crossing the finish line for someone else in 31 hrs 12 min

This all started when I applied for "the toughest foot race on earth" Bad Water Ultra marathon.

Thousands of people apply each year and with only 80 people being accepted, I unfortunately did not get in. I could of cried all year but that would of not get me anywhere.  So when Mary Betts said let's get on the internet and offer our crew services to racers that have been accepted, it was a great opportunity to be part of the race and make someone else's dream of finishing this race come true.

Mary, Barb Sweeney and myself were able to confirm support for Sharon Gayter, a running machine from the UK.  What a funny feeling to get to the race and have never met who we were going to support. Can't imagine how she felt! The first meeting went well, she showed us what she wanted and we took it over from there. Her husband was going to support as well so he would be the one telling us how she felt since we had no idea of her moods and  what she needed when she was tired.

The night before the race I couldn't believe I was actually here! People on the internet and people that have done the race talked about the heat but it is not until you are in it that you realize how hot it is. Here's a few things that happen that made me realize I was in 116 temperature in the middle of nowhere!

- I was sweating doing nothing

- the pack of gum in my bag was melting

- I was talking to one of the racer and someone just passed out on the ground from heat exhaustion and it was like it was the regular thing that had been happening all day.

- I couldn't walk bare-feet on the road or in the sand...

- the cheese melted (twice) because we didn't learn the first time

just to name a few.

the way the race works: it is 135 miles run, all on road from death Valley California all the way to Mtn Whitney. It starts at 280 below see level and climbs up to 8360 feet above sea level.

Each racer has a support crew of max 6 people and has to cross the finish line within the 60 hour time limit.

Our job, to make sure she stayed cool, hydrated, awake and motivated to push through the pain to complete this race.

We agreed that every mile and 1/2 we would set up our 2 cars by the side of the road as a little station. Each time she came in we made sure

- we exchanged her drink

- gave her little bit of food is she needed it

- put ice in her hat

- gave her wet sponges

- sprayed her for about 1 minute to make sure all of her pieces of clothing were wet.

- made sure she kept moving and tried to make her smile a little.

We repeated this routine 89 more times in the 31 hours it took her to do the race. We wanted her to keep moving when she saw us since it can get pretty comfortable to be around your support. Like you can see from the first picture, we all had a job to do. It worked out really good and she was able to communicate really well what she wanted. Once she was through, it was back in the car and drive 1.5 miles.

A 135miles run is not the hardest thing to do but it is the fact that racers are out there in extreme heat condition. No shade, windy, hot then it gets hotter, blisters that can cover the entire bottom of your foot.

As you can see here by her face expression, it is getting harder and harder to take her shoes off because of the blister that is covering the bottom of her foot. 

Each year, some crew members end up in the hospital because they forget to take care of themselves. We had to make sure we didn't!! Mary injured herself in a bad fall 2 days before but we took care of it when we had a few seconds.

A fun part of the race was to adopt racers that were going by. You see the same racers over and over again and it becomes fun for them and something they can look forward to.

So here we were, at the bottom of the last climb to mtn Whitney. A few hours to go and it was all over! we were able to walk down a little bit and be beside her as she crossed the finish line. 31 hours and 12 minutes. She finished 4 th female, 14th overall and is now the fastest UK person to ever finish Bad Water. The finish line was the best! No big crowds, just the race director, his staff, the support crew and a few others that just happened to be there. It was not for fame that this racers put their bodies through such pain, it was for their own victory. 

After talking to some of the racers, they said it was not the most beautiful run they've ever done and by far not the most fun but it was the hardest. The course is there to punish you. It is something they needed to cross off their list. One of them said "It is a race that starts below the sea, goes to hell and slowly makes you go to heaven as you cross the finish line, I will never do this again but ask me again tomorrow, you never know!" 

