When the air horn sounded, signaling the start of the race, all of the participants took off at once. Adam had told her earlier in the week that she needed to pace herself so she wouldn’t burn out, so she found her rhythm almost immediately and stuck with it. Adam ran alongside her, praising her efforts, putting a smile on her face, and inspiring her to keep going. She felt good. After all, she was running next to two seasoned pros, and if you asked her, she was doing a damn good job of keeping up.

Five minutes into the run, the wide dirt path narrowed considerably as it rounded a corner, and some of the outside runners around them had to fall back in order to stay on the trail rather than end up in the weeds. When the three of them reached the first obstacle, Preslee slowed her pace. A huge patch of ankle-deep mud sprawled out before her, and she waded through it carefully to keep from slipping and sliding around in it like some of the runners ahead of them had done.

As usual, Adam was in beast mode and powered straight through it. His lean, muscular physique was like a well-oiled machine with an unstoppable momentum. Michael displayed the same athleticism with his perfectly toned shoulders and muscled thighs. He didn’t slow down either as his trim, powerful body blew through the obstacle with little resistance.

Although she was sure it was killing them to wait, both men stopped on the opposite side of the mud patch and encouraged her to move faster. Not wanting to disappoint or hold either of them back, Preslee moved through the mud as quickly as possible. Which wasn’t easy. She sank deep, which only suctioned her shoes to the ground. But she treaded through it and got to the other side. Then they all ran full-bore to make up for the lost time, kicking up bits of mud in their wake.

The sun had risen higher, and the air heated up. As she ran, Preslee wiped her brow and then fanned her hot face. She was perspiring so much that the sunscreen she’d applied before the race had started mixing with the sweat and dripping into her eyes, making them sting.

So much for avoiding sun damage.

There was no way she would quit. She was devoted to finishing this race, even if it killed her. And, at this rate, it was looking like it just might. They’d only made it through one obstacle, and she already felt like she needed a break. Or possibly a nap. Maybe even a vacation.