Warrior Dash 2012

When you tell people you are running a 5k obstacle course through mud they have one of two reactions. They either think you are nuts or they want to join in on the fun. Fortunately, I had 5 friends who fall into the latter category. Three newbies and two veterans (who had run the race the previous year). I really enjoyed myself this year and I attribute the success of the event mostly to the company I kept, but there were some definite improvements to the race this year.


Many of us started off at Faithful Warriors (aka Cristi) house in Euless as she lived the closest to the event location. She also offered to drive which was brave considering the risk of severely sullying her vehicle post-race. It was most wise of us to carpool as parking for the event was $10 per vehicle. The drive over to the race location was hilarious. Witty Warrior (aka Joy) did an impromptu commercial for the race "Celebrating Earth day IN the Earth" that had us in stitches.





We arrived at Texas Motor Speedway and made our way to the school buses that would shuttle us to the race location. Many of us noted the addition of seatbelts. They certainly never had those when we were growing up.


We could hardly contain our nervous excitement as we arrived to the race compound. We quickly met up with Bruised Warrior (aka Kiki) and her friend Sarah who would not be running the race, but would be one of three spectators for our group. In addition to Sarah we had Andrew and Gus who were Eager Warriors (aka Tina) family members. Spectators make great photographers post event and help by holding bags and such.

It was easy to see that organization of the event had improved from the previous year. There were more port-o-johns, they added a changing tent (which was very helpful) and the layout overall was more maneuverable. Things just seemed to flow much better.




Very soon it was easy to see that there were lots of costumed people. Again a good idea that we hope to implement next year if we can get organized. One of my favorite groups that happened to be in our "wave" of the race were the Tighty Whiteys. Brave souls who wore their underwear on the outside of their clothing. I am sure they make their mothers proud.

We checked our bags, took a before race photo and made our way to the starting line. We did not have to wait long at all for our "wave" to begin. The beginning of any race with large numbers of people is almost always met with stop and go. You run a bit then things bottle neck. In a race of this nature you almost always have to wait to begin the obstacles. They take time and some people just take longer to get through things. I fully exepected a water obstacle early on in the race as it was the very first thing last year. That was not the case.



The beginning of the race was pretty tame. At first we ran through some fake buildings, then we hit open space for a while and found some relatively small hills to go over. Nothing too adventurous. We had adopted a stick-together plan which would serve us well later in the race. We then made it to the first real obstacle the balance beam.

Now last year I remember being a little shaky on the balance beam and this year was really not that much different. I always recommend going on one of the outsides. That way if you fall, you have somewhere to go and aren't likely to crash into other racers or other beams on your way down.
The one thing was that I started on the beam right behind someone who took a very long time. Walking uphill on a balance beam is challenging. Having to stop mid-way is kind of brutal. I really did not like it at all. At least this year my shoes were not wet yet. I remembered last year the Kiki needed a little help and hovered to make sure she made it down ok and she did great.

I then went back to make sure Joy (first time runner) had backup if she should need it. I got to her just as she started to falter a bit on the downward slope. Everything started to move in slow motion. I tried to offer her a hand and she started to lean to the side and fell forward. I quickly moved into a "spotter" position with my hands up to support her. It was a beautiful and easy fall and she wasn't hurt in the least. She didn't even seem very shaken by the event.


We just kept moving on to the next obstacle some tunnels under barbed wire and boards. I remembered last year that I hurt my knees trying to crawl. I was not about to do that this year. I found the deepest tunnel I could find and "bear-walked" on my hands and feet. It really worked and my poor knees were very thankful to be spared.


Finally some mud! After all when you go to a mud run, you want to encounter some and this first pit did not disappoint. There were many people trying to skirt the outside of the pit to avoid getting super messy. I don't enjoy sliding and saw that there were a fair number who in spite of their best attempts were falling into the pit. I decided that the best way was straight through. Less distance on the way down and I knew I would eventually get covered. I didn't slip at all really until the very end. Some girl had fallen and I went back to try to help her up. In the process, I slid a good three feet down into the pit on my backside. Slick track pants will do that. It was kind of fun.




