Since 2017 I’ve been a member of the 2XX workouts in 20XX Facebook group. I’ve always made it– most years screaming in on the last day of the year, sometimes doing two or more workouts to squeak through. But hey, a win’s a win.
Until 2025. I was chugging along until the beginning of fall. Then, for no particular reason, I trailed off. Stopped posting. I felt like I should resume, but I didn’t.
Then in 2026, I restarted, only to stop again after recording 6 or 7 workouts. Hmmm.
I’ve never had an easy relationship with challenges– they bring out my inner belligerent teenager, ready to flip off anyone (including my non-teenaged self) who’s trying to put me on a schedule of (Heaven forbid) self-improvement. But my non-teenaged self knows it’s not really self-improvement I’m aiming at; rather, it’s self-care. Huh.
I’ve been a close-to-daily meditator since the pandemic. Before 2020, I meditated off and on for decades. But the combination of extreme necessity and a handy app (I’ve boosted the Happier app a lot here, but there are loads of them to try) has helped me set up and maintain a practice that works for me. As they say, the numbers don’t lie…
I’ve meditated 308 weeks in a row. Yes, missing a few days here and there, but I’m pretty proud of this.
The co-most important lesson I’ve learned from 308 weeks of close-to-daily meditation (along with “just breathe”) is that the streak that matters is the streak of one. Being and doing at the time is the thing. Not for what it will yield down the road, but for what it does now, in that moment.
Yes, that sounds cheesy. But a) something can be both cheesy and true at the same time; and b) I’m trying to be sincere here, so don’t pick on me… 🙂
Back to the 226 workouts in 2026: It’s June 28, so we’re almost at the six-month mark. I’m restarting a focus on doing and recording workouts as of yesterday. My plan is 113 workouts by the end of the year. I started last night with yoga before bed. That’s one. I can continue with streaks of one at a time.
Time to do some more yoga now.
Dear readers, how do you feel about streaks? Interrupting them, restarting them? I’m not asking for advice here, but it would be cool to hear how these experiences feel for you. I’ll report back in a while on mine.
Feeling open for business. Open to what’s ahead. By Clemens Van Lay for Unsplash.
I swore I wouldn’t repeat the pattern of a quick ramp up to the MS Bike Tour in 2026.
I retired May 1 and I was CERTAIN I would be riding all the time.
That didn’t happen for a bunch of reasons. As June winds down and July approaches my longest ride this year has been 30 km.
I really enjoy riding. It takes me a hour to warm up and then, then it feels like flying. But my speed needs to improve or I’ll be on the road way too long in the hot sun.
Yikes!
The plan today, get out early for 40 km and see how that feels. Then ride Monday, Wednesday, Friday next week. I’m thinking 10-20 km on rides during the week and go for 50 km July 5.
The next week do back to back rides to normalize riding on tired legs.
The MS Bike Tour is July 25 & 26. It’s roughly 85 km each day. I’m totally kicking myself for my procrastinating on riding.
My fundraising goal is $2,000. If you would like to help me reach that you can Donate here
Michel and I look happy and sweaty after a bicycle ride.
There are many people I know that live with MS. A bunch more have dear friends and family living with MS.
For reasons we do not fully understand, Canada has some of the highest rates of MS in the world. We also have amazing research happening that is helping my friends right now.
While I do have challenges riding as a fat, asthmatic athlete with some typical middle age injuries – my body does respond to training. I’m very lucky that a month is enough time to have a decent MS Bike Tour. Not everyone enjoys that kind of privilege.
So here’s to lots of miles & smiles.
Yes, ideally, I would have had a more gradual ramp up since April. But the second best time to start is now so, pitter-patter, let’s get at’r.
This week two birth stories made the news in my corner of the sports world. The reaction to them shows we still have a long way to go in gender equality.
Doku’s wife gave birth on Monday and both she and the baby are reportedly doing well. Doku is scheduled to be back with the team in time for Friday’s game
Meanwhile, Blayne Turnbull, captain of the PWHL Toronto Sceptres, announced she is expecting a baby in December. Reaction from fans has ranged from “amazing” to “I wonder how maternity leave works in the PWHL?”
Blayre Turnbull and her husband with a stuffed bunny sit in a grassy area with trees in the background. Her husband is wearing a cap that says “Dad” and she is holding a picture of an ultrasound. Image is taken from her Instagram page.
For the record, the PWHL Collective Bargaining agreement says that “the League must continue a Benefits Eligible Player’s base Salary and all other benefits in the event of pregnancy until the earlier of such time as the Player is cleared to return to play by both the Player’s medical doctor and a Team physician or the end of the League Season in which pregnancy-related disability commences.” I’m not thrilled with calling it a disability, but otherwise it’s not a bad deal.
Maybe part of the reaction reflects a slightly older tradition in Canada where women athletes face less discrimination if they choose to have families while competing. Since 2024, athletes funded by Sport Canada no longer have to use their precious injury card for pregnancy. Previously, it would have left them extremely vulnerable should they have an actual injury.
