Ten Tree ... Check them out

I was reading the local paper, the leaderpost, which I do almost everyday. But, today I found something more awesome than normal.

There is a wicked company that plants 10 trees for every item of clothing purchased. The clothes are a means to helping our environment, which I personally think is wicked.
So if you have not heard of ten tree before check there website out at www.tentree.org.

This is one of my personal fave tanks that they sell...

 But if you aren't into tank tops they have t-shirts and hoodies. They also have all kinds of choices for men.
So, being that this is the holiday season and all. Why not give a gift that keeps on giving :)
If you live in Regina or are visiting you can also check out there clothes at Coda Clothing and Shoes on Albert Street and Under the Sun on Quance Street.

Read more: http://www.leaderpost.com/Tree+growing+virally/5775482/story.html#ixzz1f2sBbF9Y

Happy Girl ... Right here

Gooooood Morning!
 One of my favorite quotes of all time is from Its not about the Bike by Lance Armstrong. He says "Pain is temporary. It may last a minute, or an hour, or a day, or a year, but eventually it will subside and something else will take its place. If I quit, however, it lasts forever.” This quote has been rolling through my head a lot lately. I have been dealing with a back injury for almost a month now and it has been slow. Painfully slow. I think snails move faster than I was making progress, or at least that was how it felt. But, yesterday was a BIG day. For the first time since our training camp in Colorado I was allowed to do some physical activity, stress on the some. I biked 5x1' *hard* and I was allowed to do real weights(real meaning; I was allowed to pick up actual weight instead of doing air squats and bowing exercises).

It was so awesome to feel the lactic burn in my legs and my lungs again(not quite as bad as this picture buuut), you couldn't wipe the smile off my face. My physio was making jokes saying how most people grimace and complain ... yesterday I was happier than I have been in weeks. Its kind of crazy. I didn't realize how much my body enjoys exercise and felt deprived of its normal stress relieving activity. I mean I know that there is an endorphin release but I didn't realize how used to working out I am. That might sound weird but because I have always been exercising I never stopped to think about it. But when I had the chance I realized this, being active and participating in sport, has been my life for over a decade and my body seems to get as much out of it as my mind. So I am going to keep the happy train going ...I am off to do my exercises :D

Bullying Prevention Week

November 13 thru the 19th is Bullying prevention week. Half the time when someone steps in, bullying stops in 10 seconds or less. It’s that simple. When you see bullying, don’t just stand by. Instead make a difference in someone's life, step in.
Check out www.redcross.ca/standup .


As long as I have been alive bullying has been a problem and unfortunately we are ALL a part of it. We are either the bullied, the bully or the bystanders. We all have a roll to play and every single one of us can make a difference!
Check out http://www.bullyingawarenessweek.org/ and make a difference in your life or someone around you's life.

Bullying is defined [by wikipedia ... this isn't for school I am using it as a source ;)] as an act of repeated aggressive behavior in order to intentionally hurt another person, physically or mentally. Bullying is characterized by an individual behaving in a certain way to gain power over another person.

Honesty is the policy so ...  when I was a kid I stood by and watched people be bullied because I was not brave enough to step in and say something. I also was bullied and unfortunately bullied people. At the time I don't think I knew that it actually was bullying, necessarily. But, as I have gotten older I have become aware of how the words we choose to use, when talking to people, affects them. I have experienced how our actions affect others and how after you step in and stand up for someone it isn't as hard to do, if you are in a situation like that again.
Its amazing how much more I respected myself after making the decision to stand up and step in to a bullying situation. I realized that when you step in the bully loses their "power". I like being able to stand behind my actions and not worry that someone might be hurt by what I have done. I like positivity more than negativity. I enjoy living in a world that looks for acceptance and understanding of diversity and I want my actions to represent that. I am not perfect. I slip up sometimes but I think trying is better than not.
Check out some of the stats on bullying in Canada and around the world.
http://prevnet.ca/BullyingFacts/BullyingStatistics/tabid/122/Default.aspx

I think there is an opportunity for each individual to make a difference. There are good programs that we can encourage schools to offer, we can educate our siblings, children, nieces, nephews and friends. And, you have the power to choose whether you will be a bully or not. What if we all stepped in, instead of standing by when we saw or heard bullying was going on? Is it that hard to believe that we can make a difference?

