Twitter - A Game Changer

Okay, so I may really be behind in the game, but I just finally took the jump and discovered Twitter.  I have an account that I keep more professional as a teacher tweeting or mostly retweeting things that hit me in the world of education, politics, science, social justice, the environment, etc.

I also just created a more personal one where I tweet, retweet things with respect to motherhood, marriage and faith as a continuation of www.MomsMoments.ca.  @DeeperMoments.

Its amazing to have so much information at my fingertips!  Twitter makes it so much easier to scan the news, see and easily share what authors and speakers I respect are tweeting and blogging about when I just have a few minutes on my cell.  I'm not one to sit on the home computer very much because frankly, there's not enough time in the day, so I otherwise am terrible at keeping up with blogs or randomly searching online for anything at all.

But Twitter... well... that's a game changer.  Its opened up a whole new level of awareness of the world, of innovation, of encouragement, challenging me to continue to be  more intentional in motherhood, marriage and faith, as well as a teacher and human being in today's society!

If you haven't already, check out Twitter and see the world come to you rather then you having to feel in the dark because there's no time to keep up with what's going on in the world!

See you on Twitter!  @DeeperMoments

Mélanie

My Best Birthday Gift Ever: The Toronto Zoo Oasis

After training all spring for my first 10 km races, I shifted my focus to training with my not quite 10-year old to get her ready for the 5 km Zoo Oasis run late September 2012.  The running began back in March and was very sporadic throughout the spring and summer, and picked up more late August and September as race day was approaching!  We started slow and work our way up, adding distance each step of the way, taking it back a notch from time to time.  We worked to help her to develop a more positive internal talk so that she could motivate herself to keep going when she would get discouraged and want to quit during a run.

I had to learn how to encourage her rather then frustrate her... know how much to push when she felt that going a little bit further was unattainable, and recognizing when to call it a day... a fine line with my sensitive girl.  I learned about myself in the process and we learned to better communicate.  I got to learn how my girl ticks a little better and saw her confidence soar as she began to see herself improve -- we kept a running log with distances and times.  It was a gradual process, but worth all the joys and frustrations along the way to see my baby girl be more confident and so proud of her accomplishments at the end of the day!

She wasn't so sure she'd ever be able to do a full 5 km.  Though we did a number of trail runs, come the fall, she began to get motivated by running the 0.8 km loop around the block.  She could track her distance and knew how many loops she had to do to reach the goal she had set for that day.  It seemed to help her to keep going mentally, and one day, she surprised the both of us when she set a goal she hadn't told me about and was determined to go from 3km to 5km.  She did it!  And before race day so that her confidence grew rather then fear with the upcoming race.

On the whole, it was a fantastic experience that led to my best birthday gift ever: a day where I got to share something I love to do with my entire family.

Julia and I ran the 5 km race together in 32 minutes!!!  AMAZING!  My younger two ran the 1 km Cub Run with my husband.  Every one of us got to participate in this race day.

I am so excited that we are able to begin instilling confidence and self esteem in our girls through sport (soccer too), while adopting a healthy active lifestyle as the norm for them.

I look forward to my younger two being old enough to join Julia and I for the longer distances!  Who knows, maybe we'll even get my husband to join in on the longer distances in the near future!

Thanks to my family and the Toronto Zoo Oasis Run for making this my best birthday ever!

Running Mama - setting goals!

I have not been able to figure out how to carve out the time to get my running in on any sort of regular basis since my running partner's injuries have forced her to stop running.

I have missed it.

Greatly.

Such a great stress relief.  Sanity "me"-time where I don't have to think about anything at all.  I can think or pray if I want to.  Or I can zone out and just run.  Alone.  No one vying for my energy or attention or needing something from me.  Just me and the trail... putting one foot in front of the other.

LOVE IT!

This spring I have finally made a way to prioritize my running again.  Strengthening workouts, varying my runs in lengths and intensity, and the big difference: I set some goals. 

I have had my eyes set on running a 10km for some time, but an old injury and lack of time to train kept me away from pursuing it.  I decided this was finally the time to do it. I registered for a race.  I've never raced for running before.  Only for cross-country skiing back in high school and university, where training was always done as a team and running was always just for cross-training.  Never my main sport.

What a difference setting a goal has made!  As I longed for a Garmin GPS watch like my friend's, I chanced upon "Runtastic" a free app on my blackberry which made all the difference to my running!  I could now not only track distance and time, but my PACE.  Suddenly, I started racing against myself (I'm rather competitive).  And what do you know, with a race in sight and my pace being the only thing on my mind as I ran (so amazing to for a moment forget all the other stresses of the week!), I started to get faster!

