Nothin’ Like a Good Stick in the Mud

Automysophobia.  The fear of getting dirty.  For most of my adult life I have suffered from this irrational phobia and though I cannot pinpoint the exact reason, I am quite sure that it stemmed from my struggles with obsessive compulsive disorder that strangled me during my college years.

But then I became a runner.

Running has taught me so much.  It has taught me how to set goals, then work hard to achieve them.  It has taught me to be mindful, to be present and in the moment.  It has taught me to be compassionate, to be receptive, to be the best version of me I can possibly be.

And it has also taught me to just go with it sometimes.

So when my second leg of the Dances with Dirt 100K Extreme Relay in Hell, Michigan had me face a nasty series of mud bogs the consistency of blackstrap molasses, I tightened the string on my shorts and just jumped right in.

Waist high muck intent on sucking the shoes right off my feet was no match for my running induced love affair with nature.  Getting dirty has never been so fun!  In fact, the whole time I was wading through the mud, I couldn’t help but think about how alive I felt, about how much I enjoy being out in nature, truly experiencing everything she has to offer.

Surely, the smile on my face while trudging through swamp was disconcerting to those fellow runners around me who looked… um… uncomfortable.  And awkward.  And pissy.

Such feelings are not for me.  As long as I’m able to run, I’m going to embrace it.  And though my adventures might sometimes lead me down dirty, difficult, uncomfortable paths, I will always take the feeling of being alive over being reserved and unaware of my ultimate potential.

Team Freudian Slip and Falls, 2012. From left to right: Eric, Jeff, Keith, Megan (with Sigmund Freud’s zombie head on a stick in back).

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If you’re looking for a fantastic way to spend a whole day with your running buddies on awesome trails, consider participating in one of the Dances with Dirt 100K Extreme relays.  It’s such a fun day.  The teams really go all out with their costumes and totems and team names.  And the organizers do a great job of making it a fun-first event.