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| In honor of my sister-in-laws (survivors) and my late friend Diane (1970-2012), the Irvine Lake Mud Run benefiting Susan G. Komen, serving women & saving lives. (www.irvinelakemudrun.com) |
When I was a kid, I loved to walk in the rain and jump in puddles. The last time I jumped in muddy puddles I was 22 years old and living in Sioux Falls, South Dakota. I had just graduated from college and an incredible rainstorm plummeted the city on a hot summer day. My friend and I ran to the street in t-shirts and shorts and jumped, danced, played, ran, walked, splashed, kicked water and laughed in the rain. It was blissful and I've wanted to seize the moment again and again ever since. When friends and family learned I was signed up for the Irvine Lake Mud Run, they didn't quite "get it." But, I embraced my inner child and jumped into the 5K run with excitement and anxious anticipation.
There were mud crawls, slides that emptied into a big mud pool sure to drive your head under water, 1/4 mile of quicksand like mud, monkey bars over mud, ice freezing cold mud, big mud hills to climb up and slip down, giant mud puddles and mud, mud & more mud. The event was really well organized except for running out of shower water for afternoon runners. We had to bathe in the lake to get the top layers of mud off. It felt good to get dirty, to take on a challenge and to finish. I'm pretty sure, I've never been more dirty. But the laughter and friendship was worth it.
So moms, if you are tired of cleaning up after your kids, escape the duties of motherhood for a few hours by running in the mud to feel like a kid again.
