Over the years, I have been on a fitness roller coaster. I have been a size 6 and I have been a size 26. In my 20’s and early 30’s, I was able to cut back on a few meals here and there and lose the extra 5-15 pounds I was carrying. After I had 3 kids, boy did that story changed! Over the next 15 years, it became increasingly difficult to lose the extra 50+ pounds I had gained. Add a back injury and another 25 pounds and I was in the worst shape of my life. When my doctor told me I had something called prediabetes, I was surprised and not all at the same time. My doctor said if I wanted to avoid daily sugar checks and insulin injections, I better make some big changes.
Photo Credit: Kicking it with Kelly
Getting Healthy Doesn’t Have To Be Boring
So I joined a gym, got a personal trainer and radically changed my eating habits. I started going to the gym 5-6 days a week, faithfully (OK, pretty much) following my trainers outline. I started eating more veggies and whole grains instead of donuts, cake, ice cream and chips. In the beginning, I had a tough time getting through 15 minutes on the treadmill. By the time my workout was over, I was winded, sweating bullets and felt like I would faint. After 6 weeks, I had lost 11 pounds and could do 45 minutes on the treadmill like a champ. Problem was, I was getting so bored with the same workout over and over again. I had to find more variety in my fitness routine. And that is when I discovered the Knoxville Track Club.
Photo Credit: Kicking it from Kelly
I found the KTC had several events throughout the year. You could find anything from a triathlon to a 5K the whole family could participate in. I knew I was ready to jump into an event, but I wasn’t sure which. When I found out about the Mudder’s Day Madness 5K, I knew that was it! This was an event that supported a fantastic cause and was something my husband, daughter and I could accomplish. The Mudder’s Day Madness proceeds would benefit The Harmony Family Center.
Photo Credit: Kicking it with Kelly
Their services including helping children through foster care, adoption, and post adoption counseling and programs. The Mudder’s Day Run, which was held on 5/7, is located at Montvale, 364 acres that is used for anything from Harmony’s therapeutic equine assisted psychotherapy (EAP) program, to our ASAP family camps, as well as being a premiere location for community groups to rent for their own camps, events, and retreats.
Getting Dirty At The Mudder’s Day Run
I had read up on the Mudder’s Day Run, so I had some idea of what to expect. The course would wind it’s way through the gorgeous property of Montvale. The course if a 5K and is considered challenging (you can say that again!), with several hills and obstacles through the rocky, slippery, uneven and often muddy terrain. We had absolutely no idea what was in front of us, but we were determined to finish and have a blast while we did it.
I read that taping your shoes with Duct tape was a necessity (again, you can say that again!) I thought it was dumb, but we decided to go along with the pack. I must say, I was extremely impressed with how organized the event was. We had the opportunity, which we took advantage of, of picking up our race pack before the race. This saved us from waiting in line the morning of the race. Parking was as ample as the friendly faces of the plethora of volunteers. Our wave started at 10:30 and we started right on time.
Photo Credit: KTC/Mudder’s Day Run
The course starts out at a fairly easy pace and you run (OK, so I walked!!) for a bit before your first obstacle. There are volunteers at each obstacle, so you have no fear of getting stuck. Of course you can go around any obstacle too difficult, but we did not face any we were unable to complete. We were towards the back of our wave, but we kept at a decent pace. We were so excited to get to the halfway point! There was plenty of water and we were able to rest a bit before pressing on. Oh, and we were told the mud was just around the corner.
KTC/Mudder’s Day Run
Oh the mud!!! This was the much anticipated part of the course for us, as I am sure for many. Trust me when I tell you, that short rectangular area filled with plenty of thick mud was deceiving! The moment you step into it, your feet sink and you are using every muscle to take each step.
Photo Credit: KTC/Mudder’s Day 5K
Oh, and the Duct Tape? Yeah, you needed it! Caitlin ripped hers off about 15 minutes into the race. About halfway through the first mud pit, she lost a shoe. But that girl was a trooper! She got all the way to the last mud pit before she lost the other shoe! We laughed so hard, we cried muddy tears!
We finished the race in a little over an hour. We were proud, tired and ready to do it all over again! After the race, there was plenty of water to hose off and rooms to change in. We filled a bag with our muddied clothes and what was left of our shoes, tied it up and put it in the trash bin! There was food and beverages available to purchase and the race was offering water, bananas and protein bars.
Photo Credit: Kicking it with Kelly
This picture is of Caitlin the day after the race. She was so happy to have made it through the race. We were all very proud and we cannot wait for next year’s event! In the meantime, we are going to participate in the Pilot Fireball Moonlite Classic 5k is part of the KTC Summer Series! Be sure to see all of the events KTC has to offer this year!
How do you make fitness fun? Have you ever done a mud run before? Please share!!
