Thursday, December 27, 2012
Tuesday, December 18, 2012
When you want something, all the universe conspires in helping you to achieve it- The Alchemist
You might wonder what this post has to do with Alcatraz or Triathlons. What I have discovered is that extreme sports like Triathlons are about working, suffering and achieving things which were supposed to be impossible. They are about pushing yourself mentally and physically.
"It's not that they don't feel the pain; they just shift their brain dynamics and alter their perception of reality so the pain matters less." excerpt from the Galpter study on the brains of endurance athletes.
The finish line feels so good because you earned it. I don’t believe it is my life purpose to do triathlons, but I do believe it is making me stronger and focused. Training has absolutely forced me to face mental barriers and demons.
Today I was reflecting on one of my favourite books, The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho. This is a book which makes me feel enlightened everytime I read it. My journey to Alcatraz is part of my legend. There was a lot that lead up to it and hopefully a lot to come after. Right now this challenge fills me with both fear and enthusiasm.
This is a portion of the introduction.
The Alchemist- Paulo Coelho- Introduction
Whenever we do something that fills us with enthusiasm, we are following our legend. However, we don’t all have the courage to confront our own dream.
Why?
There are four obstacles. First: we are told from childhood onwards that everything we want to do is impossible. We grow up with this idea, and as the years accumulate, so too do the layers of prejudice, fear and guilt. There comes a time when our personal calling is so deeply buried in our soul as to be invisible. But it’s still there.
If we have the courage to disinter dream, we are then faced by the second obstacle: love. We know what we want to do, but are afraid of hurting those around us by abandoning everything in order to pursue their dream. We do not realize that love is just a further impetus, not something that will prevent them going forwards. We do not realize that those who genuinely wish us well want us to be happy and are prepared to accompany us on that journey.
Once we have accepted that love is a stimulus, we come up against the third obstacle: fear of the defeats we will meet on the path. We who fight for our dream, suffer far more when it doesn’t work out, because we cannot fall back on the old excuse: “Oh, well, I didn’t really want it anyway.” We do want it and know that we have staked everything on it and that the path of the personal calling is no easier than any other path, except that our whole heart is in this journey. Then, we warriors of light must be prepared to have patience in difficult times and to know that the Universe is conspiring in our favor, even though we may not understand how.
I ask myself: are defeats necessary?
Well, necessary or not, they happen. When we first begin fighting for our dream, we have no experience and make many mistakes. The secret of life, though, is to fall seven times and to get up eight times.
So, why is it so important to live our personal calling if we are only going to suffer more than other people?
Because, once we have overcome the defeats – and we always do – we are filled by a greater sense of euphoria and confidence. In the silence of our hearts, we know that we are proving ourselves worthy of the miracle of life. Each day, each hour, is part of the good fight. We start to live with enthusiasm and pleasure. Intense, unexpected suffering passes more quickly than suffering that is apparently bearable; the latter goes on for years and, without our noticing, eats away at our soul, until, one day, we are no longer able to free ourselves from the bitterness and it stays with us for the rest of our lives.
Having disinterred our dream, having used the power of love to nurture it and spent many years living with the scars, we suddenly notice that what we always wanted is there, waiting for us, perhaps the very next day. Then comes the fourth obstacle: the fear of realizing the dream for which we fought all our lives.
Oscar Wilde said: ‘each man kills the thing he loves’. And it’s true. The mere possibility of getting what we want fills the soul of the ordinary person with guilt. We look around at all those who have failed to get what they want and feel that we do not deserve to get what we want either. We forget about all the obstacles we overcame, all the suffering we endured, all the things we had to give up in order to get this far.
I have known a lot of people who, when their personal calling was within their grasp, went on to commit a series of stupid mistakes and never reached their goal – when it was only a step away.
This is the most dangerous of the obstacles because it has a kind of saintly aura about it: renouncing joy and conquest. But if you believe yourself worthy of the thing you fought so hard to get, then you become an instrument of God, you help the Soul of the World and you understand why you are here.
"It's not that they don't feel the pain; they just shift their brain dynamics and alter their perception of reality so the pain matters less." excerpt from the Galpter study on the brains of endurance athletes.
The finish line feels so good because you earned it. I don’t believe it is my life purpose to do triathlons, but I do believe it is making me stronger and focused. Training has absolutely forced me to face mental barriers and demons.
