If you would have asked me 3 years ago if I would participate in a mud run, or any 5k race, I would have side stink-eyed and laughed at you. Why would I want to willingly get dirty and smell like living bacon? Who does that sort of thing? Well, apparently I do!!! I love mud runs, obstacle courses, night runs (where I get to where my light up tutu!!), and any other "run" that lets me be silly and crazy. BUT, these things can cost way too much money for my liking, especially now that I'm on that struggling grad student income!!
HOWEVER, that's why I love Groupon and Living Social so much (endorsements much?). These sites almost always have a local run available for half off or even sometimes 3/4 the price. Yes you do have to pay for these "runs" but if you are going to pay you might as well pay less than everyone else right? Amirite? Here's a list of all the runs I have done thanks to my fun run gurus Groupon and Living Social and what I paid versus what a professional athlete might pay:
What I Paid Athletes Pay
Mud Factor $35 $75
Run or Dye $19 $45
Rugged Maniac Mud Run $26 $53
Color in Motion $25 $50
Glow Run $19 $28
ROC race $61 $105
TOTAL $185 $366
SO not every run is as fun as the other but my faves are ones that include plenty of obstacles (and light on the actual running part). Mud runs are infamous for this. SO many obstacles and very little actual running. AND you can get as dirty as you want. No one will tell you not to play in the dirt!! Isn't that a childhood fantasy come true?! If you don't believe me that they are fun check out the pics below. Also please note there would be a video of one of the mud runs but someone (cough cough Gabrielle cough cough) had the GoPro on upside down the entire race!!
Obstacle courses such as the ROC race are also life altering degrees of fun. You get to jump around in bounce houses, swing from ropes Tarzan style and tightrope walk over water-filled blow-up pools. What about that doesn't sound awesome?! AND I only hurt myself in one obstacle (damn old age!). I do have to be honest thought because I didn't actually purchase this deal. My really extremely great friend Gabrielle got this for me as moving away present because she is an awesomely amazing person like that (luv ya chica). BUT because she has learned from me she purchased the race on groupon!!
Other 5k fun runs worth doing are color runs and night runs. With the color runs you get to have dried paint thrown all over you as you "run" along a course. The night runs are usually LED lit up courses where everyone dresses up in their best 80s/rave wear. Anytime I get to wear my light up tutu is a Win-Win for me. BUT the downside to these runs is there aren't any obstacles so you have to actually run or pretend you are injured (wink wink) and walk most of it.
There are all kinds of races all the time available on Groupon and Living Social. Check them out and you will find the funnest things to do. Especially with the holidays coming up there will be zombie runs and ugly Christmas sweater runs galore. So don't give me any excuses about not trying it out!! My next goal in life is to partake in a slime run!! Who's with me?! We can live out our nickelodeon fantasies together!!
