The Ugly Mudder

Saturday Night I was sitting home and a few friends called me asking if I wanted to go out. I declined knowing I had this race Sunday morning. Sitting there on the couch wacthing the Olympics I started wondering what the hell was I doing. Why am I going to Reading at 9:00 in the morning in the middle of February for a run? What was the point of all of this? I should be out having some fun a drinking some beers. However, clawing and scratching my way up the final hill of this run with 50 people at the top yelling and screaming for me, I realized why it was worth.

This was my first trail run of any kind. I had heard many stories from last years run and I was very unsure of what to expect. I do a lot of trail running (or at least I used to) in the Wissahickon Park and also a lot of hill running in Manayunk so felt I had a shot at posting a good time.

The morning was very called, I met up with Goat and arrived at the start just before 9:00. We picked up our numbers and killed some time drinking coffee and talking. A little warm up and we were at what we thought was the starting line at 9:55 for the 10:00 o'clock start. At 10:10 Ron Horn, the race director, arrives and informs us that we should all be on the other side of the starting line facing the opposite way. I was actually surprised how orderly the 700 people made the transition. to the other side.

We started the race and I was quickly far behind the leaders caught up in a mass of people. We had a 1/4 mile before the trailhead and I made up a little ground when I could. The first portion of the run is mostly uphill but I was in pack of slower runners so I wasn't really struggling, I passed when I could and just tried to make up ground and keep good footing. After about a mile and half I cleared the masses and now the run was more single file. I was happy that I was a little behind at the start because now I was just passing person after person. I'd pass on the left, on the right, on the uphill, on the downhill. At this point I really felt great and I wasn't pushing to hard beacuse I was not sure what to expct up ahead.

Lucky for me I had held back. After mile 4 things really started to go up hill at this point I just didn't want too stop running no matter how slow I went. I kept repeating in my head "Don't wallk. Don't walk." I pased several more people during these uphill portions and I didn't wallk a step. At about mile 5 we turned into the woods, there was no defined trail, and it was very steep with horrible footing. I was forced to walk if I didn't want to die and my "No walk" mantra went out the window. Everyone else was walking this portion of the race so I really didn't feel to bad about it.

Once we crested the hill we were back on the path and the remainder of the race was mostly downhill. I passed a couple more people and then just held my position. We cleared the woods with about 1/4 mile to go and I was able to pick it up and pass one more person. As I went by he gave me a couple words of encouragement and also said "Don't let the final hill bite you in the ass".

What a hill it was. I heard a few stories from Ian and Russ about the finish but it truly doesn't prepare you for what your going to face. To call it a hill is really shortchanging it. It is more of a wall that has a slight incline and very loose footing. I started scrambling, pushing, and pulling my way up the wall on all fours. The people at the top were great, yelling and screaming at me to get my ass up the hill. I made it over the top and it was just a short dash to the finish in 1:02:25. Almost 9 minute miles. Wow. Had it really been that slow? I sure as hell felt like I had run faster than that.

It was a great time and I couldn't wait to get back to the final incline after finishing and cheer on the other runners. A great race. I hope to do it again next year and maybe talk a few others into coming.