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So Lozilu decided to move the date of their race TWO DAYS BEFORE. The best part is they moved it to next Saturday which is when I'm doing Wipeout Run. I'm so disappointed because I really wanted to do both so I'm going to just keep sending emails until I get refund because fuck them
This was sooooo much fun. Can't wait to do another one #lozilu #mudrun #fitlife #awesome
My first mud run - Lozilu Women's Mud Run 2012
On a bit of a whim, I decided to sign up for and run the Lozilu Women's Mud Run in Leesburg, Virginia. Sonia, a friend from my Air Force days, invited me to do it with her and her sister (another friend of mine), Teresa. Before signing up, I had been planning on doing the Crystal City Twilight 5K, but since I hadn't seen Sonia in a while and hadn't seen Teresa in almost 8 years, I decided that a reunion was necessary and justified. Overall, it turned out to be a great reunion and a great event. There were plenty of lessons learned, but, as it was my first "mud run", I definitely enjoyed it.
PRE-RACE PREP
The mud run start times were split up in 30-minute increments. We had signed up for the 11:00 am start time, so by the time we got there, half of the participants had already gone through.
The day was a bit rainy and definitely overcast. To identify ourselves as a team, Sonia and Teresa bought these neon yellow workout shirts and pink and yellow knee-high socks. Unfortunately, I come from a long line of women (and men) who have large calves. So, I ended up having to wear the knee high socks more like regular socks because there was no way I could pull them up around my "gi-normous" calves.
THE OBSTACLES
Anyway, we started our run at a good pace. But as I went up the first obstacle, I realized that I hadn't worn the best shoes for this mud run. In short - they were old running shoes with barely any tread on them. By the time we got to the third obstacle - a waist-deep wade through the Potomac river that ends with a climb up a muddy bank - I knew that mud was definitely going to be a problem.
And it was. I had to shorten my stride and there was no way that I would be able to take an obstacle quickly for fear that I'd jump down and then end up falling on my backside.
All-in-all, it was a 3 mile run with 10 obstacles throughout. I ended up walking about half the course because my ankles and the outer part of my left foot (aka, the lateral phalange area) was hurting. But that's usually whenever I start to tense up and compensate for really unstable ground.
POST-RACE
Afterwards, there was a place for the runners to "hose" off. Then, after hosing themselves off (which, by the way, the women were NOT shy about doing - in various stages of dress), there was a dressing area behind some tents were women could change into clothes that they had brought with them.
Also, by the way, we were COVERED in mud. The mud managed to get into all different crevices. Even afterwards, when I got back to Sonia's place to take a shower, I ended up rinsing off so much more mud off of me. I didn't realize how much mud could remain in my hair.
SO...LESSONS LEARNED
1) Plan costumes well in advance or run the risk of getting costumes that don't really fit you - case in point - my socks...and my shirt...which, as you'll see in the pics, didn't fit me as well as they fit the two much skinnier sisters.
2) Wear shoes with some kind of tread. In fact, the more tread the better. Heck, maybe even cleats would be a good option...if you don't mind wading through water in them.
More and more athletic/outdoor gear companies are making shoes specific to this kind of activity. Salomon has the Techamphibian shoe that seems pretty popular...and might be a good option for land/water activities. You can see an example here.
3) Bring towels and extra clothes to change into afterwards.
4) Bring an extra pair of shoes. You can "recycle" the shoes that you used for this race. Those shoes usually get used to build courts and playgrounds for kids - always a good cause.
5) Bring plastic covering for your car seats so that you don't get mud and dirt all over them after the run.
The next Lozilou Mud Run is scheduled for July 20, 2013. I'm not 100% sure that I will do it, but, heck - if I can scrounge out the money and I can find some ladies to do it with me, I'll be happy to go again.
Of course, this will require a new pair of "mud run shoes".
