What if you were forced to wake up
at 5 in the morning, dress up in a Halloween costume, run and bike through a
vigorous course, scale a wall, and army crawl through a mud pit big enough and
gross enough to intimidate pigs? What if I told you that people voluntarily did
this every year? About 1,500 participants signed up this year to indulge in the
annual Muddy Buddy race. Our thoughts went something like this: “it’s early,
it’s physically demanding, and by all hygienic standards, it’s disgusting. We
must do it!” Team Phix couldn’t resist the challenge, or the chance to throw
mud all over their kids (as opposed to the other way around, for once) and not
get in trouble for it.
Before the first race began, at
about 7 a.m. there was a costume contest with some pretty awesome prizes given
out to the winners. Remember, however these fun-loving thrill seekers dressed
up was how they had to race! Because Muddy Buddy is a team event (two racers
per team), there were a lot of team costumes too. Everyone had a great time
with this part of the event!
Next,
came time for the adult Muddy Buddy event. Team Phix had 2 different duos
getting muddy for this one. This race was a tough and extremely muddy, yet fun one.
The official Muddy Buddy website describes this course by saying, “At the start of the race, one team member will run and one
will ride the bike. At the 1st obstacle, the rider will drop the bike, complete
the obstacle, and begin running. The runner will arrive, complete the obstacle,
find their bike and begin riding. Teams will continue leapfrogging each other
through the entire course. At the end of the race, racers crawl through the
infamous Mud Pit crossing the finish line together as official “Muddy Buddies”!”
Now
time for good, old fashioned, parent-child quality bonding time…Mini Muddy
Buddy! This smaller course calls for good times for everyone. The little chicks
and dudes finally get to roll around in the mud without being yelled at by the
big bad parents who don’t want their entire month’s budget to go to interior
detailing. On the other end of the spectrum, if mom or dad happens to
“accidentally” push their kid face first into the mud after that hour long
whine-fest in the car earlier that morning, so be it J Of course, I’m just kidding, and
everyone had a great time getting muddy together!
Once the final races ended, the MC gathered everyone together at the main stage for the award ceremony, to honor the fastest mud-crawlers out there. After a strenuous, and tiring course like this, everyone needed to stay hydrated, refreshed, and energized. Guess who provided free refreshments for everyone? That’s right, your friends at Phix did, and it sure was a hit! Awards and Phix were handed out to the participants as well as bystanders. Although Team Phix did not place in the timed awards, seeing the hundreds of smiles on everyone’s face was prize enough for us!
As we took the Phix tent down and got ready to leave, something
incredible occurred right behind us. Earlier in the day, we saw a large group
of people racing in tuxedos and dresses. We thought this was part of the
costume contest; but it was so much more than that. As we looked behind us,
there was an altar set up, a group of bridesmaids, a best man, and a very, very
muddy bride and groom. There was a REAL wedding happening right in front of our
eyes, after they all participated in
Muddy Buddy! If that isn’t the perfect way to end a great day full of laughter,
memories, and well, mud, then I don’t know what is!
Stay muddy
my friends,
Phix
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