A roll of toilet paper, 8 women, and 339 miles

"Hurry, hurry, hurry hand me the toilet paper" I said as I was running towards the car which was parked on the side of a country road somewhere in Iowa. I had just finished running one of my legs of Relay Iowa and I has to go so bad. As an avid race participant I have gotten very used to porty pots but there were none to be found. So the side of the road it was.

Awhile back I happened upon an event called Relay Iowa which is the worlds longest relay race. It starts in western Iowa in Sioux City and finished 339 miles later in Dubuque. It lasts for 3 days and 2 nights. Once I mentioned it, we had a team and we were signed up. 

 There were a lot of life lessons learned when you pack 8 women in 3 vehicles, tell them to run for 3 days, and to sleep and eat very little.

I.O.W.A Idiots Out Wandering Again 

At the start 6am, fresh faced and ready to go.

Funny shirts...

Lessons from the corn fields:

1. Power in numbers 

Teams could have up to 12 people and we had 8. Apparently we couldn't find more than 8 people crazy enough to embark on this journey. If only we had more people, we could have actually eaten, slept, and showered. Maybe next time ......

2. Wherever you go...it's a small world

At our first stop I see a girl on another team and I know I recognize her. Once I know she's from Minnesota I ask her if she goes to the 6am boot camp at the gym...sure enough...she does! Small world. But the world gets smaller when Jessie goes back to work and a parent of a kid says "did you run across Iowa because my best friend did and she said she met people from Minnesota" so funny. 

3. Iowa is NOT flat. 

I don't care what you say but until you run across the state...you don't know. Holy hills. 

4. Take your foam roller everywhere

It is acceptable to foam roll on the side of the highway while waiting to run 

And stretching on the car

Really? What is she doing?

5. Peeing and pooping outside the car is necessary

But it helps to have a vehicle which creates a nice "stall"

6. It's pretty awesome to hit 100, 200, and 300 miles ran...something I have never experienced. Life is ultimately about new experiences that challenge and stretch you past your limits.

7. Meltdowns are inevitable.

In our race packet they warned us of a stretch of the run where we would question why we were there and our bodies and minds would want to quit. But we thought....not us! We got this. But then somewhere around 180 miles we hit a wall. Panic set in about could we do it would we finish, should we quit, why are we doing this? But we had a team rally, changed our strategy and persevered. With our new attitude we finished the run 2.5 hours ahead of our predicted time. Just like in life, meltdowns are going to happen. But what matters is how you come out of it on the other side. 

8. McDonalds has never tasted so good

When you haven't eaten much for almost 2 whole days and you see a breakfast sandwich and a coffee in front of you....you eat it. But without the bun of course :-) 

9. Communication is essential.

At one point Jessie and I were the only two on the country road. We had a miscommunication with our team over who was running and who was going to town to eat. But when you're left on a country road you have no choice but to.......run!

10. When you think you can't do it....push on.

There are no words to express finishing this relay. You have to push yourself, stretch yourself, and you might learn something along the way! 

Life Without Legs

There's a winter storm WARNING here in Minnesota. What??? It is April 3rd...ugh. 

So needless to say, I'm in the house more, eating more, and watching tv more. The other day I was watching Dancing with the Stars. Now normally I really do not care about this show but I am so interested in a particular dancer. Do you watch the show? Do you know who I'm talking about?

In case you don't watch the show, I'll give you some of her other accomplishments. 

• Motivational speaker
• Professional snowboarder
• Co-founder of Adaptive Action Sports
• Competitor on the Amazing Race
• Massage therapist
• Winner of the bronze medal at the Sochi Olympics for snowboarding

Oh and did I mention she's a double amputee? She lost both of her lower legs to bacterial meningitis at age 19. 

What would you do if you lost both your legs? The other night on Dancing with the Stars she remarked "I hope my legs don't fly off during that spin" How funny, yet how real. 

It really made me think - would I pull myself together as well as she has to make the most out of my life? She is inspiring people of all walks of life and with all sorts of challenges to do more, do better, and make the absolute most of their lives.

So as the winter storm rolls in, I am crabby about it, I'm going to take my fully functioning body to the gym and spend some time thinking about how to challenge myself and do more in my life (while I run sprints of course)! 

Spend a little time today - asking yourself - what would I do without my legs? And what will I do with my legs?

