November 2013
writers Corey Rosado Obstacle Runner South East Region
Vivian Johnson Obstacle Runner South East Region
Kathleen Ramirez
Whats inside this issue? “Stuck in the Mudd” Corey Rosado............................... pg 1
“Muddy, Dirty and Challenging” Vivian............................................pg 5 OCR Kid Ally Baby Beast Henrikson.......pg 10 OCR Kid Brooke Voutsinas........................pg 11
Team Dirt Bags “Just passed your ass”
“Morning Mudtabolism” Roger Smith, PhD.......................pg 15
Holly Berkey
“Teach a Man to Fish” Nabilah Fountain.......................pg 19
Blogger / Writer / Athlete MuddyMommy.com
Nabilah Fountain NASM Certified Trainer Nutrition Coach
Roger D. Smith, PhD. OCR Athlete Prolific Author
Paola Reategui Elite Racer Athlete
Lisa Thornton Obstacle Runner South East Region
Athlete Spotlight Paola Reategui............................pg 23 Race Review - Savage Race Lisa Thornton................................pg 25 Team Spotlight - Dirt Bags Kathleen Ramirez.......................pg 27 HMR - MuddyMommy Holly Berkey................................pg 31 Race Map Mud Run Fun.............................pg 35
I am NOT an athlete. Hell, I’m not even a
internal itch. Of course, any time I commented on
“runner”. I think a more accurate description would
how cool they looked, Vivian would quickly suggest
be that I’m just moving my feet slightly faster than
that Randy and I get out there for a race. It was quite
normal while trying not to die from poor breathing.
possibly the craziest idea ever, but still I couldn’t
Yet, I am absolutely hooked on mud runs! How on
help but think, just maybe…
earth did that happen? Back in February, I had this grand idea that we
I became the nagging wife. Pictures, videos, websites, anything I could find about mud runs, I
should sign up for one of those crazy color runs.
shared with Randy. I was even on the MudRunFun
A whole three miles! Now for most of you, that’s a
site scoping things out. I was driving him absolutely
walk in the park, but not for me. I hadn’t seen the
crazy. He was curious, but not taking the bait and
inside of a gym in years, had a baby who was barely
I still wasn’t entirely convinced I could handle the
over a year old, and participated in no regular form
challenge. I am afraid of heights, can’t climb a rope,
of exercise. Once upon a time, I was in amazing
and forget about monkey bars! I’d watch course
shape and working part time as a personal trainer.
videos on YouTube and my eye out for anyone who
A 5k, probably even a mud run, would have been
looked to be in about the same shape I was in. It’s
much more suitable for me at that time, but ten
terrible to judge, I know, but seeing people with
years later, umm, not exactly.
more body fluff than me was motivating. If they can
My husband, Randy, was supportive, but suggested I run with my stepson. Randy’s in great shape, but he’s not a runner and colored cornstarch
do it, why can’t I? At least, that’s what I kept telling myself. Soon we were seeing posts for Hog Wild’s 18
just wasn’t enough to entice him. Anthony and I
Holes of Hell. August was still a few months away, so
began our training, and while I wasn’t a great runner
I had time to train. Randy, Anthony and I were all
and I always sound like I would die, I was able to
signed up and, I’ll admit, the whole process gave me
run a full 3 miles. When May came around, we
heart palpitations. I wasn’t able to sleep that night,
rocked that run! We felt so exhilarated and confident
wondering what craziness I had gotten us into.
and we couldn’t wait to do it again. I knew that if I didn’t have a reason to get outside and run, I would fall into my old, lazy habits. I had to find another event and fast!
I spent the summer training as well as I could with P90x, Insanity, burpees and running. I bought a pull-up bar in the hopes that I may stand a chance against anything resembling monkey bars.