This was an amazing experience that I found very hard to explain since we did the same thing over and over again for 31 hours. There was just a crazy vibe on the course. It is one of those things that you can say " you had to be there to understand" 

At the end of the day, it is not always about ourselves crossing the finish line. It feels just as good to be a part of someone's success of crossing that finish line. I truly hope everyone gets to experience being support for someone in a race one day. It is a great way to be part of a race when you are, for some reason, not able to be the racer. Thank you for a great opportunity Sharon. I learned a lot and hope to see you again one day! You have inspired me in many different ways.

If you have one true friend...

"If you have one true friend you have more than your share" - Thomas Fuller

A few months ago a friend of mine who had already overcome cancer and rode across Canada to raise money (almost a quarter of a million dollars) for the Childhood Cancer Foundation let me know his cancer was back and it was aggressive. As we are friends, it was a given that he had a great attitude about the whole process, and had faith in his abilities to win a second battle with cancer. As his friend, I told him I'd ride from Edmonton to Calgary in 1 day as a charity ride so he could pay his medical bills and groceries while neither he nor his wife were working.

The route I was approved for is a largely inconvenient 360km along secondary highways. In 10 days I take those 360kms on rain or shine, feeling great or feeling terrible.

Like any great fitness destination, and like any worthwhile undertaking in business or any other discipline, there are moments of self doubt, and times when you'd honestly rather not (like last weekend when I missed a wedding and a teambuilder because I was putting 9 hours in on my bike for training).

There are these struggles, and there is extra pressure on my wife and I regarding watching our son and dividing our time I've had to compromise while still managing time together so we still feed our relationship.

And then there are my friends - as Tim has myself riding for him and one of our training coaches Willie Williams shaving his famous dreadlocks for him (plus Kaitlyn, Anna, and Dale taking their time to drive and support the ride).

"A true friend is there for you when he'd rather be anywhere else" - Len Wein

My friends Chad & Sylvia Nunweiler are expecting their second child and his professional future is in limbo pending whether or not his employer is bought by foreign investors... yet they felt connected enough and are good enough friends to disadvantage themselves for someone else they've never met because they are friends to me, and donate to the cause.

Matt Young is flying out (at his expense) to ride Edmonton to Calgary with me on 1 good knee because he is a great friend and knows at hour 11 (and 12,13,14, etc) I might appreciate someone to draft behind and encourage me.

Other friends have understood that during summer, I won't be camping, parting with or possibly even seeing them for months while I take on something that requires a very high level of focus and discipline.

This ride that started out as going over and above I know realize is my duty - I have more blessing in my life than most people in the world, and as such I have an absolute obligation to give back.

Because to end on one final quote on friendship...
"In order to have friends, you must first be one" - Elbert Hubbard

Determination

Determination..
Written by Innovative Fitness Coach Jeff Iwanaka.


Here is a story about a lady who kept her dream alive by her determination, strength and courage. Understand that to achieve anything requires faith and belief in yourself, vision, hard work, determination, and dedication. Remember all things are possible for those who believe. Ardath is a lady who just had that quality in her. She believed in herself that anything is possible with determination. In the beginning of 2009 I challenged Ardath to ride her bike from Seattle to Portland. Without much hesitation or resistance she started her 6 month journey. This was one of the first challenges in life where she felt totally out of her comfort zone. In life Ardath was a leader, leading others; but in this instance she was being lead, something Ardath is not used to. Biking was relatively new for Ardath so along the way she had many falls. After each fall, she got back on her bike without looking back or getting discouraged. Not only did this make her stronger….it made her more determined. She practiced more and more over the months and knew that with practice she will only get better, something few people do after many failed attempts. Well she became better and better as the weeks went on. She was more determined than ever, came out for the weekly rides with a positive attitude and surrounded herself with the right people who believed in her. Mentally at this point she was stronger than ever, had the trust of the Innovative Fitness team, her weekly riding group and her family that she was going to cross the finish line.