My first race was April 22nd on the hilliest course ever.  My cross-country skiing training came in handy there with all that hill work!  I exceeded my goal on that frigid day:  I ran the 10km well under an hour.  Actually 7 minutes faster then I had set as a goal for myself!  Not only that, I came in 5th out of the 37 women running and 2nd in my age category!  (okay, small crowd that day, but man did that feel good!!)

Have you ever surprised yourself??  I sure did that day!

Knowing that I could not only break 60 minutes on a hilly course like that, but actually compete, my goals got loftier!  I wanted to get even faster!

The next race was set for a month later.  May 27th.  This time, I would be running with a friend.  A seasoned runner and his son.  That would be different.  Having never run together before, who knew if we'd keep the same pace, if we were best to run alone?  But being as competitive as we were, it ended up being a personal best for the three of us, keeping a crazy fast pace that we didn't even know we could keep (because we didn't want to get beat by the other)!  That day we broke under 50 minutes and I again pleasantly surprised myself!

So yes... now my eyes are on the next goal... finding the next race... finding a way to keep up my running in the summer once the kids are out of school will be the challenge, so I believe repeating the results from my last two races come the fall would make me happy!

For now, the next goal is training with my 9 year old daughter for her to run her first 5km in September, then I might sneak in a 10km race the following weekend.

What a difference goal setting can make!  And what a high you get from not only meeting your goals but exceeding them!  Pushes you to keep discovering what you are capable of!

I've got the bug... So exhilarating to be doing something for myself that's so good for my mind and body!  Makes you stay young I think... Haven't felt that rush since university!  LOVE IT!

Soccer Mom

This past April, my oldest daughter went to the park with the neighbourhood kids who are a few years older... When I reached the park shortly after, I watched as my 7-year old walked off the soccer field to sit on the sidelines as the others went on to play soccer.

When I got closer, I saw that she was teary-eyed and was clenching on to the cell phone she was asked to hold on to. I asked why she wasn't playing soccer with her friends. She replied that she's no good at soccer. They had been playing tag and other games that had been fun, but once they switched to soccer, she chose to sit out, feeling like she might not be good enough.

I believe that what followed became a pivotal moment in my daughter's life (and I could have easily missed it). We walked home together and talked along the way. She shared about not really liking sports because she doesn't like the competitiveness, feeling like she's not really good, and not liking when she loses (who does really, just something we've all got to learn!)...

It's at that moment that I decided that my daughter would not be another woman who like so many grows up believing they just aren't the athletic types... then looking back on their life after having children, they wish they'd been more active... I believe that we all need to be active, regardless of whether we'll be winning Olympic medals. It doesn't matter if we're good in every sport, but it is important to find a sport or physical activity that works for us!

It would have been easy for us to label her as the "artsy type" and keep her out of athletics... but in that moment, I realized the importance of not doing that! I was already seeing her self-esteem being affected by it in that incident at the park. That was not going to be my girl, sitting on the sidelines as the designated cell phone holder. Not my daughter.

SO, my girl and I chatted some more when we got home. We looked up the town soccer club, discovered that we hadn't missed registration yet (it ended that week!), and we discussed the idea of her playing soccer. She got really excited about learning the sport, not too keen on the idea of playing games, but we talked about it all being a part of sport: practicing, learning, making friends, playing, winning, losing, all the while learning to be a good sport.

Her next question: "what would I wear?" The idea of having a team uniform and those special soccer shoes too was getting her pretty excited... and the possibility of winning a trophy (like her friends up the street)... well...(thankfully they apparently all win trophies in the soccer club tournaments ;) I talked it over with my husband, and we had her registered the next day.

Since April, she's insisted on joining me on a couple of runs (she ran 20 minutes straight without stopping! I know many women who can't do that!)... She has also gone to the park a number of times with our teenage neighbour (who is heading off to university on a soccer scholarship in the fall) to kick the ball around and learn more about the sport. She has been soaking up every second of it all.

Months later, we are a few weeks into the soccer season, and my girl who "didn't like sports" has developed a new found LOVE for soccer. She is watching the FIFA World Cup in South Africa any chance she can, learning where she is to be on the field as she watches the players on TV, and she gets SO excited for soccer night. She's eager, not afraid of the ball on the field and best of all, she's gained a lot of confidence in her sporting ability over the past few months.

This is the type of stuff in life that defines us and impacts our sense of self growing up (which I believe does carry on into adulthood). All that to say, I'm thankful that my girl will grow up to value active living with a stronger self-esteem and sense of self.

Phew... I could have easily missed that, after years of choosing to stay away from soccer because I didn't want a sport to rule our lives in the summer... all in all... I know we made the right call on that one. It is definitely worth it, and we can work our visits to the cottage around the weekly soccer practice/game.

So a soccer mom I have gladly become ;)

PANIC MODE

Well I don't know how things are in your part of the world, but around here, the past two weeks, everyone seems to be in complete panic mode regarding the H1N1 flu pandemic...