Check out Amy's website and this cool video about her work outs. 

http://www.amypurdy.com/

http://sports.yahoo.com/video/paralympic-snowboarder-finds-power-prosthetic-175050130.html

This link has the best picture:

http://abcnews.go.com/US/double-amputee-snowboarding-champ-entrepreneur-amy-purdy-motivates/story?id=15937960

Have a great week everyone - see you in the spring! :-)

Cookies and Life U-Turns

Today was a marvelous 53 degree outside. The snow is MELTING and people are becoming happy again! But it wasn't that long ago that we were freezing in the sub 0 temps. 

I am so grateful that Jessie and I were able to escape the winter and head off to one of my new favorite places - the warm, sunny San Diego. This has become my new playground. So much to do, so little time and perfect weather. 

Minnesotans were so desperate to get out of town. The evening of our flight we sat at the airport knowing there was an impending snow storm the next day.  I watched the airlines try to bribe people off the overbooked flight. "We are offering $400 vouchers for anyone who is willing to take a flight tomorrow." EVERYONE was shook their heads and nothing was going to stop them from getting on that plane....that day!

I just turned 30 and Jessie is 32 and we stayed two nights at the LEGO hotel. It was AWESOME. Unfortunately we had not seen the Lego movie yet but apparently there's a great song in there called "everything is awesome" and truly everything was awesome at this hotel. There was even a surprise in the elevator - MUSIC and a disco ball. 

There's a lesson here - take time to be a kid. When I was checking in the woman said "and how many kids do you have with you?" I said "none" with a smile. She assured me that happens a lot. 



















After containing our excitement for the LEGO hotel we ventured to La Jolla for some seal watching. It was incredible because you could walk right up to the seals and sea lions. One sea lion even invited me to do yoga with him. And check out the seal doing a photo bomb in the left picture. Lesson here - lay out (with sunscreen) and be lazy. 

Did I mention the food? OMG. I had wanted to go to Hash House a Go Go in Vegas when we were there before. But we made it to the San Diego location. I have never, ever seen food like this before. Be prepared, here comes the food porn. Jessie has a TOWER of bacon waffles with fried chicken. Drool. Note my underhand grip on the cast iron skillet - that probably weighed 5 lbs. Hash, eggs, biscuit...need I go on?

Lesson here - even if you have been abstaining from gluten, flour, yeast, etc there is a time for eating the most amazing homemade biscuit you have ever seen. 

It wouldn't be a vacation for us if there wasn't an athletic event as the focus and reason to travel. We were signed up for the inaugural "Avocado Run" but it was rescheduled and we quickly found the Women's San Diego Half Marathon. It was beyond beautiful, perfect weather, and a great race. 

Lesson here - fitness, health, and athletic endeavors are all amazing "reasons" to travel. 



A highlight of the trip was all the beaches. We probably went to four beaches and one was a naked beach. It is so comical. However, the best person on the naked beach was this guy. Look close at the picture - he's stacking rocks. Who knows why....but he's happy. 

But the sunsets are magical. We sure aren't seeing any of these in Minnesota in February. 


Lesson here - go somewhere and be naked. And....stop and watch the sunset no matter where you are.


Besides the beach, there was a professional indoor soccer game, a tour at Petco park, lots of food, shopping, and good weather. 

But there are two lessons that really stuck with me from the trip to San Diego. "Life is short, EAT Cookies" There is nothing else to say about this one...except...do it!

But the most interesting lesson came in the form of a street sign. Everywhere we went, we made a u-turn. And not an illegal u-turn, but a recommended u-turn with the appropriate signage. And on the event that we actually turned down a one way and had cars headed straight towards us, being so good at making u-turns was helpful.

When something in life isn't right, make a u-turn! Don't like the direction your health or fitness is headed? U-turn. Want to make a change in careers? U-turn. The possibilities are endless but if you feel stuck in life, remember you can ALWAYS make a u-turn (even if it's illegal) :-)

Have an amazing week, enjoy the warmer temps and maybe drink a green beer for St. Pat's.

30 Life Reflections from a 30 Year Old

I'm back!!!! I have been gone from the blog for so long. 

But I just turned 30 (eek!). So to come back to blogging, I created a list of 30 reflections of a 30 year old.

I'd love to know what would make your list. 

30 Reflections

1. Wear sunscreen. Always. And reapply.

2.  Floss. Every day. 

3. The love from a dog is like no other love there is. 

4. As many Minnesotans would say..."it's nice to be nice."

5. Volunteering in any way, shape, or form is good for the soul.

6. It is important to reflect and remember those teachers, mentors, and friends who had a positive impact on your growing up. 

