Jason signed up to do a grueling mud run, the Tough Mudder this year. The girls and I went to watch; it was a lot of walking on a very, VERY hot day. I served as pack mule, traveling concession, portable bank, photographer and occasional human transport. We managed to catch a ride twice with EMS on their carts; most of the time we were on foot, watching and cheering.
It was a 95 degrees and shadeless for most of the way. I keep the kids hydrated and busy. Elena did tons of walking; Vivian tired quickly and I managed to carry her on my back a while (very hard with my bad knee). Jason did a terrific job, and we managed to watch him several times on the 10+ mile course.
The evening before the race, the kids decided to do the mini mudder, a kid-centric mud obstacle race. This was good timing for Elena; she just got new braces and shoes, so we had her old pair that were ready for one last use. We had her wear her kiddiegaits with her old braces and shoes, and figured I'd scrub the carbon fiber clean after the race.
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| Monkey Viv |
The officials were very accomodating--although the really didn't have to be. Vivian was brave and strong, and had an awesome time on her own and helping/being helped by others. Elena tackled the obstacles with determination and strong will--it was as if everything she learned at PT these many years was in preparation for this. She used her crutches to get through anything she didn't have to crawl/climb through, and gave them to Jason to hold when she didn't need them. It was AWESOME. The kids had a great time.
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| Determined |
The course was four laps, to complete one mile. Elena completed one, and did every obstacle on her own--except the pipe climb and the monkey bars. It was easier for me to get pictures of Vivian, as I had more opportunities with her laps.
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| Mud Pits |
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| Helping Hands as E goes up the pipe |
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| Viv grabs hold after a running start |
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| Mud crawl after tube slide |
Both girls were so proud of themselves, and they had such fun! All of us were an exhausted, dirty, muddy, exhilarated bunch!
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| Mudders! |
1 comment:
Elena is a great little athlete!
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