Dirty Dash...(or, Mommy, Don't get Mud on My Mud Shirt!)

Over the weekend, I got dirty.  The Dirty Dash came to Colorado Springs in all it's muddy glory.  The Dirty Dash is a 5K "race that puts all other races to shame.  The Dirty Dash is a mud run obstacle course where a military boot camp meets your inner five-year-old’s fantasy and subsequently converts boy to man and then man to swine.  You’ll need endurance to trudge up mountains of sludge, courage to overcome uncompromising obstacles, a complete lack of shame to wallow in pits of mud and a smile to show through at the end!"
   

Our team, Deadweight, was comprised of mostly mommies from my neighborhood.

Some of us love running, some despise it.  Some of us gave birth within the last year, some have teens.  Some are more earthy types, others not-so-much.  All of us had a great time!

 
Prep:  Like all good girl scouts, I wanted to be prepared. (Or maybe the motto was "make new friends"...I've forgotten.)  Happily, I ran across Cassie's Mud Run Tips.  Here's how I adapted them for the Dirty Dash:

1. Hydrate/fuel properly: for me that meant lots of water, bananas, and yes, black bean mac-n-cheese the night before

2. Positive attitude: This meant helping each other out, and having a "no teammate left behind" attitude.  My friend/teammate Bridgett said "We will cross the finishline together, holding hands, even if we are the very last ones."  (This meant a lot to me, because my running confidence has been a bit lacking since I did not to ANY running while I was pregnant with Nugster, and had been having a rough time getting my knees up to the challenge in the past few months.)  Doing this race with friends is essential!

3. Costume: "Deranged Rainbow Brite" included tight-fitting clothing, a lined sports bra, brightly colored bandadna, worn on head (this was the only way we could identify our teammates once we were mud-covered!) swimsuit bottom, and tightly tied shoes that I was excited to donate to Girlsontherun.org 

4. For post-race: We packed a huge beach towel that we had no emotional attachment to, my Dirty Dash t-shirt (which came in our packet) flip flops, and some mesh shorts.  Also, we brought our own adult beverages.

The Good:  The Dirty Dash Colorado benefited many charities, including the American Cancer Society.  While giving feels good, in this case it also was FUN!  Probably the most fun I've had doing a race.  I mean, even those folks who like a good 5K, 10K, half- or full marathon can hardly say they had fun the whole time.  It's more about having accomplished something.  If you look at Dash photos, such as those found on outtherecolorado.com you'll see everyone is smiling.  Also, the race t-shirt, while not dri-fit, is supersoft cotton, and a very flattering cut, and we were allowed to try them on for size at packet pick-up! Perfect for post-race, and wearing around town!  Dirty Dash pint glasses were 2/$5, and kids t-shirts were $6. 

Nugster loved his yellow "I like to eat mud" shirt, which, after a few tumbles in the hot dryer, fit him just fine!

The Bad Could Be Better:  The packets were simple "Thank You for Shopping Here" plastic bags, which contained 2 mini bars, our bib, a car decal, and some running shop propaganda.  I would have been happy to forgo the bag altogether.  Also, a reusable shopping tote would have been fitting, since the Dirty Dash encourages car pooling to save the environment.  Apparently not all race packets were the same. Since I snagged a deal on entry, I really can't complain, although I would have liked one of those pig tattoos that some of my teammates got in their bags.   Along the same lines, at the Dirty Dash, spectators usually can buy water balloons to pummel us Dashers, with proceeds going to charity, but the organizers ran out of water balloons before our heat (10:00AM).  Also, the food/fuel station was distributing beer pre-race (which I guess is also a Good, but I craved a powerade) and the bananas were about 3 weeks from being ripe.  (These are relatively minor points, but I thought they might be helpful to know.)  

The Ugly Muddy: The rest is best told in pictures.

 So in closing, I plan to enter more Dirty Dashes, and similar events.  Being a mommy means less time to train for longer more "serious" races, so I think mud runs may be the perfect fit!

 

Have you ever participated in a mud run?   
 

Mommy's Day Off :)

Haha, just kidding.  Maybe in 17 years and 5.5 months.

I decided that at least for the blog, I'd take a day off from writing about baby stuff.  A little something for my friends who are supporting the blog even though they really don't care much about breast feeding or baby poop. (Yes, I'll probably write about Nugster's little  poop nuggets at some point.)

Recently, while out with a friend (and babies in tow) I wondered aloud, "What did we do all day before we were mommies?"  And that got me thinking about the last few indulgences I've allowed myself.  Over the past 18 months, I must have heard 100 times, "Make sure you take care of yourself," or "Do a little something nice for yourself," or "Take some YOU time."  Well, I'm about to share with you two me-focused experiences I've granted myself since becoming a mommy.

Beautificationation
  In an effort to save money and time, I've found a "low maintanece" hairstyle that really works for me as a mommy.  I have a low tolerance for blowdryers (I distain loud noises) and a limited amount of time to spend on myself each day.  My current long, layered hairstyle with blended highlights is about as maintenance-free as it can get.  It looks pretty good curled or straightened (insert non-existant photo of hair down and styled), but works just fine in a "mommytail"  (pony with strays pulled out by Nugster).

Sporting the Mommytail while exploring a KC-97 refueling plane-turned-restaurant.

After an expensive, time-consuming experience at Sephora, I've opted for a simple make-up routine.  Minimal, yet still enough to make me look, and more importantly, feel "done up."  This feeling is also more likely to get me out of the house in real clothes (vs workout clothes).  

#55, spritz with a touch of H20

In order of application: Olay Regenerist Serum, eyebrow pencil, Garnier tinted caffeine-infused undereye roller in Deep, a pea-sized amount of Makeup Forever HD foundation #128 applied with Sephora Pro Airbrush, Burts Bees Lip Shimmer in Champagne.

That list seems like a lot of product, but it truly only takes 5 minutes. 



Something to look forward to...besides the next naptime!  
 In my 20's, I was a lot more active.  I was a rock climbing instructor.  I played tennis (badly). I ran (painfully), sometimes long distances.  I did gymnastics. I taught gymnastics. I danced. A lot.  I was a bit of a gym rat.  As I entered my late-20's, I became more of a "jogger" and I tended to fall asleep during yoga.  And then came pregnancy and mommyhood.  Talk about a complete shock to the system.  

Fast-forward to present day.  I was craving some non-baby related fitness, and happened to make a wonderful friend who, like me, spent hours a day pushing a stroller and trying to run with a dog.  She invited me to join her team for the Dirty Dash.  Ah! A 5K with mud and obstacles and beer rootbeer (thanks Celiac disease)!

Mmmm....mud pit!

  I hear there are pigs and it ends with a giant slip and slide, and spectators get to bomb us with water balloons!  Plus, a chance to see attractive guys covered in mud take a therapeutic mud bath?  I'm in!  AND it benefits the American Cancer Society/Climb to Conquer Cancer, which I did last year!  Awesome!

Our team races at 10AM this Saturday at the Pikes Peak International Raceway, so if you're in the area, come on down, buy some water balloons, and aim for the 8 ladies with the day-glo outfits!  Talk about a great Mommies' Day off!