Military Style Fun - Run Amuck and the Air Force Cycling Classic

A couple of weekends ago, my whole family took advantage of sporting events sponsored by the military. Ed and I completed Run Amuck, which is an obstacle course "race" sponsored by the folks that run the Marine Corps Marathon. It's not timed, nor was it possible to run without stopping, since most of the obstacles had a fairly long line that participants needed to wait in before they could complete the obstacle, so I use the term "race" rather loosely. But no matter, it was loads of fun.

Besides the course being about 3.5 miles long, it included a slip and slide, climbing up stairs and bleachers, rappelling down a hill, crawling through a mud pit, which was covered with a tarp, a few places where marines yelled at participants to complete some physical fitness challenge, carrying ammo cans (which were not heavy, so I'm guessing they were empty), and running through tires. The portion of the course I was most worried about were the monkey bars. But by the time I got there, I was so psyched about the race that I cruised right through them. In fact, I completed all the obstacles and for that, I feel pretty awesome.

Ed and I ran with a friends' son who had completed the race last year. My friend has done a few of these mud runs, including Tough Mudder, and at the end, he shouted "this was the best mud run yet"! He went on to explain that the two prior days of rain had made the course muddier than any other so by "best", I think he meant "muddiest". It was so muddy, in fact, that running up the hills was really not an option. Instead, I had to sort of duck walk up the hills like a beginning skier and hope I didn't slide down and take another participant out with me.

I have never been so covered with mud.

Ed has never been so covered with mud, either.

Thankfully, I opted to wear my old running shoes that were completely shot, because I would still be crying if my new shoes were as messed up as these shoes got.

There were two downsides to the event. First, I failed to hook up with a couple of friends who were there, including this one. Second, on the way home, I was napping and a rock hit our window so hard that the windshield cracked. Yikes! One upside is that if you ever need to get a new windshield, if your car is anything like mine, you will be AMAZED at how clean a windshield can be. Really. It's not that I recommend getting a new windshield rather than cleaning your current one, but, um, it is nice!

The following day, Connor participated in the Air Force Classic cycling race for kids for the second year, and Helen joined on the short course for her first year. Little did we know that in a week, she'd be able to ride without her training wheels!

I think I had three showers between the photo above and this one. And still, I found a little caked on mud that evening!

I'm not sure why Connor is as hunched over as he is here, but I'm guessing he thinks it's a more aerodynamic riding position than his usual, more upright self, because every photo I have of the event he's hunched over like that.

Like most athletic events, Helen was most interested in looking "right" - so we were happy to find her bike gloves that matched her chosen outfit!

Next year, we might drag Connor through the mud with us, and Helen will likely be doing the whole course, rather than the shortened course at the bike race.

Thank you, Air Force and Marines! You created a lot of fun for my family a couple of weekends ago.

Elaine