WARRIOR DASH 2012.

last month, i did the most-fun race i have ever run.

WARRIOR DASH 2012!!

(as usual, click on pics to enlarge)

in about 3.3 miles, i --

-hurdled over barricades

-balanced across teetering planks of wood

-traversed across tangled nets

-crawled under logs through the mud 

-conquered a wooden barricade

-scrambled beneath barbed wire in the mud

-swam and climbed across a capsized catamaran

-sprinted up (and down) a giant hill

-did a military crawl under some more nets and barbed wire

-maneuvered on top of and across a series of cargo nets

-leapt over the warrior fires

-and scrambled / swam through a giant mud pit to the finish

also i completely slipped and fell about two feet 

in front of the finish line and slid through instead. 

(i'm on the right...danger phil was just sliding to make fun of me)

everyone watching thought that was pretty great.

then it was time for some post-race pics with danger phil -- 

needless to say, i donated my shoes to a good cause instead of 

trying to take them home and wash them.

we stopped at that "warrior wash" (not pictured). turns out, it was a pond where you could rinse off with all the other dirty runners.

after getting cleaned up, 

we went back to the finish to watch more racers.

danger phil tried his hand at throwing axes -- 

we showed off our game faces -- 

and i allowed him to take ONE picture of me in that ridic hat.

in all: an awesome experience and definitely one i plan to try again.

NOTE: i was nervous about not "training" for this race. along the route, there was a sign saying, "don't worry. we didn't train for this either" and that was pretty much the theme (also there were lots of people in costumes, so that may have been the other theme). i like to think i'm a decent runner, but there were people of all experience levels on the trail. some walked, some ran, and some even skipped some of the obstacles (i know...why would you want to do that?!). but anyway -- that's why i can safely say i recommend this for anyone who likes to run and is looking for a fun challenge.