Mud Run!!

What a GREAT way to run a 10K. No watch. No Garmin. Just a WHOLE LOTTA MUD.

Before (look how bright and clean we are):

After (not so much):

Pros:
*Fun, Fun, Fun!

*Running with a team of friends is the BEST!*The mood of the race was super upbeat. It wasn't competitive at all. People helped each other up out of the slop, pushing them over a mud berm, etc.

*The 10K ran the loop twice, so we got to do the fun stuff a second time.

*It didn't start until 1 p.m. so I didn't have to get up early or go out in the dark.

*It was a very well organized race. All five race starts (5K individual, 5K team, 10K individual, 10K team, and Kids' Mini Mud Run) were on time. Bag check and pickup were very easy. There were a ton of smiley volunteers and more than enough water stations. There were plenty of showers and changing tents.

*The weather was perfect for running.

*Fun, Fun, Fun

Cons:

*There was a KILLER hill over 500 feet. It was VERY steep. I only saw one guy run most of it. The rest of us hiked it. I think it was steeper than Cowles Mt, which is 1500 feet over 1.5 miles.

*Because the 10K did two loops, we had to make it up that hill twice.

*Mud does not taste good, nor does it feel good in your eyes.

*We didn't run quite fast enough to finish before the Mini Mud run began for the kids. Dodging pint-size runners climbing up a wall and charging through the final mud pit was interesting, to say the least.

*While the weather was great running weather, it was a bit chilly after we were done. Showering off in COLD showers was NOT fun, fun, fun.

This is Kathleen and I running out of the mud pit.

I had face-planted earlier and was covered. I remember opening my arms at the hose guy to get some of it off before we hit the hay bales and the hill, but I don't look like I am being sprayed with water in this picture.

Here we are making sure that we had our entire team. We never left an area without everyone.

Here are some random people that Kenny captured in photos. It shows just how muddy and deep some of the mud pits were.

This guy was in a full suit! I felt 20 pounds heavier in the mud pits and I only had on shorts and a tank top. This guy is hard core!!

Here we are after our COLD showers. Believe me, there is still a ton of mud in my hair in this picture. Check behind us... that is a pile of shoes--hundreds of pairs. They are all the discarded shoes that will be donated along with shirts, socks etc.

If you have never done anything like this, I highly recommend it. It is just good, clean (well, not so clean) fun!