Walk Running part 1

Foot pain forced me to stopped running back in July. I had literally come to the breaking point where I needed to fully heal my torn plantar fascia before I was going to run well. Two weeks post-running I received an ultrasound which revealed that my injured tissues were over double the normal thickness, very rough and totally uneven. This is the result of my plantar fascia being torn and then healing significantly thicker to withstand the forces as I continued to run on a sore foot.  Stupid on my part!

For the last month I've been receiving deep tissue massage to try and reverse the damage I caused over the last 6 months by breaking up the stubbon scar tissue. My foot is still not 100%, it's taking a really long time to heal but I'm ready to introduce walk-runs. Now the only problem is I followed the term "introduce" a little too loosely. I started with a 2 minute run and 3 walk and quickly bumped it to 3 minute run. When I woke up with a sore-ish foot I relaized this was not working. I took off another week and then reintroduced a 1 min run and 4 min walk like I should have at the beginning. It's terrible, I just want to run, but I'm ready to do it right this time. I'm trowing my impatience to the wind and finally ready to listen to my body.

So here I am: 1 min run and 4 min walk with a rest day in between each run day. I've since set out for 1.5 min run and 3.5 min walk and after a tender foot I'm going to attempt this again before progressing to 2 mins of running. I have talked with my massage therapist about the tenderness and discussed that there could be some tenderness as the foot tissues adjust to an increased workload but they should subside as I progress. Deep down, when I push my stubbornness to the side, I know that I'm following the right recovery path for my body. I'm choosing to do this walk-run right but I really do miss the actual run....
xo
Becks

Competition doesn't go away

I've been off running for almost two months now....wow! I was exhausted at first, I thought I had lost my running desires forever! That place where I dug down deep within me to find that final ounce of energy was gone, it was way beyond empty. It was weird, feeling as if I didn't care, I have never been passive. I'm still experiencing a bit of this love-hate relationship when my thoughts come to racing but through this time I've realized my quest for competition can be tamed but it'll never be far away.

That's why I started yoga. I wasn't good and I wanted to be. I hadn't felt this dedication to succeed athletically for a few months now and I could relax at the same time. It was perfect!

I finally had a non-running athletic goal that I was excited about: I was going to hold crow. I chose this pose because I so admire the core strength people posses as they effortlessly lift their rock-hard bodies and mold them into solid positions. I wanted to do this but every time I tried my wrist would buckle, my shoulders ached and ultimately I ended up face first in the mat.... see.

So for the last few weeks I've been completing a beautiful yoga practice under the stars in attempt to relax and I always made sure to try crow. Time and time again I would fall, I got to the point of holding it for like half a second before falling and that wasn't good enough. I wanted to be able to commit and hold it for longer! 


Well, here I am finally holding crow (for like 10 seconds)!!! It was small feat but it's something I chose to work towards an conquer. My next goal, handstand from crow. I know I'll do it but I think this one is going to take awhile.

xo Becks

Tourist in my own Town!

Bowen during summer should feel like a vacation, an escape or at least that's how everyone who visits bowen describes it. I want to feel this every day I want to bottle up this feeling, this pride and take it with me wherever I go. The question is how? I think my best chance at concocting this elixir is to become a tourist in my own town. This way I hope to appreciate this island retreat instead of becoming blinded by the inconveniences. To help me experience this place through a tourist's eyes I've been inviting my firends to visit and I'm totally appreciating this unique look.

Our bowen day began with 4 friends lunching on Nat's deck. On the menu, sandwiches with chips inside.  Apparently adding chips into the sandwich only happens on this island and has become a bowen must!

After lunch we took a walk and a talk around Killary Lake, I've never "walked" around this lake in my entire life; although, I know it like the back of my hand. The lake has always been a time trial of my fitness, where I run from point a to point b and back again in attempt to become as fast as I can be. Here we took a peaceful jaunt around the 4-km loop.

Next came the golf course, I've never made it around all 9 holes but I figured the driving range at sunset would be a hilarious experience of beauty and uncoordinated defeat. Turns out, after we collected our balls and took a couple of practice swings we wern't as terrible as this picture suggest.

