Last Saturday on October 13, I ran Bakersfield's very own 10-K obstacle mud run, Volkslauf for the first time. With over 30 obstacles including 1/2-mile-long mud trench, 8-foot wall, parallel bars, monkey bars, crossing the river on a rope, and countless mud pits, this was definitely the messiest race I’ve ever ran. But it was also an unforgettable race that was strangely satisfying.


A mud pit just before the parallel bars and cargo net


Cargo net


You have a choice between mud or mud with water


Tenaru River Crossing


Yes, you do have to crawl through the pipe. And hold your breath.


Juan-mo-time, a huge mound of dirt that transforms into a slippery hill.


Runners being sprayed with water


Runners slipping down the hill


Carl’s Slide


Happy Valley

Coming into the race, I was very nervous. I had been having some stomach issue all last week and I even had to cut down on the early morning tempo run on Thursday that turned into a race to the john. I took Friday off and left San Jose to Bakersfield right after work on Thursday to see my girlfriend (she was also running the race with her co-workers for the first time). She fed me very well and I got to recuperate and play with her cats all day Friday, although I managed to get lost going on a short recovery run around her neighborhood.

My goal was to finish the race in one piece, injury-free. The verdict? I've got a nasty cut on my left hand, scratches and bruises on both my legs, chafing from the rope on both ankles, and I also managed to strain my right shoulder, a recurring old injury from playing badminton and later falling into the half-pipe on the snowboard. No major injuries, though. I placed surprisingly well at 9th place, as I waddled through the muddy water desperately trying to catch the 7th and 8th place finishers while the mud sucked the sole of my shoes with every step I took. Now that I think about it, I really should have swum that last 50 yards of mud water. But, my conscience was telling me, "Don't do it, you're going to lose your contact lens and you didn't bring a spare. And you're going to bust your right shoulder so bad you're gonna regret it!" That was the smart choice, and I grudgingly followed. My goal was to finish the race without major injuries and I still had a couple more weeks of training for Big Sur half marathon. It seemed like the right thing to do at the time. But, I should’ve swum! I was so close and I was catching up to them. It still haunts me in my sleep. Anyway, I got out of the water, climbed the last hill and ...where was the finish line? There was a clock, a finish chute, but I didn't see the finish line. I just stopped my watch there and went down the chute and the race official ripped off the tag off my bib. My watch said 43:05, but the official time said my time was 46 minutes. Did I accidentally stop the watch somewhere?


The results

There were some young local cross-country runners who caught up to me along the 2-3 mile stretch on the paved and dirt road, but they had some difficulties going over the walls and parallel bars, so they started to help each other out. Later, I found out they were only 12 and 17 years old, so that was surprising. And they even had a cross-country meet the day before.


My girlfriend did a great job, too. Three of her fearsome foursome were trying Volkslauf for the first time, but they helped each other out and finished the race together.


Stairway to Heaven


Hue City


Going over the parallel bars


Judy even managed to get herself across the river on the rope. She was the only one in her team to accomplish that. Way to go!


Climbing out of Chu Lai


Happy Dirty Bunch


We all got ourselves hosed down after the race.

Unfortunately, I did not get to stay for the award ceremony (if there was any), since we were planning to go back to San Jose for San Jose Rock 'n' Roll 1/2 Marathon. I ended up taking a long nap after lunch and we eventually left Bakersfield around 8:30pm.

If you like running and if you like to take on new challenges, this race is for you. And next time, I'm gonna swim to the finish line!