Wallace Design Collective

“It was fun getting to hang out with co-workers in a different setting. I enjoyed seeing everyone laughing, having fun, and cheering each other on.” – Krista Porterfield

On June 18th, a group of Wallace employees participated in the Insane Inflatable 5k at the Oral Roberts University campus in Tulsa, Oklahoma. The group, led by wellness instructor Mona Burns, included Andrew Cook, Ron Jantz, Liz Franklin, Dani Delamaide, Rachael Wilkerson, Pat Murphree, Lisa Arnold, Krista Porterfield, Janel Bales, Kemp Edwards, Matt Schultz, Samantha McClellan-Johnson and Trevor Looney. The Insane Inflatable 5k is a dynamic and extreme obstacle race, made up of inflatable obstacles.

A few of us saw the Insane Inflatable 5k ad on social media and suggested it to our wellness class. Everyone thought it would be a fun challenge, so Mona started weekly training to help us prepare for the race with additional cardio activities. Rather than using equipment, we typically use the environment around us. Activities included running hills, bear crawls, jumping over small shrubs to help with obstacles and climbing, high knees, skipping, short sprints and running backwards. In between the cardio activities we would work on our core strength with planks, pushups, triceps dips, mountain climbers and the wonderful burpee.

The 3.1-mile course consisted of nine obstacles with pavement or grassy sections for participants to either run or walk between inflatables. The obstacles offered a large dose of fun with a slight touch of insanity.

“The humidity was brutal, but a great time had by all. It was a lot of fun.” – Pat Murphree

True to its name, the race started with participants climbing up an inflatable obstacle and sliding down the back. The second obstacle was a strip of shallow waves which led to the ‘Mattress Run’ which reminded us of football drills. The remaining obstacles included huge ball pits, peaks and valleys and wrecking balls that we all had to maneuver through by dodging, climbing, sliding and bouncing.

The final obstacle led to the finish line and included a few of our ‘favorite’ elements. It included running through the wrecking balls, past the tipsy towers and scaling up a steep hill to slide down to victory!

The most challenging inflatable was “The Humps” featuring three sets of intense climbing up and sliding down. You didn’t realize how exhausting the obstacle were until you attempt to quit laughing, catch your breath and keep running!

“The inflatable 5k was a great experience with a great group of coworkers!  It was a fun way to test my athletic abilities.” – Ron Jantz

While we are all at different fitness levels, we traveled through the entire course as a team. All in all, it was a great event and with the biggest takeaway being an hour of healthy fun and camaraderie. Another perk of event is that Insane Inflatable 5k teamed up with the American Cancer Society and a portion of the proceeds will go to the Society’s Relay for Life movement.

“Teamwork is often a crucial part of a business, as it is often necessary for colleagues to work well together, trying their best in any circumstance. Teamwork means that people will try to cooperate, using their individual skills. I feel truly honored to have been part of this group of people. Watching everyone work together and help each other master the obstacles was an incredible experience. Especially when each member of the group is competitive. Thanks you Wallace for restoring my beliefs that as a group we are stronger than any one individual.” – Mona Burns

Photos courtesy of Jamie Carter Cook.