We had to cover a bit of distance to the next obstacle which was a climb up to slide down a fire pole. Something new and it was the first obstacle that I saw several people just skip and go around. It wasn't until I was up to the pole that I realized why they avoided it. In order to get to the pole you had to lean out quite a bit. And in order to get to the ground you had to hold on with your arms as you wrapped your legs around the pole. A woman who went in front of me had taken pole dancing classes and was quite graceful as she made her way down. I was significantly less-than-graceful, but got to pretend I was a firefighter nonetheless. Kiki was a pro and said she attributes her success to many hours on the playground with her son.



You have those moments in each race that teach you something important. Last year I learned that in order to get through the next obstacle is was best to pin my number higher on my chest. There were a series of several walls that you had to climb over then go under. I did not take the time to count them, though it felt like there were more this year. Last year I ripped my number off of my shirt when I leaned over the walls. I really attacked the walls this year as I had no fear of safety pins gouging my guts. My blood was really pumping after the series.

When we drove by the race field on our way in there was one obstacle that you could see from the road. It was an angled wall that looked about 15 feet high. You would climb up the angled ladder-side and drop and slide from the other side. From the car it looked fairly easy. Up close it was definately not. Brave Warrior (aka Angie) got to the top and struggled to get to the slide part of the wall. You see there is a gap between the top of the ladder and the top of the slide. It is easy for a tall person to reach the gap with their legs. People who are shorter have a disadvantage on this obstacle. A fellow racer was enlisted to "spot" her as she dangled to reach the slide. The group as a whole was there to support and this is the main reason why I feel traveling as a group is best. There was no greater moment for the team than when we worked together on this obstacle.






There was a great distance to the next obstacle. On the way I was passed by a smurf, Katniss Everdeen from the Hunger Games, GI Joe, and one of the X-men (not sure which one as I was pretty tired). Now I will give you Katniss as she is used to the forest and I will give you GI Joe and the X-men as heroes, but being passed by a smurf is a little demoralizing. Luckily the next obstacle was a lame cargo net. You could easily lift it and run through it. Immediately after was some barbed wire obstacles that you had to crawl through. Again, not teribly difficult. Though by this point in the race, you appreciate some light challenge.



Next up more mud and a climb up a slippery slope using a rope. Pictures don't do it justice. You have to use a waterproof camera to get pictures on the route and our next obstacle was all water. Chest deep and cold, which was good for getting the mud off and for cooling off from the run to this point. Th obstacles in the water were much harder to maneuver than last year. I helped boost the team up and over and another kind racer helped me over the first floating wall. I managed to make it over the second on my own. Kiki and I posed for a picture to copy what we had done the year before. That left just one pic on the camera and I had no idea how many obstacles we had left.

The big wall was next and I just ran up and over it before I knew it. No nervousness, just climb up and climb down the other side. I decided to use the last picture to commemorate Kiki making it over the wall for the second year in a row. I felt that was a good use of the last on-route picture.
Our last obstacle before the end of the race was a new one. Perpendicular walls extended along a water canal that you must step on a tiny strip of wood and hold onto ropes as you inch your way along. Hoping not to fall off into the slimiest water I have ever seen. The rope pulls and gives as other climbers use it and I almost found myself falling backwards into the slime, but managed to make it through.
At the end of the race you jump over fire and crawl throug a mud pit. Both were much worse than they were last year. The fire was higher. The mud was muddier. I am just glad nothing was singed. By the time I flopped down in the mud pit, I resigned myself to drag my body through with my arms and let my legs float behind me. Again attempting to protect my knees.




Finally the end, we got our medals, some water and a fresh banana. Time for a quick group photo and then off to get washed off by fire hoses. This year I actually went and it was not fun at all. I had mud everywhere and when the hoses hit the mud went into my contact lenses. I did the best I could to get stuff off and then went to get my clothes to change. I felt a lot better after changing. I dropped off my tennis shoes in the giant pile. The shoes are recycled and then are donated. I believe the donations go to St. Jude's somehow, but I am not certain how that works. My group stopped to exchange our microchip timers for a free beer. It was nice and cold. We also took advantage of the free granola. Then it was back on the bus for the ride home. You would think the adventure would be over there, but Joy made new friends on the bus. You will have to let her tell you that story someday.

