Lessons from the Mudstash

At the beginning of this summer I had the chance to participate in my fifth Mudstash race. The Mudstash is hosted by a ski slope in Southeast Indiana and is sponsored by 24 Hour Fitness. This event has become something I look forward to every year as it was the first big thing I did to help create the new Amy after leaving the painful experience of my marriage. There is a special event held the night before the Mudstash called the Bash Before the Stash. They raise money and give all the proceeds to Safe Passage, the incredible shelter that assisted me in creating my new life. I am so grateful to the many people and organizations who support Safe Passage and make it possible for this shelter to continue to serve our community.

With each Mudstash I have had a different experience and learned something new about myself. In all the previous events there has always been someone that I know running with me. This year was different. Because of other things going on the same day, I was not able to find anyone to go with me. It was also the same day as my nephew’s high school graduation and he was the valedictorian so I didn’t want to miss supporting him on his special day. I contemplated not going but just couldn’t allow a year to pass without making this symbolic run through the mud and obstacles. I ended up deciding to run in the first noncompetitive heat and then rush back to the school to get to the graduation. It was going to be close but it felt like something that I needed to do.

My mom ended up in town that day so I asked her to come with me to support and cheer me on. She agreed so early Saturday morning she made the forty-five minute drive with me to Perfect North Slopes. I was feeling a bit anxious that there would be no one with me that I knew but at the same time felt like this could give me a chance to really see what I could do. I never get a timing device when I do this race. I have always been more concerned with making sure everyone in my group feels supported and can make it to the end, no matter how long it takes.

When my start time neared I gathered with the other racers at the start line. There was a man there giving instructions about the course. What he said made a huge impact on my mind. He announced, “This is not necessarily a race. There are many obstacles but if you cannot make it over an obstacle you can always go around it. Remember, there is always an easier way.”

As the airhorn sounded and we all raced off to face our first mud pit, his words repeated in my mind. “This is not necessarily a race… There is always an easier way.” This phrase went through my mind over and over and over as I climbed hills, waded through waist deep mud, climbed walls, swung on ropes, crawled through pipes, and many other demanding and challenging obstacles.

I thought about how this event was not only important to me, but was also very symbolic of life. Life is not a race. We all go about it at a different speed that works for us. We don’t need to compare ourselves to others. There is no timetable. We can take as much or as little time as we need with each obstacle we face. Also, when an obstacle is so overwhelming, there is always an easier way. We just have to find it.

There was another amazing thing that happened during this year’s event. I am not in very good physical condition. I don’t work out and don’t take the best care of myself. Even though I don’t train to do this event I still make myself attempt every obstacle. I have never been capable of completing every obstacle. I might hang onto a rope then drop off and walk because I can’t climb it. But at least I try. This year I was doing really well with completing the obstacles. Then I got to one that I didn’t think I could do. There is a long horizontal bar that you have to jump up to grab on to. After that you are supposed to shimmy across it to a log and jump up onto rings then swing across the rings to the other side. Last year I could barely even jump up and grab onto the bar where I quickly lost my grip and fell into the mud below. This year I stood on the platform and looked across the obstacle. The man’s voice came into my head, “There is always an easier way.” I knew that I could just walk around the obstacle and there would be no penalty but something inside of me said, “You need to try!”

I jumped up and grabbed the horizontal bar. I didn’t lose my grip! I decided to try to shimmy across, not sure I could do it. I made it halfway across and there was a chain holding the bar up that I had to get my hands around. I focused and pushed myself to pass over the chain. I made it! I kept going and made it all the way to the log where you can rest before getting on the rings. I stopped for a moment, in shock that I had made it this far. I looked up at the rings and remembered previous times of attempting rings. I had never succeeded in swinging between rings and grabbing a new ring to swing forward to another ring. I had always lost my grip after the first one. Should I get down and walk around? What if I fell off and the people around me saw me fail? I just couldn’t let myself go past without trying.

Reaching up, I jumped and caught hold of the ring. Fear went through me and I considered just dropping down into the mud. Instead I began to swing myself, focusing on the next ring to grab. I reached out and grabbed the next one, then the next. Before I knew it, I was across and jumping down on the other side of the obstacle. I literally jumped in the air and shouted in excitement. I did it! Then I felt self conscious because there was no one around that I knew so I hurried on to the next obstacle. :)

I could not believe that I had completed that obstacle! Even though I felt so out of shape and incapable I was stronger than I was a year ago! I was so full of energy and excitement! It felt so amazing!

Before long I came to my biggest nemesis: monkey bars. By this time my arms felt dead. I had no strength left. But I jumped up there and gave it a try. The second monkey bar rotated as I grabbed it and I fell into the mud below. This year I was not able to do the monkey bars but that was okay. When I was not capable of completing the task, there was an easier way. I walked through the mud and kept going on to the next obstacle. And I was okay with that. I did the best I could.

When you near the end of the Mudstash, there is a long waterslide that goes down the hill. I stood at the top of the waterslide and looked down at the ski lodge. Sitting there where I could see her was my mom as well as a very dear friend who I didn’t know was going to come watch me. I was so filled with joy to see these two women! Knowing they were there gave me so much strength and so much hope. I was supported. I was loved.

I finished the last of the obstacles with these two women following along on the sidelines, cheering for me and smiling whenever I looked their way. My soul was so filled with joy! As I crawled through the last mud pit, my whole body was so extremely tired that I just wasn’t sure I could keep going, but my cheerleaders gave me strength. I crossed the finish line and we all rejoiced together. I was nice enough to shower before giving each of them a hug. :)

Over the next few days I contemplated the event and the words that were spoken before starting, “This is not necessarily a race… There is always an easier way.” Comparing this to regular life, I wondered to myself, what is that easier way? For me, the easier way is Jesus Christ. He is the one that shows an alternate path when we can’t move forward. He is the one that supports us and strengthens us when we try to get over an obstacle. But that doesn’t mean that the path is easy. It is far from easy. Following Christ can be very hard and challenging. So how could I compare Him to the “easier way?”

For me, I cannot get through something unless I feel there is some reason for experiencing it. I need to know why and I need to have a purpose for myself. We don’t always have the answers to those questions but for me, having Christ at the center gives me purpose and fills me with hope. Having Christ assist me on the path brings peace and comfort. And the eternal perspective gained by being close to Christ can even answer the question, “why?” So Christ really is the easier way because without Him I have no purpose or goal.

The lessons from the Mudstash continue to influence my life. It brings a feeling of great accomplishment to my soul every time that I participate. Even when it doesn’t feel like much has changed, I am getting stronger each year. I can do things that I never thought possible. And though I may have to run the course alone at times, there are always those who love me cheering from the sidelines and giving me strength. All of these experiences help give me purpose and I am left feeling that I can keep going. And next year I just may be strong enough to make it across those monkey bars!