The Bakersfield Voice

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What was I thinking? That was my first thought as I saw about 30 people (of around 50 total) removing their running shoes to soak themselves in a cold swimming pool to "lower the body temperature" before the start of our collective training session outside of Total Woman Health & Fitness near Truxtun.

I should have returned to my car the second I had to wear a “bib”  with my name on it: It wasn’t for fun — it was in case I became incapacitated and was unable to respond at some point during the training.

If you've been on Truxtun, or will be soon, at around 6 p.m., Monday to Thursday, you will see a cavalcade of runners crossing to the park for a 60-minute cardio conditioning or strength training workout, all to prepare for the annual Marine Corps Volkslauf Mud Run in October.

That’s about six weeks and 60 miles (of weekly running) away.  If I make it that far.

To keep updated on my progress, you can log on to: www.northwestvoice.com and see my “training” (read: survival) blog. If you’re training, too, I’d love to hear about it! Register as a Northwest Voice Web site user and create your own blog today!

An additional benefit to becoming a Web site user is that you will begin receiving my biweekly e-mail to remind of you of deadlines and upcoming stories and contests.

If you’d like to learn more about the Volkslauf, my “drill instructor,” Leigh Pozas, wrote about it in her fitness article.

Join us! The proceeds from the annual Volkslauf benefit children’s charities, and it’s a great chance to have some good, clean fun ... and get a little dirty, too!