1. Name: Stephanie
2.Tell us about your race experience: I’ve never done a mud run of any distance, but I’ve been running on and off for just under 10 years and racing for half that time. I came back this summer after taking 2 years off due to injury and burnout. Two weeks before Tough Mudder, I ran my third Army 10-Miler.
3. What race did you run? Tough Mudder at Wintergreen Resort, Virginia.
4. Why did you sign up for this race? A friend sent me an email about Tough Mudder while I was regaining a base for Army 10-Miler training. I saw that I had a cross training day scheduled for the day of Tough Mudder and decided to go for it because it seemed like a fun thing to do with friends.
5. What/who inspires you to run? I run for two reasons: for those who can’t and so that I don’t break when I alpine ski. Having a solid aerobic base makes many activities a lot more enjoyable!
6. What is your best training tip? Stick with your training plan unless your body is telling you to ditch the training plan. There’s a lot of be said for rest days, too!
7. Water or Sports Drink? pre-run: water, post-run: I’ve been using Nuun since 2007.
8. Tell us about the outcome of the race: I met most of my goals! I (1) Survived; (2) Emerge with the same number of bones and ligaments that I started with (and without a concussion); and (3) Finished with my friend in roughly 4 hours and 10 minutes.
9. Your favorite post-race indulgence? I love post-race naps. Although, I had a caffeinated gel during Tough Mudder, so I was wired for the rest of the day.
10. Favorite part of racing in a Sparkle Skirt? People noticed me! I wasn’t merely “another girl” or “a girl in a skirt” (there were actually a handful of those). I was “the girl in the SPARKLY skirt.” Interestingly, it was the women that commented on the skirt: The woman in front of me at one obstacle was wearing a black skirt and was envious of the sparkles. Another woman at the top of a hill called me out, along with a cheer for girl power. It was pretty awesome.
Additional info:
Blog: UsuallyStephanie
Race recap HERE
Follow Stephanie on Twitter at @usuallystephani
The Traveling Sparkle Skirts are a pair of Team Sparkle Running Skirts (one Hot Pink & one Turquoise) that travel the globe spreading the Team Sparkle love. Read more stories of the Traveling Sparkle Skirts HERE.