Sure, it’s elite athletes and their reality is different. But it is still very sad to see how toxic masculinity can be cruel to an expectant dad.
It wasn’t unexpected that my Mom died. She had been sick for quite some time. There is still nothing like it when it happens.
I remember feeling like I was living out of body for the first few months. The physical effects of losing one’s Mom, were surprising to me. I knew I would be emotional. I would miss her. A million ways and more. But the physical feeling of a chunk being removed from my being was unexpected.
For the first few months, I overshared my thoughts about my Mom, via video. While it helped me, I was glad when it ran it’s course. I’m sure others were too.
Fitness-wise, I recall continuing to jog through grief and go to classes. I remember the first few classes felt heavy. A blur.
Along the way, things stayed much the same with my fitness routine — I love my running and strength classes. However, the venues changed in some cases. The strength classes moved around and now I have been enjoying a regular place a couple times a week, even though it is a 40 min walk in the morning, to get there. Sometimes, a good friend is there too and that’s a bonus. I also recently tried a new class with a familiar coach and loved it. This is different than the seven or so years I spent going to one place. Overall, change can be good.
I have experienced both old and new sensations while running/jogging, also. Sometime in early spring, the vertigo I experienced a couple of years ago (around the same time of year) returned. One week I had the best post-winter run of the year and the next, the world was spinning again, if I moved to fast and, sometimes, when I was only attempting to walk. Thankfully, I learned some tricks the first time this happened and I was able to move through it and get back to normal running again by the beginning of May.Â
While running is feeling really good and I am working on getting a good pace back, I am also noticing my body needs a bit more rest in between a long run followed by a heavy strength day. Will age help me listen to that intelligence? Sometimes, I am forced to slow down on “in between days” whether I listen to the messages or not.
A screenshot from Strava of my birthday morning run. 10 minutes slower than last year but much better than a couple months ago. Grateful.
I find myself craving more movement and stretching in my hips and lower body and find myself taking some mornings to simply move through supportive exercises in my living room.
Overall, I have been feeling much more like myself again, for several months. At least — the self that continues to evolve, if we are lucky enough to age. The evolution feels less about the grief of the last year and more like typical 50-something changes, in an ever changing world. A world full of wonders, delights, simple moments, frustration, stress, monotony, sadness, joy and horrors. Yesterday, I was going to add “not bad for 54” to by Strava run comments but I went for “Grateful for another year”. That feeling deepens with each year. The gratitude. The inability to take anything for granted. The immense sense of privilege I have to age – and – in the part of the world where I was fortunate to be born with so many built-in advantages. I hope I learn how to support those less fortunate, in a really useful way, with each year I am granted.
Several years ago, while running, I started using the mantras, “I am. I can. I will. I do” (thank you, Christine D’arcole). Then I added “Thank you”. (Just to my body for being able to do things) “Envision” (when I was looking for a job). I would find that these mantras would automatically kick in, somewhere along the route.
A couple of years ago, when I first had that vertigo problem, I added things like, “Fuck it”, “Just Run”. This was because the vertigo would have me start jogging, stopping within a block because of spinning head.” Starting again. Over and over. This would create more anxiety and make things worse. Sometimes, the most helpful thing to think for my anxious brain was, “Fuck it”, “Just Run!”
This time, when the vertigo returned, but then started getting better, I’ve start adding, “It’s just a feeling”, “Don’t take the short cut”. This helped me get past the stop/starting and into a familiar and pleasant groove.
A boxing coach used to tell us, if people were pushing past a tough point in an abs section or running up a hill, “It’s just a feeling”. Of course, people know when it is more than a feeling and to stop but, if one is feeling good and know they can do it, I find this prompt helpful. It is not just the vertigo. A slow running winter and those middle age aches have required that I get some of my cardio up again so that I can push past my delicious comfort zone, into an even more delectable endorphin dessert. It helps if I remind myself that some discomfort can be nothing but a feeling to move through and past.Â
Once again, running is not unlike other parts of life – such as moving through grief experienced when losing a loved one. Sometimes you just need to move through it. Sometimes you get to another side where your Mom is there, just in a different way. She is the air that you breathe in and the sunrise on a walk to work or a ladybug on your shoulder. You can’t take a shortcut to move past the uncomfortableness and onto the good stuff.
Nicole P. is moving into another 365 days and ready to adjust as needed and enjoy the ride.
“It’s kind of a miracle I haven’t just passed out.” That’s how Lael Wilcox described the heat exhaustion that ended her bid to break Mark Beaumont’s around-the-world cycling record this week. A European heat wave did what training and grit couldn’t. Reading her words, I felt the particular dread that’s become familiar lately — the recognition that the conditions we plan our riding around are no longer the conditions we actually get.
The increasing summer heat is terrifying, and people are dying. Probably, when there are health warnings against outdoor exercise, it’s not the best time to try to break a world cycling record. I know the loss of summer riding is a small thing compared to all the horrible effects of our warming world.
