Actually, I take that back. It was awesome doing it with the girls, but the event itself was not as enjoyable as last year. First, the arrangement of the obstacles seemed to not be very well planned. After running up the side of a ski slope for .8 miles, 500 to 700 runners bottle necked at a tunnel that counted as one of the challenges. Luckily, we were the very first heat of the day and we knew enough not to run up the hill. We power walked that son of a gun and left people dry heaving in our dust. Meaning, our bottle neck wasn't so bottle necked. We also left behind us the chick that didn't want to get dirty (what did she think she signed up for??). Because of her aversion to dirt, she didn't get down low enough on the ground to avoid the barbed wire. She took it right to her face. Ouch. Dirty hands and knees would have been the better choice I think.
There weren't as many obstacles this year. The ones they had were all too similar. 3 walls to go over and lots of muddy water to traverse. Then there was this:
That my friends, is one very large, very fast, ghetto slip and slide. (You will either have to trust me about its size, OR use the back hoe for scale.) Black plastic stretched across hay bales with just enough room between for one slightly chubby house frau to achieve extremely fast rates of speed. I owned that thing. I also owned the pain in my shoulder from crashing at said speed into the hay bales at the bottom. But is was fun, so it all worked out in the end.
The entry fee was reasonable. I think we even got a break for signing up early. But then, they charged $20 for parking. This is double what they charged in 2011. I thought that was ridiculous. However, as a founding member of Team "Meh", I ponied up and let it go.
And then this:
Sure, I'm sort of smiling drinking my free can of Miller Lite Beer. But you know what? I was smiling a lot more last year drinking my complimentary Yuengling.
See? I'm smiling behind that cold cup of GREAT beer! And how in the world did I look so good after last year's event? I keep scrolling back and forth looking at this year's photo and then last year's. I'm at a loss as to what happened differently. Yowza.
It was all worth it though. We all ran together and helped each other conquer our fears (heights, balancing, fire). The vibe at these events is great. People talk to each other, assist and encourage strangers, and the costumes are always fun to check out.
Do you want to know what else makes it all worth it? The guacamole at Pancho Villa's, in Tannersville, NY. Last year, we ate there the night before the race. And I thought the guacamole was the best I ever had. Ever. But then, I thought, maybe it was just because I was really, really hungry and it wasn't the best ever. I had it again this year. Best. Ever. Ever. Now I'm wishing I had purchased some to take home with me. Instead, I'll have to wait until next year.
No comments:
Post a Comment