Warrior Dash

Last week I ran the Warrior Dash race that took place up in Pennsylvania. It was a 5k obstacle course, with the added bonus of there being not only a prize for the fastest racer, but also for the best costume. I ran it with Kelsey (pictured below jumping over the fire), and (especially considering she has a torn labrum in both of her hips) she raced very well!
(note: there was a mud crawl right before the fire, which explains the brown color covering virtually our entire bodies)

There were thirteen obstacles spanning the 3 miles, along with a lot of trail running in between each obstacle. The race wasn't terribly exhausting/challenging, but I still wouldn't recommend running it unless you're a relatively active person (a few serious injuries occurred throughout the weekend).

Some of my favorite obstacles included:

Tanker Trouble: there were 4 large, steel "tanks" that had to be climbed be using a rope to scale one side, and then you had to jump down (about a 6-7' drop) on the other side after crawling over the top.

Hay Fever: An awesome huge haystack constructed out of giant straw bales.

Cargo Climb: A big cargo net (about 20 feet high) that had to be climbed up-and-over. As much as I hate heights, this one was still pretty fun. Kelsey smoked me on it, too.

Mossy Maze: As we entered the forest, there were a ton of ropes spanning the trees, creating an annoying "web." For Lord of the Rings fans out there, it looked exactly like all the spider webs in Shelob's Lair. Minus the giant spider lurking to destroy innocent travelers. I don't know why this one was called "Mossy Maze," though, as I didn't see a whole lot of moss on the trees.

Breathless Bog: A 40-yard pond with large logs floating on top of the water (you had to crawl up and over the logs). This obstacle was actually named quite appropriately, as the water was so cold that it literally took your breath away.


Muddy Mayhem: A huge, very muddy, mud pit. There was barbed wire a few feet above the ground which needed to be crawled under, which made us feel even more hardcore. I dove in head-first (hence the mud on my face, too) and I was literally cleaning mud out of my ears for days after this.

Warrior Roast: Fire. These were actually pretty sweet. We had to jump over a few fire-traps right before crossing the finish line. They were higher than I thought they'd be.

One of the best parts of running the race was looking at the variety of costumes abounding the race site. There was even a guy in a full-fledged banana suit (unpeeled). I have no idea how he completed some of the obstacles without his costume trapping him.

It was a great time and I highly encourage any of you to take part in the madness next year!

P.S. Another reason to do it is you receive a viking helmet for participating. Actually, that's the only reason I ran the Warrior Dash.