A couple of weekends ago (Oct. 14) about 1,000 friends and I got together for one of the more fashionable events in town, the mud run, otherwise known as the Volkslauf (the people's run). It's a 10k (6.2 miles) with lots of muddy Marine Corps-style obstacles thrown in - water-filled trenches, 10-foot walls, hand-over-hand ropes strung across water, and lots more.

It's the Marine Corps League's kick off for its Toys for Tots charity. So it includes a very challenging test of one's fitness and charity, two always-fashionable elements.

My running partner, Nancy, and I decided to tackle the mud run together.

Here we are at the start, lovely and mud free, and wearing basic black - always in fashion.



This is right at the start. The Cal had a couple photogs there so I basically couldn't pick my nose without someone ending up with a shot of it!




This Marine had to "instruct" me and Nancy (she's just ahead of me in this shot) as to the proper technique on this obstacle. I think he said something along the lines of, "Get on your bellies NOW! NOW! NOW!" But the screaming may have garbled some of the words.

When my pal Julio came through this one, apparently the Marine didn't like his technique either and tried to yank Julio back by his ankles. So Julio (a former Marine, who was a sniper in the first gulf war) grabbed him and wrestled with him in the mud until the Marine popped him in the mouth! My husband was standing on the sidelines watching the whole thing. DAMN! I forgot to leave Larry the camera!!

I made it across the rope ...the technique here was NOT TO FALL.

Here we are! We may not look as fresh as when we started, but we finished! 1 hour and 20 minutes. Not bad for a couple of dames who didn't train and for one (me!) who was HUNGOVER!

The END!