Urban Dare #6

Jonathan wrote the blog this time.
http://adventuresinwallaceworld.blogspot.com/

I think it bears noting that I didn't fall down this time.
I really did feel bad about that team and their camera.
We came in 2nd!!!

My first HOBY

Hugh O'Brian Youth Leadership Reflection from June 2004
***HOBY***
Now that I have had a week to reflect and recover from my first Hugh O’Brian Youth Leadership seminar, I want to take some time to share my experience with you all. There have been some activities and incidents I left out, but I am mentioning the ones I find so significant I just have to share.

For those of you who don’t know, the Hugh O’Brian youth leadership seminar is a unique experience for high school sophomore students. One and only one student is chosen from hundreds of different schools throughout the region to attend the four day event. The seminar is designed to provide the best of the best, with the information and encouragement to live up to their potential as leaders. These “ambassadors” are challenged to step outside of their comfort zones, challenge themselves and consider their roles in the future.

I was selected to be a senior counselor or facilitator. My role was to be the ghost, hovering in the background, making sure that everyone in my group got where they needed to be safely and in a timely manner. Prior to my selection as senior facilitator, I had assisted with the committee that planned the event. The committee was responsible for designing the program and getting guest speakers. I had organized some of the opening ceremony and one of the panel presentations, which I will detail later.

I was quite anxious when I arrived at theUniversityofNorth Texascampus inDenton. As with many new things I enter in life, I wondered if the new kids would like me. I checked into my college dorm room, changed into my HOBY gray t-shirt and prepared myself for whatever came my way.

As the ambassadors arrived, they were greeted with shouted welcomes and directed to registration. The nervous looks on many of their faces reflected my own uncertainty. I was determined to put those slight feelings of anxiety aside and try my best to make sure this weekend was successful.

The evening began with everyone standing in a large circle. The junior counselor’s (who were the driving energy behind the seminar), were leading chants, cheers, songs, and dances. The spirit was overwhelmingly positive and the participants (including myself) were soon swept up in the action. “Singing in the Rain” and “Wiggle-O” were two most impressive activities, which required everyone to simultaneously act as silly as possible. Everyone complied beautifully.

Crayton Webb, the seminar’s Master of Ceremonies then gave a thought provoking introduction. He remarked that on a tombstone there is a date of birth, a date of death and a little dash representing all the interesting stuff. “What are you going to do with your dash?” You could see the gears starting to turn in the 114, 15-16 year old minds, as well as junior and senior staff.

Soon after we finally met as a team (the Jolly Green Giants we named ourselves). The meeting was facilitated primarily by Amanda, our junior counselor. We went over some basic rules and played “Big Booty”. Everyone still seemed reluctant, but it was, after all, the first night. I hesitate to list my first impressions of the 8 ambassadors as my understanding of them grew and changed throughout the experience. Suffice it to say I could see very different leadership qualities in each one of them immediately. Some were immediately outspoken and gregarious, while others were more reserved and observant. I learned so much from them in our four short days together, for which I will always be grateful.

The next morning started early for staff and ambassadors. I was eager to face the day and see how my group received the expert panels and activities. We marched to breakfast carrying our pink and green flag with pride. Unfortunately we had our flag stolen by another team during breakfast. Plotting to get it back was our first opportunity to pull together as a team.

After breakfast, we began our first long day. The opening speaker was Mark Pearce, a professional weightlifter. His colorful story of overcoming physical difficulties to become a champion was encouraging. Many of my group utilized his phrase “I’m gonna rip your face off” for the remainder of the weekend.

The first panel introduced three expert entrepreneurs. Two of them were older and wore ties, the ambassadors did not eagerly respond to their speeches. The third speaker was a young guy in a comfortable work shirt, they seemed to warm to quickly. After a brief speech the panels would breakout and each speaker would answer questions of smaller groups. A teambuilding activity was also included in most rotations (this was most often their favorite stop). This format would follow for the remainder of the seminar. Two of my group asked questions of almost every panelist. The others were more reticent, but asked questions when the topic motivated them.

I was intrigued by the concept of these young leaders asking whatever questions came to mind of experts, some of whom were quite impressive individuals. I was literally blown away by the next panel. There were two soldiers who recently returned fromIraq, a gentleman who had experienced and survived the Holocaust, and a University of North Texas professor.

