Living Life

I haven't posted anything in over a month because ... well, really, because I'm lazy.  But I'd like to feel superior to the blogging world, so I'm going to pretend it was because I was so busy living my life that I didn't have the time to write something witty about it.  I am so above documenting the now.  Yeah, that sounds good.

But really a lot has been going on:
Rob and I ran a Tough Mudder.
I walked at my graduation ceremony.
A friend visited from DC, and I had a killer party!
I got hired and started working as a freelance interpreter.
I hung out with my Mom.
Elijah left for California, and Miciah left for Toledo.
With 24 hours' notice, Rob ran his first 5K.

I won't report on all of them right now, but I do intend to write something about most of them.  We'll start with:

Tough Mudder

This thing was AWESOME!  Seriously, I loved it and I would totally do it again.

Pre-race, with friend, Evan.  The last time that day that I was clean and warm.

Here's the catch:  I was cold.  So, so cold.  It turns out that most people have a higher body mass index than I do, so they were fine in the 70 degree full-sun conditions.  I, however, was shivering, teeth chattering, by mile 3.  No problem, only 7 miles to go.  I sat down at the first aid station and borrowed their emergency blanket.  You know, the things that look like tin foil.  They told me I couldn't run with it, which was a bummer.  I would have kept that thing on the entire race, no joke.  I told them that next time I'm bringing my own.

After that I avoided any of the obstacles that involved water.  The monkey bars and rings, where you have to swing across from one side to the other, but if you fall, you land in water, and 90% of the people fall?  I walked around those.  I did one obstacle that I assessed beforehand and thought, "I can make that one."  While I was actually in the process of crossing, though, it was sheer terror.  If you've never been to-the-bone cold, you probably won't get it, but the thought of getting wet again was horrifying.  I just kept saying, "I can't go in the water.  I can't go in the water."

I dried off by mile 5 or 6, and after that things were pleasant.  My hips stopped yelling at me, I could move comfortably, and the race was enjoyable.

Remember the colors of our shirts pre-race?

I decided I could do the last few obstacles that involved water because they were in the last mile.  This was probably a mistake.  By the end of the race, I was shivering severely, my teeth were chattering, I could barely walk, and my mind was shutting down.  It turns out that it's exhausting to battle exposure issues.  I stripped off my wet clothes, put on a sweatshirt, found an emergency blanket, and was STILL shivering half an hour later.

Even at the time I thought my shivering was comical.  I've never seen anyone shake like that.  But it explains a lot about why I spend a considerable amount of time and money avoiding the cold.  Buying an expensive winter coat?  Not a luxury.  Keeping the house 71 degrees all winter?  Worth the price.

So next time I run a Tough Mudder, I'll be dressed like a freakin' Eskimo.

Rob, the warrior.

...  As a side note, none of this would have been such a problem if our pace had been faster.  We went with a person who was determined to finish, but who had no real business being out there.  We walked, slowly, for most of the race.  It took us 5.5 hours to go just over 10 miles.  ...  However, that person finished the race, which was a big deal for her, and that feels good.  Plus, it means that next time I run the race, I can beat my P.R. no problem!

In conclusion:  If you've ever thought about doing a Tough Mudder, but wondered if you'd really like it or not, DO IT!  You will love it.  Running through mud is fun, and the obstacles were do-able for an average person.  The race was totally worth the money.

If you haven't ever thought about running a Tough Mudder because you think that the people who run those are crazy, you're probably now more convinced than ever.  You're welcome.