Day 1 fast approaches and she has her eyes set to get through the day. 170+km’s down and mission accomplished. Rest, eat, celebrate, sleep, wake up, eat and back on the bikes ready to attack day 2. Morning arises and the weather is cold, gloomy and wet. Within minutes into the ride the unexpected happens. Lightening, thunder, hail and wind all happening at once. We were caught in a storm. Lightening is one of her biggest fears as well she was very uncomfortable riding in the rain. This is where her strength, committment and determination kicked it. This was the day she was going to battle her fear and close this chapter.

At 3:30pm Ardath crossed the finish line in Portland and celebrated “Victory”. In life, far too often we are scared to step out of our comfort zone and take a risk in challenging themselves. STP was a prime example of Ardath stepping out of her comfort zone in more than just one way. Congratulations Ardath!

Beyond The Physical

I have to admit that I care a great deal about my physical health. How I feel and how I look is so important that like most people, I will do almost anything to take good care of my body. I exercise at least five times a week, I eat healthy, I get plenty of rest and I take other necessary precautions to avoid disease and illness. The physical body has significance to me also because I work in the health and fitness industry helping others take care of their physical. We only get one body in our lifetime so it makes sense to take care of it so that we can be functionally feeling good.

While many of us are spending much time on our physical looks by working out, eating right, getting facials and sometimes even reconstructive surgery we often overlook what it takes to make a healthy mind and soul. We hear so much about the connection between body, mind and soul yet most people don’t spend nearly as much time building their mind or soul as they do on their body. Thinking about it, I am one who probably does not put much effort to grow my inner being. For some reason I seem to get caught up in the happenings of the physical world. While I do believe that a healthy physical can lead to a healthier mind and soul I am also trying to take a more active approach in cultivating my inner being. Below is a short story I read a while ago that made me think more about the soul. I share it with you in hopes it will do the same for you. Enjoy.

”Be careless in your dress if you must, but keep a tidy soul.” – Mark Twain

There was a rich merchant who had 4 wives. He loved the 4th wife the most and adorned her with rich robes and treated her to delicacies. He took great care of her and gave her nothing but the best. He also loved the 3rd wife very much. He's very proud of her and always wanted to show her off to his friends. However, the merchant is always in great fear that she might run away with some other men. He too, loved his 2nd wife. She is a very considerate person, always patient and in fact is the merchant's confidante. Whenever the merchant faced some problems, he always turned to his 2nd wife and she would always help him out and tide him through difficult times. Now, the merchant's 1st wife is a very loyal partner and has made great contributions in maintaining his wealth and business as well as taking care of the household. However, the merchant did not love the first wife and although she loved him deeply, he hardly took notice of her.

One day, the merchant fell ill. Before long, he knew that he was going to die soon. He thought of his luxurious life and told himself, "I have 4 wives with me. But when I die, I'll be alone. How lonely I'll be!" Thus, he asked the 4th wife, "I loved you most, endowed you with the finest clothing and showered great care over you. Now that I'm dying, will you follow me and keep me company?" "No way!" replied the 4th wife and she walked away without another word.

The answer cut like a sharp knife right into the merchant's heart. The sad merchant then asked the 3rd wife, "I have loved you so much for all my life. Now that I'm dying, will you follow me and keep me company?" "No!" replied the 3rd wife. "Life is so good over here! I'm going to remarry when you die!" The merchant's heart sank and turned cold.

He then asked the 2nd wife, "I always turned to you for help and you've always helped me out. Now I need your help again. When I die, will you follow me and keep me company?" "I'm sorry, I can't help you out this time!" replied the 2nd wife. "At the very most, I can only go as far as your grave." The answer came like a bolt of thunder and the merchant was devastated.

Then a voice called out: "I'll leave with you. I'll follow you no matter where you go." The merchant looked up and there was his first wife. She was so skinny, almost like she suffered from malnutrition. Greatly grieved, the merchant said, "I should have taken much better care of you while I could have!"

