Zombie Run 5K 2012

This was the Inaugural Zombie Run 5K for Georgia and the first Zombie Run of the 2012 season. Being the first year of an event (here in Georgia) it had some complications and areas for improvement but overall was a very fun and enjoyable event.

The location wasn't too far to get to and there was plenty of parking available. The line to get in and park moved at a decent pace and, providing you listened to the arrival instructions and got there 1-2 hours early, you weren't delayed in getting to the Check-In area. Parking was $10 which is typical and expected. There were more than enough signs to remind people to "Get out your wallet!", "Take out $10","Roll down your window!" etc... The guys handling the money and parking kept things moving right along very efficiently.

Once we parked we had a few hundred yard walk to the Check-In area. I was expecting mud on the course but not 3-4inch deep mud covering every square inch of the Check-In and Spectator areas. This was incredibly annoying. From you minute you entered the gate you were constantly under the threat of slipping and busting your ass. Not to mention all the spectators that showed up to "watch" and had no plans to get muddy. I saw countless outfits and shoes ruined by all the mud. The mud was no big deal for those of us that showed up prepared to get filthy but this area shouldn't be your first Obstacle. It is my hope that next years event corrects this problem. The mud should start at the Starting Line and not before. It should definitely not be all over the Spectator Area. Granted we did have a serious storm the night before so the entire area did get a deluge of fresh rain and minor flooding. Still, that was some serious mud for a Spectator area.

The Check-In area, besides being muddy beyond belief, was rather poorly run. Lines were long for some last names and non-existent for others. My line was only 5 people deep including myself and Jessica and it still took far longer than it should to get our packets. Part of the problem was that the Staff was having to fight to stay upright on all the slippery mud just like the rest of us were. The race shirts were still in boxes near the back of the tent nowhere near the tables requiring a walk back and forth or a yelling for a particular size then a wait for it to be brought over. So much time was wasted just waiting for the shirt and bag with race info. Besides getting this area away from the mud next year I hope the race organizers separate the race packet hand out and shirt pick up if they don't figure out a way to speed up the combined process. It would also benefit them to have extra safety pins available, I had a broken one and it was damn near impossible to get someones attention to get a replacement.

The start was creatively set up into 3 lanes. Appetizers (<9min/mi), Entrees (9-12min/mi), and Dessert (>12min/mi). I found this to be a brilliant idea that other events should look to adopt. I've run in many adventure races and the bottlenecks that occur are usually because too many "Desserts" are in the front of the pack when they shouldn't be. I'm no "Appetizer" but I'm not a "Dessert" either. I don't fault anyone for doing these events no matter how fast or slow you run but if you're a "Dessert" you don't need to be at the head of the corral when your wave starts. You just cause bottlenecks and injuries as faster people try to weave around you. The 3 different corrals utilized by the Zombie Run still requires honesty on the runners part but at least they are trying.

The course was muddy, seriously muddy. I'm talking so muddy that you could barely run without gravity showing you who your daddy was. THUD! SPLAT! There were times when you could get a slow jog in but those were few and far in between. The previous nights monsoon of a storm didn't help matters any. I feel this course was overly muddy and hazardous at times because of it. I was nursing a bruised and twisted left ankle so I wasn't moving at a record setting pace anyway but all the mud made matters 1000x worse. There isn't much the organizers could do about this. I'm sure the course was planned to be muddy and nobody could have predicted the effects of the previous nights storm. I just hope next year that we don't get that monsoon and the course is only muddy in the areas where it should be and not every single step of the way. If we had a dry week prior to this I'm sure many of the flats and hills would have been much more manageable while the obstacles and low parts would remain muddy as intended. We'll see next year I guess.