A day of bowen exploring finished in the most blissful ways possible. Dinner under the stars, a bottle of wine, wood oven pizza and 2 amazing salads shared between four friends. It was a fabulous island version of Sex and the City. I'm feeling so happy to be relaxed and appreciating the opportunity to live in such a beautiful place.

xo

Becks

Public Transport Tested

A light trot to the lake and through the meadow at sunset followed by a yoga practice under the stars. So amazing, so surreal I wish I could be this relaxed all the time. I'm reminded why I live on this island. After the last day an a half I needed a blissful night to re-remember why I chose to live on island time.

When I'm on this island it's glorious and at times even glamorous but sometimes getting off the island is anything but.

I am not going to let island life affect my integrity, I do not want to use the "ferry made me late" excuse but so far it has been sending my cortisol levels through the roof. Yesterday the power was off, yes they can turn off the power to an entire island. When the power goes the docks have to be lowered and raised manually. This dock cranking as I imagine it makes the ferry late. The power was off at 8am so I assumed the next ferry, the 9:35 wouldn't be too late. Assuming, as we all know makes and ass out of u and me, that was my first mistake. My second mistake was ignoring my dream's orders. I had a nightmare that the ferry was terribly late but I ignored my subconscious warning. As I got ready for work my sister called to inform me the ferry was docked. I grabbed my stuff and sprinted but it was a futile attempt. I watched the ferry sail away. After one sailing the ferry was 40 minutes behind and I was going to be late for work. 

In a desperate attempt to be on time I took the coast link, a water taxi that goes to Granville Island. 20-dollars and 40 minutes later I was on my way. It was 10 am and I had to be at robson lulu by 11. I was determined to make it! As we approached False Creek the boat literally crawled, that is if you could crawl in the water.  Lets just say front crawl would have been faster.  By some gift of god I was let out on the downtown side of the bay. I had 12 minuets to get from the David Lam Park to Robson. I could make it! I hopped out of the boat and just started running. I had no plan which was obvious by my cutting corners, ignoring street signs and praying I didn't get hit by cars as I took advantage of the bike lane. It was me against the clock, story of my life but this time it wasn't for a pb. I arrived at the store at 10:56 trying not to cry and totally sweating but I made it! Is this worth it? 

It was another public transport challenge as I caught the bus home. The late bus arrived to the ferry terminal late which meant I watched the ferry leave. If I hadn't been so tired my heart would have broke as I watched the ferry fill with cars and mockingly sail away. I missed the cut off.  My solution to pass the time was to drowned my sorrows in a thin crust Bay Moorings pizza, and when that kitchen had closed early I went to the only store open bought 2 bananas, 2 licorice and a box of grapes.

When I'm taking public transit I realize there are so many factors out of my control and I might as well let it be. I know that resistance to what is happening is my mind trying to take control but I'm in love with control. I know eventually my stress levels will thank me when I can just let what is be so as I went to bed, told myself to relax and that life will be beautiful as it always is in the morning.

Today, I arrived to my car which was not where I left it. I wanted to laugh but I had to be at my massage appointment. I didn't want to be late and thank goodness my dad could drive me to the impound lot. I feel like I'm being tested. I know it was my decision to park overnight and take the tow risk but bowen'ers do it all the time. $160 later and I'm not going to take that risk again.

I am so grateful for my peaceful night, after my practice I looked up at the stars, thought about how I pretty much held crow for the first time and realized my problems are trivial compared to so many. I am so blessed, transportation is trivial. namaste.

Racing the clock with Betsy

Is it possible to live on island time when your life constantly revolves around ferry schedules? 

I don't know for sure, "chilling out" is a whole new concept that, at least I think, I'm starting to get used to if this picture is any indication. Don't be fooled, I wish I could always be the type of person who could naturally sit back and let things be but lets face it- I’m not. I’m competitive as hell in every aspect of my life. When there’s a window of opportunity I’m most definitely going to make a grab for.This couldn’t have been more obvious than my experience getting to the 9:45 ferry last night. 

When the crowds died down around lulu at 7pm I took advantage of possibly getting out early and slowly worked towards closing my section. I ask to be let go a little early in attempt to catch the last ferry and avoid my 11:30 water taxi fate. Shout out to key leader Tanner who let me go, I grabbed my turtle shell of a back pack, kicked up my heels and booked it to my yaletown apartment where I park Betsy. I literally ran into Justine and her boyfriend Ryan along the way. What a terrible first impression: sweating and toting a turtle shell. I walked for about 30 seconds of a conversation referring to my existence and a few "it's nice to finally meet you" before once again running off like a crazy person. 

