10 Weeks of Dedication, Hard Work, and Car Bombs

July 15, 2010 was a new day for me. I was about to embark upon a difficult journey. I was beginning my training for the warrior dash. The warrior dash, for those of you who do not know, is a 3 mile race up the side of Copper mountain at an altitude of 9,700 feet of death. It is also littered with obstacles such as  cargo nets, mud pits with barbed wire, and leaping over flames as you race towards the finish. You are rewarded for your feats with a sweet warrior hat, a turkey leg, and a brew. I will not lie my intentions for signing up for the race were skewed 20% for the feeling of accomplishment 10% because obstacles and playing in mud sounded like fun  and 70% because I needed that cool warrior hat. There was only one problem....I could not run a mile, let alone 3 miles.

The last time I probably tried to run more than a mile was in high school when I was forced to run the "zig zag" while in Dysfunc PE (Yes, for those of you who did not attend my HS and were not Creekers.....people who did not play sports actually had to go to a P.E. class called Dysfunc, as in Dysfunctional.)  What makes things even worse, is that I asked my friend Colleen, who had just finished a tri-athalon, to participate in the festivities with me.

This is how I happened upon the Irish Snug Run. Every Thursday a local bar called.....you guessed it.......The Irish Snug, hosts a 5k run. The run is free and it goes around Cheeseman Park. Afterwards the bar rewards you with free spaghetti and salad.

The bar may have rewarded peeps with free food; however every week, I rewarded myself with a Harp and a car bomb.  Then after 10 runs you receive a free running jersey. It makes you official. I just had to have one of these jersey's.

All this sounds fun, right? Well let's go back to that fateful day of my first run. I was pumped up and ready to go. It was my first run so I was prepared for a lot of walk/jogging. But for some reason on that day, my brain saw myself being a lot more bad ass then I really was. My brain had thoughts like, "3 miles...eh....can't be that bad." "I bet I could run at least half of this shit before I have to walk." So let the races begin.

I begin to jog with Colleen (tri-atholon completer). After the first two blocks, talking is a no-go. At least on my end. Colleen is chatting like we are sitting down at a bar enjoying a beer. Oh what I wouldn't give to be at that bar. After 3 more blocks, I started to sound like I could be in Lamas class (sh, sh, sh, phew....he, he,he phew).  3 more blocks and done. Finito. I had to walk. Let's just say my first run did not meet all of my brain's expectations. My brain was just a little too cocky. Big Ego.

But I never gave up. I continued. And by week 3 I could jog the whole thing. Even the Botanical Hell of death. Get it...I switched hill with hell! This fat kid was even able to do the Gin Mill run on Tuesdays, every once in a while that is. For those of you who don't know the gin mill. Oh Boy. You start at a bar. (Starting to understand my running patterns...hehe...running and bars go hand and hand.) Runners basically sprint 2 miles, do a leg strengthening boot camp, and then run the last mile home. Let's just be nice and say I am the caboose in that train. Let's also say that the 2 dollar vodka drink I had at the end of each run was the most refreshing vodka drink ever. And even though that run made me feel like the fat kid in gym class, I still got my Bootlegger Jersey:

The warrior dash came and went. And I had to make the decision. Would I stay with the Snug? Would I be able to dedicate myself to at least 10 runs for the jersey?  I mean I had missed 1 run for Happy Hour, 3 runs for pre-season football. But I stuck with it, and this past Thursday I hit run number 10!!!!! Ding, ding, ding.....winner winner, chicken dinner!!!!!!! I am an official snugger!!!! After I completed run number 10, I did the usual....chug a water, chug a car bomb while toasting myself, and then drink a Harp while I waited for free Spaghetti:

And then another. (My camera phone gives people demon eyes):

Colleen, Tiffany, Me

And then my moment had arrived. It felt like a real awards show (at least in my head). Plus the 2 car bombs had made me feel all warm and fuzzy inside. I had run 3 miles for 10 weeks and now my Jersey:

Not only did I feel accomplished,  I have made a lot of new friends from all the runs. I even have my own little running crew. They don't even mind that I still suck at running- despite 10 weeks of trying. But like the little engine who could, I will keep on keeping on! So I will leave you with this pic of my cool warrior hat. The need for this hat is what started it all.....running, new friends (Colleen, Tiffany, Mike, Jeff, Karen, Greg, and Alex...Thanks!), bad ass running jerseys that make me look all legit and shit, and of course lest we forget my love of car bombs:)