Total Warrior

On Sunday myself and a group of my colleagues and friends; Jaimi Wilson; Chris Claux; Sam Verry; Danny Roper; Fiona Park; Charlotte Hill to name but a few, along with the other 1,500 competitors, headed off to Shap for the ultimate challenge of Total Warrior - little did we know what we had let ourselves in for!

Despite the typical Cumbrian weather and Chris Claux’s previously injured foot, the run was enjoyable and challenging at the same time. We were constantly falling over and were covered in nettle stings from trying to save ourselves.

The course was very well planned, with a whole range of death defying obstacles thrown in for good measure - there was everything from a swim in the fast flowing cold river, tyre tunnels, mud pits where you had to dive under the mud, the Human barbecue to run through to and the slippery rock climbs where we were scrabbling over the rocks hanging on for our lives!

Throughout the run I was looking forward to the next obstacle as it gave me time to catch my breath. My personal favourite was the 3 meter wall, which boosted my morale; once I had landed on the other side I was actually surprised that I managed it on my own. Charlotte on the other hand had a boost of a different kind as she was launched into mid air by a burly assistant and landed on the other side with a thump.

We all had a thoroughly exhausting and enjoyable day and have the cuts and bruises as proof of our efforts. However, just as in life, it’s not how fast you get there but the challenges you face along the way.

To round off the day we all went to Carlisle for a well deserved drink or two!

By Bart Centlewski