Week #29 Roundup

Less than two weeks to go and the team has raised $13 925.00! You know what would be great? If we could hit $14 000! You know what would be even better? If that money went to Stacey, who is trying to reach $3500. As I write this, the two of us are singing that song that goes, "moneymoneymoneymoney...mon-ayyyyyy!" I don't know the rest of the words.

The ride is quickly approaching and I am TERRIFIED. I got struck down with a bit of a cold/sore throat last week, but I still wanted to get in a good training ride this weekend. I got in 30k. That's it. And I huffed and puffed and sniffled my way through it. It was not fun, and I just thought to myself, "Dana, you are in TROUBLE." That said, I didn't fall, so I suppose that is one small victory. My goal for this week is to get in at least one ride at least 75k in length. I have no doubt that I will cross that finish line, but I'd rather it be painless as opposed to painful. I suppose that come ride weekend, I'll just have to remind myself that it isn't a race and that I can actually cycle at a leisurely pace. I'll have my whole life to cycle furiously and tear down those roads, but this is probably the only time that I'm going to be doing something really amazing with tons of people cheering me on.

In the meantime, I am obsessively checking the 14-day forecast on The Weather Network. So far we're in the clear for rain, and temperatures don't look ridiculously high. EVERYONE, KEEP YOUR FINGERS CROSSED. DADDY, KEEP THOSE SKIES CLEAR AND HUMIDITY AT A MINIMUM. Okay? Okay!

Lastly, Stace and I received our ride jerseys in the mail, and we're looking forward to putting them on and wearing them with pride. All for you, daddy!

It's Time...

Today I did not wake up sore and cranky. Body parts were not hurting nor crying. However, as I later discovered whilst biking to the bike shop for a tune up without the padded shorts, my bottom is pretty tender (thumbs down).

About a week and a half ago, I shut my computer and declared (in the most dramatic and serious voice ever), "It's time". Time to get serious about fitness and get seriously fit. I bought a two week unlimited pass to a pilates and yoga studio. I bought a yoga mat. I bought a yoga bag. I bought work out clothes. I bought a heck of a lot of things and was NOT happy when I saw my Mastercard bill last week. Oh well. This is the price of fitness.

It all started last, last Friday: fusion yoga and pilates class. On Saturday, six hours teaching skating. On Monday, a mat/reformer class. On Tuesday, I convinced Dana and Alyssa to come to a fusion class. On Thursday, Dana bought a pass too and we went to cardio pilates. On Friday, a reformer session. On Saturday, a pilates mat class. On Sunday, a three and a half hour training session (we can now clip in with many thanks to Petre) and yesterday, a 10km ride in the hot afternoon sun with dad's pal Gary and his son Ian. Yes, I fell on Sunday when I was standing still (I know, ha, ha, ha), and yes, Dana was a big baby and afraid to bike on the road (ha, ha, ha). But hey, we survived! Sure I may have a few hand blisters and bruises from the fall and chain-coming-off-bike incident, but I'll be just fine.

I feel the need to add that Wallace had a fun Sunday in the sun too! Him and Gary's dog Bower spent the day lounging in the backyard while Livia watched them, patiently waiting to attack us with love upon our return. When we came back from our ride, we enjoyed some dessert and ice cream (Wallace had some licks of ice cream too). Overall a very nice week and even better weekend!

Today I bought Dana and I some gloves (blisters no more!) and cleat covers for our bike shoes, and I bought myself another jersey and some sunglasses. Now, we are pretty much set to conquer this ride!. I'm going to be kicking myself later for spending money again but hey, these items were essential.

Also, my pilates try-us pass is expiring soon and I need to buy a membership! Ahhhh! More expenses!

I suppose that is the price of fitness.

Training Day - er, week

Today I woke up sore and cranky. My right arm hurts, my neck hurts, and I'm pretty sure my wrists and fingers are crying. This is the price of fitness. It all started last Sunday: one-hour endurance spin class. On Monday, a run. On Tuesday, a fusion class of yoga and pilates. On Wednesday, another run. On Thursday, an early morning spin class and an evening cardio pilates class. On Friday, a mat/reformer session. On Saturday, an early morning spin followed immediately by a pilates class. On Sunday, three and a half hours on a bike, learning how to clip in and out and puttering around Toronto. And yesterday? The most painful spin class ever followed by another small training ride in the hot afternoon sun. I swear, if I'm not ripped by the time of the ride, I'm going to be very pissed. I have a whole new appreciation for people who make health and fitness their careers - it is mentally and physically exhausting. Part of me just wants to spend every day on the couch eating All Dressed chips.

