CIBC Run For The Cure

Last year, Mike and I participated in the CIBC Run for the Cure as part of team "Mable's Milkshakes". Our good friend's mother has kicked breast cancer's a** twice now (amazing I know!), and he wanted to put together a team in her honour. She is famous for her milkshakes, so after the race we headed over to his place where his mom made us tasty milkshakes to cool off.
I had never participated in a 5km race before, and it was one of my goals for 2012, so it was a perfect way to reach that goal, because I felt as though it was for a good cause as well.
I also ran for my manager's wife Connie, who had been battling breast and then liver cancer for the better part of two years at the time. Unfortunately, Connie passed away on Easter of this year at the age of 42. She was such a generous woman, always doing things for others before herself. Her two boys were her whole life, and it has been a difficult transition for her family without her there.
This year, when our friend posted the event and team info on Facebook, I knew I would be participating again. Not only is it for a good cause, but I had a lot of fun last year, and it was so inspiring. Being a part of such a huge fundraising event, and being surrounded by other people who have been affected by breast cancer or who have survived it themselves really gives you a feeling of togetherness. It is one of those rare times in today's society where everyone is coming together. EVERYONE has been affected by cancer in one way or another. People are motivating each other to keep running,  and there are groups of people with signs cheering you on along the way.

The race takes place October 6th, and I've got some training to do to meet my race goal this year, which is to run to the 3km mark without stopping. Last year I made it to 2km, then had to walk for a few minutes each km after that. Running is my most hated type of cardio, so I'm really pushing myself to make it to 3km this year. 
You can find out more about the cause and races across the country at their website CIBC Run for the Cure.

If you would like to support myself, our team, and the cause, you can donate HERE. ANY amount is greatly appreciated!

Mable's Milkshakes 2012 Team

Expectation Backfire

 

 

I HAD to write about one of my recent horoscopes. The words were just jumping off the page at me screaming "listen up!". 

Recently, hubby and I had a serious conversation about how I've been feeling completely overwhelmed in life and he pretty much said these exact words to me. Sometime during everyday, we talk about our plans for that evening, the following day, or the next few days, so that we can plan out who is at home with the dog and what things we need to accomplish around the house. My daily list always goes something like:

-wake up early and hit the gym for an hour

-walk the dog

-make dinner

-dog training

-yoga (home practice) or gym class for an hour

-organize something, get something done around the house, run an errand, catch up on emails/banking/etc.

-make Mike's lunch

-read before bed

-bed by 10pm

The problem with this list is that a)getting out of bed at 4:45am to make it to the gym by 5am after not getting proper sleep the night before is impossible, and b)there are only about 4.5 hours after work by the time I get home before I go to bed. Dinner takes up at least an hour of that to prepare and cook, then we need to eat, and then clean up the kitchen. This brings us to about 7pm. If we are training the dog for 30 mins that night and have to drive 20 mins each way to the trainer's house, another hour is gone. Now it's after 8pm. Nowhere in my day have I just sat down and relaxed yet. So yoga or evening exercise may get thrown out the window. Maybe we'll watch a little tv instead to unwind. So by the time I go to bed, I may have already failed at crossing half the things off my daily list.

In walk those loser friends I have- disappointment, failure, anxiety, stress, and depression. All of these things lead to loss of energy, problems sleeping, lack of motivation, and loss of self-esteem.

I feel that I am either completed motivated, or not motivated at all and doing nothing. There is no in between with me, it's black and white. From the beginning of my personal revolution and clean eating journey until after my wedding I was SO motivated. I was eating clean at least 85% of the time, I was exercising (gym/yoga) 4-6 times a week, I was blogging consistently, I would take the dog on longer walks and hike more often, and I just had more energy. Now I find myself making excuses for why I am not doing these things.

I strongly believe that a large part of this "rut" stems from unhappiness in the workplace. I have wanted to change jobs for some time now (more than a year), and I am now getting serious about doing so. I am keeping my options open and working to get myself into a better position career wise.

 

Another issue I struggle with is not feeling as though I have enough in life (clothes, money, the house I want, etc). I read a great article the other day on Mind Body Green that suggested 5 simple tips to be happy when you don't have everything you want. You can read it here. Changing the mindset from quantity to quality is something I used struggle with a lot. But over the last year or two I have really simplified my life and I stopped wanting more than I need. I really liked the idea of having potlucks with friends, cleaning out my closet, and setting a non-possession-related goal. I think far too often we get caught up in the materialistic side of this life, rather than the simplistic things or connections with those around us. Having a weekly or monthly potluck with friends is a great way to have a "night out" without breaking the bank, plus you strengthen your friendships, and have a chance to catch up with one another. I've needed to REALLY clean out my closet for ages. My excuse is always that I won't have clothes to replace the ones I'm getting rid of. Needless to say I've been wearing some of the same threads for 6+ years! I have clothes I've worn once, clothes that don't fit me anymore, and clothes that I would never wear again. Time to simplify!

 

I think one of the most important things I have done in the past few months is write out a vision of what my future looks like in a few years. A friend and yogi suggested I do this to become clear about my vision for myself. Writing it out and really thinking about it was very helpful. This has set out a crystal clear path for me and what I want to accomplish in my personal and professional life. I strongly suggest that everyone take the time to write out their vision, or make a vision board of what their life looks like in a few years. Then manifest those things to happen! This has also helped me see just how many goals I set for myself, and that maybe I put too much pressure on myself to reach those goals quickly. Instead, I need to step back and really work out all the steps it will take me to reach that goal, and set a more realistic timeline for myself.

 

Prioritizing my daily/weekly/monthly/yearly tasks is going to be the biggest adjustment I can make. If I don't feel like I'm putting so much pressure on myself, I'll be able to really slow down, complete one task at a time, and actually enjoy the process.

 

Here's to slowing down, simplifying, and prioritizing (no pressure)!