Tour de France Challenge (I know it's long but please read it all!)

In just over two weeks I will begin the 2015 edition of my Tour de France Challenge!  I am super excited to once again challenge myself to ride a portion of the epic 3 week event, but this year I am putting a different spin on this challenge...making it count!

The majority of you reading this blog know me and know that I always love to set crazy challenges for myself.   I might not always think them through fully, but I always have a great time...Ultraman Canada 2009 is one example and my favourite event I have completed!
After many years of thinking how fun it would be to try to ride every day like the guys in the Tour de France, I gave it a go last year...it was tough and I struggled and almost bailed, however, the stubborn part of my personality won out in the end and I was able to complete my goal and was overwhelmed by the support of family and friends.   It meant the world to me to have so many people supporting my challenge just because I wanted to see if I could actually do it...I knew that I would do it again in a heart beat!

Life can throw curve balls at you, good and bad, in the past year, so many things have happened to people close to me, unexpected things that are life changers, it sucks, it's not fair, it makes my heart hurt but there is nothing I can do to change these situations...but what if I could do something.  What if by me riding my bicycle I was able to make a difference to a family...a family facing one of those unfortunate life changing situations.  What if I could do something to make a bad situation a little easier.  Hell yes!!! I can't think of anything I want to do more.

Six years ago I met a man, Eon D'ornellas, who has a passion and dedication to cycling that is inspiring.  A former Olympian and pro cyclist that has built a very impressive business around his passion.  I have had the pleasure of riding in races with him and it is amazing to watch him guide, give tips and just help make the group around him ride smarter and safer.  Over the years,  I have formed a friendship with his fun and energetic daughter Lori-Ann, who is always there with a smile and a funny story to lighten your day!  This amazing family has touched my life and many others in the cycling community and beyond.  When I learned of Eon's nieces situation, I knew that I wanted to help....Below is part of Jessica's story...please take a minute to read about what Jessica is up against:

"My wife Jessica Turner has been ill for over 7 years now...we went through the many doctor appointments, emergency room visits and hospital stays it eventually turned into long term disability. She was undiagnosed for two years then got her first diagnosis of Gastroparesis which basically means her stomach is paralyzed. She then got a further diagnosis of Chronic Intestinal Pseudo-Obstruction which meant her small and large intestines were also paralyzed This turned out to be a more major and serious issue than the first diagnosis. She has not been able to eat for the past 5 years since they started treatment which is now running an IV bag at home for nutrition.... She is admitted to a downtown hospital several times per year with the longest admission so far being 3.5 months long. Her latest diagnosis last year is Epilepsy as she had a few grand mal seizures. The prognosis is not good overall and the doctors are now looking at a multi-organ transplant which will be another long haul for Jessica and our family if that comes to pass...She has a long list of medical needs as it is and not everything is covered by the government, hospitals or insurance and since she had to resign from being a nurse due to her disability we have been struggling to manage things ever since."

This year  I am dedicating my 2015 Tour de France Challenge to Jessica and her family!  I am committing myself to riding 60% of this years Tour de France (totalling 2015.08 kilometres).  I know it will be a tough 3 weeks, but in all honesty it is nothing compared to what Jessica and her family have to take on each and every day!! 
I am hoping that all of you... friends, family and friends I have yet to meet, will support me in this challenge and in turn support Jessica and her family! If you can, please make a donation to help support my challenge and her family...any little bit will make a difference!!!

Eon, Lori-Ann and Jessica 

March Mantra!

March is such a wonderful time of year...days are getting longer, the temperature is finally getting warmer and motivation levels start to rise as the snow melts away!

I have been repeating a certain mantra this month..."You get out what you put in"...these simple words have been circling through my mind as I push the pace on my runs, as I forward fold in Yoga and as I try to increase my power output on the bike.  This mantra has reminded me to focus on what I have to do in order to reach the goals that I have set for myself.  

We all set goals and many times we loose focus, readjust those goals or settle for a lesser goal...because it is easier to go through the motions, to not fully commit to the hard work, to loose momentum when the road gets rocky or maybe just go a totally different direction when you loose faith in your ability to achieve your goals.  Personally, I have done all of the above at different times in my life.  However, I have realized that I want to work towards my goals, I want to put in 100%, I don't want to hold back and I know that if I put in everything I can (sort of like depositing money in to a bank account), that I will be able to" take out" the same amount and most likely be able to take out even more (interest)!  

I know it becomes easy to think that we deserve certain things in life but, I know it is my responsibility to put as much as I can into everything that I do, whether it is my family, my spouse, my business or my athletic pursuits.  If I don't give my all to making these things the best that they can be, I can't expect them to be awesome just because I want them to be.  It takes hard work to be successful in all areas of our lives and this month I have committed to putting as much as I can into every aspect.  I am willing to give 100% to all the important things, I will work full force towards my goals!  I am excited for this mantra to help me through the rest of the month and the rest of my life...who's with me?