Meanwhile, my friend Vivian kept posting all
Considering I couldn’t do a real pull up, I felt the
these awesome mud run photos on Facebook. I
odds were stacked against me. As the weeks drew
was intrigued, but intimidated. None of our other
near, my sleep became more restless. I couldn’t lie
friends would ever consider an event like this. The
down at night without thinking about the upcoming
bragging rights alone could be worth it. The more
race. I even had dreams about obstacles!
pictures I came across, the more I began to feel that
On the morning of 18 Holes, I was a nervous
wreck. Randy was having back pains from work so I was worried that he’d be miserable the entire day. My stomach was in knots and I was afraid of making a complete ass out of myself. Anthony, being a fit thirteen year old was just super excited and ready to go! My anxiety grew even more once we were on site and I saw so many super fit runners. We dropped off our bags by the MudRunFun tent and that’s when I saw the Gauntlet. Oh-Dear-Lord! It was hard to maintain composure at the starting line, but once we started, my adrenaline was pumping and I was feeling good. I loved crawling through the mud and water obstacles, but the idea of climbing was still frightening. I could see the rope wall in the distance and I started to worry. I was shocked when I made it over in one shot; all I could say to the boys was, “I did it! I did it!” Soon I was staring at a new wall. Sure, this one has pegs, but those little wood pieces were narrow and when you have a brain that invents Final Destination scenarios, you can’t help but imagine falling! Still I managed to get safely up and over; awesome work for these short legs! It was about this time that Randy decided we needed to do more mudruns. He was tackling this course head on and opting for the difficult versions of the obstacles. Randy is competitive by nature and I was hoping that would help lure him in because, in my head, I was already planning for future races.
I was holding my own with many of the obstacles and when I needed it, others were there to lend a hand. Eventually we got stuck in a rather long line for the Ninja. The wait was killing me! The longer I watched, the more I freaked out. I was psyching myself out the entire time. Hanging upside down, that high in the air? Hello, panic attack! I could actually feel my heart banging inside my chest. Randy got through it easy peasy. Anthony was ahead of me and struggled. He tried and tried, but couldn’t make it. This was not good! Athletic as he is, if he couldn’t do it, there was no hope for me! I held on to that wood for dear life and climbed my little heart out, all the way to the top! I couldn’t believe it! Crossing the finish line that day was one of the biggest accomplishments of my life. Never would I have imagined being able to conquer the obstacles we faced that day. Our family loved the challenge, had a great time with our friends, and met some awesome new people. We were pumped and craving more. The Rosado’s are officially addicted and continue to sign up for more races. How could you not want to be a part of this?!
I have decided- I like it muddy, dirty, and
workers. They do several mud runs annually
challenging. I like to be extra sore the next
and because of his accomplishment, they
day as well as covered with bruises so I can
invited him to run the “Savage Race” with
be reminded of all the fun I had. I like to
the work team.
still have to clean the mud out of my ears for days after and have co-workers find mud on my hair/face that I missed. I like ice, shock, barbed wire, ropes, hay bales, tires, trees, swims, jumps, ramps, buckets- you name it. How did I become so damaged? I can thank my little brother for this. At the age of 31, with much work and dedication, he lost 100 lbs!! He is a bartender, working nights and surrounded by delicious chicken wings and beer. This took a lot of will power and strength for him to do and I am so proud of him. He also had a strong support system from his co-
He immediately told us about it. I thought, “What the heck is a mud run?” I went on the website, saw the video and got scared. Scared that it was dangerous and he would get hurt and scared he wouldn’t be able to complete it. Part of me also wondered if this would be something I could do. The temptation was there. Then the negativity began. I am out of shape, busy with a kid in college and a kid in high school. My husband and I both work full time, did I mention out of shape and I love fast food. I have a handful
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of health issues so excuses are always available. Not
56 year old uncle to join me. We had quite a bit of
to mention where to begin, am I too old to start this
fun, but it wasn’t enough. I wanted a muddier harder
now? How do I train for this? Where do I start?
experience. The addiction began.
I figured; let’s start by seeing how the race is, and how my brother does. Watching him jump at “Davy Jones Locker” and attempt “Saw tooth” was amazing. There were spectators and photographers cheering him on. Yelling and clapping and helping him stay strong and hang in there. I was in tears. The support he was receiving from total strangers with all the struggles he has overcome was amazing. It was sincere, it was uplifting and it was enough to get him through the race and move me to sign up for my first run. My first run was a few weeks
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later, a zombie run. I asked my two brothers, husband and
Of all the addictions someone could have, I feel this is a good one. It pushes us to work out, eat better, and stay in shape because the next race is right around the corner. We will have an empty nest in less than 4 years and my husband Jason and I discussed having hobbies to keep us occupied for when it is just us. We both really enjoy the challenges these races push us to accomplish. We work hard to get better and better on each one. I also feel it has brought us a lot closer together. He is my own personal cheerleader, motivator and stepping stool on these races. He never gives up on me and has more faith in me than I do in myself. I feel like superwoman when I run these races with
him. He looks at me with his eyes and I can see
one we have been welcome with open arms into the
how proud he is of me and it helps me continue
mud run community at MUDRUNFUN and I really
on. It helps me pull from deep within to finish the
look forward to our runs for the run but also to see
challenges. It is exciting and invigorating.
