This past weekend, Tim and I competed in the Warrior Dash! It is a 5k race that included a bunch of obstacles with in the 3.2 mile course. Although Tim and I “competed” (tried to go as fast as we could) many people participated in the event just for fun. As a matter of fact, many people wore costumes and crazy outfits. The whole goal was to have fun!!!
The obstacles included jumping over fire, running through mud pits, climbing cargo nets, scaling slanted walls, and more!
Tim and I ran into a bunch of friends and fellow cross fitters, which made the event that much more fun! It was a good mix of competitive athletes and people just wanting to have a blast!
Tim and I are happy to report that we made it through and are ready for a stint on Expedition Impossible! 🙂
There were a ton of amazing photographers at Warrior Dash and it just so happened that a friend from college captured some action packed photos of me heading toward the finish line.
Chris Barnes is the talented man responsible for these awesome photos! You can see more of his great work on Chris’s blog.
If you care to know a little more about me, here’s a little info. It’s not that I don’t like to have fun (I would never dress up in a costume to run this race), it’s that fun for me is winning the race. That’s why I was a little upset when I realized seconds before the race started that I had left my race chip in my bag. I had looked at it and saw this. . .
Now, I am also the type of girl who thinks beer tastes terrible (only the occasional fruity drink for me please) and so I paid no attention to the small disc that was actually responsible for recording my race time. Oops! Since I figured that out right before the race, I thought “Well at least there is no pressure to win.” Haha! But once I started running, my competitive instincts and desire to do my best took over. I ended up being the first girl to cross the finish line that morning! I felt good about it even though I was in the first heat and I am sure there were other girls that day that finished a lot faster.
I know some of you may be annoyed with the feeling that I am writing this post just so I could tell you that I finished first. But, I am really writing this post because I felt like it was a good life lesson. So here goes my spiel.
I feel like the only reason I was ever able to play professional basketball at 5’3″ is because I worked my butt off not only when others were watching, but also when I was all alone in the gym for hours at a time. I’ve tried to apply this same mentality to my design career as well. I was lucky enough to grow up in a household where my parent’s not only told me I could do anything I wanted, but they also held me accountable to putting in the work to achieve whatever I said I wanted to do. So, I am hoping I can be the voice to you that my parents were and still are to me. You can do anything. . . but you better work your behind off or it will never happen!!! Give it everything you have! I know that doesn’t make me super relatable, but I decided a long time ago, I don’t want to be normal or part of the status quo. So I’ve decided to stop trying to appear normal/relatable just so others will like me. I want to be an inspiration. Who knows if I will ever inspire anyone, but one thing is for sure I’m going to try!!!
Good for you! This is your blog and you should feel comfortable sharing your accomplishments, design related or otherwise. I didn’t think you were trying to brag at all!
Lady you are ripped, nice job!:)
Last time you wrote about working out I tried to write a comment, but I chickened out. I think it is awesome when you write about being strong. I want my daughter to grow up with women like you to look up to; strong, fit, and creative.
Congrats on crossing the finish line first! That s a great accomplishment. Warrior Dash is awesome, I did the Dallas one last year and it was tough but a lot of fun. Thanks for sharing your experience with us.
Thanks for your encouraging words ladies! Sometimes it’s hard not to try to be what other people want. In the end, I hope people do like me but what’s most important is that I like and stay true to myself! Again, thanks for your encouragement!!!
The way you feel about Dolly I kind of feel about you on a local level. I did Warrior Dash and am in design school. I’m pretty sure if I ever see you in public I could possibly attack you with a huge hug and then would beg to take you to dinner! I love your style and work ethic. Thank you for your constant inspiration!