Me, I’m planning my long-distance rides for the fall. I’m switching it up and moving some of my exercise indoors in the summer. That feels strange and awful, but it’s where we are.
I don’t really know why I was out of sorts because nothing went particularly wrong.
In fact, lots of things went right – I had two terrific Zoom conversations with friends, I spent some time drawing and writing, it was sunny out for most of the day – but I felt a little under the weather, I couldn’t really settle into my work, and I had to push myself to do even the simplest things.
I even had to push myself to go for a walk this afternoon – an activity that is automatic about 90% of the time.
I’m sure Khalee would have forgiven me if we didn’t walk today but I didn’t like the idea of her missing out on a walk on a warm, sunny day.
Since I was having trouble with the push to walk, I decided to try to add a ‘pull’ factor – I challenged myself to take a photo as many beautiful things as I could without Khalee losing her patience.
And that worked out pretty well – it made my walk into a series of small strolls between photos and I was reminded of how many lovely things I can see even on a short walk.
All in all, this small photo challenge was a good way to finish my Monday.
And if you’re having trouble getting out for a walk, I highly recommend going off in search of beauty.
I really liked seeing all of these clusters on white flowers on the tree branches reaching toward the path. Image description: a cluster of small white flowers on the top of a tree branch that has relatively small green leaves. The background is out of of focus but there’s grass and trees and the sun is shining through here and there. I really liked the contrast of the green branches and the purple cones with the blue sky in the background. Image description: a photo of the underside of a spruce tree looking up towards the sky. another set of branches, up very high, is visible at the top of the photo and the deep blue sky is visible on several sides. The tips of the spruce branch are laden with new cones that are growing. Some are green and others are a soft purple.When I was young, my friends and I played ‘spies’ in the small wooded areas along this path. Little alcoves formed by the trees were our favourite hiding places. Image description: a photo of a wooded area with a clearing between the trees, the entrance to which is partially blocked by trees that are leaning far to one side. Khalee, my light brown dog who is wearing a blue neckerchief is in the bottom of the photo.I take so many photos of the sun on the greenery and the river in this particular spot on the bridge. Image description: a photo of a river that is so overgrown that there are just two or three pools of water easily visible between the greenery and the rocks. The sun is shining down on all the trees and shrubs and grass making it area look very lush. Something about the shape of this cloud was really pleasing to me and I also loved how looooooong the street looked in this photo. Image description: a photo of a street near my house that seems to be leading me right toward the most prominent long white cloud in the bright blue sky. The sun is a bright shape with a kind of aura around it in the top of the photo and there is a series of trees, houses, and cars, as well a sidewalk along the left side of the photo, and a few houses, trees, and cars on the right.I took this photo on my front lawn where this lilac tree keeps blooming despite (because of?) my benign neglect. Image description: a close-up photo of a lilac branch with bright green leaves and with the lilac flowers still closed up in dark pink buds. There are houses and cars out of focus in the background and blue sky above.These small orange flowers are apparently a type of poppy and they also thrive under my benign neglect in a planter next to the lilac tree in front of my house. I will be pulling the grass out of the planter once I get around to it. Image description: a top-down photo of some small orange poppies amidst a variety of green plants and leaves and a smattering of grass stalks. On the right side of the photo there is the edge of the wooden planter and a few rocks scattered on the dirt that is part way under my front steps.I think Khalee is just as beautiful as the trees, the flowers, the river and the cloud, of course. Image description: a photo of Khalee, a medium-sized light brown dog whose face, paws and chest are white. She is wearing a jaunty blue neckerchief with blue daisies outlined on it. She is standing in a shadow on a patch of grass with a sunny spot just past her. Only her front paws and her head is in the shot and she has her head turned slightly towards us so she is looking into the camera.
Maybe you’ll recall that’s basically the 30-30-30 thing, the nine morning movements, and an after-dinner walk.
I’m happy to report that I’ve done some combination of these most days — the morning movements, 30g of protein at breakfast, 30 minutes of morning cardio, and an after-dinner walk.
All the walking is pretty familiar. I’ve got a dog, after all, and Cheddar loves an after-dinner walk. The morning cardio is also part of my usual routine, since I usually bike to work or go to the gym.
Thirty grams of protein has made me more mindful of breakfast choices. Lots of my usual go-tos fall short and so this has been a good reminder.
The most surprising thing is how good the morning movement routine feels. It’s energizing. I’m ignoring the woo talk that comes attached to all of it.
But the upshot is that my feed is now full of morning movement routines — and the number of movements keeps climbing. This one’s 16! (Ignore the weight loss messaging, please.)
On Saturday Sarah and I set out for our usual morning ride. Another beautiful June day, another beautiful ride. Once again, so many people out there.
I decided to wear my new Herd bike kit.
Who are the Herd?
“The Herd is one of the largest and most popular virtual cycling communities on Zwift, known for its welcoming, inclusive, and highly social environment. Founded as a grassroots group, it focuses on compassion, encouraging riders of all fitness levels, and its members frequently shout “MOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!” in the in-game chat.”
