This past weekend, my daughter and I joined hundreds of other women and completed our first Mudgirl Run. What’s that one might ask? While the run hosts detail the Mudgirl as “an obstacle race dedicated to women,” I would describe it as fun, challenging, humbling and utterly worthwhile. And yep! It was pretty muddy, too, just in case you were wondering if it lived up to its name.

MUDGIRL MORNING TIMELINE

4am: Wake up; get ready and head out

5:15am: Meet and caravan with teammates from my local gym (A huge thank you to the inspiring ladies at Motivated by Lisa! and especially to Lisa for motivating me to join MBL’s Mudgirl Team 2026!)

6:30am: Arrive and park at race site – Castaic Lake State Recreation Area (dark and a little chilly which sorta gave the whole thing an eerie vibe, tbh)

~ 6:40am: Sunrise!

Many very important decisions ensue such as: should I wear the baseball hat that I brought? Should I wear my glasses? Am I actually hungry, or is that just nerves? What will I do if I don’t wear my glasses, and I can’t see? What will I do if I do wear my glasses, and they break? Was that a bird? What if I really can’t do this? Why did I get up at 4am again? Wait … what did I actually get myself into?

~ 7:30am: Race site opens. We grab our race tickets, and head to the course. Women are forming lines; selfies and group photos abound. I can really start to feel the energy rising. This is happening! We check our bags and take more photos. We start to move toward the starting line. The energy continues to rise. So many smiles! So much pink!

~8:30am: We walk/jog across the first (!) starting line, and corral into a pep area. Lots of dancing and encouragement and some powerful moments from two breast cancer warriors. This short time was powerful, moving, energizing. There were tears, nerves, energy … lots of well-channeled motivation.

While the Mudgirl run does raise funds to fight breast cancer with the Pink Army Foundation, this morning I learned that the Mudgirl run provides that and somehow also? so much more.

Since 2017, Mudgirl has contributed over USD $554 000 to breast cancer causes. Since 2025, a portion of every Mudgirl profit, including 50% of spectator ticket sales and proceeds from the Pink Army T-shirt, goes directly to the foundation.

We were told at the race start a few things to challenge and encourage us:

1. Complete all the obstacles. All 20 of them. (as much as we possibly could, within reason. obvi? don’t hurt yourself; no one wants that.)
2. It is mandatory to stop and take every water break offered along the course.

And also, this gem that will remain with me for some time:

1. We can.
2. We will.
3. We are.

And with that … we were off. The course was approximately 5k and included 15 obstacles (not the announced 20! tricky!). Early in the course, we tackled some inflatables and all the MUD that I could ever want … and then some. The worst part of the entire course was the smell of the mud and when I accidentally got the mud in my mouth. ICK ICK ICK. And that’s all I’ll say on that.

We crawled under and through muddy waters; we ran jumped and climbed up muddy trenches and hills. None of it was easy, but I was reminded every time that few things in this beautiful life that are worth achieving come easy. And that none of us were made to walk alone, especially the rough patches. God crafted us — God crafted me — to be in community, help one another and contribute to a greater whole. And it is that community that supports us (if we allow …) to both enjoy and MUDdle through the beautiful (and challenging at times, too) gift of life.

I learned that again and again on this muddy morning. And nowhere did I feel it more with my whole heart and soul than when after one of the early tough and muddy obstacles … my daughter took my hand …

As the obstacles shifted out of the mud and onto the lakeshore, we stopped for a water break. It started to get hot and the earlier excitement and adrenaline was wearing off. So I was thankful when I remembered this gem:

1. We can.
2. We will.
3. We are.

And then? We arrived at the hardest obstacle on the course. Both my daughter and I doubted whether we could pull this one off. It might have to be the ONE challenge that we skipped. But, I thought: I have to try, if not for me, then for my girl. So, I stepped up and took the rope and starting lugging 25lb over sandy moguls. I fell flat on my butt several times, and the whole awful thing felt never-ending. But, my gym friends were there CHEERING me on, and countless others who I didn’t and will never know were cheering, too. In the midst of the cheering, I stopped to catch my breath and evaluate my chances to get through this. When I glanced up and into the sidelines, a teammate’s husband and little son stared right back at me and yelled: “You GOT this!!!” And I chose in that moment …. to believe those words; and while it was not pretty in any way: I turned back and I finished that obstacle. I believed; I trusted; I can; I will; I am.

My daughter had a different experience with this one. She pushed and pulled that 25lb weight through the first half of the course, and then really hit a major wall. She just couldn’t get the weight moving; it would not budge. I cheered her on to no avail, and then watched as three teammates stepped onto the course to help. They gave her words of encouragement; showed her how to use her legs and not her back; and together, these women together – they got that weight moving. And after that, my daughterer pushed and pulled through with all of her power and might. And, she also finished that obstacle.

1. We can.
2. We will.
3. We are.

And we continued onward: we lifted more heavy weights; we walked a tightrope; we climbed and moved and ran. But while growing tired, we had built confidence in ourselves and abilities on the course. And even more than that, we had developed trust in other Mudgirls with us that morning.

After completing the course as a team together, receiving our Mudgirl 2026 medal and changing out of our muddy clothes, we took more photos (of course!). Then we said our goodbyes and headed home.

On the car ride home, we recounted the morning together. My daughter claimed that she “really didn’t” finish that 25lb obstacle because she had help. And, I wholeheartedly and most vehemently disagreed. On the contrary, I countered that she did 100% finish that obstacle! I explained that needing and/or receiving help does not discount one’s completion of the challenge at hand or detract from the effort that got you to the end. #lifelesson #lifelonglesson

1. We can.
2. We will.
3. We are.

Note the WE. (Not I.)

Jesus taught that throughout his ministry, and this supporting one another is truly what it’s all about. It’s not about what I can do; it’s about what we can do together, and how I contribute to a greater effort for God’s purposes through us all.

After this the Lord appointed seventy-two others and sent them on ahead of him in pairs to every town and place where he himself intended to go. ~ Luke 10:1

God shows up in that greater effort; God is in the collaboration. God is within each of our contributions and efforts; God is in our cry for help; God is on our offer to help; God is in the helping. God is in the successful pulling of the 25lb weight to get over the hurdle. God is in the spouse calling out to a random teammate, “You got this!”

So now my daughter and I are now both officially Mudgirls and our mud-caked sneakers might never be clean again LOL.

But I think even more importantly as Mudgirls, we were powerfully and most palpably reminded that we are part of a much greater community of God’s people even and especially in the muddiest of times.

A greater community who together practices:

1. We can.
2. We will.
3. We are.

My Mudgirl run was a morning of effort and challenge and humility and joy.

It was a morning of learning about the power of trying and the power of receiving help.

And that we were created to be in community with one another.

It was a powerful morning indeed.

And one that I will gladly do again.

Mudgirl 2027, anyone?