming stick, grumbling to himself. I sensed he had that rare quality that when he was focused on something, everyting else was tuned out, including his own welfare, as he strived to reach his targeted goal.

When the race began, Crazy Scott jumped out and led the majority of the first lap and as the race progressed into the night, he was still in the top 10. The temperature dropped into the low 20's, making all the water obstacles even more miserable and glazing others in thick ice.

"Hey....me feetz, thayr fooked!" Crazy Scott grunted behind Matt and I. We had joined up later in the race and were pleasantly surprised to hear Crazy Scott behind us. Most participants had dropped out and the three of us plodded along together like a trio of half frozen, crippled men. Crazy Scott and I both had wetsuit issues where his was too tight at the ankle, acting like a tourniquet. He hobbled along like he was on two ill-fitted prosthetics and I left them on the course as I ducked into a medic tent to thaw for a little while.

The glorious sun eventually broke over the horizon and the much celebrated 24 hour mark was reached at the finish line.

Crazy Scott finished 10th overall, an amazing feat, and I could not help but make sure he knew that the two top females had beat him. Very humbly, he acknowledged their victory over him and commented how they were amazing athletes. But, he later told me that he would be back in 2014 and he "would bring it." 

Scott graciously ate his slice of humble pie with humility and I felt fortunate befriending he, Matt and Mum.

(As an update, during the World's Toughest Mudder 2014, at about 8 hours into the race and nearing 40 miles, he was steadily catching the person in 2nd place when he fell from a high A-frame obstacle and went unconscious. He woke and tried to run from judges to continue racing but was disqualified "for a head knock." Crazy Scott emailed his disappointment but ended with, "But hey, I'll be back next year..."  He's a competitor!)