Mary K.  8/19/09

My sister and I did this race in 2008 and 2009. We will do it every year that we possibly can - we absolutely love this race.

First - it's pricey - approximately $160 for a team of two people. However, this organization is responsible for allowing many of the disabled people that we see at every race to compete. They buy race wheelchairs and racing springs in particular for disabled athletes. And they make a big point of talking about their work at the start and end of the race.

Second - this race is very well organized. The packet pickup is quick, and the waves are handled well.

Third - almost a quarter of the participants do the race in some type of costume. It's great to see the bananas, penguins, nuns, etc. doing the race. In 2008 my sister and I raced in tutus, and this year we were Wilma and Betty from the Flintstones.

You might think that because this race is done by people in tutus, that it's easy. Think again. In 2008, it rained for three days before race day, and it truly was "muddy buddy." The first leg of the race was so muddy that almost everyone's bikes locked up from mud. There were bikes abandoned all over the course, and we washed our bike in the lake mid-way, and I had to fix the derailer at one point. Doing the obstacles with all that mud on our feet and hands was crazy, and we laughed through every one of them.

In 2009, the only mud was the lake crossing mid-way through the race, and at the end, crawling through the mud pit. I saw no bikes abandoned anywhere.

This year the most dangerous obstacle was gone, thank goodness (a pyramid of steel bars that you had to crawl over and under). The balance beams are still there, and I'm amazed that no one falls off them and gets hurt. I was definitely sore on Monday from the cargo nets (I don't usually climb up a cargo net), but it was worth it.

I highly recommend putting a set of goggles on the bike to wear in the mud pit (in 2008 I got mud in my contacts and couldn't see for about half an hour). This year I wore goggles and it was great. I also recommend wearing tights or knee pads for the mud crawl - in 2008 I had on tights, so I didn't realize until this year how much the gravel at the bottom of the mud pit hurts as you crawl across it.

There is a costume contest before the race starts, and this year my sister, me, and my niece (dressed as Bam Bam) were selected to be one of the three finalists. Two guys in french maid outfits titled "Just the Tip" came in first. They really looked good.

Decent race food - this year they had fish tacos (ick). We ate a lot of Bear granola with yogurt instead. The tshirt this year is also really nice.

My only complaint, which I've raised with the race organizers two years in a row, is that we are always in the last wave due to our age. The course is totally chewed up by the time we go through, plus we cannot get back in time for the Mini Muddy Buddy (my niece isn't old enough to participate by herself). The race organizers this year said they would look into changing the time of the mini muddy buddy since the last wave contains so many moms.