Friday, December 30, 2011

AMS Week Wrap Up #13 - Happy New Years






Random pics from the week

Driving in Wyomoing

Wyoming Sunset

Chipotle Round #1

Gift from Tyler and Tiff.  My name is embroidered on it.  

The mysterious UNO card.  Never have I seen this card, and UNO is my favorite card game

Big Hunk candy bar.  They still exist.  

Running up Green Mountain.  

Some snow tracks


A rad pizza cutter from MYpie in Wheat Ridge

A gift from my grandmother to keep my noggin warm during my trek

Colorado mountains

More Colorado mountains


I miss living in Colorado.  So beautiful.  Almost as beautiful as Iowa :)

A runners heaven.  Boulder Running Company.

My Shoe on sale.  

My miniature sister

Started using this athletic tape.  This stuff works great.  Plus some great instructions on how to properly tape injuries or pain. 

Chipotle Round 2.  

Morning Coffee while journaling and reflecting on the past year.  Preparing for the next year.  

My brother and I at the Cheesecake factory.

Tiramisu cheesecake.  Delicious.  


::: More AMS blog posts to check out :::




Tuesday, December 27, 2011

A time to.... Reflect --- "10 years goes by fast"


Running in Colorado

The holiday season, a time to celebrate the birth of Jesus, to travel and visit family & friends and a time to get some sweet gifts.  I love gifts, especially meaningful-thought out gifts.  

Chipotle shirt embroidered with my name 
Just like Joseph and Mary traveled to Bethlehem back in the day, I traveled to Colorado to share Christmas day with my family.

I grew up in Colorado.  Yup, a Colorado native.  Love the snow, the mountains and of course Chipotle.

Colorado Pic from on top of Green Mountain
So far, during my recent stay, I've got a couple runs in.  I've been able to run two running paths I ran long ago when I was in high school.  I graduated 10 years ago.

Running on top of Green Mountain



The running paths are mostly the same, little differences here and there:  new housing structures, erosion of the dirt paths, new businesses, new roads, etc.

Revisiting these old running paths has results in a heightened sense of contemplation.

10 years have passed since I have graduated high school.

How have I changed?  What is the same?  Am I becoming who I know I can become?  Am I on the right path?

I think it is good to reflect on the past, to help you prepare for the future, and to live better today.

10 years goes by fast.

What are your next ten years gonna look like?  What is your tomorrow gonna look like?

Don't let time slip by, you don't get it back, time to make your days count.


::: My challenge to you :::
Take some time and remember where you came from, and some more time to tentatively plan where you wanna go.  Don't forget about the meaningful things.  


Running pics from my run up Green Mountain
beautiful
yup it was indeed muddy
i slipped on the path
this was the result... a bloody muddy leg

Here is a video of one of the paths I used to run when I was in high school 



Running with purpose in every step,

Jim

Thursday, December 22, 2011

AMS Week Wrap Up #12 - Merry Christmas - 16 days



Random pics from the week
California Raisins (making an appearance in North Dakota)


Christmas photo shoot

Bismarck Sunset... pretty neat 

motivational stickers at the dollar store.  these things rock and motivated me to take a picture of them

old school Mario at the Bismarck Community Church

Bismarck Community Church Youth Group BEFORE

Bismarck Community Church Youth Group AFTER

Tuesday, December 20, 2011

Simplify Your Life Into a Bag

20 days till the AMS journey begins

All of my possessions I will use for a year are on THIS cart.

clothes bag, first aid kit, food kit, computer bag, book bag and CHARLEY

A couple months ago, the movie 180 Degrees South was highly recommended by my brother.  So I watched it on Netflix.

A quote by Yvon Chouinard, stuck with me:
The hardest thing in the world is to simplify your life.  It's so easy to make it complex.   

I agree with Yvon.  It is tough to simplify one's life.  For me, these last couple months have been a struggle:  

What should I bring on a year long trek across Iowa? 

What shouldn't I bring?


All my clothes I will use for a year are in this bag
Button up shirt, short sleeve collared shirt, khakis, jeans, 5 pairs of socks/underwear, sweater

I've narrowed my library of books down to 5 books.
One of the books I'm taking.  One of my favorite books.
I've narrowed my coffee mugs down to my favorite mug.
a gift from Turkey

I'm taking the bare essentials.


If you had to pack all of your belongings on a cart, what would you pack?


This has been one of the toughest things for me to do.  So many things I want to take with me, like my Sega Genesis and TV, my records, my desk and my bed.

As I have had to simplify my possessions, it has required me to think and really ask the question What do I need?

This is something we all must wrestle with, especially with the holiday season upon us.  What do we need to be happy? 
Possessions?  

Money?  

Traditions?  


Quality Time?  



As I have wrestled with this, amidst the simplifying of my physical possessions, I have come to the conclusion the things in life that are most important, are not things... but rather time with family, friends and faith.  


May you be inspired to simplify your life, or realize that the things you have aren't what life is all about.


In the grand scheme of life, maybe the things we possess or try to obtain, are in fact what distracts us from the relationships that are of utmost importance. 


The hardest thing in the world is to simplify your life.  It's so easy to make it complex. 



Friday, December 16, 2011

AMS Week Wrap Up #11

24 days till the Awake My Sole run across Iowa begins

If you know someone in Iowa, make sure to call them up and tell them.  Or share on facebook or twitter

Here is a video with all the GEAR Jim will pack as he travels across Iowa.




Random pics from the week

After



Before

Full moon

back in the day, I was taller than this kid

A wonderful way to display an Awake My Sole sticker.  On a coffee mug. 

Or on a cell phone

Apologies Snow Man Cookie

Clothes for a year in this duffle bag.
Test run 1 or 2

Most recent pic of baby jogging stroller.  If you look at the pic before and now, you can tell I took off a lot of stuff. 


Had a Christmas party with the wonderful family I live with.   A pic of their kiddo with a Rudolph nose.