VP Challenge

I have been so busy and so tired this week I have not even thought about writing a race report or about running. At all. ugh.  Getting to sit here to write it has been challenging  ;)

The VP Challenge was interesting lOl.  I actually really liked the idea of it and after it was over I enjoyed the run but during it, I wasnt really having all that much fun ;)

It started off in the park by the ball field and we ran up up up the hills (this park is all hills) on some paved and some gravel trails.  It was a challenging start.  The first obstacle was an over and under where we climbed ladders and ducked under ropes.  Then more run run on up and down hills but now only rolling, not climbing. 

Got to the wall and there it was. My enemy.  Ugh.  But! The rules changed the night before at the spaghetti dinner; we were allowed to climb the support now, making it easier to climb the wall.  I mean really, is it fair for everyone to climb the same wall? 6 foot tall men, and 5 foot tall women?  So they let us climb the supports on the sides.  Didnt account for the fact that we would be sweaty; that wall with all its smooth sides and padded top was SLIPPERY.  Even once on top of it, as if it wasnt hard enough, it was even harder to stay there, slipping all over the place.

Up and over the wall :) Then up Vipert Trail. UGH this is one steep hill. I always walk it.  It's super steep.  So a good walk up hill, then when it was less steep running again.  A tall leggy boy passed me on this hill. No worries, I passed him again later.
At the top of the hill is the resevoir and the tunnel.  It was a tunnel about as tall as I am on all fours, and about 10 feet long. Scurry through; here I suppose we had an advantage over the tall men ;)  Coming out we ended up with crusher dust and gravel on sweaty hands. Gross. How do I wipe my face now? Never thought of that :)  Did I mention the heat? It's about 25 C without humidex mixed in.  UGH.

Now some downhill; and some VERY steep downhill. I passed a really tall girl here and thought she would overtake me on the flatter but I didnt see her again. 

Some up and downs, beside the river, and then back to the wall.  I laughed now because there was this volunteer by the wall; offering boosts.  He asked, I was like Well, um YEAH.  So he gave me a boost over and wall was behind me.  YAY! 

Right after the wall we turned left and went back up another very steep hill.  Ugh last steep trail tho.  Part way up we entered another trail, with lots of stone and wooden stairs to trip down.  Into the lower park, and up the next obstacle: Jacob's Ladder - hundreds of steps up a steep cliff.  Ugh. That late in the race it was tiresome.  Up at the top and then back down the Serpentine.  At the bottom we crossed the bridge and ran to the next Obstacle: 30 push ups and then tires to run through. Into the ball park and through the Army Mud Crawl - The fence was too high and I could totally stay on all fours :) good thing since rather than mud, it was more like wet sand and rocks. Lots of rocks.  Ugh. A fellow with a fire truck was spraying the hose on us so it was very, very wet. 
Up and out of the mud and over the ball field fence to be finished 5 km and 8 obstacles!  I survived the VP challenge.

Once we were finished we had some water and chocolate milk and ice cream and hung out for the awards which I didnt win any and I was fourth in my age group so good and time was 35:30 or thereabouts. :)