Mud Challenge 2009

Well, it all started with "you want to join the team?"
"What team?", I replied. It is a four person team
that will run a 4.5 mile obstacle course on a
Saturday morning. I told him I would get back
to him. Well, I procrastinated long enough with
my response, that someone else was asked to
join...but that is not the end of the story. A few
days before the competition, one guy came down
with the flu (and I thought I had dodged the
bullet...think again bucko). So, even though
I had secretly wished that I had joined up the
first time around, I was now getting that "be
careful what you wish for" feeling now. After
all, I am not a young pup anymore. Oh and by
the way, two of your team members are aged
14 and 15 years old.

Here I am on the morning of the race getting
branded with our team number and our start
time of 0920. I jokingly told the female Marine
to stop hurting me with the marker. There
were a total of 114 teams that ran the event.



Here we are at the starting line, Mark and I,
flanked by his son and his son's buddy.


And of course with any competition, you must
have those who take it too seriously...


This was the beginning of the course. It was
a mud filled crawl under the cammy netting.
You will see me come out towards the end,
it's all about pacing yourself, or as some would
say "the old man" is bringing up the rear.



After our crawl, Chris had ventured off to grab
a couple of photos along the route. Unfortunately,
we had already past this obstacle, but it does
give you a good indication of why it is called the
"Mud Challenge". This was quite an exhausting
challenge, up and over the logs...not to mention
some sadistic individual wanting to zero in on you
with a fire hose as you passed on by.


Oh, and you thought you were going to get a
bit of rest after the logs....wrong! Time to
climb the slippery slope of mud.

The 4.5 mile course consisted of 17 obstacles,

wooded trails, a run in a creek and A LOT of

hills. Did I mention A LOT of hills? Not the small

mud hills in the previous pictures, I mean inclines

that you think are never going to level off.

Anyway, enough whining. Here are some of the

other creative running costumed participants.

Ah, here I am completing the last obstacle,

about 100 yards away from the finish line.


A proud moment for the team!

Our time: 1 hour 2 mins 52 secs

Winner's time: 40 min 3 secs

Last place: 1 hour 48 mins 10 secs

A happy moment for me! (It's over and now

I can go home and cry in private.)

They told us that showering facilities would be

available (forgot to mention that it would be

a 60ft crane though).

Felt really good to get the mud off, especially

out of the hair. The most surprising thing of the

day.....Chris wants to run it next year!! Any
takers to join the team?