Copyright secured by Digiprove © 2019 Kelly Hutchinson
Heather says
June 10, 2016 at 4:19 pmI joined and then quit the gym. I’m trying to work out at home when I can. What is that update for?
Jennifer says
June 10, 2016 at 4:28 pmI’ve never done a mud run before, but my sister has done several. She loves those things.
Kia says
June 10, 2016 at 4:50 pmGood luck on your fitness journey! I need to get fit myself. I’ve never did a mud run before…interesting.
Liz Mays says
June 10, 2016 at 5:10 pmYou were ready to do it again? Oh man, I’m not sure I would be at all. It sounds exhilarating, but once would be enough. lol
Meagan says
June 10, 2016 at 5:14 pmThat is a lot of mud! What a fun way to exercise! I want to run a 5k like this!
Val says
June 10, 2016 at 5:33 pmWay to go, certainly looks like an experience. Sometimes having fun with fitness helps you to do it more!
Jeanette says
June 10, 2016 at 6:22 pmI have never done a mud run before but it always looks fun to me. If I could get a couple friends to do it with me in actually might think about doing it.
Nancy L says
June 10, 2016 at 7:03 pmI would never have guessed why you had to tape your shoes until I saw how much mud you had to run/trudge through. The mud run looks like a lot of fun and it’s for a good cause! That’s awesome!
janis says
June 10, 2016 at 7:05 pmThat definitely doesn’t look easy, congrats on finishing the race! I’ve never done one before, but it looks like you had fun (and made some great memories too I bet).
Marcie W. says
June 10, 2016 at 7:41 pmWhat an intense yet fun race! I am a total gym rat and would love to participate in something more outdoorsy like this.
Pam says
June 10, 2016 at 8:23 pmMy kids have done the mud races before. They look like a lot of fun but I’ve never worked up the nerve to try them.
Melisa says
June 10, 2016 at 9:08 pmOh my! That looks like so much fun! My kids would have a blast doing a mud run.
Vera Sweeney says
June 10, 2016 at 10:38 pmI have a friend who does mud runs like this and she loves it! I had not heard of the duct tape before.
Lisa Collins says
June 10, 2016 at 11:04 pmThese events always look like fun. Then I remember how out of shape I am!
Julie says
June 10, 2016 at 11:08 pmThat really does look like fun! I never would have known about the duct tape for the shoes though!
Aubrey says
June 10, 2016 at 11:17 pmAh these look so fun! just had a friend ask to do a triathalon with her, eeeekkkk!
Kristi says
June 10, 2016 at 11:20 pmA friend of ours did this last year. The stories were so fun to listen to. Interesting tip about the duct tape!
Ann Bacciaglia says
June 10, 2016 at 11:44 pmThis looks like so much fun. I will have to see if there is something like this near me.
Kathy says
June 11, 2016 at 12:06 amThat sounds like so much fun. I love getting out there and doing things kike this. It’s always fun and gives you some great exercise as well. That mud would have been a ton of fun for me!
Dawn Lopez says
June 11, 2016 at 12:27 amThat looks like so much fun! A great excuse for an adult to be a kid again. LOL! I’m glad you had such a great time doing this with your family!
Sarah says
June 11, 2016 at 2:33 amLove that you said getting healthy doesn’t have to be boring. I think getting healthy is actually fun! There are so many activities you can do to promote a healthy lifestyle.
rosey says
June 11, 2016 at 3:49 amI think an event like this would be SO fun. The pictures alone would be worth it. 😉
Seattle Travel Blogger says
June 11, 2016 at 12:09 pmNow this looks like an unforgettable experience!
My husband has been trying to convince me to participate in one of these types of runs for a while…I tend to shy away from the intense dirtiness though 🙂
Amy Desrosiers says
June 11, 2016 at 9:44 pmThat looks like a ton of dirty fun. I usually stick to the elliptical at the gym, but this genuinely interests me. Thanks for sharing your experience!
Janeane Davis says
June 12, 2016 at 8:50 amThe muddiest I ever got was running cross country in high school. It seems like fun for some people. I have been hearing a lot about these races over the past few years.
Jennifer H says
June 12, 2016 at 9:20 amOh man – how messy, but fun! I like running, but I’m not sure I’d do a mud run. LOL
Lisa Rios says
June 12, 2016 at 10:14 amIt is good to see how you put yourself in to a gym & got a personal trainer as well to make sure you are healthy & fit enough as well. The mudders day run sounds like a fun event & the pictures are so exciting that I want to be a part of it!
CourtneyLynne says
June 12, 2016 at 5:04 pmI keep hearing how fun these mud runs are!!! I’m all about the lazy life and have never even run a 5k lol… Maybe I should try a mud run
Toughcookiemommy says
June 12, 2016 at 11:21 pmI am always impressed by those who take part in these types of events. It must take a tremendous amount of stamina and willpower to train for them.