My apologies for the blogging break during midterms. I was more than a bit stressed and it took all I had just to survive. But right before everything was due, I took a break to run the rugged maniac.
The rugged maniac is a 5k + obstacle course designed by navy SEALs for maximum pain (or at least that’s how I feel about it). Admittedly, I probably should have read more about the venue, but I quickly found out what having this event at a motocross track meant (all dirt and hills). Now if you’ve been following the blog, you know I’ve been working out (running) 3x a week since the end of July. However, once I hit the first crazy steep (and long) hill, it was as if I had never run before.
The course was brutal. In addition to the first, there were two more punishing hills. But after that first hill, only one person attempted to do more than walk up it. On top the hills, there was mud, barbed wire, cargo nets, and tires. At one point I was so stuck in the mud I was having never-ending story flashbacks.
And then, after what seemed like an hour, I rode down a slide, swam through some muddy water, and climbed another (thankfully) small hill to the finish. After I finished, I was a little bummed at my time. I thought after all the training I could’ve done better… A post race brew and burger later, we checked our results. As it turns out, the 41 grueling minutes I spent wading through the muck wasn’t as bad as I thought. I finished 77th out of the 1060 women who completed the course.
With a little perspective, I changed my mind about my performance – I was satisfied (although, if you know me, you know I still think I could do better).
It got me thinking, what task, project, or idea do you need some perspective on? And how do you get that perspective? I’m a big fan of the idea that the only behavior that you can truly control is your own – and on that note I offer a challenge. In the next week, pick something in your life to get some feedback on. Ask for a little perspective. Who knows, maybe you’ll end up a little more satisfied as a result.
The World Through Orange Colored Glasses 