A Tale of 2 Cities

This tale begins on Twitter. Didn't know that Twitter could tell a tale, did you? :)

It started here - keep in mind that I am a brat and I just can't help myself when a challenge seems imminent. 

William Choy is Mayor of Stony Plain. His tweet on April 21st made note of the trail system in Stony and the fact that (his opinion) it is #alwaysbetterinstony. WELL! Being a Spruce Grovian myself, I could not let that pass. :D I quickly responded that the Spruce Grove Heritage trail wasn't half bad and that perhaps a side by side comparison was in order. @wchoy74 responded that he was happy that Spruce Grove was so nice but that it is #alwaysbetterinstony. Hmmmmm, out came my thinking cap and I offered a challenge - Donate to my ride and I would come over to Stony, ride the trails, and write it up (Fits in with "I'll do (almost) Anything for a Donation").

Would you believe it? William Choy did donate to my fundraiser! And true to my word I rode the trails of Stony Plain and here is my tale:

Tuesday, April 29th, 5pm. I'm not familiar with the trail system in Stony Plain and so I've asked a friend to point me in the right direction. His recommendation is that I enter the St. Andrews Neighborhood and access the trail system there, across from the baseball diamonds. I knew the general area and after some conferring whilst standing outside the office building, I felt confident that I could find the start that I was looking for. Bike loaded, gear on (always wear a helmet, kids!), and water bottle filled, I headed South/West into Stony. Locating the trail head, I was pleased that it was situated directly next to a park, complete with small dirt parking area. Bonus! In Spruce I ride out of my front door and so have no need for parking so it was a pleasant surprise to find it so readily available in Stony and right were I needed it. I unloaded the bike and hit the trail (see below)

And so it begins...

While I live in Spruce, I work in Stony but have had little opportunity to explore the town. Today was my chance. I headed South on the trail, noticing straight off how very friendly everyone was. The trails were busy on this beautiful day and everyone, young and older than young, had a pleasant smile and "hello" for me as I zipped by. :D I was enjoying this already!

Things I noticed along the way;

1. The trials run along a water way and while it may be only a "ditch" for spring run off, I do love the sound of running water. There were also several interesting bridges crossing this water at intervals and painted in various colors. Very picturesque.

2. The trail crossed a few too many roadways for my liking. That being said, I was riding "blind" without knowing where the trail may lead and in all fairness, not really sure where I was going. I'll be heading back to Stony for future rides & will be armed with a map of the trials.

3. I got lost - or rather, I lost the trial. I was riding to see where I could go but when I got to the school (St. John Paul) at the south end of town, I simply lost the trial. It was gone, vanished in a parking lot. I rode around a bit to the west, thought I picked up the trail again, and then found myself coming around to the Multicultural Center. At least I knew were I was at that point and headed back the way I had come, all the way back to start - or nearly so.

4. My tires are not made for off roading. While zipping along a narrow offshoot of the trail, close to the golf course, I slipped off the track and scared the bazeebees out of myself. No fault of Stony Plain, just an early spring ride and my own inexperience with road slicks on slippery leaves. :) Onward!

5. Once I did locate the trail south of Stony (South/East of the aforementioned school), the ride was B-E-A-U-tiful! I stuck to the green lined track so as not to get lost but later realized I didn't have anything to worry about - the track that wasn't green lined just dipped in and out of neighborhoods. The ride through the wood was wonderful. My favorite type of ride, away from traffic (cars) and through nature. Popping out onto 628 I road past the prettiest part of my ride (I have a thing for trees, stone walls, etc):

Conclusion: I enjoyed my ride and will be back to Stony Plain to ride again as I don't believe that I have seen it all and am not yet armed to make a fair comparison of the 2 trail systems. Lucky you, there will be future reports!

Stay tuned and in the meantime, enjoy the map of my ride - 23 km! The loop to the left of 779 is where I was while I was lost. ;)

Books & Their Covers

Don't judge a book by its cover.

or

You can't judge a book by its cover.

or

You shouldn't judge a book by its cover.

What is all this about books and covers, you ask? It's something to think about. Something I've been thinking a lot about for the past several months (maybe even for the past couple of years).

Let me ask - would you walk into a book store, pick up a book, look at the cover (not read the synopsis, just look at the cover), guess how much the book weighs, note the color(s) on the cover and of the pages and then make a decision on whether to read the book based solely on the physical attributes of the book? How can you when you don't know what the book is about? Or what the book is capable of teaching you? Or where the book will lead you?

You can't.

My Bike Made Me Do It

I was minding my own business when, out of nowhere, my bike jumped me and pinned me down.

I admit that I haven't ridden since that day in September when Gwen and I took a 2.5 hour ride on a beautiful sunny day but I had no idea that my bike has been scheming ever since. Apparently she's been thinking about the Enbridge Ride to Conquer Cancer since we had finished the ride in August and was eager to sign up again. And so, she committed an act of bike mutiny; Jumping me when I wasn't looking, pinning me down, and giving me a very stern talk on the merits of riding again in 2014.

While she didn't go as far as poking me with her spokes or lashing me with her chain (thank goodness because man, is it greasy!) I guess I can say she was persuasive as here I am - signed up again.

And so that leads to you. Before my mutinous bike can make the rounds of last year's donors, won't you head her off and make your donation today? The goal this year is $10,000.

See you on the ROAD!

Mt. Jefferson

Trip report - Mt. Jefferson - Coos County, New Hampshire - Saturday July 27th
Elevation:  5,712 ft (1,741 m)
Trail: Castle Trail (from Route 2)
Distance: 10 Miles Round Trip
Time: 10 hours (8am - 6pm)
Hiking Partner: The Super Amazing Miss Julie Smith!

You know you are going to have a fantastic hiking day when you find something as cool as this on the way to the mountain...

The day started at 4:45am. I'd packed the night before: Camelbak (complete with nutrient sludge), poles, headlamp, compass, extra layers, rain gear, map, spare socks, snacks (energy bar, foil packed tuna, apple, orange, 2 Luna bars, dark chocolate!), and spare water bottle (full and frozen).  I grabbed my pack, hiking boots & poles, and my after hike clothing and hit the road. Dover, NH to the trail head is about a 2.5 hour drive. With an 8am meeting time, I was on my way by 5:30. Having posted my hiking intentions over a month ago, I was lucky enough to schedule the day with Julie Smith, a kayaking friend. If you've ever had the good fortune to paddle or hike with Julie, you'll understand when I say that she is the perfect trip leader. Julie knows her stuff, plans ahead, and has the patience of a saint. No kidding. You try leading 8 crazy kayakers down the Kennebec Gorge at high level during a dam release... Just saying.