all the MUDRUN FUN athletes and fun runners. It’s
Not only has it brought us together but it has opened up a whole new world of potential friends. Reconnecting with family on a whole new level has been wonderful . My uncle Ruben has been
awesome to see all the familiar and new faces and feel all the support and fun energy. I enjoy meeting new people and hope to continue getting closer to everyone there.
running with us and he is amazing. He sets his mind on something and he accomplishes it. We all start together and he leaves us in the dust. He runs and trains on average about 5 days a week and he is a machine. One race ignited him and he hasn’t stopped since. I hope to be as good as he is someday. I love running with Liz and Corey and company, talking to Christina and Thomas and of courseLenny with the famous Jello shots. Thankfully, while looking into deals on some of the races, I came across MUDRUNFUN. It’s my one stop shop for all my mud run needs. The event calendar connects me to the sites of all upcoming races and gives discount codes to boot!! From day
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mudrunfun.com
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Birthday:
I’m 11 but I will be 12 on November 5th
Events:
Mud Endeavor II, Mud Endeavor Under the Lights, Hog Wild, Monster Challenges,
ROA Fundays and Highlander V I love to run mud runs with my family. My favorite part about it is when I try an obstacle and get scared but
finish it anyway. It makes me feel proud. My dad and mom always encourage me and so do lots of the other runners, even ones I don’t know. If you ever try mudruns you will see how friendly and helpful everyone can be. Sometimes I can’t do an obstacle but I always try. When my brother runs it really motivates me, he is 16. I love spending my weekends getting dirty and having fun on the obstacle courses. They are all so different that I could never pick just one. Sometimes my friends ask me why I go to these races and I tell them because they are challenging and it’s a great exercise. Being outdoors is a great way to spend a Saturday afternoon. My favorite obstacle is the zip line and my least favorite is ice crawls, they are SO cold and hurt my hands but they are a cool idea and only last a minute or so. I am really working hard on getting over my fear of heights, I think if I just keep trying the tall obstacles and trusting the people around me I will be able to get through them in no time. I am getting better with every race. Well that’s a little about me. I hope to see you at the next event. MUDRUNFUN!!!
Your kids look up to you as you did your parents. Why not get them involved in the one thing you have in common? The love for crawling, jumping, sliding and all things muddy! Join MudRunFun’s campaign to promote mud running and fun running to kids everywhere. With all these opportunities to promote health and fitness while having fun, you cannot lose. Look up events in your area. Email your local race directors and request that they set up a kid’s race. Let’s keep our kids on the right track. Let your kid become an OCRkid today!
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The Mud Run Blueprint for Fitness
sleep, and exercise. While sleeping your metabolism has shifted down to its slowest rate for the entire day.
MORNING MUDTABOLISM Mud runs are morning events beginning as early
The longer that you wait to start your metabolism back up in the morning, the fewer calories that you
as 8:00am and running through the afternoon. That
will burn all day, and the higher your body weight
means your body needs to be firing on all cylinders
will be. One step in building a lean and healthy
first thing in the morning. A good early morning
body is to fully engage your metabolism as soon
stretch and flex program is going to get your
as possible. You need a metabolism boost in the
muscles, joints, metabolism, and mind ready for
morning just like you might need a morning caffeine
morning action.
boost.
If you typically do your main workout in the
If your metabolism remains on “night slow�
afternoon, you also need something short and quick
for just one additional hour of your waking day,
to boost your metabolism in the morning. This is
then that can be as much as a 6% decrease in your
a good time to focus on flexibility, circulation, and
daily metabolism. This could mean as much as a
your core strength. This is not a second, full out,
6% increase in your weight. Or a lost opportunity
high intensity workout. It is a booster to wake up
to drop 6% of your body weight with a very small
your metabolism and get you moving for the rest of the day.
