Muckin’ it up on Suicide Hill

This weekend more than 700 racers got down and dirty for the 3rd Annual Suicide Hill Mud Plunge. Our ABC 10 Reporter, Rick Tarsitano, was on hand for the festivities, jumping into the action headfirst.

Wading through three miles of muck isn’t for any old stick in the mud. It takes guts and a whole lot of passion to find the strength to complete a barrage of obstacles at the tail end of a frantic 5K hike through the woods.

Some people dress up for the occasion. Others dress down. Some rely on their team to get the job done. Others are left wanting, after attempting to wiggle their way to the top.

For me, it’s all about consistency. I tried to keep a solid, yet steady click going from start to finish.

Trying to keep my feet dry quickly became a lost cause with a sprint through the sludge just a few hundred yards in. Once I made it to dry land, I had to alternate between jumping and ducking past a series of hurdles.

Then, the unseen treachery of the forest set in.

It’s just you, the trail, and never-ending run of uphill climbs followed by knee-buckling descents down the rocky road. Two and three-fourths of the way through I was feeling fine, only to find a slippery slope that men far stronger than I had failed at mastering.

Riding the adrenaline of a successful first attempt, I crawled through the pipes, sloshed through the mud pit, and crossed the finish line at 31 minute-mark for any icy, but refreshing welcome home. And although I felt great about what I had accomplished, nothing would come close to the nap ahead.