Arriving just at 8, I met up with Julie, we geared up and headed off. I was not familiar with this mountain and had reached out to a friend for suggestions on trails. I took half of his suggestion and chose the Castle Trail. We decided to hike both up and down on this trail rather than looping off on several other possibilities.

The day was overcast and I was concerned that we might not make the summit as Julie & I had agreed that rain, fog, or extreme wind would cancel.  I mentally crossed my fingers that the day would clear.

The first part of the hike is through a field, under the high-voltage lines, and into the forest. Fairly quickly you reach a stream that you'll need to cross to continue on up the mountain. The water level was low but still covering most of the rocks so we took our time picking a crossing a bit upstream & the poles were a great help. After the crossing we were fully under tree cover and hiking a decently wide path, well cleared, and only a mild incline for the first mile or so in. And then....

Only 3.7 Miles to Go!

The trail became steeper and composed of rocks and roots which often formed steps in the hillside. Some natural, some man made. Now, I don't wear a watch and my cell phone was tucked away for the trek so I'm not sure how long we hiked up and up and up but it was at least an hour of fairly steep, breathing hard, heart pounding in my ears, hiking. And I was loving every second of it!!! All I could think of was how far I had come (figuratively) since November. I couldn't help but grin.

We stayed under tree cover as the trail flattened out for a good long stretch (Mt. Jefferson is a sneaky mountain, lulling you into a false sense that it will be an easy hike) and the sun began to peek through the clouds. All the while I could hear the stream babbling along on our left. Little did I know what the mountain still had in store as the trail took another upward turn and we headed for The Castles which give this trail its name.

As we hiked higher, the trees became shorter and shorter. Approaching The Castles, it looks as though you are nearing the peak of the mountain and have only a short distance to go. How wrong I was (but more on that later)! A few small scrambles over fairly large boulders and a steep, root grabbing, scrabbling climb later, we reached the first Castle.   See below.

Looking Up at The Castles

Stopping to take a couple of pictures, I couldn't believe where we had come from. Though the mountains to our left were still shrouded in clouds, the path we had traveled was clear behind us. The long flat section, of the trail that we had hiked, crossed the mound you see below. We had come from the far side of that mound!

Looking Back from the First Castle

The view to the left was not so promising as the clouds still menaced the tops of the mountains to the left. I'll admit that I was concerned about making it to the summit at this point.

After our picture break we began tackling The Castles. Up, over, through, over, scramble, crawl, is pretty much how it works through this section of trail. The Castles are comprised of HUGE boulders that push up out of the ridge of the mountain and the trail goes from Castle to Castle (and through them). Here are a couple of shots as we went:

Julie Picking the Route

 Here is where Mt. Jefferson really starts its trickery: once you complete the castles, you see that you are not, in fact, at the summit but are faced with the scene below. Okay, I wasn't ready for this hike to be over anyway! I remember pointing to what looks like the summit and asking Julie "Is THAT where we are going?". She confirmed that it was. What I should have asked is "Is that the summit". :) Feeling a theme here? Tricky mountain!

Looking Up Past The Castles Towards What Appears to be the Summit

The sky continued to clear as we ascended, affording us some amazing views of the valleys below. As we climbed, we discussed the challenge this hike afforded. There is something for everyone here: Steep inclines, scrambles, scrabbles (I differentiate scrambles as going over boulders with fairly easy hand/foot holds and scrabbles as steep, root grabbing climbs where you may very well slide back down to where you started and then some), and amazing views (see exhibits 1 & 2 directly below).

Exhibit 1: Oh the views!

Exhibit 2: Clearing clouds

 One of the interesting parts of this hike is that once you get past The Castles, you encounter a series of lawns and granite boulder fields. There is no going around the boulder fields, they spread out across the mountainside. So over we went. Fortunately there are cairns to guide you as you hop from rock to rock in the general direction of the summit. Each boulder field is an uphill climb that finishes with a small dip into a lawn of scrubby grass and alpine flora. And then onto the next boulder field. I was more than thankful to have my poles during these climbs. If memory serves, there were 3 sets of boulder fields and lawns to climb/cross before the final ascent to the summit.

The above is looking up towards the start of a boulder field. The path heads to the right of this picture and the boulder field is not the deceiving little strip of rocks that it looks like. You could easily spend 10 - 15 minutes traversing a field before you came to lawn again.

Finally reaching the summit, I found Julie and the sun waiting for me. Julie was kind enough to "save" the highest point for me and I climbed up with joy. I was standing on top of the world! This was a personal best. The tallest mountain I had ever climbed, the longest hike I had ever participated in. It was an amazing feeling that is nearly beyond words and the views went on forever! Gorgeous George was in full view in all his glory, Great Gulch and all! It looked as though you could just walk across in a few minutes (as I wish was the case!).

After a bite to eat and about half an hour of soaking up the sun & taking photos, we were ready to head down. What a completely fantastical and amazing day! Thank you to Julie for the wonderful company and to Mother Nature for bringing on the sunshine!

The rest of the photos are here. 

Session 3 - Week 1

Just wrapped up recovery week on Sunday and am now back at training. This session (at The Boxing Club) will run just over 7 weeks. I'll be continuing TRX Suspension Training, adding 2 weight training days, and continuing to bike, bike, and bike in preparation for the August 10th & 11th Enbridge Ride to Conquer Cancer.

Week 1 is now complete and it looked like this!

Sunday July 7th -The final day of recovery week. Much lounging around the house and watching of movies occurred (aka: slug mode).

Monday July 8th - First day of weight training with the lovely Miss Ashley "Crunchy Frogs". I hour of hardcore weights - quads, hammies, abs (yeah, I asked for it so she gave it to me), more quads, and some arms. Spent an hour or more vacuuming the shop at work this day too - you might think that vacuuming isn't much of a workout. I'm here to tell you that it is! Ever seen "the shop"? It's a BIG shop.

Tuesday July 9th - Mowed the lawn and did some gardening.

Wednesday July 10th - Take 2 on weight training. 1 hour of the baby muscles - all of those little bitty muscles that you don't usually realize exist until you make them work. Yeah, those. :D Arms, hip flexors, calves, shins, triceps, biceps and whatever else I am forgetting due to muscle tiredness. Also spent an hour mowing the lawn and my neighbor's lawn (he loans me the lawn mower, the least I could do is mow his lawn).

