Friends of the Moonlight

This is a picture of one of my proudest moments. This past Saturday night my oldest daughter joined the ranks of recreational athletics and completed her first 6km road race. With the help of her two best friends and my fantastic babysitters, Chloe crossed the finish line in 49:32. She was the first six year old girl to cross the finish line and placed 19/56 in her age category (top 20!!!). The best part of the whole evening? Chloe had a blast. Since I crossed the finish line in 36:50 I stood and waited anxiously for her and her friends to appear. As soon as they did I was the loudest person out there, cheering them on as they ran down the home stretch. The biggest reward for me was seeing an ear to ear grin on Chloe's face as he came across the line. This is a fantastic accomplishment for her and the other young girls she ran with. She's already talking about her next race, I couldn't be happier to hear that.

A Natural Born Athlete

This is Elle my soon to be three year old daughter. All parents dream of greatness for their children so today I beamed with pride while at gym class several coaches and parents commented on my little girls natural athletic ability.

Elle is soccer obsessed and loves to kick a soccer ball around. She is already able to dribble, kick with the inside and outside of her foot, toe stop and aim and score on a net. She has a vast supply of energy and can literally run and chase a ball for hours on end. She loves to move and it brings me so much joy to see her having fun. The other day when I returned home from a run Elle had just woken up from her nap. She was mad at me for not taking her running and then insisted that she run all the way to the bus stop to fetch her sister. As I walked behind her she would turn around and shout "hurry up mom". I can't wait until she is old enough to join a soccer league and say with complete confidence that she will likely complete her first 5km race at the age of 4 or 5.

I hope that Elle will continue to enjoy physical activity. I think that it will bring her a sense of achievement as she continues to grow. While I'm content to let her find her own path in life the dreamer in me thinks it would be pretty swell if some day my little girl achieved Olympic glory.

The Best Coach I've Ever Had...

With the arrival of warmer weather I have been taking my training outside and running with my buddy, our black lab 'Balin'. Balin is a search and rescue dog and classifying him as "high energy" would be a colossal understatement. One of his favorite activities is to come running with me. Unlike other dogs, Balin is totally antisocial. While his older and more sedate brother Bhodi enjoys getting out to frolick in the coulees and sniff other dogs butts, Balin is all business. He rarely runs up to other dogs when we are out together and never ever stops to smell the roses (or dog pee). Balin so loves our runs that he insists that we stay together. For example if I slow down or stop to retie a shoe lace he faithfully comes bounding back and waits for me. Sometimes he gets exasperated with my slow human pace and barks joyfully to egg me on. During our runs together there are two things I try to do; 1) I try to run at least one mile at Balin's super fast doggie pace and 2) I try to give him at least a mile on our route off leash. Recently my runs with him have been leaving me utterly winded and feeling sick. I often have to slow down to a very slow jog or even a walk. Up until last night I have been blaming this on my recent nasty chest cold, but last night something incredible happened. I went to the gym and hopped on the treadmill. My mission was clear; get to the bottom of what's making me feel so icky and sluggish when I'm out with Balin. I had intended to start my run at what I considered a good pace for me, 6.2 mph. Well surprise surprise this felt incredibly easy and dare I say slow. After a mile I upped my speed to 6.7 mph. A little more work, but still totally manageable and fun. I then put on my brave face and upped the pace again to 6.9 mph. After about five minutes of this I was definitely starting to fatigue but still could have kept going. By the end of my run I had completed close to 4 miles in under 30 minutes. I was totally elated and wondered to myself how fast I have been running with Balin. His exuberance and joy while running is hard to resist and I am always sucked into his pace and his world when we are out together. It's because of this incredibly athletic little dog that I have been able to interval train and make significant gains without even noticing. Thanks Balin for making me a better runner. I owe you a belly rub and maybe an extra cookie!

bring on the rain

This morning I woke up to what I consider a pleasant surprise. Instead of snow, the clouds that rolled in over night sprinkled a gentle rain onto the sleeping town of Lethbridge. As I came downstairs I was so thrilled to see a wet deck and water droplets clinging to my window. I love the rain. Mostly because it reminds me of one of my favorite places on earth; the west coast of Canada. Unlike snow, the rain represents renewal to me. It washes away build up and leaves everything fresh and vibrant. With the first day of spring approaching, this rain was the perfect way to lift my spirits for the new season. I love the crisp, light, cool feeling the earth has when I step outside after a rain. One of my favorite indulgences is to run in the rain because it's so healing. The sounds, smells and sights of rain work wonders. This morning I feel calm, serene and totally energized. All thanks to a little bit of water that fell out of the sky.

Sometimes you need a different perspective...

Yesterday we worked on our headstands in yoga. As I rested the weight of my body and world on my head and shoulders I couldn't help but smile. I thought of my children who love to hang upside down. They are full of exuberance and happiness. Technically speaking the yoga headstand boasts the benefits of easing depression, stimulating the pituitary, toning the core and relieving the symptoms of asthma and other respiratory problems. But after a little introspection while defying gravity, I've decided I'll take the fringe benefits of feeling like a care-free six year old......... even if it's only for a moment!