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Warrior Dash New England

Mud. Sweat. And Queer?

Saturday, August 19, 2017
Thompson, CT
Strenuous
Hosted by gsgraham-stephens

The trip report

Written by gsgraham-stephens

The slogan of the Warrior Dash is Mud, Sweat, and Beer.

But today... today - judging from the rainbow tattoos, shirts and more that I saw over 3.1 miles it was certainly queer. (At times it felt like a gay pride event).

It was a hot day in Thompson Connecticut.  HOT!  

And the weather was warm to boot!  Much warmer than last year's Warrior Dash which felt like a cold New England Spring day.

Thank goodness the organizers had lots of water elements to help keep you cool during the 3.1-mile route.

A route that we mostly walked.  

One of our crew was diagnosed with Lyme Disease 5 weeks ago and was in no mood for extreme exertion.  That's OK - we finished a few short minutes after those who were sprinting frantically ahead of us.  Why?  Throngs of people waiting in line for the obstacles.  And lots of time to take int eh Hotness.

Did I say it was HOT?  (Maybe it's me, but there is something really hot about two guys - one dressed as the groom and the other dressed as the bride running together through the mud.  Or a crew of guys dressed like a ballerina and a super villain had a baby running through the mud?). 

Warm weather + crazy male athletes = ?

OK.  

Maybe surreal is a better description.  

Or heat stroke.

Our "Run"

We met a little after 10 am and even though our start time wasn't until 12:30 pm, we took off with the 10:30 am wave.  The sun was incredible and while standing around observing others was fun, waiting around for two hours on the black top would have cooked us.

Just like last year, we ended up going back and forth on the race track to eat up the miles.  We actually cover 1.1 miles before we got to our first obstacle.  Three more obstacles before mile 2.  Then 8 more obstacles crammed together in the last mile!

A great time was had by all.  Lots of fun.  No injuries.  Good beer and cider at the finish line.  And...

... lots of half-naked men covered in mud.

Until next year!

Event photos (170)

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About this event

This will be my fifth Warrior Dash. (See the Trip Reports from TWO 2016 Warrior Dashes).

A Warrior Dash is a 5k obstacle course race with 12+ obstacles. Run, walk, wade across lakes and venture through mud-caked backroads as you play in a giant jungle gym.

Wondering whether you can do this?  ANYONE can do this.  With a team of Gay Outdoor buddies - we can support you - and each other - in doing this.

Get all the info on a Warrior Dash including obstacles, training suggestions and more at:  http://www.warriordash.com.

Who came along (4)

gsgraham-stephens SUSTAINING
gsgraham-stephens
Fairlee, VT
swimfit GUEST MEMBER
swimfit
Hartford, CT
minh GUEST MEMBER
minh
Coventry, CT
Trailrunner GUEST MEMBER
Trailrunner
Avon, CT

Comments

minh · Nov 29, 2016
I have NEVER done anything like this before, but I'm going to (tentatively) put my name on the list as something to shoot for. I'd appreciate any advice for a relatively unfit guy to get ready for this. :)
gsgraham-stephens · Dec 15, 2016
I just booked a room at the Comfort Inn & Suites, 16 Tracy Rd, Dayville, CT 06241 for August 18th. Just an FYI b/c if we stay together we can hang out Friday night before the race.
gsgraham-stephens · Dec 15, 2016
If you are wondering what the minimal fitness level is for something like this Warrior Dash, I would say you should be able to jog a 5K (which is 3 miles) in about 40 minutes (which like walking really fast). General fitness is helpful - situps and push ups - but you don't need to go to an extreme. If you come to an obstacle and for whatever reason - physical - emotional - whatever - you don't want to do it - you can just walk around it.
minh · Dec 16, 2016
I live in Coventry, CT, which is 50 min southwest of Thompson. I'd be happy to open up my place for people to stay the night before the race, and we can all come back and soak in the hot tub or sauna after the race.
gsgraham-stephens · Dec 16, 2016
I wish there was a feature as on Facebook so I could like your post, Minh!
gsgraham-stephens · Aug 18, 2017
I have an EXTRA ticket! A friend threw out his back and cannot make it. Contact me if you are interested!

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