For many of us, our lives are not that different than that of the merchants. We tend to neglect the one who will go with us no matter where it is we go even when we die. In this story, the 4th wife is our body. No matter how much time and effort we lavish in making it look good, it'll leave us when we die. The 3rd wife is our possessions, status and wealth. When we die, they all go to others. The 2nd wife is our family and friends. No matter how close they had been there for us when we're alive, the furthest they can stay by us is up to the grave. The 1st wife is in fact our soul, often neglected in our pursuit of material, wealth and sensual pleasure. And it is the only thing that follows us wherever we go. Perhaps it's a good idea to cultivate and strengthen it now rather than to wait until we're on our deathbed to lament.

Listening

If you are looking for one area of focus that will make an immediate positive impact on your life; learn how to listen. Listening is the most important aspect in effective communication, and as we all know, communication is what makes life function. Yes, listening is more important than action because without knowing exactly what we are acting upon we are wasting time.

Studies show that we retain about 25 to 50% of what we hear, meaning that 50 to 75% of what is said to us goes to waste. Put this into productivity measures and we are acting upon 50% of what we are capable of at best. Now imagine if we were able to be at least 50% more productive during our day how much simpler our lives would be. The numbers always provide a clearer reality, and our reality dictates that we are half as talented as we can be simply because we don’t invest in a learned skill.

Listening is more than hearing the words that are being sent to you, it involves deciphering the message that is being sent as well. Within the message is the meaning of what is being told. It is the story consisting of many useless words and innuendo of which we must learn to make sense of so we can create proper action. In many ways an effective listener must also be able to crack code. In order to crack code we must be willing to speak less and take in more.

Our ability to listen correctly is primarily disrupted because we are thinking of what to say next instead of taking in information. Our ego has the desire to debate when our brain is trying to comprehend. This battle between the ears causes a distraction so large that we miss whole segments of information so that we can get our response out before we lose the idea.

This is not just an external exercise because we don’t listen to ourselves either. Our internal dialogue is disrupted the same way. Our bodies send us messages all the time and we spend countless amounts of effort negating what we are saying to ourselves. Again, our ego is the main culprit in our neglect. That twinge we feel when push ourselves physically is our bodies way of communicating to us, so to ignore it or put it into the 25 percentile is actually detrimental to our ability to succeed. The voice within saying that this might not be the best idea is our bodies way of saying caution is needed, yet we ignore it only to feel regret later for doing something we knew we shouldn’t have.

Our positive impact in this world is directly related to action, but it is action through attentiveness. The time we spend out of exercise from injury because we did not listen to our bodies is no different than the time we spend redoing something because we did not pay enough attention the first time. In either instance we are the cause of our own ineffectiveness. You can enhance your life today by making the internal and external decision to talk less, ask more questions, and understand the meaning before acting. Essentially slow down and comprehend before you act, 50% of your productivity is dependant on it.

Enjoy Every Step

One thing about success is that you can't get there without goals.
Goals, both in the visualization of their achievement, and the vision of what your like will look like in their pursuit, can drive you.

Ordering your life in alignment to achieve these goals, ensuring your actions are consistent with the attainment of them, is a key facet in success. You don't hang out in bars every weekend if your goal is to meet marriage material, and you don't smoke if you hope to be in the Olympic games.

While working towards goals brings a sense of purpose, and while hard work can be it's own reward - it is important to be motivated both by the process of goal setting and acheivement; not just the attainment of what you set out.

Many people can lose focus of their life's pursuit and chase a larger paycheck rather than job satisfaction and passion - it is very common to accept a promotion for a job you don't even want (even if it takes you away from a position you love) simply because it pays more in the short term. The adage of success equally passion PLUS skillset and attitude may not prove true right away, but that doesn't mean it is any less true.

Speaking with a multi-millionaire just last week, I was informed that he was the happiest 20 years ago when he had no money but tons of purpose and challenges to look forward to every day.

It really speaks to finding purpose in our lives, and serves as a reminder to all that it's not just what we acheive... it's the way we live our lives and how we treat each other that gives us meaning (not that we don't have to work our butts off along the way, however!)

BE stronger than your fear.

