Blog

Mike Gill pacing me in our 10 km Time Trial. Picture: Reid Coolsaet. Do you know what I loved doing as a child? Competing. Competing with the boys. Competing with the boys because I could.  I still remember the day my dad asked my sister and I if we wanted to play hockey like our three older brothers. I was …

August 18, 2020 We’re 5 months into this ugly covid19 pandemic and getting a little (or a lot) weary, anxious, tired, bored, discouraged, depressed, sad, …you name it. There are no big races on the calendar, the zooming is getting old but here to stay, and we’re done with the jokes and conversations about sourdough bread, toilet paper, haircuts, hand …

I’ve incorporated water activity in my marathon training for nearly as long as I’ve been racing marathons. The first time I went to our local Wayne Gretzky Sports Centre to use the pool was in 2004 when I had my first injury. I had debuted in Niagara Falls in 2002 in 3:28 and completed my second marathon in Ottawa in …

May 22, 2020 Gratitude. It helps us through trying times when we can pause and think about how our needs are being met over our wants. We are better when we choose to appreciate all that we do have and that which we are just fine to live without. At the beginning of the pandemic, I posted a daily story …

Like millions in Canada, my family and I are now learning how we can make the most of a reduced income because of the pandemic. During these times, it is beneficial to know how wholesome foods like eggs, butter, and milk help us get the most from our nutrient dollar when adhering to a budget. In our home, milk is …

Let me start by saying how different my day must look compared to those of our front-line workers who are bravely and selflessly protecting and helping our community amidst this battle. To the grocery store employees, health care professionals and staff, first responders, delivery drivers, and everyone else who is doing their part to get us through this pandemic, we …

Some say it takes a minimum of 21 days to form a new habit. After a quick Google search I learned that it takes more than two months, 66 days on average, before a new behaviour becomes automatic. We are into our third week of this pause on life due to this terrible COVID-19 pandemic. For those of us at …

Homeschooling So after the “COVID-19 Daily Schedules” came the links to websites and apps for homeschooling. I didn’t have big expectations, but did want the kids to spend some time doing some sort of learning. After lunch we’d sit at our island in the kitchen with our iPad and two laptops, ready to do something productive. But much of our …

Ok, for those of us with kids at home, let’s be honest. Those “COVID-19 Daily Schedules” with perfectly planned stay-at-home activities were never going to work. I’m not saying it wasn’t worth the attempt, but it was never realistic. My youngest and oldest are 5 years apart. My 9-year-old daughter loved the idea, but once my 14-year-old son saw a …

Our Time. It’s only been eight days since writing, but it seems like months. Like Marnie McBean, Canada’s Chef de Mission for the 2020 -2021 Olympic Games said when explaining the difficulty in making the (right) decision to not send Canada if the games were not postponed, “COVID-19 time is not the same as normal time.” I couldn’t agree more. It …