What do you get if you combine extreme obstacles, crazy contestants and lots of lots of mud? Muddy Mayhem of course! Lizzie Anderson takes on the challenge

IT all seemed like some kind of surreal dream.

Cocooned inside my warm flat, cupping a scalding mug of cocoa, it feelt as though the events of hours ago may just have been some hellish vision.

Was that really me? Mud-spattered, shivering in sub zero temperatures, dripping wet, having waded through ponds, scrambled over spikey hay bales and pulled myself through slimy tunnels.

No it can't have been. I finished with a big grin on my face. Although I can't recall whether that was a look of  enjoyment or just sheer relief.

The sound of my running gear spinning in the washing machine certainly suggests it was real, then there's the shiny medal hanging around my neck.

A medal I will forever treasure - for Muddy Mayhem, at Hardwick Park, at Sedgefield, County Durham, was one of the hardest things I have ever done.

The event, organised by Durham County Council, was one of a series taking place across the country. It challenged competitors to complete a timed five or ten kilometre race across wet and muddy terrain, overcoming a variety of obstacles along the route.

When I signed up for the event several months ago, I envisaged myself running through the picturesque park on a spring morning, splashing through puddles and generally having a jolly good time. 

For starters, it was freezing. Throughout the race, my legs, arms, face and feet were chillingly aware that the UK is experiencing the coldest March in 50 years.

Secondly, I under-estimated how muddy it would be. It stuck to me like treacle toffee, making the task of overcoming the obstacles all the more tougher.

However, as I waited with the hundreds of other competitors at the start line I was blissfully unaware of what was to come.

The atmosphere was fantastic. Many runners were raising money for Help for Heroes and had come in fancy dress.

A lively warm-up session had got our blood pumping and there was a great sense of camaraderie that lasted the entire event.

And then we were off, into the woodland and out into open fields, where the icy wind proved the most challenging obstacle.

First up was a stack of hay bales, followed by a tall climbing frame, a series of hurdles, boggy grassland, a large stretch of open water and a tunnel. I emerged soaking wet, filthy and chilled to the bone.

At this point, I admit I skipped the climbing wall and moved on to a second stack of hay bales, where a lovely lady helped me over.

Other highlights included sliding under cargo nets, crossing an inflatable bridge, wading through ditches and almost losing a trainer in a skip full of mud.

It was absolute madness but hilarious and I felt an amazing sense of achievement when I crossed the finish line. As for the choice of five or ten kilometres, there was no way on earth I was taking on a second lap.

That really would have been a nightmare.