The course was challenging, but what I loved most about it is that it was FUN! And I don’t mean fun thinking back on the course once crossing the finish line after having looks of anguish on my face for 40 minutes to an hour plus like I usually do.
During the race I ran, but it was more than running - it was running away from who I was told I was, the girl that I should be by seemingly everyone else standards, to become a new girl at the finish line, the girl I wanted to be, the mom that is not going to wear the dress and heels to pick up my son, but the one that's climbing a tree, running in the mud, the free girl.
Although running is not a passion of mine, it is great training for the obstacle course racing. The best thing about Obstacle Course Racing is that it provides a challenge for everyone from elite racers, to athletes in training (like me), to those just starting out. It fosters team work and encourages us to become better humans. I never believed in a million years that I would be able to complete a Tough Mudder or a Spartan race.
I don’t let diabetes stop me from doing things, I never have and I never will. It is just an extra obstacle that I have to face. Over the couple of years I have been doing OCRs I have helped a number of other people with diabetes learn how they can do these events or any other event. I don’t hide the fact that I have diabetes, in fact I will tell it to anyone who asks, ‘Why are you running with that pack?’ or ‘What are you doing?’ when I stop and a water station and start pulling things out of my pack.
A look at two different Spartan Race hurricane heats on both sides of the country.
Saturday morning we arrived at the venue and were met with a light fog and brisk temperatures. It was a toss-up between being cold enough to justify a shirt or not but I decided it ultimately wouldn’t be worth the added weight once caked in the red clay. I took the starting coral and anxiously awaited our cue to set off on the course.
"People may think I’m crazy, sadistic, relentless, maniacal, suicidal, all rolled into one, but they still seek me out, sensing somehow that there is a method to this madness. And that my tactics change lives, create opportunities, and yield results."
One of my favorite features is the “H20 drain”. The water almost instantly drains out after being fully submerged. Not only does the “H20 Drain” help drain the water out but the material of the shoe seems like it wicks out moisture. The tongue of the shoe will not hold any water due to the rubber material used.
The course had several new obstacles, one of which was the vertical wall with rope. This was fun and to us not as challenging as some others. The course was hilly, rocky and sandy, always an interesting combination.
The rise of the mud run & obstacle race events is a story of extreme success. Over the last three years we are seeing increasingly more race events springing up all over the country with some of the leading race organisers reporting a 2,400% increase in entrants within this short time.
