A Special Kind of Crazy

*drumroll please*

WARRIOR DASH PART DEUX!
this is a picture heavy post...prepare yourselves!

tux tees = keepin it classy, yet we are here to party, we dragged some more friends along this year
photo credit Katie Rose

We arrived in NY Friday night and checked into the motel.  Last check-in of the day!  (well night, it was about 11:30)  Once we got settled the boyfriend wanted to check out the lounge (there was live entertainment...think Dirty Dancing and you'll have an accurate picture of what this resort looks like).  I was tired so I convinced him that since we were doing the Dash the next day sleep was the better idea. 

Saturday morning we woke up and met up with Colleen and Pat at the motel.  Since they charged for parking this year we carpooled.  We arrived to meet everyone at the mountain at 11.  Our wave wasn't until 1:30.  There was LOADS more people this year than last.  Everyone finally gathered around 12:30 and we had an hour to relax/look around/stretch(?) before lining up and taking off! 

the boys "stretching out"

Warriors Ready! (another Katie Rose photo)

Now as I might have mentioned last year the uphill was BRUTAL.  Yep.  Now I cleverly fooled myself into thinking it wasn't that bad between last year and this.  I'm a LIAR!  That 1.25 miles is quite the effort.  Actually the boyfriend said the uphill was fine...so maybe it's just me.  :op  Next year I will train.  (Next year?  Ya like I said...special kind of crazy.  I am already registered for 2012.) 

The obstacles were different from last year AND this year I brought a waterproof camera.  (It's a disposable so please forgive the quality.)

Barricade Breakdown:  they took the walls from last year and added walls of barbed wire to crawl under.  

Road Rage:  again a variation on last year.  still traipsing through tires, but with wrecked cars to climb over.  

Teetering Traverse:  like balance beams on crack.  or after an earthquake. 

these were a bit slippery!

Deadweight Drifter:  so the swamp from last year.  still awesomely cooling after the trudge up the mountain.  this year with the addition of floating logs to climb over.

the boyfriend showing us how it's done

Cliffhanger:  run through mud puddle.  grab rope.  walk up wall. 

 

the boyfriend wanted me to stop taking pictures and put a little hustle in it

Deadman's Drop:  this one I actually almost injured myself on.  cause instead of lowering myself onto the 2x4 attached to the bottom of the slanted wall, I slid all the way down.  drop indeed!  (no blood, kept going being that I'm a Warrior and all)

what goes up...

must come down (photo by Diana)

Rubber Ricochet: tires hanging off a frame.  Blast your way through.  The volunteer sitting on the top kept urging people to take other warriors out. 

Cargo Climb:  much like last year.  a little taller though.  while I stopped and took a photo the boyfriend was on the ground trying to coach a terrified warrior on how to make it over (she made it to the top only to be paralyzed with fear clinging to the a frame)

hi Colleen!

Chaotic Crossover:  cargo nets suspended horizontally on a frame.  climb up and cross.  this is where having tiny hands and feet and a great sense of balance came in handy.  it was kinda fun too!

Petritying Plunge:  SLIP N SLIDE!  there were more lanes than last year and it was not quite as long, but still super fun.  (and I had goggles so no contacts popping out!)

Warrior Roast:  I got to jump fire.  Again. SWEET!

Muddy Mayhem:  crawling through a mud pit under barbed wire.  epic mud time.  does it get any better? 

no diving!  belly flops encouraged!

a little dirty, but still a classy bunch (photo Katie Rose)

we earned BIG beers

After counquering the mountain and some really big beers we went cleaned up and had dinner.  After dinner we hit up the lounge at the motel.  KARAOKE NIGHT!  The boyfriend's boss stopped in (he was camping across the road) and sang the night away before Dashing in the morning.  

 

Warrior Laundry = the ultimate challenge

before...a bit mud colored

after!  victory is mine!

Check out Diana's blog for her Warrior update!

Starting is an Option; Finishing is Mandatory

That's what one of the runners shouted to us as we were all battling our way through the Warrior Dash. I love it.  It is SO true. 

So if any of you have talked to me in the past few weeks you know I've been slightly stressed and in BIG TIME denial about the Warrior Dash.  Will I do it, can I do it, what on earth was I thinking, who do I think I am...guilt, insecurity, exhaustion, the works.  

Well...I did it!  Jessica and I met at nine this morning for our three hour drive to Windham, NY.  We drove and drove and drove and drove and then met up with Diana in Catskill.  We all piled in one car and The Warrior Dashkateers were on our way!  

We arrived around noon and our wave wasn't until 2:30 so we had plenty of time to collect our packets, wander around and check out the scene.  And quite a scene it was!!!  

starting line!

the Dashkateers pre race

the finish line (right before the mud pit)

The race started at the bottom of the ski mountain and then wound it's way up the slope for over 1.5 miles.  Brutal.  Let me say that again slower.  Brrrruuuuuttttaaaaallllllllllllllll.  There are 13 obstacles in this race...but really the 14th and hardest obstacle was the MOUNTAIN. 

1.  Knee High Hell = stepping through tires

2.  Warrior Wall = two 4 foot wooden walls to climb over

3.  Tunnels of Terror = crawling through pipes

4.  Steep Slope Ahead! (and quite slippery too, my knees didn't like the downhills)

5.  Black Forest = scrambling through a forest...literally

6.  Slithering Swamp = deep muddy pool (for sure at one point I could not touch bottom)

7.  Walk the Plank = wooden planks over a gully

8.  Rip Van Winkle Way = up an over a wooden bridge

9.  Rio Run = MUD MUD MUD and more scrambling through forests

10.  Cargo Climb = climbing up cargo nets then down more cargo nets

11.  Catskill Skid = SLIP N SLIDE!! 

12.  Warrior Roast = jumping over fire...twice

13.  Muddy Mahem = crawling through a mud pit under barbed wire

and we did them all.  I nearly lost a contact on the slip n slide, but by luck it managed to drop right on my (not so clean) shirt and I popped that sucker back in and hit the trail again...had to jump some fire!!  All in all a super hard, super fun, super badass 3.23 miles!  We are already talking next year (perhaps somewhere FLAT!)  Who wants to join us!?!?!?!?!?!

following Jess into the swamp!

the girls post race

I AM THE WARRIOR!

we were able to donate our old shoes after the race...super cool!!

we clean up goooooooooood!

PS - STAY TUNED FOR PART 2...when the professional pics come out!!! (hopefully there's one or 20 of the Dashkateers!)