Bouncy Babes and Inflatable Egos

We were so innocent.

Let's talk about terrain. Okay, I'm not really qualified to talk about terrain, but I thought it would be a great segue for what I want to talk about...which is sand. Yes, sand.

Living at the beautiful Jersey Shore, I've grown up with sand. It's a staple. It's home. It's the coolest thing when it's covered with snow. I think I always took it for granted, because typically when walking on sand it is short distances to plop down in said sand...or to get to the packed sand along the shore line.

At least that was until this September.

Caught up in good peer pressure and the excitement of friends, including Her Royal Sassyness and Her Royal Fierceness, I signed up for the Insane Inflatable 5K race in Seaside Heights, NJ. I figured the bulk of activity would be bouncy houses, so it wouldn't be so much a running race, as much as a walking obstacle course. After I paid my registration fee, I forgot about it.

This was the final straw. Literally.

The day before I saw some posts go up teasing about the inflatable obstacles. Then I looked closer. The 3.1 mile course was on the beach. In the sand.

I knew that would make it very difficult. As soon as we got over the "start" obstacle and took our first steps in the sand, I realized it might very well be impossible. I was exhausted after five steps. Oh, and although it was the weekend after Labor Day, it was about 98-degrees out. Right.

Many people shared my anguish over this course. Many people went up and walked on the boardwalk and then came down only to do the obstacles.

I was not one of many. I did not go up on the boardwalk. I said through my clenched jaw that if we are doing it, we are doing it right. 

Let's just say I suffered through that course. I cursed my friends. I sweated. I ached. I cried. I completed all obstacles but one. I finished the race.

Yes. I finished. In the sand.

One day one of these is going to be chocolate. I just know it!

It was not easy. It felt impossible. I hated it. But I completed it. I did not quit. None of us did. I guess we really are capable of things that seem unfathomable.

This is a spectrum of kick-ass ladies.

I will begrudgingly admit that once I completed the race I felt so amazing. I will also admit that although we walked the entire thing, once we finished ToniAnn and I then RAN down the beach and jumped into the ocean. That was pretty priceless.

Also priceless? Our fantastic friend and cheerleader Lora. She came to support us and ended up hanging around in the heat as we realized this was going to take a bit longer than we thought, and cheered us on the entire way. 

Jersey Girls Never Quit.

This race also featured Cheryl (orange), Adriane (brighter orange), and Veena (purple). 

One of the biggest takeaways from this race for me was at the end when we all started saying "If we had more water we probably could have done better...." or "If we did this, maybe it would have been quicker..."

Her Royal Sassyness paused and said, "Ladies, what are we saying? We completed it. It doesn't get much better."

Truer words were never spoken.