10 days ago I was able to cross Warrior Dash off my bucket list. I didn’t get to run and train as much as I wanted to for it and going into it was kind of dreading it thinking, “I’m dead”, but as I drove out to Rubes in Waukee to meet up with my group and getting parked there I felt a little bit better about it. Getting registered we saw the “Warriors” from the previous starting times. A lot of mud! About an hour after getting registered we got in line for our heat with a bunch of other runners. The countdown was on and then the flames blew and our run started.
The first stretch wasn’t so bad, outside of having to look down where you were running due to it being basically in a pasture and the ground was uneven and holes and beaten up by cows. Then we turn the corner and the first hill. I was warned about them that they suck. I got the run in about halfway up the hill then it was rough with the crowd and also the ground being uneven I had to walk, and for those who ran it completely and the whole thing props to them. I saw a few rolled ankles and I’m sure there were many more. There were two more hills that sucked, one up was straight up it seemed, from a dried out creek. Most of the other stuff was ok running.
The obstacles though were FUN and made up for the running. My favorite was probably the big rope climb. Get a running start, grab the rope and climb up, flop over and then go rappel down the other side. There were a couple others I liked that you were on your knees for doing army crawl and up hills and down trenches that I liked too. Finally the mud was cool too, just a huge pit of mud that seemed a couple feet deep and you kind of floated more to the end of it then having to crawl it.
Finally getting to the finish my group didn't recognize me I was so mud covered, that was kind of cool. Looking at pictures Warrior Dash took I looked like a giant human chocolate. I had mud in my ears and nose for about a week after still showing up (yes gross I know) Afterward got partially showered and cleaned up some, went back for a few beverages and to check out our times. Really glad I did it, finished in the top 40% which I thought was pretty good. A lot of people we talked to said it was a harder course this year than last year, and I wasn't going for time or anything and it was just fun.
I don’t know if I’ll do it again next year, I may put something on the bucket list like one of the paint/color runs, but who knows I may get talked back into.
