Nothing goes better with mud and spandex than tulle!

Before

 So, this morning, just 12 days after gallbladder surgery, I ran another local mud run. It was cold (37 degrees F!), so of course I contemplated going shirtless... but after asking a volunteer and finding out there was no major water until right before the finish line, I kept my clothes on.

(I've learned the hard way that less really is more when it comes to mud run- if you're going to be immersed in water, dress like it's 80 degrees out- cold, wet shirts just lead to hypothermia. Trust me, I've been there.)

I got tons of comments/compliments on my tutu, so I'm glad I made it last-minute last night. No sew tutus may need to be incorporated more often, especially since it was so easy to make.

We met one of my husband's coworkers and his fiance there, which made it even more fun. Silly me, I was too cold at the end to get a group photo!

After

 We really didn't look too muddy when we were done, in part thanks to the dumpster full of water at the end.  

The race was small- I'd guess there were only about 60 people total- and ALL proceeds went to the area's Shop with a Cop program (lower income kids get to go shopping with a police officer for Christmas gifts for their families- it's great way to make Christmas dreams come true, and show these kids strong, positive role models). I love supporting small, local events because of this. No big greedy companies, just lots of love and community.

The course was on a boy scout camp property, and wound us through woods, over hay bales, over or under a hay-laden wagon (I went under- the sand looked nice), through the edge of a pond, through a small creek etc. They did a great job of using the natural landscape for obstacles, and added a few like the hay bales and the water-filled dumpster at the end. Halfway through, I thought we had to go over a trailer of boats (similar to an obstacle in Warrior Dash last August), but Tim notice the course went the other way. Silly me, I just assume anything big is meant to be climbed over!

Tim and I finished the 2.75 mile course in under 30 minutes (there was no timing system since this was meant to be a true fun run- Tim just kind of glanced at his watch). And, I'm very pleased to say (because even in a "fun run" I can't help but compete a little), I was the very first female to cross the finish line! Not too shabby given that 12 days ago, I was still under the influence of anesthesia, and one week ago, I was drowning that darn sinus/chest cold with literally a gallon of hot tea. I was grinning ear to ear when I heard the ladies "manning"the finish line double their volume, yelling, "First female! Way to show all those guys how it's done! And in a tutu!"

There you go, Mom. I made your wish come true- you now have something to brag about at that fundraiser next weekend, since you keep reminding me you need something to brag about in the absence of grand babies!

 The shirt, while not my favorite color (ugh, white, everyone will know what I ate all day), has a very well done logo, and we all got a good chuckle out of the race bags- it's an evidence bag! HAHA! That's what you get when police officers organize a fun run! They also gave everyone a plastic bag for your muddy clothes when you were done- though, since this wasn't my first rodeo, I actually had 6 bags, which was enough to share with our friends.

Check out the medal- a large nut with "MUD AND GUTS" engraved around it. Pretty clever for a small event like this.

I would definitely recommend this event. It was well-organized and the atmosphere, though no party like big name events, was so welcoming, friendly, up-beat, and just all-around great. Over the 13 events I've done this year, some of the smaller ones have been just as fun as the big productions. I love knowing that my money is going towards a good cause, too, not just making someone rich.

It's been a good weekend so far. I hope you've been enjoying yours!