Ridin' Dirty

Alright, I’m finally updating about the Dirty Dash.  I know you have all been just waiting with anticipation to hear how I did. Haha!

Well, I did it!  AND it was SO much fun!

I ran the race with three of my friends and I was so nervous because the three of them are a LOT more fit than I am.  I HATE the feeling of holding people back, so I think I was more nervous for the fact that I wouldn’t be able to run as much as them, but we would all be staying together…so I’d hold them back.  Hard to deal with.

I had high hopes of doing the 10k, but I only did the 5k…but let’s just say that I got owned right before the end of the 5k and I couldn’t go on. Haha  The Dirty Dash has fun obstacles in the mud and it’s more about having fun rather than running a race.  (I think I ran probably 5 minutes, if that!, the entire time.)

So we started off, and you have to run up this hill, not a very big one, but for someone who doesn’t run/kind of hates it because it’s hard to breath, it was a little terrifying.  Luckily there were probably 100+ people so we took it at a slow jog, just trying to get around people…and that’s about the only time that I ran…seriously!

The first obstacle were some mud pits and mud hills that you had to climb though and over.  I was warned before the race started by my friends that I would be tackled into the mud…so I skipped over these, thinking that it would save me.  (So naïve!)  The last hill that you had to climb over to get out of the pit looked pretty big so I decided to help my friends out…and of course they pulled me in…and I was no longer mud free.

There were tires, hay bales, marshes, all sorts of different things that you ran through, or jumped over.  But there was one obstacle that I was adamant on not doing: the wall.  You know?  The wall you see that people have to climb over and climb down.  I always associate it with boot camp and probably falling to your death…or a very severe concussion. 

Well, we came upon said wall, and I bid a “Have fun! And Good luck!” to my friends.  But as I was standing in line with them, I knew I had to do it.  So I did.  I got to the part where you had to boost yourself up to the top of the wall, which is about 6 inches wide, and I started to panic.  We were so high, and I didn’t have the confidence that I could do it, but I couldn’t give up.  All of my friends were there for me, willing to give me a hand or a boost…they really are the greatest!  After what felt like forever I boosted myself up and over and got down.  I was so scared and pumped that I was shaking, but I did it!  Side note: I didn’t do the second wall, though.  It was too scary looking. Haha

When you run in the mud with your best friends that are boys, you are more than likely going to get more covered in mud than you normally would…and I got COVERED!  I was tackled, pushed, had mud thrown and kicked at me…and I loved every moment.  The last obstacle we did was army crawling through mud (of course!) under some pipes.  After it, the mud was in wonderful condition for some wrestling, so I tried to tackle one of my friends.  I did pretty good, got him pretty covered, but then he destroyed me. Haha 

Proof we got each other pretty good!

I’m pretty sure he got about 30 pounds of mud on me, and then we had to hike up a hill.  It was SO hard!  At the top of the hill was the end of the 5k, and one of my friends said: “I’m SO proud of you for going this far, and if you want to quit now, none of us will think any less of you!” 

Those that know me, know that I’m a proud person.  If someone says I can’t do something, I have to prove to them that I can.  I have to make people proud.  I have to prove that I am strong.  But in this moment, I wanted nothing more than to not keep going. Haha  I was so grateful for these words.  I knew that I had proved a point, that I had gained some respect.  So, I did a 5k!

I ended up just waiting for the rest of them to finish the 10k (which I’m pretty sure they ran a ton of it) so we could all finish together.  We did a giant slip-and-slide and had a few more mud pits and hills, one final mud fight, and we crossed the finish line.

True, I barely ran.  I didn't do all the obstacles.  I didn't even do the whole 10k.

BUT!  I did a 5k!  It doesn't matter that I didn't run, I still did it!  I found strength inside me that I didn't know I had.

Before and After. :) Greatest time with great people!

Next year, I’ll run more.  But for now, I’m going to be proud of myself.

I am a rock star.  I am worth it.