Race Recap: 2010 Swamp Foot 4 mile

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This may not have been the longest race I've run this year (Crim 10 mile run) or the hardest race (any Muddy Watters Bump and Run) but with over a dozen different boot camp type obstacles scattered across the course, it was ,by far, the most fun. With at least three of those challenges involving mud it was also the dirtiest.

I sign up for this race with my buddy Mike (yes the same Mike from the Muddy Buddy write ups) but Mike is doing his own write up for this race so I will let him tell his own story.

With temperatures in the 50's and winds in the double digits, it was a very chilly start to the day, but we arrived to the race in good spirits. After registering, getting our numbers, and checking out our swag we headed to the starting line. Before we got there, I was distracted by something to the left of the starting line...the finish line.

Actually it wasn't the finish line that distracted me but what lay before it. From what I could see, before we crossed the finish line we would have to come down a mud hill that was at least 20 feet high, crawl under a rickety wood contraption, run through a bunch of tires ranging in size, then crawling under military netting through 20 feet of muddy water. If this was the end, I was beginning to worry about the rest of the race.

There was nothing to be done about it now, so I lined up with the other 400 or so people crazy enough to sign up for this race. At the sound of the starting pistol, we were off. Up a small hill I ran onto a well marked trail through the property of Rattle Run Farms. However strewn across the path in my place were very large logs that I hurdled over to keep from slowing my pace. The trail continued, and so did the logs, so I hurdled on. Then came a slight incline with, you guessed it, more logs. Hurdling logs while running up hill is a little more difficult than you would think. On the last log my heel caught the edge and only quick reflexes kept me from face-planting into the dirt.

The I came to the first real obstacle, five logs raised six feet of the ground that had to be climbed over before continuing. Unfortunately there were several people who were intimidated by this challenge and daintily crossed log beams, slowing down all runners behind them. Eventually I traversed the beams and ran on. It wasn't too long before I noticed hay rolled six feet high and blocking the path. I know Mike had a fancy plan to tackle this obstacle but I just went old school. By grabbing the top of the hay roll and jumping as hard as I could I was able to land on top of them and hop right off. This procedure carried me over the next three rolls without slowing me down.

Shortly after that was a river around 20 feet wide, laying across the river were three large trees. The challenge was to run across the tree to the other side without falling into the river. I raced across the tree as fast as I felt safe doing. At the tail end I felt myself begin to wobble but luckily I was close enough to the other side to jump onto the bank. (SIDE NOTE: in case Mike forgets to mention it, he fell off his tree and into the river)

I was congratulating myself for staying dry when I cam to the first mud obstacle. It was not difficult, it was simply trudging through knee deep mud for 30 yards. I almost lost my shoe three times but eventually I made it through with all foot attire still attached.

Shortly after the mud walk was a dozen logs raised about five feet off the ground (these people sure have something against logs). The idea was to climb over the logs one at time but I decided to do things differently. Climbing onto the first log, I crawled across the remaining logs without dropping to the ground. Although this banged my shins up something fierce it was quicker than doing it the other way.

At this time there was about a mile of trail running without any major obstacle, besides the occasional log hurdle. Then came a cinder block wall standing around 7 feet high with wall climbing stumps screwed into it. Once again going old school, I ignored the stumps, grabbed the top of the wall and pulled myself up and over. Those workouts at the playground were paying off today. Behind the wall was a steep incline that dumped us into a large puddle of mud. Just when the other mud had begun to cake away. After that wall was a twelve foot wall made up of tires fastened to a rickety wood structure. This wall took a little finesse to ascend and a long jump down the other side.

Once again there was about a mile of uninterrupted running except for a tunnel that was maybe six feet long. I could see the race creators thinking “hey it's here, let's make them run through it”. At the end of this running stretch was a structure that looked a lot like the hangman's gallows. I was a little concerned at the site of this. Luckily there were no hangings going on, just a rope ladder climb to the top and a rope shimmy back down to the ground.

At this point I had reached the end of the race. All I had left was the four obstacles I mentioned earlier. Feeling good and a bit silly I dove down the mud hill head first, nearly taking out the girl in front of me, landing in the large mud pit with a big splash. 

That splash is actually me

After wiping the mud from my eyes the best I could (my vision is still a little blurry), I dropped to my belly and crawled under the wood planks only two feet off the ground.

Hopping to my feet I ran through the tires without incident that back down to my knees to crawl through the water. This water was not muddy but it was VERY cold and I was not amused. Exiting the water I crossed the finish line at the same time Mike did.

Like I said it was a very fun day and I will definitely do it again next year.