24 Hour Spin Challenge

UltraPossible 24 Hour Spin
 On Saturday February 7, 2015, 28 athletes from Muskoka climbed on their bikes to raise money for the Children's Foundation of Muskoka http://www.childrenofmuskoka.com.
The idea was formulated by Ashley Boone during one of our Sunday endurance spins and the idea just continued to grow and come together almost effortlessly!  With amazing support from local businesses; Oliver's Coffee, Main Street Delicatessen, Metro of Bracebridge, Zcizzorz+, Ecclestone Cycle, Gravenhurst IDA Pharmacy, The Yoga and Fitness Studio and Dornellas Bike Shop in Toronto, we were able to support all of our athletes as they challenged themselves to spin through the night!
I want to thank each and every athlete who participated in our inaugural event...the positivity and energy that filled the Studio for those 24 hours was amazing.  Honestly, you are why this event was such a success...the team spirit and hard work was inspiring!!
I am also thrilled with the amount of money we were able to raise for the Children's Foundation of Muskoka, your efforts doubled what I thought was going to be possible to fundraise!   I can't wait to see what we are able to do with the Second Annual UltraPossible 24 Hour Spin Challenge in February, 2016!!

Ready to Go!

Riding into the Night

Racing Rooster and His Chicks

Randy with the quickest transition!

Passing the time playing Heads Up!

Hard at work!

Pizza at 2am..why not!

Darren and Steve still smiling!

Chris and Marie catching some shut eye

Ashley very happy about her cookie...not so much about spinning while eating it!

Cathy recovering after her final shift!

I get knocked down...but I get up again!!

Life always finds a way to throw us curve balls...maybe it's to check to see if we are staying focused,  in the now, maybe they are meant as wake up calls or maybe they are just a way to test our inner strength, determination and resolve....whatever their true purpose, I know that it is the reaction to the situations, not the falling, that is the test, how quickly you get back up, dust yourself off and start moving towards the goal again!

Training towards my half ironman goal has shifted things in me slightly (I am excited to train, not skipping workouts, drinking more water,  sleeping more and I have more energy) I am beginning to dig deeper, pushing harder and flirting with efforts levels as I haven't in years.  I am finally running with my favourite again, something I have missed terribly.  It's great to run side by side with someone who pushes me, and rather than back off and make an excuse when he starts to pick up the pace, I push back, I dig deep, I feel my legs scream but my brain encourages me to try to match his stride and stay at his side.  I am hitting paces that I wasn't sure I would ever run again and I'm loving it!

However, life threw me a curve ball...or in this case a cracked, broken sidewalk while on vacation.  I went down pretty hard (I took a chapter out of my older sisters book and actually hit the pavement). Yes, I cried and yes, I had a few moments of worry that maybe I had re-broken my right foot but I forced myself up and started moving back towards the hotel...no use wishing I hadn't fallen...no use worrying about July.  I kept my focus on the now and taking care of what I was able to control.  I decided to not let a sprained ankle ruin my vacation.  I enjoyed a fun/scary moped ride through Playa de Carmen with a sweet little Mexican man.  I kept my ankle iced and elevated while holding down my beach chair with a drink in my hand.  We went for slow walks along the beach drinking in all the sights along the way.  I took advantage of the beautiful pool and allowed my long lost love of swimming to rekindle itself while SV headed out for his runs solo.  I refused to feel sorry for myself, it's a small injury compared to what could have happened, I have been focused on doing what I can and letting my body recover (minimizing any further injuries by pushing too hard too soon).  I'm doing all the things that I can control and not allowing myself to worry about things that I have no control over what so ever.  Truly, for the first time in my life I am 100% able to let go of that worry... maybe that is what this latest curve ball was meant to do, show me that I have truly gotten mentally stronger and I am not going to be knocked down long by anything...So bring it on!!!!