What would a Zombie Run be without Zombies right? The course was littered with them. There were batches every so often with "breaks" in between to let people catch their breath or slow down for a bit. At obstacles requiring you to crawl over/under/through they had a few Zombies either in the obstacle or just after. When you came upon them on the path they were spaced out so you usually only had to dodge one at a time but sometimes they'd team up. It was times like this when it paid to be in a larger group. Like penguins on the edge of the iceberg we'd wait until someone made a move to draw them off and then the pack would break away and haul ass. Some people, many actually, would slip in the mud and become another distraction for the Zombies. Sometimes it was the Zombie that would slip and fall giving us all a window to get through. It was all good fun. Jessica lost her flags earlier on and decided to be my meat shield for the remainder of the race. It worked out pretty well and I finished "Alive" with 2 flags.

My only problem with the Zombies started near the end of the course. The rules stated that we were not allowed to touch or knock down the Zombies and they weren't allowed to touch or knock us down. They were only allowed to grab for our flags (1 on each hip and 1 mid-back). If you lost all your flags then you were "Dead" at the end of the course. If you had any left you were "Alive". I saw many Zombies, usually guys, deliberately take runners down hard. These weren't accidental slip and falls, these were deliberate body check and tackle moves. One kid got grabbed around the neck and thrown to the ground. These Zombies were clearly violating the rules and they didn't care. As I got closer and closer to the end of the course the attempts to throw or knock me to the ground increased. Zombies wouldn't just grab for my flags, they'd grab onto the belt holding the flags and then yank to try and throw me down. Near the end of the course I was no longer dodging Zombies that got in my way. THEY got into MY path so they were fair game for a body check and I did knock a few down. If the organizers want to push codes of conduct onto the runners they need to make sure their staff of Zombies adhere to the same code. This batch of Zombies definitely didn't get the memo about contact.

When we reached the end of the course we were split into 2 paths. Dead or Alive. The only difference is that the Alive line crossed another timing pad to register your time. I guess if you were Dead then they didn't care what your course time was. The paths converged again right after the Alive timing pad and everyone got the same award medal. I think there should be separate medals for each path. It doesn't make sense to track who made it if everyone gets the same medal.

After we got our medal the line began for the "Decontamination" Showers. Basically it was a PVC construction with holes drilled in it at stages up on a platform of pallets. The "showers" were piss trickles at best and quite ineffective. You'd have to stand there for an hour to get clean. Add to this the fact that there wasn't nearly enough room to accomodate the masses. It was a single setup about 12' across by 6' deep. You could fit maybe 16-20 people at a time up on the platform and that didn't leave any room to try and scrub mud off of yourself without elbowing someone behind or next to you. Most people just gave up after trying in vain to get clean. Next year I hope they have a wider "decontamination" area and more "shower" outputs with stronger force.

Getting into clean, dry clothes after the run felt great and definitely got you warm again but if you were planning on hanging out at the After Party it was an exercise in futility. You were going to get muddy all over again if you spent any time in the Spectator Area. The Entertainment selection wasn't bad. Sure you can't please everyone with a music selection but the MC running the show was friendly, engaging, and energetic at all times. He engaged the crowd and kept the mood upbeat even when it was pouring rain. He and the bands did a great job.

The food and beer selection at the After Party was the best selection by far of any event I've every participated in. ShockTop was on Tap and so so yummy. They had 2lb Turkey Legs that were incredibly flavorful (even better than the ones at the Ga RenFest), and they had menu items for Vegetarian and Vegan runners. This part totally surprised and impressed me. It's about time an event consider EVERY persons eating habits instead of just us carnivores. Having a vegetarian option was a nice bonus for Jessica. The Veggie Burrito she got was damn tasty too.

Overall, for a first year event, I'm considering the Run For Your Lives Zombie Run 5K a Success. I am hoping for a survey to be sent out so I can provide my feedback directly. In the mean time I'll just hope the organizers see this post and consider my feedback for next year and future events.

TL:DR - Zombie Run was a really good, fun time and I'll definitely do it again next year. It's got room for improvement but what event doesn't?

Tough Mudder Georgia 2012

"Tough Mudder events are hardcore 10-12 mile obstacle courses designed by British Special Forces to test your all around strength, stamina, mental grit, and camaraderie. With the most innovative courses, half a million inspiring participants, and more than $2 million dollars raised for the Wounded Warrior Project, Tough Mudder is the premier adventure challenge series in the world."

