Lessons from the Mud

Day 29: 4 miles.
Day 30: 1 mile.
Day 31: 4.2 miles, 32 obstacles, mud.

My knees are scratched up and three days later I'm still finding mud in my ears and under my nails.  The physical remnants of the Mud Run will eventually fade and the lasting impressions will be of laughs, triumphs and a whole lot of fun.  A healthy dose of "I hope..." goes along with both the former and the latter.

Aside from some nasty traffic on the way in our day on Culler's Farm south of Columbia, SC was a success.  Any grumpiness from sitting in a car, not getting lunch, or being in the hot sun faded as we crossed the starting line, headed into the woods and ran through our first muddy ditch.

Unfortunately it was tough to get back into the course if you weren't running so I don't have any pictures of the course to show.  The Mud Run website  has pictures and they may post the professional shots taken during the race. 

I do, however, have a good group shot from the end.  We don't look nearly as muddy as we felt--mainly because a giant water hole "cleaned" us off a bit-- but you can see we had a good time.

The most memorable aspect of the run for me was the way our team chose to participate.  While others were running past us and jockeying for postion at some of the more crowded obstacles, our team chose to encourage the other mud runners and regularly checked on those walking or standing to the side. I was proud to be alongside my teammates and was reminded that the Y spirit can't be contained behind the walls of our facilities. I say all this at the risk of sounding overly sentimental, cheesy and inspirational and I'm OK with that.  It rings true and most of the time that's more important than worrying about a few readers gagging on their lunch.

Aside from my teammates there was another person present this weekend that truly made everything possible in a number of ways.  Katie, my beautiful bride, was there to cheer us on, take pictures and make sure no one stole our stuff while we were in the mud.  It was hot and there was no real way for her to watch us so she had a less-than-stellar experience.  I am very grateful to her for putting up with my adventures, especially when I'm not the best planner in the world.

Even more than this weekend, Katie deserves recognition for being my champion over the last two months.  Every time I doubt myself or question my decisions she's there to remind me why I began in the first place.  She won't let me sell myself short even on the days I want to half-ass it or quit altogether.  So, my beautiful bride, I thank you for putting up with me and, as promised, an outfit and a pedicure are most definitely due! I love you with all my heart and I wouldn't be half the man I am without you.

So, who's in for next year?