After a great night celebrating my brother-in-laws 50 I was a bit slow to rise this morning but did get to the pool. After the swim I headed off to the GM Headquarters to see my "friends for life" (FFL). This is the bike rally I have participated in the last three years in support of the Toronto People with Aids Foundation. Its a six day, 600K+, ride from Toronto to Montreal. The longest day is 126K and the shortest is 50K. I did not anticipate how much I would miss this event however for many reasons it is good the universe told me it was a no go this year.
This event really spurred me to become more involved in fundraising and making an effort, although small, to help others where I could. I have realized that putting yourself on the spot to raise funds for a personal cause is much tougher than participating in an organized event. In today's world it seems people are more willing to give to organized events than to non-organized events for trust reasons. I'm also not that great at marketing myself as one needs to be to do this type of thing. It has been tough but every cent earned for Gate 3:16 will help someone in Oshawa.
Besides bringing out my "helping" personality trait the FFL has taught me how important sport is to bring the world together. It just seems appropriate the FFL are riding the week of the Olympics. The Olympics, I think, is about bringing together a diverse group of cultures and allowing them to become friends with people who may not traditionally hang out. We learn that all people are the same no matter what their beliefs, gender or orientation is. We have similar goals, feelings and pain and sport seems to bring this out better than anything else that we humans participate in. The greatest gift the FFL has given me is this is the ability to see beyond common prejudices and see all people are the same.
Here's hoping it is a week of no rain, cooler days and cooler nights but most off all the tail winds push you all along in the 14th annual Friends for Life Bike Rally.
God Speed Peter, Rodney, Marc, George, Bill, Victor, Sass, Mag, Barry, Dan, Glen, Bruce and all my other friends. Be safe, have fun and hopefully the universe will allow us all to ride together again in 2013.
A thought for my fellow Durham Regional Triathletes. How much good could we do if we join our efforts and use our love for sport to help others?
Remember your heart will love you even more if you feed it right and give it a bit of exercise each day.
Liz
Sunday, July 29, 2012
Friday, July 27, 2012
We are lucky #2
A very short post. My last post about heart mentioned my recent experience with heart health and the heart of my family and church. I'm happy to say Barry is home and on his way to a healthier heart.
When I was with my chiropractor on Monday he expressed our health system to a tee. Our health care system is fantastic when it comes to emergencies but not so great around prevention. There is talk about funding more programs around heart and diabetes education but its only as good as the patient caring enough to go to their family Dr. to seek the information or get their physical. Barry and I are very lucky to have a family doctor. The province is trying to push more graduates to go into a family practice versus a specialty to help solve this. Nothing is perfect but I'm happy for our health care program no matter its short comings. This experience just made me realize again how lucky we are in Canada.
If I could wave my magic wand the only thing I would have changed is the ability to have the angioplasty procedure happen closer to Oshawa or in Oshawa but Toronto General took very good care of us.
The key to heart health is diet and exercise. Two simple changes like removing a high cholesterol food and walking 30 minutes a day could make all the difference in your heart.
Liz
When I was with my chiropractor on Monday he expressed our health system to a tee. Our health care system is fantastic when it comes to emergencies but not so great around prevention. There is talk about funding more programs around heart and diabetes education but its only as good as the patient caring enough to go to their family Dr. to seek the information or get their physical. Barry and I are very lucky to have a family doctor. The province is trying to push more graduates to go into a family practice versus a specialty to help solve this. Nothing is perfect but I'm happy for our health care program no matter its short comings. This experience just made me realize again how lucky we are in Canada.
If I could wave my magic wand the only thing I would have changed is the ability to have the angioplasty procedure happen closer to Oshawa or in Oshawa but Toronto General took very good care of us.
The key to heart health is diet and exercise. Two simple changes like removing a high cholesterol food and walking 30 minutes a day could make all the difference in your heart.
Liz
Monday, July 23, 2012
Heart
My adventure for this week sure isn't what I thought it would be. Last Wednesday (July 18) I started the day right with the 5:30 swim class and followed it up later in the day with a 2200+ swim at Donevan pool. Work was crazy so I did not make it up to the lake and I'm so happy it happened this way.
The adventure started as I was coming home and turned the street to see an ambulance down at the end of our street. I was hoping it was in front of our neighbours but I knew it was in front of our house. My husband was being rushed off to hospital with a heart attack. It was a big one and they sent him into Toronto for angioplasty and finally made it back to our home hospital today. He'll be in for a little bit but I'm so lucky that he was smart enough to call the ambulance.
