Merrell Mud Run

No time for any crafts this weekend.  I wanted to play in the mud!

This morning I woke up at 4:30am, downed two bottles of water, fed the puppies, got all of my gear together, and then I was off to the Merrell Mud Run!

I had never EVER done anything like it before.  Back in Philadelphia, I had run the Broad Street Run, and then the Philadelphia Half Marathon twice, but never a Mud Run.  I don't know why I didn't, it was SO MUCH FUN!

To say I wasn't nervous would be a big fat fib.  I had no idea what to expect.  I knew there were military style obstacles on the course, I knew that there was mud, and water crossings, but that fear of the unknown still took over.  I am also an incredibly competitive person, so I was nervous I would be disappointed with my time, or my race performance.  

This is about an hour before the race, at sunrise...clean, pink, and shiny.  The Cedar Hill State Park was so gorgeous!

This is my nervous face:

And asking, why did I sign up for this?

The finish was near the start, so I was able to see the final mud pit...

 And think: "That's a lot of mud!"

The start time neared, and I went to my time corral...

Deep in concentration...

Anxiously awaiting the start!

  And then...BANG!  The race began:

I cannot describe to you how much fun I had!  They had rope ladders, ladder walls, jumping walls, tubes that you had to crawl through, mud pits of course, a slippery mountain wall...here I am on the course

And this is me during one of the water crossings...there were three others besides this one!

 Towards the end, right before the last water obstacle, and the giant mud pit I had the Slippery Mountain Wall.  I think I was most nervous about this one.  It was all upper body strength.  You were not allowed to stand up, or even put your knees up.  The military guys there were yelling, "Bellies Down all the way up the wall!"

Climbing...

                                                 And climbing...

And climbing...








I MADE IT OVER!

And into the final mud pit!

Did I mention that this was one of the most fun things I have ever done!  EVER!!
FINISH LINE!

 

Mud Beard!

Attempting to clean off the mud...I wasn't very successful.  I am still picking mud out of my ears.  I left a ring around the bathtub after I got home!

RESULTS:

Distance: 5k

Time: 35minutes

Place: 7th of 45 in Women 25-29yrs

BRING ON NEXT YEAR!!!!!!!