Today I was reflecting on one of my favourite books, The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho. This is a book which makes me feel enlightened everytime I read it. My journey to Alcatraz is part of my legend. There was a lot that lead up to it and hopefully a lot to come after. Right now this challenge fills me with both fear and enthusiasm.
This is a portion of the introduction.
The Alchemist- Paulo Coelho- Introduction
Whenever we do something that fills us with enthusiasm, we are following our legend. However, we don’t all have the courage to confront our own dream.
Why?
There are four obstacles. First: we are told from childhood onwards that everything we want to do is impossible. We grow up with this idea, and as the years accumulate, so too do the layers of prejudice, fear and guilt. There comes a time when our personal calling is so deeply buried in our soul as to be invisible. But it’s still there.
If we have the courage to disinter dream, we are then faced by the second obstacle: love. We know what we want to do, but are afraid of hurting those around us by abandoning everything in order to pursue their dream. We do not realize that love is just a further impetus, not something that will prevent them going forwards. We do not realize that those who genuinely wish us well want us to be happy and are prepared to accompany us on that journey.
Once we have accepted that love is a stimulus, we come up against the third obstacle: fear of the defeats we will meet on the path. We who fight for our dream, suffer far more when it doesn’t work out, because we cannot fall back on the old excuse: “Oh, well, I didn’t really want it anyway.” We do want it and know that we have staked everything on it and that the path of the personal calling is no easier than any other path, except that our whole heart is in this journey. Then, we warriors of light must be prepared to have patience in difficult times and to know that the Universe is conspiring in our favor, even though we may not understand how.
I ask myself: are defeats necessary?
Well, necessary or not, they happen. When we first begin fighting for our dream, we have no experience and make many mistakes. The secret of life, though, is to fall seven times and to get up eight times.
So, why is it so important to live our personal calling if we are only going to suffer more than other people?
Because, once we have overcome the defeats – and we always do – we are filled by a greater sense of euphoria and confidence. In the silence of our hearts, we know that we are proving ourselves worthy of the miracle of life. Each day, each hour, is part of the good fight. We start to live with enthusiasm and pleasure. Intense, unexpected suffering passes more quickly than suffering that is apparently bearable; the latter goes on for years and, without our noticing, eats away at our soul, until, one day, we are no longer able to free ourselves from the bitterness and it stays with us for the rest of our lives.
Having disinterred our dream, having used the power of love to nurture it and spent many years living with the scars, we suddenly notice that what we always wanted is there, waiting for us, perhaps the very next day. Then comes the fourth obstacle: the fear of realizing the dream for which we fought all our lives.
Oscar Wilde said: ‘each man kills the thing he loves’. And it’s true. The mere possibility of getting what we want fills the soul of the ordinary person with guilt. We look around at all those who have failed to get what they want and feel that we do not deserve to get what we want either. We forget about all the obstacles we overcame, all the suffering we endured, all the things we had to give up in order to get this far.
I have known a lot of people who, when their personal calling was within their grasp, went on to commit a series of stupid mistakes and never reached their goal – when it was only a step away.
This is the most dangerous of the obstacles because it has a kind of saintly aura about it: renouncing joy and conquest. But if you believe yourself worthy of the thing you fought so hard to get, then you become an instrument of God, you help the Soul of the World and you understand why you are here.
Posted with BlogsySunday, December 16, 2012
Today I will feel the fear and do it anyway
I am feeling the fear. The doubts are piling on top of each other. The icy water scares me. Training for icy water sounds painful. When people comment on how crazy the whole thing is... I believe them, because it is crazy. I am feeling it this week. :s.
Monday, December 10, 2012
Water Polo Provincials
This past weekend Stephanie and I went to Saskatoon with the rest of the Master’s team to compete in the Saskatchewan Water Polo Provincials. We were both excited and anxious. This wasn’t the fun beginner polo we enjoyed on Saturday’s this was the hard and tough Master variety. We were playing against Saskatoon and the other teams from Regina including the over 15 year olds. This meant the actual ridiculously good provincial team. There’s nothing like being beaten up by 15 year old girls under water. The amazing juniors were split into 2 teams for this tournament. The masters practice with them on Wednesday, where I try and keep up, and try not to get discouraged.
