1.Running the course (I have pink on!)
2. After the race.
3- Losing my shoe!
Let me say that this was possible my toughest 5k ever. I would also like to say that is was by far the most FUN I have ever had in a race--any distance!
The turnout was HUGE!!! My bib number are 1416 and I saw a bib number in the 1900's...( I would check the web site but it has been down due to over capacity!)
Ok-- so the race was very organized. I was surprised. The Team racers started at 8:00 am, the competitive 5k was at 9:00 am and the "for fun" runners and walkers were at 10: am. The cool and smart thing ( besides the start times), was they let about 100 runners go at a time 1 minute apart. Very smart!
I was in the 9 am group and in wave 3. The first obstacle was a slide ( garbage bags with dish soap squirted all over it!) it was fast and kind of hard on the butt! Or was the huge dirt pile first?? I might have those flip flopped.
After that there were a few small mud patches that were not bad at all. This is where I forget what order the obstacles came in-- so these might be out of order, but that's ok.
Running though tires Army style baby! There were a lot of tires too!!
Big Mud Pit (aka Swamp Fever)-- deep, soft suction cup mud. I lost a shoe and sock. I found the shoe (whew) after a minute or 2 and was off and running with mud up to my knees. Next up were a few barriers to hop over-- not too taxing, but still- I had to hop over something during a 5k- NOT NORMAL!
Tall climbing structures to climb up x4! Ugh. (Jericho's Walls).
Tunnel to crawl through (cuts and bruises on my knees and elbows to prove it!) 3 slippery mud hills with a nice dirt bath at the bottom of each hill(lovely) My least favorite obstacle of the event was this dirty water trench that you had to crawl though while a net was over you. Claustrophobia at it's best! I ate lots of water here--kind of like swimming (which is why I just say NO to the triathlon!) I am sure I left out something ( Kristy?? ). But the most fun thing was that I just explained 1 lap! Yep, imagine repeating all of this again. That's exactly what I had to do!!!
It was so much fun though and I cannot wait to do it next year. My buddies and I are going to be on a team next year with costumes! haha! We saw lots of people decked out.
Wonder Woman in a full costume and make up and wig! A dude in a Snuggie. A team of men in short short short (yuck) jean cut offs and half shirts. We also saw 2 ladies with bike helmets with water proof cameras attached!
All in all, this was awesome and I am glad I was able to participate!
*Check out the Grand Rapids Mud Run FB page and take a look at all the pictures!
