Friends Help Friends...Crawl in the Mud

A few weeks ago, in a moment of insanity, I participated in the 2012 Indianapolis Dirty Girl Mud Run. When I signed up, I thought this is going to be fun. Then I thought about it some more and decided, this is crazy. Then I did it anyway. We laughed and joked all the way up to Noblesville, but inside I was dying. I was afraid i would hurt myself. I was afraid I'd be so out of shape I couldn't finish, I was afraid people would laugh at me. I was afraid I would be the heaviest one there...a million different things.

I was excited.
I was terrified.
I was one person on a big team.
I wanted to back out.
But, I didn't.

After the run. I know we don't LOOK all that muddy. But trust me, we were.

And then, it started. And, it was a lot of fun. But, two girls in particular made me laugh my way through the mud, the falls, the fears...all of it. Ashley and Amy and I decided on the way up that we would stick together. And, bless their hearts, they stuck with me, even though I was out of shape, couldn't run like they could, and was slow. They encouraged me and laughed with me. We crawled under ropes, over ropes, across walls, through ravines and tires...and we did it all together.

What I learned through the experience was that I could do it. But, had I tried to do it alone, I would have failed. I would have given up. I would have skipped the obstacles that were the hardest. Heck, I might not have even actually gone! Together, though, we did it. I knew they were counting on me, just like I was counting on them. Together, we succeeded in doing it. And I'm proud of that muddy shirt, crossing that finish line, and doing it!

The bumps and bruises are almost gone now. But the memories are still fresh. I still feel a sense of satisfaction because I did it. And I want to do it again (just hopefully about 40 pounds lighter next time).

There is a great picture of Amy, Ashley and I from the Mud Run. I liked it so much I ordered a copy of it. It's sitting on the bookshelf directly across from my desk now. When I start to think that life isn't a team sport, I can look at it and remember that we all crossed the finish line together. And that is the best way to do anything - with the support of the people that love you, and, more importantly, believe in you.