Dirty Girl

I’m Still Alive.

Author: Nicole Schuman

I finished!

Hooray! Such an amazing feeling!

Spirit certainly ran high at the Dirty Girl Mud Run, and I am so happy to say that I could have been a part of it.

A few weeks back, I didn’t think I’d be able to make it around the block, let alone through a 3 mile course. Being able to do some of the obstacles I had to face today and completing them surrounded by women from all walks of life was an experience I’ll never forget.

I was kind of sad to wash the mud out of my hair.

Walking into the event was energizing. Everything was well organized, including parking and registration. Pink tiaras, tutus, boas and all sorts of costumes dotted the landscape. I even did my nails in the Dirty Girl colors for the event.

The pumping music and MC’s did a great job of creating an exciting atmosphere. I was nervous, but proud that I was actually going to do this and try something new. My legs wanted to get moving.

The first obstacle of climbing over a tower of hay bales was probably one of the most difficult. I’m not a fan of heights, but I pushed myself to get over to the other side where my teammates were waiting.

My teammates were faster runners than I, so at times I had to push myself to keep going, but I knew I could do it. There was also constant encouragement from other runners on the course, saying you were doing a great job.  Someone even told me I needed to get “more dirty.” The camaraderie among all these different types of women sharing a common goal was strong and impressive.

I’ll admit, I didn’t run the entire time. I ran for about half the time. The terrain was hilly and some of it, grass-covered, which I hadn’t been used to on my treadmill/street runs. It’s also easier to focus on a treadmill or when you are alone in the road, with an iPod tuning your brain out of everything around you. I think my running was off because of all the excitement going on around me. I was a bit out of focus.

Early on, my shoe was sucked in by the mud on one of the obstacles. Luckily an awesome teammate pulled it out for me, and I finished the obstacle with one shoe and one socked foot. But I still did it. If anything, we had a good laugh.

The mud obstacles were certainly my favorite. Crawling on my hands and knees under a cargo net was no picnic, but everyone involved helped each other out, and the sense of pride and accomplishment you felt for doing someone out of your comfort zone was most important.

I’ll admit climbing the cargo net was the hardest challenge. As I mentioned before, I am not a fan of heights and had a minor panic attack at the top. I could hear my teammate yelling, “Don’t stare at the ground, stare at your shoes!” so I did just that. I also out loud kept repeating to myself, “You can do this, you can do this.” A woman next to me heard my prayer and encouraged me that I could finish the obstacle as well. When I got done, I was shaking and ready to cry, flush with emotion, but I had to move on to the next obstacle and finish the race with my teammates.

All four of us dove into the muddy water at the end, soaked, but happy to see the finish line. We trotted the few feet left, crossing the finish line together and wearing our mud with pride. The muddier you were the higher sense of respect among the populace. I was happy to be covered and drenched from head to toe.

I was happier to be finished with the race, something I had been agonizing about for weeks.

It wasn’t about who came in first at Dirty Girl, or how well you performed. It was that you completed the mission at hand. The Mud Run provided such an enthusiastically supportive environment for people to succeed.

I’ve always second guessed my abilities to do certain things, but now, after completing the mud run and facing some of my deepest fears, I feel I can do anything.

Thank you Dirty Girl and my team.

Jess, me, Rachel and other Jess finish Dirty Girl

September 12th, 2011