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A mud run. Who would want to do such a thing? Or, on a more personal note, what achey, arthritic, overweight oldish woman would consider something so foolish? After all, isn\u2019t it dangerous? Doesn\u2019t that mud get slippery? And what about the obstacles?<\/a> Or broken bones?<\/p>\nHard to believe that it has been only about two weeks since since I finished my first \u2014 and most likely last \u2014 5K mud run. As I\u2019ve said to several friends, there was actually a lot more walking and whining than running going on. Still, it was an event for which I signed up, suited up, and showed up. And, as often happens, I\u2019m getting ahead of myself.<\/p>\n
[bctt tweet=”Sign up. Suit up. Show up.” username=”AndreaPatten”]<\/p>\n
Before the Mud<\/h3>\n
Parts of last year were not especially kind to me. Surgeries, both planned and emergency, were helpful in some areas but set me quite far back in others. Despite hours of physical therapy, meditation, chiropractic care, yoga, and numerous other health-enhancing activities, I just couldn\u2019t get right. Then, the orthopedist uncovered a fairly serious but as yet untreated injury: that did quite a number on my head.<\/p>\n
A friend on the other side of the state posted about signing up for a Mud Girl Run.<\/a> I was intrigued, followed some links and learned there would be one in Jacksonville \u2014 and that it conflicted with my island book festival responsibilities. So I contacted my friend in Tampa. She added two of us to her team.<\/p>\n [bctt tweet=”Do all the things good grandmothers and decent dog handlers do…” username=”AndreaPatten”]<\/p>\n It\u2019s not \u201ccan I…?\u201d It\u2019s \u201cHOW can I…?\u201d<\/p>\n With 5 months to prepare, I stepped up the pain management practices \u2014 \u00a0dropping some turning up the volume others. When exercising, I dug a little bit deeper to find that line between pushing and re-injuring myself. A few weeks before the race, my friend and travel partner<\/a> dropped out of the event. Her decision gave me an out; instead I used it to strengthen my commitment to myself and move forward with adventure in the mud. Two days before the run, she decided to take the trip with me. And bring her stuff. On the way over, we committed to sticking together, going slowly if necessary, laughing at ourselves… and finishing. We were both as ready as we could be.<\/p>\n Lesson 2 ~ Sometimes good enough is good enough.<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n I don\u2019t think mi amiga en Tampa would be offended if I described her as a kooky, busy, joyful genius \u2014 a mom with lively kids and a full time job. In our limited pre-race communication, she assured me that I\u2019d fit in with the rest of the team and that the goal of the exercise was to have fun. And, by the way, there would be team T-shirts. And tutus. Clearly, most of our team members were more concerned with fun and fashion than finish times. Thank goodness.<\/p>\n We bought the damned tutus. I took a picture when it arrived \u2014 I\u2019m still working on being comfortable in my new, larger sized body. But being fat-shamed on the internet is far from the worst thing I\u2019ve ever experienced in life.<\/p>\n Lesson 3 ~ Always bring your own coffee pot.<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n The morning of the event (I still can\u2019t bring myself to refer to it as a \u201crace\u201d) we connected with the rest of the team and were driven to the venue. Various women worried about different parts of the challenge but not one of us was truly prepared for the biggest potential foe of them all: the weather. Yes, we were all prepared for mud and moisture but the 39 degree temperature was a bit daunting. Hey \u00a0 \u2014 at least it made us all anxious to get moving, right?<\/p>\n [bctt tweet=”This is my 5am without coffee face.” username=”AndreaPatten”]<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.andreapatten.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/02\/BB866B46-C55D-41FA-A912-4F495596BCD4-263x350.jpeg\")
Of course there were joyful events, too: the arrival of a puppy named Brava was closely followed by the birth of a new baby grand boy. I\u2019m clearly over the moon (and beyond) about the human baby. However, since I\u2019ve promised his daddy I wouldn\u2019t write about him here, you\u2019re stuck with hearing about the puppy. I\u2019m unwilling to sit on the sidelines of either of their lives and have a strong desire to do all the things that good grandmothers and decent dog handlers<\/a> do, so pain management and improved health became a priority. That\u2019s where the mud comes in.<\/p>\nClear as Mud<\/h3>\n
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Lesson 1 ~ Ask the right question. <\/strong><\/span><\/p>\nFun, Fashion, and Finish Times<\/h3>\n
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An uneventful drive across the state culminated in a reunion with my lovely Tampa friend. It took her about 45 seconds to fold my other friend into her family. My friends are like that. Once we got the schedule for the next day ironed out we decided to call in a night. 5:00 am comes early. With only really bad hotel room coffee available, this is my 5:00 am face.<\/p>\n