Monthly Archives: June 2013

The “Bucket List” Trap

Image

Many years ago, when telephones were in use in the United States but had not yet made it to Europe, a French philosopher came to stay with an American friend. The American spent some time, interrupted by several phone calls, explaining how the new invention worked. The Frenchman simply replied, “Ah, now I see. It rings and you come running.”

I have a similar feeling when friends tell me about their “Bucket list”, the list of things to accomplish before you die. In some cases they have recited the same list to me for ten years without taking a single step toward any of their goals.

Ten. Years.

So now when I hear “bucket list” I think “Stuff you kinda want to do but have no desire to actually get done.”

Don’t let this happen. Don’t let “someday” be the prison that holds your dreams captive. Go. Do epic shit. And more importantly, do epic shit NOW.

Some of the items that I want to achieve are beyond my grasp at the moment. I need to run a qualifying race. I can’t afford to fly halfway around the world for one event. I am not entirely certain I CAN run 100 miles before my feet fall off.

But I take steps in the right direction. I find and sign up for the qualifying races. I put in the effort to train. I save up the money however I can. I find ways to piggyback travel destinations, and schedule trips accordingly. I know I am going to Japan again, so another $400 will take me from Tokyo to Melbourne.

Don’t put off what you want to do. Enjoy every day that is given to you. Do epic shit that pushes you toward even more epic shit. Take the first step. Today. Now.

“Somebody should tell us, right at the start of our lives, that we are dying. Then we might live life to the limit, every minute of every day. Do it! I say. Whatever you want to do, do it now! There are only so many tomorrows.”

― Michael Landon Jr.

A Life Changing Experience

This captures perfectly the human potential that too many of us forget we have. Stolen from one of my Cornfed family.

I Am a Spartan

466137_10200320990164957_795843893_o

So you wonder if you’re good enough for Obstacle Course Racing? Is the fear of the unknown preventing you from taking that crucial step and registering?

I mentioned in my Haspin Acres write up that I brought a buddy along, he just informed me that he wrote a little on his own after his finish. If his words get just one person to sign up and make that commitment, they’re worth spreading. Remember, this is a man who has never been a runner, even when race-day rolled around, had never seen a sub 10-minute mile.

His words:

People often underestimate the potential of the human body.  They doubt their capabilities, they settle for “just good enough,” and they believe that anything outside their daily routine is “too hard.” The Spartan Race is here to prove to everybody that what we see as unrealistic is not so far out of reach…

View original post 336 more words

Starting new challenges and a new Facebook page

Just a quick post today.

I signed up for the 100×100 Challenge, 100 pushups a day for 100 consecutive days. I am holding myself to this, no make-up days, every day without fail, starting tonight. If you want to join in: https://www.facebook.com/100x100challenge

For some time I have been part of a 365 miles in 365 days group on Facebook, and I have decided to up the ante. My birthday is in a few weeks, and between turning 32 and turning 33, I am running 1000 miles (1600 kilometers for my friends outside the US). Again, if you wish to come along: http://www.1000milechallenge.com/

For daily updates and other WOD-related stuff that I don’t feel is worth a full post here, I have started an athlete FB page: https://www.facebook.com/TheMonkOfTheMud

Thank you to all of my readers for your encouragement along the way.