Challenging

**From March 2011** At work I overheard someone tell a person on the other line of his telephone that your thirties are great. You grow a lot as a person and in the end you are better. As someone who continually strives to be better than I was yesterday, I am looking forward to it.

I've gotten pretty good at challenging myself physically. I'm sure I'm forgetting stuff, but here is my running total (pun intended):
5k: 10
10k+: 5
Half marathon: 4
Marathon: 1
Mud run: 1
Warrior Dash: 1
Training miles: too many to count
Miles hiked: numerous

Maybe it's time for another type of challenge. Lately I've been thinking that it's been easy to be tomboyish and aggressive in my life, but that I'm not sure if I'm good at being a refined lady. When couples dancing, I have a tendency to anticipate and lead. When on a road trip I like navigating AND driving. I love fixing things. It can be kind of emasculating when I can change a tire for a guy.

I could be less crass. I could build my repertoire of dishes I'm good at cooking/baking. I could be more feminine (as the social construct defines it). I could listen better. I could be more compassionate. Not that these are only things that and person should be or do, but they are things that I could be so much better at doing.

I have decided that my next challenge will be to wear a skirt (or dress) for the whole summer season, which I have arbitrarily designated as starting on Memorial Day and ending on Labor Day. I think this exercise will require more discipline and planning than any running has in the past. The skirt will remind me of all the things that I am working on.

(to be revised and updated)