 Please do not be naive enough to think that bullying is only a problem that occurs in school, with kids. Workplace bullying is just as large a problem and has less people stepping in and more people putting there head's in the sand. I am an adult now, well sort of, and I have to say it astounds me that adults continue to bully. How in the age of technology we live in, with the wealth of knowledge we have the opportunity to tap into and with the problems our world is facing can people have the time to make other people feel bad about themselves. Don't we have enough to worry about. Aren't our plates full?


Now imagine if every person who reads this blog stands up and stops bullying once, we actually use the golden rule(do onto others as you would have them do unto you). All of a sudden people are standing up to bully's and now we are passing on a solution. With any luck people will pay it forward and all of a sudden peoples sense of self worth(check out my previous blog) is improving. So with ONE action we are helping make a happier society, and lets be honest Canadians are trendsetters. Lets set the tone for the whole world. Why not dream big? Why not push the boundaries? Why should we be satisfied with less than our best?

If you are being bullied, have questions or need someone to talk to about anything you can call kids help phone toll free 1-800-668-6868 or visit www.kidshelpphone.ca .

"Believe that what makes you vulnerable makes you beautiful"

I just watched Brene Brown speak on a TED talk. She shares that vulnerablity is necessary for us as human beings to find connection. And, if we are honest with ourselves connection is what it is all about, it is why we are here. To connect with others, to connect with our surroundings and to connect with who we really are. If you have 20 minutes, check it out. Brene Brown is funny, a little quirky and honest!
Here are a few of my favorite points.
*Her definition of courage; She states that the word itself comes from the Latin word for heart. So, to be courageous is to tell your story with your whole heart.
*Brown makes a distinction between being courageous and being brave which I think is neat.
*She mentions that we need to lean into discomfort rather than avoiding it, or pretending it does not exist, because when we avoid the tough stuff we also end up hindering our ability to experience the good emotions like joy.
I haven't done the talk justice and I don't want to write an essay ... so have a listen. Its totally worth it!!

Brene Brown: The power of vulnerability | Video on TED.com

Some musings on a Saturday Morning

" Winners are ordinary people, with EXTRAordinary determination". Unknown

I read this quote every morning when I walked into my history class, in high school. Its a quote that has stuck with me, inspired me, and is currently reminding me that no matter the circumstance we have a choice. We have a choice to be great, to try and to never give up ... if its what WE want. 

Well it appears I should have said I would blog one day later than I did. I am two for two on day after delivery.

Oh well ... on with the show.
I just want to thank everyone who wrote me a message, sent me there thoughts or gave me hugs. All of your support is very much appreciated and helped me through last week.
I am home now. I had my first doctor's appointments today and it looks like it is a herniated disc. But, the physiotherapists are very positive and with some serious attention to details and all the little stabilizer muscles that I often ignore ... I will be back on the water, in fine shape, come January!!
So, seeing that this was supposed to be the "Training Tuesday" blog I thought,"why not write about how important it is to strengthen our bodies ... both the big muscles and the little ones that we don't really see". 

I know its nice to have a six pack, killer pipes and a ripped back. But, it is also important, for the sake of our joints and over worked ligaments, that we strengthen the groups of muscles that we do not see. The abs that are 4 layers deep or the rotator cuff muscles that keep our shoulders in their sockets.

Another area that I often "forget" about, is stretching. It is key and fundamental to the health of our muscles. Part of my problem is a very tight and immobile thoracic spine. It is pretty much the source of all my troubles. So, that is where I begin. Where do you begin?

I am sure a lot of you are thinking ... duh. But, I felt like I needed to say it. So, if you have no pain then CONGRATULATIONS. I am envious. Keep up the good work. If you have some pain, why not look into things before they become worse? There is no harm in getting exercises and a plan in place to keep healthy.
Take it from me 4 or 5 days of bed rest can make a girl go insane ;)