News

Reservists Get Down and Dirty

  • Published
  • By 2nd Lt. Denise Hauser and 2nd Lt. Lori Fiorello
  • 446th Airlift Wing Public Affairs
McChord Field --  Cold. Wet. Dirty. Face first in the mud is the perfect way to spend a rainy Pacific Northwest morning.

Eight Reservists from the 446th Airlift Wing got down and dirty Saturday in the 6th Annual 5K Mud Run sponsored the by Joint Base Lewis-McChord Morale Welfare and Recreation Center at Lewis Main.

"I organized the team to show that fitness can be fun," said Master Sergeant Shannon Mehalik, a self-inspection program manager with the 86th Aerial Port Squadron. "I did the run because I love fitness and it is a great way to stay in shape."

The run started with participants pounding the pavement for about a mile, and then led into the woods where the fun began. They trekked through the mud, ran up and downhill, got sprayed with water cannons, and crawled over and under logs. At one point, there was a high-jump mat where many did the "leap of faith" trying to jump over the mat. Some cleared, some landed in the middle, and some bounced off and landed on their face.

"I want to show the unit that there is more to fitness than just push-ups, sit-ups, and running a mile and a half," said Master Sgt. Derek Abdella, the non-commissioned officer in charge of training for the 86th Aerial Port Squadron. "I did the run to have fun with my friends at the same time staying in shape."

The last obstacle was the low crawl through some wet sticky mud. It was like a scene straight out of "Swamp Thing" as the runners came across the finish line, some with both shoes on while others had one swallowed up in the thick mud.

"People pay good money at the spa to be covered in mud and we were able to do something fun like this as an alternative form of PT," said 2nd Lt. Lori Fiorello, a public affairs officer on the 446th AW wing staff.

It may have only been a 5K but after running uphill on close to 90 degree incline hills only to find a mud pit or other obstacle on the other side it felt like a marathon. Running and crawling through freezing cold mud first thing in the morning sure puts the "f" back into fitness. These Reservists represented the wing and shined in a sea of mud.

According to Capt. Vanessa Balint, Unit Fitness Program Manager,  the 446th AW is the number one wing in Air Force Reserve Command for the best fitness scores.