When Average is a Good Thing

Well, I've had a little bit of a setback the last couple of weeks in my training program getting ready for Tough Mudder.  My right knee has been talking back to me when I'm doing squats and lunges--and I am doing a wack of them getting ready for this challenge. There was a bit of swelling, clicking and pain.

I decided to go to a physio therapist at the Waterloo Sports Medicine Clinic and see if there were any serious issues. I had a great therapist named Julie who put me through a battery of moves and stretches.

The good news is that I'm "average" and that the problem with my knee is that the muscles on one side are not as strong as those on the other. Now average might not sound great to you, but it actually made me feel good. Before I started training for this challenge, I'm sure that I was well below average in strength. So to be "average" means I've progressed. I wonder if she meant average athlete or average person or average person my age?

Anyway, I have these special exercises to do that will help strength the muscles around my knee. My least favourite is the one-legged squat. 

But I think these exercises are really working. My knee feels better and better everyday and I'm hoping for a fairly quick return to full strength.

This has caused me to reflect on how fortunate I am. I have access to someone who can assess my problem and give me some exercises to do to get me on my way. I have health benefits that help to cover the cost of these assessments. But the women and children that I'm raising money for through World Relief Canada rarely have that luxury. To them an injury can be devastating and even life-threatening. That's why I'm motivated to do Tough Mudder and raise funds for these programs. I'd like to even the playing field for as many of these courageous women as possible.

Stay tuned...

Did Your Mind Tell You to Quit?

I have begun to realize that getting ready for Tough Mudder is as much a mental preparation as it is a physical preparation. Last week my trainer, Karen Martin, said something that has really stuck with me.

I was doing push-ups and the idea was to go until I couldn't go anymore. This was my second set of agony, so you can imagine that my arms were starting to feel the love. Karen is telling me I look strong, that my form is bang on.

And then I stopped.

She looked me in the eye and said, "Did your mind tell you to quit, or did your body"? Busted. She was totally right. I did have more left. Not only that, but yesterday when I was out for a run, I thought about stopping early and her voice was ringing through my head.

So, I've decided that whenever I think I'm done, I'm going ask myself whether my mind is telling me I'm done or if I've actually reached my physical limit. (For the record, I finished the full run yesterday!)

I have a feeling I'll need this advice on Tough Mudder day.

I've Been Muddering Along All Winter...

I think we can all agree that this winter lasted way. too. long. I actually didn't mind all that much, because I was really busy with my winter term course at McMaster Divinity College. When it's nice out, it's a lot harder to buckle down and write those papers and study for exams.

But there's been another plus side to this winter...I've been faithfully working out almost every workday morning at 6:00 a.m. at Pinacle Health & Fitness getting ready for Tough Mudder. Three mornings a week I join Karen Martin's fitness class. Karen is amazing--she pushes us to our best potential. Squats. Planks. Burpees. Lunges. Push-ups. Weights. Cardio. And it's starting to make a difference!

When I joined the gym, I didn't realize how important these classes would be for me. I've met some really great people who help me out when I'm struggling and celebrate when I break through a milestone.

Jane usually works out right behind me. I love talking with her every morning. When the going get's tough, I can always look back and know that we won't give up--she won't let me!

Julie is in front of me. She is soooo strong. She sets the pace in the class and is always doing the most challenging version of the exercise. But even though she is so fit, she still takes time to ask me how it's going and to notice when I'm able to make it through the set or use heavier weights. She could totally be a gym snob, but she's not. I love that about her.

I won't lie to you. It hasn't been easy getting up every morning at 5:20 to head for the gym. I made a choice to go and Jane, Julie, and Karen make it a lot easier to do that. Most of you will know the reason I'm doing the Tough Mudder Challenge...to raise money for women and children overseas with World Relief Canada. These women face very difficult circumstances every day. They don't have the choice like I do--they face their obstacles to survive.

Stay tuned.

Why Not Me?

I'll admit it. I watched the Superbowl Sunday night. When you have a son who loves football, you have to get your head in the game. It's something I've come to enjoy. I have to say that before the game I didn't really know that much about the Seahawks quarterback, Russell Wilson, but something he said really caught my attention.

Wilson has always been told he was too small to be an NFL quarterback. But he reached back to something that his dad had told him years earlier:  "Why not you?" I can just hear that conversation...probably about not letting something like that stand in the way. That "Why not you" provided the inspiration he needed to overcome the obstacle, perfect his skill, and eventually lead his team to a Superbowl victory.

Those three words have really stuck with me this week. Why. Not. Me. I shared in a previous post that I'm training for Tough Mudder to raise funds for women and children overseas, through World Relief Canada. People might say I'm too old or not fit enough to do this--and they might be right. But I think about the problems that need to be overcome and I want to draw attention and resources toward providing a solution. So like Wilson I say--Why not me?

Thanks Russell, I needed that inspiration this week.

Never Underestimate a Barn Kitten

When I was about eight years old, one of my favourite pastimes was heading out to the barn on our family farm and looking for the barn kittens. One kitten in particular stands out in my mind. This kitten wasn't very big and looked "soooo cute" so I decided I would try to pick it up and hold it. I had grand visions of carrying around this little ball of fur as my personal companion.

Yeah...that was until that kitten threw a big hissing fit, complete with teeth showing and eyes glaring. That kitten had no desire to be picked up, cuddled, or carried. I soon dubbed the angry kitten as Curly Tongue Spitter. The name says it all. I had completely underestimated what that small ball of fur was capable of.

I think we can underestimate ourselves too. We can think of all the very good reasons why something may not be possible. We talk ourselves out of starting something new, reaching for a higher goal, or tackling a big obstacle.

Well, I've decided that for the Tough Mudder Challenge  (I'm doing this to raise funds for Tough as Her) I'm not going to stop before I've started or let my age or current level of fitness stand in my way. No, I'm not going to throw a hissing fit, but I am going to get down to the business of serious training. There's no turning back now, I've paid the fee and it's non-refundable.

How have you underestimated yourself?  What do you want to do about that?

This Resolution started on November 1

For the first time in a long time I didn't make a New Year's Resolution. That's because I made a really big one on November 1, 2013.


I am part of a fantastic board of directors for World Relief Canada. We're passionate about ending world poverty. On that Friday the board heard updates on how things were going within our charity. Finances. Programs. Fundraising.


Our director of Philanthropy, Eric Frans, had just updated us on his experience doing Tough Mudder and the money that he had raised for women and children in developing countries. His vision was to expand the participation in 2014 and have teams participating across Canada.


Inspiring!


When I said I thought we should put in a board team...I thought Eric's jaw was going to hit the floor. Tough Mudder is a gruelling course, both physically and mentally. To be truthful, I had not idea how hard it really was. That's probably a good thing. I'm not in my twenties...or anything really close to that and I'm not really fit either. I'm just thankful Eric didn't laugh out loud.


I'm not the kind of person who needs to complete a miraculous feat just to say that I did it. That doesn't motivate me at all. Those who know me well would say I'm reserved. As I thought about the incredible obstacles that these women and children face everyday, I knew that I had to step up to the plate...and possibly go down swinging.


So now I'm going public. The campaign is called Tough as Her. Quite frankly, I don't think I'm as tough as her. I've got a lot of work to do. But this time being passionate means more than just making a donation.