The mud was literally everywhere and I felt bad for the janitor that had to clean up after us. Running 5km on dry solid pavement is relatively easy. Throw in some obstacles, lots of water, and mud and you have yourself an adventure race.
Running was next to impossible as I tried to lift my feet which were stuck in a foot of mud. I nearly lost my shoes doing so. The obstacle course was just less than 5km and we were at the MS Rush Adventure Challenge at Adrenaline Adventures.
Adventure racing is something quite new to me. I play ultimate frisbee, run half marathons and marathon relays, so running on flat, wide-open spaces is easy. The obstacle course at the MS Rush Adventure Challenge included easy challenges such as tapping football tackle dummies as you ran by and a team set of jumping jacks. At the mud bucket station, each member of our team had to carry a pail of mud up a hill for 50m and back down.
I’ve participated in several adventure races prior to the MS Rush Adventure Challenge and I can personally say I hate tractor tires. They’re big and heavy and they serve no purpose unless they’re on an actual tractor. Have you ever tried flipping a tractor tire? If you have, you may understand why I despise them.
Yes, flipping tractor tires through mud was one obstacle that basically sucked all my energy and I was only halfway through the course.
After the tires, it was a zig-zag sprint to the top of the toboggan hill to what was billed as the “Mystery Obstacle” prior to the start of the race. As we approached the top, a short line of racers were diving on all fours as they prepared to crawl through a 15 foot long pool of mud. If you weren’t dirty by this stage of the race, this would be the station that primed you up for a dirty picture at the finish line!
Getting down was a lot easier and definitely more fun. Along the backside of the hill and the only way to get down was a 6′ wide make shift slip & slide where everyone ended up in small pool of mud. Wet and muddy, again.
Followed by a short jog, with shoes carrying almost 5lbs of mud, our team made it to the final obstacle before the finish line. Each of us had to crawl through 20’ long plastic PVC tubes which were about 2′ wide. Not surprisingly, crawling through the tubes was easy. What surprised me was the quick onset of claustrophobia. I made it out the other end with a smile on my face and covered in mud. Our team crossed the finished line and jumped straight into the wakeboard pool to clean off our mud laden bodies!
What’s next? It’s the Dirty Donkey Mud Run at Spring Hill Winter Park on Saturday, August 18th. The Filipino Journal is excited to be involved with the Swamp Donkey Adventure Racing. Whether you’re flying solo or with a group of friends, the race is open to everyone! The Filipino Journal “Mud Hunters” are recruiting. For more information on joining the Filipino Journal “MUD HUNTERS” team, contact Ron Cantiveros by email at
ron@FilipinoJournal.com.
