Two Weekends, Two Fun Races

On Saturday, May 21, Joint Base Lewis McCord (JBLM) hosted its annual Armed Forces Day and Down & Dirty Mud Run. The Mud Run is a 5K course on trails through wooded areas and fields. There were many obstacles, and it ended with a long belly crawl through a very muddy pit.

The theme of the Mud Run was Superheroes and costumes ranged from simple T-shirts to full-on superhero outfits; tights, capes and all. One young man was dressed in a business suit and tie. That one had me baffled until someone explained that he was Clark Kent! I was just amazed that he ran the whole course dressed that way.

I should point out here that I did not participate in the run. Not because of the mud--that looked like a blast. It was the 5K part that got me. I don’t run much, not even way back in my physical prime. The closest thing I’ve ever had to a runners high is a couple of beers after a half hearted jog. So I was an enthusiastic spectator for my sister and her team. And somebody has to take the pictures!

There were people of all ages and abilities taking part. It was fun to watch from the spectator area set up at the final mud crawl pit. My daughter wants to participate next year where l'll happily play the cheerleader again.

The following Saturday, May 28, was the Pt. Defiance Outdoor Challenge. This one I did take part in, and I am so glad that I did.

They offered two divisions: the 2 person adult age 18+ teams, which seemed more competitive and the 4 person teams where only one person needed to be over 18. These were the more laid back teams so we fit right in.

Our team, Team Pyro, was myself, my 9-year-old daughter, my brother-in-law and my 7-year-old nephew. My sister was supposed to be on the team, but she hurt her ankle the previous weekend at the Mud Run so her husband gamely stepped in for her. Now it was her turn to cheer from the sidelines!

We checked in at 10 a.m. at beautiful Owen Beach, which was the start and finish line. We were given a top secret packet that couldn’t be opened until 11 a.m. Until then, we were instructed to use provided art supplies to make a team flag that we must carry with us for the whole race as it contained the chip that marked our finish time.

The race is throughout the entire (huge!) park and must be done on foot. You complete Interactive Challenges (10 points) or Photo Challenges (3 points) to reach 100 points. Our strategy was to use a map of the challenges to figure out which ones played to our team strengths and allowed us to reach 100 points quickly. There were a total of 19 Interactive Challenges and 32 Photo Challenges available. None of them were “easy”, but all were fun.

Some of the Interactive Challenges we completed were:

- Ultimate Runway Walk-Off: All members must complete this course, but first they must dress the part and yes, by dress, we do mean dress. Each member must adorn themselves with at least 4 fashionable items and then proceed through the obstacle course.

- Nordic Trails Ski Challenge: Two members will gear up in ski clothing, strap on cross country skis and ski across the grass bowl to retrieve two pictures. All team members will use these pictures plus 4 others to match the names of the WA State mountain to the pictures of the mountains.

- Revamp the Camp: Prepare yourself to setup tents and construct a base camp in this exciting camping gear relay.

Some of the Photo Challenges we completed were:

- Find a stranger and take a picture of them playing radical air guitar and screaming.

- Take a “Charlie’s Angels” style picture of all your teammates in front of the Pt. Defiance sign.

- Find a man (or woman) with a beard and take a picture of him (or her) shaking hands with one of your teammates.

- Create your best “Boy Band” pose with your entire team in the picture.

Because we were running all over the park in matching shirts with a team flag, we were constantly being asked by bystanders what we were doing, and we had no shortage of people willing to help us complete our photo challenges. There was a sense of camaraderie between teams and only good natured competitiveness. There was much laughter from participants and onlookers alike.

We didn’t finish first, but it didn’t matter. The kids had a great time and were able to take part in everything. I have a feeling we will have enough friends and family signing up for the Outdoor Challenge next year to make several teams.