For some inexplicable reason, I agreed to join my friends in yet another obstacle race. This time, DH joined me, which was pretty exciting since he doesn't run and hasn't ever participated in a race. So off we went to the Gladiator Rock 'N Run.
Overall, it went pretty well. One obstacle, Hamburger Hill, involved a half mile incline up the side of the Estrella Mountains. I struggled there, but finished most of the other obstacles, and I think I conquered my fear of heights. Okay, maybe not. But I got over that awful wall (the literal wall, not the figurative one - although I suppose I did that too), so I call it a win.
Of course, I couldn't have completed a few of the obstacles alone. I'm a whopping 5 foot 3 inches, and some of these obstacles aren't made for the fun-sized, if you know what I mean. I was very lucky that two of the men from our group hung back with my husband, a runner friend, and I. Both were so sweet, helping not only me, but several other runners who needed the occasional boost or encouragement. One of the obstacles was a dumpster you had to climb into and back out of. There were some bars on the outside that I used to get in, but I had no hope of climbing out. I couldn't reach the top of the dumpster and my parkour skills are seriously lacking (read: non-existent). But I wasn't alone and one of the guys who'd hung back with us knelt down and allowed quite a few people to use him as a step stool.
This isn't uncommon at obstacle races in my (very limited) experience. I'm amazed, and quite touched, by the kindness I see in runners. There are stories in the media all the time about runners who sacrifice a PR or win to help out another runner who's struggling or injured. I admit it, I tear up a bit when I read these, blown away by the selflessness and consideration runners exude all the time. Of course, this isn't necessarily true of all runners, unfortunately. However, the majority seem to be of the mindset that an individual sport doesn't have to exclude camaraderie. For that, I'm extremely grateful. It's encouraging for people like me who are just getting started and aren't confident in our abilities. It's inspiring to know that we're supported and should anything happen, our fellow runners will be there to pick us up. And it's a relief to know that when we're too short to do it ourselves, there will almost always be another runner waiting to give you a boost.