I wondered what the ambassadors thought of the story of the mission in Iraq when Sgt. Garcia’s lieutenant was killed. It had a large impact on me, but what must they be thinking? The war inIraqis everywhere in the news and a part of their daily lives. Many of them probably have brothers or sisters or friends inIraq. What did they think of the tale of the Holocaust survivor Mike Jacobs? He spoke so fast, with a thick German accent. Like he had to get the words out before someone could stop him. I devoured them, and it seemed the ambassadors did too. How could they relate to something they have only heard about in history class, if at all? The UNT professor just couldn’t follow such an impressive speaker. When the panels split, there just wasn’t enough time to get all the questions answered. I wanted to ask so many questions myself, but my role was to observe and allow them to have this experience. I was happy to just be able to be there.

The next panel was a high school debate team. The debaters were the same age as the ambassadors, and were pretty impressive young ladies. The topic, which I found difficult to hear, was the idea of legalizing prostitution. I was impressed with how many of them were vocal about their moral beliefs, in front of their peers. This is one reason I believe in the format of the seminar, where each student is from a different school. There is less risk if you know no one, and can say whatever you believe without fear. I am happy to say a majority of them were against legalization.

The fourth panel was interesting, a couple of musicians, who described their passion for music. I could see the group starting to tire. They were interested, but weary. One of the panelists was a former DJ for a radio station that had mysteriously gone off the air recently. I was happy they asked him why (as I was dying to know, but not supposed to ask). It was money.

There was a brief leadership exercise where they picked a leader they admired and listed their characteristics. My group, bless them, picked Peter Pan. They highlighted him, because he set his goals high, dared to dream, encouraged and aided the less fortunate, never gave up, had confidence, overcame obstacles to defeat Captain Hook, and he wasn’t afraid to be different. How insightful! I know many leaders with these qualities.

Then we surprised them with a dance with a DJ! There were more people dancing, jumping and having fun than any other dance I had ever attended. The group was full of energy. They were soon one big sweaty mass of teenagers. Unfortunately during the very last song, one of the junior counselors dislocated his knee trying to do the splits and we had to call the paramedics in to help. I was point of contact for first aid and CPR (thanks to my Red Cross training) and checked to make sure the leg was immobilized and checked him for signs of shock while we waited for the ambulance. While we vacated all the ambassadors, several of the junior counselors were helping to make sure their fallen comrade was comfortable. A sight I found inspiring. These young people were so caring and helped make light of a potentially frightening situation. (Dude, have you ever seen a dislocated knee----yikes!)

That was just the first full day. After the excitement of the night before, everyone was slightly less energized the next morning. The injured JC returned with a knee brace and an emergency room tale, for which he got much attention and ribbing. The morning panels addressed school safety and corporate citizenship, both interesting, but not overly so. After lunch things started heating up (at least in my mind).

There was a media panel, which featured a TV news reporter, a newspaper reporter, a popular radio DJ, and a high school newspaper teacher. The TV reporter had been an ambassador several years before, so her words may have been given more credence. One of my group really lit up when it came to discussing the media and asked a very insightful question. If there was a fire, which would you report about first; the firefighter who put out the fire, or the guy who started the fire? The TV reporter was taken aback, but admitted that the guy who started the fire would be first. Another of my ambassadors really asked good questions in the small groups, I could tell she had a passion for journalism. It then occurred to me that the quiet ones were often quiet because they were introspective (as I tend to be in many situations). They would speak up when they were ready (and they did).

The next panel was one I set up. It was a Salvation Army program that discussed the issue of homelessness. Each person is given a profile and must adopt the situation of a person who is homeless, or in danger of becoming homeless. The profiles were very mature. I was a little upset initially at the laughs they gave when some of the descriptions were read. I felt it was insensitive, but then I remembered that they were just 15-16 years old. Laughter sometimes helps people deal with uncomfortable things. I felt many of them were impacted by the intense experience. They realized that for each and every person they see, there is a different story. And each person they see is human and deserves compassion. I was happy that I played a part in bringing this experience to them.

