Warrior Dash

Yesterday my sister Erin and I participated in the Warrior Dash. In case you don't know what that is, you can check the website or here's my quick explanation: It's a 5K (3.2 miles) run on an obstacle course, culminating in a mud pit that you MUST climb through (there is barbed wire over your head, forcing you to stay low). Wait. That kind of doesn't sound fun. I promise, it was so much fun.
Here I am, right after jumping the fire.I'd been wanting to get back in shape since Carolina was born but I just hadn't made the commitment to get to the gym. Erin mentioned the Warrior Dash about two months ago and I thought it sounded fun, signed up with her, and then realized, "Oh, hey...I guess I better start exercising again." So I worked my way up from exercising for 30 minute chunks, running three minutes, walking one minute, over and over, all the way up to running 3o minutes without stopping. It took me about 3 weeks to work my way up to running the whole time. BUT, I got used to running on a (flat) treadmill in air conditioning, and I'd only run outside one time in the last two months, until yesterday. Folks, it was HOT and I think I didn't hydrate well enough before the race. I had to stop and walk way more than I wanted to because I kept thinking I was going to vomit. I also got tunnel vision onetime and although it is in my nature to push, push, push, I reminded myself that I am the mother of three and wife to one who need me and it would not be good to pass out in the middle of a field. I really had pictured myself sprinting from obstacle to obstacle and then going full force over the obstacles and that is NOT what happened. Maybe next year!Going into it I also was really hesitant about climbing a wall and I thought I might have to skip that obstacle. It turns out that there were at least five walls we had to climb (some with ropes, some with slats to climb up, and one even had a fire pole we had to slide down. But, those actually turned out to be my favorite obstacles and I'm proud that Erin and I did every single obstacle. The two we liked the least were climbing up this wall of hay bales which we then had to jump off of (we were afraid we'd break our ankles jumping into the soft hay) and one where we had to crawl through a long tunnel that was pitch black, through dirt. At the very end there were two fires we had to jump through and then the infamous mud pit. When we got to the fire we saw my dad there, cheering for us! He drove all the way out, about an hour and a half, just to cheer for us and take photos. Isn't that so sweet?!
There was someone with a hose, rinsing people off, but the line would have taken us at least 30 minutes to get through and we were too impatient, so we rinsed off our hands (I also changed clothes), and put towels on the seats, and drove home. When you turned in your computer chip (used to track your time), you are handed a stein of beer, but that was pretty much the last thing I wanted after exerting myself so I gave mine to Erin. Just kidding! We both gave our chips to strangers.
It was so much fun, I'm proud of myself and Erin, and I want to do it again next year, train better, go with a bigger group, and dress up. Want to run with us?!