Dirty Girl 5k and obstacle course

It's probably a lot like the Hell Run I did this past summer. What I learned:

Don't worry about your time - covered in mud, you might run slower (wet shoes are heavier!) and you might have to wait at an obstacle for other people to finish.

Do all the obstacles - they're mostly fun and people will help you if you need it but they're also set up to be doable by people who haven't really trained.

I lack upper body strength but was able to climb a rope wall and two other walls because of the slats in them - the worst part was getting over the top while slippery from mud.

HAVE FUN! Sure, it's a 5K but it's supposed to be fun! People will be laughing and stumbling and as long as you're in decent cardio condition you'll do just fine. Good luck to you both!

I did one in Oct. 2012. I found it was pretty easy. Run during the first wave so that the obstacles are not filled with mud. It was easier to climb walls when there is not so much mud on them. Make sure you have good shoes with traction on them. Don't buy new ones because they will be trashed. You can donate your shoes at the end of the race, which I did.

I have pretty good upper body strength (i.e. i can do pull up, chin, ups, etc) for a woman, so the entire thing was pretty easy. (After the run, I did Nike training class.)

I suggest start developing upper body strength, (chest press, push ups, etc) including your arms (biceps, triceps ).

If you can not do an obstacle, you can always avoid it. There is no penalty for avoiding it.

Good luck.

I ran the one in Scranton PA last year with some girlfriends. Since we were a later heat and the course was packed, most of the teams walked the course and ran where it was paved so it wasn't a TON of running involved. As for the obstacles, we has a lot of climbing (over a wall, up a rope wall, over a hay stack, through tubes, etc.), the only one that needed a lot of upper body strength I thought was the tire swings, where you had to walk across the tire swings from swing to swing. Again, old sneakers (an clothes too) since they will be caked in mud after is a plus. I did donate my sneakers at the end There is a showering area but it is hose water so depending on the time of year, it could be freezing water coming out of there. It was a great time and I am sure you will have a blast!!

Yay!! I'm excited...thanks for all the advice!