Army crawling through several pits of mud. Sliding down a giant inflatable slide into a pool of mud. Rock climbing over a wall while covered in rain and mud.

These were just a few of the rather unusual activities that made up my day two Saturdays ago. As you may have noticed, the common factor among them was mud. And while I would normally never subject myself to that much mud--at least not willingly--this time was different. This time, I was getting covered in it from head to toe for a very worthwhile cause: breast and ovarian cancer. I know some of you may be thinking, what is this crazy event that had me crawling in mud and supporting such a great cause? Why, it's the equally dirty and fun Dirty Girl Mud Run.

I've participated in the mud run for two years now and I can tell you that there really is nothing like it. Women (and only women) of all ages, shapes, sizes, etc. come together from all over the country to show their love, support, and solidarity for the women in their lives affected by breast or ovarian cancer. I consider myself lucky to not have very many women in my immediate family affected by these cancers, but there are so many other women out there that I do know or may never know who are--and it is those women that I run (well, walk) for. These past two years, though, I have had the privilege of being on a team with breast cancer survivors, which has made participating that much more meaningful for me.

This is what I try to remember as I make my way through the course. It works out much better for me to think about who and what I'm participating for than to think of how dirty I'm getting or how I'm getting mud in places I never knew I could get mud in. My first year, I cared way too much about trying to stay as clean as I could. Yeah, that was mistake number one. Because as soon as you let someone know you don't want to get very dirty, they will go out of their way to get you dirty. This year, though, I decided to loosen up a little and let whatever mud got on me, get on me. I mean, I wasn't going to go out of my way to get dirty, but I also wasn't going out of my way to stay clean. And I can tell you, I had a lot more fun with it this year. Washing it all off of me and my clothes, however, was another story. If you've ever done a mud run, you know what I'm talking about.

Things like hating getting dirty (me), disliking exercise (me), age, size, or level of fitness should never keep you from being involved in something as special and worthwhile as the Dirty Girl Mud Run. You are able to complete the three mile obstacle course at your own pace, whether walking or running, and take as much time as you need. If you think you can't do one of the fourteen obstacles, you are allowed to skip it. I love that aspect of this mud run; it isn't about who can cross the finish line first, it's about the sense of empowerment and accomplishment you get just by finishing it. That, in and of itself, is pretty amazing.

I could continue to sing the praises of the Dirty Girl Mud Run for days because it is that incredible. Not only does your participation go towards helping prevent and detect breast and ovarian cancer in young women, it also shows your love and support for women everywhere who are affected by these cancers. The fact that it's fun is just an added bonus. If any of what I have said has encouraged you to get involved with this great event--and I sincerely hope it has-- here is a link to their website where you can learn more about it and possibly register for a run:

http://godirtygirl.com/

See you next year!

#PlayDirty #ForTheGirls