Sunday Mud day and Race Report

“An adventure may be worn as a muddy spot or it may be worn as a proud insignia. It is the woman wearing it who makes it the one thing or the other.”
Norma Shearer

 Oh how I wish I had pictures, but alas when you attend a mud run, you must either pack a waterproof camera or not take photos....I wasn't forward thinking enough for the camera. Boo! My husband and I did the Merrill Down & Dirty Mud Run 5K this report will double as my race report entry for the "Not your average adventure" virtual race.

Pre-Race: 

Skinny Vanilla Latte and banana for breakfast

Arrived at 7:30, checked my things and wandered around the Merrill Expo (woo hoo for free Buffs)

8:30 lined up in corrals only to find out there was 14 staggered starts all 4 minutes apart. Yeah, we were in wave 11, too long to stand around if you ask me.

Funnest costumes I saw were: a guy dressed as the golden gate bridge and 5 guys dress as Waldos from Where's Waldo.

Race:

Gun went off and my husband turned up the juice right out of the gate. There were definitely some people who needed to be in wave 14, or maybe we should have been in wave 10. Dunno. Our pace slowed considerately and as our lungs reminded us both we are battling colds. Cold air plus running equals raw throats.

We climbed a wall, then made our way up and down some hills (my down hill effort was pretty intense and impressive, my hubby will vouch), climbed a rope wall (smashed my pinky), got stung by wasps (not on the course map by the way), scaled 3 hurdles (acrued 3 new bruises), army crawled through a mud pit (knees are totally scraped up), sloshed through Folsom Lake, scaled a slippery wall and finally made our way through another mud pit. At the end of each mud pit there was a bit of hill so we both slid out of the mud pits with enthusiam. It was so fun. We crossed, drenched in mud holding hands, cheesy I know, but I loved every second.

Post Race:

Hoses Showers (took forever to rinse a suitable amount of mud off), hauled oursleves to the truck where we changed and realized we didn't even come close to washing all the mud off. You know those people who take mud bathes? Yeah, I don't get it, it takes forever to clean and mud goes places it should never go!

Why I should win the awesome tote bag this was "not your average adventure?"

• It was my husband's first 5K and he came along just for me. 
• He pointed out shortly before the lake entry that he was pretty sure he was going to set a PR (always a jokester).
• I sustained a life threatening wasp sting and lived to tell the tale
• I had the best of intentions of scraping Happy Birthday P in the mud on my arms and legs, but had not camera. It's the thought that counts, right?
• It's Halloween and running with my husband was the best treat.
• It was my first run since my marathon and after finishing the 5K my husband said with true sincerity, "Wow, this was less than 1/8 of what you did in SF." He was kinda impressed

 Thankful Three

1. For Togo's sandwiches and soup
2. For see's candy
3. For my little pirate and bunny