News of the 13-year old hockey player and now the 2-month old baby who have died of H1N1 have for sure fueled the panic.  Add to that the vaccine shortage... people lining up 5-6 hours to get their shot... people getting turned away because they don't fit into the high risk groups (kids 6 months to 5 year being among the high risk group accepted at the moment).  Lots of indecisiveness and confusion about what to do with the vaccine... We are bombarded by conflicting information on a daily basis.   We have decided to go ahead with the H1N1 vaccine (despite my having been the biggest skeptic when it comes to the regular flu shot, I'm thinking that this isn't the year to be a skeptic and I'm trusting the advice of my friends and family who are in the medical world!)  I'm not writing this to get the debate going about whether to vaccinate or not... that's a personal decision... do your research and decide for yourselves!

Rather, I'm writing to address the mass panic... It is easy to live in fear... in fear of getting sick... in fear of germs everywhere... in fear of our children getting sick and ending up like the kids we've heard about on the news... 

PANIC

FEAR

WORRY

I have caught myself begin to panic a few times over the last couple of weeks... but I just need to recognize it, and change the fear and worrying into prayer... The panic around me has fueled my prayer to God for my children and our family... for health, for protection, and for so much more...

Prayer and looking to God's truths in scripture give me peace as they take my eyes away from my circumstances, and rather remind me that there is an all-knowing, powerful God who is present and at work - not just in a cosmic distant way, but in a close and personal way.  He knows me, my family and everything about us, and even better, He loves us and cares for us.  Prayer keeps me focussed on who God is and melts away fear and worry.

Now does that mean that we will be free from illness, tragedy and heartache in our lives?  No.  But I do believe that God hears our prayers and answers them in ways that He knows are best for us in the long term.  That can be impossible for any of us to understand depending on what we're coping with.  In the face of those difficult times, I do believe that God gives us the strength to handle whatever we are up against just when we need it, and that it somehow fits into a larger plan that I may be unable to make sense of in the moment.

Here are two of my favourite verses that bring me hope and peace - as well as a few others!

"Ah Sovereign Lord, you have made the heavens and the earth by your great power and your outstretch arm.  Nothing is too hard for you."  Jeremiah 32:17 

"Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.  And the peace of God which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus." Philippians 4:6-7

"Be strong and courageous.  Do not be terrified; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go."  Joshua 1:9

"Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you."  1 Peter 5:7

"Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened and I will give you rest." - Jesus (Matthew 11:28)

"Do not be afraid, for I am with you"  Isaiah 43:5a

I leave you with this prayer from Romans 15:13 :  May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit. 

I did it!

I finally managed to lace up my running shoes and head for my first run in... dare I say 2 years!? I can't remember if I've had any runs in there, but it was two springs ago since I was last running on a regular basis...

And it felt GREAT!

Since the snow has melted and the warmer weather has hit I've just been dying to get out for a run again!! Without fail, the spring always calls me to lace up my running shoes!

I was all showered and dressed as we went to catch the school bus for my oldest (I'm often half in my PJ's, throw on pants and a jacket and out the door I run!).

But not today. No today, I even had time to blow dry my hair before we left the house. But still, the sunshine and the cool spring breeze were just calling me... today was the day... I had to run! Even if it meant having to shower again later...

So off I went to quickly change my clothes and tie back my hair... I was pushing over 50 pounds worth of kids in my double running stroller, loving every bit of it... and my old ab injury didn't even show it's face... thanks to my Pilates classes I'm sure!

Backtracking a bit... The funny thing is that I was supposed to go for a run with my friend and neighbour last week, but had to cancel last minute because one of the kids had the flu. Saved by the puke, I guess!

To be honest, I was nervous about going for my first run with someone I'd never run with before! Will she be fast? Does she talk when she runs? Will I be able to keep up? Will my old ab injury flare up again as it usually does when I first start running after having a baby?

I really like to work my way back into running by myself. I like to know how my body is feeling and take it at my own pace, always fearing that I'll re-injure myself. Today I put those fears to rest. I was able to jump right back in and bounced back better then after past pregnancies. What a relief!

Sure I felt slow and I know I have a ways to go before I start adding interval sprint work in my runs... but it was an awesome start! And as a bonus, my arms even got a workout from pushing that running stroller! You see, you have to pull down on the stroller to turn corners as the front wheel doesn't swivel (better for running... but not for sharp corners!) It sure adds a great workout for the arms when you've got a 3 1/2 year old and a 10 month old in toe let me tell you!

I don't know the last time I ran without a stroller... so that will be a light and freeing change I think when I do manage to sneak away for a run with my neighbour!