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Your body burns calories at different rates when you work,
investment in physical activity. You need to invest 15 minutes each morning to drop 6 to 18 pounds of body fat over the span of a single year.
Morning Boost You are going to start a new habit of waking up 20 minutes earlier than usual. You are going to make room in your day for a little early morning exercise. This is not a full workout. It is just a jumpstart to get your day going. Most people hate to lose even a few minutes of sleep, but I promise you that this one is going to create more energy than it takes away. When you step out of bed every morning, step directly into some comfortable clothes that are good for a little activity. The best metabolism boost is simply to go for a walk. If the weather allows, step out your front door and start walking. Just walk around the equivalent of a single city block - about 15 minutes. During your walk, look at the sky, breath the morning air, listen to the birds. Make a connection with the world around you. Soak in the richness of a world that has existed for billions of years. Reach out for some of the peace of this ancient world. Notice how relaxed and in-tune it is. Include some of that
peace in your own soul. In addition to being a spiritual commune with nature, this mild session will jumpstart your metabolism. The machinery that converts stored fat and calories into energy and muscle will start working for you immediately. When you return from your walk around the neighborhood, you are going to finish up with a few calisthenics. These exercises do not require any equipment and can be done in 4 minutes. Tabata Time Dr. Izumi Tabata published a research study in which he showed that, even for conditioned athletes, alternating short periods of intense exercise with short recovery breaks provided more improvements in cardiovascular health than longer periods of exertion at medium levels. This led to the creation of the Tabata workout craze. The simplest of these is done in just 4 minutes.
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A Tabata Set consists of 20 seconds of exercise, followed by 10 seconds of rest. This short cycle is
Day Improved That’s it. A 20 minute investment in mild exercise
repeated eight times. You will finish the entire set in
the first thing in the morning to jumpstart your day,
just four minutes. When you return from your 15
burn extra calories, wake-up without caffeine, and
minute walk around the block you are going to pick
improve your mood. It’s probably the biggest payoff
one of the Tabata sets shown below based on your
you can get for a 20 minute investment.
current fitness level. Mild
Medium
Hot
Alternate Toe
Burpee with
Burpee with
Touch
Jump
Push-Up
Jogging in Place Squat Trunk Twists
Push-Up
Squats
Bicycle Crunches
Repeat Circuit
Repeat Circuit
Twice
Twice
Repeat 8 Sets
Notice that for the Mild and Medium workouts we have listed 4 different exercises. You go through these in sequence, 20 seconds of the first, 10 seconds rest, 20 seconds of the second, 10 seconds rest, and so on. When you finish all four, go back and do them a second time. For the Hot workout we have prescribed one of our favorite exercises – the Burpee with a Pushup. Do this one exercise for 20 seconds of work, 10 seconds of rest, repeated eight times. This sounds like a walk in the park. But Dr.
Dr. Roger Smith is a researcher at Florida Hospital, author, and avid mud runner. He competes
Tabata discovered something really powerful. This
with the old guys in every mud run around Central
routine packs a lot of work into a very short period
Florida. This column was drawn from his book The
of time. When you finish this your first
New Blueprint for Fitness: Mud Run Edition, which
time you will be impressed and a
is available at Amazon.com.
little exhausted.
