Started out in the back with Kristen, but I sorta got ahead taking a turn a little short. Moved up through a couple of groups of people, picking them off in clumps. All of a sudden, I see people standing around at the base of the first climb, and I look left....and up....and up...and up. Well, he did say there was bushwhacking, and this was it. So w number of people just sorta turned where they were (including me), and started up the hill, making our own routes. This was hands and feet kind of climbing. Get to the top, sort of rejoin the group. I'm taking it relatively easy, not pushing too hard, and going real easy on the downhills, since that's usually where I end up getting injured. So I'm moving along, enjoying the course, hit a couple climbs and a couple good downhills (the kind where you're going tree to tree to stay upright). I would pass people on the flats and the hills, since that was where I could go faster, and I'm usually pretty strong on those hills. Anyhoo. First water stop, feeling pretty good. Keep on going. Between miles 4 and 6, most of the terrain was easy going. Wide, good footing, relatively flat. That's all just a ploy, though, because eventually, you get to IT. IT is one of the longest, toughest climbs I've ever had to do in one of these races. It starts out as switchbacks, so you can sorta run, then changes to single-track goat trail, complete with rocks, and eventually turns into almost mountaineering-like scaling at the end. Eventually, you reach the top, have to jump down off a wall onto the road, and take off on a gentle downhill. You get just enough time for your quads to realize that they've passed one level of Hell before you get to start the real downhill portion. This is almost literally bounding from rock to rock in an attempt to maintain some semblance of upright and footing. Fewer small trees to swing from, too, so that just adds to the joy of the moment. Not the place you wanna face plant, but probably the most likely place to do it in. This eventually evens out some to become almost like an actual trail, complete with what look like insane mountain bike jumps. Considering trajectory off of them would land you either in the trees, or another rock field, I personally wouldn't have done those, but hey, I'm also out here running this d@mn course, so my intelligence is questionable anyway.

Keep on rolling, and I know we're coming up on the finish. I've already passed the second water (beer) stop, and for anyone who has never done Mount Mud, it's always entertaining to hear/see reactions...."What the H3!! is THAT?!?!", is always a popular choice, along with more colorful language that isn't appropriate in family-friendly environs. Anyway, hit the turn, now looking directly at the beast, and say, "Oh what the hey, roll on up!", hit it, and just scramble up that thing like nobody's business. Actually, I felt I took it pretty good, much better than last year (different race, though). And then it was on for the remaining 100 meters to the finish, including one more small hill (like we needed anymore). Got through the finish, and everyone around proceeded to comment on the fact that I had 2 inch long icicles hanging from the brim of my hat.

Got some water, got some coffee, and cheered Kristen up the hill and into the finish line.


As always, insanely difficult terrain, coupled with challenging weather and a bunch of other like-minded nitwits always makes for a great race.