Hell Run Race Recap

There has been a fair amount of ups and downs in life lately and going in to Hell Run today I wasn't quite sure what to expect. After Warrior Dash Washington completely sucked the life out of me, I was more than a little nervous about doing another mud run.

Due to circumstances both in and out of my control, I ended up doing this race on my own. No friends, family or co-workers. I really wanted to just race for myself and against myself. I dragged along Susan the Supporter for her first ever race photography experience. We're both sports moms who have spent years taking pics of our kiddoes but her son is a baseball player so the whole running thing was new. Life has been topsy turvy for both of us so it was a good time to just spend some time together. We hit Urban City Espresso where the barista declared us crazy but threw an extra shot in our drinks for good luck.

We got to the race (in Carnation) with just the right amount of time to spare. Parking was good and the shuttles were timely - this will mean something to anyone that's done one of the Warrior Dashes or the Rock and Roll Half Marathon where often you add at least an hour just to make sure you can get parked. The weather was holding and the lines to porta-potties were non-existent (though in some of them so was the toilet paper...lol.)

We were able to scope out the obstacles that would provide photo ops, pick up my packet and schwag and get my gear checked with no problems. The last three obstacles were in close proximity to one another but one of them provided a little dry heaving on my part. It was the dreaded wall. To its credit, its rungs were a little closer than WA Warrior Dash and the ropes had knots to help with getting up but it still caused me to pause and worry about whether or not I'd be able to do it when the time came. It was the one obstacle I simply could not do and had to go around in North Bend and I was determined to not repeat history. Susan and I talked a little strategy and I told myself that if necessary I would go over the 4ft pink wall of shame that was next to it.

Almost race time so we headed over to the starting chute. Sus had a chuckle about it being called the chute and  had visions of cattle. The announcer was delighting in telling us that we about to go through Hell and trying to get us to cheer about it. Susan left me to go take her post at the starting line and I was standing by my lonesome.Several thoughts went through my head: Can I do this? Should I do this? I have my cape and shirt, maybe we should just go home. How hard is it going to be? I'm feeling alone. I think this was a bad idea. . Oh Lord, they're counting down to start.

And we're off. About 200ft from the starting line we head UP a short dirt hill. I made it up that no problem. I hang a left and we head down a trail for about a quarter mile and then have to go DOWN a short, loose dirt hill. Ankles and knees intact, I keep running into the corn field. The path was narrow here and several folks expressed some frustration at not being able to go faster. (FOOLS!) We came out of the corn to our firsts major obstacle... MUD. There's really no way to look good going into the mud so I just squished my way through it. It was thigh high and had a couple of dirt mountains in between the three separate 'pools'. After making it out of the mud with my meniscusses (menisci?) still in one piece we came to the first wall. Things piled up a bit here and we had to wait for our turns to climb precariously up and over. It wouldn't have been all that bad except the rungs were muddy, as were our shoes, and visions of slipping and falling were very much in my mind. As I waited my turn, I had one of those, 'only at a mud run experiences'. A man had added a stuffed tube sock to his shorts to enhance his, um, errr, 'package'. It was coming unpinned so a kind female stranger reached into his shorts and repinned it for him. As he was going over the wall the 'package' ripped out of his shorts and bonked her in the head. QUITE amusing :)

Anyhow, over the wall I go and up another loose dirt hill. I'm breathing hard but still able to run and feeling pretty strong actually. I head down the trail and we enter the part of the course that was going through Remlinger Farms which is all decorated for the harvest time festivities. I'd like to say I was running faster than a speeding train but can actually say that I was running faster than the little choo choo carrying families around the farm. It was a blast to hear the little kids asking their parents why those people were so dirty and in different costumes. We ran past some emus and llamas and other assorted decorations which added a festive feel to the event.

Did another obstacle and then came to the river. The REAL river. We had to do about 200 meters UPSTREAM in hip (for me) high ICY cold water with a rocky riverbed. It actually was kind of fun experiencing my legs going numb and turning as pink as my La Paz-itively Hot OPI nail polish. I put faith in the fact that my legs were still attached (I didn't seem any shorter after all) and started running again even though I really couldn't feel them. Again, I felt REALLY strong today. I was able to run the whole race and completed 7 more obstacles (mud, barbed wire, 4ft walls, sand, more mud, boulders etc.), passing the mile markers and feeling really good. I could see (and hear) where the finish line was and ticked off a few more obstacles (tunnel of darkness, balance beam, more mud). Feeling had returned to my legs and they were feeling a little leaden. Might or might not have had something to do with the 5-10lbs of mud that I was carrying around in my socks, shoes and shorts. I debated walking to save up energy for that wall I knew was coming but figured 'to Hell with it' (apropos I know) and that I was going to go big or go home.

I rounded the corner and saw the wall, and Susan. I slowed a bit to make sure she was in ready to shoot my big moment and went to the wall. The gal in front of me grabbed the rope and promptly decided she couldn't   do it and detoured around it, not even going over the pink wall of shame. This gave me a little moment of panic because she seemed younger and fitter than me. However, I said to myself, onward and upward and I began my ascent. Susan's pictures (which I'll post later) will help do justice to the wall but it really was no easy feat for me. There isn't really a good purchase to put your feet on and the rope was considerably more slippery than it had been when we scoped it out due to a light rain and about a 1000 other Hell Runners that had gone in waves before me. The wood was wet, muddy and slippery too and once I got to the top of the wall it was really hard to get a leg over and find a not slippery spot to hold on to so that I could get my other leg over and not plunge to my death. I opted for sticking my fingers through the rope that was tied to the top rung and begging the gal behind me not to start climbing and using said rope because I really did want to finish with all of my fingers. She obliged and I was able to slowly get myself over the top. Making sure that Susan was again in place to document this success I began my descent.  I MADE IT OVER THAT WALL!!! This was HUGE for me - literally, physically, metaphorically, and any other 'ally' one might apply to it. I took a moment to celebrate in my head (and so Susan could race over to get ready for me to jump over the fire) and then charged onward. Made it over the fire and through the final under barbed wire mud pit and crossed the finish line. I was completely jazzed. I did it. ME. MYSELF. and I. Just me. 

I have known that I have accomplished things in the past but this was the first time in a long time that I was really proud of myself and allowed myself to own that accomplishment. It felt good. It felt great. It felt a little heavenly, ironic given the name of the race and the inches/pounds of mud I was covered in. 

We walked around a bit and rinsed off. I think I impressed Susan with my ability to change standing up under a blanket.

Hell Run was a great race for me for a lot of reasons.Some of which are listed here and others that I'm going to just chew on for me. Whatever obstacles you have in life, or whatever things you think are holding you back - I encourage you to face them or find ways to challenge yourself or find out what you're made of. I am so grateful for the people God has put in my life that continue to encourage me to grow and stretch. Some people (and songs) say to live like you were dying. I want to die knowing that I truly lived every moment. On days like today, I know I'm on the right track.

Thanks for reading,

A exhausted, exhilarated and slightly bruised, WAR EAGLE (my hell run name)