As wedding photographers we feel it’s important for you to get to know us and not just our photographs. We’ll be spending a lot of time together during one of the most important days of your life, so you should not only like our work, but like us as people too! So for today’s Family Friday post I’m sharing my love for obstacle course racing.  I’ve not talked too much about this before because well, pretty weddings and mud runs don’t usually mix well together! But, you know what? They don’t have to.  My love for running and obstacle course racing is completely separate from my love of wedding photography.  The two don’t have to be intermixed.

 

 I believe we as people can enjoy so many different things and they don’t all have to neatly fall into one specific category of “pretty”.  I love pretty things, I love bouquets of peonies and ranunculus just like the rest of ’em.  I see a pretty teal box with white ribbon and I start swooning before I even see what’s inside.  But, I also enjoy reading historical fiction, drinking moscow mules, and the occasional rolling in the dirt and jumping over fire! Which brings me back to obstacle course racing.  If this is a new term for you, it is basically a trail race with obstacles along.  These obstacles are things like climbing over walls, carrying heavy objects, traversing bodies of water, crawling under barbed wire and jumping through fire.

Now, if I may rewind a bit…I was not always into such things.  Up until 5 years ago, I was the poster child for non-athletic types.  I never ran a mile or much other forms of exercise.  But, obstacle course racing found me and after I ran my first Tough Mudder race in 2013 I was hooked. I’ve since ran a few more Tough Mudders, about 9 Spartan Races, and a few other smaller, fun mud runs along the way.  So, why do I do this? It has nothing to do with the competition.  Sure, there are folks who run elite and compete for prizes and want to place in the top 10.  I do not have such aspirations.  I run because it makes me feel strong and empowered. Because after months of training, the feeling of accomplishment is so rewarding. Because these races are hard and I can proudly say I’ve finished them.  Because I was a girl who never thought of herself as sporty or athletic and here I am doing this crazy thing and loving it.  

What’s your crazy? What’s the one thing you love doing because of how it makes you feel? Because wether that is teaching children how to read, or baking the best apple pie, we all need that feeling of accomplishment. That feeling that says, “I did that.  I worked hard and put everything I had into this and I succeeded.” We all want to feel alive and empowered.  

XO,

Jessie