frog’ throughout the race, each competitor splits up the 10k into bike and run portions. Details of Josh’s and Paul’s Muddy Buddy experience are as follows: Once Josh took down the first uphill mile on his bike, a ropes course awaited. Only taking a few minutes, Josh climbed over and down the rope wall, quickly continuing on to the one mile running stretch that awaited next. Right behind him, Paul finished up the 1-milestretch by foot. He too sprang over the ropes course, splashed down some water provided by the aid station present at each checkpoint, and hopped onto the bike that Josh had left behind. A few minutes later, Paul passed up Josh at a high speed on the downhill stretch, finishing at their next checkpoint: A wooden climbing wall. Consisting of three sets of wooden walls and platforms, Josh and Paul’s upper body strength were tested for the first time during the race. The vigorous course was then followed by a mellow one mile stretch of flat terrain. The next checkpoint challenge that Josh and Paul would face: A deadly muddy tunnel crawl. Sliding through the tunnel, the two competitors managed to push their ways through a few other racers, quickly continuing on the next segment of the race. With only a couple of miles left, Josh and Paul have yet to face the toughest of the obstacles: several wall climbing structures and
PLEDGE Paul and Josh pledge allegiance with the rest of the Muddy Buddy Bike & Run competitors before the race. the notorious final mud pit. After the half mile path in thin forest, the team scaled the rock climbing wall, and began the longest stretch, 1.5 total miles, of the race. Coming to a bouncy house slide, the two were relieved by the seemingly easy obstacle. However, having used most of their energy, the
climb was harder than the two anticipated. Only a half mile was left until the finish line. Josh arrived at the finishers area on foot a few minutes before Paul, and had to wait to continue on to the last obstacles as each team is required to finish the race as a pair. Paul arrived shortly, and the pair grappled the ropes course
photo provided by Muddy Buddy
LAY OF THE LAND The course map of the San Jose Muddy Buddy competition. Paul and Josh leapfrogged from mountain bike to running in the Bike & Run competition that spanned a total of 6.3 miles. 16 | T H E V I K I N G |
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