Warrior Dash 2012

What can I say?  This just sounded FUN!!  Mud, obstacles, trail running--sign me up!  The bad part was that we had to drive nearly three hours to get there, but TOTALLY worth it, and I would go back and do it again.

A friend of mine doing the Couch to 5k signed up for this with her co-workers.  The wave she was starting in was already sold out, so I decided if I could find someone to go with, I'd start in a later wave.  I put the call out on Facebook, and viola!  A plan to run with Tara and Susan came together.  I knew Tara from the DailyMile website, and we had met once to do speedwork at the track. Susan is a friend of Tara's.

That day, as we are driving up to the farm in Channahon, Illinois that hosts the event, we catch glimpses of warriors on the course.  They are running through wooded areas in packs like wolves.  I seriously can't wait to get out there!  I'm a little nervous because I don't know what to expect, but I'm pretty sure it will be fun.  We get parked, pick up our race packets (including Viking helmet with horns), and headed back to the car to start getting ready.  There was a couple parked next to us who just got done, and we asked them for some tips.  They also gave us some of their leftover water jugs for rinsing off later. 

The race itself is not so much a race as a challenge.  It starts with a trail run around some fields.  We went maybe a mile before hitting the first obstacle.  We cross wood planks over ditches, slide down muddy waterfalls into a pit of mud, slide down mud slick hills, climb over wrecked cars, wooden walls and more!  The final half mile has a huge rope wall to climb, fire to leap over, and a mud pit covered with barbed wire.  While ducking under barbed wire, I accidentally stuck my face in the muddy water.  Good thing my mouth was closed!

We stick together for the whole experience, and it is such fun.  I completed all the obstacles, but it kind of left me wanting more.  There was a long wait at each one which made our overall time pretty high, around 51 minutes for a 5K.  I wouldn't mind trying this one again, getting to the front of our wave so you can race through the obstacles without standing in line for them.  I'm curious what my time would be.  I wouldn't mind trying a Tough Mudder too.  That looks fun also! 

Some pictures right when we finished.  Very dirty!

Here we are after we are a little cleaned up.  GO WARRIORS!!!