My Adventure Around Lake Galena - Tough Mudder Training At Its Finest!

Tough Mudder is exactly 1 month away, and I really want to step up my running. I finished my first 5K over the weekend, but the furthest I had ever run was 4.5 miles, and that was on the treadmill! I've been to Lake Galena before with the kids and read that there was a running path around the entire lake (5.75 miles). I thought today would be the perfect day to take the step to run just a little further than usual. Little did I know that I'd also be training for The Tough Mudder!

I started out running on a path that winded pretty tightly around the lake and it was absolutely gorgeous. I had Bon Jovi's greatest hits playing on my iPhone and I really enjoyed passing by other runners and walkers who either said hello, waved, or nodded at me as I passed. It made me feel like I wasn't alone, even when I was running by myself.

At some point along the way, I lost the running path. I was following the path and it ended up in a parking lot. I didn't see where it started up again, so I headed back down the way I came and decided to head towards what looked like a slightly overgrown trail. I followed it for a bit, but had to climb over fallen trees and make my way through sticker bushes, and then the trail just completely stopped. So, I just made my way towards the lake and started running alongside of it.

I was definitely not on any kind of path, and found myself running through lots of rocks and mud. TONS of mud. There were times when I had to go through mud that was deeper than my ankles, because there were trees and overgrown bushes all around the lake and nowhere else for me to go! Other runners might have gotten upset by this, but I was actually kind of excited. I felt like I was in real world training for the Tough Mudder.

Prior to this, my training had been in the gym or outside of the gym. My Saturday training class was held outside one morning in the drizzle and mud, but I soon realized that did not prepare me for walking in the sludge I was facing!

There was also some psychedelic sludge, which scared me a bit. I'm guessing it was mixed with motor oil from the boats that are on the lake in the summer? I saw animal footprints in the mud too. I was hoping they were from dogs.

My initial goal was to run the entire 5.75 miles around Lake Galena without ever slowing down to a walk. But, at some points, I needed to walk in the woods, or my legs would have been scraped up from all of the sticker bushes. I also had to stop running when I was in the very deep mud, because I think I would have run right out of my shoes! Note to self: Tie your shoes very tightly for The Tough Mudder.

One thing that helped me get through the really thick mud was to walk on my tippy toes. I think it was something about the angle of my feet that helped me keep moving without feeling like my shoes were being pulled off my feet!

Finally, I saw a little bridge and decided it was time for me to find my way back to the running path. I saw some footprints heading back into the woods, and decided that might be the way to go. So, I made my way through the the overgrown brush and finally found the path that went over the bridge. This path did not wind tightly around Lake Galena. It went up a steep incline and I was high in the hills above the lake, looking down at it. At some points, I couldn't even see the lake.

Now, I was running on a path with a ton of mud soaked through and on top of my sneakers and ankles. It felt like I had 5 pound weights strapped to my ankles and I was going up a very steep hill too. I came upon a little clearing and saw an animal carcass. I literally screamed out in fright when I saw that. I stopped for a moment to take a picture and then kept running!

The one negative to being back on the running path was all of those park benches on the side. They all seemed to be calling my name, but I pressed on. I rounded a corner and saw a parking lot and really thought it was the one where I parked my car. I actually screamed: "YES!" because I thought I was reaching my finish line. I got a little closer and realized it wasn't the right lot, and kept on going.

I heard "Wanted, Dead or Alive" playing on my iPhone and kept telling myself I needed to pretend an animal was chasing me and I had to keep running, or I'd end up like that carcass! Even though I did slow down during the really rocky, woodsy and muddy parts, I did run the entire time I was actually on the trail.

I rounded another corner and saw the little fishing dock that my kids like to walk out on when they're throwing rocks, and I knew I was close to the end. I threw my hands in the air as I maded it to the dock and was so proud that I made it the entire way. I checked my iPhone's pedometer and it said I went 6.1 miles in 1 hour and 2 minutes, which I thought was fabulous!

My shoes were so muddy after I finished, that I decided to drive home barefoot!

I also took a picture of myself next to the lake to celebrate finishing my first non-official "mud run." It didn't come out that great, but as they say: If you still look cute after you work out, you haven't worked out hard enough!