Page 78 - Complete First B2 (third edition) Student Book

Reading and Use of English Part 6
^ Work in pairs. You are going to read an article by a the margin about the subject of each paragraph.
former club runner who has discovered a new event.
First, read the title and the subheading in italics. What An example has been done for you.
do you expect to find out by readingthe article?
Looking for something
a little different?
Try a Tough Mudder.
Sam Park talks about his experience of
Tough Mudder, the ultimate test of stamina, growing trend in racing. Competitors have to overcome a number of
skill and endurance.
Read the article carefully and make a short note in
I’ve been into running since I was a child. At 14, I was one of the best
runners in my city and found myself competing in races all over the
country. WhenI turned 18, 1 ran my first half-marathon and loved it.I
then ran my first full marathon last year. I was pleased to have done
it, but the hours of training that I’d had to do in preparation for the pve .oiou<s
race had left me somewhat bored with running on the road. 1
So when I read about a brand new challenge that involved running, running
I jumped at the chance. Tough Mudders’ , as they are known, are a
tyCpi' titHCl
obstacles on a muddy course, which is designed to push you both
physically and mentally. Unsurprisingly, it was advertised as the
ultimate test of endurance, so I just knew I had to give it a try .
Being unfamiliar with this format of running, I wanted to find out more
about it. I spoke to a few people who’d already competed in a Tough
Mudder.They told me what to expect , which helped me identify how
best to organise my preparation. 2 So I felt that I was in good
shape and would hopefully set a good time. Unfortunately for me, this
was like nothing else I’d done before.
Running on mud is a lot more difficult than running on the road
and, at around 15 kilometres, the races are a real ordeal. If that’s PDF from sachtienganhhanoi.com
not challenging enough, each course tends to feature around 25
obstacles. The first obstacle was pretty daunting: competitors had
to climb a six-metre wooden wall with the aid of a rope. Sadly, this
turned out to be one of the easiest along the course. By far the most
difficult was one where you had to crawl along watery, muddy ground.
That may not sound like much, but there are live electrical wires
hanging over you as you work your way through it. 3 However ,
as long as you follow the rules, you’ll be ok.
To ensure that none of the competitors come to any harm, there are
a number of volunteers on hand throughout the course to ensure that
obstacles are tackled correctly and safely. They aren’t the only people
there to support you. 4 Joining forces with other competitors
really helps you stay motivated and gives you an extra energy boost
when you start feeling tired.
At times, I felt I just wasn’t fit enough to get through all the challenges.
This was particularly the case a few minutes into the race. 5 j
I also picked up a strain to my leg, and I was in some discomfort.
Despite that, I kept going, even though I risked injuring myself further.
I ’ve always been capable of applying my willpower and usually have a
strong desire to win , but this was probably one of the most exhausting
experiences of my life.[ _ 6 Nevertheless, I was delighted when I
finally finished the race and felt a real sense of achievement at having
overcome such a physically and mentally challenging competition.
I ’ m now having a well-earned rest. However, I know that I’ll be
desperate to get out there again and will be taking part in another
Tough Mudder as soon as my legs have recovered.