Jessie and I decided - let's start training. Life is about stretching yourself, growing, expanding, and testing your limits. 2015 - we will be World's Toughest Mudders.
And then I read this article and got mad. So mad that I almost wrote in the comments section, but decided not to participate in the conversation.
Are Tough Mudders dangerous? Sure! But so is doing a triathlon, a marathon, riding a roller coaster, drinking hot coffee, driving a car, or simply walking outside your door every day. But in full disclosure - I have not done an electrical obstacle in 10 mudders (I do have a few smarts!).
What they are missing in this article is the entire point of doing a mudder. I have written several blogs about my experiences throughout the year but in this blog I want to point out a few of the life lessons I learned and hopefully ones that you can take with you and apply in your life.
1. Sometimes in life you just have to laugh. The year of TM's started in Arizona...in February. It should be warm there - right? Oh no it wasn't. The Saturday event had beautiful weather but the Sunday had Minnesota like temperatures. It was in the 30's with windchill to start the event. And then of course you jump into water, crawl through mud, and the wind whips right through your body. What do you do? You laugh. It's funny. Why on earth would it be that cold for one day in the desert? Because we were there of course. But for extra comedy- compare the sunburn I got the day before the race. Seriously??
2. Helping out a random stranger has so many rewards. Colorado TM had so many highlights - staying with great friends (Peesh and Anne!!) and also having them be there to support us, take pictures, cheer us on, and vow to do a mudder some day also. But the best part (ok the mountains were spectacular also) was meeting a complete stranger named Danielle. She ran the whole race with us and as it started to rain (do you see a pattern here of bad weather?) we all stuck together. It was so cool to help motivate a new friend and gain inspiration from her. But the best moment came when we approached Everest - the half pipe. Not one person was there at the top to help us. What are the girls to do?
Do it ourselves of course. Best feeling E.V.E.R. The hoots and hollers from the crowd was pretty awesome as well. Accomplishing great things with a new friend.
3. Accomplishing something new ROCKS! TM Minnesota was the first event where we did a double - completed an event on Saturday and repeated on a Sunday. It's just pretty damn awesome to test yourself and accomplish it.
But the big lesson here was this......look at the mud in the tub. A major clogged drain. Oops!
5. Age is only a number. TM Kansas proved that age is only a number and you can do whatever you want, at whatever age you want, if you want to do it. On the course we were behind a man with white hair. He navigated all the obstacles with power, efficiency and just an amazing ability. At the end of the race we talked to him and he said "I'm retired, I have nothing else to do. I'm here with my son, seems like a good thing to occupy my time. I also travel to them." Seriously incredible. There really are no excuses-especially age. So these open calluses and twisted ankles really are no big deal.
6. Travel is not optional. The more I travel, the more I appreciate how much it can teach you. TM Toronto was spectacular. The mountain views rivaled Colorado and the accents were outstanding. The people you meet, the places you see, are all so important. Get out and travel.
So as the year comes to a close soon and you start to reflect on your year, what lessons did you learn? Did you challenge yourself? Did you grow? Did you help a stranger? Did you travel? Did you laugh at your luck and at yourself??
And what can you do in 2014?
Have a great week