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http://www.NewBlueFit.com/
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Nabilah Fountain
http://www.facebook.com/revolvefitcamp http://www.livintheskinny.wordpress.com The weight loss industry is a 60 billion industry
to do. One of the many reasons structured diets
and it’s growing at lightning speed. Many people
do not work for the long term is simply because
want that quick fix; that miracle pill. Something
it’s disempowering in the same manner that giving
they can pop in their mouth and all the fat they
a man a fish is. You know the old saying…”give a
accumulated over the years just melts away
man a fish and you feed him for a day. Teach a man
revealing a slimmer, sleeker version of themselves. I
to fish and you feed him for a life time. This is true
hate to be the one to burst your bubble but if it took
when it comes to almost anything in life but it’s
time to put it on it will take time to take it off. A
especially true when it comes to selecting a nutrition
better option is selecting a nutrition program geared
plan that’s right for you. Here are 3 tips to selecting
towards both fat loss and health and one developed
and starting a nutrition program and embarking on
for sustainability. Many nutrition programs are
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a path of to health and longevity. #1. Chose a plan that allows you the freedom to
designed to tell you what to
make choices. The plan should come with several
do rather that teach you what
options and a deep explanation as to why those
options were selected in the first place. If the plan tells you what to eat and when to eat it, steer clear. It should show you the way not tell you the way. #2. Hire a nutrition coach not just a nutritionist. Yes there is a difference. A coach will meet with you weekly to review your daily intake logs. He/she will elicit coaching opportunities along the way as needed. This will not only teach you but help you to apply the newly found knowledge to your lifestyle. A nutritionist will hand you a structured diet plan equipped with what to eat and when to eat it and with little to no coaching. With these types of plans, most tend to get board and resort back to what they were eating that got them to where they are in the first place. #3. Allow for mistakes and setbacks. This is a tough one for most of my clients. Many enter in a program expecting not to slip up every once and a while. But in the path of life, setback will occur. It’s the steps taken to readjust and move forward that truly teach you the most. Setting unrealistic expectations of not making mistakes when starting out on a nutrition program is the first “mistake”. Understanding this will open your mind to learning new things along the way. So remember when selecting a nutrition program make sure it’s a program that teaches you so that you can sustain the program for a lifetime. For more information on nutritional coaching or other related topics, visit our Facebook page at www.facebook.com/revolvefitcamp, email us at liveintheskinny@gmail.com and follow our blog at www.liveintheskinny.wordpress.com.
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This magazine wouldn’t be what it is Please support them when
Do you have an event you would like t
Contact matthew
s without the support of our partners. n choosing your next race.
to partner with MudRunFun Magazine?
w@mudrunfun.com
My name is Paola Reategui, 26 years old, and I have lived in Miami, Fl practically my whole life. I used to run XC and track and field (distance runner specialized in the 3k Steeple Chase) for FIU from 2004-2009. I never thought I’d experience an obstacle influenced event beyond the steeple chase, especially since Miami trails are nonexistent and the only type of trail running we experienced was once a week every year at our running camp in Ocala, FL. My husband, Andrew Charles, finally convinced
turns out my husband and I were the first to cross the line. I thought I was done, as fun as it was, but once again my husband convinced me to run the Armageddon Ambush 5k run at Amelia Earhart Park in Miami, Fl. Also a fun event where everyone got lost, so no winner was declared. But that didn’t bother me, I loved the giant water slide, crawling under barbed wire, pulling myself up a rope, and proving that I had a lot more than the scrawny
me to run one last year in March for fun with him
appearance I present. What came next was the
after he had overly enjoyed the Spartan Race in
turning point in my training. The Superhero
Oleta River State Park. I thought to myself, “Really?
Scramble Charger in Clermont, Fl where my former
Have you seen my arms? I’m not getting over a
teammate, Daniela Espino, and I decided it would
wall!”
be fun to run it together and we were lured in by the
So we ran the LGBT Mud Run 5k happily together and he assisted me over some obstacles as I still had no upper body strength due to post birth
$$$ money prize! We came in first and second and we had a blast. Then Damion from MudRunFun approached
laziness (even though it was already a year later!).
us and asked us to join his awe-inspiring OCR
Nonetheless, it was absolutely exhilarating and as it
team. We continued the Superhero Scramble Series
and met astonishing and animated MudRunFun
intimidating but rather enjoyable! OCR has shown
competitors who helped incite me to train for
me a whole other perspective to racing, obstacles
this type of racing. Once I saw what the group
that you can relate to in real life situations.
was about, I couldn’t stop following the posts and conversations on Facebook of which has now become a daily routine for me to check and has helped impel me further into the OCR scene. It has been a challenge finding time to train with a 23 month old son and two jobs, but I’ve been able to sneak in quick plyometric workouts two times a week of which I’ve noticed a tremendous difference in my racing. Just putting in a little more effort will surprise you in the adventures it takes you through. You don’t need to be born a mud runner to be good, you just need to go that extra half mile to not only prove to yourself but also show others the new doors it opens up in the OCR world that won’t make it so
Will you give up or push past that fine line between excruciating pain and runners high to reach your goal and reap the benefits of selfsatisfaction? With the help of a strong group of athletes of all levels with the same passion and same goal has added to the joy of OCR racing. This new extended family continuously grows into our nuclear family and the values they represent align perfectly with ours; perseverance, strong family bonds, humbleness, and perturbation! In essence, MudRunFun is like a second family to us and now we have an even bigger family to go through these adventure runs with. MUDRUNFUN!!!
