Moments D523: (Smiling) Bad Ass Chick

Wow.  What an incredible journey today was.  Today was Tough Mudder day.  I barely slept last night I was so darn excited by today's event!

Tough Mudder's female participants are lovingly known as "Bad Ass Chicks"  (BAC).  Today I joined their ranks, along with a team of 5 other participants (one of which was another female).  My day started at 4:30 am and EQ, Heini, and I were on the road by 5:30 am.  We made it to registration on time as did the other BAC on my team.  The boys?  Well, they were late.  So we started our race later than we had been slotted for.  (Not a big deal, but imagine the flood of adrenaline while you wait another hour before starting your big adventure race! We just ended up with a lot more time for team pictures.)

By 10am, we were off and running up "Gentle Ben" a green ski run at Mount St. Louis Moonstone.  It was a perfect day to run the Tough Mudder.  Sunny and warm, but not too hot (20-22 degrees).  By 3pm we were crossing through Electro-Shock Therapy and the finish line.  Five gruelling hours of going up and down the hills of Mount St. Louis Moonstone and defeating the 24 official obstacles.  (Of course, there were a couple others tossed in there for good measure; then again doing the mud mile twice was kinda fun!!)

And what did I learn?  What was my moment of the day?  Such a challenging question to answer because there were so many moments.  Like conquering the Funky Monkey and (apparently) making it look easy.  Like my Dad becoming "Team Dad" because he always found us after our runs at the next obstacle offering to take our camel backs and giving us insight on how to best tackle the obstacle.  Like my best friends being on site and sharing out to the rest of the world just where in the race my team and I were.  Like teasing my Mom that I was going to give her a big 'ol muddy hug!  So MANY moments that brought a smile.

What I learned:  My endurance and strength were worthy of this challenge. What I wasn't ready for, were the hills.  In the end, my biggest personal challenge was conquering the hills. I struggled because starting late meant that my well thought out meal pre-race was not enough.  (I should have had more food/energy before we started!)  My calves were not ready for that consistent hill angle for, 3 of the of 5 hours.   I had cramping calves within the first 2 hours of our adventure.  I dug deep and pushed through the pain and kept moving forward. One step at a time.  And, as in life, one step at a time got me to the finish line.

But today's best moment, came when I was in the hot shower on my own.  As I watched the mud and twigs wash out of my hair, I reflected upon the day's camaraderie, tackling fears, pushing through the pain and obstacles.  What I realized is that I did this crazy event without (too) much turmoil (though I can admit that jumping into the Arctic Enema took a moment to build up the courage!).  And, most importantly, for me, I had a smile upon my face the entire time. (The (many!) photos don't lie!)  The question becomes, "Can I be a really be a Bad Ass Chick if I'm smiling through the entire course?"  Hmmmm.  Debatable!

Bottom line, I loved how our team came together and supported one another.  No man (or BAC) left behind and we all have the scraps and bruises to prove it.  Next year, I'll own those damn hills!  (and maybe I'll scowl and growl a little more!)

And, while I'm at it, a HUGE shout out to my support system.  Mom, Dad, EQ, Heini, BFF,  and all those that were unable to make it to the hills to watch.  I knew I was surrounded by support.  Training to get here, running the course (safely) and dealing with the scrapes, bruises and pains post adventure.  Thank you for all the love.

Moments bonding with a new team and digging deep.

Moments smiling and sharing the excitement with one's support system.

Moments D522: I won't need pants!

Yes.  Those were the words that came out of my mouth.  In the middle of my office, with all ears listening.

What a funny moment that ensued.  There were deep belly laughs and tears all around.

But let me back up and set the scene.

Recall, that my department and I are currently sharing a smaller office space due to a fire earlier this year.  On some levels it's brought us closer as a team even if we have lost some of our privacy and possibly productivity due to distractions.  The point, at 9:15 am, we're all in the office, not quite deep into work and everyone is paying attention to the chatter.

As Mr. B passed through with his tea, he commented on just how beautiful the morning was.  He's right.  It was a beautiful fall morning.  Sunny and about 15 degrees Celsius.   If tomorrow is like this it would be perfect to run the Tough Mudder.

I agreed with him out loud.  And then I added, very enthusiastically, "If tomorrow is going to be like this, I got this!  I won't need pants either!"  The office paused, quieted and then burst into deep belly laughter about the thought of me running my race without any pants on.

A little stunned, I quickly added, "...shorts.  Of course I'll have shorts on instead!"  Of course by then it was too late.  We were all lost to the laughter.

To me it made perfect sense.  We had been talking earlier this week about pants v.s. shorts for the race.  But, that's not what they heard this morning.   Perhaps I needed to finish my coffee before engaging in conversation!

Just a reminder of how much fun my team is.

Moments streaming words without thinking too deeply.

Moments being centre stage as the source of good deep belly laughter.

Moments D490: Support and Love

Today I met up with a special co-worker that recently left the company for lunch.  She and I worked together for nearly 12 years.  This lovely woman was always very prim and proper in the office, but once you got her outside the office walls, her silly side, her funny side, and her sarcastic side radiated through.  

Though she's only been gone a couple of months, I've missed her terribly.  She and I worked so well and so easily together.  She was like an extension of my brain!  Top that off with the fact that she is incredibly funny and I was very happy to be reconnecting with her for lunch. 

