A week has passed and I still have battle scars from Summer ToughGuy 2008.The aches and pains have gone, the cuts and bruises will slowly heal, but the memories will last for ever. If you have never had a go at ToughGuy then give it a crack, it's a real adrenaline rush of a challenge that targets many common phobias and is so different to X-training. This was my second time of attacking the course and my expectations were low since injuring my calf muscle about 10 weeks ago. I have only been able to run in the last 2 weeks before the event, thus my preparation was somewhat hampered. As a result of this I decided to just go there and enjoy the experience and see how I feel on the day, no pressure.

Summer ToughGuy made a refreshing change for me having trained intensely for X-training comp's over the last 2.5 years. Training for ToughGuy is very different from what I normally do and was a pleasant break from the usual shoulder press, bench jumps, step-ups etc.etc. I needed the change to allow some old injuries to heal up before knuckling down to more X-training later this year.

As a former ToughGuy competitor I had the luxury of starting the race up on the hill, looking down on all of the front squad including Vito, Nik, some chap wearing a green Borat swimsuit!!!! and many others. With bag pipes playing and smoke grenades being set-off all around us, just standing on that hill with thousands of other ToughGuy competitors behind you is an experience. The start signal is given and it is just a mass, uncontrollable charge down the hill to try and catch the front squad - hoping no-one has gone down in your path as you would never see them through the smoke grenades.

Despite my lack of preparation and the injury, the run actually felt pretty good and therefore I decided to push a bit harder than I had originally planned. I managed to stay fairly close to Nik through the "over and unders" and then onto the "slalom". As we headed back towards the killing fields I realised that the lack of specific ToughGuy training had taken its toll and despite the good run, my legs were pretty shot by the time I reach the assault course. The slalom seemed to go on forever and was sheer torture (great bit of hill training though!).

The assault course was great fun as usual. I had a few slips here and there which sent the jitters up my spine. At one point I ended up hanging upside down with my leg caught in a cargo net, at this point I kind of realised that I have a family to think of now and need to slow up and be a bit cautious. I also managed to tear the arse out of my running bottoms on either a fence or barbwire (so apologies to all those spectators who got to see my cheek on the second lap of the assault course - and anyone who followed me through the Ghukka tunnels!). No macho heroics on the underwater passage this year, having failed to make the "no air pocket side" in one breath last time, I opted for the wimps route this year and took full advantage of the air pockets (I know, pretty girlie for an advanced diver).

After two laps around the assault course I was pretty beaten and battered and the last water slide down "Viagra Falls" heading towards the finish line was a very rewarding site indeed. Half way around the course I remember thinking to myself, "why the f*&k am I doing this again!" - as I crossed the finish line with a big grin on my face and a huge sense of achievement, I know exactly why I did it. I am not sure of my final position yet, I thought I was somewhere between 50-75th, but Nik (who finished 6th) waited for me at the finish line and reckons I came in about 30th. If this turns out to be true then I will be over the moon as it will be my best position ever.

Of course I am not a proper ToughGuy yet as I have only done the summer event and not the winter one. Basildon David Lloyd had a great showing at ToughGuy with Nik, Myself, Nelson, Danny, Amber, Mikki and Karren all racing. It was a really good day having everyone there and the girls all did absolutely fab to complete the course. As for Nik - consistent as ever, I told him before the event that he would be top 10 (again!). So ToughGuy over, now it is time to start getting back into X-training with the

WGCXTC next on the horizon.

"The aches and pains have gone, the cuts and bruises will slowly heal, but the memories will last for ever!"

Jason King - Winner and title holder of Fitness Xtreme 2007

Well done to everybody at David Lloyd Basildon who is part of the X Training scene - Amber, Mikki, Jason, Nik, Karen, Danny and Nelson