Hair’s Off To You

A few weeks ago I was pondering life when a crazy thought came through my head. I was going to shave my head to help my friend, Jenn McCrea, raise funds for Rethink Breast Cancer. I quickly sent her a note asking if I could do this at her fundraiser. She was in awe I would even consider shaving my head, and she quickly got the ball rolling.

Almost 5 years ago, I met the wonderful Jenn at a baby’s and you class we both attended. We were to introduce ourselves.

My name is Jen, my daughter’s name is Reika. She was born at the Rockyview General on September 23rd, and we live in Copperfield.

As I was saying my info, Jenn thought to herself: I’m Jenn, I live in Copperfield, and my son was born September 23rd at the Rockyview General. We instantly connected, and soon became great friends.

Shortly after Reika was born, I had a feeling I needed to run a half-marathon. That’s 21.1 km or 13 miles. I tried signing up for a race and it was full. It turned out alright as a few months later I was pregnant with my second daughter.

When my second daughter, Reese was born, I decided I was going to finally do the Melissa’s Road Race. When Reese was 1, I finally did the Melissa’s. This was the same year Jenn was diagnosed with breast cancer.

She was following my Facebook posts about my training progress, and after her double mastectomy, she took “I can’t” out of her vocabulary and decided to become a runner.

After her first race, she became hooked. Last year we did two half-marathons together. This year, Jenn is doing her first full marathon.

Through our running, we have been an inspiration to each other. Last year I sported pink hair extensions for Jenn during the half portion of the Calgary Marathon. This year I will be running the 10km with a shaved head in honor of the brave young women fighting, or who have fought breast cancer.

I may not be fast, yet I’ll be running; and Jenn, I’ll be there to cheer you across the finish line!

Photo courtesy of Douglas Dixon Photography http://www.douglasdixonphotography.com

Just Do It!

I lie awake in bed. My alarm has just gone off at 6am in the morning. I think to myself I need to get up and go for a run. Yet the other voice says, I’m so comfy in my nice warm bed. The first voice reminds the second, you have a 10km race coming up in just a few weeks and you haven’t started training.

I reach over and change my alarm to 6:45am and close my eyes. I lay in bed half asleep for another 30 minutes before finally crawling out of bed. I put on my running gear and decided to go for a short run. I took our puppy with me, and it ended up being a short run. It was under 2 km and I ran about half the distance and walked the rest while towing a tired, uninterested puppy behind me.

First thought, this was a pitiful run. Second thought, at least I laced up my shoes and went for a run.

As I was running I thought of my friend Jenn McCrea training for her marathon. I remember her telling me she took “I can’t” out of her vocabulary.

I also thought of Nike’s long time running ad campaign, Just Do It. http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Just_Do_It_(Nike)

I got out and Just Did It. One Nike ad that came to mind was of the heavyset kid going for a jog.

For me, exercising feels like a chore at times. Yet when I do get out there, I remember how good it feels.

The run was great. The weather was perfect. Cool, not to windy and dry. Even though it was short, I still enjoyed every minute. It only takes one step to get you started. So Just Do It!

Be Brave

One of my girls’ favorite movies is Disney Pixar’s, Brave. It’s a movie about a fiery redheaded Scottish princess who is determined to create her own destiny.

There are those who say fate is something beyond our command. That destiny is not our own, but I know better. Our fate lives within us, you only have to be brave enough to see it. – Princess Merida, Disney’s Brave

This movie really makes me think of my young girls as they prance around the living room on their hobby horses listening to Touch the Sky while pretending to be Merida. Beyond the sky is the limit girls. You are brave enough to conquer anything your heart desires.

You are brave!

Runners Unite

Last week’s news of the bombings at the Boston Marathon shook the world. How could someone do this?

I normally try to avoid the news as everything is always depressing. Yet some events, like this one, get everyone talking.

The whole thing kind of rattled me as I have run in a few races over the past year. As well, one of my good friends is training hard for her first ever marathon.

I knew I wanted to write about my feelings, yet I wasn’t sure how to express them until I read a Facebook post by Ben Zander a friend had shared.

Carol Burnett’s mother woke up everyday and made a decision. She then said: “I love my life.”

He gave the following assignment to Boston Philharmonic Youth Orchestra this past week: Wake up each day, think about it for a moment, then say “I love my life.”

One of his students had expressed difficulties with this assignment as she knew people who had been directly involved in this week’s event. How could she say she loved her life when she knew so many people had suffered?

I have always found it most important to go through a gratitude list when troubling times occur. This can shift your thoughts from worry and despair to thoughts of love, light and hope. The simple act of reminding yourself how grateful you are that your loved ones were safe. Or if you or a loved one were affected by the blasts, that the kindness of strangers to assist those that were injured. Another friend had shared with me that she had seen images of runners taking off their fuel belts to act as make shift tourniquets.

