22nd January - I look at my phone a facebook notification appears, nothing like a facebook notification, means someone has commented on one of my facebook interactions.

I opened it up and read what it said:

Chris Kilpatrick - Men’s Health Survival of the Fittest entered!! Dom Musgrove I've entered and paid for you too...think of it as a late Christmas pressie xxx

Oh god ... I somehow have left my incredible phsique go a little over the last couple of years, in fact so I know that I need to lose 3 - 4 stones to get back into shape, so this Mens Health challenge is not going to be easy.

Roll on a couple weeks after trolling the internet for the most dangerous and challenging Army style assault courses, Chris and myself have now entered for 4 assualt courses

21 September – Tough Mudder, South West

“Tough Mudder events are hardcore 12 mile-long obstacle courses designed by the Special Forces to test your all around strength, stamina, mental grit, and camaraderie. With the most innovative courses and 700,000 inspiring participants worldwide to date, Tough Mudder is the premier adventure challenge series in the world.”

12st October – Mens Health, Nottingham

“Survival is back for Autumn 2013. Packing a colossal 10k urban assault course in each host city, the Survival series will see 25,000 participants take on these totally unique challenge events this year. Want to join them? Survival is for all comers: Men, women, teams and solo contenders. It’s as much fun as you can have in a run and the camaraderie is served up with lashings of Survival Spirit.”

2 November – Hell Runner, Delamere, Cheshire

“Brooks HellRunner offers trail running at its toughest and most enjoyable. 10 -12 miles of challenging off-road running… tough, twisting trails… including the famed Hills of Hell and the Bog of Doom!

The Finish will bring redemption… but only to successful HellRunners”

26 January – Tough Guy

“Tough Guy™ is the nightmare of being chased by a herd of stallions.

Your only escape route is a mighty and revered obstacle course. Built from trees, 15 metres high with Tarzan ropes swinging. No hats and no hook ups. Just pure, organic grip strength from your cold and wet hands.

Belly flop beneath razor wire, the stallions still snorting at your heels, matching your every step. Look deep into the flames before diving through them straight into shoe sucking mud. Then something wakes you, or does it? Were the stallions just a nightmare?

No time to look back, the narrow tunnels beckon. You bravely enter to discover they're filled with murky water. You can't see. You can't breathe. What chance of survival? Grope around and grab that rope. Pull yourself lungs bursting, into the light! You see the sun, or is it just another cruel mirage?

You are faced with a wall climb, as high as a mountain. No visiblity again. Is that smoke, mist or cloud? How do you get down? Take the netting or dive into the freezing lake. You suddenly realise that the sound of stallions behind is fading. You must go on. The only route is through the Arctic water.

A monkey rope, a barbed wire crawl, a rubber snake, a skin ripping snake, you can smell the finish. It's familiar.....you recognise.....it smells like.....cocoa! You know you've earned it!”

So after our couple of weeks of madness .. I have come to the realisation that I need to get myself into tip top condition, ie ditch the fat coat, and find myself some abs ... So the next year for me is not only complete these 4 challenges, I will be looking to complete some 10k, half marathons, and lose 4 stone.

I am supporting Chris Kilpatrick with his pledge to fight cancer by asking people to donate money to Cancer Research, to read about Chris story, please click here.

I shall also be asking people to donate to Cancer Research as we lost someone in my cricket circle of whom I known since our boys were 7 years old.  Jim Heath was a fantastic guy who placed his heart with the Junior set up, and unfortanately passed away towards the end of last years cricket season after losing his 5 year battle with Cancer.

I hope mine & Chris's bit will make a difference, and beat cancer !!

So dig deep, lets make a difference, press the donate button.

Be sure to come again, as I will update you on the progress of how my fat suit is shrinking, and what other races I've been completing.

Love

Dom 
xx