I need you more than you need me.
I need Africa more than Africa needs me.

On April 25 I’ll be running a half-marathon in Nashville with my friend, Mel. The problem is Mel lives in Sioux Falls, SD and I live in Minneapolis. So, I’m training alone and have absolutely no motivation aside from the few hundred dollars I have invested into my plane ticket and marathon registration. When I lived in CA, I ran two half-marathons (within a month) with my good friend and roommate, Jenni. She made training fun. We’d rock out to iPod dance parties at stoplights and laugh at the differences in our playlists. When you train WITH someone, you’re accountable. You can’t look someone in the eye as they’re lacing up their shoes and say, “Ah, nah. I don’t feel like running tonight”.

This is where all (or some, I hope) of you come in.

I recently joined an organization called Mocha Club. Mocha Club’s philosophy is to forego two mochas a month ($7) and then that “pocket change” provides a wide range of services, education, resources, clean drinking water, and much more to many communities in Africa. Seriously, 7 bucks! You can build teams and together make a difference in Africa. Now, I know some of you are thinking, “Africa! Dude, there are people right here that need help!” I agree, wholeheartedly. So, don’t stop what you’re doing here. Continue to keep your eyes open for opportunities in your city, neighborhood, and family. But, think about this: $7/month can be deducted from your checking account without you so much as blinking an eye or even affecting your monthly routine (other than a few mochas). Conversely, that $7/month can do amazing life-changing things for people in Africa.

Here’s my idea/plea/invitation: I need help motivating my training for the half-marathon and I think that it’s time I train with a purpose. A lot of people run to raise money for various causes. So, in that same spirit, I will be running for Mocha Club.

Here’s my goal: I’d love to have 13 people (one for each mile) join the Mocha Club.
Here’s the catch: To qualify, I must run 2:10 or under.

Two hours and 10 minutes is a significant drop from my other times. In the first marathon my time was 2:21 and I felt healthy and great. The second marathon I had injured my knee and finished a poor 2:28. I've never been a "runner". Just to give you a glimpse into my “running past”, my freshman year I faked having to pass out after my inability to complete killers under the specified time. My slow running caused my entire team to continue doing the killers until we made the time (as a team) the coach had set for us. I saw no way that I was ever going to make it and after the third try, seeing even the huskier girl cross the line before me and under the time, I thought it was time to act…like I was going to pass out. Sorry, for any of you that are reading this for the first time and you were on that b-ball team ☺ .

So, like Jump Rope For Life in third grade where we asked friends and family to donate for each minute jumped, I am asking you to commit to join the Mocha Club only if I complete the Nashville half-marathon in 2 hours and 10 minutes . You are my accountability. I need you more than you need me. And I’m hoping you see that you need Africa more than Africa needs you.

Please consider it. Watch a super sweet video they made
and check out the wicked cool free t-shirt you get for joining here.

See how Africa is full of joy, hope, and promise and how far $7 goes to impact lives.

Join my team!

Love Means Nothing

Did I get your attention? Before you think this post is about some embittered, poor woman destined for membership in the "Old Maid Club" complete with a lifetime supply of cats, let me assure you. It is not.

I am a tennis player. I eagerly peeked through the fence holes watching my dad play when I was barely old enough to walk on my own. As I grew older, my dad would tote my grade-school self along to the park for his match and give me a racquetball racket and a ball. I would never tire of hearing the thud, thud, thud against the huge green wall outside the courts. Sometimes I'd take a break to study my dad's game and try to emulate his fancy technique. Other times I'd end up running after the rogue tennis balls that were attempting a daring escape into the wooded area near the courts. During my awkward middle school years no matter how bad my day was, I could always count on warm summer evenings spent enjoying the sweet sound of a tennis ball hitting my racquet until the sun set. My older brother, dad and I would ride our bikes to the neighborhood park after supper and play until our arms were dangling with exhaustion or the dusky mosquitoes became unbearable, whichever came first. We'd quietly curse the disrespectful kids rollerblading on the courts next to us and laugh as we tried to earn a soda by pegging my dad at the net. Then we'd climb onto our bikes and coast down the hill to our house (it was a blessing that we had a downhill journey on the way home). Post-tennis snacks consisted of a heaping bowl of ice cream with Nesquick chocolate mix on top. And then satisfied, spent, and elated I'd crawl into bed and sleep like I hadn't a care in the world.

But now...my cares are plenty and many are unwarranted.