This is not a long story but I wanted to share because I think too many people let their fear control their life.

Yesterday I had the chance to take someone up the Grouse Grind for the first time. Andrea, has been living in Vancouver  for about 14 years and has never hiked up there before. She heard lots about it, took the gondola up a few times but was always afraid of hiking it. "Might be too hard, might not finish it, what if I can't catch my breath".... She finally decided that enough was enough and it was time to face her fear. We set up a date for it, July 6th was going to be our Grind day! No rain or anything else was going to get in our way.

Our goal was not to race up but enjoy ourselves and finish it in one piece. Really, all you need to do when it's your first time doing something outside your comfort zone is that, enjoy it! No need to add stress in the event! We started nice and slow and had a few good laughs along the way with other hikers. Everyone talks about the 1/4, 1/2 and 3/4 mark and try to describe them along the way. Funny how they are playing with their own mind. Andrea was looking strong and we were controlling her heart rate like a U.S border officer on the job!!! Things were good.

We were about 15minutes from the top and music was going to help for the final push. She put the ipod on and went for it. Next thing you know, we were done!! She had overcome something that she never thought she could do. 

Thanks Andrea for letting me be part of this hike with you.

BE STRONGER THAN YOUR FEAR, go do something you are scared of, You might find out how easy it actually is and how great of a feeling it gives you.

I'm proud of you Andrea :)

Save your life..

Gastro-intestinal bypass surgery. The Atkins Diet. The Zone Diet. The South Beach Diet. The Cabbage Soup Diet. The Jenni Craig Diet. Liposuction.

Obesity is as American as apple pie. (Alamode, of course!)

It's been said that 2/3rds of Americans are overweight. The truth of the matter, of course, is that we're not overweight. One cannot be overweight…you weigh what you weigh, whether it's over or under someone else's ideals.

But if we're not overweight then, what are we?

We are, quite simply, fat…

America is full of fat people. Land of the Free (free to shove anything in our mouths) and Home of the Brave (brave enough to keep doing it). There's a serious downslide taking place in contemporary America---a nation swamped by data and worthless video images, with sales pitches and deceitful political ads. The economy is also heading south (not that that is news). But none of the nationwide troubles can compare to our individual health, or lack thereof. We are a land full of people with little regard for their personal well-being, seemingly stuck with low levels of self-esteem and self-respect. And how can we earn one another's respect if we don't even respect our own selves---our bodies---the only thing we'll possess from birth to death?

Though you'd think we’d be used to it by now I still gaze in utter disbelief at those who walk from their oversized cars to their oversized Mondo-Marts, filling their oversized carts with oversized containers of crap. And crap it is! I truly believe if people ate as they were designed to they'd never get this fat. If people ate as though their life depended on it – they’d stop eating just because they can.

Yes, many have emotional problems attached to the eating (to which I say please get help for that – you can not do it on your own). But many just eat because it tastes good and they are greedy.. It’s the greedy ones this blog post is geared towards.

So the save your life diet.. Here's how it works…

1) You exercise. A lot. Naturally, a lot, when you've been doing none whatsoever, might be very little. All the same, you need to at least attempt to work up a sweat. Sweat, after all, is a good indicator of work, just as panting is. Start panting and drop a pant size! Of course, in order to exercise, you must "find the time". But this is the thing: the time is there, all right. And if it isn't, your time will run out that much sooner.

2) When you're hungry, you eat. But! There's a catch! You're only allowed to ingest real food. "Real food" is food that was recently ALIVE and was available only to our caveman brethren: vegetables, meats, eggs, fish, fruit, nuts, seeds and chocolate chip cookie dough ice cream. I kid about that last one, of course.

3) When you're not hungry - get this - you DON'T eat. Hunger is a signal that you should probably eat. Appetite, on the other hand, is not..Requiring and desiring calories are two distinctly different things. Develop an understanding on the difference between the two and recognize when you require food, not when you desire it. By the way, you NEVER require chocolate chip cookie dough ice cream.

