Great Big FUN Reminder!

Ryan, Colson and I are just back from the Rugged Maniac race in Asheboro, NC. This was an absolutely incredible experience that I recommend for anyone who wants to shake up their life a little and who can walk. There are a lot of really ripped, in shape people there, but there are a lot of regular people and pretty out of shape people too. And they all had great big goofy grins by the end.

Grownups take life so seriously. We think we have fun, but most of us don’t know how to really unwind and let it all hang out. We don’t know how to live in the present moment, either. Rugged Maniac will take care of all of that and more.

A guy from our Buddhist center had just finished the race when we saw him (we hadn’t raced yet). I looked at him, covered from head to foot in total mud and thought – what a surprise to see him and I am not going to give that muddy mess of a human a hug! He was dirty! YUCK!

Then it was Ryan’s and my turn, along with four of our friends. The Maniac does a great job getting you pumped up as you wait for the starting gun, stomach quivering with anticipation and a little fear. Off we ran into mud so deep that it was over our ankles, Black Eyed Peas blasting in the background. Two steps in I was over getting dirty and wished I had hugged the guy from the Buddhist center. Then we dove into a mud/water wallow, with a little cow manure thrown in and rocks covering the bottom. It smelled. It was a cold and overcast day (55°) and the water was cold, but you didn’t feel it. You did feel the rocks on the bottom, though, and I have the cut knees and seriously bruised shins to prove it. Even so, you just kept thinking about moving ahead.

Out of the water and into more over-the-ankle mud, followed by the forest run with walls and tire obstacles. We hit these low walls and the group queued up. I looked down at my burning knees and saw blood dripping. Then I looked at everyone else’s knees, and most of them were bleeding too. I said “Hey, look!” and pointed at their knees. It kind of snapped them all back out of their heads and into engagement with the crowd. They just looked around too. It was a really weird kind of bonding moment.

Black Eyed peas cranking through my head, I eventually ran ahead of Ryan (he was sick the past week with a bad lung thing, but he still rocked it!). Fluid as can be and lungs burning, I passed lots of people, many younger than I and many of them male. Hah!

The mud was everywhere. Occasionally through the forest a tree was needed for support, but the trunk was so muddy from all the other dirty runners before us that it wasn’t much good. I hit the cargo net (probably 12 feet tall we estimate), climbed it like a monkey and then launched off the other end into the cushy stuff below. Didn’t land on my butt (like I was supposed to) but on my feet instead and seriously tweaked my knee. Thought I might not finish the race, but I kept going and the pain disappeared. I think I should thank my stabilizer muscles, as the thousands of squats and lunges I have done probably saved me.

There were two really tall walls. Really, really tall. Even if I used the little 2x4 piece of wood to help leap myself, I couldn’t have gotten over. Lots of women were hoisted over by men, but that wall was so muddy and so slick with no landing pad on the other side that I bowed out of those two walls, even though Ryan’s buddy was there to help. I helped catch some women on the other side, though.

Then we were off to the flames. It was a double fire pit, and it was serious. You had to take it at a run and you had to take it hard. I leaped the first and the second with room to spare. That was my big concern and it was no problem at all, but I did feel the heat.

Kept on hauling and made it to the final obstacle – a gigantic water slide. I waited for Ryan and my friends. Three went on ahead and three of us finished together. This slide was freakin’ huge! I climbed up, and down I went, screaming all the way. It was insane! Into crazy muddy water with these floating obstacles – five I think. My glasses were still intact and on my face, so that was a victory in and of itself. And the water felt good, even though it was so gross!

I made it to the end, happy as can be, hoisted myself out, and lost my shorts. Gave a great big moon to lots of cheers. I was so over everything that I am quite proud of myself for not getting embarrassed. I dropped back into the water tighten things up, and then I gracefully got out. Wonder how many moons were given that day?

Ryan, Jessica and I finished the race together, smiling as big as can be. It was an awesome day, an awesome experience, and I hope I can keep that feeling of freedom, fun and playfulness. When I see A.R. at the Buddhist center tomorrow I am going to give him that hug!