Krispie Kreme Challenge West, the 2nd Time

Most of you regular blog readers out there know that last year Todd ran the Krispie Kreme Challenge West for the first time.  My husband likes to run in wacky races, if you didn’t know.  Last year he also did the Muddy Buddy.  And earlier this year he did the Red Dress Run.   

This year, he was looking for friends to sign up to run the 3rd Annual Krispie Kreme Challenge West with him.  Lots of people showed interest, but when it came to actually signing up for the race, many were all lip and no action.  The only friend who signed up was Ryan, Todd’s friend from work. Oh and if you don’t know what the Krispie Kreme Challenge West is… you run two miles, you stop and eat TWELVE Krispie Kreme doughnuts, and then you run another two miles to the finish.  If you can’t finish the doughnuts, or if you puke, you are disqualified. 

When the alarm went off this morning at 6am and the rain was falling steadily, I really didn’t want to get out of bed.  Todd said I didn’t have to go, but I wanted to be there to cheer him on and take photos.  So I finally dragged myself out of bed and dressed warmly, and got in the car.  It rained and rained on the way there.  I couldn’t believe Todd was still running this race. 

We got to the race site and it was all muddy.  Yuck!  Todd’s buddy Ryan and his girlfriend Monica were huddled under the umbrella in line for registration.


Ryan is a barefoot runner.  In the mud even.  :-|


Ryan and Todd all smiles before the race.  (You know, BEFORE the misery.)


This guy was the male winner last year.  He wore the same sheep outfit last year too!


For most of the race, I said inside the car, because it was cold and raining.


Got a photo of Todd and Ryan running by, from inside the car window.


I finally got out of the car with my umbrella and walked in the mud over to the doughnut-eating area, when I saw Todd finish the first two miles.  He had already eaten three doughnuts and had nine left.


His strategy was to smash down three doughnuts and eat three at a time.  It seemed to be the prevailing strategy that everyone employed.


Poor Todd.  He was all wet from running in the rain, and cold.  You can’t tell me that doing this was fun on a rainy Saturday morning! 


The other competitors eating doughnuts.


Starting with the 7th, 8th, and 9th doughnuts, Todd was having a hard time getting them down already.  Doughnuts have become gross-tasting now.


Todd’s friend Ryan came over to tell Todd that he’d given up.  He could not down the 12 doughnuts.


Todd persevered, even though I could tell that the last three doughnuts almost did him in.  He ate them so slowly and had such a hard time swallowing them.


Finally he finished the dozen doughnuts and  was SO happy to be done and get back on the road to run the two miles to the finish line!


I went back into the car to wait for Todd.  Caught a photo of him nearing the finish line, all smiles.  He was so so happy to be done!


I’m very proud of him for persevering this year.  The doughnut-eating part was a lot harder for him this year than last year, and last year was no picnic in the park!  It took him a lot longer to eat the doughnuts this year.  I’m in awe that he did all this in the rain too.  I would have stayed home if I had signed up to run.  Afterwards we sat in the car while Todd changed into dry clothes, and he said that he is officially retiring from the Krispie Kreme Challenge West.  Two years is enough!  :)