Going into the tournament we knew we were outmatched with these super ladies. Our goal was to beat Saskatoon. We were playing 5 on 5 (6 with goalie) with a roaster of 7. Unfortunately one of our players had to stay in Regina with her very sick cat. That meant only one position for relief.
In our games we constantly grew better as a team. Throughout the weekend, the losses were by less, and our wins bigger. We played 3 games on Saturday and then finals were on Sunday. We were placed 3rd after Saturday. On Saturday we had tied Saskatoon. In our final game for bronze we won 11-0! The personal highlight was the last few seconds of the game where I was thrown the ball and I got a shot in net as the buzzer went. As a newbie this was an awesome feeling, I don’t get many goals at Master’s level.
The medal was ours. Regina Squids and Piranhas took Gold and Silver. Since they are all under 18 and practice 6 times a week… Bronze felt like 1st place. I think us old ladies were more excited about the win then the younger guys.
We will have another provincial tournament in the spring in Regina.
Special thanks to our cutest fans ever, Robin, Amelia and Xavier. Thanks also to Victor who coached us last minute in our last game. Victor is from the Venezuela Polo national team and literally just moved to Regina 2 days ago to coach Sask Polo.
I am really happy with the decision to take up water polo. I am definitely seeing results in my swim speed and sprints. I am more comfortable with the manhandling that takes place, and even getting more aggressive myself.
Thanks to the tournament I skipped my long run this weekend...... something to make up I suppose.
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Thursday, December 6, 2012
Wednesday, December 5, 2012
Tips from Stacey
Today I had lunch with the inspirational Stacey Shand.
Stacey completed this race in 2010. Since then she has done many other crazy races such as ultra man Canada, Sahara- toughest foot face in the world, and multiple ironmans.… its incrediable what she is capable of. You can check out her blog at http://raceystacey.wordpress.com/
http://www.cbc.ca/morningedition/episode/2012/04/20/stacey-shand-takes-on-the-sahara/
This is what I learned:
1. This Triathlon is a lot of fun
2. This Triathlon is full of ridiculous challenges.
The start is, well, extreme. Everyone jumps on top of each other from all decks of the boat. You are pushed outwards whether you like it or not. She ended up doing a tarzan like maneuver complete with a pole spin to get off the boat.
The swim.. you feel very alone because the expanse of water is so large. You will likely see sharks and fish swimming below. It is common for curious seals to swim next to you. Stacey had a seal swim next to her. I personally think this would be an amazing experience. However later on it was pointed out to me, that sharks eat seals.
The bike... Extreme ups and extreme downs. The run, absolutely beautiful. She recommended snow shoeing, and running in snow for the sand. Adding stairs to the training would be useful.
She said every part of the race was an experience an obstacle and absolutely beautiful.
Stacey completed this race in 2010. Since then she has done many other crazy races such as ultra man Canada, Sahara- toughest foot face in the world, and multiple ironmans.… its incrediable what she is capable of. You can check out her blog at http://raceystacey.wordpress.com/
http://www.cbc.ca/morningedition/episode/2012/04/20/stacey-shand-takes-on-the-sahara/
This is what I learned:
1. This Triathlon is a lot of fun
2. This Triathlon is full of ridiculous challenges.
Brrrrrrr.....The swim is incredibly cold. I was sort of hoping she would say otherwise. She recommended taking lots of ice baths to train.
Race Day tip : VASELINE coat all ares of exposed surfaces.The swim.. you feel very alone because the expanse of water is so large. You will likely see sharks and fish swimming below. It is common for curious seals to swim next to you. Stacey had a seal swim next to her. I personally think this would be an amazing experience. However later on it was pointed out to me, that sharks eat seals.
The bike... Extreme ups and extreme downs. The run, absolutely beautiful. She recommended snow shoeing, and running in snow for the sand. Adding stairs to the training would be useful.
She said every part of the race was an experience an obstacle and absolutely beautiful.
Tuesday, December 4, 2012
Katie & Tommy Train me for the swim
The always helpful Katie & Tommy lend a helping hand by getting me ready for the harsh conditions of the swim.
"The swim was like doing push-ups while being hit by a wet pillow."
Improvisation took place and the result was cold water+ sit ups+ hit with hard ball. I wouldn't recommend it... its's pretty terrible.