7. Working at one job for an extended period of time teaches you a lot of life lessons.

8. ...and so does starting a job at age 15.

9. Enjoying brunch and coffee with friends is priceless.

10. Eating a donut a day while on vacation is okay.

11. Travel opens up a whole world to explore.

12. Learning to love your body is a life long process.

13. Owning your past experiences helps you to move forward and conquer new ones.

14. House projects are stressful.

15. Every one should know how to ride a bike.

16. College moments should be savored as they don't last very long.

17. Quality friends are more important than quantity.

18. Daring to step outside your comfort zone gives you courage. 

19. Paying off your first car is such a phenomenal feeling.

20. Playing hooky from work and having a play day is more fun than it should be.

21. If you learned an instrument at a young age...keep it up...so you won't forget.

22. Clean sheets = the best night of sleep.

23.  Taking a great poop is an undiscussed pleasure in life.

24. You must move your body every day.

25. Your body does not like processed crappy foods, but every once and awhile it's delicious :-)

26. Making mistakes happens to all of us and they will continue to happen.

27. Surrounding yourself with amazing people makes you feel amazing and want to do better.

28. Nature is meant to be experienced and loved.  

29. Everyone should hug every day. 

30. Being grateful and focusing on gratitude is a must. 

No matter what your age, what have you learned?

Happy Birthday to all of you!

Let's go STREAKING

Let's go STREAKING!!!!  It is not however, the streaking you do without your clothes on. I am talking about streaking as another word for tradition (streaking is just more fun!).  

In 1998 I ran a 4 mile race called Living History Farms. It is always the Saturday before Thanksgiving and it was my first run of the mud type. Through the woods, over the hay bales, splashing through the creeks, and did I mention it's often freezing temps? Fast forward 15 years and I have ran the same race every single year - it's a STREAK! The race has also changed to a 7 mile run with maxed out attendance. The annoying part (minus the cold) is that it always involves a lot of driving. When I was in college (say this in the "I'm so old" voice) we didn't have the whole week of Thanksgiving off, so I would drive home for the race, drive back to school, and back home for the holiday. This still happens. Slight annoyance but the streak is still alive. 

But let's be real - we only keep the streak alive because there's beef stew, pumpkin bars, cookies, donuts, and cider at the finish line :)

Another streak happens after the Thanksgiving meal has been eaten. Many of you have heard of it, or even have partaken in it. It's called black friday!! And as many of you know, the time it starts has started earlier and earlier every year. But to get you in the mind of a black friday shopper - please enjoy this video from my hero (The Target lady). 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sj-l1CzU7u8

Ok - we're not that crazy. But we do believe in Santa, which makes shopping worthwhile. 

Time we started shopping: 8pm Thanksgiving night

Time we got back home: 10:30am Friday morning

Total shopping time of 14.5 hours. Phew. That rebate on the Pyrex set will be totally worth it!

Streaking is kinda fun - have you gone streaking? I have several other streaks to keep alive. Ever since moving to MN I support the home town team - those ever disappointing Vikings. But each year the Bears fan (Jessie) and I make it to the Bears/Vikings game. We couldn't let that streak die this year. And on this day I wear orange and blue. 

And below is the face we made when the Vikings had a face mask penalty in overtime on a penalty kick which gave the Bears a chance. Fast forward a few minutes and Bears missed their field goal attempt also and Vikes won.

Do you streak? What kind of streak do you want to start? Find something you enjoy, something you love, and keep the tradition alive. I promise you it's fun to streak. 

But the streak I'm most proud of is very recent. This will only be it's 3rd year. Every month for 3 years I have done charity work outs. An opportunity for clients and friends to have a bonus work out and a chance for me to donate my time in return for money being donated to a charity. My favorite is Toys for Tots. Each year when I was little I would pick an angel off the angel tree and buy a toy for that child. I imagine this is where my motivation comes from. 

In 2011 I believe I raised maybe $500? I can't quite remember. But if you follow this blog or my facebook page you'll know that last year I had over $1,500 and tons of toys. My goal this year is to get to $2,000.  If you are in Minneapolis, please come.

This Sunday November 8th and then Saturday December 14th. Both from 11:15-12:45. 

If you aren't local or can't make it, but would like to donate money, please send me an email and I will send you my address.