Review: Savage Race -Dade City FL 2013
of that, I trained for a few months prior to the race
Written on: October 25, 2013 Lisa Thornton
and was expecting to blow through this course. As I plunged into the icy waters of the first obstacle, “The
On October 19th, I woke up a simple girl
Shriveled Richard”, I realized this was a race that was
anticipating her chance to see what she’s made of.
not going to let me simply participate. I would have
After two hours, more than six miles of constant
to master myself if I wanted to conquer the course.
running through challenging terrain, crawling under barbed wire, swimming through murky lakes, climbing over nine foot walls and trekking through knee deep mud, I walked away a Savage. The atmosphere of the race was uplifting,
I ran with a team of four other athletes, a fairly small team compared to most, but I sure was thankful for them. Where I was lacking, my team carried me and where I was strong, I carried them. I climbed onto my teams shoulders to tower over the
encouraging and enthusiastic from beginning to
“8 Foot Walls” and paved the way through the “Mud
end. Lining up for the start, our wave began jumping
N’ Guts”. Even participants we passed along the
and chanting to an electrifying song. Honestly, I was
course were yelling out encouragement.
so excited I can’t even remember what was playing. Participants were laughing and cheering on each other in the calm before the storm.
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With over 15,000 participants, this race stampeded at a fast pace. As I approached each obstacle, so did an entire wave of runners. There was
Being an athlete, lifeguard
no time for second guessing; I took a deep breath
and college club swimmer,
and persevered. When I reached the “Colossus”,
I thought I was already in
I sprinted forward, grabbed the rope and pulled
pretty good shape. On top
myself to the top of the ramp.
s di praw m dn A l wh y a ’t e ing, s I s to o rm ven a g tar Co p a had . H kn uy ted lo nd to alr e, a ow at s s t l , s e o h t us oo ad n re co Th e t slip g a ! e , d y m mp o m m wit che op, leg n o l ba nk et e e u ad h d o wh s p e it a fe ut om gr ck ey e wa obst on u w a d m ip s ow bar s th acl m p, p ot nd I e u s t n , a e y f u he gr th dd rt ag clim “S try e e ee lle r r ab y ne to w d t ain b aw as b t. d a xt p o ate o s . I ed to I I d m cer ed m r u o l r f ef e to s Th ace my be ip a mad p a th B igh ea lo nd e nd a an e ? te the t l ,I ist w. r d Sa d i s I p t h do ”. c th te it G v o o f “ ue lu alf w Th ul st e de age th ss ng w n a e i d yo yo fin R a in n n u u a a gs whi ed i y b nd u ten ot yo r b r lim ntl ce to ch nto efo p se y k is u od i b ov ob th re an lif wa y c ts, ick ui er st e m d et nt an if ed lt t co ac de y im to y ca ou m o “ m le ep e, e” m fo th exp rry wa ine Kic ry e at ad e ! k n b th e ou Sav rien efo t to If Yo y e u ! ag ce re o s r e u e R th it e w A ac e r bre how an ss” t e i ac ak s t e o s, mu to he f a if ch ra ce
Team Highlig h
t
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Dirtbags/370140323097114 "If you want to run fast run alone, If you want to go far, go together"
by far, but the rush of completing something a year ago that seemed impossible was all it took to spark a fire that had to be shared with others. Over the course of a year the team has grown to eight. What started out as a group of friends running in mud races, having fun turned into an inspiring journey that never ceases to amaze us. Each race creating
Orange Shirts, Beards, Outspoken, loud,
more and more friendships, overcoming obstacles,
welcoming smiles, nothing short of crazy, are all
inspiring others to keep moving, and forging on as a
words we have heard our fellow racers, friends,
team.