When I first met Barry he was the one always going to the gym and I was the one who did nothing. He introduced me to the gym while in Almonte but when we moved in together I took it up more seriously. Or maybe some would say I have become half crazy for it. Your full crazy when you get the gumption up to sign up for a full Ironman. Although this crazy training schedule of triathlon does get a bit tedious for him he'll be the first to admit its his fault for getting me into fitness. He will also be the first to admit that in recent years he has been lax going to the gym and watching his diet. It was only Monday that his family physician put the fear in him to change and look what happened two days later. If Barry did not call the ambulance I dread to think what I would have come home to. So please take care of your heart health. Do it for yourself and do it for your family. I'll be honest its tough trying to train, work and go to the hospital but I'd much rather that then the alternative. You don't have to go crazy like us triathletes just get out and walk and most of all watch what food you are consuming.
A situation like this brings out the heart in all our friends. I have had countless offers to help from my triathlon friends and thankful for each and everyone of those offers. What I really needed though was a big cry. I'm sure you all know how you want to be strong for others but sometimes its good to let it go. I took time out and went to church on Sunday. I really love my church. Our minister is around my age (so not old) and provides insightful fun sermons every Sunday. .You never know from week to week what cartoon might show up on the screen and occasionally a prop might show up to. It is by no means what you might remember attending as a child. When I walked in my dear friend Diane gave me a hug. Diane so reminds me of my Mom that when I see her its like the Mom blanket is wrapped around me. Then many of the ladies came up to make sure I was fine and again ask what could they do. When I moved here I did not know anyone but Barry's family and friends but now between triathlon and church I know there are people out there to help if help is needed. Being part of this community gives us the compassion and connections that so many of us need. (yep, stole that from Larry, Minister for Faith United).
Thank you for being there this week. And if we need help we might just take you up on your offer.
Liz
The adventure started as I was coming home and turned the street to see an ambulance down at the end of our street. I was hoping it was in front of our neighbours but I knew it was in front of our house. My husband was being rushed off to hospital with a heart attack. It was a big one and they sent him into Toronto for angioplasty and finally made it back to our home hospital today. He'll be in for a little bit but I'm so lucky that he was smart enough to call the ambulance.
When I first met Barry he was the one always going to the gym and I was the one who did nothing. He introduced me to the gym while in Almonte but when we moved in together I took it up more seriously. Or maybe some would say I have become half crazy for it. Your full crazy when you get the gumption up to sign up for a full Ironman. Although this crazy training schedule of triathlon does get a bit tedious for him he'll be the first to admit its his fault for getting me into fitness. He will also be the first to admit that in recent years he has been lax going to the gym and watching his diet. It was only Monday that his family physician put the fear in him to change and look what happened two days later. If Barry did not call the ambulance I dread to think what I would have come home to. So please take care of your heart health. Do it for yourself and do it for your family. I'll be honest its tough trying to train, work and go to the hospital but I'd much rather that then the alternative. You don't have to go crazy like us triathletes just get out and walk and most of all watch what food you are consuming.
A situation like this brings out the heart in all our friends. I have had countless offers to help from my triathlon friends and thankful for each and everyone of those offers. What I really needed though was a big cry. I'm sure you all know how you want to be strong for others but sometimes its good to let it go. I took time out and went to church on Sunday. I really love my church. Our minister is around my age (so not old) and provides insightful fun sermons every Sunday. .You never know from week to week what cartoon might show up on the screen and occasionally a prop might show up to. It is by no means what you might remember attending as a child. When I walked in my dear friend Diane gave me a hug. Diane so reminds me of my Mom that when I see her its like the Mom blanket is wrapped around me. Then many of the ladies came up to make sure I was fine and again ask what could they do. When I moved here I did not know anyone but Barry's family and friends but now between triathlon and church I know there are people out there to help if help is needed. Being part of this community gives us the compassion and connections that so many of us need. (yep, stole that from Larry, Minister for Faith United).
Thank you for being there this week. And if we need help we might just take you up on your offer.
Liz
Monday, July 16, 2012
A bit of everything
Wow hard to believe my last post was Canada Day Weekend. As the main event comes closer the training schedule gets more intense. July schedule has 711K of biking, 22K of swimming, 4 hours of swim class, 119K of running, 4 sessions of weights and 4 sessions of yoga. That teeter totter of balancing everything is weighting a bit more on one side versus the other and the blog writing seems to have suffered. As part of the July training schedule I decided another Ironmotivation training camp was beneficial which took me past my home town and into my ancestors' backyard of Mont Tremblant.
Mont Tremblant has wicked hills for the bike but the run was relatively flat and as we joke often so was the water. Lets start with the swim as I wanted to share the success of this swim and July 4th swims. The swim class is Wednesday morning so I was up and out the door before 5am to ensure I was at the Whitby rec in plenty of time for Coach Paul's 5:30am swim class on the 4th. Afterwards Coach Paul and I had a swim lesson. During this lesson it was pointed out that my pull on the left side was only half what it should be. My arm was not taking a full stroke rather I was finishing the pull around my hip instead of extending the arm completely before bringing it out of the water. The key to making yourself faster is technique not more effort. In my case just ensuring my shoulders and hands were relaxed, taking a full pull and having my hands in the right position reduced by 2000M swim down by 5 minutes. A huge improvement with little physical effort but lots of mental effort. Two swims completed and one more to go on the 4th. Wednesday nights the DRTC swims out of either Holmes Point or Jackson Points and this week we were at Holmes Point. The water was very choppy and I don't recall swimming in anything this choppy before. As I swam up a wave it would come down and I would crash against the water. I did my distance Paul asked for this night but more important I did not have that panic attack and did not head to shore. Last year I might not have even ventured out into the lake. This brings me back to yesterday (July 15th). Coach Paul rented a party boat to drive the nine of us out to the middle of the lake and swim a bit of the practice course for the Ironman and Ironman 70.3 swim. I put on the wet suit, climbed down the ladder, calmed myself down and off I went to swim. My focus was to stay calm, fell comfortable, work on my stroke and just enjoy myself. I even floated on my back, to test drive this, and felt very comfortable looking at the sky. I think 2012 will be the year that I remember the most success in swimming not for speed but for overcoming the fear of it.
The swim happened in Tremblant on Sunday which leads nicely into the run which happened before the swim. Due to the heat we started at 6am both days to keep ourselves out of the worst heat. Everyone at the camp was scheduled for a 21K run except me. Last week I completed a 14K and the week after I need to complete a 16K thus my intent was to run around 15K as long as the body held up. I think I have written before about the nagging calf issues. Dr. Jason started Active Release Therapy about three weeks ago and I have had two successful runs with limited pain. Although not pain free it sure is better. Coach Paul and I agreed on the 16K distance and off I went. As always the pain was there when I started but after 10 minutes or so everything loosened up. I don't have a GPS watch thus was going on time and kept running. Before I knew it I was told I was only 400m from the first turn around. OOPS I went to far. I turned around retraced my steps but went up the dog leg (a section to add a Klm onto the run to reach the 21.1K loop distance) and yet again I was told you are almost done so I turned around early and headed back to the parking lot. I estimate the distance was between 18 to 20K. A fellow triathlete told me I would have done the 21K but I still question it as the time just seemed too good but the calves were feeling good and I was running so it is possible. A run with limited pain is success. I dread running due to the pain but thinking 2012 might be the year of less painful running.
Lastly the bike was the Saturday. The route had constant hills but I made it up everyone of them and of course down everyone :-) I'm currently riding a road bike versus a triathlon bike. One of the differences is I have drop bars (the curvy ones like the old 10 speeds) versus triathlon bars (two bars in front and you lean on these in an aero position). Last year I started to use the drop bars and now I use them for most of my rides. This year I am comfortable enough to come out of the saddle and ride up the hills in the drop position. Its like running on the peddles and provides more power. When I hit Coach Paul's spin classes in the winter I know what he means now. The next step is to figure out what the best position to climb the hills in. I'm over the handlebars and sometimes I'm just barely out of the saddle. Most important is to work on keeping that momentum I have created coming up the hill into the next flat section which happens on and off. I was very pleased with my average km/hr at 25, average cadence at 80 and my max speed at 64.5K for the hills of Tremblant.
Overall Mount Tremblant was the best camp yet. I had successes in each discipline which will help mentally when I do have a bad day. I just need to remember these successes. Thanks to Paul, Patty and Christine at Ironmotivan for putting on such a great event. Clint we missed you and hope your ankle is better for Ironman Tremblant.
Lastly a little update on the fundraising. I'm a long way off from my goal of $5000 with $1435 raised between the web site, personal cheques and cash. If you can help my campaign to help others in Oshawa or may know someone who might be able to the link to Canada helps donation page is on the right hand side. No matter how small the contribution everything will help the low income families and the homeless Gate 3:16 Outreach helps.
Hopefully I'll be back this weekend with another adventures (maybe the ride to Pontypool with Jeff on the 7th). Until then get out and enjoy the summer with a walk, a bike, a swim or even a skate on your skateboard or inline skates. Yes its hot but in a couple of short months we will be complaining about the cold. Just remember to stay hydrated that is the key.
-Liz
Mont Tremblant has wicked hills for the bike but the run was relatively flat and as we joke often so was the water. Lets start with the swim as I wanted to share the success of this swim and July 4th swims. The swim class is Wednesday morning so I was up and out the door before 5am to ensure I was at the Whitby rec in plenty of time for Coach Paul's 5:30am swim class on the 4th. Afterwards Coach Paul and I had a swim lesson. During this lesson it was pointed out that my pull on the left side was only half what it should be. My arm was not taking a full stroke rather I was finishing the pull around my hip instead of extending the arm completely before bringing it out of the water. The key to making yourself faster is technique not more effort. In my case just ensuring my shoulders and hands were relaxed, taking a full pull and having my hands in the right position reduced by 2000M swim down by 5 minutes. A huge improvement with little physical effort but lots of mental effort. Two swims completed and one more to go on the 4th. Wednesday nights the DRTC swims out of either Holmes Point or Jackson Points and this week we were at Holmes Point. The water was very choppy and I don't recall swimming in anything this choppy before. As I swam up a wave it would come down and I would crash against the water. I did my distance Paul asked for this night but more important I did not have that panic attack and did not head to shore. Last year I might not have even ventured out into the lake. This brings me back to yesterday (July 15th). Coach Paul rented a party boat to drive the nine of us out to the middle of the lake and swim a bit of the practice course for the Ironman and Ironman 70.3 swim. I put on the wet suit, climbed down the ladder, calmed myself down and off I went to swim. My focus was to stay calm, fell comfortable, work on my stroke and just enjoy myself. I even floated on my back, to test drive this, and felt very comfortable looking at the sky. I think 2012 will be the year that I remember the most success in swimming not for speed but for overcoming the fear of it.
The swim happened in Tremblant on Sunday which leads nicely into the run which happened before the swim. Due to the heat we started at 6am both days to keep ourselves out of the worst heat. Everyone at the camp was scheduled for a 21K run except me. Last week I completed a 14K and the week after I need to complete a 16K thus my intent was to run around 15K as long as the body held up. I think I have written before about the nagging calf issues. Dr. Jason started Active Release Therapy about three weeks ago and I have had two successful runs with limited pain. Although not pain free it sure is better. Coach Paul and I agreed on the 16K distance and off I went. As always the pain was there when I started but after 10 minutes or so everything loosened up. I don't have a GPS watch thus was going on time and kept running. Before I knew it I was told I was only 400m from the first turn around. OOPS I went to far. I turned around retraced my steps but went up the dog leg (a section to add a Klm onto the run to reach the 21.1K loop distance) and yet again I was told you are almost done so I turned around early and headed back to the parking lot. I estimate the distance was between 18 to 20K. A fellow triathlete told me I would have done the 21K but I still question it as the time just seemed too good but the calves were feeling good and I was running so it is possible. A run with limited pain is success. I dread running due to the pain but thinking 2012 might be the year of less painful running.
Lastly the bike was the Saturday. The route had constant hills but I made it up everyone of them and of course down everyone :-) I'm currently riding a road bike versus a triathlon bike. One of the differences is I have drop bars (the curvy ones like the old 10 speeds) versus triathlon bars (two bars in front and you lean on these in an aero position). Last year I started to use the drop bars and now I use them for most of my rides. This year I am comfortable enough to come out of the saddle and ride up the hills in the drop position. Its like running on the peddles and provides more power. When I hit Coach Paul's spin classes in the winter I know what he means now. The next step is to figure out what the best position to climb the hills in. I'm over the handlebars and sometimes I'm just barely out of the saddle. Most important is to work on keeping that momentum I have created coming up the hill into the next flat section which happens on and off. I was very pleased with my average km/hr at 25, average cadence at 80 and my max speed at 64.5K for the hills of Tremblant.
Overall Mount Tremblant was the best camp yet. I had successes in each discipline which will help mentally when I do have a bad day. I just need to remember these successes. Thanks to Paul, Patty and Christine at Ironmotivan for putting on such a great event. Clint we missed you and hope your ankle is better for Ironman Tremblant.
Lastly a little update on the fundraising. I'm a long way off from my goal of $5000 with $1435 raised between the web site, personal cheques and cash. If you can help my campaign to help others in Oshawa or may know someone who might be able to the link to Canada helps donation page is on the right hand side. No matter how small the contribution everything will help the low income families and the homeless Gate 3:16 Outreach helps.
Hopefully I'll be back this weekend with another adventures (maybe the ride to Pontypool with Jeff on the 7th). Until then get out and enjoy the summer with a walk, a bike, a swim or even a skate on your skateboard or inline skates. Yes its hot but in a couple of short months we will be complaining about the cold. Just remember to stay hydrated that is the key.
-Liz
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