Becoming Redefined: I Got Mucked Up!!!

Lookin' cute before the mud!

I have a new addiction...MUD RUNS!!! On October 20th, a team from Redefined Fitness traveled to Carnesville, Ga. to a farm in the middle of nowhere and ran a 5K through the mud. Sounds fun doesn't it? Well, I will just go ahead and answer that question for you - it was a blast :)

A few years ago, I broke my ankle being an idiot adult. For some reason, I thought going roller blading with some friends was a good idea. Let me just tell you, roller blading should be left to the young folk! I now have a metal plate and screw in my ankle, which have hinder my running abilities in recent years. Back in the day, when I worked at a gym and was in sick shape, it was nothing for me to run 10 miles...after working out.

When my friends and work out crew came together and decided to do this run, I wasn't really sure if it would be my cup of tea. But, I am competitive, and I couldn't let them do it without me. Can't be showing me up! A 5K is only 3.1 miles, so I was confident that I could at least complete that distance with a little extra training.

Of course I kept up my Zumba and CrossFit workouts at Redefined Fitness and strict Paleo eating, and on top of that routine, I added in extra cardio. I am blessed to have an elliptical at home, so I decided to start there. Wasn't sure if I was ready to take to the streets yet! I consistently trained on the elliptical, varying the terrain, resistance/intensity level, and incline level.

Come the day of the race, I felt confident and decided that my personal goal was to complete the run under 45 minutes. Please keep in mind that a mud run is not just strictly running. There are also obstacles that you have to complete during the 3.1 mile run. This particular race included 15 obstacles. The night before I got a good night's sleep, started my day with Zumba class, and fueled my body with healthy foods all day! I was ready to go :)

At 4:00pm our heat hit the start line, a prayer was prayed, and the rest was left up to me, my legs, and my bum ankle. Here are some of the things that I encountered along the way...

Hay Baracades
Log Hurdles
Tire Hop
Mud Pits
Haunted Dark Cave (yes, the trail was haunted in recognition of the upcoming Halloween Holiday, and there were lots of "interesting" costumes!)
Muddy Shoe Sucker
Mud Slide into Creek
200 yard creek run
Wall/Tight Rope climb
Troll Bridge
Jungle Gym
Hay Pyramid
Giant Slip N Slide
And a few more...

Just another relaxing run...with Zombie's trying to eat you for breakfast!

I completed the entire trail and ran the WHOLE thing! I was so proud of myself. There was one really difficult hill and the cold water, during the creek run, made my ankle stiff; other than that I stayed strong throughout the entire race and kept a strict pace. Here is the best part, I finished UNDER my time goal. Like I said, I was shooting for less than 45 minutes, and I clocked in at the finish line at 42:53, placing me around 66th place out of the 270 people that reported their times. Not too shabby!

Also let me mention how proud I am of my Redefined Fitness Team: Laurie Anglade, Jessica Mooney, Ben Mooney, Tabitha Roberts, & Ashley Crockett. Everyone finished and everyone finished in less than an hour. Redefined Fitness rocked it out!

The best part of the day was when I came out of the woods and began to approach the finish line, at this point dead tired, I heard a little voice saying, "Go Mommy!" I looked up to see my angel jumping up and down cheering me on...I melted. Nothing better than having your child be proud of you. She was cheering on all the runners, giving them high fives, and telling them "Congwatuwations!"

It was truly a great experience, and now I am hooked. I'm ready to enter every race, including mud runs, I can find. And, I do plan on doing more in the very near future. I have already started training for a 10K, and who knows? I might even shoot for the "M" word...marathon!