This past April, Jarrad and I decided to try a 4 mile "mud race" that according to my friend from high school, would be a fun time. Yeah, look at my finishing picture...does that say fun time to you? Let's just say, when I signed up for this race that I knew little about it besides it being in Indiana and it involved mud. Which I'm a very adventurous person and so is Jarrad, so I was all for it.
Then as the race started to get closer, more and more information was being posted about it. Then I started getting more concerned. (Read the fourth picture down) It was after reading this section that I realized, it was more than just a "fun" little mud run. It was military or bust style...Wonderful! So, just imagine how excited I was the morning of the race, to pick up my race packet that in bold red letters said, Warning you may die or be catastrophically injured during this race! And, even better than that...it was a whopping 42 degrees outside and within the first 10 minutes of the race we had to swim across a pond!
During this 4 mile race, we had to carry big logs up steep muddy hills. Swim across two freezing ponds, well the first one was cold. By the time I reached the last one it felt warm. We had to climb up 2 ropes, 4 huge nets that was over mud. Jump across mud pits, jump in mud pits and go through about a mile of barbed wire. I can't forget jumping across fire into a huge mud hole. Climb up tons of steep muddy hills with ropes to help us not slide back down. We had to walk across slippery logs and climb and jump over some more mud mountains. You get the point, I'm sure.
And, truth be told, if it would have been about 20 degrees warmer it would have been a pretty decent time, but it wasn't and I was freezing. Around three miles in my calves were starting to cramp up. I knew it would be a matter of time and sure enough, jumping over a mud pit my right calf completely locked up. Thank goodness Jarrad was there to unlock it for me. That hurt! Jarrad had an unfortunate encounter with a rope. Let's just say, it's a good thing we're done having children. I think he almost puked from the pain.
It honestly seemed like it would never end! Just when we thought we were almost done another big obstacle would be there waiting for us. But, I was determined to finished. You didn't get a t-shirt if you didn't cross the finish line and I wanted that shirt I paid for! We never stopped for a break and we finished in two hours! Big shout out to Jarrad, who basically carried me through the last few obstacle because my calves were cramping up.
I was so proud of Jarrad and I for finishing this race. Because of the horrible weather only 70 percent finished this race. Other runners that had done previous Spartan Races, said this race was 10 times harder.
Jarrad going through a mud pit.
Me a lovely shade of blue.
Us before...so oblivious to what we were getting ready to do.
This my first taste of...I think I made a big mistake!
Jarrad is a little blue also, but he fared better than me in that weather!
As crazy as that race was, the worst part for me was after the race. I had mild hypothermia and could barely talk or stay conscious for that matter. I had never felt so sick and horrible in my life. I stripped off my wet clothes in Jarrad's car and put his seat heaters on high and shivered for about two hours. I think those wonderful seat heaters saved me from going to the hospital! By the end of the car ride I felt quite a bit better, but it was really scary.
All in all, I was still glad we did it. I felt like a total bad a** for doing that race and it was fun to do it with Jarrad. It is something we did together that neither one of us will forget. That being said, we haven't signed up for next years race. :)
All in all, I was still glad we did it. I felt like a total bad a** for doing that race and it was fun to do it with Jarrad. It is something we did together that neither one of us will forget. That being said, we haven't signed up for next years race. :)