I chose to rush, it was Betsy and I against the clock. I knew I would make it, I'm only a few weeks out of racing practice.  

It was as if the street light gods were cheering me on as the sea of red slowly changed to green when I approached.  Bam, bam, bam it was a near perfect drive down Georgia and over the bridge. It was no contest we ironically arrived to the ferry terminal early. 

Today I learned to relax when there's no point rushing but make things happen when you think it's worth it. Is rushing with a good attitude ok? I don't think it's possible to change who you are completely. Personal growth is most definitely important but sometimes, at least I think, your personality traits get you to where you want to be. I wanted to make the ferry. I realize a rush to the ferry is a small scale example of an anxiety driven lifestyle but here I am signing off as I take a few seconds out of the Now to laugh at myself remembering my evening. Back to relaxing and doing quite well with it!

Becks

Embracing Bowen Culture

I have been on island time for about a week now. Yes, commuting is going to be a challenge but I'm enjoying the wind in my face and feeling the salty air deep in my lungs. I'd be lying if I didn't admit to being slightly insecure about moving back but I really do appreciate the tranquility of home sweet home. I'm also 100% aware that I'm blessed to have the option to be a freeloader. The book I'm reading talks about time as a made up entity of the mind and what exists is not the past or the future but Now. Well, for right now, at this very moment, I am happy to be an islander. I have had so much change over the last couple of months that the familiarity of home is very comforting.

While on this running break and surrounded by water I'm going to fully embrace this island opportunity by rediscovering my environment. So far I've found $6 evening yoga in a beautiful studio, enjoyed some beer league fast pitch and partied at the infamous Bowen Island Doc Dance.

I think it's the freedom from commitment and worry that finds me smiling to myself over nothing in particular, at times it's probably thoughts of last night's antics. For Now this island isolation is so liberating, if you want to reach me I'll be on my coconut wireless ;)
xo
Becks 

Eat, Pray, Love

I've developed a new reading routine and I'm loving it! One of my non-running related goals is to spend more time reading. I also want to go to bed earlier, it's not a goal so much as it is just something I need to do. I find with so much glorious summer daylight it's hard to make myself go to bed early, 12 am has become the norm, so I've come up with a reading routine where I try to go to bed around 10:45-11 and read until I feel tired. It's brilliant, I'm tricking myself into going to bed early and I'm getting some reading done at the same time! Bam.

Eat Pray Love is my first reading accomplishment of this new routine. It was a good choice, I felt like I was looking at my reflection.  There were so many mirrors between her life and mine. It was comforting to feel like I'm not the only person following her heart and dealing with a lot of self-torment along the way. My most favourite part of the book its during the main character's journey to India where she struggles to relax her mind and mediate. I find I'm having a similar struggle, I have recently found yoga but working out in a non-competitive way is a huge challenge for me. Yoga is so humbling, I want to be the best but if you took one look at my bent knees during forward fold or watched me fall awkwardly on my face as I tried to hold crow you would quickly realize I'm far from it. This "go at your own pace" is so different as I try to hold plank longer than the people beside me, I want to win.

I'm trying to use yoga as a way to relax, I love the idea of relaxing but I'm not quite there yet. It's kind of funny, I feel like I'm being tested especially after my last class. I'm getting used to sweating before I even start in a cramped humid room but bad breath will always be disgusting. I went to a power class the other day and, my stomach turns as I write this, we began by sticking out our tongues, breathing out all our air and roaring like a lion. As loud and as deep as we could we were supposed to let go and really get into it..... ROAR. I couldn't do it! I could feel a thick combination of germs and bad breath swirling around me so heavy I could almost see it. I didn't know what to do, I had to breathe but I didn't want the stench to invade my body. I almost left, almost. After the roaring stopped I could relax into the routine and actually had a good stretch but the first part of the class was so ironically stressful that my cortisol levels were probably off the charts.

I love the idea of yoga and I love the novel concept that relaxing could actually make you better. I so admire the strength needed to hold some of the poses and I look forward to developing it in me. This is going to be a very different journey indeed and hopefully it'll help my core/hip strength along the way.
xo
Becks