Warrior Dash: Achievements and the overenthusiastic supporters

Given my outrageously neglectful attitude towards writing my blog (something I am working on rectifying) and being bogged down with a magnitude or research writing, I'm a little behind in my news.

I DID IT!

 I managed to successfully complete Warrior Dash, a 5km mud and obstacle event that only a year prior, I had said I would never, ever do.

Okay, so I might have walked the entire thing, bar about 200 metres at the start, but I still finished. I actually found it quite leisurely, walking with my partner while everyone else ran, then crawling, swimming, beating my way through obstacles. In saying that, I was outrageously sore the following week or so. I did it with a big group of friends which was great fun, although they are all far better at running, so I made sure I didn't hold them back and just kept at my own leisurely pace as they scooted off and kindly waited for me at obstacles. This was not aided by the death cold I had for a month which inhibited all training and carb loaded my already pudgy self.

Unlike my cohort, I was happy to just sit on my victory alone while they all eagerly signed up for Tough Mudder, a course that is four times as long with much tougher obstacles. Don't get me wrong, I greatly admire their enthusiasm, and striving for that next challenge is a fantastic way to keep someone motivated to adhere to their fitness goals. I also think it's very important to just sit back and admire the feat you have accomplished, take a moment to be really proud of what you have achieved. Sit on that glory for a while to really tell yourself "I did it". If you don't, you might find yourself chasing endless goals that don't actually give you any satisfaction or sense of accomplishment.

Here are a couple of images from the fun day (I'm in the pink shirt and tail/ears).

Turns out, not the right way to get across the car.

                                      

Actually the hardest obstacle for me - this gave me terrible vertigo and I nearly walked into a pole. True story.

 

Was quite good at these two, I thank my pole dancing arms for that. Although that second one was outrageously slippery.

 

Wringing out my tail, on the go.

 

The taste of sweet, sweet victory (which apparently, tastes like cheap beer).

 

 

So that was just some of the fun I got to have at Warrior Dash.

 

 

Here is what wasn't so fun.

The borderline patronising support from onlookers. Now wait, I can already hear you saying "But isn't it nice to get so much encouragement from people on the field who don't even know you but want you to succeed?" to which the normal answer is yes, yes I do. However, I'm a girl who carries a little extra weight and therefore, look like the little engine that could, trying extra hard to make it through the obstacle course. Inside people's heads, they think "oh wow, look at that bigger girl who's giving it a go, good for her!" which is great, fair, and accurate. I am great. Despite this being true, it also creates a lot of presumptions I didn't care for. Such as that I'm not fit, working harder or not as hard as aesthetically sculpted, fit human beings or that I need help getting through some obstacles. 

 

This is a great example of what's called positive discrimination. It falls under the same category as trying to help a disabled person or being extra nice to a black guy in your shop so you that you hope that he thinks, that you know, that he won't steal anything.

Don't get me wrong, to a degree, I really appreciated the encouragement and support from fellow racers and spectators. Although, when it gets to a point where they are actively targeting you and trying to make things easier for just you, it makes you feel much more like the special kid in the class rather than a racer, just trying to get through the course like everyone else.


All in all, I did definitely enjoy Warrior Dash and look forward to now focusing on my next target of the 7km Spartan Race - much harder obstacles, 2 more kilometres, 100 burpees if you can't do an obstacle.

Bring it.