Muddy Buddy (ATX)

I know, I'm behind on sharing JAG pics with the family. Been a busy month with work and training for the Muddy Buddy, which by the way, was yesterday! I promise, I will be back sometime in the near future with JAG pics and vids. Feels like we spent a month in last weekend...so this is going to be a long post that could probably get boring quick. Look for BOLD headlines on what happened and for links to picture albums. Going to tell you about camping, the Muddy Buddy race, boating and jet skiing on Lake Travis and getting in my truck which was already occupied by a snake. Hopefully this doesn't get boring quick! If you just want to see the pics, check out the photo album HERE.

CAMPING: PEDERNALES FALLS STATE PARK
As I mentioned earlier, James and I have been running and mountain biking to get ready for this race. We kind of started the weekend of on the wrong foot. We planned to camp out at nearby Pedernales Falls Park in Johnson City so we could get a "good nights rest" and not have to wake up super early and leave Austin early to arrive in Johnson City by 7am. Well, waited to long to reserve a camp ground, but we were sold on the idea of having a fun Friday night, campfire and relaxing before the race. So we got the primitive campground. The primitive camp sites are a 0.8 mile trek from the parking lot. Not bad, we got bikes for James, Morgan, Isaiah and myself...easy ride. Well, we got there late. Big surprise huh? So we didn't eat before arrival as planned. Found out 2 things when we arrived: 1) the hike to the camp site is 2 miles, not 0.8 as we originally thought; and 2) no campfires allowed out there...bummer! There went our "fun" camping. Thats cool...we made the trek and set up base.

Now it is getting dark...we ride back to the trucks cause we need to go get dinner. The ride is not easy. Muddy trails, creek crossings, big inclines...Morgan was trooper and got through it all okay. We head in to Johnson City and end up stopping at Hill Country Cupboard. It boasts about having the worlds best chicken fried steak..."over 3 dozen sold." At this point we are starving and could have eaten at Burger King and had the best meal ever, but I think the food was pretty good. Dinner is over and we are back at the park, pitch dark. James pulls out his headband lights, one works and one is out of batteries...I had nothing to offer. Somehow it is enough light to get us back and finally are getting to bed. Oh, we left a sleeping bag in the truck. I open up the one bag and spread it open for me and my bro...luckily it didnt get too cold. We might as well not have brought it...offered little in terms of padding and we didn't get to cover up. I think we all woke up about 20-30 times that night with the rain, wind and lightning....good times! So the plan to be close to the race for a short morning drive was a major FAIL. We're just happy the rain stopped in the morning so we could pack up and get back to the trucks dry. As we pack up and take the tent rain shield/cover off, there are dozens and dozens of daddy long legs all over the tent. They are still there, we just rolled them up in the tent. We're still good though, a few bananas, granola bars, oatmeal and powerbars later and it is...

MUDDY BUDDY TIME!!

This is a race where teams of 2 alternate riding a mountain bike and running and alternating about every mile where there are check points and obstacles courses. The person with the bike goes first, reaches the check point, leaves the bike, does the obstacle course then takes off running. The person who was running reaches the same check point, does the obstacle course then picks up the bike and rides. You continue to switch off at every obstacle course. At the end of the race is a big mud pit where both teammates have to cross it together. The Austin, Tx. (Johnson City really) race was a short 5.4 mile race with obstacle courses about every 1.1 miles. I took off on the bike first, since we got there late, I'm behind the pack and have to be patient while all these slow people crowd the road...finally there is some space and I start weaving in and out of traffic trying to make up time. I am WAY better at biking than running, so I was determined not to fall back on my riding to make up for my slow run time. 1.1 miles later I reach the first obstacle, the High Walls. A wall, not really that high, with indoor mountain climbing type of nubs all over it and on the other side a cargo net to climb down. Was easy peasy. Now I'm running and suckin' wind. 2.3 miles into the race is the next obstacle, the Inflatable Slide...a very TALL slide. Straight up climb on a cargo net the a fun slide down. I'm down and then James starts pulling up so I take the bike and go. 3.3 miles into the race is the Balance Beams, so I ditch the bike and jump up...normally this would have been easy and it was, but it was more challenging doing it with Jell-o legs.

This next stretch was killer, mostly uphill and really muddy from all the rain. I started off good, slowed down and then finished strong...4.6 miles into the race and I'm at the Low Crawl. They have a net low to the ground and you gotta go army style crawling on yer belly to get through. I do and then gotta wait a little longer for James who had the bad luck of getting the bike ride on the worst leg of the race...it was almost impossible to ride most the uphill battle in the mud. He gets there in good time considering and I'm off again on the bike for the final leg. It starts off uphill but I get through it all the way and then relief when I see this loooong downhill ride and I let gravity take over. 5.7 miles later I am at the final Mud Pit and waiting on James. He arrives and we head for the pit and we hear the PA guy, "Here they come...your OAKLAND RRRAIDERS!!" James and I get through the Mud Pit and run the final incredibly muddy and slippery stretch to the finish line...we finished with a time of 54:17. We were in the 76-85 combined age group and finished 7th. Only the top 5 place...we were 37 secs away from top 5 finish.

It was really fun though and we got lots of nice goodies at the end. Really hope to do it again. Here is a vid Zaiah took of us finishing...

LAKE TRAVIS: PONTOON BOAT AND JET SKI
On the way home from Johnson City, Zaiah and I stopped at the Nutty Brown Cafe on 290 for some lunch. Tastee! Got home and then spent way more time cleaning bikes and everything else. Was much easier getting the mud on instead of off. Just as I finished, Mari and the girls pulled up. By 4:45 were back on the road and headed to Lake Travis. We rented a pontoon boat and a jet ski. We anchored in the cove, swam and took turns on the jet ski. The water was pretty cold, but once you were in it got easy. The girls had a blast on the jet ski, it was fun having everyone out there.

SNAKE IN THE GRASS TRUCK

After the lake we headed to Carlos N Charlies to meet the Bruces and the Dunhams for dinner. Holly, Mari and the kids headed there to meet up with them while Isaiah and I carried stuff back to the truck. I get in the truck, about to sit down and I noticed out of the corner of my eye some trash on my center console. It took maybe 1/2 a second at most for me to think: "who left trash on my console" and "it kinda looked like a snake." Of course I totally disregarded the whole snake theory...then the piece of "trash" moved and jumped back out of the truck. Look in and yup...its a snake alright. I saw him head to the back seat for more leg room. I opened up all the doors, but dude just wanted to chill. I get up close to snap a pic and he turns away, so grab his tail to yank him out, but he pulls back and slips out of my hand...and now hes mad. Coiled up and his little mouth wide open. Didn't have giant teeth, but I still didn't want them in me. After throwing the boys Burger King crown at it failed to get him to exit, I break a branch of a tree to try and lift it out. Few failed attempts and it finally turned away and "ran" out the opposite door. It was a fantastic 24 hours!!