Thursday July 11th - TRX with Heather (Miss Sheila is away for the month learning to instruct YOGA) - Compound exercise night - 1 hour of Squat/Rows, I/Y flies, Chest Press/Tricep Curls, Single Leg Lunges, Sun Salutation Lunges, Drop Burpies, Suspended Planks, Hamstring Curls, and so much  more. Ouch, Ow, Owie! Headed home for some light gardening as I welcomed 6 eggplant plants and 2 new perennials to my garden patch.

Friday July 12th - Rest and Relaxation

Saturday July 13th - Biking, what else!

Journeys 3

An update to the April 12th and May 15th entries:

This week marks my 32nd week of nutritional changes, 23rd week of fitness training, and 15th week of bike specific training.

I have less than 2 weeks remaining to prepare for the Enbridge Ride to Conquor Cancer - a 200 KM (125 Mile) 2-day ride from Calgary, Alberta to Okotoks and back.

32 weeks ago I started a journey to change my nutritional lifestyle. For those wondering what "nutritional lifestyle" means, it means changing your eating habits for good, forever, for always. Sure you can have food now and again that isn't good for you but, for the most part, you don't because you learn to care about what you are eating and the health and well being of your body. I gave up processed sugar (straight sugar, added sugar, fake sugar) months ago and have found that my body doesn't like when I consume anything with added sugar these days. It tends to revolt and let me know how very unhappy it is with any sugary choice I make. I never want to get used to eating sugar again!

23 weeks ago I started a journey to change my health and fitness. I joined a couple of classes at a local gym and have been working hard to overcome my own mental blocks. I've been setting micro goals for myself during my TRX and Butt & Gutt Classes so that I can continue to improve and challenge myself. Sure, it would be easy to sit back just do what the instructor says or continue at the same level week after week but where is the benefit to that? My challenges to myself for this 12 week session:
1. Do Burpies with a pushup - every time. I want to be able to do pushups. I don't know why I am obsessed with pushups but I am so this is a way to improve my ability.
2. Do all of the suspended exercises in TRX - this is harder than it sounds because when I started TRX 23 weeks ago, I had a lower back injury. The first session I spent stretching and strengthening my back, often modifying the suspended exercises so that I could get through them. This session, I am attempting them all; suspended planks, suspended side planks (my current nemesis), suspended crunches, suspended mountain climbers, suspended... you get the picture. While I can't always complete the full 30-45 seconds of each exercise, they each get my full effort and I can see improvement.
3. Do more reps, more quickly of each exercise.
4. Take a harder angle or modification for each exercise; ie - push myself harder.
It's paying off in improved strength, flexibility, and fitness.  

15 weeks ago I started my cycling journey. When I had last updated my journeys a month ago, I was still of the mindset that maybe I couldn't ride 2 big days in a row. Looking back, I realize that I set my goal low: 3 hours Sat, 5 hours Sun. I was afraid that I couldn't do 2 big days and I was giving myself an out - a way to give in. Fortunately I didn't take that out and I ended up riding 4.5 hours each day for a total of 90 miles (150 km). Now, I don't even consider riding less than 70 km (40 miles) on a weekend day. I've logged some pretty big hills (massive hill & rolling hill - of death) along the way and am now only 9 days from the biggest ride of my life (so far). I can't wait to take on this next challenge. I know I can do it. Stay tuned for pix and posts from the ride! Calgary & Okotoks, here I come!

Micro Goals, Mini Goals, Macro Goals

This post was inspired by Lyz(y) and all of my friends who have asked: "How are you doing it?".

If you don't know what "it" is, you should read this first. And be warned, this is a loooooong post. But then again, setting goals and sticking to them is a big thing.

"It" all started with a very fuzzy thought:

 I'm going to take control of my life, health, nutrition, weight, and fitness. I'm going to get back into shape. I am going to eat better. I am going to lose weight.  

The above was a wish, a hope, a dream but it wasn't yet a goal. This is important because in order to create a goal, to achieve something, you need a specific, attainable, actionable, measurable item. That is when the thought becomes a goal and you are on your way!

As the title suggests, there are various sizes to goals. A Macro goal being the largest - the end result goal(s). Mini goals come next, they are smaller chunks  of the Macro goal. And then there are Micro goals. Think of them as baby steps. Baby stepping to the Mini and Macro goals (thanks, Bob and FMM)!

So let's turn my wishes, hopes, and dreams into goals:

1. I'm going to lose weight. Okay, big sit down with self, looking self in the eyes and asking self... how much weight? You've got to have a number to make this work. My self looked right back at me and said: 163 pounds (Give or take 5lb as I hadn't been on a scale since June and this was November. We'll address scale-phobia later...).  Great! Now I've got a Macro goal that needs a plan. HOW am I going to achieve this goal?

A. I am going to change my eating habits (another hope that needs to be turned into a goal - more on this later).
B. I am going to walk the dog for 1 hour a day, 2 days a week, every week - an actual actionable, achievable, measurable item!
C. Every time I go to the store, bank, etc., I'm going to park the car as far from the entrance as feasible and walk to the door - another measurable, item!
D. I am going to research exercise and understand how many calories are burned during different types of exercise. - an actionable item!
E. I am going to increase my exercise level as I become stronger, fitter, more capable - more of a hope than a goal unless you add an actual time frame so that you are increasing on a schedule.  It is actionable but you need to have a HOW to make it work (sometimes even plans need plans!).

Now for the Mini and Micro goals to this Macro goal. The reason I started looking at this in smaller terms is that the total was too overwhelming for me. I couldn't even think about it without being taken over by self-defeating, paralyzing trepidation. A healthy weight loss average is 1 to 2.5 lb per week. Even losing 2.5 (the max) every week, week after week after week after week (see where I am going with this?), I could see that it was going to take me at least 65 weeks to reach my goal. MORE THAN A YEAR! That thought in itself was deflating. Yes, the end result is worth the time and effort but there was no reason to defeat myself before I got started.

