Get Uncomfortable

Way back in December of 2010 a bunch of friends and I decided to sign up for the Warrior Dash.  What is the Warrior Dash?  Well, the easiest way to describe it is an obstacle course for adults over a roughly 5k race distance.  As the day neared, what months ago sounded like a good idea was now being questioned.  How hard would this be?  Would we even be able to do the obstacles?  Pushing any fears or worries aside we forged ahead with our plan of matching tutus and knee high socks. 

We live in a society of comfort.  A click of a button and you are cooled in your home.  A twist of the key and your car takes you to the grocery store where you can quickly pick up a pre made dinner.  Even working out can be made more comfortable.  Headphones for music, climate controlled gyms with TVs and cushy treadmills. 

Are you comfortable?  Good.  Now get uncomfortable.  I promise you’ll appreciate the comfort more and maybe do things you never thought you could.  That was the allure of this race for us.  What are we capable of?

A blast from two fire torches set our 11:30 am wave out of the gates. The trail quickly narrowed and I thought, ‘This isn’t so bad’.  Once in the woods the earth beneath my feet went from dry and stable to muddy, slippery and unpredictable.  ‘Okay, this is fun.  No problem.  How bad could this be?  Look at variety of ages and body types in the race’.  Around the corner was the first obstacle.  Some sort of spider web tunnel.  In and of itself it wouldn’t be too bad, but along with a couple hundred other people squeezing quickly through, some web whipping was common as the occasional yelps were heard from the runners. 

Up and down, avoiding mud pits here and diving right through there.  Splashing through a stream that was now the course.  My shoes got heavier with mud and water.  Ahead a series of about 4 foot walls to climb, landing into a muddy goop below, and then ducking under some barb wire before climbing the next wall,  times 5.  As I scaled the first wall, the lady next to me quipped, “Last year someone ended up getting a hundred stitches because they hit the barbed wire”.  Thanks for that info lady. 

Some of these goop piles on the other side of the walls were up to the knees.  Now, every obstacle does have an out, a way around it.  But I decided before the start that I would complete every challenge that day.  Going around was not an option. 

Running through the shoe sucking mud, did just that.  Sucked my shoe right off my foot.  Fishing it out wasn’t easy either.  Apparently my shoe didn’t want to participate any more.  Actually there seemed to be quite a few rebellious shoes.  About this time people were taking some serious dives in the mud.  No amount of traction would save even the most agile from a muddy face plant. 

A dark and low tent, maybe 2-3 feet high, hid the next challenge.  Down on hands and knees, the darkness allowed enough light to show very low beams over head that forced the hand and knee position through the squishy mud.  The mud hid tiny rocks and roots that chewed up knees and slowed the progress through the tunnel.  Exiting the tent did not bring immediate freedom either.  Two steps forward and quicksand.  Okay, not really quicksand.  Remember the shoe sucking mud I mentioned?  Well this was leg sucking mud.  My entire left leg was encased in a thick mud trap.  I could not move.  Hollering ahead to my husband, Porter, he slopped his way back to me and pulled, and pulled and finally I was free. 

Breaking through the canopy of the trees, the sun shined brightly on a large cargo net climb, maybe 20-30 feet high.  No big deal, until I got to the top and had to get myself to the other side and climb down.  ‘Dear God, don’t let me fall’.  This obstacle was actually near the spectators and was hilarious to watch later.  One poor girl made it to the peak only to decide that she couldn’t muster the courage to flip over the top.  She climbed back down.  Hugging the top beam, I threw my leg over and prayed my foot would land on something sturdy.

At the race’s half way mark, covered with mud, I was tarred and feathered.   A run through a huge pile of hay added some extra itchiness and made my look more attractive.  The course now intersected with the dirt biker’s race course.  Up and down, steep climbs and descents that would make for good sledding hills.  High kneeing through a of tires, and then dodging swinging ones as we climbed to the obstacle I was most looking forward to.  The Plunge.

Porter and I pushed off together, which we quickly realized was not a good idea.   I was careening into him and he was somehow suddenly behind me as we headed to the muddy finish below.  I had visions of him colliding into me and taking me out.  Somehow we quickly moved in opposite directions upon impact and diverted a potential race ending crash.  We waited at the bottom for friends.  There was no way I was going to miss seeing others fly down this slippery slide.  I laughed so hard, I cried.

A few more super steep hills and the final two obstacles were in front of us.  I had heard about jumping over fire and convinced myself that it can’t be that big of a deal.  I imagined a tiny little row of flames.  I mean, they wouldn’t actually put us in any sort of danger right?  Well, the lengthy waiver I signed should have tipped me off.  These flames were bigger than I would have imagined.  I decided to shed my polyester tutu for fear of going up in smoke.  Then, I just went for it.  It’s one of those tasks you just can’t think about and just do.  Two row of flames, one leaping lady and I was home free.

Okay, not home free yet.  One more to go.  And it was a doozie!  Crawl through a pool of muddy water under barbed wire.  And you had to crawl low, full on in the mud, to avoid any snags or nips from the spiky wire close above.   The adrenaline levels peaked, the band was playing Teenage Wasteland and Porter suddenly found a fifth gear.  We wormed and wiggled our way under the wire and sprinted to the finish, together.   

So, the Warrior Dash was harder than I thought but also more fun than I imagined.  There is something quite liberating about being covered in mud, straw and God only knows what else.  We made some wonderful memories that will be called upon often.  And plans are already being made for the next Warrior Dash.  You ready to get uncomfortable?