Whiskey Notes and Parachuting Fish

In 2011, I set out on an adventure of 100 Discoveries. I thought I could finish in a year. But, the reality is, you should never finish an adventure like the one I created. With that in mind, this post is part of that project. You can see all 10 Moments here and the entire project here. Enjoy the moments, I sure am!

Doubt kills more dreams than failure ever will. – #SpartanQuote

8.6 miles. 24 obstacles. Mud. Barbed wire. Las Vegas heat. Hardcore hills. Jumping over fire. No music. No phone. No sunglasses.

To say the Las Vegas Super Spartan Race was outside of my comfort zone would be an understatement. Being 8 weeks post surgery, I hadn’t trained too much and definitely had done no upper body training. I was scared shitless. And that’s exactly why I wanted to do it

After 3 hours and 53 minutes, the result? It was tough. There were some obstacles like the rope climb that I “failed,” having to do burpees for not completing. I ran for the fire pit, chickened out and had to start my run/jump again. BUT I finished! I ran 90% of the way (holy cow!) and the lessons?

• Reality is always WAY less scary than what you expect/imagine/build up in your head.
• Try everything… Most of the time your body CAN do it!
• Teamwork makes anything more fun.

I am Spartan Tough!

In 2011, I set out on an adventure of 100 Discoveries. I thought I could finish in a year. But, the reality is, you should never finish an adventure like the one I created. With that in mind, this post is part of that project. You can see all 10 Moments here and the entire project here. Enjoy the moments, I sure am!

One morning I woke up, looked in the mirror and said, “Holy cow! I’ve gained over thirty pounds!” For the record, on a 4’11” frame, that’s A LOT. As much as I tried to pretend, the reality is, the thirty pounds didn’t appear overnight. But, what I did decide overnight was to finally do something about it. I joined a gym, hired a personal trainer AND a nutrition coach. I was motivated and invested. I was ready to lose 7+ pounds a week just like the people on Biggest Loser To my initial frustation, the weight didn’t fall off overnight nor after a week or even two weeks.

Slowly but surely, I made progress and not just the kind you see on a scale. I overhauled my diet and I started to feel better – more energy and less bloating. One day, I realized that I was walking up my stairs without huffing and puffing. When I started, I could barely last 10 minutes on the Stairmaster. Now, I knock out over 30 minutes with ease. I’ve come a long way, but, it didn’t happen overnight. Four and a half months later, I am back in my “before Columbus” jeans! And, more importantly, I’m starting to like the person I see in the mirror again.

Through this journey I’ve learned a multitude of lessons – just do it, small changes can make a big difference, focus on ONE thing at a time… the list goes on. But, my favorite lesson, one that hasn’t really stuck before is:

Slow progress IS progress

Before you know it, all that slow progress really adds up to something… like losing 17.5 pounds!

In 2011, I set out on an adventure of 100 Discoveries. I thought I could finish in a year. But, the reality is, you should never finish an adventure like the one I created. With that in mind, this post is part of that project. You can see all 10 Moments here and the entire project here. Enjoy the moments, I sure am!

Time stands still best in moments that look suspiciously like ordinary life. -Brian Andreas

There’s a moment every week that’s my favorite. In this weekly moment, it’s as if time stands still. It’s a time where I have no place to be, no one to answer to and no worry of what’s next. Every Saturday morning, I wake up whenever my body is ready – no alarm telling me to be somewhere. I lay in bed for as long as I want and catch up on my favorite TV shows via iPad while laying in bed. Sometimes it’s one show, sometimes it’s four. The beauty is that this moment gets to be whatever I want it to be.

Strangely, this moment is mundane, ordinary, simple. Yet, it’s the one moment I yearn for every week. It’s my light at the end of the tunnel. And, it’s all mine.

In 2011, I set out on an adventure of 100 Discoveries. I thought I could finish in a year. But, the reality is, you should never finish an adventure like the one I created. With that in mind, this post is part of that project. You can see all 10 Moments here and the entire project here. Enjoy the moments, I sure am!

I can’t figure out why, but I always feel a little funny when people buy me things, especially when I’m right there. You know the moment- you’re out shopping, find something you love, go to pay and the person with you either beats you to it or says, “Let me get that for you.” In every situation, it’s a really nice gesture. But, for whatever reason, it always makes me a little uncomfortable.

The last time this moment happened, it finally hit me. Letting someone else buy you something ties that ordinary “something” more strongly to a moment and person than if you had purchased it yourself. There are few “ordinary” things that I look back on, smile and remember a moment. But, I can look back at each piece that someone else bought me, remember the moment, the person and smile. To those who have bought me silly things, iPhone cases, jewelry, ice cream… thank you for helping to make those ordinary moments magical memories.