Thursday, April 1, 2010

Mudders and Grunters

Every year my husband, some friends, and I run in the Taconic Road Runners Club Annual Mudders and Grunters Race. For those of you who don't already know (and I'm guessing that's most of you), Mudders and Grunters is a 5 mile running race through the muddy woods, and is the oldest course race in NY State. As I've pointed out before, my husband and I are very active people, we run races often, and as per usual we started training for this one a few weeks prior to race time. I don't think anything could have prepared us for what met us at this years race though.

New York and New Jersey have had a lot of flood warnings recently, which those of you in the area can attest to. So this year was one of the muddiest years in the race's history! Not only that, but it was about 30 degrees and flurrying when we arrived to pick up our numbers! Did I mention that part of the course was submerging in a creek (which was more like a river this year)?

Now, I'm an asthmatic, and I'm also extremely hard on myself when it comes to fitness, and it's not always the best combination (a bit of a double edged sword). Especially when the cold is the worst thing for your asthma, and you would never normally sign up for a race that was going to take place when it could be 30 degrees out. So, it would be an understatement to say that this particular Mudders and Grunters was a struggle for me.

Nothing really keeps you young at heart like running through the mud with 300 weirdos, but nothing reminds you of your age more then doing it when it's 30 degrees out, and even though you're in the best shape you've been in in a while you can't run no matter how hard you try! I think next year we may need to find a new tradition, or make a game time decision based on weather. Perhaps though we'll just forget how we said at the end of the race that we're nuts for doing this, and sign up yet again! I guess you'll have to check-in, and find out ;) SB.

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