NYC Marathon 2009

Where do I start? NYC is amazing and the whole trip was wicked! Susie, Jenn, Kelly and I headed to the Buffalo airport at the early hour of 4am on Sat Oct 31st. Happy Halloween! Whoa that was early! Grabbed a quick breakfast and hopped on the 8am flight. The flight was quick and before we new it we were speeding along in Edwin's cab towards the Sheridan Times Square. Room was ready and we settled in. Later in the afternoon we headed out for a run. Heading along 7th to Central Park I said hello to Michael Buble coming out for Starbucks. Weird when you see someone that looks familiar so you just say "hello" and then he turns out to be a famous dude. Amazing.
Our run through Central Park was incredible. Such a beautiful space. I'd be there everyday is it were my hometown. We had a great evening..a little bit of rain but we braved it to have a look around. Everyone was sleepy so we headed back to the hotel pretty early and I got to bed! I had to be the bus for 5:20am. That was going to come fast!
Alarm went off and I jumped into my clothes. Jenn and Susie wished me luck (Kelly stayed sleep-smart!) and off I went. I grabbed a cap to the library where I got on the bus to the starting line. I sat beside Lawrence on the bus. It was his first marathon. He was a sprinter and decided he wanted to do a marathon. He had trained hard and I am sure did well! we got off the bus and walked up to the welcome area. I pointed out where the bagels were and off he went. I headed directly to the warming tent to grab a spot. A Phat Dude named Tom gave me his spare track pants to warm up my chilly legs. man it was freezing at 6am! What was I thinking wearing shorts! As the tent filled up I had the chance to meet more and more people and hear their amazing inspiring stories. Runners are such amazing people.

Said my goodbyes and good lucks and was off to the starting area for Orange Wave #1. "What do you mean I am too late? and OMG there's Edward Norton!" Yep, that pretty much summed up why my heart was racing and I deeked into the fenced off area and made it into Wave #1! Woohoo! " Where did Edward go?" I had to tell him that Susie loves him! lol. No seriously we both love him! His acting that is. Yeah right! Anywho...as I strapped on the helmet cam it became very clear that people wondered what was up? Did I need it for safety reasons? lol. There's definitely history that could support that need..but no it was the best way to cover the race experience. Check out www.youtube.com/racedayrush to see the footage! Finishing time of 3:49. Pretty incredible for a chick with a helmet cam I must say! lol. I am constantly in awe of the drive and determination that people have to cross the finish line. I made some new friends along that way and was amazed at all their stories...like the man who was running his 12th marathon since his heart transplant. Wow! and Joel who had weighed 400 pounds 2.5 years before the race and had done it surgery free with finishing the marathon in 2009 was his BIG goal. Incredible! This marathon experience was so memorable and it's all on video. A little bit of a sore neck..but it was so worth it!

A HUGE thanks to Susie, Jenn and Kelly for making it a wicked time and for all your support. You are truely Phat Chicks and great friends. xo

Be Phat!

Art Can Fight Hunger (Week #3!)

A unique charitable campaign is located at Mapleview Mall in Burlington. Paige wanted to participate and make a big donation! Four artists from Burlington, Hamilton and Toronto we comissioned to create artwork inspired by Andy Warhol's soup can paintings while reflecting the message that "Art Can Fight Hunger". Paige picked out healthy non-perishable foods from Longos and donated them in the can situated in front of the painting she liked the best. Her pick was created by David Rademaker..a local Burlington artist. His design was black and white and revealed shapes and elements from nature. Great pick Paige!

Get Outside..

We headed up to Rattlesnake Point on the Thanksgiving weekend. What a beautiful spot! We enjoyed spending time hiking the trails with some close friends. I plan to head up there more often. You should check it out!

http://www.hrca.on.ca/ShowCategory.cfm?subCatID=1091

Week #2 Paige wanted to donate her clothes!

With the change in weather..Paige decided she wanted to donate her clothes this week. "Everyone needs them!" she simply said when I asked her why this week that's what she chose to do. "And it it's not warm outside anymore". I agree! We managed to get her dad in on this one too. Amazing what you have in your closet that someone else could put some good use too. Paige is starting to understand what giving and helping others really means. I was pretty amazed when she decided to give up her Barbie suitcase to pack some of the clothing into!

Excited to see what's up for next week!

Be Phat!

Learning about GIVING to others..

My daughter Paige is a very emotional, caring little person. Yet, like all children she wants the latest and greatest this and that. As her mom I want to give her those things..and at the same time instill the value of being thankful. Simply expressing that she's lucky to have special gizmos and gadgets is not enough. So together we have started a 52 week long giving adventure. Each week we'll donate personal belongings, food, money or simply our time to help others.

Today we got started! Paige turned 6 last week and we thought it was a perfect timing. She went through her toys and filled a bag and large box full of her favorite possession...stuffies (stuffed animals!). These have been her favorite collectible since she was a baby. She kept a few of her favorites. She would be lost without teddy! She was excited that she would be sharing her stuffies with kids who would hopefully love them too.

When we were driving away from the Community Donation Centre Paige asked if there are also people who needed food. I replied with a big "YES" and she decided then that's what we would do next week. So proud of her..and excited for what she'll learn beyond the next 51 weeks to come.

Picture: Paige with with the two representatives from the Community Donation Centre in Burlington, Ontario (October 19, 2009)

Be Phat!

Leaving on a jet plane...

Woohoo...the Phat Chicks are heading to NYC! I am running the marathon on November 1st. So pumped! I've ran it once before and it's AMAZING! The energy of the city combined with 40,000 runners and a sea of spectators is electric! Hard to express what it means to run this race without getting a wee bit emotional..and so excited that Susie and my sister are going to share it with me. My sister has never been away with her girlfriends before..uh oh it might get messy! Just kidding...ok maybe a little messy!

The race starts on Staten Island...and off we go to tour the the city ending up in Central Park. Beautiful. Thinking back I remember Nike's banners hanging from all the overpasses providing inspiration to keep going..."You've trained. Now it's time to reach your Goal. Be strong." Not sure if those were the exact words, but works for me! Not sure what the banners will say this year..but I plan to kick butt!

I'm going to submerge my lower body in an ice bath after the race. Burrrrr! I'll let you know if it works! Regardless I plan to whoop it up that night and party with my two close friends. Life has definitely been an amazing adventure since last year and I am so excited for what's next! Maybe a PB? Let you know...

Be Phat!

September 8th

Wow, my baby girl started grade one today! The last (almost six) years flew by. I am sooo excited for her and at the same time nervous too. My memories of grade school are a wee bit foggy but I do remember how nasty little girls can be. My hope is that she makes friends with fun and active little girls and boys. No drama please! I am determined to teach her how to live her life in the moment and enjoy all her experiences. I think I have my work cut out for me..but I am up for the challenge.

All we can control is this moment in time. What was the past is gone and the future is to be determined. I LOVE my life and the space I am in. How amazing is that! Just about to have a meeting on Skype with Suz and our web developer. Excited for the launch of phatchicks.ca and the future of our biz. Keep you posted...

Be Phat!