As my favorite month of the year is here, I encourage you to try streaking - you never know how much fun you can have after 15 years.

Lessons from the Mud Part 2: The Year in Review

Over the weekend I was inspired. I was following online the progress of the hard-core athletes at the World's Toughest Mudder. I am a seasoned TM, but I am not a world's toughest mudder. These amazing, yet crazy people do a TM course for 24 hours!! When I went to work Sunday morning these athletes had done 50-75 miles, ran the course over 15 times and were still going. 

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.

http://mudandadventure.com/huffington-post-how-dangerous-are-tough-mudders/

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.

4. Do not wash your muddy shoes in a hotel bathtub. TM Wisconsin came next and our good friend Darci was *roped, *co-erced, *forced into going to TM. Or maybe she accepted the challenge like a champ. And let's say - she conquered it like a pro.  It was incredible to watch someone experience TM for the first time. The fear of an obstacle, the unknown, and the sheer joy of conquering that fear and completing a huge challenge.  I imagine it's like watching your baby walk for the first time ;-)

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. 

http://ordinarytraveler.com/tipsarticles/5-things-travel-can-teach-you

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

Zombies, EdgeWalk, and Cooked Spinach

Let's discuss zombies. What are they?? According to Wikipedia (and everything you read on the Internet is true) a zombie is "an animated corpse raised by magical means, such as witchcraft." Hmmm. Still doesn't give me much to work with. To me they are also really funny looking. For example. 

But they aren't all that scary - right? There is something actually quite terrifying about a zombie. They have blood on them (not real), their clothes are normally ripped, and they walk around like they are drunk. Every year I have an encounter with zombies.  I'm not that big on haunted houses - the really scary kind. My kind of houses are at Valley Scare. For those who don't know, it's a bunch of haunted houses amongst the rides at the amusement park.  These houses are right up my alley. Truly not that scary.

But then why do I jump and scream?? Usually the zombies (aka actors/actresses/teenagers) look at me, I look at them, I know they are there, and then they jump out at me. But the funny part is, I knew they were there. After I get a nice scare, I laugh. I laugh because I looked right at the scary zombies, saw they were there, and still allowed them to frighten me. Ha! 

Kind of like the writer from the Ellen show. If you haven't seen this clip, pause from reading this blog and watch this clip. I promise you will laugh. 

http://www.today.com/entertainment/ellen-degeneres-freaks-out-staffers-sending-them-walking-dead-haunted-8C11451970

Once you dry your eyes from the tears of laughter, we'll talk a little more about zombies, EdgeWalk and cooked spinach. I look at the zombies, let them scare me, and then laugh. Have you ever done that in another part of your life? I did this on my trip to Toronto. I know, I know, I haven't written that blog yet. It will be a good one. But this is your preview. Jessie (aka zombie daredevil) convinced me we should do this Edge Walk on the CN Tower. Since we had jumped off the Stratosphere in Las Vegas, this seemed like the natural progression. Check out the website. 

http://www.edgewalkcntower.ca/

I'm getting better at doing scary things. But when I walked out on that ledge, I was scared, and yet once I did it, I laughed. Why?? Because it was awesome. And after I got over the fear and terror, I had a wave of satisfaction. I had faced a fear. 

When was the last time you faced a fear? When have you looked right in the eyes of something terrifying, did it anyway, and then laughed about it afterwards? If you can't remember the last time you did it, it's time to find something to do. 

Life begins at the edge of your comfort zone - neale donald walsh

Move out of your comfort zone. You can only grow if you are willing to feel akward and uncomfortable when you try something new - brian tracy

What does cooked spinach have to do with this? I am scared of cooked spinach. It's weird, slimy and kind of gross. But out to dinner the other day with my friend Alicia, I ate it, I laughed at myself, and I survived.

Go out and face the zombies of your life!!

If you missed my blog about Zombieland from last year..check it out. 

http://laughingandlearningwithlindsey.blogspot.com/2012/11/rules-of-zombieland.html

 HAPPY HALLOWEEN

Who doesn't love pumpkin?

Wow, it has been over a month since I last blogged. A lot has happened. I finished my master's degree, drove 3,000 miles to Canada and back, and fall season has started. I am still working on my blog about the trip to Toronto. There are so many fantastic things to blog about. As a teaser....here are a few:

• Tim Horton's - I ate more than one donut per day
• The accents - wow
• Carrying on a conversation with a Chinese woman in China town about the men's restroom

But today's blog is about pumpkin. As soon as the temp dipped below 60, I started baking anything to do with pumpkin. Mainly pumpkin muffins...and sometimes they also included choc chips (crazy!!).