and family describe us. We just consider ourselves family, teammates, and of course Dirtbags. Most people recognize us by our trademark shirts as we go by them, looking up, only to read “Just Passed Your Ass” on the back of our shirts. Cocky, over confident, some may think but in reality we are the complete opposite. A team of eight looking to motivate all kinds to get off the coach, enjoy life and challenge yourself in ways you never thought possible The Team was founded and Created by Matthew Tallent in the Spring of 2012 at the Spartan Sprint in Conyers Ga . There him and Kathleen Ramirez competed and finished the race. Not in first place or
To know the team, you would have to know us individually. Matthew Tallent, known on the course as Tallent, for obvious reasons . The last name holds true with his abilities as well. His speed is hard to keep up with, His 6’4 frame comes in handy with helping the vertically challenged over walls. His strength and courage is nothing short of pure Tallent. Father of the lovely, blonde beauty Ava Tallent. His inspiration comes from that little face that thinks her dads the strongest man alive Michael Caudell, Known on the course as Beard, another for obvious reasons. Intimidating at first
glance, but those who know him on and off the
Mike Dixon, known on the course as Red. Quick
course, know he would do anything for the ones he
would be an understatement when describing Ole
loves. There are three things in his life that are never
Red. Taking on hills and rope climbing are his
in question, His love for his daughter, his Marine
strongest advantage. You can hear him from a mile
brothers, and his desire to take the best pictures
away chanting his “YEYEYEYE” scaling down a
on the course. Again, those who know him know
mountain. The former Marine in him always takes
exactly what I am talking about.
over when it comes to teamwork and adversity.
Ambur Holley, Known on the course as Guns.
Kathleen Ramirez, Known as “Coach” on the
The girl is stacked. Watch out gentleman she can lift
course. Although tiny, she is fierce. Proud mother of
heavier weights than most men. Trained to compete
three boys that are part of the “minibags” team. Her
with the best but also a gentle caring mother to her
ambition comes from them. She will take on any
Daughter Kylie. Her joining the team was a true
obstacle in front of her and any terrain. The clumsy
blessing
one in the group, you can count on her to face
plant at least three times per race. She likes to call it
disability to take control of his life or set him back ,
“gracefully falling.”
he is a l gold medal winner in the World Wheelchair Games , He was the first paralyzed man to Compete
Bobby Thompson and Sarah Thompson, The
in a Spartan Race , the Spartan Death Race , and
married couple on the team. Known on the course
soon to be finisher of the Spartan Beast. His drive,
as “Flaco and Smalls”. They took coming into our
good spirits and love for his family inspire each of us
team like champs. Being the fresh meat of the group
to look any challenge in the face with the attitude
is somewhat challenging but they always took
“I WILL CONQUER ANYTHING YOU THROW
each challenge as learning experience and quickly
AT ME “.
adapted to our sometimes, questionable Morals. Their southern charm is fresh air to our team.
With that, I will conclude this with a Thank you to everyone that has supported us on our journey.
Finally, Michael Mills, Known on the course as “wheels”. The newest addition to our team. He was involved in a car accident as teenager that left him paralyzed from the waist down. Not letting his
We look forward to many races and seeing all of you cross the finish line.
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http://www.muddymommy.com 7:15am, Saturday morning, I arrived at the top
Last September I participated in the inaugural
of a mountain in the middle of rural Pennsylvania
Hardcore Mudd Run. It was brutal. We encountered
in anticipation of an unforgettable race. I took in
bone chilling temperatures, driving rain, insane
the small group of shivering racers who had already
elevation change, and a gauntlet of challenging
arrived as they pinned on their bibs, and then
obstacles. This combination of factors resulted
glanced at the dash of trucks we had ridden in for
in a nearly soul crushing event that
the one hour drive, it taunted me by displaying an
took my team and I roughly 5 hours
outdoor temperature of 39 degrees.
to complete. We finished that race
39 degrees. My goodness… I’m glad I’m a Florida girl.
battered and bruised, but feeling as
I began the day by stating that I was not planning to leave the car and race until the temperature outdoors reached 60 degrees. Finally realizing that holding out for that might mean I wouldn’t race at all, I took a deep breath and conquered my first challenge of the day by stepping out into the brisk air and preparing to take on a race that nearly broke me last year. It was time for a second chance at Hardcore Mudd Run.
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though we had just conquered Mount Everest. I can honestly say that last year’s HMR is the only race to date that I have ever come close to even considering throwing in the towel. Which is why I recently found myself back in Pennsylvania, toeing the start line of the very event that had challenged my grit and resolve to finish just one year prior. I was ready to take on HMR for a second time. I was ready for redemption. One of my favorite things about this HMR event was that it was vastly different from last
year! Although it hosted many of their signature,
Over the next 8 miles we faced a gauntlet of
challenging obstacles, the terrain and course
challenges. Early on we encountered a knee deep
itself was
trek through ice cold water and thick mud. With
completely different! The race felt fresh and new, with a few familiar portions that reminded me of
frozen limbs we then entered a trail run through the woods that included a couple of forks in the path
the quality and adventure that
where runners were forced to select a direction.
defines the HMR event.