This year was my second time running in Tough Mudder and let me say, it was quite different from last year. Last year it was held in early March and for some reason they moved it up this year to early February. Of course we have been having an abnormally warm winter right up to the day before the event when temperatures plummeted and the wind decided to show up with a vengeance. While it was warm when the Sun was out the wind pretty much negated that benefit. Add to that the water and ice we were tromping through and it made for a rather painfully cold day. The temps were in the low 40's but wind chill and being wet took the "feels like" temp down to the low 30's.

THE PEOPLE:

Team Twinkle Pony represented but due to a vehicle breakdown started in 2 separate waves. I ran with Abel and Elizabeth who both have the patience of a saint. They stopped repeatedly along the course to wait for me to catch up again and again. Why? On the first obstacle "Devil's Gaps" I took a rough tumble and landed sideways on my left ankle twisting it badly. Those of you that know me know that me twisting an ankle is nothing new so I trudged on with just a slight limp once the pain subsided. It wasn't until later on before the end of Mile 2 that I twisted it again on a slippery patch of mud. This time I felt and could swear I heard the crunch. It was bloody painful beyond words. I stopped and just hung onto a tree to balance myself for a few min and then, slowly and with a more pronounced limp, kept going. Many fellow Mudders stopped to make sure I was OK and didn't need any assistance. That's one of the things I like about events like Tough Mudder. It's not about time or me first, it's about having fun and helping others complete the course when they need help. Some obstacles require teamwork while others can be done solo with just the encouragement of the Mudders around you. It's all just a massive group of people working together to get to the Finish.

THE LOCATION:

This year's event was at a much better venue than last year. For one, it wasn't a dry county so we could actually have Beer at the Finish. That part SUCKED last year. This year's venue was also much flatter than the mountainous terrain of last year. This made for a much faster trip through the course with less fatigue which was a real bonus. Some of the hills last year were meant to only be climbed with off road vehicles, running them on foot was a pain. While this year's location was flatter and appeared more spectator friendly it wasn't fully. The course spanned 2 open areas that had a large wooded zone between them that prevented spectators from getting from one zone to the other without a huge out and back again walking path. Because of this Jessica missed many opportunities to photograph us at the obstacles. There is a whole batch of obstacles where she lost us due to the long walk between zones. Luckily she found us again near the end because we really needed the supplies she and Logan were carrying for us.

THE OBSTACLES:

This year had the usual repeat obstacles with the addition of a few new ones. Funky Monkey was there as was Hold Your Wood, Walk The Plank, Twinkle Toes, Boa Constrictor, Spiders Web, and the Berlin Walls (taller this year) but we had some new obstacles to conquer. Devil's Gaps, Arctic Enema, King of the Mountain, Trench Warfare, a second set of Boa Constrictor, Log Jammin, Electric Eel, Hanging Tough, Dong Dangler, and Everest were all new obstacles for Georgia this year. I liked some of the new obstacles and hated others. My hatred of them wasn't their difficulty, it was more the lack of thought put into them.

Electric Eel was rather pointless to me, it wasn't muddy, it wasn't difficult, it was just a reason to wet us down and make us crawl through dangling electric fence wires. It was sadistic and nothing else. I won't miss this one if it disappears in the future.

Hanging Tough was great in concept but poorly planned out. It had too few lanes to accomodate the flood of people coming through the event. When we arrived the Tough Mudder Staff had a guy on a bullhorn telling people it was a long (30min+) wait and it was OK to skip it. We did because waiting in the howling wind freezing for 30min would have pretty much knocked us out of the rest of the course due to our muscles seizing up. This event should have been much wider, with more lanes, and not as long across.

Dong Dangler was about the lamest "obstacle" of the day. It was basically just a walk through waist deep water holding onto a rope. If it was meant to be crossed differently there were no signs or Staff around to explain it.

Trench Warfare was just us crawling through a tunnel that twisted and turned a little bit, nothing difficult about it. No water, little mud, and not much effort required.