As I'm sure many of you know, I LOVE fall and everything to do with it. But I have actually met people who do NOT like pumpkin. What? Is this possible? But as the seasons change, it's a great time to reflect on what you love about the different seasons. I love very different things about summer, fall, etc. Before the entire season passes and you don't enjoy the things you love - take a time out and savor them.  Here is my short list of things I love about fall. I am going to enjoy, love, and appreciate all of them. 

• The colors
• The crunchy leaves
• The crisp, brisk air
• Sweatshirts!!!!
• Jeans
• Pumpkin flavored everything
• Sleeping with the windows open
• Feeling completely ok drinking endless cups of coffee because it's warm
• Chili and other soups
• Football - did I really just say that?
• There are so many more - go enjoy!!

My computer has issues...so no pics attached today. Use your imagination.

Enjoy everything about fall and I am excited to put out my travel blog soon.

A Normal Day

Today was a normal day. My alarm went off at 5:10, I snoozed for 10  minutes, woke up, got ready, drank my coffee on my same drive to work, got there with a few minutes to spare. Enjoyed my day with my clients, worked out, went home, baked, cooked, walked the dogs, and did all my normal things.

Today is September 11, 2013. And my day 12 years ago was also just a normal day. I woke up, had peanut butter toast for breakfast, drove to my early morning class at the high school (senior year), went to my first hour class and the rest is blurry. I sat with my classmates all day watching the tv coverage of the terrorist attack of 9/11. I remember going to church that night for a service and feeling so sick about what happened. 

Tomorrow will be a normal day, Friday will be a normal day. But for those who lost their lives on 9/11 and those who are still suffering, we owe it to them to have a not normal day. We owe it to them to take a few moments each day to be extra grateful for what we have, we owe it to them to hug our loved ones a little extra, to give our pets an extra rub and hug, we owe it to them to try our hardest at everything we do.

Life was never the same after 9/11. Many things changed. But how will your tomorrow change? Will it be just a normal day?? 

My friend Chris posted this article on facebook about the four legged hero's of 9/11. Please take a moment and check it out.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2033628/Surviving-9-11-rescue-dogs-scoured-Ground-Zero-bodies-commemorated-decade-difficult-mission.html



Have a great week and make it special.

The Summer that Wasn't

I started to feel like this was the summer that wasn't. It was the middle of August and there were so many things I had yet to do. Where did the time go? What happened? It's almost September? What about doing this? What about doing that?

For those who really know me, I rarely sit still, sit down, or pause for any length of time. So how did I get to this point feeling like I hadn't done anything? Simple. I did more than normal. I took two extra trips this year, attended a good friend's wedding, went back to Iowa 3 weekends in a row, and had an overall blast of a summer. 

But to make up for lost "time" Jessie and I took a "play day." If you haven't done this recently, I HIGHLY recommend it. The day before play day I read a blurb in a blog that said "Your company is paying you to be gone - why are you not taking time off?" Well said. What percentage of you leave vacation time on the table? I am usually scraping the bottom of my paid time off barrel by the end of the calendar year and I start begging co-workers to donate their pto to me :)

I love brunch and coffee. Since I work Sunday's and I almost always have plans on Saturday's, I rarely get to go out to eat for breakfast/brunch. So play day started with breakfast at Hell's Kitchen. Organic food, outrageously good coffee, and a guy next to us telling his server that he just had a "culinary orgasm" after finishing his food. 

There is not much in this world I love more than being able to sit, eat, and drink endless cups of coffee with bacon, eggs, hashbrowns, ahhhhh.

Play day continued to the movies. We are movie lovers and have seen only 1 movie this summer. We saw the Butler and it was incredible. It was sometimes hard to watch because at my age it feels like the Civil Rights movement was so long ago but in reality, it wasn't. I recommend the movie to anyone.

I also discovered that I am missing some very interesting things at the mall on a weekday including this woman and her DOG. What??

The play day continued to Valley Fair water park. We both have a season pass for the summer. It was August 22nd when we finally activated our pass. Where did the time go? But we managed to slide down a few rides and spend time in the wave pool. And the success of the afternoon was NO SUNBURN :)

Play day carried on to Chipotle (my favorite!) and then another movie. The Internship. I had low expectations from this movie but it was brilliant. And it ties right into this topic. Here is what I learned from the movie.

