She Rates Fitness | Workout Reviews by Women for Women 5K Run: Warrior Dash Ohio II Location: North Lawrence, Ohio Cost: $80 until August 4, 2015 Rating: 5 Stars We survived the Warrior Dash! I'm proud to say that the first 5K I ever completed was more of a boot camp obstacle course. This race makes any other 5K seem like child's play. When the mud race trend was starting to get big in 2011, my husband Will and I decided that we were going to train for the Ohio II run in September. I had never done a 5K race before, so I was very scared of this one! We definitely did not train enough beforehand, but we made it to the finish line and have great memories to last a lifetime. What I liked about it: I'm the type of person who loves obstacles and climbing walls, so I had fun and learned a lot about my focus and physical strength. I dreaded the running part, because it seemed more difficult than the obstacles! The runners around me were all in different stages of life, from teenagers to middle-aged. Everyone can go their own pace - since there are several stops along the route, you don't find yourself being passed by faster runners once you fall into your pace. Conquering the fire near the finish line is so rewarding - you feel like a badass after jumping over it. At the end, all the runners jump in the lake to wash off the mud and get refreshed. What I didn't like: My too-old shoes happened to be so loose that one of them got stuck in the mud and came off within the first 5 minutes! The effort spent pulling my shoe from the mud and putting it back on over my muddy sock, all with people running around me was very overwhelming. This also affected my race time and I lost my running companions. You quickly learn to adapt and you realize that your shoes are going to be ruined anyway. Next time I would wear better fitting shoes, so they don't become a hindrance on the course. It is always recommended you wear shoes that are broken-in but not past their prime. Wear a dark colored pair so the mud washes out easily. If you want to ditch yours like I did, there is a shoe recycling pile at the finish line. Final thoughts: I highly recommend you do at least one mud race in your lifetime. This one seems intense, but you can handle it with a bit of training. It's a great entry level run to prepare you for next level marathons like the Tough Mudder, which requires you to be in top physical condition. Yes, it was strenuous and we were exhausted at the end, but it was totally worth it! The 2015 Ohio II Warrior Dash is next weekend...tickets are $80 until tomorrow, get yours now! The earlier you sign up, the cheaper the ticket. With several locations in the US there is bound to be one near you. ( Photos via Sport Photo )