Have you ever surprised yourself by doing something you didn’t think was possible? Something you didn’t even know you were capable of? How did it make it you feel? Amazing? Fantastic? Strong? Unstoppable?

Two years ago, I had the crazy idea to enter my first Tough Mudder – a grueling 10-12 mile race filled with obstacles and well, mud. Only after I registered, did I see a video of what I had just signed up for. I immediately regretted my decision.

Having never run more than two miles, how was I supposed to make it through ten to twelve? I began to train. Boot camp prepared me for the obstacles, and I ran after class to help with endurance. I ran with a local running club twice a week and was soon up to five or six miles. I trained hard.

The closer the race, the more scared I became. Luckily, my friend Gabby was just as crazy as me. When she heard I was running alone, she signed up a few days before the event. I was so happy I wanted to cry. On race day, we drove to the event along with her mom, who came along for moral support, pictures, and to drive us home in the likely event that we wouldn’t be able to.

The scene was crazy. People of all shapes and sizes were walking around in wacky costumes and funny t-shirts adorned with phrases that related to beer and mud (apparently our reward would be a beer at the finish line). The majority had numbers written across their foreheads and down their arms in black ink. Gabby and I looked at each other in terror. But it was too late to turn back.

We sucked it up, took turns inking each others’ foreheads, and went to the start line. We prayed we would make it through without dying. Hearts pounding, blood careening through our veins, we were off. We ran. We scaled walls. We trudged through mud. We bonded with fellow Mudders along the way. We cheered. We encouraged. We sang. We leaped through fire. We jumped off a 15-foot ledge into a deep pit of water. We threw ourselves into an arctic-like dumpster filled with ice and water. If that weren’t enough, we finished it off by running through a minefield of live dangling wires that are said to contain up to 10,000 volts of electricity. We survived! We laughed. We hugged. We might’ve even shed a tear or two but we did it. We earned that coveted orange headband. And, an icy cold beer.

However, nothing was more rewarding than the satisfaction and sense of accomplishment we felt over having completed something we never even dreamed we were capable of. Tough Mudder physically and mentally pushed us to limits we didn’t know we could endure. We were exhausted and sore, but we felt amazing. We felt kind of…badass.

Since that November morning, I’ve completed four Tough Mudders. Two of them have been solo. The same feelings of accomplishment and comradery with my fellow Mudders keep me signing up for more. I’m working my way up to that highly sought after black 10x Mudder headband. And who knows, by then I may even like beer.

But even if I never acquire a taste for beer, the most important lesson I learned through Tough Mudder is not to let fear get in the way of experiencing life. Don’t be afraid to try something new, no matter how far out of your comfort zone it may be. Don’t ever limit yourself by thinking something is beyond your capabilities. After all, you’ll never know unless you try…and you just might surprise yourself!