Intro on Types of Mudders: The Warrior Dash

Good Day to you fellow Mudders!

Having collected various commemorative tee-shirts, coveted orange head bands, bragging rights that translate into medals or dog tags, tasty beer and turkey legs, and a bountiful amount of scrapes and bruises, I am taking it upon myself to clue my audience in on a few helpful hints when it comes to preparation for the first mud race.

My obsession with mud races began when I entered the Warrior Dash with my fellow friend and student, Bethany Astorinoand her awesomely adventurous family about two months ago. After having seen a ton of pics scattered around on Facebook showing people wearing Viking helmets completely covered in mud, it finally donned on me that these people weren't just completely out of their mind, they were proud finishers of the Warrior Dash!

Once the excitement ran it's course it was time for me to start the planning. Ever the fashionista, I began creating the stylish outfit I would proudly wear to celebrate the beginning of my new obsession with mud AND running. I made a quick trip to Dick's Sporting Goods and came home with a few long sleeve Under Armor shirts and a pair of Nike running tights which are by far my most prized exercising possession!

The Warrior Dash certainly did not disappoint. I had to pick up my jaw when I realized that my new hot pink Under Armor shirt would never be the same again after seeing the hordes of people trudging back to their vehicles without any recognizable features that weren't covered in mud.

Probably the most entertaining part of the Dash, aside from the obstacles, were the varius costumes that people would wear. In our wave alone, my team and I ran with the likes of "William Wallace," "Thor" and his ladies, and even a woman wearing her wedding dress to celebrate her one year anniversary! The vast conglomerate of people made the race all the more motivating and inspiring with a huge entertainment factor to boost!

The Warrior Dash proved to be a fun time and the obstacles were challenging but not overwhelming. Being that is was a 5K (roughly 3.2 miles) physical fitness is not a huge factor when it comes to completing. I highly recommend the Warrior Dash as a perfect race for a first timer who has interest in taking their ambitions further...let's say, to the Tough Mudder? It will give you a small taste of what is to come in the race that's deemed, "Probably the toughest event in the world."

So, what to wear in a shindig like the Warrior Dash? Allow me to start off with telling you what NOT to wear. High heels, skirts, sunglasses or any shirt that's not made with spandex are definitely not suitable for the Dash.

However, if you're like me and want to make a fashion statement while swimming through two feet of sloppy dirt, always remember to pack your Lancome waterproof mascara in Definicils. Temporary tattoos and reflective paint or strips are also great ways to look the part of a Warrior. When it comes to photo ops, make sure to wear bright colors (ie. Hot pink) so that when sifting through various Facebook pics, you are easily discernible in the crowd of Batmans and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles.

Additionally, most of the races are near a body of water so make sure in order to salvage your fabulous Nike tights and Under Armor Heat Gear that you take a dip in the lake, river, ocean, or stream to get most of the mud out and so that your washer doesn't suddenly go on the fritz after attempting to clean mud and rocks out of your apparel.

And the final topic of discussion comes down to footgear. Being that the Warrior Dash isn't too long of a run, high tech running shoes aren't vital to your success in this race. In fact, the race encourages you to wear your old beat up shoes so that once you're finished dominating the fire jump, they hope you'll donate your old sloppy shoes that they will re wash and re gift to those without shoes...pretty cool way to improve yourself AND society!

So that's it for now. My next post will discuss my most favorite obsession of all: The Tough Mudder. Until then kids, do your stretches, eat your Wheaties and dive into that mud head first!

The ins and outs of "Tough Mudding"

Hello my fellow adrenaline junkies!

This blog is designed for one purpose only: to lend a little advice to those of you gearing up for your first mud race based on my newfound experiences. On this blog I will share stories of grandeur, epic failures, clothing that works and garments that are easily ruined, and most important, the best possible footwear depending on the race in which you're running (or walking, or crawling in some rare cases).

The most vital key to remember about these mud races is that teamwork is essential in crossing the finish lines! Without the help of your fellow competitor, failure is almost gaurnateed.

So without further adieu, let's get started in catching you up on my mud racing adventures. Thus far I have been in three very different types of races: The Warrior Dash, the Tough Mudder and the B Merrill Down & Dirty mud run. All took place in various locations spanning nationwide from Virginia to California and were different in length and boasted different types of obstacles. What they did share in common was the power to transform your regular everyday road race compeitior into mud slinging, fire jumping, rock climbing, beer drinking (if you're of age of course) into one serious BAD ASS!!!

So what are you waiting for? The first step to achieving your hard-core bad-ass badge is to sign up for your first race! It's sort of like getting a tattoo: Once you've had your first one, you're hooked!