Dirty weekend... literally

[luckycanuck]

 

I haven’t got much in the way of photos yet, but the mud run went very well. I got there about ninety minutes later than I had planned on account of someone running his car into a ditch and blocking the only road into the event.


Luckily the starts were done 50-100 people at a time every few minutes when they had enough people.

The most difficult parts were before you got to the split point where the 5k people went one way and the 10k people continued on. First there was a trudge through slippery ankle deep mud, then there was a wade through a couple of short creeks about chest deep, then a nice slide (which I did chest first) down a gentle slope into a patch of about 200m of stomach deep water, which I dutifully trudged through without going to the sides where you could walk along the bank (i.e. cheat.) Shortly thereafter there was about 500m of similar water which really took a lot out of you. It’s hard to move in that much water, and on many occasions I found myself pulling myself along the bottom using my hands just to give my legs a break.

I found myself running as much of it as I could. I also made no effort to avoid puddles, and on many instances jumped into them with both feet making a big splash amongst the people who were avoiding them. Really, who enters something called the mud run to avoid puddles?

There was one water station which only provided half of a small cup of water, but they also gave us handfuls of lollies which meant I wound up swallowing a bit of mud and sand along with them. They were still delicious.

There was one swimming section. You could pull yourself along a rope if you couldn’t swim but I reckoned swimming was faster. Then it was pulling yourself out of the water using a tree branch just to go back into another pond where you had to use a rope to pull yourself out.

At the very end there was a mud pit full of thick black mud, and, being me, I did pushups in it and got completely covered. A stranger got video footage of it and promised to e-mail it to me.

In the end I finished in 1:07:35 and apparently looked as though I was auditioning for a role in the black and white minstrel show.

I had to head to the creek to wash my mouth out before having my complimentary post race beer.


Before


After (and after a wash in the creek.)

I'm doing it again next year, though I may bring a pack with me like on Kokoda or do it in fancy dress just to make things more interesting.

Back in civilisation, I had dinner with minxyminou  which was just what I needed. She is doing a full review of the evening’s nomulent treats but the stand out favourites to me were the chorizo, the octopus salad, the lamb, and the most insanely creamy ice cream I have ever tasted. The cold grape and almond soup I could do without (though true to form, I did finish it.)

We stayed at the Collaroy Castle rather than trekking back to her digs way across town, and she loved it. Apparently there is a standing offer for her to act as our design and renovations expert. We even went to the beach the following day, though I suspect neither of us are ever going to live up to the Australian surfie stereotype.

I didn’t get home to Canberra until about 2am after taking a couple of naps along the way, but felt no worse for wear by this morning. Hooray for recovery.

 

Off to view two places today and to apply for at least one, then to see two more places as a fall back position in case we don’t all find a place together.

No bad news all weekend.  Hooray again!

Comments

[minxyminou.livejournal.com]

Look at those abs ;)

[luckycanuck.livejournal.com]

Tell your mum.

[minxyminou.livejournal.com]

I just showed her. She approves.

[bakerypenguin.livejournal.com]

I applaud any and all attempts to muddy those avoiding the mud puddles. Clearly, they'd missed the point of the event.

It sounds like great fun...and an activity completely up your alley!

[luckycanuck.livejournal.com]

I am going to be on the lookout for all strange physical pursuits, especially those where I can harass annoying prissy people.

[yurusumaji.livejournal.com]

That sounds exhausting, but fun. It is odd that people would avoid getting dirty in a "mud run". They probably should have stayed home.

[luckycanuck.livejournal.com]

Well they were a bit dirty, but to me the whole point of this was to get really dirty!

[vieirra.livejournal.com]

Hubba Hubba :-)

[luckycanuck.livejournal.com]

Behave! :D