This is the unbelievably true story of my first ever obstacle course/mud run/day of questionable sanity that was the Warrior Dash. Ok, the story is completely believable and I promise not to embellish too much. Another thing to note, a picture may say 1,000 words, but not a single one of the pictures here really show the challenge and the grunginess of the day. Allow me to introduce my fellow runner Kiki Galvan. This was the only brave soul of all the friends I invited who actually made it to the starting line with me. I could not have asked for a better co-conspirator. She was eager, encouraging, and patient with me throughout the race. Three great qualities that I highly recommend. You cannot complete the course without them.
We arrived at Texas Motor Speedway to Park my car as we carpooled in from Dallas/Carrollton. There were a whole heck of a lot more cars than I ever expected. I was nervous, but ready to run (well sort of run/walk). We took the shuttle with a lot of other eager racers. We were shocked at the number of people with pristine white tennis shoes. I purposefully bought a new pair just so I could run in my older ones.
As we arrived at the site of the race, I immediatley noticed the first aid tent. There was a guy in the tent with an oxygen mask on...uh oh...we're in trouble. Actually, I thought the guy must have asthma or something. But for dramatic effect,I decided to mention him. There were massive amounts of people on the race grounds. Many, many more than I expected. Kiki and I got our numbers and checked our bags. We accidentally registered for two separate waves (as this race is run with folks starting at 30 minute intervals- Mine was supposed to be 2:30 hers 2:00). We were early enough to kick off the 2 PM slot, so after a quick prayer for safety we took off. It took a while before we actually crossed the starting line, which is pretty common when there are a lot of runners. Our first obstacle? Crossing a stream that was waist to chest high of cold water. Here we are running through said water. I had the foresight to buy a waterproof camera for the course. The pictures are not great quality, but at least I was able to take some of each challenge without losing my for-real camera.
After the river crossing, we had a slippery slope or twelve to maneuver through. It was our first chance to get muddy. My legs weighed about 100 pounds (or so it felt). The shoes another 100. So it made the process pretty uncoordinated. We were in the back of the pack, but not the absolute last runners. There were a few small buildings that we ran through. No big deal at all.
Then we made it to the tires. They were so close together it made it difficult to get through. I don't know why, but I walked on the tires rather than putting my feet in the holes. My brain must have not been working right at that point in time. Very early in the race for that kind of fogginess.... some were quishy and some were sturdy. Made for very slow going. After the tires there were some old junk cars that we had to climb over. This was the first moment where I thought...hey, I can possibly get hurt if I am not careful. I immediately started being really serious about careful. Oh and I was also very glad my tetnus shot happens to be current.
There was a group of basketball players who kept saying things like "Jackie Moon knows how to navigate the forest", "Jackie Moon knows what poison ivy looks like". They had Moon on the back of their jerseys and they kept passing the basketball throughout the course. We kept up pretty close to them almost the entire way.
Up next were several wall obstacles. There were alternating over and under walls to navigate. Over a four foot wall, then under one. This was repeated about five or six times. During this I ripped my number off my shirt accidentally. Note to self, put number on back or higher up next time.
The next obstacle was a giant wall. I wish I knew how high it was. 15-20 feet is my guess- but maybe 10 if I take my race goggles off. We had to climb it using a knotted rope. There were some strips of wood to use as footholds, but still not easy by any stretch. When I got to the top I realized that if I were to fall, it would not be pretty. I made sure not to do so.
The other side going down was sort of ladder-like, so pretty manageable. A note for anyone who is considering this race. If you are afraid of heights, don't climb. I am not a person who suffers from a fear of heights, but I still had a gut check at the top. A majority of the obstacles gave you an opportunity to go around if needed, I am glad neither of us did.
Next up was a series of planks. They were inclined and declined and fairly steep. I was glad that I had practiced walking on a balance beam a few times as I trained for the race, so I was fairly comfortable with it. Still, was way higher than I was ready for- maybe 4 1/2-5 feet off the ground at the highest point.
After that was the lamest obstacle on the whole course. They called it arachnaphobia or something like that. Just some rope strung across some trees. You could easily move them and duck through them. It slows you down, but wasn't hard at all.
Next was a long tunnel. The most challenging part about it was that it hurt my knees to be on the rocky ground. I tried to bear crawl through it and ended up stepping on my partners hand. It was maybe 20 yards long and uncomfortable. Made me think about wearing knee pads for the next adventure of this type.
The Cargo next was next. I put my hands on the center beam and sort-of crab-walked sideways across the whole thing pretty quickly. There was a group of viking women who slowed Kiki down as she got trapped behind them. They were a fun bunch. I think running in costume with a group is the way to go. Just adds to the fun. We will have to consider this for future races.
The mountain of hay was next. Other than making my nose itch, it was not too bad. Going down the far side you had to be careful as the hay was coming apart quite a bit. One thing about running the second day of a two-day event is you get some wear on the course, but really that would be hard to tell.
The tall cargo-net climb came after. It seemed really tall too. Maybe not as tall as the big wall, but perhaps it was. I straddled the plank going up and placed my feet on either side. No idea if that was a helpful strategy, but it is what I went with at the time. On the way down, I did the same. Kiki really zoomed through this one and waited for me at the bottom. A true teammate.
Another water hazard awaited us. The same depth, but with the added feature of logs floating in the way. Much as I did with the walls, I just rolled over them. There is no jumping in water. The water was nice and cool, which helped at this point in the race.
Nearing the end of the race we had to jump over fire. Pitiful tiny logs of fire. Just had to make sure not to step on them.
Then the moment we've all been waiting for... the mud pit. We had to crawl under barbed wire through a gross pit of mud. To call it a very sloshy mud puddle would be pretty accurate- you had to swim more than crawl actually. About five feet into it there was an announcer who said everyone should kick their feet. I immediately averted my face to the side to avoid getting eye-fulls of mud. I was 90% immersed as it was. I ran the race in contacts, so I wanted to be able to see to drive home.
I have no idea how long it took to run the 3.24 miles. I know it was over an hour.
At the end the particpants are able to wash themselves under fire hoses. I took one look and decided to let the mud dry. I knew I would not get clean. I knew I would just be wetter and didn't really want to stand under a fire hose. Kiki braved it though. She looked like she hadn't even run a race, let alone a muddy one.
As you can see by the condition of my shoe, it was a good idea to donate it to the cause Green Sneakers. They said the proceeds would go to benefit the North Texas Food Bank. Pretty excited to be helping a local non-profit, especially one I work with from time to time.
So that is the tale of my first ever obstacle course/mud run/day of questionable sanity that was the Warrior Dash. Yes, I am slightly bruised and slightly sore and slightly tired, but it was fun. I look forward to future races and hope that I am better prepared for the next one.
