For me, a typical weekend is often low-key, kicking back at home or out and about to a park or baseball game. But one Saturday a year, the inner adrenaline-seeker in me climbs to the surface. And not only does he climb, but also he runs…and he runs through mud and a ton of crazy obstacles.

One of several popular “mud runs,” the Warrior Dash is a 5K run in which you encounter obstacles with mud, barbed wire and even fire. So, you know, not your typical Saturday activity.

For the past three years, my friends and I have formed a team to race the event and also raise money for St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, an organization dedicated to saving the lives of children who are battling cancer. Fund-raising is easy when you are lucky enough to have the constellation of family, friends and colleagues that I do. Still, I always do everything I can to raise money for this exceptional cause.

When race day arrived I knew all of my 6am jogs, strength workouts and protein shakes to prepare were about to pay off. Running in the middle of a late August heat wave actually isn’t as bad when you are trudging through cold mud. The most challenging obstacle was the Mud Mounds, where you climb over a tall mound of mud and then slide into a muddy pit…over and over again. The real challenge is that there are many people doing the obstacle at once and the mud is so slippery that you need to help each other through it. In fact, I was halfway up the first mound when I knew I was slipping. I looked up and there was the hand of a fellow warrior, not from my team, a complete stranger, who helped me up. The camaraderie of this event was summed up in that one moment.

This year was a blast and we’re already looking forward to Warrior Dash 2016. I can’t tell you exactly what my team is planning, but I promise that we are going to do something outrageous…all in good fun, and all to raise even more money for St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital.

It’s not too late to donate! Visit http://warrior.stjude.org/jerseyavewarriors. Families never receive a bill from St. Jude for treatment, travel, housing or food. Individual donations make this possible!