Sunday, December 2, 2012
Bleeding Nose = Street Cred
After a successful swim today I had an additional polo scrimmage to prepare for next weeks provincial tournament. It was a really fun game but I fell victim to my first polo injury. I didn't even notice, coach Sue had to point it out.
Overall it was a good weekend for long distance running and swimming.
Overall it was a good weekend for long distance running and swimming.
Saturday, December 1, 2012
Return of the Long Run
The weekend long run has returned. This is my most dreaded part of training. I am not sure why it is so hard to get out running when it feels so good when it's done.
Katie and I did just over 10k around the lakes and through the snow. I have been told running through snow is good training for the sand. At the end of the run we even went up Dpark hill. Our timing wasn't to bad for being rusty. 1:05. Back in the summer the goal was 1:00 with best time somewhere around :55.
After the run we participated in the beginners water polo class always lots of fun and a good swim work out.
The snow has nothing on these 2 hipsters.... Thanks Katie for joining me today.
Katie and I did just over 10k around the lakes and through the snow. I have been told running through snow is good training for the sand. At the end of the run we even went up Dpark hill. Our timing wasn't to bad for being rusty. 1:05. Back in the summer the goal was 1:00 with best time somewhere around :55.
After the run we participated in the beginners water polo class always lots of fun and a good swim work out.
The snow has nothing on these 2 hipsters.... Thanks Katie for joining me today.
Crazy Girl.... Says... YES I'm going to do it...
After a week of thinking about it and freaking myself out... I've decided..
YES! Let's get it done.
In the past week I have spoken to many people and I have pushed myself with training. I even completed a 4.25K swim. I have found out that people believe in my craziness and are very supportive.
I will be training like mad until March. I will be posting all things Alcatraz on this blog so if you choose you can follow me on my journey.
I'm nervous, scared, freaked out and out of my mind.
It's going to hard and it's going to be cold.. but I train in Regina, Sask Canada with the best of the best!
YES! Let's get it done.
In the past week I have spoken to many people and I have pushed myself with training. I even completed a 4.25K swim. I have found out that people believe in my craziness and are very supportive.
I will be training like mad until March. I will be posting all things Alcatraz on this blog so if you choose you can follow me on my journey.
I'm nervous, scared, freaked out and out of my mind.
It's going to hard and it's going to be cold.. but I train in Regina, Sask Canada with the best of the best!
Thursday, November 29, 2012
Alcatraz 2013
Ever since I actually got into trialthons there has been one Tri that has stuck with me.
In this tri there is the golden gate bridge, the coast, the skyline and the city. It is very beautiful.I am feeling pretty good about my abilities level and I was looking into this event because I knew it was within my reach capabilities wise. It's really just a modified Olympic with added challenges.
I had it sighted for 2014. I was looking into it because I knew about the lottery process. It's all very exciting. It is so popular you. must be selected. There is another way to be registered for the event. That is by being on a charity team. I looked at the charities and I thought maybe this how I would go about it for 2014. Im not a bad fundraiser and I like to give back where I can.
I went to submit my info so that I could get more information on that route for 2014. I filled out the request. Next thing I knew I had been selected for the team. The team for 2013.
The freaking out began..... Should I ? Or Shouldn't I?
Well the swim would be the problem. How do you go about training for the ocean swim in Saskatchewan? I got selected this for year... What's stopping me? You'll never be ready so just do it.. nothing to lose...It's San Francisco! Can I do this ?
The Escape from Alcatraz
After I completed my first Olympic distance I thought to myself.. I'm almost there!Alcatraz is just a wicked cool epic race. I thought to myself, you are doing all sorts of things you considered impossible.. why not do this too?
- The swim. The reason the prison is inescapable because of the icy cold, heavy current, shark invested water. That's where this triathlon starts. They take you out to Alcatraz and you have to jump off of a boat and do that swim. 2.5 Kms. About 11 degrees C water.
- The bike. This is San Fransico. This bike is full of climbs and twists. Not a prairie road. 30km.
- The run. This run is up and down again. There is stairs and sands and some terrible sand ladder up a cliff. This terrible sand ladder seems to be a death trap and everyone complains about it the most. 13 km
I went to submit my info so that I could get more information on that route for 2014. I filled out the request. Next thing I knew I had been selected for the team. The team for 2013.
The freaking out began..... Should I ? Or Shouldn't I?