The training rides were extremely productive. With my friend Petre yelling at me and Stace to randomly come to stops, we both became increasingly confident about riding around clipped in our pedals. There was only one fall, and that's when Stace was standing at the side of the road. Whoosh! Down. Silly, Stace. While I was, again, a very big baby about starting to ride clipped in, the three of us eventually found ourselves riding along Queens Quay, coming to stops at every light amidst traffic. And then we maneuvered around cyclists, rollerbladers, runners, babies, and other obstacles along a nice path until we reached home. And you know what? There are some really nice things about Toronto, some nice sights and trails that I never would have seen had I not invested in this bike and ride.

Yesterday, one of dad's best friends, Gary, took Stace and I out riding on a trail in Brampton. We set off a little after 1 pm - probably the worst possible time to ride. Even before we went anywhere, sweat was pouring off my face while I was pumping up our tires (in my defence, there was a lot of resistance and my short hair feels like a fur hat in this heat). Anyhoo, we set off under the unforgiving sun, and we didn't get too far when I noticed my bike start to feel a little off. It turns out my back brake tightened up and was getting stuck, making it difficult for me to pedal along. Gary's son had to bike back to grab an Allen key and then with a couple of adjustments, we were back in business! A kilometre or two later, we started making our way up a small hill and boom! Stace's chain fell off. Miraculously, she managed to unclip both feet and stand up while her bike lay on the ground. Prostar, I say. I know I would've ended up on my side in shock.

Altogether, Stace and I feel like the ride is totally do-able. Now, it's just a matter of putting in some more kms before the 12th. I'd like to complete at least a couple of 60-80 km rides just so I know what to expect. By the end of June, Stace and I are going to be camel-coloured. After one weekend, in addition to my chevron-shaped scars on the back of my leg and blistered hands, I've got the weirdest-looking tan lines. Unfortunately, cycling shorts won't give you the tan that you dream of.

Week #28 Roundup

Yes, I know I skipped a week. Things got crazy and it's really only been this week that our totals have risen, so hopefully you can forgive me. On to the exciting news...

TEAM HENDY HAS REACHED OUR FUNDRAISING GOAL!!!

As of today, we have raised $13 735.00, and Matt has reached his fundraising minimum! All of us can officially ride come June 12th, although I'm sure that when we're huffing and puffing up the escarpment, we'll wish we couldn't. I can't say it enough: many thanks to everyone who has donated to this cause. And hey! If you haven't had a chance and would like to, we will gladly accept online donations right up to the day before the ride.

Last Friday, I finally heard back from OT grad schools, and I was very very successful in my applications :) I won't say too much more because I still have the difficult decision about choosing where to go. I will say that I got into McMaster, even though I starting tearing up in one of the interview stations (I was talking about dad at the time), so thanks dad! I know right now you're probably thinking, "Don't thank me! It's all your hard work that got you in!" When I found out, it was a bittersweet moment for me. I was simultaneously very excited about getting in and very sad that I couldn't share the moment with dad. I also wish dad was still around so that he could give me some advice on where to go. As Stace mentioned in her tribute to dad at his service, you could go over the same problem with dad 1709325098e98 times and he would always listen as if it were the first time you were telling him. And he would always ponder the situation at length and offer 385050940159210540296 views on the subject to help you out. What a guy, that daddy.

And on the training front? Well, that's been less successful. My friend attempted to take me biking last weekend, but I was poorly prepared for the weather and ended up turning blue. So no biking, but I did get to practice clipping in and out of my pedals. Stace and I have also starting going to pilates classes. I find that with all my spinning, my upper body feels rather compressed. Pilates is a good way to open me back up again while still working on my strength. That said, Stace and I are going to bike for real this weekend (thanks Petre! thanks Gary!). With a beautiful long weekend ahead of us, I hope you do the same!

P.S. Amelia, your e-mail is in the works, I promise. Thanks for always reading :)

A Look at Brain Tumors

When I woke up on Monday morning, I turned on the TV to take a look at the weather and instead found out that Canada AM was taking a week-long, in-depth look at brain tumors. If you're interested in watching the videos, you can find them on this website here:

http://www.ctv.ca/servlet/ArticleNews/story/CTVNews/20100507/canada-am-brain-tumour-special-100507/20100507?hub=CanadaAMV2

In part 4, they focus on research, causes, and the future. Interestingly, dad's oncologist, Dr. Mason makes an appearance in the interview and pretty much says that a cure is a long way away. All the more reason to donate to the cause. Part 1 is particularly moving, as they focus on a family's struggle to deal with brain cancer. I want to give the little boy a great big hug.

Week #26 Roundup

The team is now over the $12 000 mark ($12 005.00, to be exact)! This does not yet include the concert money, so I suppose that technically, we have raised over thirteen thousand dollars!