• Life is too short to not do what you love. I have known this and try really hard to live by this. In the movie, Owen Wilson and Vince Vaughn take an internship at Google because why not?? 
• Put the phone down. I need to work on this. There's a quote from the movie that says "Life is happening 3 feet up" He was referring to the young man who wouldn't look up from his phone. When did we/I become obsessed with our phones? 
• Be nice to everyone. We all need a reminder of this. In the movie, the guys were favored in the end because they were nice to all people at Google and gave people a chance.
• Try new things. The guys took the other kids on their team to a strip/dance club. I'm not saying you have to go to a strip club, but do something completely outside of your normal. 
• Go see/rent the movie.

Play day was completed with ice cream - of course. I went to bed with an overwhelming feeling of satisfaction. We all need to have fun and play hooky. Ironically this "play day" tradition started back in high school when Jessie and I would be "sick" and come to .......the Mall of America :) Foreshadowing of moving here??

I still feel like time is slipping away, the days, the years, the hours, the minutes. But it's not slipping away because I am living the time I am given. 

There is less than one week before the end of summer and the beginning of fall - my absolute favorite. What can you do to make sure your summer didn't slip away, but you lived all of your moments?

Grateful

I moved here on a gut feeling with my best friend and my extremely cute new dog. All you need is a friend and a dog. I knew no one else. I had a job and a place to live, but that's about it. Fast forward a few years and I have been incredibly blessed to have generous, caring, hard-working, friendly, amazing clients and friends walk into my life. 

Several years ago I started doing a charity work out once a month. Mainly because people wanted to do an extra work out and I wasn't sure how to bill it and then I thought - why not just donate the money to charity? So every  month I host a work out on a weekend, it's a $10 minimum, we have a great time, and then we donate money to various local and national charities. Because I'm a horrible record keeper I do not know how much we have raised and donated - but I know we have done it.

But then the cause touches close to home and I watch the hearts of my clients open wider. Two years ago we hosted a charity work out for the sister of one of our own team members. She had been diagnosed with a brain tumor. We held the work out on New Year's Eve and we have 45 people show up and raised over $1,200. My client, her sister talked, I cried, other clients cried and it was my most memorable moment of my career. 

On July 6th, a tractor tire fell on a little 7 year old girl.  She is the niece of one of our own team members. Her family has 4 other kids and now extreme medical bills and a daughter fighting every day for her life. Of course we would host a work out. 

Shocked. The generous hearts of my clients opened up and the money poured in (over $1,600!!). Many said the story hits too close to him as they have children of their own and can't imagine something like this happening. The mother of the little girl came to the work out and spoke to us. I of course - cried.  I have no words to describe how grateful I am to have met such caring people. And we had a great work out to boot. 

Life is about gratitude. If I have a hard day at work or am frustrated about something, I remember both of these days. What I was given from these (and every charity work out) cannot be measured.

Being grateful is shown to have a positive impact on your life.

"Grateful people report higher levels of positive emotions, life satisfaction, vitality, optimism and lower levels of depression and stress. The disposition toward gratitude appears to enhance pleasant feeling states more than it diminishes unpleasant emotions. Grateful people do not deny or ignore the negative aspects of life."

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/mequilibrium/gratitude-benefits_b_3321351.html

• Besides a higher happiness set-point, other benefits of gratitude include:
• Feeling more connected (less lonely)
• Stronger immune system
• Improved emotional equilibrium
• Better sleep
• Increased energy
• More confidence in ourselves
• Deeper relaxation
• We are more attractive
• Increased creativity
• Easier bounce back from difficulty

http://www.mindbodygreen.com/0-6823/10-Benefits-of-Gratitude.html

If you haven't stopped to think about what you're thankful for....today's the day. Don't go to bed without thinking of at least 5 people/things you are thankful for. 

I enjoy sharing my life with you through this blog and I am truly grateful to all who read it and all who share the blog with those they love. If you like my blog, please do me the honor of sharing and passing it on. 

I am off to the Iowa State Fair for the weekend - look forward to a blog about food fun next week.

Life Lessons from the Mud

I am now a 7 time Tough Mudder. I am damn proud of that. I am damn proud of getting 3/4 of the way across the monkey bars for the first time this weekend. And I am damn proud that I did a double Tough Mudder - two back to back days.

