Marietta High Grad Takes on 'Tough Mudder' Run

At just under five feet tall, a demure, dimpled and freckled Sandy Saffold of Smyrna is the last person you'd expect to take on one of the toughest military-style obstacle course runs in the world.

But Saffold will do just that this weekend when she and a sold-out field of participants from across the southeast congregate an hour north of here in Cedartown to tackle the Tough Mudder run.  

As its name suggests, Tough Mudder is considered one of if not the toughest closed-course, cross-country obstacle runs in the world.

With a course designed under the auspices of the British Special Air Service (SAS), participants will run, walk, crawl and slog through 11 miles of the most arduous conditions imaginable with one goal in mind - crossing the finish line.

How about a 30-yard belly crawl through a bathwater-hot mud pit with swirls of razor wire a mere eight inches overhead?

Or scampering through sections of kerosene-soaked flaming, hissing straw as sparks fly.

And try this one on for size: dodging dangling live electrical wires swinging from a canopy on approach to the finish line.  

These are just a few devious but non-life-threatening challenges runners will face during the two-day venue at Highland Park Resort.

Bring it on, said Saffold, 36, a Marietta native and 1993 Marietta High School graduate who works in print marketing.

"I know I must be crazy for doing it," said Saffold, an avid runner, cyclist and competitive water skier. "But that's what makes it worth it. It's all about taking on something that seems impossible. It will be a nice feeling when I finish."

And it's not all blood and guts. Tough Mudder is more about camaraderie than competition, Saffold explained, including a "creed" that includes pledges to "help my fellow Mudders complete the course" and to "overcome all fears."

Saffold's teammates from metro Atlanta-based Christian Runners club are also ready to take the plunge, she said. And they'll be joined by a vast field of other teams with quirky names like "Twisted Blister" and "Raging Platypus."

For her part, Saffold said she's wearing a Superwoman T-shirt and matching sweat bands. And for mental and moral support, Saffold will have her best friend, Amy McCarthy of Atlanta, on the sidelines cheering her on to the finish.

McCarthy, 36, also a 1993 Marietta High School graduate, injured herself a couple months ago and was unable to train for the event.

But rather than toss in the towel, McCarthy said she's putting every bit of the effort she would have spent training into cheering for her best friend.

"I know she can do it," McCarthy said. "She's gonna' rock it."

More information, see  http://www.facebook.com/toughmudder