Everest looked awesome but if you didn't have people already on the top it was incredibly difficult if not impossible. The addition of a water trench right in front of it to muddy up the area didn't help either. I heard there were Staff at the top helping for a bit but I guess they go too cold because when we arrived there wasn't a soul on the top and nobody was having any luck getting up it. Hypothermia was beginning to set in at this point so we skipped this one.

Electroshock Therapy is always the final obstacle and a terrifying yet thrilling obstacle to dash though. This year though, some genius decided to lengthen it and add rows of hay bales to hop over. Add to this the fact that it was set up in a heavy mud zone and you have many unnecessary injuries and shocks. I saw at least 2 or 3 guys run through, trip and get zapped only to land and get zapped again and again and again until spectators or some other runner pulled them out. The hay bales were a mistake and shouldn't have been added.

Other than these critiques of the new obstacles everything else was excellent Tough Mudder grade fun.

THE FINISH and AFTER PARTY:

Once we finished we discovered they had greatly improved the finish line support area from last year. We got Water, Juice, Fruit, Cliff Bar, our Shirt, an Emergency Blanket to wrap up in and then our much earned Beer. Last year we got a Cliff Bar, Water, and NO BEER. They had plenty of fire barrels all around the area to huddle around and warm up which helped but was no substitute for just getting into dry clothes and getting the heat cranked up in the car. We didn't hang out long at the after party but it seemed like others were enjoying it. The cold wind really impacted people's desire to stick around I think.

Most people wonder why I participate in such crazy events. To be honest I don't really have an answer besides It's Fun! It's something that I never thought I'd do and now I'm doing it annually in addition to doing copy-cat smaller events like Warrior Dash, Zombie Run, Spartan Race, etc... It's an opportunity to play in the mud again and just have a great time with family and friends.

Plus there is beer at the end. :)

I'm a Tough Mudder

This past weekend I participated in the Tough Mudder. A 14.1mi adventure race/obstacle course at Highland Park in Cedartown Ga. This was, quite possibly, the most difficult race/run I've ever done and the most difficult Tough Mudder they've ever held. Originally listed at 10mi, it changed to 11mi the week before the race. We arrived to discover that one of the 2 Mystery obstacles was an additional 3.1 miles and a second trip through the middle course track and obstacles. Yay! This made the Georgia Tough Mudder a Half Marathon plus 1mi. Ouch!

From www.toughmudder.com:

"Tough Mudder is not your average lame-ass mud run or spirit-crushing ‘endurance’ road race. It’s Ironman meets Burning Man, and it is coming to a location near you. Our 10-12 mile obstacle courses are designed by British Special Forces to test all around strength, stamina, mental grit, and camaraderie. Forget finish times. Simply completing a Tough Mudder is a badge of honor. All Tough Mudder sponsorship proceeds go to the Wounded Warrior Project.

WARNING: Tough Mudder is 3-4 times longer and MUCH TOUGHER than a typical mud run such as Warrior Dash. Only 78% of participants at Tri-State 2010 finished. Only those in strong physical condition should enter."

They are NOT kidding. This race made me push harder and farther than I ever though I'd ever go. I had a great team of friends with me, Team Twinkle Pony! Don't let the name fool you. We sign up for insane shit and finish it! Together we conquered every obstacle, climbed every hill, trudged or crawled through every mud bog and pit, scaled every wall and we all finished it.

One thingthat had that helped us more than anything was our support crew. Twinkle Ponies that, due to illness or guardian duties, could not compete. Joe, Jessica, and Merril were our saviors. They met us at key points in the race with Gatorade, Protein Bars, GU Gels, and words/cheers of encouragement. Without all of these we would never have made it. Despite carb-o-loading and fueling up before the race we were all empty and starving long before each time we met up with our support crew. They really made the difference in addition to photo-documenting our adventure.

Pictures of Team Twinkle Pony at the Tough Mudder can be found HERE

Next up for myself and some members of Team Twinkle Pony: Warrior Dash!

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