No Regrets!

Hi Everyone!

Have you ever put yourself in a situation where you wanted desperately to do something that you knew would be really hard, but still, it would be good for you to do?  Have you taken a risk, knowing you might fall flat on your face, but done it anyhow because you knew that in some way, even if you did, you would still be a better person for having done it?  We’ve never talked about having a “Bucket List” in our blogs, and that might be a good one for the end of the year, but I suspect we all have things we’ve talked about, dreamed about, or been encouraged to do that we haven’t done for fear of failing.  What I’d like to read about this week is something that you were worried about doing, but you did it anyway.  I’ll share a short story from this past weekend to get you started.

It goes back to last summer, really.  My friend and I were talking about doing the Warrior Dash; a 5K run that included ten or so fairly tough obstacles that would be a challenge to me physically.  You might not have noticed, but I’m not at the peak of my athletic prowess, so I pondered the idea for awhile.  I recognized that there’s no way I could run a flat out 5K, particularly with the first mile or so of it going straight up a mountain.  Long story short, our team of five not only ran the race, but we all finished it without death or permanent disability.  I was amazingly proud of myself and the fact that I’d finished without being subjected to utter humiliation and embarrassment.  My goal was to finish and to not be last. I did it, and I wasn’t last… hooray me!

Fast forward to two weeks ago.  One of my friends here at school sent me a text on a Sunday afternoon asking if I’d like to do the “Dirty Girl 5K Mud Run”.  I knew a little about it, looked it up online, and agreed that I’d go for it.  It was similar to the Warrior Dash, but without Windham Mountain, and without men.  Part of the registration fee goes to the American Cancer Society, so I figured it would be okay.  I’d spend a couple of months training, getting in better shape... these things are always done in the summer, right?  I had committed to doing it, so that was it.  Then I found out that the race was this past weekend, that’s right, I had less than two weeks to get 5K ready.  After repeatedly reassuring the others who had also agreed, that we could do it, that we’d make it together as a team, and recruiting one friend, the sister of my pal from the Warrior Dash, so I wouldn’t be the oldest participant on our team, we went for it. 

Our team had a 4:00 start time, we climbed through hay bales, over walls with just 2x4s to hold on to as we scrambled up 10’ or so, through many, MANY muddy streams, through culverts in the mud, over a wall 20’ high climbing up and down on a cargo net, through both stationary and swinging tire obstacles, up and down muddy hillsides using ropes to guide us, and at the end, through a mud filled pit, that turned out to be just 2” deep and made out of concrete.  We all arrived back at the end of the course at 4:36, filthy, laughing, feeling so proud of our accomplishments and the feeling of camaraderie we gained helping each other along the way.

It would have been easy for me to say that there was no way I could do it; about halfway through the race, I wished I’d said that, but by the end, I knew I could hold my head up proudly knowing that it was tough, but I’m tougher... and the Warrior Dash is coming up quickly!  Don’t be afraid to try something because of a fear of failure or inadequacy; you only have yourself to answer to and it’s tough to be disappointed in yourself when you know that you tried your hardest.

My story is 545 words.  I’d like at least 350 words from each of you for this one.  You all have a story to tell and we’d like to read it.  Good luck and have fun with this!

Ms. Mott