4) You are to drink lots of water, and only water. Frappuccinos, soda pops, smoothies, shakes, teas, alcohol, juices and other liquids should not replace your daily water requirements. Your body is nearly 2/3rds water and you need to maintain this balance.

There it is… Four straightforward points that may SAVE YOUR LIFE. And if it doesn't it's probably because you waited too long to start..

Sharing

I just finished a 6 hour drive with my wife and five month old daughter to spend the weekend at my in-laws. The trip is actually much longer when you consider the 3am wake up and pack to leave at 4. As I drove through California, I had a moment where everyone was asleep and there were no cars on the road, there was actually silence, and I realized two things; 1) I was only half way to my destination (halfway closer to my finish for those of you who did not get up at 3am), and 2) why are we doing this when we just have to turn around and do the trip again 48 hours later.

The pity party lasted about five minutes and then I gave into the silence and my thoughts. It came to me that this trip as much about life as anything I will ever do because it is about sharing. In this case we are sharing the 4th of July with our Southern California family, sharing our daughter with her extended family that she does not get to see very often, and giving my wife the chance to spend time with her immediate family whom she adores.

As my thoughts went on, I began to think about all that must be shared in order to be appreciated and to give appreciation. In success we need to share excellence, to love we must share our heart, to withstand failure we must share our fears, and trust requires that we share our ego.

Sharing is the piece of life that allows fulfillment from birth to death. We have the ability to experience many things solo, but there is no meaning attached to it when we don’t have someone else to benefit from our experience. The common bond in sharing is that no matter how old you are, it is difficult to do. For children it means watching someone enjoy something that is rightfully yours, and for adults is means exposing yourself for who you really are and hope that acceptance is waiting at the other end. In either age bracket there is a nervousness associated with the opportunity to share that highlights our insecurities and plays into our fears.

When we allow ourselves to overcome us, we give others a pathway into who we really are. This is a great opening because we all have amazing stories to bless onto others as well as learn from those around us. If we allow ourselves to believe that life is as much about learning as it is about teaching, then we open ourselves to the idea of sharing and all the power that comes with this transparency.

Without anyone knowing who we are and how we got here, does it really matter? If we deny others the right to share with us, do we really matter? Our life’s fulfillment lies in our ability to share our toys, thoughts, heart, and selves with those around us, as well as giving others the chance to return the blessing. In doing so, our impact can be felt beyond what we see in the mirror and extended onto those who we both teach and are taught by.

Oliver 1/2 ironman. We knew you could....

This past June, we had a very succesful event up in Oliver competing or supporting the Half Iron Man. I would like to share one particular story of Val Samson from West Van, who challenged herself in January to take on this epic event, overcoming adversity by learning how to swim and finally celebrating the victory with her completing her first Half Iron Man. 

Her story below is one of true dedication, determination and overall inspirational to all of us.

Kate Perry 

Hi All, 

As you know, I have been training for the Oliver Half Ironman and, although I took swimming lessons and spent a lot of time in the water, I just haven’t been able to get over my fear (yet). Two weeks before the race I went to Oliver for training with the Innovative Fitness (IF) group. The ride was beautiful and I really wanted to do it again on race day, but the swim was a catastrophe. I was so afraid, I was disoriented in the open water and I just knew I wasn’t going to be able to make it 2,000 metres in open water. I made the decision that I wasn’t ready. I really wanted to do that ride though….so I kept it in the back of mind to keep considering. Then a couple days after the Oliver training, vertigo set in. It’s scary to not have your balance, especially is you are going into open water, or riding a bike. That made it difficult to get out on my bike or into the pool for any further training, or worse, open water. 

