What is it?
The Muddy Buddy is a race that consists of a two person team. One person begins the race on foot while the other begins the race on a bike. The person on the bike rides until they reach an obstacle. They drop the bike, complete the obstacle, and then take off on foot. The guy who started on foot completes the obstacle, grabs the bike, and then leapfrogs his teammate. This pattern continues through the course as you encounter obstacles. At the end, you are your teammate meet up and slog through a mudpit to the finish line.
Why is it on the list?
I love doing fun races. The Urban Challenge was awesome. The Mad Cow Urban Adventure Race was crazy. And I'm eyeing the Krispy Kreme challenge for next year. But a mud covered obstacle course sounded perfect and as it was as close to Ninja Warrior as I'm likely to get I was all for it.
The Process
Well the official race report will be linked on My Space soon enough, but needless to say good times were had by all as we ran across a balance beam, climbed over a wall, scaled a cargo net, slid down the slide at the other end, monkeyed our way through an over/under jungle gym, and trudged through the mudpit. If you want a good time I highly recommend the Muddy Buddy!
Monday, August 25, 2008
Monday, August 11, 2008
Book Review (10/34) Dreams from My Father: A Story of Race and Inheritance by Barack Obama
#13 on this list is to become educated on the presidential candidates. As part of this process I've decided to read their books. I started with this book because I'm fairly certain I'll vote for Barack Obama and this particular book was his first. I was also hoping for an open and honest story from a man who had no idea he would one day be running for President when he wrote the book.
I enjoyed reading this book. It was divided into 3 main sections, detailing Obama's upbringing in Hawaii and Indonesia, his work as a social organizer in Chicago, and his first visit to Kenya, the birthplace of his father. Obama's struggle as a child of a white woman from Kansas and a black man from Kenyan is poignant. I had no idea that he only met his father once and for such a short period of time. I didn't know he spent years of his childhood in Indonesia. It was difficult to read about his search for black role models and the search for his own identity in Hawaii. Also, the tales from his white grandparents about the racism they experienced in Texas hit close to home.
When I was younger (maybe 11 or 12) I befriended a young black kid on the school bus. He was probably 7 or 8 and I would read to him on the ride home. Soon enough, the other kids on the bus (as mentioned in other posts I grew up in a 99% white community) started making fun of me. I'm ashamed to say I succumbed to peer pressure and gradually started distancing myself from the younger kid. It really gets to me when I think about what he had to go through and the fact that I wasn't strong enough to stand up to the people making fun of me for being his friend.
Barack Obama inspires me. When I listen to his speeches I feel like maybe we can come together as a nation and perhaps my children's children can truly see past race. I hate hearing my family and friends make racial comments. I've seen adults encourage and reinforce children to insult immigrant workers. I've been in cars where people have locked the doors when they saw a 12 year old black girl playing hopscotch. And I'm still ashamed at the courage I lacked when I was that same 12 years old.
Anyways, I think this book does an excellent job providing a look at Obama's early years. I enjoyed reading his journey of self-discovery and the lessons he learned in Hawaii, Indonesia, Chicago, and Kenya. I'm quite interested to see the differences between the Audacity of Hope (written after he became a politician) and this book. I'll also be getting his policy book coming out in September.
But next I must give Senator McCain a chance. As much as I don't see myself voting for a Republican candidate I feel that I must not fall victim to the sentiment expressed by Phillip Wylie: "But you don't know how to read anymore. When you open a book, you do it in the faith and assurance that you are already master of what it contains and that the author has written only so you may prove him wrong". So I plan to read one of McCain's books next, and try and keep an open mind.
I enjoyed reading this book. It was divided into 3 main sections, detailing Obama's upbringing in Hawaii and Indonesia, his work as a social organizer in Chicago, and his first visit to Kenya, the birthplace of his father. Obama's struggle as a child of a white woman from Kansas and a black man from Kenyan is poignant. I had no idea that he only met his father once and for such a short period of time. I didn't know he spent years of his childhood in Indonesia. It was difficult to read about his search for black role models and the search for his own identity in Hawaii. Also, the tales from his white grandparents about the racism they experienced in Texas hit close to home.
When I was younger (maybe 11 or 12) I befriended a young black kid on the school bus. He was probably 7 or 8 and I would read to him on the ride home. Soon enough, the other kids on the bus (as mentioned in other posts I grew up in a 99% white community) started making fun of me. I'm ashamed to say I succumbed to peer pressure and gradually started distancing myself from the younger kid. It really gets to me when I think about what he had to go through and the fact that I wasn't strong enough to stand up to the people making fun of me for being his friend.
Barack Obama inspires me. When I listen to his speeches I feel like maybe we can come together as a nation and perhaps my children's children can truly see past race. I hate hearing my family and friends make racial comments. I've seen adults encourage and reinforce children to insult immigrant workers. I've been in cars where people have locked the doors when they saw a 12 year old black girl playing hopscotch. And I'm still ashamed at the courage I lacked when I was that same 12 years old.
Anyways, I think this book does an excellent job providing a look at Obama's early years. I enjoyed reading his journey of self-discovery and the lessons he learned in Hawaii, Indonesia, Chicago, and Kenya. I'm quite interested to see the differences between the Audacity of Hope (written after he became a politician) and this book. I'll also be getting his policy book coming out in September.
But next I must give Senator McCain a chance. As much as I don't see myself voting for a Republican candidate I feel that I must not fall victim to the sentiment expressed by Phillip Wylie: "But you don't know how to read anymore. When you open a book, you do it in the faith and assurance that you are already master of what it contains and that the author has written only so you may prove him wrong". So I plan to read one of McCain's books next, and try and keep an open mind.
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