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For my first race of '08, I decided to run Mudders and Grunters with HL. She had run it before and we decided that we'd go and have fun, and if I felt good I would push the pace a little. I'd never done this race before, but after looking at the pictures it looked like a good time, with tons of mud and a 10 foot brook crossing.<br><br>
So race morning turned out to be about 30 degrees, but bright and sunny. The ground was frozen so I wondered, "just how much <i>mud</i> can there be?" Hmmm...I would find out soon enough.<br><br>
The race atmosphere was awesome, as people came from all over (Albany Running Exchange) and in all sorts of garb. There were 4 girls in wedding dresses with matching grooms, and some guys in bathing caps and speedos. Definitely an interesting feel to the start.<br><br>
HL and I started out nice and easy around the opening loop just taking it all it. Once we started to enter the woods, there was a tree across the trail, and while some people were going around I was here to get the full experience. I steepled the tree and put a little gap on HL. As we ran through a little wooded downhill it was crowded, three wide at times and really no room to move up or back so I just held my position. There was a bottleneck at a little downhill and I looked back and saw HL, waved and then started to move.<br><br>
We finally hit the mud and it was intense. There were stretches where the mud was 6-12 inches deep and if you got stuck, you were done. So I just started flying around people and through the mud, trying to float over it rather than get bogged down in it. I was covered to mid-thigh right away and the shoes were double in weight, so at that point I just decided that I wasn't going to go around any of it, just through it. This move allowed me to pass a lot of people throughout the race. I was feeling good enough to push the hills and the mud sections pretty hard and any time there was some flat fireroad sections I made sure to pass as many people as possible. The mud sections made this race though - I got such a kick out of seeing people trying to avoid the muddiest sections by going wide, then toppling over into those sections anyway.<br><br>
After some more mud and uphill sections, the trail goes off into the woods for some near-bushwacking. This was the toughest section for me, but I just tucked in behind people and caught my breathe before I pushed an uphill or mud section. I saw a couple people go down along the way, but was able to stay on my feet.<br><br>
Finally I came to the part that I had been waiting for, the brook crossing. As I approached I saw a guy jump in and run into another guy, thereby losing his balance and falling all the way in, head underwater - hmmmm, don't do that I said to myself. The runner ahead of me let me know he was "going for big air" so I backed off a step and watched him jump, following suit (without the big air). Wooooo...that was cold. Freezing in fact, but I emerged and then pushed the pace up the muddy rise toward the finish.<br><br>
The last 30 meters end with a quick, steep uphill and then I was done. Hands on knees heavy breathing, but a quick recovery after that. My wife and I waited for HL in the sun and cheered the runners home. Lots of blood and mud. One guy looked like he was in a horror movie (check the slideshow on my blog for his picture) I ended up running 39:27 for 5 miles. I figure I ran the last 4 miles in about 28 minutes, and I passed many, but was passed by none. Once I got into the woods, I couldn't hold back and just wanted to storm through the trails; I love that feeling. I will definitely be back for next year's race.<br><br>
There is a <a href="http://nytrails.blogspot.com/2008/03/rr-mudders-and-grunters-2008.html" target="_blank">slideshow from the race</a> at the bottom of the race report entry.
So race morning turned out to be about 30 degrees, but bright and sunny. The ground was frozen so I wondered, "just how much <i>mud</i> can there be?" Hmmm...I would find out soon enough.<br><br>
The race atmosphere was awesome, as people came from all over (Albany Running Exchange) and in all sorts of garb. There were 4 girls in wedding dresses with matching grooms, and some guys in bathing caps and speedos. Definitely an interesting feel to the start.<br><br>
HL and I started out nice and easy around the opening loop just taking it all it. Once we started to enter the woods, there was a tree across the trail, and while some people were going around I was here to get the full experience. I steepled the tree and put a little gap on HL. As we ran through a little wooded downhill it was crowded, three wide at times and really no room to move up or back so I just held my position. There was a bottleneck at a little downhill and I looked back and saw HL, waved and then started to move.<br><br>
We finally hit the mud and it was intense. There were stretches where the mud was 6-12 inches deep and if you got stuck, you were done. So I just started flying around people and through the mud, trying to float over it rather than get bogged down in it. I was covered to mid-thigh right away and the shoes were double in weight, so at that point I just decided that I wasn't going to go around any of it, just through it. This move allowed me to pass a lot of people throughout the race. I was feeling good enough to push the hills and the mud sections pretty hard and any time there was some flat fireroad sections I made sure to pass as many people as possible. The mud sections made this race though - I got such a kick out of seeing people trying to avoid the muddiest sections by going wide, then toppling over into those sections anyway.<br><br>
After some more mud and uphill sections, the trail goes off into the woods for some near-bushwacking. This was the toughest section for me, but I just tucked in behind people and caught my breathe before I pushed an uphill or mud section. I saw a couple people go down along the way, but was able to stay on my feet.<br><br>
Finally I came to the part that I had been waiting for, the brook crossing. As I approached I saw a guy jump in and run into another guy, thereby losing his balance and falling all the way in, head underwater - hmmmm, don't do that I said to myself. The runner ahead of me let me know he was "going for big air" so I backed off a step and watched him jump, following suit (without the big air). Wooooo...that was cold. Freezing in fact, but I emerged and then pushed the pace up the muddy rise toward the finish.<br><br>
The last 30 meters end with a quick, steep uphill and then I was done. Hands on knees heavy breathing, but a quick recovery after that. My wife and I waited for HL in the sun and cheered the runners home. Lots of blood and mud. One guy looked like he was in a horror movie (check the slideshow on my blog for his picture) I ended up running 39:27 for 5 miles. I figure I ran the last 4 miles in about 28 minutes, and I passed many, but was passed by none. Once I got into the woods, I couldn't hold back and just wanted to storm through the trails; I love that feeling. I will definitely be back for next year's race.<br><br>
There is a <a href="http://nytrails.blogspot.com/2008/03/rr-mudders-and-grunters-2008.html" target="_blank">slideshow from the race</a> at the bottom of the race report entry.