Okay, how to handle this? Another sit down with myself and I decided to look at my goal in pieces. My Mini goals would be to lose the weight in 10 pound increments. Even this can be pretty daunting as it can take 4-10 weeks to reach this goal IF I lose the safe average. I needed even smaller goals, that I could achieve and celebrate (NEVER with a food reward) to stay motivated, so I broke my Mini goals down into Micro goals. Starting at 278, my first Micro goal was to get to 275. A tiny little 3 lb goal that I could reach in a couple of weeks. After that, I'd work towards the round number: 270. This Micro goal is slightly more than the first at 5lbs - but still less scary than 10lbs. Then, the next Micro goal: lose the last 2 pounds needed to reach the Mini goal! So each Mini goal is comprised of 3 Micro goals. And by concentrating on the Micro goals, the Mini goals JUST HAPPENED BY THEMSELVES! *BIG GRINS*. Where do I go from here? Repeat the cycle of Micro goals, of course! Next up, 265! As of today, 19 Micro goals later, I'm at 215lbs and headed south to 210.

Now you didn't think I did this all with just walking the dog and parking further away from the door did you? Nope, there is way more to it than that. Remember that eating hope from above? Yup, time to address it! (And after that is addressed, next comes increased activity/exercise goals from the above list.) Throughout my life I've been a researcher of healthful eating practices. In the 90's it was through "health" magazines, through the 00's and 10's it has been through the internet. For over 25 years I've learned a lot about nutrition, fads, diets, etc and the one thing that has stood out the most is that healthful eating is not a short term change that you do just to lose the weight. This is a lifestyle change that must be committed to 100% and then stuck to for life. So let's look at how I made this commitment. Remember, achievable, measurable, and actionable items are key here.

2. I am going to change my eating habits. Time to decide HOW to change my eating habits so that this can become a real goal and not just a wish.

A. I am going to eliminate processed sugar from my diet (the white stuff, the brown stuff, the stuff hiding in many packaged products, the fake stuff, all of it).  - An actionable item!
B. I am going to eliminate empty calories from my diet.  - An actionable item!

I covered Empty Calories in the Journeys Too post but as a recap:
In my book empty calorie foods are foods that have nothing in them but calories from sugar/carbs, and/or fats and not much else. No nutrients, vitamins, minerals - nothing that is actually naturally occurring in the ingredients of the "food". This includes enriched foods. If you can't get the nutrients from the ingredients because they have been processed out, what on earth is being added to make up for that?

C. I am going to count my calories - every. single. one.  - An actionable item! (I recommend www.caloriecount.com or the iphone app Calorie Count - same program, different format. Or Livestrong's My Plate website or app).
D. I am going to learn just how many calories I need everyday and formulate an eating plan based on those calories.  - an actionable item!
E. I am going to plan and cook all of my own meals - not eat out and not buy meals or snacks on the run (this is actually way easier than you might think). - An actionable item!
F. I am going to eat 3 regular meals a day with a morning and afternoon snack. - An actionable item!

Making a major lifestyle change when it comes to eating habits is not easy. I was used to eating convenience foods. I'd always loved to cook but had gotten out of the habit of cooking. I'd become more of a "just throw a few things together and call it a meal" eater. Granted those things would usually be fairly nutritional foods (carrots, cheese sticks, nuts, dried fruits, yogurt, fruits and veggies, a sandwich, soup, etc) but I had no problem calling a bag of chips dinner either. Time to change that.

First off,  I needed to start eating breakfast. Breakfast and I had been enemies for many years. I never really felt like eating breakfast. I wasn't usually hungry when I woke up. Sometimes my stomach just didn't feel like it could handle breakfast (with a bag of chips for dinner, who could blame it!). I still didn't really feel like eating in the morning so I packed my breakfast and morning snack to take to work with me. Yogurt with cereal and a banana. I wasn't eating until at least 9am but it was better than skipping breakfast. This would change as I became more active. I now wake up by 6am and am pretty well "starving" for breakfast!

One way to manage the food you are consuming while making planning easy is to have the same breakfasts, snacks, and lunches for a week. I go a step further and have the same dinners for 7 days straight. I cook everything on the weekend, pack it up and I'm ready to go. This weeks menu:
Breakfast - 1 scrambled egg, 1/2 cup milk
Snack - a green apple, 2 tbsp pumpkin seeds
Lunch - 1 can light tuna in water with 1 tbsp mayo, 1/2 cup milk
Snack - 1 small avocado or 1 cup red peppers and cauliflower, a smoothie (recipes here)
Dinner - 1.5-2 cups homemade kitchen sink chili
12+ cups of water throughout the day, 1 cup of coffee and 1+ cups of tea
I occasionally mix up the snacks but the format doesn't change. I don't have to think too hard about what to have. I have the snacks with me at work so when I am hungry, I eat. I'm never at the point where I feel like I am starving, and this is so less stressful than worrying about what to eat. I've checked out these foods. I know that if I eat the above, I'll consume ~1700 calories in a day. Adding in protein powder and electrolytes on workout days brings the total to ~1900, and bike days where I ride 45+ miles, I'll add in enough supplements to bring my intake to nearly 3000 as I am expending at least 1200 calories just in biking alone.

The second change was cutting out the sugars. Right after Christmas... I gave them up. Poof! Gone. No soda, no sugar in my coffee or tea, no foods with added sugars. After a couple of days I didn't miss it and now, if I do have a bite of something with sugar added, it tastes overly sweet and generally gives me an upset stomach. I than picked Lent to give up processed foods. I wasn't eating many by this time, down to whole grain breads, cereals, and some pasta. I cut them all out. I was eating only whole foods now. I replaced the processed grains with Quinoa, Brown Rice, Barley and am still searching for more whole grains (non-wheat because it upsets my system) to assure that I am getting a good balance of healthy carbs in my diet.

Okay, now that we know the basics of how I did/am doing it, remember: When making changes, start slowly. Pick a change that you KNOW 100% that you can make and then stick to. Once you have that change down for 2 weeks, make the next change. This is a lifestyle change, not a temporary fix. YOU CAN DO IT!

As this is such a big topic, I'll write on it again soon and add some links, breaking down some of this stuff further. Good luck! 

The Ride Update

Here are the stats as of June 5, 2013:

Date of Ride: June 22nd & 23rd, 2013

Distance: 200 KM (125 Miles)

Location: Calgary, Alberta to Okotokes, Alberta - AND BACK!

