Sore and Squeaky Clean

*No Pictures Yet, Sorry Mutti Has Them*
-I'll get them up tomorrow, promise.-

I was awake this morning at about 6AM. Booger had slept poorly and crawled up in bed with me, keeping me form continuing to snooze. I got up and took a shower, ate a half of a whole wheat bagel with peanut butter and headed out to Walgreen's to buy some Gatorade for pre-run.

When I got to the Mud Run location I was really worried about how I was going to do, more than anything I wanted to finish, whatever that looked like did not matter to me, I wanted to cross the finish line and have gotten it done.

We lined up for the first heat and after a saxophone version of the Star Spangled banner we ran up a hill across a road and down another hill onto the actual course. It looked daunting, mostly because I had never run out doors before. I made it at a jog, through some pretty tall grass for about the first mile, maybe. At that point that mud run became a mud walk for me. Unused to running anywhere but on a treadmill that paces for you I ran out of steam for jogging really, really early. But I'm pretty sure I kept up about a 3 mile per hour walking pace through the whole thing.

I fell behind my team really early on and the other three girls ran ahead (because I told them to) so I was basically alone for the whole thing. People kept running past me saying, "Let's go Ninja" it made me smile and made me sad at the same time. I was really jealous of the other teams that ran together and helped each other out of the mud. I'm going to work on my running so this isn't as hard next year. Mom was there and she stayed in the middle of the course where several obstacles were so she could get pictures of me doing them. I had a few moments of inspiration where I jogged for about a hundred yards or so at a time but for the most part I walked, hard.

Amazingly most of the obstacles were okay; there were four that I could not do. the rope swing, the gorilla ropes, the eight foot wall with no foot holes and the rope climb were the four I couldn't do. I tried the rope climb, wherein you climb up a web of ropes on one side of a structure and then flip over the top and go don the other side. I got to the top, but couldn't get over it. My issue was not really fear of falling, it was that there was no water or padding to fall into. It was about 20 feet in the air and if I had fallen I would certainly have broken something, to risky for this full time job holding momma.

The other three I'm ashamed to say I didn't even try. I walked around them because I was feeling sorry for myself. After failing at the top of the rope climb I started crying, and cried all through the 4th mile. Mom was there for that one which made me really want a hug, but I didn't want to cover her in mud. I was tired and hurting and it helped to cry, until I realized that all of me was covered in mud and I couldn't wipe away the tears or runny nose. That part sucked.

My team mates finished 20 minutes ahead of me and they looped back to cheer me on while I finished. I had to climb up on top of a huge platform and jump off (which was terrifying) and then wade through a giant deep (swimming at one point) muck puddle, climb up a hill of mud and then slide down into another mud puddle before going the last  half mile to the finish line. I made it through the leap off the platform thanks to Erin who must have counted to three 14 times before I finally jumped, (Thanks Babe!) So the rest of Muck You walked with me toward the finish line. I was almost there when I spotted Mutti, Jeeves and the Munches. The munches walked with me for the last hundred feet or so (which also made me cry) and then I crossed the finish line. Then the water works really started. Everyone was there and I was so damned proud of myself. I didn't run, but I finished, and it was a lot of work but it was a perfect way to celebrate the first year of my life as a healthy person.  

I made a deal with myself this morning before I ran, I decided that since the run typically take 2 hours to finish that I would consider this a win if I finished in less than 2.5 hours. I walked across the finish line at 11:22, I finished in two hours and twenty two minutes.

All that said, I'm all clean thanks to a nice long hot shower, and...I'm going to do it again. But I am going to make some changes.
1. I wore bad shoes. I was all psyched about these boots and how they were going to help me out. We-hell, ninja got schooled, the reason the competitive runners have to wear boots is because it makes it 7 zillion times harder. They filled up with water at the first mud hole and never really let go of it. I probably ran that race with about 20 extra pounds of water between my shoes and my pants.
2. I wore baggy pants. I thought the fabric would make a difference so I went with the windbreaker type pants, they were heavy and flapping the entire time. They didn't fall off my ass which is about the only good thing about them. So for next year I have a plan. leggings. Lots of gals were sporting these at the race and they seemed to be having an easier time than me, so we'll see if it works out. 
3. I'm going to run, lots. from now to then, and be better at that part going in to the race.

And now, everything hurts so I'm going to crawl back into the living room on the couch and decided where Jeeves is going to take me for dinner, I'm thinking Mexican.