The third annual Seriously FUN Mud run

Okay when I saw that the Discovery Center in Topeka was having a mud run for kids, I jumped online and signed Andrew and I up.

They had two options, option one meant your kid ran the course by themselves OR you could run with them but not do the obstacles.  I knew andrew would need help, so I signed up for the second option, which was the family run, in which you ran as a family unit together and got to do all of the obstacles together.

We got to the center about an hour early (OOOPS:) so had to wait outside until the closer till time for the run.  They had closed the center down for the day for the run, as the earlier waves had finished and we were the last to go.

As we drove over, the storm clouds kept building and building.  The bottom fell out right as they opened the doors.  Here is a tip for next year if you want to do this race.  Get there early and be one of the first to go in.  They assign the numbers just by where you are in line, and the early numbers go first, so it is worth it to get an early number.  We got our t shirt and bib first, and then waited for the storms to pass by.  Luckily since you are at the discovery center, there is plenty to do.  As it became apparent that we would be on rain delay for a while, they opened all the exhibits to let the kiddos paint and build and do whatever they wanted to.  

Finally after an hour or so, the rain let up and they herded us outside.  Andrew and I were the second team to start, and after they checked our bibs, we were off!  It was still sprinkling, which made it even more muddy and fun.  The first obstacle was a water curtain and then we hit the trails.  We had to go over logs, under logs, and through the woods, and speed demon andrew took off like a shot!  The second obstacle was running around the play area where people were shooting us with high powered water guns!  Next, we hit up a patch of mud that we were suppose to roll down.  Andrew said NOPE, so I got down and rolled for him.  He tried running on it, and the mud almost got his shoes off!  We hit the mud pie area where we got to make mud pies and then smash them on our heads.  Once again andrew was NOPE, and I kind of didn't want mud in my hair anyway so we played with the mud and then headed on.  Next was another big patch of mud to crawl through, but andrew just ran over it and I crawled.  

We had to walk on hay bales next and we did so hand in hand.  We headed up the hill to get bowls of muddy water to carry over our heads down the hill to the muddy pool.  

We dumped our buckets in the pool (that had mud in) and then had to jump in the pool and transverse the pool.  Once again andrew said NOPE, but I did what I was told and almost face planted.  We crossed the finish line with him ahead of me and got our goody bags.  The course was maybe 4 tenths of a mile if that long.  We headed over to the park where the fire men had hoses spraying for us to rinse of in.

I pretty much had mud in every crevice even after the hoses, so it was easier to just strip him down for the ride home and sit on towels for me.

We will be back next year.  The entry fee was I think 22 bucks per person, but the money goes to a very good cause in the discovery center.  Even though we had a delay, we got to play in the discovery center and one of the activities was building a track with black track, PVC pipes cut in half, and little wooden balls.  You could make whatever type course you wanted and Andrew LOVED it!  They even had an engineer present that would help you design your course OR help you trouble shoot why your ball wasn't making it on the course.  I so wish we had a place like this in Wamego/Manhattan!

Overall, much fun had by all, even in not doing the obstacles as is.  I feel like next year, we will rock out this course and have a ball yet again!