5.07.2016

Running on the Wall Race Bib & Medal Holder Review


Running on the Wall custom race bib & medal holder in Sage
The Green Girl got a customized Race Bib and Medal Holder from Running on the Wall.

The Running on the Wall displays are handcrafted from recycled MDF wood by wife and husband runners, Melianna and Alex. They also use water-based paint and non-chemical based varnishes.

I decided to get my favorite quote on a sage display:

A journey of 1,000 miles begins with a single step. Lao Tzu

The exact Chinese translation of the quote 千里之行,始于足下 is 'A journey of a thousand li starts beneath one’s feet'. A li is the equivalent of roughly a third of a mile.


Running on the Wall custom race bib & medal holder
This quote is on the Inperspire Towel I use for yoga and it's engraved on my ring from my mum.

Melianna provided outstanding customer service and was very helpful when I inquired about the specific shades of green.

My display was shipped quickly and securely (with no excess packaging) in a USPS Priority Mail box.


Running on the Wall custom race bib & medal holder
The vinyl lettering was covered with a clear varnish for protection and easy dusting.

The display arrived with the hardware - L-shaped metal hanging pegs, 4 bib extension rings, and 2 nails - in a plastic zip bag.

Assembly was straight-forward - I hand screwed the L-shaped metal hanging pegs into each of the pre-drilled holes until the flat portion was flush with the wood.


Marked holes
After all the hanging pegs were installed, I flipped the holder over and used a piece of scrap paper to jot dots down for the nail positioning.

I'm absolutely thrilled with how my customized holder turned out and it's nice to finally have a way to display race bibs.


The Green Girl's new customized Running on the Wall Race Bib & Medal Holder

2.09.2016

Wild by Nature Book Review and Giveaway

The Green Girl was thrilled to receive her first ever advance reader's edition when she was offered a copy of Sarah Marquis' Wild by Nature: From Siberia to Australia, Three Years Alone in the Wilderness on Foot.

One woman
10,000 miles on foot
6 countries
8 pairs of hiking boots
3,000 cups of tea
1,000 days and nights

Wild by Nature follows Swiss National Geographic Explorer Sarah Marquis on the trail of her 10,000 mile 'eXplorAsia' solo hike across the remote Gobi desert from Siberia to Thailand. From Thailand, she travels by boat and completes her hike in Northern Australia.


Sarah Marquis Photo Credit: alchetron.com
The author is Swiss and it's my understanding that the book was translated from French to English. I believe some of the meaning may have been lost or skewed in translation.

I also acknowledge the fact that cultural heuristics mold and influence world attitudes and views.

I found her writing incongruous, disjointed, and detached. I felt she had a lack of respect for the native inhabitants of the lands she encroached on but an intense appreciation for Mother Nature. I was often left yearning for more details. But I was still blown away by the magnitude of her solo journey.


Sarah Marquis at her camp in Australia’s Kimberley Photo Credit: Sarah Marquis
Preparing for a 3 year hike is a significant undertaking and I would have appreciated more details regarding her training and preparation. I also wish she would have provided the gear list that comprised her 75 lb backpack and 120 lb cart.

I appreciated insights like tips on how to collect water in an arid region.


Sarah Marquis arrives at her final 'Little Tree' destination Photo Credit: Sarah Marquis
I also learned a lot from how she handled herself in the difficult and potentially volatile encounters. She even resorted to sleeping in sewage pipes - sometimes alongside animal carcasses - to avoid night visits from drunk Mongolian men.

Wild by Nature goes on sale today, February 9th.

If you would like your very own copy of Wild by Nature, The Running Green Girl is pairing up with St. Martin's Press for a giveaway.

You will have two options for logging into the Rafflecopter widget:
  1. Log in via Facebook - choose this option and a pop-up will ask for permission to access Facebook details. Rafflecopter needs to access email addresses via Facebook in order to contact winners.
  2. Use your email - leave a name and email address. Your email address is PRIVATE and I will not share or publish it anywhere.




a Rafflecopter giveaway Giveaway ends Friday, February 19th at 12:00 midnight Pacific Time. If you encounter any issues entering this giveaway via Rafflecopter, please let me know.

The only way to survive three years of walking was to embrace the moment of now. Sarah Marquis

2.08.2016

Happy Chinese Lunar New Year 恭喜發財

The Green Girl wants to wish everyone a happy, healthy, and prosperous Chinese Lunar New Year of the Fire Monkey 猴.

According to Chinese astrology, our universe consists of five basic elements: Metal, Water, Wood, Fire, and Earth. It is said that everything in the universe, including humans, has a relationship with these five elements.

The Chinese believe every element is equally important and powerful. Metal will create Water, Water will create Wood, Wood will create Fire, Fire will create Earth, and Earth will then create Metal. Conversely, there is also a cycle of incompatibility and destruction: Metal will destroy Wood, Wood will destroy the Earth, Earth will destroy Water, Water will destroy Fire, and Fire will then destroy the Metal.

2016 is the year of the Fire Monkey so Fire is the dominant element. Fire shapes Metal and brings energy but it can also destroy metal and this may cause turbulence.

In addition to Fire, Monkey contains Metal and Water. Metal is connected to gold and Water is connected to wisdom and danger. Metal is also connected to the Wind and this means the status of events will change very quickly. Think carefully and cautiously before making financial, career, business, and personal relationship decisions.

One of the keys to success in a Monkey year is to expand your knowledge by taking classes, studying, joining professional groups/organizations, or traveling.

The Year of the Monkey is also a good time to re-think fitness programs, diet, and health plans.

Tao Te Ching verse for Monkey
Thirty spokes join together to make a wheel
but it is the center hole that makes the wagon move.
We shape clay into a vessel
but it is the emptiness inside that holds whatever we want.
We hammer wood for a house
but in the empty space is where we live.
We work with being
but non-being is what we use.

1.05.2016

The Green Girl's 2016 Reading Challenge

The Green Girl's 'Twin' Michelle, challenged her to Modern Mrs Darcy's 2016 Reading Challenge to read 12 books in 12 different categories in 12 months.

According to Anne from Modern Mrs Darcy, this challenge provides the structure you need to approach your reading list with intention in 2016.



book published this year Wild by Nature: From Siberia to Australia, three years alone in the wilderness on foot


book you can finish in a day When Breath Becomes Air





book you've been meaning to read A Full Life: Reflections at Ninety





book recommended by your local librarian or bookseller Soul, Sweat & Survival on the Pacific Crest Trail





book you should have read in school 1984





book chose by friend Fresh Off the Boat: A Memoir





book published before you were born On the Road





book banned at some point Catch-22





book you previously abandoned





book you own but have never read Eat and Run: My Unlikely Journey to Ultramarathon Greatness





book that intimidates you Dead Mountain: The Untold True Story of the Dyatlov Pass Incident





book you've already read at least once The Phoenix Project: A Novel About IT, DevOps, and Helping Your Business Win

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