After dinner that night, each group presented a skit. One of my proudest moments was watching the group develop and then perform the skit. Each and every one of them played a part in developing the ideas. Each and every one of them played several parts in the performance. I loved to watch them work together. They made me laugh so much. Their skit had three parts. The first was top 10 pickup lines. Two of them acted out each couple. They mixed it up and each of them worked with a different person, I felt they showed quit a bit of fairness and cooperation. The second one was top 10 things you never want to do on an elevator. All of them stood together and acted different parts, which were hilarious. The third act was top 10 things you should never do on a first date. They were so original (many other groups did American Idol spoofs and dating game type things). I was so proud.

After the skits, we were honored with the presence of Hugh O’Brian himself. I had met him in the hallway just prior to his entrance. He introduced himself as Gene Autry and thanked me for volunteering. I said that I didn’t think he was Gene Autry, and thanked him for everything else. He proceeded to do several magic tricks for the five or six ambassadors who happened into the hall before greeting the rest of them in the ballroom. The group was so quiet and attentive while he spoke. You could have heard a pin drop. I have to wonder how much of what the ambassadors heard were colored by the amazing experience they could attribute to this man. He spoke about staying in school and living up to their potential as leaders, and not smoking (which he accented with another magic trick).

After Hugh spoke we joined up with one other team and had time for reflections. Many of the sentiments were about their apprehension in coming to the seminar. Some thought it was going to be a bunch of nerds, geeks and dorks. Some feared they weren’t good enough to participate. Both attitudes were adjusted. They realized that they were each there for a reason and they had something valuable to take back to their lives. Each and every one had something to contribute. Unfortunately the mosquitoes cut it quite a bit short.

The final day was bittersweet. It was almost over, but no one wanted it to end (in spite of near exhaustion). We had our final panel about the Patriot act. One of the speakers made my blood boil with her comments about illegal immigrants. One of my ambassadors had a similar sentiment. I told her that it was ok to have strong opinions that differ from others (after the session was over). I appreciated her honesty and fury. That passion for her beliefs will serve her well, I believe.

The ambassadors were then required to write thank-you letters to all the speakers and support staff. I got to play English teacher and help them edit them, which made me very happy. I was even flattered by the comment “I wish you were my English teacher”. Since that is what I am currently aspiring to do, I walked a little taller.

Our final lunch was accentuated with a great deal of laughter. They even had a laughter showdown. Each person had to make the other laugh first. I haven’t laughed so hard, in so long.

The closing speaker was professional comedian Joel Zeff. He had many great messages about teamwork, communication, being positive, and creativity. I was so happy to be there with my group surrounded by their parents and being able to take it all in one last time. It was all over so quickly.

This seminar was just the thing I needed to remember what I love (service, leadership, volunteering, young people). It was such a positive and wonderful experience.

I just wanted to share this with you, the people I care about and admire. There are seminars just like this one happening all across the country and the world. If you want to learn more about the organization, please check-out the web-site www.hoby.org

One last personal note. We passed around a sheet with each person’s name and wrote something nice. Here is what my group said about me:

“You are too cool. Your ability to relate to the youth of HOBY is Outstanding!”

“It’s so cool how you really listen to us. When people talk to you, you make them feel that they matter, Thank you so much for everything”

“You are awesome! Thank you for everything! I will never forget you. Love ya bunches.”

“3 cheers for Lisa! Woot woot! It has been so great getting to kno u these past few days- I don’t kno wut in the world we’d do w/out your MAD organizational skillz, thanks for always keeping us going! Prov. 3:5-6”

“Great sense of humor. Encouraging. Wise and understanding. Kind, compassionate, thoughtful. Thank you so much for your help.”

“You are a great person Lisa. I felt comfortable with you when I did not feel comfortable with others in the group. I had a great time. I hope we can stay friends and keep in touch because you are an awesome person.”

“Thanks for taking a chance and coming out. Logic is the process of coming to the wrong answer with confidence.”

“Lisa, thank you so much for everything you have done for us this weekend. Your words of encouragement and inspiration really mean a lot to me. You’re a great leader and I really appreciate how you took much time out of your busy life to help us grow as leaders. You da bomb.”



“Lisa, wow! Where to start…I guess with a big huge THANKS! I am so glad we were partnered together. This weekend has truly rocked. You are an awesome lady and I am so fortunate I got the chance to get to know you.”



