Nanci

Few things will make me miss my Saturday morning weigh-in at Weight Watchers…. A chance to run through mud with a good friend is one of them. So, yesterday morning, my friend Corinna and I (and her son John Evan) hit the road at 6:15am and drove out to Colt Creek State Park in Lakeland.

The drive out was really pretty. It was a foggy morning but when we could see the sunrise, it was a beautiful orange. I never get tired of a sunrise…

This year, the event seemed much smaller than the last year when it was out at Little Everglades Ranch in Dade City, both location and participants. I didn’t notice as many Pretty Muddy signs going into the park or along the course later on. I also didn’t notice a photographer for the event… Check-in was easy, it just took a minute to get our bibs. Their were several vendor booths and YouFit was doing group exercise warm-ups before each wave started. I did not see any food vendors, perhaps they came later it the day. They also had corn hole games set up which seemed to be a hit with the families.

The start line, the first obstacle (bubble tunnel), the finish line, and final mud pit were all visible from here. Since we arrived before it all started, everything wan nice and clean!

Before we started, we had time to take a few pictures…. This would be the last time we would be clean before getting muddy!

And then it was time to go! I didn’t have my phone with me on the course so I don’t have photos of the obstacles. The first one was the bubble tunnel and then around the bend was the big slide. I was super muddy after the slide, I landed butt first in the mud pit at the bottom. From there on out, it was a mix of running, climbing, crawling, cold water, and mud. The last big obstacle was the big cargo net. This was my one big fear last year, and while I did it, it was hard. This year, I had no fear of it and except for the top where I couldn’t quite figure out where to put my foot to turn around, I pretty much went up and over it like it was nothing.

(Source: Pretty Muddy)

Finally, we crawled through the last mud pit just before the finish line. More mud, more dirt, and more cold water. It was actually quite refreshing!

It was a fun way to spend the morning. Pretty Muddy last year was the first event that my friend Corinna and I ran together so it was fun to do it again. Since then, we have run other races together and have more coming up.

One huge personal difference this year was how much easier the course and obstacles were for me, after losing almost 30 pounds. I remember running it last year, I was winded as we ran, and any obstacle that required climbing was really a challenge. When I got home yesterday, I pulled up the photos from last year and it was yet another reminder of how far I have come….

Thanks Pretty Muddy for a fun time!

NOTE: I received a free entry into Pretty Muddy in exchange for blogging about it and sharing my experience. All opinions are my own.