Next year I'm bringing salt tablets with me as part of my food loadout, just to try to ward off the cramping. A lot of people were down with cramps - even more so than at Tough Mudder, and dehydration wasn't even close to an issue for most. It was just the brutal climbs and demanding descents put so much pressure on your calves!

I'm also going to train by hiking with a pack on as much as possible over the next year.

I think you could have completed this course, actually, if you paced yourself properly. There was a lot of upper body stuff that would have wrecked you with your shoulder, and you would have had to keep your pace up as high as you could - but I think you could gut it out, just because you're that tough. You'd pay for it for a couple weeks at least though. :)