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Volkslauf 2006 was a blast!
Topics: Volkslauf, Klein, DeNatale and Goldner, Margie Custer, Andrew Custer, mud run
Posted by margiecuster Wed Oct 25, 2006 13:31:12 PDT
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0 responses 0 comments Andrew Custer graduated from Stockdale High School in 2004 and continued his education at Cal Poly in San Luis Obispo, California where he studies business before applying to law school.  Returning to live at home for this past summer, he began working as file clerk at the law offices of Klein, DeNatale and Goldner.

As the summer came to a rapid end and he was making preparations for returning to school, he heard that the law firm was putting together a team to compete in the 10th annual Bakersfield Volkslauf, "The Ultimate Challenge." Custer had heard of the event before when he ran cross-country in high school and had always thought it sounded like a lot of fun.

KDG was happy to have Custer join their team, as they had a healthy competition going with the accounting staff at CBIZ. The losing team had the dubious honor of possessing the “trophy” for the entire year. Last year, CBIZ was the lucky recipient.

Keeping in touch through emails, the law firm signed Custer up to join Josh Meier, Dustin Dodgin, David Blaine, Rich Walton and David Morton in running the 10K course. Laura Olivier and Herrin Hopper agreed to run in the women’s division, as did Jacob Eaton in the 5K.

Blaine and Olivier were the only repeat participants and were, I guess, true gluttons for punishment, since they knew what to expect.

Oct. 21 the big day arrived. Custer believed he was up to the task. He had played racquetball, done some running and had tried to generally stay active during his years at college, but had not done much training specifically for the competition.

The course, designed in a loop, included tunnels, berms, rope climbs, mud slides, monkey bars, walls to scale, and numerous troughs filled with water and mud that at times were over four feet deep. The longest of these trudges-through-the-mud was one quarter of a mile!

There were over 75 obstacles for the 10K course and 55 in the 5K. Upper body strength and lower body stamina were tested, as well as the mental fortitude of the participants.

 Designed by the U. S. Marines in 1997 to provide a 10K run/obstacle course, The Volkslauf earns money for the Toys for Tots campaign. In the 10 years that Bakersfield has hosted this annual event, the mud run has gained phenomenal support. It is the single largest running event in Kern County and the largest one-day fundraiser for the Toys for Tots Campaign in the U.S.

The number of participants has grown from 200 the first year to over 1,800 in 2006. Sheena Crider, registration chairman and one of the remaining original corps of workers to put on the race, says that the events have raised a total of $100,000 and all that money stays right here in Kern County.

Though everyone knew that the funds went for a good cause, the thought foremost in people’s minds on the day of the race was far more serious: What have I gotten myself into? 

One look at the height of the walls or the amount of water in the trenches sent a chill through all but the hardiest of newcomers.

Clad in his white T-shirt and runners’ pants, Custer’s face beamed; he was undaunted. He couldn’t wait to get dirty. Little did he know just how soon he’d get his wish.  

With the boom reminiscent of a canon, the race had begun. The runners had barely gotten started down the course when they hit the first of the mud pits.

Well, so much for the nice clean white shirt. The runners had just scaled their first round of hazards when Custer realized he had mud squishing around in his shoes between his toes. This added a whole new dimension to the competition.

 “The hardest part was along the back stretch where it was constant running. The obstacles actually helped to energize me,” Custer says.

Much to the delight of his parents and girlfriend, Monica Medve, he did remarkably well, finishing with a time of one hour 15 minutes –– ranking him within the top third.   

“I'll definitely participate next year, probably with a team,” he added.

As for the rest of KDG, they did not fair so well and lost to their challengers at CBIZ.

Herrin Hopper from the law firm believes that CBIZ had a couple of ringers on their team and perhaps that is why they won. Oh well, better luck next time.

Custer says he slept for eight hours after the race and then was sore for one week.  He can’t wait to do it again!

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