With words like that, is it any wonder I felt so happy and fulfilled by this experience?

Urban Dare May 7, 2011 (AKA Race #5)

Well we did it again. With only one oops, details about that in a few. It was a fine May morning. Warmer than our previous races, but not bad. Considering we have had rain for several of our other races, it wasn't bad. I will take sunny over rainy without hesitation.

Comparatively speaking there seemed to be fewer race teams and fewer people in costume. It always amazes me what people think of wearing when running around the city. Jonathan and I were pretty confident that we knew what we were doing. Knowing Dallas pretty well and having done little research we did our pre-race photo while waiting outside for the fun to begin.


I am fairly certain that Jonathan and I will not sport costumes in races, too much to slow us down. We wore our AmeriCorps Alums shirts this time (also the name of our Team). I liked that we stood out from the smurf colored folks running around the city and could sort of blend in with the rest of the citizenry. It was also nice to have a darker blue Urban Dare shirt as we had gotten light blue shirts in the past (pretty sure I have four).

We mulled around outside the Gingerman Pub (2718 Boll St.) waiting for the start of the race. The parking lot was not marked off, so I was pretty sure that we were not doing the trivia start as we have done in the past. The last Ft. Worth race had us just grabbing sheets from Urban Dare staff folks, so I stalked them and pointed them out to Jonathan. We picked on on the fringes and away from the main crowd. Jonathan sidled up next to him so he could get a sheet quickly. As with pas races we eyed a clue that got us started that was nearby.
4. Go to the Freedman's Memorial for your wheelbarrow dare.


I knew the exact location of this spot having been there a couple of times. I also suspected that there would not be anything in the race father away so it made a good starting point. Jonathan also requested that we do the wheelbarrow portion first as it is very tough to do towards the end (when we are exhausted). On the way there we started calling our research people to look up clues for us. My mom and sister and Jonathan's mom and aunt were our helpers. When we got to the park, I had the presence of mind to ask the race monitor to take a picture of us. I had never gotten one before and thought it would be interesting to see. Since there was only one other team there, she was all too willing to oblige.



Our next clue-
2. Born into slavery, he rose to become a prominent writer and educator. Up From Slavery was one of his books. Go to the high school that bears his name and get your picture with the Pegasus statue.
That one was pretty easy. I don't even think we had to look it up. Booker T. Washington High School.


The next clue had our researchers looking furiously online. 9. Get your picture with downtown playground by J. Lynn Kelly. At first I thought it was an actual playground. My mom and sister had found that it had something to do with the Catholic Foundation, then they said something about the Arts District. We headed that way and near the Cathedral de Guadalupe we saw some teams nearby. We didn't even have the clue figured out completely when we saw the mural and sign telling us we had found the Catholic Foundation Plaza and the mural.
As we were leaving the mural, I was looking at my phone and not paying attention to the steps below my feet and fell (OOPS). It wasn't quite the tuck and roll I did in the Ft. Worth race. I landed hard, but got up quickly. I am sure my race partner is tired of me injuring myself, even if it is just a little road rash and a couple of bruises.

Our next clue has us looking for a couple of folks who would be willing to pose for us.


6. PHOTO HUNT (part 1)- Get a picture of two people reenacting the famous WWII photo by Alfred Eisenstadt. You may not use anyone in the race for these photos.
We found this lovely couple and they were only too happy to oblige. It seemed to even brighten their mood to participate in the public display of affection.


I knew exactly where the next stop was, but it was a bit of a trek.
3. Go to the Main Street Garden for your spellbound dare. Our word was snowmobiling and we found the letters very quickly. It was also the first time we got the math correct in adding up the letters on our very first try.

The park was having a festival and we decided to get a couple of other photo shots while we were there.

6. PHOTO HUNT (part 2)- Get a picture of someone doing a cartwheel.

5:00 Minute bonus- take a picture of a group of 5 people posed as if they were shooting bows and arrows. They must be non-competitors in the race.