Well the swim would be the problem. How do you go about training for the ocean swim in Saskatchewan? I got selected this for year... What's stopping me? You'll never be ready so just do it.. nothing to lose...It's San Francisco! Can I do this ?
Fitness Background
The 2011 Resolution…
After a particularly bad fitness in year 2010, I decided to get in better shape. In a resolution type-cliché I got a trainer at Gold’s Gym, Mark. Jan 2011 I began working at it. I was determined to get into shape and be a better me.My Inspiration…
My little super star sister, Katie, is a runner. She was known for running around the track at the U of R. Complete strangers knew her from her waving pony tail. I admire her and I made a new very ambitious goal to someday fit some of Katie's clothes. She happens to have an enviable closet.
On Running….
Despite my best efforts I was embarrassed of my lack of ability when it came to running. I stuck to the elliptical because I could do that effortlessly. I loathed running. I would start running and within 3 minutes it felt like a heart attack.
See Jane Tri Challenge 2011…
My friend, Lesley Sawa and I were talking about goals we wanted to accomplish. We were both scared of running and shared a background in swimming. A run such has a half marathon or marathon would be too painful to think about. The See Jane Tri was appealing to us. We liked it because it wasn't just about running. 300m swim 12k bike and 3k run. This was a goal that was achievable. A 3K run was something we would be able to train for. An unexpected challenge was getting into the race. The See Jane Tri sells out in hours. Lesley and I missed out on the initial selection. Enter Paul Cutting…
Paul Cutting…
I was campaigning for Monica Lysack in the 2011 Federal election. I went with Monica to an event where we meet up with her friends. One of these friends was Paul Cutting, he was on a similar journey with his first Tri, the see Dick. It happens that I left my water bottle behind and Paul picked it up and texted me about it. We became fast training partners and friends. Paul was able to get Lesley and I, in that first See Jane Tri.Paul was my first guide into the triathlon world. We were soon in Renae's beginner Tri class. I was training every day and I learned to conquer my fear of running outside. Eventually I was able to run around the whole lake. My first time running around the lake, was with my personal idol my sister Katie. I found 2 more running buddies in Marshall and Tyler. Those boys helped get to my first 5 and 7k. Myvery first race was with Marshall, a 5km, I heart Regina run.
Triathlons...
Eventually the See Jane Tri was completed in June 2011. It was amazing. I was hooked. It was a life changing event for both Lesley and I, Paul and I continued to train and I did my first sprint distance in August 2011, in Clear Lake Manitoba. 750m swim, 20k bike, 5k run. Later in the fall of 2011, I went on to meet Myra Trenker and Jessie Webb. Laura England taught us hills and drills and swimming.
2012 Races...
After a great 2011 I made the resolution to do both a Half Marathon and Olympic Distance Triathlon for 2012.I completed my first half marathon (RPS) in April 2011 with Myra and Paul.
In June 2012 I competed on my 30th Birthday the See Jane Tri. My time went from 1:00:03 in 2011 to 52 in 2012.
In Aug 2012 Jessie and Stephanie joined me in the Riding Mountain Triathlon where I completed my first Olympic distance. 1.5k swim, 40k run and 10k run. In Sept 2012 Myra and I went to Banff and competed in the Subaru Western Series Triathlon.
Other Races completed in 2012 were the Icebreaker Sprint triathlon, Perogy Run 10K, Xterra Run, Flatlanders 10K
I became a member of the newest cycling team in Saskatchewan. The all ladies “Spoke n’ Hot,” Mark and Theresa Gibson are great coaches.
The AMAZING thing…
The amazing thing about all of this is doing something you never ever thought was possible. If I went back to Jan 2011 and said this is what you are going to do I wouldn't have believed it. There is nothing like smashing the limits you had set. There is nothing like the feeling after you have finished an incredible race.2013…
2013 is around the corner.. which brings me to my toughest goals yet and a new sport..In fall 2012 I joined Water Polo. It is a great way to train for the swimming and it’s incredibly fun. Im in both the beginner adult and master adult league, this means I’m either decent or way behind the pack depending on the day of the week. My first provincial’s tournament is Dec 7 2012. I am very happy to be doing this journey with my favourite training buddies, Jesse, Myra, Katie Steph and Paul. Susan Cameron is an amazing coach and player!
2013 Goals...
The Escape from Alcatraz and the “chin-up.”Oh and I’m still trying to wear Katie’s clothes.
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