Unexpectedly, while at lunch my ex-coworker, offered me $50 to donate towards my coming Tough Mudder adventure in September.  Tough Mudder is known for supporting Wounded Warrior Project.  Part of the reason I jumped on board, was this fact.  Tough Mudder has proudly raised over $5 million to support thousands of warriors returning from the battlefield. I wanted to be a part of that.  (My grandfather was a vet. This is my small way of thanking him and all those that fight for our freedoms.)

What an incredible moment that was as we discussed the obstacle course and why I was running it.  (Yes, it is a hardcore 10-12 mile obstacle courses designed by British Special Forces, with, apparently, some of the toughest obstacles courses out there!)

My ex-co-worker was very happy to help me help those returning from the battlefield.  She too felt it was a great cause, and with a humourous twinkle in her eye, she was also eager to remind me that I was a little crazy to participate.  We laughed, and I shared my appreciation for her donation.  I am very grateful for any and all donations as every little bit makes a difference.

And then, she bought me lunch and sent me back to the office with treats for the rest of the department.  Yes, I think she misses some of us!

A moment to remind me that my stamina, mental grit, camaraderie and all around strength will be tested to the limit with my team mates.

Most importantly, this moment, is dedicated to our warriors.  To supporting those that fight for our freedoms.  

Moments D456: Bruises

Today I did some research on how to deal with major bruises.  Why?  Well, that's because I managed to bruise not one, but BOTH my ankles in the baseball tournament this past weekend.  (They really aren't pretty!  Here's a picture of them today, 4 days later!)

My right ankle is most certainly a "flesh wound" as I know the softball hit smack on my calf muscle. Unfortunately for my left ankle, it's not so simple.  I took a hard bouncing grounder directly off my ankle joint/bone.  I swear I felt my ankle shift when it hit.  When it first happened, my ankle went numb and I couldn't put much pressure on it.  Within a few minutes I was back up and playing the rest of the game.  (And no, I didn't quite make the play out at first, though I did stop the ball and they didn't take 2nd base!)

Now, I'm pretty sure that I simply have severe bruising. My BFF and EQ don't necessarily have the same confidence that I do about it.  On top of their concerns, I'm thinking about the Tough Mudder event that I'm training for come the end of September in the back of my mind.  I certainly want to make sure that my ankles are going to be okay to train on and push hard come September.  And so, with the gentle pushing from my BFF and EQ, I headed to see a doctor tonight about my left ankle which took the worst blow.  The doctor agreed with my BFF & EQ:  I need an x-ray on my left ankle.  Stay tuned!  My x-ray is first thing tomorrow morning!

In the meantime I did a little digging on how to help huge bruises cycle through quickly.  I found this website that was definitely helpful on how to get rid of bruises.  (And yes, I had a good giggle about using a leech, after all, I have a bucket full of leeches beneath my sink for just such an occasion!)  So far, I've been doing what I can to help the bruises break up and dissipate.  I even had my ankles in the sun today at lunch as I had a quick chat with EQ.

Interestingly, I was told today by Hawk that maybe it was a bruised bone, not a fracture.  She, unlike BFF & EQ thought I was jumping the gun on an x-ray.   Later, I was told by EQ that bones can't bruise. As someone who has managed to avoid serious injury most of her life, I really didn't know one way or the other. Confused and ready to find out I did a little digging on the subject.  The short of it, you really can bruise your bones.  

Basically a bone is bruised from a forceful impact (sports, accident or direct hit) that isn't strong enough to break or fracture the bone.  Treatment:  rest, support, and protect the injured bone and apply conventional treatments for trauma.

So, today, I learned something new.  How to deal with large bruises and that you really can bruise your bones.

Moments considering your options.

Moments realizing it's better to get answers instead of guesses.  

Moments D435: Patience a Virtue

Today was a travel day.  Sure, the morning was calm and relaxed, but we hit the airport mid-afternoon, my flight out wasn't until 9pm and EQ left at 3.  I had a good long time to sit around and wait.  And wait I did as my flight was 30 minute delayed as well.  What a long day.

But as I sat in the airport and watched people come and go, I realized that this too wasn't so bad for me.  Patience is a good thing to dig deep for sometimes and being in a busy airport for four hours without wi-fi was a challenge!  I did some of my school readings, I organized my photos on my laptop and cleaned up old ones from my phone.  At no point in the waiting game did I feel like I was waiting.  I kept myself very busy, and quite productive.  I even met a gentleman who had just finished a Tough Mudder race earlier that weekend.  It made me anxious and excited for my own race this coming September.

I could have been grumpy about my wait times, but what's the point?  Why bring myself down just because of the location I was in.  Had I managed to get home sooner I would have been busy unpacking and doing homework anyway.  In fact, in this case, perhaps it was better that I was in the airport as going through old photos would never have been accomplished at home.  In the airport, it was a priority.  At home; not so much!

Today's moment, being patient without realizing you were being patient.  Six hours flew by.  As did my car ride home getting me in very late (3am).  Funny how perspective on your life and things that matter changes one's ability to dig a little deeper for patience.  Having recently jumped out of a plane, met a handful of interesting, positive and vibrant people, I am further inspired to dig deeper to share my light with those around me.  Six hours?  Who's counting.

Moments finding patience.
Moments realizing it doesn't matter and stuff is getting done.