Yes, I Am Mad Enough!

Mad!  In this case, it is not a negatively used word for an insane person nor is it used to indicate my anger level.  This word is used this time for the state of mind that I and 1299 other people were in to run the Mad Mountain Mud Run.  "Why, oh why would you do something like that?" I can hear you ask.  Well, I love to compete and a mud run is something I have never done.  My friend, Cecelia, got together a team and asked me if I was interested and I said sure.  So off we went.  Since we had never done 1, training was difficult.  We ran!  We did lunges and squats and push-ups.  We read websites about other mud runs.  Nothing and I mean nothing can prepare you for the 1st time your shoes sink deeply into the mud.  The squishing and sliding of the mud between your toes while your toes are tightly tied into your shoes is a feeling that I  have never experienced.  Climbing a HUGE mountain of mulch and then coming down the other side only to realize that there is another BIGGER mountain of mulch to climb over. We crawled through pipes and over haystacks and waded through streams and belly crawled through mud and under barbed wire.  We jumped over and climbed under logs and ran for long periods of time.  My team totally rocked the monkey bars(all except for me, I only did 4). 

My team rocked period!!!!!  We stayed together and worked together.  We encouraged one another and laughed and moaned and jumped and ran and did it all together!  I am truly blessed to have great friends like these!  These Superheroine MudPies rocked the house!  Batgirl, Supergirl, Mudonna, and Black Widow kicked that course's butt and took its name.  We set a goal to run it in under an hour and we did!  1 team member had never run a race of any sort and was not a runner but she is physically strong.  The others of us run but are not necessarily as strong. 
So, what did I learn?  Team work is really, really important.  Not just for the race but for our self-confidence.  We had a friend whose team left her behind at the end and she was disheartened.  I learned that I can do something very hard and finish and finish strong and with a smile!  I learned that as women, we all have different strengths.  If we can pool those strengths, we can conquer the world or at least this 3.5 mile part of the world.  I learned that I indeed need to lose about 10-15 more lbs.  I felt my weight on the things I had to climb and the monkey bars.  I guess P90X is in my future!  I learned that people really want to get dirty.  Yes, yes we do!  It was fun to get muddy and wet and sweaty and not worry about clothes or hair.  My kids had a blast playing in the water and mud. 

Before...Supergirl, Black Widow, Mudonna(look at cone bra), Batgirl

After!

That is what made this race different.  There was a family festival where the families of competitors could play tug of war or muddy volleyball.  There were bands and food and beer and refreshments.  It was a great time and I am ready to sign up for next year!  So is my hubby!  He said that as soon as we walked up, he regretted not doing it.  Well, we are gonna do it again.  My daughter wants to run it but the minimum age is 12!  So, she wants to do a 5K with me!  Yea!  This was a family affair!  What a great time! BTW, did I mention that all the proceeds went to the local Hands On! Childrens' Museum?  No?  Well I meant to!  Are you mad enough!

Rain and Hot Chocolate

No this is not some cheesy 70s love song.  It describes my day on Saturday!  I ran my 1st 10K(6.3 miles) called the Hot Chocolate 10K in Asheville, NC.  I signed up with my friend Mollie and began to train.  The big day came and of course the weather man was calling for torrential downpours.  I wasn't thrilled but hey it wasn't snow was it?  We got there early and got our shirts and began to warm up and, of course, go pee multiple times before it started.  We both ran into some friends there which was amazing considering there were 1300 racers.
They lined us up and we stayed near the back.  There was no way I could finish in under an hour.  So far, the rain is holding and I am ready to go! I put in my ear buds and get pumped up!  The gun goes off and so do we.  The course takes us down a big hill which I know will be agonizing on the way back to the finish line.  We go by the river and through the park(the rain starts to fall in earnest) and back by the river.  Twelve Bones is a BBQ joint we pass on the way out and the way in.  Thank God there were no smells of pork cooking or my time would have been so much longer!  I can run and eat some ribs, right?
As we come to the 6 mile marker, we must begin heading up the hill.  It seems to have grown in the hour I have been gone!  What fresh hell is this?  What sadist thought that this was a good idea?  People are cheering and I am soaked.  I don't know where Mollie is.  I know she is close!  The only thing I can focus on is the timer at the finish line.  You see, I had set a personal goal of 1 hour and 10 minutes.  That timer said 1 hour and 4 minutes!  I began to sprint up that hill!  To shave 5 minutes off my time would be even better and would make being drenched to the bone worth it!  I did it!  I finished in 1 hour 4 minutes and 40 seconds!  Woo Hoo!  Way to go!  That is not a winning time for this race but I feel like a winner.  My knee wasn't hurting and I didn't die so yea!  Until Saturday, I had never run that far before at 1 time!  Now I have!  Maybe I can tackle a half marathon! 

After we finished!  We looked like drowned rats! I am on the left!