To be honest, it didn’t bother me when I decided I wasn’t ready for Oliver like it would many others. I felt so good about my training and the people I met and learned to know better, that was reward enough. However, it seemed others did not feel the same. I soon started to receive phone calls and e-mails in support, encouragement and, well, STRONGLY suggesting that I couldn’t just give up, I had to at least try. When I told my sister Bonny that I wasn’t going to try the race, she surprised me by saying “Why not?” I thought she would say something like, “It’s OK, you’ll know when you are ready.” I started to realize that I was talking myself out of it, when I should have been talking myself into it. By Thursday before race weekend, I received a call from Justine (the manager at IF) and, along with everyone else’s support, she had me seriously thinking that I should at least give this a shot. I realized that I had been spending more time rationalizing why I shouldn’t do it, than why I should. I also realized how many people would be disappointed that I didn’t at least give it a shot. I later learned (after the race) that because I made the decision to do it (technically I didn’t mentally decide until Saturday night), another gal that had been training but was going to pull out decided to do it as well. She did do it and crossed the finish line beaming!! I’m so happy for her. 

Going back to when I decided not to compete, I still wanted to go to Oliver and support all those that would be competing in our group. I wanted to give each of them a hug of encouragement before the race and see their big smiles as they crossed that finish line. (Instead, they did this for me.) So I lucked out and was able to get a camp site reserved at the Lakeside Resort, right beside the race start. Very lucky as I am sure it was sold out – I just happened to call after they just had a cancellation. Hmmmm, that may have been a sign? Anyway, my sisters and I drove up Saturday morning and arrived at around 11am. The one thing that would stop me from at least trying the swim was the wind. The lake we would swim in is very small and when the wind kicks up, as it seems to do in Oliver, the lake can get very rough. Well, Saturday this was the case. The wind was so strong that we had to tie extra ropes to our tent so that it would not collapse. The tents around us were literally flattened to the ground, and the water was churning. Not a good sign. 

After setting up camp, we met the group for a big pasta enriched lunch at a winery in Osoyoos. We ate outside, the view was beautiful, but I had a hard time concentrating on anything but what was to come the next morning. There I was met with yet more people who would encourage me to give this a try. So much support and enthusiasm, how could I not? I was told that the forecast was for calm winds by Sunday morning and, sure enough, by the time we were finished our dinner, the wind had subsided and by the time the campsite went to bed at 9:30pm, it was calm. I think most everyone camping that weekend was either in the race or there to support, so we all had the same idea to get a good nights rest. That was not to be for me. I laid awake the entire night. This is typical for me before any event, so I wasn’t upset about it, I just used the time to visualize and think about how I would make this happen. In the morning I methodically went thru pre race rituals and preparation. Double checking my gear, ensuring I kept focused and positive. 

I made my way to the transition area where I would see several people in our group. All so happy that I was there and decided to give this a try. I buddied up with Deb, another competitor who is plagued by knee and shoulder injuries, but was still going to do the race. That made me think that all I was having to do was get over the fear, I wouldn’t have to deal with injury (or so I thought). We made our way down to the water and at some point I lost sight of Deb. I did meet up with several others in the group who took the time to seek me out and provide last words of encouragement, a quick hug and a big smile saying “have fun!”. What more could I ask for? I wasn’t nervous, I was doubtful. I had told myself I’ll give this my best and if that isn’t enough, then I pull out. 

