Saturday, I participated in the
2011 Mud run which should be called the 2011 Sand Run! We woke up early, packed up the car and went to the race to get chipped and ready. We had to wake up Rory at 6:30am instead of her normal 7am, which really bothered me- I hate breaking her routine up, but Jon assured me that it was only one day and she would be ok.
My uncertainty with Rory intensified when we got to the race, she was really out of it and just wanted to be held. She didn't want to walk or do anything but be extremely quiet and be held. This behavior may be normal for most children, but not my little Rory, she always is up for walking and making sweet noises. I was worried how she would react with daddy in a strange place away from her familiar toys and high chair. I almost pined the number on my Jon and said "Good luck Daddy, you will be the fastest women in the age group of 25-30." Race time came, and I didn't want to leave her.
The past two weeks were extremely hard for me exercise wise. My poor posture in being pregnant and holding Rory has given me intense back spasms. I finally began running nice and slow the first few days before the race and that led to the spasms returning. I really wanted to run the race because I had never done anything like this before; however, was frightened that my back would start to spasm and I would finish right before the fat 80 year old man completely letting down my husband and daughter.
The run was an 8k race with several obstacles, including tall sand dunes, walking in high water, mud pits, tunnels, a small wall and lots and lots of sand. It was a lot of fun; however, I didn't expect there to be so much sand! We started out on the beach, and I was shocked to see how many people chose not to go over the large hills! So many people ran around them in the hard sand, which will give you a better time, but why would you sign up for a race like this if you didn't want to partake in all of the obstacles.
This race was my first time running in the loose sand and it was very difficult!
We left the beach, went and went into some water, it wasn't too high on most people but it was up to my chest! you had to wait in line for this obstacle because there were so many people at the race, 2700 to be exact! We got a bit of a sand break by running through some woods, but only for a bit and then we were right back in the godforsaken loose sand again.
The best thing happened, not only did we begin running on packed sand which led to concrete but that was where i first saw my cheering squad, Jon and Rory! Perhaps it was because we were out of the sand, or perhaps my excitement of seeing my husband and daughter kicked in, but I felt like springs were on the bottom of my shoes and I could run for hours. Jon saw me and was taking pictures, he ran with me for a few yards and i was talking to Rory but she didn't look at me. It was time to pass a few people and go up the hill.
I wish I would have known the course better because I totally would have pushed it harder being off the sand, but instead I ran a little bit faster but not too much, Id save my sprinting for the end of the race.....Little did i know that the sand traps had only began and the rest of the race would be covered in sand! Seeing daddy and baby was just what i needed to keep on going.
After running through the field we finally entered the first mud pit. it smelled like a giant fart and I kept wondering if some of the people ahead of me were farting of if the mud really smelled that bad. I walked fast in the mud because I was afraid of falling and twisting my ankle. More importantly I kept telling myself to keep my mouth closed!
out of the Mud....back into the sand!
Run...run...Run....I hate cursing in front of children so I don't do it in front of Rory, but believe you me....I wanted to call the sand a few four letter words!
I didn't see Daddy and Rory for a while and the sand was really kicking my butt. I tried to find the sand that had any kind of grass or reed growth on it because i knew it may be harder sand than the loose sand, but by this time it didn't matter, the sand was winning this race and I was just playing by its rules. Surprisingly, my back was one part of my body that the sand wasn't trying to hurt!
There were people walking, throwing up, and just stopping now. The sand had won. I kept thinking that if I stopped running it would just be harder, and the thought of finishing fast to make sure Rory's schedule wasn't too interrupted kept me going. I thought of Rory's leg and if she would be able to do this some day. It kept me going until I heard "Your doing great, Mama!"
It was Jon and Rory again, and those springs came back in my wet muddy shoes and I moved a bit quicker (as quick as the damn sand would let me). I knew now I was close to the finish line. Again, hearing and seeing them was just what I needed
By this time my calves were getting pretty tired, but the screams at the finish line were a quick fix to get them moving. One last big mud pit intact with ropes so you could would have to dive in it...unless of course you are 5'1 and could just bend over.
"Keep your mouth closed or the nasty fart mud will get in your mouth."
we now had one huge muddy hill to go up, it too was extremely crowded and you had to wait behind people, but once I was down it was on....I was off. Daddy and Rory were there and ran with me while daddy was shooting pictures. It was strange, there wasn't many people ahead of me, and I couldn't hear many people behind me.
I crossed the finish line and looked for daddy and Rory....I couldn't wait to hold my girl again, I had to find a towel and fast to get all this mud and sand off. I spotted then and sprinted over to them.
I had finished- and not too shabby too! I was third in my age group- 47:11 and for not training, never running in sand, and having back issues I'll take it.
Results are in!
I couldn't have done it without my support group of daddy and Rory. It really meant so much to me to have them there. For Jon to take his Saturday morning to wait 47 minutes for me to run and for Rory to break her routine and be in a strange place with strange people, it meant so much to me that I am having a hard time putting it into words. Rory is my inspiration for doing everything anymore, she keeps me on my toes in more ways than one, and it doesn't hurt that shes the cutest thing in the world. Not many people know what it is like to have a good husband, and luckily, I have a great one.
The best part of the race: seeing Rory drink out of a water bottle herself, giving Jon one of my ice cold beers at 9am, and sharing a banana with Rory.
more pics of the mud run