Donation Link: http://www.conquercancer.ca/goto/nhkayakgirl

Fundraising required to ride: $2,500.00

Money raised to date: $3,195.00

Personal fundraising goal: $5,000.00

Donations needed to reach personal goal: $1,805.00

Days left for fundraising: 17

Dollar amount needed per day to make Personal Goal:  $106.18

Dollars that I have personally donated towards my goal: $120.00

Dollars that I have personally spent on training, nutrition, & equipment to date: $2,000.00+

The Challenge to you: Become one of my sponsors by donating towards my goal.

 

If you have already donated, THANK YOU! What else can you do to help? Please consider sharing my quest with a friend and asking them to donate. Copy and paste this link on your facebook page or email it to your friends. http://gurlandbike.blogspot.com  

 

Every little bit helps and it goes towards a great cause. Funds raised in The Enbridge Ride to Conquer Cancer will support breakthrough research, exemplary teaching, and compassionate care at the Alberta Cancer Foundation, a leader in cancer research and treatment.

 

Now, the training update: I've started week 9 in my second 12 week fitness training program at The Boxing Club of Spruce Grove. This training consists of 3 hours a week of intense core, leg, & butt work through both TRX Suspension Training and Butt & Gutt class.  I love it and plan on continuing with this program even after the ride. On top of this I typically ride 5-10 hours each weekend to log 75-150 km (45-90 miles). While I won't log as many miles per week after the ride, I will enjoy a 1-2 hour ride several days per week. I've also included some hiking in my training program as it is always fun to mix it up a bit and I'm planning on doing a lot more after I wrap up the ride. Can't wait to hit the BIG "hills". ;)

The bike update: I'm riding my 1992 Specialized Cross Roads in this event. Look for me on the red bike with gold trim. You'll be able to pick me out from the crowd as I've got straight handlebars like a mountain bike and flashy new street racing tires with blue stripes on each side. Oh, they stand out! First ride on the new tires takes place this week. Speaking of new... I'm biting the bullet and going with clip in pedals and shoes. I'M TERRIFIED! I've ridden bikes since I was a kid and I have always opted not to use the pedal baskets or shoe clips because I am not known for my grace and balance. I just KNOW that I will be the one that falls over on her bike.. Uh, huh! That will be me, tangled up in the bike, shoes still clipped in, and going nowhere fast. :)

Something fun! Record and send me a video! I'll get to see it after I finish my ride. Click here for instructions. You don't have to donate to make and upload a video and I'll love every single one of them! :) Just keep it to 10-15 seconds and the whackier, the better! :D

Session 2 - Week 8

Week 8 of Session 2 is now completed! My schedule was as follows:

Sunday May 26th - I met up with the Bulls-Eye Bike Club for a FAST 75 km ride which can be read here: The Massive Hill of Death. I've never done 75 km in 3.5 hours before. At least now, I know I can. :D

Monday May 27th -  Saturday June 1st -This week turned out to be a week of rest. Between business travel to Vancouver (The Bridge to Yesterday) for 3 days, poor eating over the week, and lack of quality sleep, I found myself mentally and physically unprepared for the week. Saturday has been spent getting "back on the wagon" by preparing my menus for the week, catching up on sleep, & re-hydrating, in preparation for a bike ride tomorrow morning.

I've learned a very valuable lesson. My current eating and exercise habits are now part of a lifestyle that I don't want to live without. I feel absolutely rotten physically & emotionally when I neglect myself, my health, nutrition, and mental state. Bring on the health! :D

Sunday morning I meet up with Herb of Bulls-Eye Bike Shop to ride from 7am to 12pm. Hill of Death, here I come (again)!

NO Options!!!

Today was Butt & Gutt - NO OPTIONS style! It went like this:

10 minute warm up on the spin bikes using a variety of gears and intensities. Ashley selected the gears and this was only the beginning....

Today's B&G was a circuit based session. There were 7 stations to complete, nearly all of them weighted. What do I mean by "no options"? The weights were selected for us for each station. The format was 30 seconds work, 30 seconds rest unless you were completing a single leg or single side circuit, then you got no rest at all. the stations were:

1. Back Extensions - 10lb weight - complete back extensions for 30 seconds, 30 seconds rest, repeat for 4 sets, holding the 10lb weight at your chest and bending over the machine until you were upside down and then returning to a straight angle with your body. Hello lower and mid back!

2. Squats - 20 - 30lb weight - I picked the 20. Hold the weight at your chest and squat until your butt hits the bench. Return to standing. 30 seconds work, 30 seconds rest x4.

3. Russian Twists - 15 - 20lb weight - 1 picked the 15. Sit in a V leaning back, knees bent, feet off the floor and twist first to the right and then to the left, bringing your elbows as far back around your side as you can in the twist. 30 seconds work, 30 seconds rest x4.

4. Donkey Kicks - no weight, no break - On your hands and knees, bring one knee in to your elbow and then kick it out and up behind you. Keep your back straight and move only your leg. 30 seconds on the right leg, 30 seconds on the left leg, repeat 4 times with NO BREAK in between. You will swear that your legs are about to fall off!

5. Alternating Lunges - 20lb weight - Stand with the weight on your shoulders and lunge forward. Stand back up, switch legs and repeat.  30 seconds work, 30 seconds rest x4

6. Ball Passes - no weight, just a big rubber ball - Lay on your back, hold the ball between your lower legs and bring your legs up. At the same time crunch up and reach for the ball, pass the ball to your hands and lay back down, keeping your hands, feet, and the ball from touching the floor. Crunch up again and pass the ball back to your legs and repeat. 30 seconds work, 30 seconds rest x4.

7. Side Plank with Hip Drop - no weight, no break - Get into side plank position but instead of holding it, drop your hip to the floor and then back up to plank position. 30 seconds on the left, 30 seconds on the right, repeat 4 times with NO BREAK in between.

5 minute cool down on the bike - a great stretch - and I still swear my legs are going to fall off. The great thing is that this is the first time in a while that I have been sore after a B&G class. The really great thing is that I completed the workouts. I look back over the past 20 weeks and am amazed at how far I have come.

Thank you out to Ashley, Trudy, and the girls who are so very encouraging!!! Let's rock it!

Session 2 - Week 6

Week 6 of Session 2 now completed! My schedule was as follows:

Sunday May 12th - Rest, sleep, fluids, & good nutrition. Happy Mothers' Day to all the Mothers out there. My son called to wish me a happy day and to plan our visit in July when I head for home. :D

Monday May 13th - A day of rest.

Tuesday May 14th - TRX Suspension training. Plenty of leg work in this session. It has been immensely helpful in getting me ready for the Ride. This evening's class was 40 seconds work with 10 second breaks. Mixing it up and making ourselves WORK! Do a set of tricep presses and then, take a step back and make it harder.