It sure is different to run with a kid who is old enough to talk though... Oh the QUESTIONS! "Run mom!" as I was barely out of the driveway... "Where are we going mom?"... "Why are you running mom?"... "Where are we mom?"... "Why are you saying Hi! Hi! Hi! mom?"...

Hmmmmm... Poses an interesting question: Should I be ignoring friendly trail goers as they walk their dogs to teach my child not to talk to strangers?? So I manage to respond through my heavy breathing:

"Mommy can say hello to strangers... but not you kids..." Yikes! I was just in a great mood, so happy to be running again, greeting people as they greeted me felt natural in my state of mind!

So there it is. I just jumped the biggest hurdle. Went for that first run. Phew! Felt awesome, I can't believe it's been so long, and now I can't wait for my next run! I wonder how my body will feel in the morning?

Getting Moving

Well, I never would have guessed that I would get my morning exercise today by shovelling the driveway after 2-3 days of solid snow that took us by surprise! What a strange winter and spring it's been! It felt like spring in February and now winter in April... ??

What I've been wanting to write about for a while is exercise... there are actually two things that have always been important to my days ever since I was young... being physically active is one, and having quiet time reading my Bible is another. Ironically, those are the two things that since having kids have been most easily squeezed out of my days. I fight to make room for them, at times unsuccessfully, at times finding a good groove - which inevitably is only temporary...

Focusing on exercise here... I have always been an active person... enjoying down hill and cross-country skiing, rowing, swimming, canoeing, I discovered Ultimate Frisbee in my university days and even tree planted in the springs during that time, and I am one of those people who actually truly does enjoy running. That would be the one physical activity that I long to fit into my weeks the most at this point in my life. I do Pilates once a week which is like physio therapy for me, but I really can't wait to get running again.

Though I love to be active, to feel alive with my heart pumping fast, I find it difficult to schedule exercise into my days on a regular basis since the kids... I'll have a few months where I get into a groove and find the perfect time slot to make it work in my weeks, but then summer comes, another baby comes, I go back to work or go on leave... at some point my schedule always changes and it takes me a while (sometimes a LONG while) before I can get into any sort of groove again. Last year back to teaching, with an added commute, and pregnant, I never did succeed to slide that in. I love being active when I'm pregnant, so I was really missing it! Exercise is always there in the form of carrying laundry and kids up and down the stairs and running around with the kids. Exercise for sure... But not the peaceful, ME-TIME runs I love.

In the winter it's particularly tough to get out with the kids when it's 20 below and the wind is fierce. But this winter I did get into a bit of a routine. I've been making a point of getting out to the bus 10 minutes early in the mornings with the girls (mainly because we never knew if it would be early or late! now it's just a habit to be on the early side). This has allowed the girls to run and play in the snow and burn off some energy before my eldest jumps on the bus (because let's be honest, I'm not the only one who needs to fit in exercise!). At times in the winter we'd stay out a bit longer after the bus to shovel the driveway so I can get moving too (today was a deja vu!).

I also found a great bargain on a running double stroller on Craig's List back in the fall, and it's been AMAZING! I've tried to carry on our morning habit of getting out early for the bus for the afternoon drop off, but making it out even earlier so that I can fit in a brisk walk before the bus. Now that the weather's nicer (not counting the past 3 snowy days!), my 3-year old Emma wants to bike, thankfully she's fast, so I can get a decent walk (at times a jog!) in there still! With my babe's morning nap getting shorter, I'm also finding that I have a bit of time to play with before lunch, so when it's nice we try to get out to the park for Emma to run and play. I'm hoping that as naps continue to settle and the weather keeps getting nicer and the ground dryer, that I'll be able to get out even longer and actually get to the trails so that I can start running again. Just hoping that Emma will be content to sit in the double stroller! At the end of the day, she's usually tired and in the winter would fall asleep in the stroller, so it could work out! Here's hoping...

Of course, with the arrival of summer and school ending... I don't have a triple running stroller... nor would my 6 year old want to sit in it anyway! So again, barely into a running routine, I'll be struggling to fit it in again! And she's more tentative on her bike, so here's hoping she becomes more comfortable (and faster!) so that I can at least get back out for good brisk walks with the kids on their bikes!

Honestly, I think I just need to be more intentional about prioritizing, planning ahead and seizing the opportunity to get out and get moving when the weather's nice! I suppose the same goes for fitting in my quiet times... planning, prioritizing, seizing the opportunities as they come along! It's not easy when you're tired and have all these little people to worry about to take time out for myself... but I need to. For my health and sanity - which essentially benefits everyone! I just wish it wasn't so hit or miss!

For ideas on getting the kids active when the weather's bad this spring, check out Caroline's Health Nut article in the Winter 2009 issue of Mom's Moments. (it was written for indoor ideas on those bad winter days, but it can easily apply to the rainy spring days!)