The Dirty Dash 2011

The Dirty Dash 2011 was SO much fun! I did the 10k version & I had a couple of tricks up my sleeve to have fun this year.

I got all prepared & dressed in my swim suit so that when I hit the FREEzing showers at the end, I could just strip down to my swim suit & get clean.

First off, I was SUPER excited for this race because I found out the night before my friends Jen & Brandon would be there to cheer on some of Jen's students. I haven't seen Jen in a loooong time! I love her!



So, soon it was time to start the race! I knew I was in trouble when I headed up the first mud hill & my shoe started to come off. Lol.


Look at how clean we are!!! The cleanliness didn't last long.

They added ALOT more obstacles this year! Yes! I LOVED it! So after you got up the first mud hill, shortly thereafter, you came to another mud hill/stream. This mud hill was harder to get up because it was smaller & more wet.

Then we got to 2 deep mud pools. You could either attempt to climb over some 2x4's to get over the mud pools or do like me, Sylvia, Betsey & Kirsten did & just jump in the water!

Side note: Every year I swear I'm going to take a water-proof disposable camera with me on the course & I forget every stinkin' year! Gah!

So then we ran for a little longer & got to the hay bails & had to go over a TON of hay bails.

My goal was to run the entire 10k this year instead of stopping to walk any where. I did it!

See this bruise:



It is from crawling through 3 metal corregated pipes! It was SO much fun!!! I'd do it again in a heart beat! After you came out of the pipes you got hit with a snow machine spewing water at you.

We soon came to the climbing walls. I only climbed over 1 of the walls 'cause I couldn't climb over the others. There was nobody there to help me. :( Lost my shoes a couple of times there too. :(

Another side note: I always use last season's running shoes so I can donate them at the end of the race. :)

After I almost lost my shoes...twice...in the mud pits by the climbing walls, as I was running downhill, I decided to ditch my shoes! Yes, I ran the last 4 miles barefoot! SO. MUCH. FUN!!!

One part of the obstacle course that I'm not good at is the tires. You have to run through a bunch of tires (like you see the military people do in basic training). Yeah, I have NO coordination, that just doesn't happen with me. Lol.

We went over by Deer Creek Reservoir and last year it was just a bunch of ooey gooey mud, but this year, besides the mud, we ended up getting in to waist deep water! It was fabulous!!!

Some of the other obstacles they had was a rope ladder/climbing wall thingy. If I was wearing shoes I would've been able to do this, but it hurt the bottom of my feet too bad.

Then, one of my favorite parts...the super duper slip-n-slide!!! So fun!!! I actually slipped & slided down it this year!

Then, the last thing, you come running down the hill to head to the big final mud pit! In this picture you can see me runnin' barefoot too!



The final mud pit was bigger too! They had 2 mud pits you had to go through! I loved it!



Here I am after the race:



They're doing a race in January 2012 called Lick the Pole and it's very similar to the Dirty Dash except it's in the snow & ice. I think I might do it! Sounds fun!!!