<p>Howdy all - well, the Warrior Dash was a blast. I didn't realize how big an event this was until I got there - quite a crowd with waves going off from 12 noon to 5 pm, sometimes in 15-minute increments</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Never done anything where I had to worry about using strength as well as cardio-fitness, so I figured I'd just settle into what felt like a good pace I could hold and go from there - as I got to the mile mark, I started passing the folks who were obviously doing this for fun and went out too fast but really didn't have too much run training in the books.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Out of the obstacles, the first one was the most tricky one and not mentioned on the website - leaping over four autos parked lengthwise across our path set about 6 feet apart. Considering I barely landed my foot on top of the hood on the first car with a full running start and since I have little in the way of vertical leap anyway, I did the smart thing and kinda' pinwheeled over the hood to the other side on the next three. The cargo net was also a little tricky at first (I imagine as the bulk of people came to this, it would get even more so) with it swaying so much, but I got through that okay.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>The other obstacles ranged from ridiculously easy (the hay bales, the plank walk) to not as hard as I thought it would be (the warrior rope web, the wall traversings) to the just get through them ASAP types (the tunnel crawl, the hill sprint, the tire high-step) to the fun (the slip-n-slide, the fire leap.)</p>
<p> </p>
<p>The last one was the mud pit, and my dive in there wasn't so graceful (see picture below.) What I and many others didn't know was that the bottom was lined with generous helpings of Mainway Toys' "Bag O' Glass". Well, not really, but I got a serious case of road rash on my left forearm and a nice gash on my left elbow, with a minor sampling of both those on the right. I saw one gal in the first aid tent who sliced her knee pretty good going thru that pit.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Still, though, this was a helluva' lot of fun, and I'd recommend it if it comes to your neighborhood. I didn't see too many people in front of me at the finish line. I have no idea about results, but as far as I can tell, the last time I was passed was on the cargo net, and then I picked him and a lot of others off (even some stragglers from the 1:30 PM wave) throughout the 3+ miles of run + obstacles. Can't beat a bunch of mud-caked people with smiles on their faces.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Some pictures - first, how the fire pit looked like</p>
<p><a href="http://photobucket.com" target="_blank"><img alt="Photobucket" src="http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y27/josquared007/Miscellaneous%20Postables/DSCN2341.jpg" style="border:0px solid;"></a></p>
<p> </p>
<p>This isn't me, but this is more than likely how I looked like before I hit the mud</p>
<p><a href="http://photobucket.com" target="_blank"><img alt="Photobucket" src="http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y27/josquared007/Miscellaneous%20Postables/DSCN2331.jpg" style="border:0px solid;"></a></p>
<p> </p>
<p>Finally, this is me (rinsed off a bit - there was no way I was going to handle my camera and cell phone and cake it with mud and stuff)</p>
<p><a href="http://photobucket.com" target="_blank"><img alt="Photobucket" src="http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y27/josquared007/Miscellaneous%20Postables/DSCN2354.jpg" style="border:0px solid;"></a></p>
<p></p>
<p> </p>
<p>Never done anything where I had to worry about using strength as well as cardio-fitness, so I figured I'd just settle into what felt like a good pace I could hold and go from there - as I got to the mile mark, I started passing the folks who were obviously doing this for fun and went out too fast but really didn't have too much run training in the books.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Out of the obstacles, the first one was the most tricky one and not mentioned on the website - leaping over four autos parked lengthwise across our path set about 6 feet apart. Considering I barely landed my foot on top of the hood on the first car with a full running start and since I have little in the way of vertical leap anyway, I did the smart thing and kinda' pinwheeled over the hood to the other side on the next three. The cargo net was also a little tricky at first (I imagine as the bulk of people came to this, it would get even more so) with it swaying so much, but I got through that okay.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>The other obstacles ranged from ridiculously easy (the hay bales, the plank walk) to not as hard as I thought it would be (the warrior rope web, the wall traversings) to the just get through them ASAP types (the tunnel crawl, the hill sprint, the tire high-step) to the fun (the slip-n-slide, the fire leap.)</p>
<p> </p>
<p>The last one was the mud pit, and my dive in there wasn't so graceful (see picture below.) What I and many others didn't know was that the bottom was lined with generous helpings of Mainway Toys' "Bag O' Glass". Well, not really, but I got a serious case of road rash on my left forearm and a nice gash on my left elbow, with a minor sampling of both those on the right. I saw one gal in the first aid tent who sliced her knee pretty good going thru that pit.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Still, though, this was a helluva' lot of fun, and I'd recommend it if it comes to your neighborhood. I didn't see too many people in front of me at the finish line. I have no idea about results, but as far as I can tell, the last time I was passed was on the cargo net, and then I picked him and a lot of others off (even some stragglers from the 1:30 PM wave) throughout the 3+ miles of run + obstacles. Can't beat a bunch of mud-caked people with smiles on their faces.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Some pictures - first, how the fire pit looked like</p>
<p><a href="http://photobucket.com" target="_blank"><img alt="Photobucket" src="http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y27/josquared007/Miscellaneous%20Postables/DSCN2341.jpg" style="border:0px solid;"></a></p>
<p> </p>
<p>This isn't me, but this is more than likely how I looked like before I hit the mud</p>
<p><a href="http://photobucket.com" target="_blank"><img alt="Photobucket" src="http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y27/josquared007/Miscellaneous%20Postables/DSCN2331.jpg" style="border:0px solid;"></a></p>
<p> </p>
<p>Finally, this is me (rinsed off a bit - there was no way I was going to handle my camera and cell phone and cake it with mud and stuff)</p>
<p><a href="http://photobucket.com" target="_blank"><img alt="Photobucket" src="http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y27/josquared007/Miscellaneous%20Postables/DSCN2354.jpg" style="border:0px solid;"></a></p>
<p></p>
