Monday, July 2, 2012

Dirty Girl

So i was definitely having a rut last week when it came to running.  Everything was sore, I felt slow and run down, and the heat kept getting to me and making me feel sick (despite having been running in it for weeks now!)  So I basically decided to tell Hal Higdon to lay off, and i blew off my long run and did a mud run instead!


It should be mentioned that i am generally not a huge fan of mud runs, mostly because i am an accident prone germ-aphobe.  I still have scars from last falls warrior dash.....
But a co-worker invited me to run the Go Dirty Girl mud run with her, and this was an all women's mud run, so i decided to go for it! 


I started out by waking up at 5 so that i could run 3 miles before the mud run, and at least have an impressive six miles for the day (ha!) It was so hot and muggy out at 5:30am i could not believe it.  I have never been so happy to skip a long run.


Jenny and i had assembled outfits the night before -
I even made these shirts with my impressive design skills!
And we met up with another coworker who was running the race!
Obviously, we all have way too much energy that early in the morning.


The course was set up to be easier than warrior dash.  They also very encouraging for women who didn't feel comfortable on any of the obstacles to just skip it.  It was an untimed event, so i think it helped eliminate some of the competitive aggressiveness that sometimes pops up in obstacle courses.  


The Breakdown:
I had a blast at this "race"  I think its important for anyone wanting to do this to understand that it's not competitive in any way.  Jenny and i ran the whole thing.  Along with maybe four other people.  Most people were walking.  A lot of people were also cutting through the course.  You also lose a lot of time at all the obstacles because there are women of all fitness levels participating.  But thats why its fun!  It was unfortunately in the 90's that day.  We were in one of the first waves, thank god, but i was really impressed with the way they handled it.  They had at least 6 "mud pits" to help cool us ladies down, as well as multiple sprinkler/spray stations.  They also had more water stops on this course than the women's half marathon did.  Seriously.  It might have been overkill, but i truly appreciate their concern and effort at keeping everyone safe.  
One really neat thing they did was they had a guy with an ipad at the finish line taking pictures, and then texting them to you.  What a great idea!  I love instant gratification!
After a thorough rinsing, i was able to grab my reward beer and wear the charm that all the ladies received!
It was really nice to blow off marathon training for a weekend and experience something new!  Not to mention a reminder that running is something i do for fun!


Now that its July, i need to really buckle down and start training my butt off. I slacked off a lot in June...(although i still managed to pull off a PR marathon and half marathon!  Not bad for slacking!)


I've been finding it really hard to train in the summer.  The heat and humidity are a total buzzkill, and have significantly slowed me down, and there are way too many social distractions.  You all better help me stay on track and train hard this month!!

26 comments:

  1. Seems like an awesome race! I still have yet to compete in an obstacle race like that, but I think I'm eyeing up the Urbanathlon in October. Also not looking forward to training in this heat, but I'm going to do what I have to do to PR the Chicago Half! :)

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    1. I had a friend do urbanathlon last year and he loved it! Its definitely worth trying once!

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  2. Oh how fun! I wanted to do this but ended up having other plans. Next year if it happens there again, we should make a dirty blogger team!!! :)

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  3. That looks freaking awesome!!! And I love the charm idea!

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    1. Me too! Its much more discreet to wear around than medals, haha

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  4. I admit that I've never even wanted to do a mud run or obstacle course run of any kind. But I like the idea of an all women's event with all fitness levels and no timing...

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    1. It is definitely a just for fun type of event. Lots of joking around on the course - and of course, mud fights.

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  5. I am feeling like you this summer. Last summer I felt so head strong and got through runs that I shouldn't have. This summer I feel like "Fuck it!" the entire time I run. I am waiting for a good old glory run. Sort of had a good one last night, but that's in comparison to some really shitty runs lately.

    In the mean time, I spent a shit ton of cash on a road bike to help me through my rut. I should get it in a week.

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  6. this looks SO Fun!! you look fab covered in mud!

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    1. i know, and to think people in fancy spas pay so much for this!

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  7. Nice pics, Sara.......and if that's what you call "slacking", remind me to never challenge you to a race! LOL

    Here's to a great July....your appointment with Chicago is just before mine with Hartford (somehow those don't sound equal....oh....never mind!)but we're both heading into our training cycles, so I look forward to reading about yours.....and hopefully that'll inspire me to document mine!

    See you out there on the road!

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    1. I am pumped for July, but way more for September, when it will hopefully be cooler

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  8. It's so hard not to think of these things as competitive. But it's the only way to enjoy them. I think I would still be mad if I saw people cutting across the course... but I guess it's their money so they can decide not to actually complete the course they paid for...

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  9. Looks intense (in a good way)! I'll be honest...I'm a bit fearful of getting down and dirty in the mud but a race like this is definitely on my to-do list. And damn Chicago humidity and heat for killing us on our runs!

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    1. I think mother nature is pulling a survival of the fittest maneuver!

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  10. you rock...I loath getting dirty so haven't done one of these...lol

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    1. the first mud pit is the worst, after that, you end up being totally over it :D

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  11. I was supposed to run that race, but I couldn't find a sitter. :(

    Anyway..looks like it was fun!

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    1. next year! We can make all the boys spectate!

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  12. I so wished that we lived closer so that we could hang out. I love reading your blog- it always puts a smile on my face. :-)

    I think I still probably have scares from running a warrior dash last September. I don't think I am brave enough to ever run another one of those. My hubby loved it though---must have been the beer and turkey leg (or chicken leg?) at the finish?

    Sometimes you have to blow off a long run and "re group". Looks like you made a good decision to have some fun. Loved your shirts too- super cute!

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    1. I assure you, after this summer (which has JUST started) moving to Portland is on my to-do list! :D

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  13. I wish I would have been home to cheer you guys on - I live right near where this race was! It looks like a lot of fun and a perfect break from training! :)

    Summer is hard to stick with a schedule! But I bet after a few weeks of training you will feel back in the groove ;)

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  14. That looks like so much fun. I've never done a mud run, but have always wanted to. The upcoming Muddy Buddy will be my first.

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