Choose the wrong path and you would eventually
This year’s event, hosted atop a mountain at the Midstate Airport in Philipsburg, PA, did not provide the insane amounts of elevation that we had previously encountered (whew!), but the 8 mile course was not lacking in
happen upon a tree marked “end” and be forced to make your way back to the fork to embark on the alternate route provided (I thought this was a really neat idea being that this is an un-timed event, therefore taking the wrong fork won’t upset anyone over time or overall place!).
intensity or challenge. We began at 8:00am, and not
There were walls to scale (8, 10, & 12 feet tall),
50 feet into the race, were greeted by two grinning
the darkest, creepiest tunnel crawl I have ever done
firemen eagerly pointing fire hoses directly into our
(seriously, it was pitch black), a 1 mile 50 pound
path.
sandbag carry (yeah, you heard me, one mile.), thin
Now that’s a way to wake you up! The freezing blasts of water chilled us to the bone, propelling us forward in hopes that running would quickly warm our soaked bodies.
balance beams suspended over water, a cargo net climb, and lots and lots of running through the bright, fall-hued woods.
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As we neared the final miles of the race, the obstacles increased in intensity. We reached the top of one hill only to come face-to-face with the always dreaded (and unexpected, we had no idea this was coming!) electric shock obstacle. We stood at the entrance of the low wood frame, nervously staring at the dangling wires, wishing they would disappear so we could happily be on our way without the threat
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of guaranteed shock. No luck. After several minutes of hemming and hawing, I finally took a deep breath, counted to three, and surged forward, swearing each and every one of the 7-8 jarring shocks that I was dealt as I scurried across the muddy ground. Once we completed our tirade of curse words following the electric shock (not a kid friendly spectator area for sure, haha!), we continued on to tackle Mission Impossible. This obstacle consists of two large walls set in a “V� shape that, upon approach, seemed to appear that it may live up to its name, impossible. Thankfully we called upon the help of a close-by spectator (the reluctant husband of my teammate), and a fellow race participant to aid in giving us a boost up and over, and then spotting us on the way back down. One of the most difficult challenges of the day was a series of two chain link fences that we were required to crawl under. We quickly learned that we would need to work together to overcome the oppressive weight of the fencing to reach the opposite end. By the end of both sets of fencing, our arms and legs were gassed, exhausted from the
E-mail damion@mudrunfun.com
struggle it required to hold the fence high enough to inch forward. This obstacle was no joke!
We completed the race with the always fun fire
beginning to set up as we finished, and the band had
jump (the warmth of the fire felt amazing for those
not yet arrived. We left before the band or vendor
brief moments!), and we crossed the finish line at
area was fully set up.
2 hours and 25 minutes, as the 8th and 9th overall overall, and 2nd and 3rd female. Not bad! I am so happy to have had the opportunity to give
Despite that, I still hold that Hardcore Mudd Run is a quality event that provides a unique and challenging race. I am a bit concerned that
this event another try, and I loved that this year’s
registration seemed low, with final participation
race hosted many of their staple obstacles within a
numbers for the weekend around 500 racers, but
completely different yet challenging terrain. I also
I’d be thrilled to see this event grow and become a
have to give kudos to the HMR people for providing
success that is able to expand its reach into other
water stops which hosted bananas, bagels, and a
areas of the country.
variety of nutrition options for the tired participant as well. The only real critique I feel the need to give would
2014 events are yet to be scheduled, although they do have a few of their Pain Camps (which look similar to the Spartan Race Hurricane Heat style of
have to be about the post-event experience. My
event) coming up early next year. If HMR comes to
teammate and I crossed the finish line alone. No
your area, this is an event you should definitely try!
one was present to cheer or celebrate with us as we
~Holly
passed under the finish line. We had just completed something we were so proud of, and the less than exciting finish did take a bit of wind out of our sails. We walked over to get our water and HMR dog tags, and then made a point to stick around for a bit to cheer participants who finished after us along as they completed their race. Vendors were just
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