Dan Cattermole
Dan Down - The Steampunk Womble
I survived the tough guy, and so did the fuji XP.
I'm battered, aching, and have the mobility of some thing dying. Believe it or not.. It was the best event I've ever been challanged with physically needless to say. An experience to be done by everyone before the pop their clogs (those able). Complete brutal enjoyable punishment!
Anyway, back onto the camera.
My respect for this camera has escalated to a much higher level for what this has been through. It may not produce the best quality of photos, nor may it be the most user friendly, and slow it is..... But my, I can put my hands up high and say.. What a tough little ******* this thing is!
It's bounced with me through 8 miles. Throughout those 8 miles it's been slipping over ending up between me and the mud (winded me that did), sliding, falling... It's been faced and submerged in freezing cold waters for durations longer than anyone would feel comfortable to withstand. Smacked on the posts of the obstacle climbs, zapped in the torture chambers with electricity, dragged along the walls of concrete pipes that I had to crawl through, covered in so much mud that the object on the end of the strap was unrecognisable... And left its condition for 12 hours before I washed it off the next day in soapy water....... AND IT STILL WORKED!!!!!!!!!
I was very keen to get shooting the first half of the course... Towards the second half (where the waters were introduced) it was a matter of survival, and taking photos was the last thing on my mind when my toes had zero feeling and my dangling eggs (more like peanuts) had a case of EXTREME cramp.... Pain like no other guys, like no other!
I took some stills and some videos, the videos are short little 5 second bursts and not much to look at. Especially when the lens was caped in mud making it even more less interesting! Lol.
Here are some samples of the stills.
Within half mile of the course it was busy, and queuing. And as you can see to the left of the picture there is a chap holding an Orange XP in the air which shortly resulted in a conversation with him.
Moving on....
As we didn't pay the premium to be in the 'front squad' the mud that we were running on was grass before it all started, it was a killer on the legs running on that.... And that was the easiest part!
We came to a part of the track were it was the most enduring part. 100 meters up a steep hill and back down.. 11 times I think it was !!! This meant towards the last half of each hundred meters everyone had to use their hands for extra traction. A real tester this.....
I heard this ROAR of cheer coming from across the course wondering what it was. It sounded like a fighter jet traveling my way.... Still, not knowing what it was. Then, instantly as the hail just pounded us and we all joined in! A sound in my head i'll never forget, motivating us all that further.
I got my camera out and snapped this
Not long before it turned into rain
Not long after, came the sunshine, and more wet mud.
As you can see in this shot, the folk in the back round going up and down.
Well, that's the end of it, untill next year!
As thanks for reading this.
Please take 5 minutes of your time to watch the legacy of Mister Mouse, the man behind the event and his philosophy on how and why this happens yearly, and why it remains to be a success time and time again. It may not mean anything to anyone, and it didn't touch me before I watched it, but after doing the course and now watching it, brings and indescribable sense of pride and real emotion through the hardest thing I've ever achieved.
The videography is brilliant on here too!
Thanks again
[video=youtube;Szi4vr-iDnI]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Szi4vr-iDnI[/video]
I'm battered, aching, and have the mobility of some thing dying. Believe it or not.. It was the best event I've ever been challanged with physically needless to say. An experience to be done by everyone before the pop their clogs (those able). Complete brutal enjoyable punishment!
Anyway, back onto the camera.
My respect for this camera has escalated to a much higher level for what this has been through. It may not produce the best quality of photos, nor may it be the most user friendly, and slow it is..... But my, I can put my hands up high and say.. What a tough little ******* this thing is!
It's bounced with me through 8 miles. Throughout those 8 miles it's been slipping over ending up between me and the mud (winded me that did), sliding, falling... It's been faced and submerged in freezing cold waters for durations longer than anyone would feel comfortable to withstand. Smacked on the posts of the obstacle climbs, zapped in the torture chambers with electricity, dragged along the walls of concrete pipes that I had to crawl through, covered in so much mud that the object on the end of the strap was unrecognisable... And left its condition for 12 hours before I washed it off the next day in soapy water....... AND IT STILL WORKED!!!!!!!!!
I was very keen to get shooting the first half of the course... Towards the second half (where the waters were introduced) it was a matter of survival, and taking photos was the last thing on my mind when my toes had zero feeling and my dangling eggs (more like peanuts) had a case of EXTREME cramp.... Pain like no other guys, like no other!
I took some stills and some videos, the videos are short little 5 second bursts and not much to look at. Especially when the lens was caped in mud making it even more less interesting! Lol.
Here are some samples of the stills.
Within half mile of the course it was busy, and queuing. And as you can see to the left of the picture there is a chap holding an Orange XP in the air which shortly resulted in a conversation with him.
Moving on....
As we didn't pay the premium to be in the 'front squad' the mud that we were running on was grass before it all started, it was a killer on the legs running on that.... And that was the easiest part!
We came to a part of the track were it was the most enduring part. 100 meters up a steep hill and back down.. 11 times I think it was !!! This meant towards the last half of each hundred meters everyone had to use their hands for extra traction. A real tester this.....
I heard this ROAR of cheer coming from across the course wondering what it was. It sounded like a fighter jet traveling my way.... Still, not knowing what it was. Then, instantly as the hail just pounded us and we all joined in! A sound in my head i'll never forget, motivating us all that further.
I got my camera out and snapped this
Not long before it turned into rain
Not long after, came the sunshine, and more wet mud.
As you can see in this shot, the folk in the back round going up and down.
Well, that's the end of it, untill next year!
As thanks for reading this.
Please take 5 minutes of your time to watch the legacy of Mister Mouse, the man behind the event and his philosophy on how and why this happens yearly, and why it remains to be a success time and time again. It may not mean anything to anyone, and it didn't touch me before I watched it, but after doing the course and now watching it, brings and indescribable sense of pride and real emotion through the hardest thing I've ever achieved.
The videography is brilliant on here too!
Thanks again
[video=youtube;Szi4vr-iDnI]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Szi4vr-iDnI[/video]
Last edited:
