Wednesday, May 30, 2012

The Next Great Adventure

Well, there I go.  I've done it.

I'm running a Marathon.  Soon-ish.

On September 23rd, I will run a whole 42.2k (yes, in one day) at the Montreal Rock N Roll Marathon.

My friend Denise and I are running it together.  She's run two marathons already, so she is like my spiritual guide in this process of craziness.

So, naturally, we started a blog about it.

Make sure to go check us out at Deux Crazy Anglophones.  That's where we plan to post the updates on our training, anecdotes about our crazy adventures, and updates on our fundraising for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society.

So go on!  Check it out!  What are you waiting for?

I gotta go run....

Jes

Monday, May 7, 2012

Faster than the blink of an eye.

.08 seconds

eight-one hundredths of a second.

Faster than the blink of an eye-- (which apparently takes between three-tenths and four-tenths of a second)

That's all that seperates me from officially saying I made my goal of running my first 10k in 1 hour or less.

Or is it?

Unless I'm trying to qualify for the Olympics, does that fraction of a second really count?  Sometimes I think it does.  After all, my whole life has been setting goals for myself, then batting them out of the park.  It's not that I set my goals too low, either. I just work really, really hard.

But the truth is,  8/100ths of a second DOESN'T matter. 

I can hash the details out all I want.  If only, I hadn't stopped to visit the port a potty. If only I hadn't spent 1km of the race crying after one lady, seeing the picture of my Aunt Helen on my back, said "I'll run for her too!", If only I had started my finishing kick, a second earlier.

It doesn't matter.

This is what matters:

I showed up for my first ever 10k event.  I forgot my Garmin. I ran exactly the race I wanted, in eaxactly the time I wanted, with absolutely no pace bunny, or Garmin. It was all me.

I ran in memory of my Aunt Helen, in the city she lived in.  I know she is the reason that earlier in the day, Denise and I took a wrong turn and ended up at the place she is buried.  I have no idea how to get there otherwise, so clearly, she was calling us to there.  When we realized we were headed wrong way, I said "Ok, I'll turn around at the next lights". When we got to those lights, we were right at the cemetary. I think she just wanted to wish me good luck.

My friend and frequent running partner Denise was waiting for me at the finish line, after running a PB of 54:47.

My twitter friends @karmasdogma and @SharonDV met us there and ran as well.  We laughed and chatted like we've known each other forever. We all waited at the finish line for each other, because that's what friends do.

Together, we found my Mom, who came with us for support and to be our Sherpa.  She hugged and congratulated us all, even though we were sweaty and stinky, because that's what Moms do.

These are the things I know to be true:

I will never win a race.  I will never win my age group.

Everytime I show up at a race I am successful. Everytime I finish I'm a winner. 

1:00:08, is just as good as 1:00:00.


 Aunt Helen and I, before the race.

Me, @karmasdogma, Denise and @SharonDV after the race.

Wednesday, May 2, 2012

Thank goodness my underwear was clean.

All I wanted was a new pair of jeans.  Something that fit, was flattering and comfortable.  Not too much to ask, really.

Right?  Right.

I rarely, if ever get the opportunity shop without my boys, so as  usual, they tagged along with me.

 Now, first of all, let me make one thing clear.  I very much dislike shopping.  Especially for clothes.

VERY. MUCH.

But, it really is in the best interests of the general population if I wear clothes, so clothes shopping is like my civic duty.

You're welcome.

Anyway, I went to the first store, and selected two pair. One was a dark jean with a flared leg, the other a skinny jean.  Skinny jeans don't always work for me, because as a runner, I have well defined calves.  I was also blessed with gigantic strong thighs, so sometimes those trendy skinny jeans look plain funny.

I tried on the first pair, and they were just okay.  Putting them aside, I hade high hopes for the skinny jeans, and I was RIGHT.  They looked great, the price was great.  YAY!  One stop and I had found jeans.  That's like a frickin' miracle!

Then I tried to take the jeans off. And they stopped at my calves.  I tugged.  I pulled.  Nothing worked.

I sat on my butt on a dirty change room floor, and yanked some more.  Nothing.

I was so confused.  They felt great, they looked great, they went on easy.  SO WHY THE HELL WEREN'T THEY COMING OFF?

Clearly, I needed help. So, swallowing any pride that I had, I pulled on the jeans and walked out of the changeroom.

Saleslady: "Wow, those look GREAT!"

Me: "I'm stuck"

Saleslady: "Pardon?"

Me: "I can't get them off.  I can't get them past my calves. I don't understand, they went on so easily."

Saleslady: "Oh. Oh wow."

Me: "This is crazy, but I need help"

So, the saleslady and I went into the wheelchair accessible changeroom.  I yanked the jeans down to my knees, and sat on the bench, while she yanked really, really hard. We laughed, because really - WHAT THE HECK ELSE COULD WE DO?

Saleslady: "So, I guess you aren't taking these?"

Me: "No, I think I'll pass.  Um, thanks"

Your mother is right.  Always wear clean underwear.  But another important piece of information.

I am SO glad I wasn't wearing a thong.

UPDATED: I just had a crazy thought.  I really hope that she was a sales lady and not a customer. Otherwise the whole situation is a whole lot weirder than it already was.

Tuesday, May 1, 2012

Zachary Valiquette, Green Belt

 Zachary is one tired boy after the testing is completed.  Now, he waits.

 Receiving his belt from Sensei Angelo

 Shaking hands with, and accepting congratulations from Shihan Don Benoit.

 Zachary tying on his new belt!

A whole lot of happy, tired kids and their instructors.

Letting Go.

I am posting this today, because there are a few people I know who (I think), really need to hear it. The words are not mine, but I can't say it better, so I won't even try.

SHE LET GO.

She let go.

Without a thought or a word, she let go.

She let go of fear. She let go of the judgments.
She let go of the confluence of opinions swarming
around her head.

She let go of the committee of indecision within her.
She let go of all the ‘right’ reasons. Wholly and completely,
without hesitation or worry, she just let go.

She didn’t ask anyone for advice. She didn’t read a
book on how to let go... She didn’t search the scriptures.
She just let go.

She let go of all of the memories that held her back.
She let go of all of the anxiety that kept her from moving forward.
She let go of the planning and all of the calculations about how to do it just right.

She didn’t promise to let go.
She didn’t journal about it.
She didn’t write the projected date in her day-timer.

She made no public announcement and put no ad in the paper.
She didn’t check the weather report or read her daily horoscope.
She just let go.

She didn’t analyse whether she should let go.
She didn’t call her friends to discuss the matter.
She didn’t do a five-step Spiritual Mind Treatment.
She didn’t call the prayer line.
She didn’t utter one word. She just let go.

No one was around when it happened.
There was no applause or congratulations.
No one thanked her or praised her.
No one noticed a thing.
Like a leaf falling from a tree, she just let go.

There was no effort. There was no struggle.
It wasn’t good and it wasn’t bad.
It was what it was, and it is just that.

In the space of letting go, she let it all be.
A small smile came over her face.
A light breeze blew through her.
And the sun and the moon shone forevermore.”

- Ernest Holmes