Bleeding, tired, and happy

This is the second year in a row that I have run the Seabee Mud Run (now in the twelfth edition). The face is approximately 4 miles and the course changes every year. The start and finish are in the same place and, because the course is designed by guys with earth moving equipment and hoses, you know what is going to be between the start and finish. The thing that changes is how much, and where.

I was a bit disappointed with my preparation for the race. I had a problem with my back last month and missed almost two weeks of training. As I said earlier, I ran the race last year and I thought I knew what to expect. I was wrong. The course was MUCH more difficult than last year.

It started again with a road section to spread the field before we got to the first mud obstacles. The road section was shorter before we got to the field that they dug up. It was obvious that they used a trackhoe to scoop out a hole and they piled the dirt at the beginning of the hole to form a berm to go over. Last year there were three or four mud pits. This time, I lost count, but the last onne was 50 or 60 yards long and had telephone poles across the pit that we had to climd over (or dive under) Total mud distance was about 200 yards.

With the shorter start there was a lot more bunching at the berms as people slowed down getting over the hills.

We came out of that field into a parking lot and I saw people taking shoes off to get the mud out. It did not seem like that would help much. The course took a right turn in to a drainage ditch that had been dug out and filled. Water was waist deep most of the time, but there were random holes and high areas that we could not see. So there was always a danger of falling in a hole or tripping.

Up out of the ditch to a water stop (I guess 1 mile no distance markers) and back into another ditch. Out of that ditch to a longer road section that looped around next to the golf course. Take a left and over the hill. As we topped the hill there is a muddy soupy section with strings across the course about 18" high. About a 20 yard crawl under the strings, get up and run to the tires and flashbacks to football practice as I attempt to high knee through the tires. Then over to a big expanse of mud and another section where they dug up a field and filled the holes with water.

A jaunt across a parking section and into a DEEP ditch. There was a section where I pitched into a hole and had to swim across. There was also a section where the bottom rushed up and I tripped and banged my knee on the bottom.

Up and over a road and into a drainage swale. Through the swale under a bridge, pick up the young lady that slipped and fell in front of me and finally up on the parking lot with the finish line in sight. Try to run it out with shoes full of sand. Cross the line, kick off the shoes and go over to the fireman for a hose down...:)

One of the young ladies that I run with on Saturday Mornings with Team in Training finished 3rd in her AG (YAY)

Lessons learned. This run is all about strength. There was almost no road running where speed is a huge factor. HOWEVER, it is is very difficult to pass in the mud. So it is important to get a good opening run before the first obstacles. Beween obstacles, it is important to get back into running mode as quick as possible. Next year, I may actually swim more of the deep obstacles intentionally. It has got to be better and slipping, tripping and falling in the gumbo stuff in the bottom of the ditch...

A solid midpack finish 12/18 in 40-44 men and 117/396 overall....Better planning and strategy next year.