Top 10 Mud Run Tips

We accomplished a very fun day doing the Dirty Girl Mud Run and all the training we did came in very handy.  Not all mud runs are created equal and this one was by far the easiest, however, there were some things that either did help out a lot or would have been a great idea... 

1. Consider wearing leggings or knee pads under the leggings to protect your legs/knees when crawling through obstacles.  Some of the crawling was just mushy mud, but some was definitely coated in gravel.

2. Unless you want to be dripping mud down your clothing, even after you rinse off, do not dunk you head if at all possible.

3. Do not bring bottled water with you to save time at the rinse station.  We never used it and carried around 3 gallons in my gym bag all day for nothing. 

4.  Wear clothes you do not care about and can ditch right after or be ready to spend some time hand scrubbing with a terrific stain remover:
       1/2 blue original dawn dish detergent (I don't usually use many things with man made chemicals, but this one works!) mixed with 1/2 hydrogen peroxide. Most people clean their 'mud duds' right when they get home, but we were visiting relatives out of town for another 2 days and didn't want to clog up their machine.  So, they sat in a humid car in a musty garbage bag until we got home.  I hosed everything off as well as I could, and this took considerable time.  Then I soaked them in a tub for 1 day in water, another day in water and some stain remover solution, then went at it scrubbing on the third day.  They are not new looking, but presentable considering what happened to them!

5. Use shoes you can donate at the end of the race for the same reason and check off a good deed.

6. At the rinse station, strip off to your underwear (its all girls at this one) and bring a bar of soap.  You'll have to be quick to ward off the evil eyes as its meant to be a quick rinse, but the soap will shave quite a few minutes off your rinse.

7. Bring someone along to take pictures and video of the race... you'll preserve some great moments!

8. On that note... Smile, jump, wave, be silly and strike a pose at every obstacle... there appeared to be hidden professional photographers or cameras set up at each one.  Really wished we had hammed it up a tad more now:) Be sure to wipe off your runner tag each time you get muddy; its the only way they can tag you later and you can find your pictures!

9. Tie your shoes on snugly, as you WILL lose them on the first deep pit if you don't!

10. Tie something wacky on your bag like you would do for luggage at an airport.  It makes finding your black duffle bag MUCH faster amidst everyone else's black duffle bags!

Bonus... if they give you a promo tshirt (and especially if it's white.. put it into a plastic bag and leave it till you get home.  DO NOT wear it thinking you are clean after the rinse station.  You are NOT! lol!)