This is a one-off entry inspired by the Abominable Snow Race.  It’s about finding lessons in challenging situations.

I managed to talk my entire family into doing the Abominable Snow Race this year.  We did the 5k obstacle course race through the snowy wooded trails of Wisconsin.  I can’t say it was exactly fun, BUT it was an adventure.  Here are a few of the highlights/lowlights 😉

• It was cold!  At the start of the race we were at 0 degrees Fahrenheit, a lot worse than we thought it would be.  The course also had more hills than anticipated.
• The first mile was gorgeous.  Beautiful wooded trails, lots of fresh snow to eat, and a few easy obstacles to warm up on.  We even saw a local racing legend who does the race in a speedo every year.  I don’t know if he is brave, tough, crazy, or all of the above.
• By mile 2 things got rough.  We were tired and cold.  We were all a bit cranky.  I kept telling the kids that we only had one really difficult thing left.  We had to climb up this steep hill with a rope.  We got about ¾ up the incline when we all went tumbling down.  I skinned my knee and for a moment the kids thought we would be trapped in the woods forever living as forest monks. (actual quote) 
• Now we were at mile 2.5.  We were taking a break, the kids gasping for breath, overwhelmed and unsure if they could make it.  Out of nowhere this woman comes over to check out on us.  She tells my kids she feels their pain and is suffering right along with them.  She tells us she’s from North Carolina and NOT AT ALL READY for the cold or snow.  We look at her face and a combo of sweat, ice, and tears had her mascara running down her face like war paint.  The kids snap out of their moment and go walking along like they are perfectly fine, and the woman joins us, another duck in our row.  We become a merry band of misfits, offering moral support as we wind through the woods for the last half mile of the race.  The woman says how her kids would never be able to do this, which makes my kids feel incredible.
• We crossed the finish line, and while it wasn’t pretty we made it.  We were all angry, exhausted, and freezing.  We had been through some things.  Everyone was so grumpy we didn’t even talk for like 15 minutes.  After we got some food in our belly we looked back and started laughing at the wild series of events.  Also, I helped the kids see that even if it was hard, even if they struggled, they did something that day that most people wouldn’t even try to do. 

Our lessons from the day

• It’s possible to find humor and even joy in things that suck.  It may not have all been fun at the time, but looking back, the entire experience is HILARIOUS!  We have laughed so hard recounting the tales with folks. 
• Part of the reason why it was so hard is we assumed it wouldn’t be as hilly and as cold as it initially was.  It’s a good lesson that being physically AND mentally prepared for the worst comes in handy.
• It’s nice to have a reminder of what you are capable of.  The race was a testament that we can do hard things.  During future challenges one of our measuring sticks will be, “Is this as hard as the Abominable Snow Race?”  Probably not.  I’m so dang proud of my kiddos for doing this.
• There are always people out there to commiserate with and help along.  Our encounter with the woman was a cool one.  She helped us and we helped her.
• If you’re angry and hate the world, maybe you’re just tired, cold, and hungry.  A good warm meal can solve a lot of problems 😉

Connection with work- Maybe you’re not trudging through cold and snow right now.  I’d bet that you are facing some challenges.  With this in mind, I imagine that some of the lessons we learned during our race are applicable to where you are too.

The challenge- What lessons will you take from the challenge you are currently in?

Have a jolly good day,

Andrew Embry