Operation Healthy Balance

After completing my first half marathon last year I kind of "let myself go".  Meaning I didn't lace up the running shoes for like......freaking 4 months.  Okay that's untrue.  I might have ran twice in the four months. This resulted in me going from feeling elated that I completed a half marathon to holy crap I can't even run 3 km without wanting to throw myself in front of the next car. I've slowly started to run again on the treadmill and thought I would give myself a little motivation.  I added some races to my dailymile profile (haven't officially signed up for them but I want to).  I added a 10K in february, a half-marathon in May, a 5K in June, and then a duathlon (run 2.3 km, bike 20.7 km, run 5km) in August.  Sounds perfect to me! I've never done a duathlon before and I don't even have a proper road bike but I enjoy running (when I'm properly training) and I find biking even more enjoyable than running so it kind of makes sense ...

I just got back from the Heart and Stroke annual conference in Toronto.  It was well run with a prestigious line up of speakers but to tell you the truth, I didn't learn anything new from them.  What I did learn is that I am telling my clients all of the right things in my new position; educating clients with all of the right information using the best practice guidelines and providing support for lifestyle change through follow ups and monitoring. On my train ride to Toronto I was thinking about what I was hoping to learn; what I struggle most with when dealing with clients.  What I desperately wanted help with is improving my approach of getting client "buy in".  I know people need to eat a healthy balanced diet, exercise moderately 5 days a week, quit smoking, drink less alcohol, etc. but how do I get them to "care" and actually take action.  Some friends, family and coworkers take the stance...."it is up to them and if they don't care then that...

Yesterday, I experienced a new "first" in my life.  Someone that I had extended my support, love, compassion and understanding to purposely took me aside and told me how much I meant to them; how I had changed there life and made then "feel" again; how I allowed them to heal and they are meaningful. This person was my uncle who through years of dealing with depression was a broken man.  He felt unworthy of love and harboured tremendous pain and guilt.  He has lived with us on the farm for 3 years.  First with my parents and now in a fixed up house on a farm property we bought last year.  He has had to undergo many physical and emotional battles but has started to finally triumph in his own life.  He works with us as a farm hand and can always be counted on for tractor work, chores, wood cutting, lawn mowing, house repairs or just about anything you need; he is earning his keep so to speak and to be brutally honest his presence is so wonderful.  Not o...

Larrin has decided to take part in Movember this year. He's decided to go for a modified 'Hacksaw Jim Duggan' look. Off to a great start....

 The outcome of 'horse therapy'. Arlen and Grandpa...strike a pose! Birthday flowers delivered at work! No explanation needed! My sweet Kali! Boys going back to school...very proud of the little men they have become.

It's hard to believe we have been doing the Halloween wagon ride for 4 years now.  It's even harder to believe that it didn't rain despite of "Sandy". I managed to leave work one hour early, dash to the dollar store to buy cheap decorations, go home, get the halloween lights out and start decorating.  Larrin had the wagon ready with the straw seating and the boys helped me decorate.  We felt a few drops of rain while we were putting the final decorating touches on so we screamed "rain rain go away...."  To our surprise it seemed to work. Add a few sleeping bags, blankets, excited kids and hot chocolate and we were ready for the night. My "friend of a friend", Chelsea, captured the night in pictures.  She is very talented and artistic so I totally rely on her for photos of the event.  Here is her blog post about it.  See if you can pick out Chase (ghostbuster Ray), Karson (psychotic blood bathed lunatic of some sort) and Arlen (red devil ma...

I've gotten the urge to start "documenting" my life again. So much has happened...and I'll get to that later.  Right now, I'm sharing my first half marathon race. I had started this post in May and got extremely side tracked. Just found it as a draft so I decided to finish it off.  I still can't believe that I actually finished a half marathon and in a pretty decent time for me:) I picked up my race kit the day before the race.  Stood in line for over an hour but it was worth having my bib and chip the day before. Larrin drove me to the race.  We got there in plenty of time to find parking and get to the start line.  I found a quiet spot to calm my nerves and do some warm up and stretching.  It was really important that I stretch out my calves and hamstrings since they seem to get tight after a while of running. The start line was absolutely crazy.  I pushed my way and just got in the middle of the pack.  I had my phone with me so I texted a...