MUD RUN!!!! Go team Whited!

So a dream of mine for more than 10 years has been to do the Annual Marine Mud Run in Roanoke which is hosted every September. (So .... ehhemmmm.... mark your calendars for next year!!!!) In high school I just thought it sounded like so much "clean" fun and the high school cross country team would always get teams together to compete. Only, EVERY year I had some kind of knee issue that would keep me out of it. After much recruiting and not a big response, my husband and I decided that our team of two would have to suffice. And BOY did we have a blast!!! I think it was the funnest thing in our marriage since.... I dunno?!!!

We began the run and headed for a tunnel that we had to squat under while moving forward. Then before we had much time to pick up the pace, we plunged into the river where Brian helped me trudge through the chest-high water. It felt like we were doing water aerobics and not getting anywhere! Then we headed for dry land up a gigantic hill (which was more like a mountain). And by that time everyone was walking. Brian and I started out jogging but when we realized we couldn't see the end of the mountain, we thought we'd save up our energy to run once we hit the top.

Then there was a field and a beautiful horizon of mountains where the hill rolled downward. It was an overwhelming sensation and reminded me of my many high school runs on the parkway where the beauty of the mountains was overwhelming. I am a very focused, driven and disciplined person. But when it comes to the mountains, I find that I easily lose myself and all the pain and anxiety melt away. In fact, my knees did not feel any pain during the entire run!!! And it inlcuded lots of uneven ground, holes, mud pits, a river, some muddy creeks, and a slick grassy hill! (For those that know me, that is a miracle; my knees (especially on asphalt) ache after the first mile or sometimes before. I felt so blessed to have a good run; my mind didn't even think about knee pain the entire time!!!

My dad was kind enough to get up early on his Saturday, drive all the way to Salem and come take pictures. He caught a photo of this guy as the first person (I think) to finish.

Notice how Brian looks ticked and seems to have more mud on his face than me? Well, check this out and you'll see why. Look for the splash. (Let's just say he wasn't the one who made the splash.)



Poor Brian.

Good thing I was able to cheer him up!

"We are the champions, my friend"

"We'll keep on fightin' till the end"

At the end, they had HUGE hoses which sprayed freezing cold water (as you can see by my expression). It didn't help much because we were soaked-head to toe- in mud!!

Hubby: I had so much fun playing in the mud together!!! I think we've just started a family tradition! Go Team Whited!

So the question is for all you blogstalkers is: Don't YOU want an excuse to get this dirty without leaving your house a mess?