A few months ago I began playing competitively again following a long hiatus after the close of my college career. It has been a very humbling experience for me. I'm pretty rusty granted, but nonetheless ranked as a 4.0 player so my matches are against other 4.0 players. In five matches so far, I've managed to squeak out a "w" in only one. And, to see the lineup of my competitors you'd think I was in the senior league. A fair assumption is that the youngest opponent I played was 40. So, yes sports fans, that means I'm getting schooled by players that are at least 10-20 years my senior!

In a particularly grueling match last week, I thought of the title of this post because of its proximity to Valentine's Day. I thought it would be humorous to post this ON Valentine's just to spite the holiday. In tennis scoring Love = 0. . In my recent match if you were to look at any given time, you would've thought I was winning. I had two aces for goodness sake. But, believe me a couple of aces a winner does not make. I lost the match 6-0, 6-1. That's bad in case you aren't familiar with tennis scoring. Sometimes in my life, I am tempted to gaze at the other courts. I see the aces and ardently wish that I could have that same kind of luck or skill or talent or hair, boyfriend, job, house or fill in the blank. But the truth is, I am looking when an ace is happening and I don't see the whole match. I compare my whole match to their one ace. I need to remember my love of the game. How I enjoyed playing not to win, but because I enjoyed the people I was with, the sound of the tennis ball on my racquet, the laughter, and the ice cream :).

Life is not about winning or points. It's not about who has more or who is "better". No one ever shouts across the street at you 40-Love. But if people said I was Love (0), I'm starting to think that maybe I wouldn't mind.

Thirty by 30!

One of my friends from college started a list long before Jack Nicholson and Morgan Freeman made lists of the "bucket variety" famous. About a year and a half before Melodee's 30th birthday she dreamed up a list of thirty things she'd like to do before she turned 30. You can check it out here. My girl Mel is ambitious and inspiring. After completing her measly list of 30, she continued on. Currently, Mel's list stands at 249...and she's completed 93 of those. It's fairly significant to note that Mel is what I'd call an "introvert", but came busting out of her shell right about the time she created her list. Mel found a passion in running at about age 27 and it became sort of an impetus for change and adventure...and her LIST. Also, interesting side note: during college I was the athlete not Mel, but this summer we went for a run in Spearfish Canyon during a little vaca and she nearly lapped me. I consoled myself with a juicy slice of humble pie :)

I've been listening to John Mayer lately. A song that has been hitting me square between the eyes lately is Stop This Train.

A phrase in this songs says:
So scared of getting older
I'm only good at being young
So I play the numbers game
To find a way to say that life has just begun

So, with Mel and Mayer as my muses, my numbers game is my own list of Thirty by 30. Although 30 is knocking loudly at my door and I fear getting things done, I'm choosing to embrace the day; to happily and expectantly drive toward the sun rising in front of me instead of run with my tail between my legs lamenting all the goals I have failed to achieve.

I am inviting those who can help me or think I should add some things to my list to please comment. I am open and willing to accept help...maybe that should be on my list too. :)

So, without further Adieu, ah, ah, ahem: THE LIST

1. Surf in Hawaii
2. Sing one song at a coffee shop or bar (not karaoke...with a real band)
3. Learn how to play a song on the piano
4. Write a play
5. Run a half-marathon in Nashville
6. Audition for a local production or commercial
7. Drink a margarita in Mexico
8. Organize and launch a shoe donation company
9. Learn how to play a new sport
10. Make at least 10 new friends
11. Write a song
12. Read a book recommended by someone I normally wouldn't ask
13. Write a letter to the Editor to a magazine or newspaper
14. Only buy coffee from local (non-chain) shops for one month
15. Eat healthy for an entire week
16. Anonymously help someone out
17. Forgive someone
18. Ding-dong ditch and leave a bag of groceries at someone's door
19. Finish editing a wedding video from this summer...sorry Alexander's :)
20. Paint fun portraits of my nephews and give to them as a gift
21. Make a funny non-sensical video with friends and post on youtube
22. Refrain from eating out for two weeks (I originally put a whole month, but I'm a realist :) )
23. Stay in a really posh hotel with a rooftop pool
24. Choose to make someone's day even when I'm having a crabby one
25. Get back in touch with an old friend
26. Make it to the second round of a tennis tournament
27. Accept a compliment without making a remark about something I'm not good at
28.
29.
30.

Please add to my list or comment on what I have so far. I turn 30 on June 26 and will be updating all my "faithful" blog readers on my progress.