Team “Kristina and the Sunshine Band” didn’t look like it was full of sunshine on Saturday, June 1. Wearing tie-dye shirts covered in mud, we were sore enough that crawling back to our cars wasn’t out of the question. And we had all volunteered for this.
Despite the inevitable exhaustion, we did feel like warriors for surviving 3.1 miles of obstacles with no shortage of mud, dust, and even a sasquatch appearance. We could now proudly join the ranks of millions of others who’ve turned to dirt and rope climbs for fitness.
Tough mudding, Spartan races, and mud runs represent a newer and dirtier genre in sports. Designed by Marines, these races attracted approximately one million people in 2012.
When we at the Sun were told that one of these races would be coming our way, we couldn’t resist a chance to play in the mud and get some exercise.
This year’s inaugural event, appropriately dubbed “Muddy Madness,” was held at the beautiful Sky Ranch in Santa Ynez Valley. Inviting teams and individual racers, the event was a 5K charity race; proceeds will benefit scholarships at Allan Hancock College for the fire and police academies.
Stu Gildred, owner of Sky Ranch and architect of the race course, got the idea to hold this race from reading about mud runs in Outside Magazine and from talking to a friend who had run one such race. In the hopes of bringing a similar event to his ranch, Gildred attended different races to get ideas. The architect also pointed out this is the first event of its kind held in Santa Barbara County.
The all-day event netted 900 pre-registered racers with hundreds more spectators. Live music, barbecue, a beer garden, and 87-degree weather made this an appropriate kick-off for summer.
Race day was full of excitement, and one of the cooler aspects of this race was being allowed to come in costume. Team “Baby Mommas” had plastic baby dolls strapped around their stomachs. We also spotted tutus, grass skirts, and capes—the costumes and team atmosphere lent to the fun of the event.
After a rather chaotic check in, a large crowd of anxious racers made its way to the starting line. Several loud “whoop whoops” later, we embarked on the course.
The first part of the race was flat and uneventful; Gildred said he designed it this way to avoid congestion at the obstacles.
The first obstacle—“Welcome to Muddy Madness”—is where the real fun began. Jumping over a series of large logs, we made our way to three-foot-deep trenches and slogged, slipped, and stumbled through mud pits, over mud-mountains, and through a dusty dirt tunnel.
“I wanted people to get muddy and be challenged,” Gildred said. “But not so tired they couldn’t enjoy the after party.”
Gildred and his Muddy Madness crew spent the better part of three months preparing the course.
“I wanted these obstacles to be impressive, but so people could still make it through,” he explained.
The course also boasted a rope climb and a “shrinkage station,” where racers had to wade through icy water only to climb up and over a 30-foot-high ladder contraption. After a running break through flat terrain and the “Mean Ravine,” we came to “Sasquatch slide”—a 100-foot-long slide that shot into a muddy pool. This definitely would have been my favorite, but there were issues with water.
The last half of the course spread out the obstacles; at this point, we were all tired, and the aching in our legs was becoming more persistent. We regrouped, and it took more encouragement to keep each other going—but we were still moving. We scaled slab walls, traversed monkey bars, and finally made it to the finish line where our only hope for salvation came after busting through two sumo wrestlers, a mud pit, and a miniature mud mountain.
Despite an instance of dehydration, throwing up, and bruising, we stood at the finish line smiling and high-fiving each other for our accomplishment.
Outdoor showers and changing rooms were provided at the race. After rinsing the mud off and grabbing our medals, we made a bee-line for the beer garden and began to reminisce about the event.
As we stood talking, I started to realize why these events are so popular. While none of us will claim to be athletic superstars, we all finished the race on two feet. Together, we cheered for one another and pushed each other through each obstacle—determined to finish as a team.
No doubt: Crawling through mud with abandon, climbing, sliding, and just getting dirty are what makes these events so fun, but it’s the team camaraderie and shared sense of accomplishment that make these races popular nationwide and inspire more team-oriented fitness.
For me, personally, the challenge of these obstacles was made easier with a team of people believing in me. Because of this, I was able to complete all of the obstacles and knock another item off my 2013 bucket list.
Although this particular mud run wasn’t as intense as other races, the focus was on teamwork and light, competitive fun. The shared achievement of completing a physical challenge is a memory Kristina and the Sunshine Band will cherish forever—and that’s exactly what Gildred wanted.
“There is so much camaraderie that comes from a mud run because I have literally seen teams crawling across the finish line exhausted, and they are still smiling and giving each other high-fives,” Gildred said. “I wanted to provide something fun to do and make sure people want to come back next year.”
No matter when you’re reading this, Staff Writer Kristina Sewell is still sore. Contact her at ksewell@santamariasun.com.
This article appears in Jun 6-13, 2013.