The Mad Maldon Mud Race

Ka Boom! What a race it turned out to be yesterday! I loved it, if someone said I could of done it again today I would of. Next year I going to do it in fancy dress and make a bit more of a meal of it. As it was Kirstin and I made a good fist of things!

Arrived in Maldon at about 12.30 in order to register before 1pm. The race started at 2pm and the only bit I did not enjoy was the waiting around in the cold before the start. We were herded onto the bank of the river and then set off straight into a freezing river. I mean freezing, it felt like glacial bloody melt water. Easily deep enough to swim if the water had not been so crowded with other competitors. Then it was straight out of the water and onto the mud! Impossible to walk on, the suction on your feet was immense so only one thing for it and that was to get down on all fours and forge ahead! I was cruising baby! Carving my through the mud and overtaking plenty of people in the process, If I had not been stuck behind so many people in the water I reckon I could of achieved a pretty high position! As I was moving along parallel to the river bank I heard a tannoy announcement that someone had finished (and won) in about 3 minutes. The commentator also said that it takes some people 3 hours! I can almost believe him. Moving through churned up mud was very difficult and I found my self breathing much more deeply than I had expected, it was actually quite a good work out. For a very unfit person moving through churned up mud I think it would be really, really difficult.

I am definitely doing it next year, it was a really interesting little challenge. Forcing yourself to get in to a freezing river in the middle of Jan and then crawling through filth is not something you actually experience very often and I really enjoyed it.

Annoyed that I did not get any pictures of me really filthy but as you cross the river to reach the finish line in obviously removes a lot of the mud. Boooooo!

Serious note: I would like to make it clear that have I nothing but contempt for all the people who competed in wetsuits yesterday!