You know you are an endurance athlete when..

"Anything that gets your blood racing is probably worth doing" Hunter S. Thompson

Back training for my next adventure, super excited and motivated. I am still ironing some details but will announce it as soon as it's all finalized. Of course back training means back to being OCD about training, it drives everybody around me crazy including my kids so I compiled a list in no particular order of things that I have done that seem unusual to everybody else and if they make sense then you, my friend are an endurance athlete. * Your went into labour at the gym (or your partner) and thought " the water hasn't break, I am sure I can finish this set" * Your kids took all their naps on a baby jogger * your kids art work of you are always a drawing of you on a bike, running or any other action scene. * you know all the bathrooms in a 70 mile radius of your house as well as spots that you can use in case of an emergency that offers privacy *You have more than one health club membership and they know you by first name in all of them *you have said no to a paid trip to an exotic destination because it interferes with your training *You buy your underwear at athletic stores *If you have relieve yourself by using a freshette and/or have been on an adventure where you have to pack your waste and carried back with you *You have no medical training but know what a Piriformis, Gemellus superior, Illotibial band is and it's location *When people ask you " How did your workout work today go?" you replied " Which one?" without irony * While reviewing changes in your work schedule, holiday engagements, vacations with the family and such you start organizing your workouts in your head right away *You have been dropped at work so you can run back home * You have arrived to a party drinking a protein shake * You have left a party early to run back home to have your friends pass you 3 hours later on their way home *You have been told by sports psychologist that you might have an obsessive personality * At a party, you dread the question " So, what do sports do you do?" because it only leads to an all night Q&A * People that know what sports you play avoid you because they still don't know what to think of you *You get super excited when you hear your favorite sports nutrition products launch new flavors/ products *People don't recognize you without your training gear on * Some of your races not only start and end on different calendar days but also in different countries * You have friends that you made in towns with a population of less than 10 * You have been to Antarctica and the Arctic * You start cutting corners on grooming to squeeze more workouts in your day * you have incredibly weird tanlines * You don't watch live TV anymore but PVR your favorite shows and watch them at 5am on your treadmill or bike *When your friends and family try not to push your buttons because is that time of the month they are not referring to PMS but to tapering *If this list made you smile not cringe, YOU ARE AN ENDURANCE ATHLETE

A letter to my son Karl

"Being deeply loved by someone gives you strength, while loving someone deeply gives you courage."Lao TzuToday you are 18 years old my beautiful son. I hope I still have many opportunities to tell you how amazing you are. As my first born, we have grown together, I am sure I have let you down many times and you have patiently accepted my shortcomings because you understand underneath it all the immense love you mother has for you. I want to let you know you were wanted very much. I didn’t always take such a good care of me. But when I met your father I suddenly realized that I was going to be a mother one day and took the steps necessary to make sure that I gave you the healthiest start. No more smoking or drinking for me. I was 25 when I quit and 27 when you came into my life. We have faced many challenges together. You were just a little boy when you watched you mom stay in bed all day, unable to take you to school because of all the fighting she and dad were having, you were so worry for me and brought me cheerios to bed and tried to make me laugh. Never once you complained when I woke you up one evening and took you away from your big home and toys and moved you to a tiny apartment. I am forever grateful how you comforted your younger brother that cried because now mom was never home going to school full time. I will never forget both of us studying together for finals, sharing pencils and stories. How you lovingly taught you mother the correct order of all the hockey gear that I had to put on you before each game and how you laughed when I asked why didn’t you just choose soccer!Thank you for making me feel so proud when I stood alone at your grade 6-graduation feeling inadequate and guilty and just to feel my chest exploded with joy when they announced your name as the winner of the citizen award of excellence.But that was only the beginning of your amazing strength, as life throw the biggest curveball yet. Just when things were settling back, we had a home and I was now expecting a promotion to management when we learned that your recent clumsiness had a name and a diagnosis, cone rod dystrophy. My own genes gave you undesirable genes and you were now going blind and you were only 11 years old. Once again you were the source of my strength when you came into my bedroom once more to stroke my hair and tell me that it was OK, that I could stop worrying because it was only your eyes. ONLY your eyes. Once again things got though for us as I lost my job, you never complained to that money was tight again. There is not a single day that goes by that I am not in awe of your strength and beauty. You continue to inspire everybody around you to be better simply because your light shines brighter than the darkness than sometimes surrounds us. You still continue to never complain focusing on the positive instead of the negative like the time when you call me excited that you had been approved for a guide dog never once stopping to dwell on the reason why you need a guide dog. You are kind and generous soul that now is you who encourages me to follow my dreams and passions, when I decided to run 2600 plus miles to Mexico you never once question my ability or judged me, you held my hand and said “ Mom, this is something you need to do for you, because I like to see you happy” but went even further by making sure our favorite shows were taped so we could watched them together as a family and I could just pick up being your mother when I returned home easing my guilty for leaving you and your bother for three months. This morning when I hugged you the roles have reversed, you are not the little boy that I held at the hospital 18 years ago, at almost a foot taller it is me who feels safe in your arms Happy Birthday Karl, thank you for being in my life. I am forever blessed to be your motherI love youMom