Americans are free to pursue the career path of their dreams. And obviously, that means something different for everyone. For some, the ideal job revolves around work/life balance, while others desire to make a profound and positive impact on the world. The dream job is certainly not a one-size-fits-all pursuit, but whether your goal is to make millions or to…
Author: jodiw5@aol.com
Why I Teach
When I am not immersed in my corporate career, I teach college-level composition, literature, and creative writing courses, and have done so for the past 11 years. I take it seriously. Teaching is an opportunity for me to be innovative – one has to be to get twenty-five or so 18 to 22 year olds excited and invested at 8…
What I Have Learned from Running 100 Miles
For the past 3.5 years, I have been running ultra-distance races. Technically, that is anything over the marathon distance of 26.2, but I’ve fallen in love with 100 milers. Sometimes, when the topic comes up in conversation, people pause, and ask, “100 miles? Over how many days?” Others ask, “Biking?” No, running. Sometimes walking, and if necessary, crawling, and it…
The Art of Lingering / or How to DNF– L2O 100K
June 7, 2014 Pre race I was scared. I usually feel nervous before a race, but it’s a different type of nervous: can I push through, what’s my plan for the night-time hours, what if I can’t get food down? For this race, I was obsessed with not getting lost, the water crossings, and the possibility of encountering wild animals:…
The Keys 100 2014 — The Man in the Mirror
Pre Race The Keys 100 is by far one of the most exciting and emotionally packed races for me: this year, like the last 3 years, the race fell a few days prior to the anniversary of my mom’s passing on May 22nd. Then there’s the fact that Key West is chock full of memories for me: it’s where I…
Why Grammar Matters: Badwater Cape Fear 50m, March 2014
Getting there For those of us who love adventures and all things ultra-running related, it will make perfect sense that a group of us from Florida took two planes, a transporter (credit to Eli Papatestas – this would have been a taxi or a shuttle to me, but “transporter” was reminiscent of how superheroes traveled), a ferry and then a…
Getting Lucky – Wild Sebastian 100
Marsh Landing The reunion began on race eve, when we poured into Marsh Landing, a local Fellsmere restaurant, to pick up our race numbers. I had a long and intense work week, and something about driving up late on a Friday afternoon knowing that my weekend would involve no sleep and completing a 100 miles was not the most appealing…
Fort Clinch 100 – March 30-31 2013 – When Every Minute Counts
“The important thing, is moving.” – Killian Jornet Pre race I signed up for Fort Clinch 100 around New Year’s Eve, when Caleb, the race director, shared the details in Florida Ultra Runners – it had all the ingredients that appeal to me: trail, beach, road and a fishing pier in a small town setting on Amelia Island/Fernandina Beach, FL.…
The Spell of El Capitan Canyon
The Spell of El Capitan Canyon Arriving at El Capitan Canyon at around 3:30 pm on Thursday, I felt a little out of sorts – 7 hours of travel, nonstop work emails and calls and then there I was, on the other coast, in a little-house-on-the-prairie setting complete with cabins and tents covering the grounds, ready for my run/yoga weekend.…
365 Ways to Change Your Life….
Listen. Walk on the opposite side of the street. Don’t let yourself be confined (remember: the box you live in is self-imposed). Make a new friend. Believe: in yourself, and in others, too. Say what you mean and mean what you say. Stop looking for the right person, and start being the right person. Don’t blame others. It is never…