Finding my tools

Hi there!
It sure has been awhile.  I would like to say that I have had a great reason for my absence but honestly all I have for you is a bunch of excuses and none are the real reason that I haven't been keeping you up to date.  The truth is I didn't know what it was I wanted to do on this part of my journey.   I have been doing a bunch of reflecting the last few weeks, maybe it's the time  of year but I finally made a few decisions and I am happy to say that I am back!!
Since breaking my foot in 2012, I have been dealing with what has felt like endless injuries.  I didn't allow myself to plan ahead, I didn't set goals because I wasn't sure that I would be able to achieve them so rather than use my injuries to motivate myself to get better and stronger, I became comfortable with just going through the motions with no purpose.  I started looking at the training as just the balance to eating a breakfast cookie!
We all have certain "tools" in our tool box, you know those "tools" that make us who we are, the ones that help us create our path to reach our goals, the ones that make you feel strong and motivated --hard work, determination, dedication, goal setting, time management, strength in body and mind, perseverance, courage, focus, positivity, self love, etc.  I used to be great at keeping my "toolbox" tidy and uncluttered, everything in it's place and ready to use but over that last two years I have gotten careless and allowed my toolbox to become chaotic and cluttered.  I allowed self doubt, lack of focus, limited strength/injury, poor time management, poor goal setting, worry that my racing days might be over and of lack of desire, to keep me from prioritizing and found that it was becoming easier  and easier to make excuses (excuses are always easier than hard work) to not race or train.  I began feeling like I should close the lid on my toolbox rather than take the time to clean out all the useless crap and keep things tidy.  Luckily, I  talked to SV and he encouraged me to set a new challenge for myself because he knows that I will work hard towards my goals…all I have to do is take out the crap that is cluttering my toolbox!
I realized how much I miss some of my favourite "tools"…I've missed setting goals that make my butterflies take flight, I've missed working/training hard, I've missed challenging myself.  I miss the excitement of being out there on race day with the other athletes who are pushing themselves to their limits and I miss the excitement of crossing a finish line!
I have always been an athlete and I am excited to be one again…the goal has been set…I WILL complete my first Half Ironman triathlon this summer (can you believe I haven't done a half Ironman yet…two full Ironman's and Ultraman but this will be my first half!!).  I am motivated to get to the start line injury free, I am excited to race on my home course and I am pumped to be out there competing with several of my athletes.  I will do my best and I know I am going to have a blast!!!  I hope you will join me for this journey…it might not always be a smooth road but I know I have the right tools to get me through any rough patches!!!

New Challenge

I haven't done a blog post in over 6 months...how is that even possible??  Wow, time has a way of speeding by!
Things are in full swing here in Muskoka.  Triathlon season has begun and I sadly won't be doing much racing.  I have been dealing with injury for what seems like forever and although I am able to swim, bike and run...putting them together isn't going well for me.  I am doing all the steps to help the healing process and I look forward to cheering at the great local races.  However, I needed a focus... something to make me less disappointed about not racing...so I made one up myself.  I'm calling it the "Tour de France Challenge".... a test to my body and mind for the next three weeks.  The goal....to try to ride when the Tour de France bike racers ride(on the same days..not time of day...that would just be too crazy given the time zone) ...and to do 50% of their daily distance (1831.75km total).  I know it won't be easy and I know I will probably have moments of wondering why I decided to do this challenge...but those of you who know me know that I love that crazy stuff. It's my idea of fun!!
I am hoping by making this challenge public that I will stay motivated to reach my goal. I expect you all to kick me out the door (figuratively) when I don't want to go for another ride... and say "awe muffin" when I start to whine about being sore/tired. I hope that many of you will join me out on the roads during the challenge...especially any big men who would like to ride in front of me blocking all the wind!!!
I am excited to test my body and mind and hopefully all this mileage will help me in the later summer and fall for some possible racing....fingers crossed!

TdF Challenge...3 days done!

"Just a Coach"

I am a coach. Plain and simple that is what I do. I have been coaching swimming for more years than I can remember, working with triathletes and runners for 10 years and teaching Yoga for almost 9 years. (wow, seriously where has time gone?). I have had the pleasure of working with all ability levels, from very beginner to top elite athletes and every single day I am grateful to be able to do what I do. However, there was a time in my life when I let a few people make me feel that being "just a coach" was insignificant, that it wasn't a "real" job or something to be proud of. True, I will never cure cancer or solve world hunger or make the Forbes 500 list, but being a coach is a worthwhile and satisfying career. I get to go to work every day helping people. I get to watch as people get fitter, build healthier relationships with their families. I get to encourage them to make life changing goals and become role models to their friends and families. I get the joy of watching people discover that they are stronger than they think they are. I get to be the cheerleader, the ass kicker and the shoulder to lean on when they are struggling. I have helped countless people cross finish lines they never thought they would reach(Ironman/Half-Ironman, Try-a-Tri, marathons/half-marathons,5kms, etc). Anyone who has ever crossed that finish line, knows what a magical place it can be and I get to be a part of all of those magical moments. Honestly, I get goosebumps thinking of these accomplishments that I have had the honour to be involved in. Watching my athletes conquer their fears, discover new depths to their strength and determination, seeing the excitement on their faces as they do something for the first time (touching their toes, doing a handstand, reaching the top of Mt. Lemmon, run a PB, swim farther) means more to me than any benefits package that other jobs may provide. Over the years I have come to realize that while there may be people out there who think of me as "just a coach" they aren't the ones that matter...it is people that call me "their coach" that matter because they are the ones who make my job worthwhile and there is nothing on this earth that I would rather do than help people make their dreams come true!