I am grateful to call myself a runner. As a runner it takes a lot of motivation, will power and determination to get yourself across the finish line. Whether it is a small race or the race of your life. Remember, you have taken the first step. One that many fear. There is no can’t!

My prayer is that these bombings will only make people stronger. I pray that the people affected by this event will be empowered to stay strong. I pray for those who have lost limbs to have the courage to carry on and once again race in the marathon. I pray for these people to keep moving forward one step at a time. Sure it is easy to give up and quit, yet it is another thing to have the strength to carry on.

The last half-marathon I ran, my legs felt like they were giving out on me at the 15 km marker. I started to cry. I simply wanted to lie down on the road and quit and cry. My friend whom I was running with is a breast cancer survivor. I helped to get her to this race. She was running ahead of me, and I swallowed my pride and told myself I cannot quit! Jenn would never quit, so I cannot quit! I have to finish this race for Jenn. It was at that point I decided to simply walk the last 6 km. I made it to the finish, and I did a personal best.

Bostonian’s, marathoners, fellow runners, and everyone. Never give up! You can do it. Even if you have to crawl across that finish line, you can do it!

The first picture is of my friend Jenn and I after we completed our first half-marathon together at the 2012 Calgary Marathon. The second picture is my husband Ryan pushing my 2 daughters with me running to the finish line at the 2012 Melissa’s Road Race. The last picture is of my friend Jenn and I just before we ran the 2012 Melissa’s Road Race.

Through Strange Eyes

It is fascinating how our perceptions shape our world around us. I recently got new glasses and had a significant change in my prescription. I ordered a new pair of glasses, and they forgot to adjust them when I went to pick them up. So no wonder I couldn’t see any better, and actually felt like I was seeing worse. I went back to the optometrist and she re-checked my prescription, and re-confirmed that indeed I did have the correct glasses. She then sent me to see their optician who properly fitted my glasses. Even after a fitting, it still took some getting used to.

During this whole ordeal, I found it interesting how our brain perceives life. You go around believing you can see clearly. Put on a wrong pair of glasses and the world becomes distorted. Put on a pair of glasses that are right for you, and everything becomes sharper.

Upon first glance we make a quick judgement of an object, person or circumstance. Yet upon further inspection, more details arise. The small dimples that appear when a person laughs; the tiny cracks in the grout on the flooring; the off standish person who is really suffering inside.

How you choose to perceive life is up to you. Are you a glass is half full or half empty kind of person? Is there a light at the end of your tunnel? Tune yourself to those positive optimistic vibes and your life will begin to reflect it’s true beauty.

Enjoy your day!

What more do you need?

Recently my family and I were displaced from our house and forced to live in a hotel for 10 days. If you’re like my 4 year old, what do you have to complain about. There’s a pool and waterside, they have breakfast in the morning, and they even have a yummy afternoon snack of cookies and popcorn. This is the perfect life. Reika tells us she likes living in the hotel. Mind you she instantly unpacked everything and was the first to make herself at home.

For hubby and I, we viewed this as more of a challenge we wanted to quickly get through as we long for our routine and the comfort of our own beds. Ryan got the brunt of it trying to juggle our regular lives for a week from a small room then entertaining 2 young kids during Easter break. I at least had a bit of reprieve of going to work.

The one realization I came to while on this journey is the joy of my family. Having giggly fun in the pool with our girls, even when we feel completely exhausted.

I am most grateful to have a warm roof over our heads and to be with my loving husband, daughters and our new puppy. As chaotic as this time has been, it has also been rewarding. It has forced us to give our daughters the attention they have been yearning. I have loved seeing them rush to get ready so they didn’t waste a minute in the pool. The sparkle in their eyes as we got our afternoon snack. That is what is important.

Live Mas

A friend of mine had posted this Taco Bell ad from the 2013 Superbowl on her Facebook page. I laughed and instantly loved it. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KvxZcULxfKw&feature=youtube_gdata_player
It reminded me of my grandparents. I remember my grandpa would always walk or ride his bike everywhere. He was a fan of the afternoon nap. And he drank whole milk and would slather a thick layer of butter on his toast everyday. He lived to the ripe age of 97. He was only a few months shy of his 98th birthday. He took up golf in his 70′s and would walk the course, refusing to accept a ride in the cart from the young guys he was paired with. He even boasted 3 holes in one during his golfing career. When he was younger, he could be found tinkering away in the garage or helping in the garden. When my sister and I were around, you usually knew there was going to be a walk down to the park to go play.

I’ve heard comments from people that they are not going to celebrate anymore birthdays as they are getting too old. Or you hear of people who lie about their age. Yet then I hear from another friend of mine that she is ever most grateful for each birthday as that is another year she has been allowed to live.

Go out. Live! Live More!