Watch this video about the TM pledge: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6jU4SfKcJPg&feature=player_embedded

But I realized something this weekend. Tough Mudder has so many layers of life lessons and I have learned so much over the last year and a half completing these events. Jessie and I reflected on our way home Sunday about all the amazing things you learn from TM.

Some have said "you're crazy" others just shake their head and say "mudder" and the others are speechless. I say TM is "fun," "hard," "challenging," "crazy" and so many other things.

At the beginning of the event, the group rallies together in a tight close area at the starting line. An MC guy (wish I knew his name) gets you so pumped up, it's crazy. But before the event officially begins, you recite a pledge. I posted the pledge at the top of the blog. Have you ever been to an event where you recite a pledge before starting?

Let's break it down:

As a Tough Mudder I pledge that:

1. I understand that TM is not a race, but a CHALLENGE. Isn't this is what life is all about? It is about challenging yourself and others around you. I did my first TM because it was a new challenge. I had conquered the marathon, the 10k, and I needed something hard. And guess what - I was scared out of my mind during the first event. Just about every obstacle terrified me until I realized...I could do it. I completed each and every obstacle. Often with the help of my friends.

2. I put Teamwork and Camaraderie before my course time.  There is no clock at TM. There is no finish time. There are no results pages online. There is only an orange headband. The hours fly by while you're having fun with friends - new and old. This past weekend Jessie and I did the event with our friend Chris but we also met a guy named Brian and added him to our team. Turns out he went to college at Iowa - automatic new friend. We stuck together with our team the entire team. Leave no one behind. Seems like a new trend - meet a new friend at each TM. We met Danielle in Colorado. It doesn't matter who you are, you can talk to anyone and bond over anything at TM. 

3. I do not whine- KIDS whine. I'll be honest - I can be a whiner. You put me in the Arctic Enema and I whine. But this is a major life lesson. Whining gets you nowhere. Figure out why you're whining, fix it, and move one. Yep, the obstacles are hard, but that's what they are designed for. Yep, life is hard, that's what it's designed for :)

4. I help my fellow Mudders complete the course. There is no better display of team work than TM. You help anyone and everyone who needs a hand. There's also a lot of inappropriate touching. But when you need help over a 9 foot wall, it doesn't matter.

5. I overcome ALL fears. This is huge. There is an obstacle to challenge any fear. Life is about conquering fears. It does not have to be in a pile of mud. It could be going somewhere new, meeting a new person, taking on a new challenge at work, or even trying a new food.

Here is what I learned from my time in the mud:

• Inspirational people are everywhere. We met a woman on the course who has lost over 65 pounds and quit smoking and the TM was her way of proving to herself she could do it. Did I mention she was 55 years old? Or the girl who has another 50 pounds to lose and she's out there doing it, hell or high water. It's pretty cool that I did it back to back days, but these people are the real story. They are the true inspirations. If they can do it, anyone can do it. 

• People are willing to give out free hugs. There was a guy running in the same pack as us who had on shorts and he painted on his back "free hugs." So as we approached the Mud Mile obstacle I shouted to him "I'll take my free hug at the end of the mud mile. He said "I'll be waiting for you." And I was a few mud mountains away from him and I shout out to him "I'm on my way!!" Sure enough- I got done and there he was. Waiting to give me a free hug. I have a picture of it, but it's not downloaded yet. What would the world be like if we got or gave free hugs more often?

• It is the coolest feeling to be with a group of people with a common goal. You know that everyone who lines up at the start line is there for a common reason. Start and finish. 

• I am stronger than I thought and I hold myself back. Exhibit A - monkey bars. Got 3/4 of the way across and I was just scared.

• Connecting with people. Whether it's the people on course or the people with the orange headbands and dirt at Buffalo Wild Wings - you are bonded with a group of strangers. You see someone with a tough mudder shirt and you smile. You know where they've been and what they've done.

• Tough Mudder is fun. Playing in the mud is fun. A guy at work said "it's like going to Valley Fair (amusement park) when you're little and running from ride to ride." You just run to the next obstacle with such anticipation. 

• When you start something - it feels incredible to finish it.

• I and anyone who is willing to try - are capable of so much more than we ever imagined.

 And for your viewing pleasure here are a couple videos from our experience this past weekend. Enjoy :)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZDup9xJTb_Y&feature=youtu.be

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q4j13zS4BD4&feature=youtu.be