A couple of months ago, I got an e-mail from my friend, Candace, inviting me and several other friends to participate in
The Dirty Dash Tacoma - a race that involves running through mud and obstacles. The goal of the race is to have fun and get DIRTY. Although it was only about 3 miles, I quickly dismissed the idea since I haven't really worked out much since Ruby was born. Then, a couple of weeks ago, Noa, Ruby, and I went out to dinner with our friends Daniel, Amy, and their little guy, Ben. Daniel, with great enthusiasm mentioned the race and then Amy chimed in, encouraging me to participate with our girlfriends. Daniel was also trying to get a team of guys together to do it. Noa was a shoe-in. In fact, we knew that our buddy Mike would be visiting during the weekend of the race and he would definitely like to be included in it. So, the guys were in. Since Amy promised to stay with me throughout the course, I decided to sign up.
Fast forward to this morning: I met up with my team at the course entrance. There were a total of six girls on the team (as pictured, left to right): Mel, Lindsay, Candace, Courtney, me, and Amy. Our team's name was "Girlz Just Want to Have Fun" and we wore matching hot pink tank tops, black bottoms and goggles. This was a tame team look compared to the many tutus and viking hats I saw elsewhere on the course.
I was pretty anxious about running since it had been so long since I had done any kind of running or jogging even, but thankfully, our team stuck together and truthfully, the course wasn't just a straight run - there were lots of obstacles to conquer. These included climbing over giant tires, wading through large mud puddles, monkey bars, slides, and rope ladders. This really broke up all the running and made it really fun. Plus, the running and the obstacles were mixed with MUD. Crazy amounts of mud. Huge puddles that had to be waded through and trenches that you'd sink in when you stepped in it. There was no running through that, although it didn't stop us from swimming in it, laying in it, and sliding down it.
Frankly, it was awesome. By the third obstacle, we were coated in mud. Throughout the course we cheered, joked, and flung mud at each other. We were disappointed when one of the obstacles included getting sprayed with a hose, since it would wash off some of our well-earned mud. I think we all swam in the next mud puddle after that just to get covered again.
The very last part of the course involved a quick, sharp hill, followed by a giant mud pit. Candace's husband, Todd, caught this picture of us going through it. I'm on the left with my mouth wide open. Amy and Courtney are right behind me and Lindsay, Candace, and Mel are right at the bottom of the hill.
We crossed the finish line covered from head to toe in mud, holding hands, and laughing. I was so lucky to be part of such a fun, energetic team.
I'm also so thankful that Amy had convinced me to participate. I never would have tried it if she hadn't sold me on the idea.
I think I'll have mud on me for the next week. It was everywhere...I'm still trying to get it out of my fingernails. The cold showers provided at the race did not get me clean (and they were freezing!), but really just rinsed off the excess.
The boys also got to join in on the fun. They raced after us and also got into the spirit of the event. All of them were smattered with mud by the end. Here is their team at the course finish: Greg, Daniel, Mike, and Noa.
Mike and I have debated whether Noa looks like a brown version of a "
Blue Man" or
Swamp Thing. It's still a toss up.
One of the things that the race organizers kept saying over the speakers was, "it's not a race, it's an experience" and I have to agree. It was one awesome experience and I'm so glad we did it.
