Here are a few photos of me jumping over the fire pit at the 2014 Warrior Dash. It just goes to show that making it over obstacles does not have to be pretty – it just has to be done.
Category: Life
On the Other Side of the Mud
Notice the layer of dust covering us all. I still have some of this on me. I think I always will.
This past Saturday morning I rose at 7:00 to be out of the house at 8:00 to be in Mountain City Georgia by 9:45. To get checked in and lined up the coordinators of the Warrior Dash ask that we get there at least an hour and forty five minutes before our wave. That extra time gave me time to panic, “The race starts on an incline!!” It also gave me time to calm down, “No one who has finished that I have seen has been bleeding or has needed oxygen.”
The climb up and up and up at the start nearly ripped my unconditioned lungs from my chest; but that pain didn’t last forever. The obstacles were awkward, dirty and usually a pain in my ass … a lot like the ones I encounter on a daily basis.
Three days later I am still feeling the effects of them…a lot like the ones I encounter on a daily basis.
The atmosphere was one of the most supportive and warm ones I have ever encountered. Strangers helping strangers climb over barriers, pull each others shoes from thick mud and maneuver barbed wire. Even if they weren’t on my team we were all on the same team, and that was something I see too little of nowadays.
The Warrior Dash was one of the greatest things I have ever done because it made me to think fast and not doubt myself. When faced with water shooting into you face while standing on a two by four one story in the air what can you do? I chose to close my eyes and start walking. One foot in front of the other as I imagined myself on a balance beam. And I made it easily and safely to the other side.
Will I do it again? YES
Will I do a bit of hill training before the race? HELL YES!
Take that you crazy 2014 To-Do list!!
That list of mine
Did you make a to-do list in January?
Progress on my mondo 2014 list is coming along nicely. Some changes have been made and some Whiteout has been used; but we all know that saying about life and making plans. I have taken the GRE; but have decided to put off applying to graduate school until 2015. Amazing how a snow storm makes you re-evaluate how much free time you will have for studying with a three year old in the house.
Last year I met a wonderful woman named Betty Thompson. I also met many of her friends and neighbors to gather background info to write this article. For the last few weeks I have been working on a Crowdrise fundraiser to send her to see the Redwood trees in California. My friend Mark and I did a video of her to accompany the webpage and I pushed and pushed and pushed it out to all of my social media contacts. We all did, and this week we exceeded our goal. I don’t know if I have ever been this happy for another person in my life. Visit her webpage at bettyscircleoffriends.wordpress.com.
I have officially applied for Leadership DeKalb and now I wait for their response. The application went through quite a few changes. I think the finished product portrays me as I am. I can only hope they like me for me.
Work will continue on this resolution/bucket list for 2014.
Until next time…
On the Soapbox. Off the Hook.
Sometimes I need to vent to large audiences who in my delusional state I feel need to hear what I have to say. Did that make sense? With that being said, I recently posted the following rant on Facebook. I put these things on there because I know that I have friends in the world of Facebook who are right wingers, left wingers, and in-betweeners like myself. Knowing that I hope to speak to them not in a political voice but in a common sense one. Please read my words and allow the remarks and comments to build in your head. I would love to hear if you agree with me. . .
So you cut food stamps; but you don’t also try to lower food costs. You don’t want to raise minimum wage; but you want to deny that folks are working 40 hour weeks and still qualify for welfare. You want people to be educated; but you don’t work to lower education costs. You don’t want to pay for healthcare; but you create an environment and grow food that makes people sick. Is this the world’s worst joke or are you simply the world’s biggest asshole?
Maria Pinkelton 