Ultra run? Mud Run? Yes! My first Ultra Race was the 2006 Promise Land 50K. After a dry 10 minutes, the heavens opened up with a torrential downpour and my feet were soaked from that point on. (Praise God, for Vaseline!) The lightning was very scary, as we were climbing up the mountain into the woods, two places you should NOT be in a lightning storm. But, our group prayed for God's protection and not long after that the lightning and thunder stopped. The rain, however, kept falling on and off for another 2 hours or so. Climbing up to the radio tower was like being in a mud run. The path was so mucked up with the previous 100 plus runners who had scrambled up the mountain before me, that you had to choose the risk of having your shoe sucked off, or hiking in the middle of small stream created by the run off. I chose the stream. Scrambling down Cornelius Creek Trail, which was similar to the stream itself in places, I thought that there was no other place I would rather be at this time. It was so beautiful! And the sound of the rushing stream... should have warned me for what was ahead. The creeks we had crossed in training two weeks prior were now raging rivers in flood stage. Crossing one, I was a stride from the bank only to step into a hole and find myself in water up to my shorts! I later heard that one man fell in over his head. A very dangerous place! Further on the trail itself did in fact turn into the creek and we had to make our way through ankle-high water, hoping the rocks wouldn't slip out from under our shoes. This was a concern for me in particular, as I was wearing an ankle brace from having rolled my ankle on trails a month earlier. The chicken noodle soup at the trail head at North Creek and Cornelius Creek aid station was wonderful! In fact, all the food at all of the aid stations was terrific!! Thank you so much to all of the volunteers who helped out and made the race possible! I liked the running part on the gravel road that came next. Then, up into the hills we went. I hooked up with another runner from NC on this stretch and he helped me make it through the second half of the race. Bill was preparing to chalk up his 151st ultra at the conclusion of our run! (Way to go, Bill!) He was a great help to me, giving hints and helpful suggestions for the various parts we went through. We celebrated with a GU after getting to the top of the falls. From there, it was only a little way to the aid station on the parkway. After crossing the finish line, I was so glad to be done. This was by far the most difficult thing I have every done. I think that the Promise Land 50k fulfilled my desire to run an ultra, a mud run, and (the bonus) an adventure run! Thank you, Dr. Horton, for putting this on. Thank you, God, for stopping the storm and eventually the rain. Sue Jones