Warrior Dash Barrie 2012

I completed my second Warrior Dash. This one took place in Barrie, Ontario at the Horseshoe Valley Resort on both the Saturday and Sunday.

My buddies Chad and Pierre, who ran with me last year, joined me again.  All three of us brought the families, and the weekend up at the resort makes for some fun family times, with the kids enjoying the pool and the Adventure Playland at the resort.  This year, Chad's wife Tricia joined us, bringing our team up to four members.

Pierre and I, of course, wore the same costumes as the year before.  I dressed up as a barbarian (my old Conan costume) and Pierre dressed as a Spartan. After all, we don't take the race seriously (ie, looking to beat last year's time), but rather to enjoy the novelty run, the obstacles and the horsing around.

We ran in the 9 AM heat, which was the first one on Saturday July 21, 2012.

I didn't dive head-first into the mud this year, nor did I crawl on hands and knees through the mud (which is what had really messed up my knees last time -- last time there was gravel under the mud that chewed up my knees.  The barbed wire was real this year, so that was impressive (and motivating).

The race is over (just before 10 AM) - let the goofing around begin!

The course was slightly different than last year. The hills (ie, racing up and down the side of a ski-hill), was the worst obstacle, making running the whole time virtually impossible for us amateurs.  There didn't seem to be as many difficult long hills - it seems the big hill in the middle was broken down differently, making it easier than I remember it being last year.  And there were different fun obstacles this time around, which is always fun.

We enjoyed a turkey leg and beer (or two or three or four, ah you get the picture) after we had been washed down by the fire-hoses.

And I had ended up posing for a heck of a lot of pictures with people.  Would love to see some of them.  Below are a few shots taken of some of the other people in the race (though I didn't get a lot because, well, there wasn't a good place for me to store my camera with the costume I was wearing)

Alexander and I checking out the finish area before the race starts

Getting pumped up before the race starts

Us posing at the top of the cargo net obstacle

A close-up of the previous pose on top of the cargo net

A couple of friends we made (also from Hamilton) - a nice couple, wish I could remember their names

This gentleman was raising money for a cancer cure -  Check out: www.wayfarerquest.com

I loved this guy's Silver Surfer costume (which held up even after he got hosed off at the end)

The Warrior team the night before the race

Another pic taken before the race started

Fire jumping 101

  

Posing in the hallway before the race

 

Pierre nodded off while we were waiting in the restaurant for our take-out. We made sure nobody made fun of him.

We were able to wake Pierre up for this pic

One of the fun teams I posed with:  The Dirty Old Birds.

Since I know that I posed for a lot of pictures with many different people, I'd love to see those shots -- so if you posed with a half-naked barbarian on the Saturday and you have a pic, I'd love to see it.  Fire it over to mark (at) markleslie (dot) ca or leave a link to the picture(s) in the comments below.