Happy mother's day to all you moms out there. I remember every year, dad would rush to find a card and a gift of sorts (pajamas, usually). After he got sick, he couldn't drive, so it would be up to me and Stace to grab something for him. I never realized how frustrating that must have been, to depend on other people for such simple things like buying a present.

I keep hearing of sad cancer stories as of late. And it's funny, because I should know what to say or do, right? Yet, here I am, and I have no idea what's healthy and what's not, and what makes things better or worse. And I definitely can't tell people that it gets easier, because it doesn't. I almost think that is the hardest part. I think people expect those who experience loss to get back to normal after a while, to want to go out and have fun. And because I don't have the stress of school right now, shouldn't I want those things, too? Sadly, that's not really the case. I was talking to someone about it a while ago, and I don't think dealing with dad's passing gets easier - you just get used to living with that kind of sadness.

Right now, I've been enjoying spending time at home and giving Wallace some extra play and training. Without dad around, his whole routine has been flipped on its side. Now that dad's not around to hang out with him, he's lacking stimulation and enrichment. All he's been doing these past couple months is lie down by himself. But now that I think about it, isn't it the same for us? I know that I'm certainly missing out on having dad around, too. Does that mean I have to be retrained? Habituated? Desensitized? Psychology degree, you are useless in this situation.

I'll briefly turn to English.

My favourite university lecturer told me once that when writing a thesis, you should always ask yourself, "So what? Why is this important?" When I think about cancer, it's really easy for me to wonder why some people die and others live, why some people live much longer than others, and why a cure hasn't been discovered yet. And inevitably I wonder, "So what? What's the point of it all then?" Instead of being cynical, maybe I should be concentrating on that second part of the equation: why is this important? If I were a thesis, what would I have to offer in the grand scheme of things? What I have come up with is this: perhaps the point is to be as good as a person as dad: to be kind, smart, funny, generous, and a million other positive attributes, and hopefully inspire others to be the same.

Thoughts on Friday, April 30th

It was a lovely, sunny, warm and breezy evening - perfect conditions for an outside training ride (or so Dana and I thought)! After arriving back at the condo, we enjoyed a tasty dinner of BBQ pork skewers and rice. Giving Wallace plenty of departing love, we set forth to embark on what we could only foresee to be an evening of cycling success!

Wrong.

My troubles began early in the afternoon, when I decided to reorganize and redecorate my room. Armed with potent spray adhesive, clear finishing gloss, plastic containers, tissue paper and a map of paris, I set forth to spruce up my room, unaware of just how much this simple decision would affect the rest of my day.

Arriving back at the condo, I was coated in spray adhesive. It was all over my hands. Whatevs, no big deal. This happened to me before...a couple of days (weeks) and the stuff would eventually work its way off and I would stop sticking to everything I touched (and note, I truly mean everything! Bathroom + sticky hands = oh gosh).

Anyways, we decided that we would forego clipping into the pedals, namely because we were both terrified. Yes, I fell off my bike last time, har, har, har. I was doing so well until Dana said "ride around!" and I took that to mean "make a sharp turn immediately" instead of "ride around the block". Turns out (tee hee) there was a curb right in front of me so I opted to hurl myself to the ground instead of hitting it. Oh well.

This time we set off to the park. Cue obstacles: parents with strollers, loose children, and dogs playing in the centre of the trails. Ultimately, we decided to turn around because of the clouds of flying insects that a) made it impossible to see and b) kept flying into our noses and mouths. It was disgusting.

Also disgusting? My face evidently. At one point I asked Dana to pull over to check out my bike gears. It was only then that she notified me that I had BBQ sauce all over my face and that I had adhesive on my nose. Needless to say that we had to turn back IMMEDIATELY when I realized the potential for flying insects to adhere to my nose.

Getting back to the condo after a measly 25 minutes of biking, we told mom about our adventures with obstacles and adhesive. Though nothing could be done about our encounters with obstacles, mom suggested Goo Gone to remove the adhesive off of my hands and face. Mom knows best!

Twisting the cap off of the bottle I heard a snap. Goo Gone was pouring out of the bottle through a crack! Wallace was in the room! Nothing was on the floor, but still, I am a drama queen...

"HELP! EMERGENCY! HELP! HELP!"

"What?"

"COME HERE!"

Fast-forward to Mom squeezing Goo Gone at a rate of 1 mL/second into a new bottle, getting frustrated and cutting open the bottle with scissors, and me rapidly exhaling, trying to avoid breathing in the toxic fumes of Goo Gone while applying it to my nose.

Adventurous day? I sure think so.