Warrior Dash!!!

Two weeks ago David and I ran the Warrior Dash.

My training goal consisted of running 1.5 miles around my neighborhood 3-4 times a week and gradually get up to 6 miles (I got up to six miles last fall before it started to get cold).  So I started with the 1.5 miles, push ups, lunges, and lifted my 5 pounders.   Also tried to stay away from too much sugar.   I got up to 2.5 miles......and then stopped.  Yup, laziness set in and I just ended up counting my weekly Saturday morning basketball for 1.5 hours with women at the church as my "training."  I think my goal lasted a month.  And the sugar thing- I think that lasted 2 days.

David trained better than I did.  He consistently went running throughout the week and lifted weights when he didn't run.  Cheater.

When the race came along I was so nervous, but excited.  We carpooled with our friends who did it with us- Juli and Susan.  The race was in Huntersville, about a 35 min drive.  It was out in nowhere land where I guess they have Scottish games (log throwing, climbing, etc) at some point in the year.  I would love to see that!  Anyway, the weather was awesome- overcast and a light cool wind.  We got there, checked in and got our bibs, time chips to tie onto our shoes (clocks your time), and our goodie bag of tshirt and viking helmet.  They had a bag check in and so we checked all our junk with a bunch of ladies.  The race started at 8 and had waves every 30 min.  We got there at 9:30 and started at 10.  They had a giant screen by the stage where a band was playing that showed the part when you had to crawl under the barbed wire.  I could smell turkey legs grilling...yummm.  Tons of people were hanging around with all kinds of interesting costumes.  We had a bride and groom, a knight (we are talking thermal undershirt, tshirt on top of that, long legging pants, AND a tall long helmet), tutus, striped socks, etc.  I wore my thrift store outfit.
The race started and David, Susan, and I stuck together most of the time.  Juli and a girl in her ward stuck together.  We ran about 1.5 miles then the first obstacle came up- chest high walls and crawling under barbed wire...or if you were David, rolling under barbed wire.  There were 4 sets of those.  Next were tires and jumping in and out of 4 dumpsters.  Yikes.  Next was a water station that I doused myself with and into the woods up a loooong and evil incline.  It sucked.  Next was a platform walking thing, cargo nets, and a giant, looming, black wall with a knotted rope hanging down.  It looked scary, but was actually quite easy (good thing).  Another water station and back into the woods and half way done.  Run, run, run, then crawling through a blacked out tent thing for about 300 yards.  I kept running into David's feet (have I told you I HATE the dark?!).  Out and climbing cargo nets (I hated those things) and over wooded platform stair things.  Into a murky pond and over logs- I hate wet shoes and running in them is even worse.  Had about 5 different ladder climbing things after that and onto leaping over 2 lines of fire and into the mud pit where you had to crawl under 5 lines of barbed wire.  The mud was like a suction for all shoes and clothing.  Susan said she did a head dive into the mud and got covered (we saw her pics and yes, she was covered!  She got mud in every crevice of her head- including the mouth).  David and I made it through and crossed the line together (what a good husband to wait for me) and made it in 37 min- average of 12.33 min miles.  Not bad for basketball training.  Now I wish I actually trained and could get a better time.  There was a girl in red shorts that was always ahead of us.  David kept telling me that I needed to beat her.  Since I felt like I was dying while running I repeatedly told him, "I don't care about beating her- I just want to finish!!!"  When I jumped in the mud pit she was just a few feet ahead of me.  I looked over at her and knew that was my time to beat her.  I booked it through the barbed wire, hopped out and ran to the finish line.  I felt much satisfaction :). 
After the line crossing there were tons of volunteers handing out water and bananas.  They put a medal around your neck that was a viking hat shaped thing that said you finished the race and then told you to go shower off.  The shower was 2 big water trucks that sprayed water out like a sprinkler.  It wasn't very effective.  You had to stand there for a long time to get the thick mud off....I didn't get very clean because I was in a bad spot.  I also realized that my knees were burning for a good reason- they got hashed from the rocky mud.  So were David's and Susan's.  Juli had leggings that covered her knees so hers were good to go.
We took some pics, ate a banana, got our body fat and BMI measured, smelled the turkey legs again, got our stuff, and left.

It was a lot of fun.  I would do it again to see if I could get a better time, which I'm sure I would make sure I'd get a better time because I would actually train.  This was my first race (track in 10th grade doesn't count) and I realize why people want to do races- to measure your physical ability and to get better.  I love it.  I would like to do just a regular 5k now to see what it's like with only running. 

Thank you Juli for the heads up on the race and for her, Susan, and David for running it.  Here's to the next race!

After the spray off.

Go Juli!  You're almost there to get your banana!