The first heat started with all the young guys (the blue capped swimmers). Our group was next, all women under 50. I thought I was in the back of the bunch but when we got going people started swimming over me. That didn’t last long and after the initial rush we thinned out and I was able to get some room to myself. I set a course and realized that the only stroke that I was comfortable with was the side stroke. However, I’m way stronger on my right side and that meant I was facing away from the course boeys. I kept going off course and by the time I reached 700 metres I was doubting my ability to do it. I put my hand up for assistance and swam to the closest kayak. You are allowed to hang on, you just can’t move forward. So I grabbed on and told him I didn’t think I could do this. He asked me what the problem was and I said that I was afraid, and that I’m not a swimmer. In my head I was saying that I had no right to be there. I kept trying to shove that thought out, but out in the middle of the lake, it was difficult. He simply said “You’re hear though, right?” He told me we had two options: I could hang on and think about for a minute, or he could call the lifeguard over and they would pull me out. Just the thought of having assistance getting out made me realize I couldn’t just give up. I told him I would get around that first corner boey (the course was a triangle, so we had two corners) and then I would see how it goes. He ended up following me along the course the whole way, taking breaks to watch others from time to time, but always catching up with me. The rest of the swim was a mix of trying to think about good things, and trying to talk myself into taking one more stroke. Because I was doing the side stroke on only one side, my neck started to ache and I knew that I was blowing my legs up using a tonne of energy I should have been saving for the ride and run. I tried the back stroke, but became so disoriented that at one point I was actually going in the opposite direction. So side stroke it was and I finally made it to dry land. I tried to stand up but the vertigo was enormous. I staggered as though I had just drunk two bottles of wine, but eventually made it to the suit stripping area. Thanks to that gal that was so patient with me and managed to get my suit off! There was quite a run from the swim to transition in bare feet but to be honest, I didn’t even notice it. I was so happy to be out of that water and looking forward to the ride. 

The ride was great, albeit windy, but I really enjoyed it. Transition from bike to run has got to be the hardest part of the race (not counting the actual swim). Getting your legs to move is very difficult (liken it to that feeling after a good hard snow shoe trek or getting off a horse). By the time I hit the 1km mark I would feel the effects of doing the side stroke for 2,000 metres. My back went into spasm and would not let up. I stopped and stretched, walked, jogged a bit, stopped and stretched. This went on for 6 km. Then the Advil that I took at transition kicked in and thankfully I was able to get into a consistent, slow lope, favouring my back. I wouldn’t really even call it a jog because I was trying not to move my torso or my back would spasm. Somehow my body worked itself out and I pushed on. When I had 6kms left I met up with two other runners. I knew one of them from IF, Matt. He trained there from time to time, but we hadn’t really talked much. The three of us stayed together and talked our way to the finish line encouraging each other and those we knew along the way. I was so grateful for having them with me. It helped to push me to finish strong and it was a welcome distraction to all of the thoughts that would have been running in my head at the end of such a tough race. 

It felt good to finish. Everyone was there to congratulate us on achieving this huge milestone. After the race I made a pact with myself that I needed to conquer my fear of swimming, not unlike how I have overcome the fear of going fast downhill on my bike, or running hard up a steep hill to the point where you think your heart will explode. 

Thanks to all of you for your generous support, either telling me to “go for it” or to take the time I needed to get comfortable with it. Either way you supported me, and it is wonderful to know you care. Thanks to my sisters for being there to support, and to drive me home!! Thanks to the coaches and clients with Innovative who wouldn’t give up on me. The phone calls and e-mails (right to the race start!), the smiles and hugs and strength you shared with me. I hope that I can provide the same encouragement and support for you at some point. 

Hugs, 
Val 

Our Home Is A Gift To All of Us

Having just returned from a Canada Day pancake brunch in our neighborhood, it was refreshing to see what Canada means to many of our nation's citizens.

True, there were a few people out there who will wake and rest today with little thought to what it means to be Canadian, but there were also;

- babies, toddlers, kids, parents, and grandparents wearing red, or even adorned with "I love Canada" clothing.
- veterans there who fought for our Independence there to appreciate the happiness and freedom enjoyed by their descendants
- communities brought together by the notion that we are connected not just by geography, but by ideals and principals
- a feeling that this is what society is supposed to look like and feel like - it's not about everybody for themselves; but there is acceptance, the appreciation of differences, and the freedom to pursue your dreams and sleep safely in one of the most beautiful places on Earth.

Happy 142nd Canada - thank you to all of you whose sacrifices have helped shape what many of us have only to cross the street to find; and may all of us alive to experience what Canada has to offer today appreciate her beauty and not take her for granted.

Whether you wear red, recycle, pick up some litter, or become part of a block watch today - do something to appreciate how lucky we all are to live where we do when we do... we are all extremely blessed!