and our Vibram Five Fingers
and we were ready to go. Hands down one of the funnest things I have ever competed in. This was the second event that I have run in, the first being the Witchy Winter Wolf 25K. I like the off the wall, sort of odd events since I don't plan to be a competitive runner. Running is a great way for me to keep in shape for grappling tournaments that I compete in, plus it gives me a physical outlet.
In the Warrior Dash, waves of up to 500 runners make their way through approx five kilometers (3.17 miles) run that has 12 obstacles throughout the course. The night before our run it rained like crazy so the whole course and registration area was muddy. It didn't matter, we were going to get muddy anyway. The race / registration / bag check was very smooth, the volunteers and workers were very friendly and helpful as well. We were in the 3rd wave which started at 10am, so we arrived before things got too destroyed by the 1000s of people walking the grounds. Warrior Dash sets up a shuttle service for this event to ease parking. We parked our truck at the Chicagoland Speedway and rode a bus to the CPX Sports Complex. Picked up our race packets that had our race bibs and transponder chips, and checked our gear.
There was a lot of excitement in the air, it was a beautiful day, and we were ready to run. We started somewhere toward the first 1/3 of the pack. Everybody took off, and I followed Tanya Gunz and Brian Fear the Beard Skjold through the thick bushes as we passed about 20 people to get toward the front of the line. There was about a 1/2 mile run through fields until we came to the first set of obstacles which basically consisted of navigating through muddy forest and trying to not break our butts. The obstacles, which included large wire spools, abandoned cars, ruins, and a muddy ass bog were the first we encountered. The cars were some of my favorite obstacles, as you had to hop on the hood to navigate through them. There were muddy hills and trees that seemed to appear right when you needed to change direction. It was awesome! I rounded the corner coming off the ruins and doubled back toward the half way water station, saw Dave and Jamie and gave them the warrior yell "Southside DOJO!!!" Acknowledged....
As we rounded the last mile, we encountered the hay bail pyramid, the rope ladder, and the hills of torture. The course cut back and forth and there were probably about 12 hills to run up and down. I would guess they were 6 feet high. Quads and lungs were burning as I turned the corner to see the fire. And it was higher than expected, and hot, made it over both sets of flames to dive into the mud and crawl under the barbed wire and the final dash to the finish!
It was a tired ride home. Next year we stay the night of the race and drive home the next day, that way we can enjoy more beer and checkout the fireworks in the evening!
Will post my time when it is available...
Warrior Dash - A+