Wednesday May 15th -An evening hike at Chickakoo Lake! 1 hour of hiking the Advanced/Intermediate trails with Miss Ashley "Crunchy Frogs", Ghiry, and Zoie! It was a beautiful evening and the trail was challenging. :D

Thursday May 16th - TRX Suspension training - Tabata style! 20 seconds work, 10 seconds rest, 8 sets of each exercise, repeat!

Friday May 17th - An evening off!

Saturday May 18th - A BIG, HUGE, GIGANTIC ride! :D Started the day off at 8am with a 2 hour, 20 mile ride followed by an hour of Butt & Gutt, and topped off with another 2+ hour, 25 mile ride. 45 miles on the day and scheduled to ride again in the AM for my first back to back long ride days.. wish me luck!

Fundraising 2

As of 8:37am, MST today, you have helped me to raise the $2,500 that is required for me to ride in the Enbridge Ride to Conquor Cancer. Each and every one of you are AMAZING!

Some of you are family, some of you are clients, and all of you are friends. I am overwhelmed by the support that you have all shown me through your donations, words of encouragement, and just being there when I needed you.

This is not the end of the journey. There is still training to do, I'm still collecting donations towards this cause, there is still planning and packing for the overnight portion of The Ride, and there will be plenty of updates to keep you all amused. :)

From my heart:

THANK YOU ALL!

Journeys Too

An update to the April 12th entry.

This week marks my 28th week of nutritional changes, 19th week of fitness training, and 11th week of bike specific training.

I have 5 weeks remaining to train for the Enbridge Ride to Conquor Cancer - a 200 KM (125 Mile) ride. Here is the update:

28 weeks ago I embarked on a journey to change my nutritional lifestyle. No more bags of chips, no more "junk foods", no more empty calories.

What are empty calories you ask? In my book, they are food that have nothing in them but calories from sugar/carbs, fat and not much else. No nutrients, vitamins, minerals - nothing that is actually naturally occurring in the ingredients of the "food". This includes enriched foods. If you can't get the nutrients from the ingredients, what on earth is being added to make up for that?

When I shop, I typically stick to fresh produce, dairy, meats (mostly fish and turkey/chicken), nuts & seeds, and a limited number of canned items - think tuna, pickles (love them in tuna!), canned fruits for smoothies, and alternative grains & pastas. By shopping this way and planning my meals each week, I've been able to drastically change what I am putting in my body. I KNOW what I am putting into my body. I know how many calories it has, I know what is in it for nutrients, I know how it was made because it was fresh and I cooked it myself. Best of all, I like what I am eating because I cook it the way I like it. I find this helps to eliminate cravings because, many times, when you are craving something you are looking for a certain flavor/taste from your food. And most of the time, you aren't getting it.

So where am I going with this? This nutritional journey has taken me on quite the ride. Over the past 28 weeks, I have changed my nutritional lifestyle (and activity lifestyle) enough to lose 58.5 pounds. This is huge for me. I've struggled with weight on and off for over 15 years. Don't get me wrong, this is not easy. It is a lot of work, sweat, and tears - but more on that another day. This journey is far from over. I've got a long way to go but I'm well on my way. And that brings us to:

19 weeks ago I began my fitness journey:

The biggest challenge to any fitness program is your own mind. When I started my fitness training in January, there was a night that I didn't have a car (the wheel had fallen off of The Dingo) or a ride home from the gym. I  packed up my gym clothes in a duffel bag and brought them to work with me. I figured I would get dropped off at the gym and then walk the 1-2 miles home after the workout. I thought about it all day long. I'd only been attending classes for 1 week. I was convinced that I couldn't walk a mile (or 2) home after class. I was sure that I would never make it that far. And so I skipped class that night and got dropped off at home instead. How had I come to think this way? I had been athletic most of my life. I ran track, played soccer, hiked, kayaked, biked, walked everywhere - but I hadn't done any of these things in years. My mind told me that I couldn't, I listened to my mind tell me that I couldn't, and so, I couldn't.

Even today, 19 weeks later, I am still amazed at what I CAN do. I can do pushups, I can do TRX suspended mountain climbers & crunches. I can do squats and lunges for days (okay, exaggeration there), I can jog (and I hate jogging), I can bike for 4.5 hours, I can hike very steep hilly terrain and even RUN up the hills. I can do so much and yet my mind is still stuck on "Um, are you sure you can do that? I'm not sure you can...". My next challenge to myself (mini goal) is to stop listening to my mind and to tell myself I CAN DO IT!

11 Weeks ago began my bike journey:

As you just heard in the above paragraph (just seeing if you are paying attention), I bike for 4.5 hours at a time. I'd always biked as a kid. I went to bike camp where we biked for the whole day, every day, for a week. It was great! This is great! Also pertaining to the above paragraph, I am still amazed that I can do what I can do. This weekend's goal is 2 days of riding, both long rides. 3+ hours on Saturday, 5 hours on Sunday. Will I make it? Yes, I will! I'm telling my mind now that it is going to happen! Mind, get your butt in gear because we are taking a ride! Oh! And my fundraising is THIS close to the $2,500 that I need to ride in June! THIS CLOSE! So feel free to donate to sponsor my ride! I can't do it without you! In fact, I couldn't have gotten this far without everyone who has cheered me on in my journeys.

See you all in another month... (that is for the next update, the next blog post will most likely be tomorrow so come back then!)

Session 2 - Week 5

Week 5 of Session 2 now completed! My schedule was as follows:

Sunday May 5th - Rest, sleep, fluids, & good nutrition. I'd come down with a bug or cold or something and was just tired all over.

Monday May 6th - A day of rest and catching up on the chores.

Tuesday May 7th - TRX Suspension training. The warmup itself was a workout! 30 Jacks, 10 Pushups, 7 Squats, 5 Pushups, 7 Burpies, 30 Jacks, 25 High Knees, 5 Pushups, 10 Squats, 30 Jacks (or something very close to that!). And then it was time to get to work! The fantastic thing about TRX Suspension training is that it NEVER gets any easier. You are working your total body, using your body as resistance/weight. And Sheila is always coming up with new tricks to wear you out! After this particular workout, I experienced some muscle fatigue in muscles that I'd forgotten I had - obliques and mid back muscles. It was great! Oh, and did I mention my poor glutes?

