Adventures in Mud

Imagine going to a luxurious spa for an organic mud pack facial treatment? The room is softly lit and fragrant with the smell of lavender. Soft music plays in the background mixed with the sound of trickling water from a stone fountain. You close your eyes, take a sip of champagne and relax.
Yeah. Well. This isn't that. This is Mud Factor, a 5K run dotted with obstacles. And I was in it.

There's mud, alright. Lots of it. A river of mud that (almost) sucks the shoes off your feet when you wade through it. Muddy hills. A pond filled with cold, muddy water.
LOTS of mud. And lots of things to climb over or through.

Now, I admit. I signed up for Mud Factor. In fact, I paid to do it, which is a whole other level of craziness. Right? And I trained for it.

I joined a small group fitness class called G.I. Jane, led by the intrepid Rachel Stratton, friend and personal trainer extraordinaire. Twice a week, we toiled in the gym at Prairie Life Fitness, doing squats and burpees, lifting kettle bells, running laps around the pool and whatever else Rachel could and did dream up. At Jazzercise, I hit my regular classes, as well as Strength and Fusion formats for additional muscle work.

And guess what? By the time I got to the Mud Factor event site, I was ready.

Proof that I scaled that wall.

 When I reached the first obstacle, I had a fleeting moment of sheer panic when I envisioned falling flat on my back in the mud. But I got to the top of the wall, swung my leg over and the rest is Mud Factor history. I managed to complete every obstacle, run the entire way and not lose my dignity. Or my shoes.

Now, why did I sign on for this? (Believe me, I asked myself that same question the morning of the event when I started to doubt my sanity!)

I did it because it's good to have a goal. Setting goals keeps me motivated and moving forward.

And it's a confidence booster. I tried something new and I succeeded. That feels good.
I also had a blast with my G.I. Jane teammates. We laughed and groaned together and I'm going to miss our workouts!

Mud Factor After

Now, I'm on the lookout for another challenge. Hmmmm. Maybe my Jazzercise PT in the Park group should register for a 5K this summer. What do you think, girls?

Or, maybe I'll look for a spa that offers an organic mud pack facial.

T-shirt, GI Jane group, Post-event Bloody Mary, MJ and Rachel