Adventures are like an education without the book! Minnesota Spartan, top 10 lesson learned.
10. Don't eat fried pickles the night before a race. I know this seems obvious to the casual observer, but after riding in a car for 6 hours sometimes the excitement of arriving seems like a victory. 9. It's not all about me! Shocker! This race was different because my 5 grandkids, my daughter, and her boyfriend had not raced a Spartan before. I figured this out when my daughter was frantically following me around the venue before the race and yelled: "Mom are you going to tell us what to do?" "OOPS!" 8. "Code Irene?" It was down pouring before the race, we were getting updates on Facebook about race delays. Spartan posted that there was no parking yet and there was a 30-minute delay. Then someone commented with, "We are in Code Irene!" What the....? 7. Don't judge others, but it is ok to laugh inside...just a little! I was standing at the start line of the 3+ mile race and observing those around me. The guy next to me was jumping up and down, flailing his arms, deep breathing in his obvious warm-up mode. Then I noticed he was wearing a camelback. I wanted to gently remind him of the four water stations and the fact he could probably climb, crawl and run faster without the extra pack. I smiled and wished him luck! 6. Brave and stupid are not synonyms. About halfway through the race I heard it, rumbling and more rumbling. As I was carrying my sandbag up the hill someone yelled at us to come back. They were evacuating the mountain, safety issues. I finished my sandbag carry and followed the crowd. Then I heard it. a lady asked, "Is this mandatory or can we keep going?" The official told her it was mandatory. She did not like his answer. How do I know this? Her response was something like, "We signed waivers so I don't know why we have to ........." 5. When you "bring it on", you really need to, "bring it on". With the race delay, confusion in the morning schedule and fried pickles, I was not feeling the rush so to speak. The first obstacle was a big hurdle, I remembered it from last year as my rib cage was bruised from jumping up and then over. This time I ran, jumped and plopped, back down. What? Ok, back up, run, jump and over! Game time. 4. Not everyone enjoys pain. After the race, I was waiting for my youngest daughter, as I was a little worried about her. She did not really train, she is not a runner and she was really here for the family time. All of a sudden I looked up, there she was, standing with her boyfriend. She looked as if she just got off a rollercoaster, one that was on autopilot and did not stop. She was a pale shade of green and I asked her if she was ok. As she swayed from side to side, she replied that she was not ok and she threw up 2 times during the race. "OOPS" 3. Weaknesses can be beneficial. Everyone who knows me knows my sense of direction is zilch. As I was waiting to start my heat I noticed the guy in charge was telling everyone they needed to wear the red wristband from their packet to be in the competitive race. Some replied they were not given one so he gave a few people a band, but then started to run out and sent the others back to registration. I waited for the right moment and asked him if I had to wear the band and he said yes. He told me to go back to registration and then I asked him how to get back to registration. He immediately gave me a red band! 2. Actions speak louder than words. I was confused, I wondered why my daughter worked so hard in this race, hard enough to get sick? She was not in the competitive heat so I thought she would lollygag. To my surprise she made it further on the rings than I did. She is tougher than she leads on. Apparently, competition is something inside, beyond our control. How hard you push speaks volumes. 1."If you can see yourself doing something, you can do it. If you can't see yourself doing it, usually you can't achieve it." David Goggins Side note: My daughter thinks lesson #9 (see above) should be lesson #1! OOPS:) "Feel the Rush"
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AuthorToday is the first day of the rest of your life. What do you want your life to look like? The amazing thing is the choice is yours. I have spent many years of my life being passive, allowing things to happen to me. How many of us are spectators in our own lives? I know I was for years. I watched my energy decrease. I was tired, bloated, and had brain fog. Most days I woke up only to look forward to my next nap.Then I began an active quest for energy, peace and joy! I can honestly say it was a long journey, which I am still on. I am no longer looking for the magic pill! Magic hacks....yes! At 51 I feel more energetic than I have in years. If I were to give everyone the top 3 things to allow you to live your life with energy, peace and joy... Archives
July 2022
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