Wednesday May 8th -An evening hike at Chickakoo Lake! 1 hour of hiking the easy/intermediate trails with Ghiry. Read about it here.

Thursday May 9th - TRX Suspension training -This class included a lot of single hand mode work. This is where you have either 1 foot suspended in the TRX or you are using only 1 hand/arm to do the work. Plenty of single arm rows, bicep curls, single leg lunges, single leg squats, etc. Can you imagine doing a single arm bicep curl, using your body as weight? I couldn't imagine I would EVER be able to do it. But I can! :)

Friday May 10th - 2.5 hours of hiking at Chickakoo! Quickly becoming my favorite easy to get to destination for a change up in my routine. I'd been itching to get on the Advanced trail and that is EXACTLY what Ghiry and I did. Read it here (and see the pix!).

Saturday May 11th - Why, exactly do I wake up before my alarm clock every morning? *sighs* :D Butt & Gutt was held OUTSIDE today! We met at the Boxing Club and walked, lunged, squatted, and jogged to the outdoor destination where we would complete more donkey kicks (fire hydrants) than my bum cares to think about along with plenty of ab work. A quick jog back to the club and a long stretch and I'm ready for my next adventure.... another hike this afternoon!!


Have a super fantastic week and catch you on the other side of the hike! :D

UPDATE: 1 hour and 45 mins of hiking. Amazing how much time you can shave off of a hike when you aren't stopping to take pix every so often. :D We hiked the reverse of Friday's hike - Advanced trail first, then Intermediate, ending on Easy.  Beautiful sunny day (I think I got a tan), no bugs, a little on the dry side but wonderful. :)

Take a Hike - 2!

Chickakoo Lake is fast becoming a favorite evening destination! Out of work at 4:45 on a beautiful Friday evening and I couldn't think of a better place to walk the dog.

This time, I was determined to get on the Intermediate & Advanced trails that wander the perimeter of the Chickakoo Lake Recreation Area. I hadn't seen them before but ran into a couple of hikers coming off the Advanced trail who said it was ALL up and down hill. What fun! :)

Arrived at the upper parking lot at 6pm, leashed up the dog, and off we went. Here is the map again so you can follow along the trails. Jump below for the hike details and link to pictures.

The upper parking lot is the P surrounded by the grey lines. Ghiry and I got on the trail to the upper right of the P on the yellow/orange trail - Easy trail. We followed it until the point that it intersects with trail 2 - Intermediate trail - and heads south of Dog Leg Pond. This pond is full of PEEPERS ! Always a pleasant chorus to listen to on an evening hike. :D While I had seen only Greebs in the pond during the previous hike, there were a couple of green headed mallards last night as well.

Heading around Dog Leg Pond and continuing on the Red trail, we intersected with trail 4 - also intermediate. Here is where I have always chosen to go left and stay in trail 2. However, after a couple of pictures of a particular log I'd seen on my first hike, I headed off right onto trail 4 - Green line. This trail takes you around the end of Kettle Lake and onto the northeast side of the lake. Let me just say that with all of the ponds and lakes in the recreation area, you are never very far from a fabulous view!

Trail 4 intersects with trail 3 - Advanced!  - with the option to take a right and head back to trail 2 or go left and around the rest of the park. A quick check of the clock indicated it was only 7:30pm, there was plenty of daylight left, and as Ghiry and I were both in great spirits, left we went!

This part of the hike was the most fun as it really was UP hill and DOWN hill, steeply! Lots of hills! On several of them, I let Ghiry off leash so that he could make his own way up the hill as his long doggy legs carry him more quickly than my short girl legs can take me up the hill. He was great, stopping and waiting at the top of each new hill. We enjoyed the scenery and found ourselves at the parking lot at 8:30pm with sunlight to burn.

I took a lot of photos this time and will definitely be back to do this hike again (TOMORROW!) & again & again! Next time I want to go the reverse direction, my only complaint being that the whole hike is not on terrain similar to the advanced trail. Perhaps 2 loops around the advanced trail, 1 in each direction, are in order...

Stay tuned! 

Once Upon a Time

Once upon a time, in a cold, northern country, there lived a gurl who loved to bike. She would bike early in the morning, in the middle of the day, late into the evening, and even in her dreams at night. The gurl would bike in the cold weather, in the rain, the wind, and the sun. Though her neighbors saw her come and go, flashing by with a smile and a wave on her red and gold bike, they often scratched their heads and wondered... Why? Why does she bike day in and day out, hour after hour?

What they didn't know was the the gurl was training for an epic event that included a mountainous goal (or 2), figuratively and quite literally.

I am that gurl and I'm riding that bike (21 year old red with gold trim Specialized Cross Roads) in the Enbridge Ride to Conquor Cancer on June 22nd & 23rd. This ride is a 2 day, 200 km (125 mile) ride that leaves out of Calgary, Alberta, Canada with an overnight (in a tent camp) at Okotoks, Alberta, and a return to Calgary on the second day. What is the ride for? Glad you asked! To raise funds for Alberta Cancer Research.

Here are the literal mountains - The Canadian Rockies! I'll be riding with these beautiful mountains as the back drop and, while I have yet to drive to Calgary (I hear Road Trip in my near future) and check them out, I get the distinct feeling that there will be some "hills" to ride.

Here are the figurative mountains -
1. Training - I'm training hard for this ride and have been since January. I ride 1-2 days per week on looooooooooooong rides (think 3+ hours - lately 4+) and I participate in high-intensity total body workouts 3 days a week. Strength and cardio are as important as endurance.

2. Fund raising - I am required to raise $2,500 to participate in THE RIDE. This is the mountain that I need help with. I'm 64% of the way there - to being allowed to ride. Won't you help me make my dream come true for a great cause?

Here are the stats as of May 2, 2013:

Date: June 22nd & 23rd, 2013
Distance: 200 KM (125 Miles)
Location: Calgary, Alberta to Okotoks, Alberta & back again

Donation Link: http://www.conquercancer.ca/goto/nhkayakgirl

Fundraising required to ride: $2,500.00
Money raised to date: $1,695.00
Money left to raise to date: $805.00
(Pledged but not donated yet: $100)

Days left for fundraising: 51
Dollar amount needed per day to make Minimum goal:  $15.78

Dollars that I have personally donated towards my goal: $100.00

Dollars that I have personally spent on training, nutrition, and equipment to date: $575.00
Note: this does not count the 24 weeks of fitness training at The Boxing Club that I have been participating in since January).

