Tough Mudder

This week I signed up for Tough Mudder Squaw Valley, in September. It's a 10 mile endurance race, designed by British Special Forces that includes 18 obstacles such as swimming under barrels, running over logs, climbing walls, and running through fire. It claims to be the hardest one day endurance race on the planet.

I decided to register because a friend is on a team and I was able to join, and also because I wanted to have a big fitness goal this year. Here in Portland, marathons and half marathons are the thing to do. I've considered doing one, but there's a problem, I don't love running and the idea of doing it for 5 hours straight is just not that appealing to me. I'm pretty sure there is no way I'll be bored during Tough Mudder.

It's about 6 months until the race and I'm really looking forward to the training. It's great to have a big goal to be reaching toward. Here is a video to give you an idea of what the race is like.

Success, failure and the in-between

I have a small, close group of friends with whom I discuss media and entertainment a lot. We have shows we watch together and we enjoy critiquing whatever happens to be the subject of the moment. It has become a long running joke that my contributions often start with "I heard (insert accomplished creative name) on Terry Gross and they said _________." What I have come to realize though, is that what is different about Terry Gross and some others (Charlie Rose) is that their interviews generally center around how a person rose to prominence and often the setbacks they faced. If one were to simply watch "interviews" on Late Night and the Tonight Show, one might assume that superstars were destined for fame, they were simply fulfilling a destiny.

One of my favorite interviews from recent years was with Jason Segel of How I Met Your Mother (you can listen to it here). He talks a lot about how he experienced early success after high school of being cast in Judd Apatow's network dramedy Freaks and Geeks only to have it canceled mid-season and did not work again for years. In light of his success over the past five years, most of his fans probably never imagined the years he spent questioning if he was wasting his time chasing his dream. What shows like this highlight is that often there are many, many setbacks before success and it's the people who grow from failure and persevere that are likeliest to experience success.

Here is another good thought from This American Life host Ira Glass about creativity and sticking with it:

Temple Grandin

Last year I discovered Temple Grandin. She is an author, doctor of animal science at Colorado State University and she is autistic. Her remarkable story was made into an HBO movie starring Claire Danes (I highly recommend it). She grew up in the 1950s at a time when Autism was barely even known and as a result of the devotion of her mother and teachers, she was able to harness her genius and become one of the most renowned livestock experts in the world.

She's written numerous books, two of which I am currently reading Animals Make us Human and Thinking in Pictures. The latter is her memoir about growing up with Autism. In 2009 she did an interview with Terry Gross, you can listen to it here. I am equally fascinated and awed by Temple Grandin's story. Her insight has been invaluable to understanding the thought processes of Autistic children. Give the TED talk or her interview a listen and I guarantee you will come away inspired and entertained, not to mention a little smarter.

Words to Live by

Life can only be understood backwards; but it must be lived forwards.
-Soren Kierkegaard

Back to School Shopping

I'm dreaming of a new fall wardrobe. I made a few purchases this week of inexpensive, staple items, but my grad student status will prevent any shopping sprees for the foreseeable future. What to do when you can't really shop? POLYVORE! Besides, it allows me to add YSL to my wardrobe.

From the left:

• Blending softness and structure for work. This outfit would work great on an Indian Summer day when it's not cool enough to require a sweater.
• I love this cashmere sweater. I'd like to put on this outfit and head to Hood River to pick up some fresh apples. The aviators would be perfect for the weak Autumn sun.
• This outfit reminds me of the clothes I remember seeing fancy ladies wear in movies when I was growing up. It would be a fun getup for a cocktail party and the sleeves and tights would help me cope with the chilly weather.
• Be still my Parisian heart. I wish I could put this on and stroll down la rive gauche to the Musée d'Orsay. I would gaze upon the gorgeous impressionist paintings then linger a bit in front of Emmanuel Fremiat's sculpture of St Michel slaying the dragon.
  

Inspiration

"Excellence is the result of caring more than others think is wise, risking more than others think is safe, dreaming more than others think is practical and expecting more than others think is possible."

I first read this quote at a friend's house who serves in the United States Army. It has stayed with me and every time I read it I am reminded of what it means to excel. It is so easy to become complacent in life, to want things to be easy. But in order to be more than that, to be extraordinary, we need discipline. I believe that discipline is the highest virtue because it makes all other virtues possible. It allows us to be focused and dedicated. It allows us to give our best to ourselves, our families and friends. It enables us to live in the present with the promise of our future goals.

Words of Wisdom

It's Wednesday and it's easy to lose momentum at this point in the week, which is why I provide you the sage words of one Barney Stinson. Barney is the beloved resident bro on CBS' How I met your Mother played by Neil Patrick Harris. Until last year when I heard the phrase "30 minute CBS sitcom" I would've thought of Two and a Half Men, the highest rated network sitcom on television. With all due respect to the fine comedic acting skills of Jon Cryer and Charlie Sheen, I never tuned in. A friend introduced me to HIMYM via season 1 on DVD and I was hooked. The show is quick and witty. The continuity is one of my favorite parts. You've got to love a show that rewards its viewers with references to episodes from three seasons prior. If you do start watching the show, I highly recommend starting with season one as the show is essentially a continuing narrative. Here's to the middle of the week and finding inner awesomeness.