Community Corner

Dirty Girl Mud Run Inspires Women to Take up Running

"I love it because it started a whole new chapter in my life," Michelle Niemeyer said of the Dirty Girl Mud Run, slated for this weekend at the Lake County Fairgrounds.

When Nikki Golden and two of her fellow high school alumnae decided to sign up for the Dirty Girl Mud Run at the Lake County Fairgrounds last year, little did they know that the obstacle-filled course would reignite in them a love of running.

Since last year's event, Golden has run eight 5Ks. Former classmate Kathleen Roberts has run nine 5Ks and has already signed up for four or five more this summer. Michelle Niemeyer ran three half-marathons in the past year and is training for this year's Chicago Marathon. 

This weekend's Dirty Girl Mud Run, Niemeyer said, is their "runniversary." 

"I love it because it started a whole new chapter in my life," said Niemeyer, who lives in Oak Lawn. "When you have four kids, you can lose yourself; you're just a mom. Now I have my own thing back again."

Golden said the idea to participate in the 2012 Dirty Girl Mud Run came from a former high school classmate who posted on Facebook that she'd signed up for the event with her sister and some friends.
 
"The team kind of built from there," Golden said. Though she initially signed on to design a logo for the team, she ended up joining the 30-woman "Muddy Cupcakes" team herself.
 
Golden, Neimeyer and Roberts admittedly hadn't done much running since graduating from Buffalo Grove High School, so taking on the Dirty Girl Mud Run seemed a little daunting.

"I was really hesitant to do the run," said Niemeyer. The Dirty Girl Mud Run was held just six months after she'd given birth to her fourth child. "I just wasn't ready to run."

Golden, who lives in Arlington Heights, said she did a little pre-event running near Lake Arlington to help get prepared for the big event.

The Dirty Girl Mud Run ended up being a great experience, the women said.

"The first time I did the Dirty Girl Mud Run, i thought, 'I am out of my mind. What am I doing?'" said Roberts, who lives in Roselle. "I thought it would be fun to catch up with girls from high school and girls from grade school. After I was done, all I was thinking was, 'If I can do that, I can start running again.'"

Golden said what made the event great was that all of the women—of all ages and sizes—are very supportive.

"They do a really good job of making it a fun event and kind of an empowering event," said Golden. Her biggest fear was climbing over a tall fence, but so many other women were standing there, cheering her on. "I got to the top, but then I realized I was really afraid of heights."

She hopes to tackle the fence this year.

"I think the main thing I remember is the feeling afterward that, wow, I can do this," said Niemeyer. She said the Dirty Girl Mud Run is not a typical race, where you're trying to get a good time. Instead, you're having a good time. 

"It does a neat thing. It just kind of gives you a bond," said Niemeyer. "We're 'Dirty Girls' together."

'Mud Run' Inspiration

The Dirty Girl Mud Run, Roberts said, gave her the push to start running again. Running, she said, "is a fantastic stress reliever." She signed up for the Chicago Hot Chocolate run last year and just kept going from there.

"I told Nikki and Michelle—when I run, it's like my time. It's nobody else's. I just go out there and do it," said Roberts. "It's like an addiction, and it's a good addiction."

As a bonus, she has dropped 34 pounds since last year's Mud Run and her cholesterol has dropped.

Golden ran her first 5K last November. 

"I guess I surprised myself that it was doable," she said. "I keep telling my husband, 'I do it because I'm always so surprised I can do it.'"

During her most recent 5K, she shaved three minutes off of her first 5K.

Niemeyer has completed 14 races, including three half-marathons, in the past year. She's looking forward to her "runniversary" this weekend.

"I'm just going to enjoy it. I'm going to enjoy the camaraderie aspect of it," said Niemeyer. "I think a lot of women don't do it because it's that fear that you're not going to be able to do it, or that people are going to judge you. It's just the opposite of that. It's all these women coming together and helping each other get through it."

The Dirty Girl Mud Run is slated for June 29-30. 

Do you plan to participate? Tell us in the comments!


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