The Challenge to you: Become one of my sponsors by donating at least $25.00 towards my goal.
The Mountainous Challenge: Match what I have donated.

The Giant 4-OH!

I'll be the first to admit that when I woke up this morning, I wasn't in the mood for a mega ride (well, that isn't exactly true, more like I wasn't in the mood to motivate myself for a mega ride). You know the feeling, we all get it, that it would be so much easier to stay in bed, hang around and watch movies, take a day off, anything but get our butts out of the house and DO something.

But, I'll be the first to let you  know that I AM GLAD I DID IT! I am glad that I made myself eat breakfast, made myself mix up a delicious Camelbak of nutrients (Dripping sarcasm there, folks!), made myself put on 3 layers. Yes, count them, 3 - It's still cold here in Alberta! - Complete with hat under the helmet & gloves for my poor little cold hands... Glad that I kept going. Glad that after 2 hours when I needed a pit stop I was strong enough to make myself go back out for another hour. And then another. Yup, ended up riding for 4.5 hours today - 40 miles - ON THE STREET, against the wind, and uphill both ways! Okay, that's a bit of an exaggeration but it was difficult. And when it was all over, I was able to say: I did it! And not only did I do it, but I felt good after I was done and even came to the conclusion that I might even be able to ride 50 Miles, 60 Miles, or even 65 (that is the daily requirement on the Enbridge Ride to Conquor Cancer - 2 days, 125 miles total) and all because I DID IT!

Now my question to you is: Since I did it, won't you get out there and sponsor me so that all of this hard work will not be in vain? Click here and when the new page loads, click the big green button to sponsor my ride. I'm only $925 away from being able to ride June 22nd & 23rd. Every little bit helps and I appreciate every dollar donated.

You've Got This!

As I contemplated today's post, I couldn't help but think of the many people who have helped me to get to where I am today.

Sunday, April 21, 2013 - Spruce Grove, Alberta, Canada - Today I rode 3.5 hours - 70 KM (43.5 Miles). And all the while, I couldn't help but hear "You've got this!" in my mind.

Looking back over the past 6 months, I couldn't have done it without so many friends;

My mom who encouraged me to take the leap, pack the truck, and head northwest from New Hampshire to Alberta to chase a dream.

Gayle who I laugh & cry with on a regular basis. More laughter than tears.

Cindy who encourages me to stay strong and positive.

My friends in NH who, even though they miss me, never say "just come home".

My friends in AB who push me to do my best.

Lyz(y) who was the first to donate to my ride and appreciates my brand of silly.

Ashley who gave me "You've got this!".

Sheila who gives me "What? Are you giving up?" with a grin because she knows I won't.

Scott who always makes me grin. :D

Bobbi who lets me sit and spin, and spin, and spin...

Herb who encouraged me to join in on Sundays and who says "You'll be able to do it, no problem".

Svetlana with her happy smile (and very mean workouts)!

Doug, Peg, Jenn, Kim, Terry, Sandy, Deb, Grace, (and I'm sure I've forgotten some) who have been so friendly, welcoming, and encouraging since I got here. 

All of the folks who believe in me and have donated to the ride I am training for (some are anonymous so I won't list them here but you know who you are!!!). 

Thank you all!

The Cliffs of Insanity

NOTE: This year's ride link is here (not the ones below, they are last year)

In my family, when something is too big to believe, it becomes "The Cliffs of Insanity" (reference The Princess Bride - yeah, even you guys can appreciate this movie). My mom grows Delphinium that reaches 6 ft tall or better - it has become The Delphinium of Insanity. I have registered for the Enbridge Ride to Conquor Cancer - a 2-day, 200 KM (125 Mile) bike ride to raise funds for Cancer Research Alberta. It has become The Bike Ride of Insanity!

Why did I do it, you might ask. And the answer is here: Why I am riding in The Bike Ride of Insanity.

Now, registering for The Bike Ride of Insanity is one thing. That is the easiest part (after a bit of nudging and encouragement from a good friend). The hard parts (Yes, there are more than 1 hard part or else it wouldn't be so insane, now would it?) are The Training of Insanity & The Fundraising of Insanity. Let's take them one at a time, shall we?

The Training of Insanity: In order to ride in The Bike Ride of Insanity, I need to be prepare to pedal 200 KM (125 Miles) over 2 days. Broken down, that is 100 KM (65 Miles) per day, most likely over 6+ hours each day. How does one train for such a thing? Personally, I participate in several high-intensity workouts at a local gym each week (3 days a week) and I ride 2-3 days per week. My last 2 riding sessions consisted of 3 hours of indoor spin on a Sunday and 1.5 hours of outdoor street riding on a Wednesday. Each week I add more time/distance to my rides so that by June 22nd (just 9 short weeks away), I'll be able to ride 6+ hours a day, at least 2 days a week. I know I can do this but that brings us to...

The Fundraising of Insanity: This is where you come in. I can't do The Bike Ride of Insanity alone. I've registered and I am training but I need to raise at least $2,500 to be allowed to get on my bike on June 22nd and ride out of Calgary, Alberta with 1,500 other riders who have raised their funds. This is why I am making The Plea of Insanity. I am asking you, a total stranger who may be reading my blog for the first time, please, sponsor me in The Bike Ride of Insanity.

Here are the stats as of April 20, 2013:

Date: June 22nd & 23rd, 2013

Distance: 200 KM (125 Miles)

Location: West of Calgary, Alberta

Donation Link: http://www.conquercancer.ca/goto/nhkayakgirl

Fundraising required to ride: $2,500.00

Money raised to date: $1,490.00

Money left to raise to date: $1,010.00

Days left for fundraising: 63

Dollar amount needed per day to make Minimum goal:  $16.03

Personal fundraising goal: $5,000.00

Dollar amount needed per day to make Personal Goal:  $55.71

Dollars that I have personally donated towards my goal: $100.00

Dollars that I have personally spent on training, nutrition, and equipment to date: $500.00 (note: this does not count the 24 weeks of fitness training at The Boxing Club that I have been participating in since January).

The Challenge to you: Become one of my sponsors by donating at least $25.00 towards my goal.

The Challenge of Insanity: Match what I have donated. 

Questions for me? 

Need a Laugh of Insanity today? 

A HUGE THANK YOU out to my many sponsors who have already donated and a Hug of Insanity to my #1 Cheerleader.