Sunday 2nd December was a cold, cold day for the DoTeam. Eight (and a half!) miles of running through icy puddles and mud will do that….brrrrr! Here everyone talks about their experience of the Grim Challenge.  

Hermione

Three words sum it up for me: frozen, proud, and satisfied.

Frozen – that’s what comes from repeatedly running through thigh deep muddy water covered in a half-inch layer of ice.

Proud – watching my team of five fantastic Doers, crazy and committed enough to The DoNation to get their hands dirty and shed some sweat (and blood, in some cases) for the cause (or is that just a sign of me being a truly evil boss?!).

Satisfied – not only for having survived the run, but also for the knowledge of the 73 impressive pledges that our friends did in support of us.

Ruth

Well I think the above illustrates my experience completely, Cold, Proud, Satisfied…and I have one more word to add to the list:

Relieved. After hearing the devastating news that I had been training a smaller loop of Victoria Park to what I had thought I was doing (0.8 miles rather than the 3miles I had thought), I really didn’t think that I would be able to complete the Grim Challenge. But I did. The thought of all those people who have supported us over the last few weeks kept popping into my mind; the bone chilling ice puddles took my mind off the distance; the amazing team spirit, supporting and motivating each other, kept us all going to the end – it was even fun at times!

So to summarise: It wasn’t easy, but WE DID IT, and saved 6,029 kgCO2 in the process…

Silvana

I had been sceptical of this event. I would have preferred a knit-athon in a snugly warm den, especially this time of the year. Should I risk pneumonia, in exchange for few people shortening their shower by a few minutes? But then I started training. And all the pledges trickled in. Yeah, go for it, be Silvana-unlike and accept the challenge! Wading through the puddles with ice blocks attached to my arms and legs was no fun. My full body ice water splash was even less fun. However, I kept going, motivated by the team running with me, by my legs moving in auto-mode. On the tube home, people staring at the fat streak of dried mud in my hair, I felt strangely elated and proud. I Did it.

Harriet

I must admit I was very sceptical about doing the run. I love running, but I HATE the cold! The temperature dropped as we changed into our kit, but I finally warmed up as we got out onto the track; the countryside was beautiful and the atmosphere was buzzing with excited runners. Then the challenge really began….. five consecutive pools of ice cold water with no way around; we splashed on straight through and my legs went numb. Then the mud came; ten metres of thick, deep sludge, which predictably we got very stuck in! Would I do it again? Hmmmm, definitely not in winter! Bring on a warm mud run!

It’s never too late to sponsor us, head this way to Do your bit!