Well, I can say there was no tears and with how cold it was only a bit of sweat, but there sure was a TON of mud!
What an awesome event!! I am just so excited to tell you guys all about it! When I signed up for this mud race Ready to do Anything... Even Mudd! I knew it would be a challenging fun kind of 5k... but I can honestly say it was harder, and MORE FUN than I could have imagined.
To start things off the day was freeeeezing. Not just a little bit cold, but 4 degrees out and super windy, rainy and just cold. We got out to Lumsden an hour before and by the time we got registered and through we had 30 some minutes to kill 'til our 9:30 start time. I love that you can see in the photo how cold we all really are waiting.
We carried buckets of sand up and down a hill, we carried huge logs up and down a hill, we carried cinder blocks up and down a hill (which Lorne and I both slipped and fell on) we ran up hills, we jumped bales, climbed bales, we climbed rope, we climbed wood walls, we crawled in mud water under barbwire that was beyond freezing cold, and we finished it off by running a kilometre through freezing cold knee high water. The waiting in the cold at some of the obstacles was the worst, but then it was also the best because everyone was encouraging everyone and seeing people at every fitness level just really pushing themselves in the cold rain was pretty amazing to see!
In the mud crawl under the barbwire I actually got my hair stuck and then ended up getting mud in my eyes that I had to wash out at the next water station so that wasn't my favourite…but not going to lie, it was pretty cool to crawl in the mud like that.. I felt kinda badass.
Running up to some obstacles, there was some I was certain I wouldn't be able to do (like the cinderblock carry) but I pushed through and did it, and the best part about it all is that we all stuck together and finished together!
This to me didn't feel like a race, where there was one winner. It felt like everyone just encouraging and supporting everyone and just excited and proud to finish! So to everyone who went out I hope you're proud of yourself!!
If you're wondering if I would do it again… Absolutely. I would hope for a warmer weekend, or maybe even a September date, but the obstacles they had, and the volunteers who put the time into this event, you could just tell it was really planned out and, in my opinion, a huge success!
The only downfall to this event was it being so cold, I actually got so sick after; just a super sore throat, all congested and terrible chest cough. I seem to be on the mend now so I am excited to get back into my normal routine! But not even the cold or my sickness after could keep me from loving the mud!
-Chandell