While Jonathan was taking the pictures, a gentleman in a wheelchair asked me what all the blue shirt people were doing running around. We get this question a lot. It's fun to tell people were are doing sort of a local "Amazing Race". He said it sounded like a lot of fun and suggested a wheelchair version. I told him was an awesome idea. As we were leaving the park and the festival, there was a street vendor handing out Monster energy drinks. How fortunate is that? Free cold drink in the middle of a race. I didn't finish it all, but it sure was good.


We got a little confused at this point. We felt we had all of our clues figured out, but we saw several people near the park that were headed in a direction that made no sense to us. We took some time to review our clues once again. Then we determined we were on the right track.
1. He played fullback for the Dallas Cowboy's from 1966-1974, and wrote a biography Once a Cowboy. Get your picture in front of this restaurant. Walt Garrison was a rodeo cowboy and his restaurant: Rodeo Bar and Grill next to the Magnolia Hotel 1321 Commerce Street.


Downtown we encountered a lot more race teams. We also passed spots we had visited in earlier races. "Remember our first three legged race?" This is where we realized we didn't have a three legged race. Yippee, we are horrible at them. "Remember when we couldn't find that one plaque?" Fortunately this was not the case in this race.



8. On December 1, 1955 she refused to give up her seat on the bus for a white passenger, sparking the Montgomery Bus Boycott. Go to her statue for your balloon dare.


At first we didn't realize there was a balloon challenge. We were just looking for the statue to take a picture. We were about to leave after taking the picture when we noticed several teams nearby. A lot of teams actually. That's when we looked at our clues again. A balloon dare? What in the world? Apparently we had to use instruction sheets to make a dog out of a balloon. This seemed to slow a bunch of teams down. Both Jonathan and I tried. The sheet kept getting blown around and blocked (accidentally) by people trying to figure it out. It actually took both of us to make the one dog. I twisted and Jonathan held the twisted pieces together as I figured out each step. Then we were through, as we were running to our next clue I gave our balloon dog to a little boy who was waiting for the DART rail train. He seemed to like it (though it wasn't the prettiest balloon dog ever- it had an unusually long tail)



We then went to the West End Pub just down the street.
10. Get your picture with the statue of Liberty. You will find it in the historic West End. The picture is extremely blurry because there were a lot of teams converging and we wanted to get out of there as quickly as possible. We tend to have other people take our picture, but we did a lot of our own on this one. Mostly because we were either alone or just in a pack of teams.


We knew the address for our next clue (thanks to our research team), but misjudged where on the route it would be.
7. Dustin Hoffman was nominated for Best Actor for his role in this 1982 film, and Jessica Lange won the Academy Award for best supporting actress. Get your picture in front of the cafe that goes by this movies name.
Tootsies cafe 400 N. St. Paul Street. We had a three block detour to get to the cafe. This was our last stop in downtown Dallas, then we took Pearl to get back to Uptown for our next clue stop.


11. Go to Nodding Donkey and get your picture with the nodding donkey out front.
2900 Thomas Street was a long trek. These stretches can really wear you down. I tend to get talkative. Trying to be encouraging. Trying to motivate. Hoping that it will help pass the time. Oh, and for those who are curious a Nodding Donkey is the contraption you see in oil wells.



Our last clue- 5. Raymond Loewy headed up the design team that came up with this car for Studebaker. Get your picture in front of a restaurant with this name.
The car he designed was an Avanti a restaurant that was just down the block from the starting point.

Then we were back to the Gingerman Pub for the finish. Our official results 42nd out of 165 teams. Our total race time (after bonuses) 2:28:59 and our total race distance was approximately 6.5 miles. We relaxed at a nearby Baker Brothers after the race to cool off and to rehydrate. I put my feet up and it felt soooooo good.


So there you have it the grand tale of our fifth Urban Dare race. I felt much better after this one than any of the previous races. I think my training for the mud run definitely helped. I am really looking forward to the next race in Ft. Worth. Jonathan and I plan on really training to see if we can come in closer to the top 10 in Ft. Worth.


Dallas 1- 31/80 teams 8.33 Miles in 3:13:42
Fort Worth 1- 7/37 teams ? miles in 2:18:00
Dallas 2- 33/114 teams 9 miles in 3:25:35
Fort Worth 2- 32/196 6.25 miles in 1:56:45
Dallas 3- 42/165 teams 6.5 miles in 2:28:59

Warrior Dash

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.