Doors wide Open YYC

Brrr. Amazing what a little frost can do to your flowers. Yep, that time called fall has indeed caused the stems of the tallest plants to wilt in the cold. That said, what a glorious sunrise to witness!

Tomorrow is Doors Open YYC all across our town. For me at SAIT I will be hosting tours of our Home Lab where we build homes with our architects, engineers, carpenters, and many other trades we teach at SAIT. If you want to come visit, check out Walk SAIT to guide yourself around my work.

Our culinary garden, where we grow good food!

As I have to volunteer at 930 am, I will not be able to trot on Saturday. Please meet those that need the Saturday trot at Eau Claire for 8 am. Good news or bad, this will be the last 8 am run of the year. We will revert to 9 am for the fall and winter.
-----

Next weekend is the 13th annual Harvest Half in support of the Tracey Flagg memorial. Joy and I will be bookending the event so hopefully you will come and cheer us on or even better participate. Good luck to those doing the left right repeat next weekend.

Tomorrow is the annual Melissa's Road Race in Banff. The one day a year where you can't move anywhere in Banff...oh wait, that is every day in the summer! I know of Zoong and Lawrence out there tomorrow. Good luck to the rest of you too.

Two weeks until 50 km. Crap - I am undertrained...

Making an Impact

Options, we have options. Tomorrow we have three options for those in the group. option one, join Joy and others at Eau Claire for a rendezvous around the downtown starting at 8 am. Too early for you? At 9 am come to Tim Horton's in West Hills shopping area (Sarcee and 33rd ave.) and Carroll is doing a hike in Bragg Creek. I will be heading to Barrier Lake and a loop of a higher elevation. I think we have you covered. See you somewhere tomorrow.

This was an interesting week of highs and lows. A new role at work is a high while an old work friend past away. I have had loads of time to reflect on a life cut short in his 30's. Adam Wood was one of my fine staff at the Tech Shop for a number of years while he worked toward his degree in Kinesiology at U of C and competed for our National Bobsled team around the world. He was a bright young man who had the world at his feet. Success at school, on the track, in marriage, and with his Travel Roller business. He had done so many things with great thought and persistence. Unfortunately his drive on the track may have caused his ultimate demise.

Years of bouncing off the walls of the world's best tracks caused many a head trauma. I think I heard today over 100 crashes in his career. His life was so high and then the multiple impacts of his chosen career took the life from his body. Too fast, too young, too tragic.

This got me thinking to my career at the Tech Shop and another former employee Poul. He had worked at the store since before I arrived and was a well seasoned man who enjoyed his retirement by helping at the store.

One day he just didn't get it. He stood blank at our till not knowing how to do anything. I was perplexed at how he could be unknowing of the simple parts of our store. The next day he past me on his bike and I waved. He spun by with ghostly eyes not saying a word. It wasn't till after he took his life that I found out Poul was bi-polar and I was witnessing the end of his enthusiasm for all he enjoyed. For many years his photo stayed on display at the Purple Perk in honour of one of our friends of Mission.

I bring up both stories as they relate to my work. We have a great program that as an employee is offered free for us to take. It is called "Mental health first aid". Knowing what I know in hindsight has reinforced the need for me (and hopefully you) to understand the need to understand those who are part of our everyday life.

It is easy to say that certain things are just 'crazy talk', but are we able to identify when someone needs us to help them with sanity in times of need? If you have the opportunity to take a program like this I think it may be worth it to perhaps be in front of someone to support them if they are falling.

Thanks for leading Adam. We will miss you.
-----
Okay, time for a little lighter fare. I think some of you might know I don't listen to music while running. I talk far too much and need the clear air to hear salacious gossip. I dug up an old story about trotting and music that I thought you would like.



This is how I listen to music while on the trot

The Herald is pulling in some stories from their freelancers that tend to agree with my thoughts of running shoes these days. There is so much control and cushion put into most shoes our body has forgotten how to deal with impact the way it was originally design to protect. Enjoy the story and hopefully it gives you some thought.



what shoe is right for you?

Fatigue, Fun, and Flanders

Another week, another bright sunshiny Friday. If only we could spread out all that June rain into little 2-5 am sprinkles that keep the flowers happy. Watching the pictures I think our friends in Colorado have found our flooding issues. Hopefully their community bands together as ours to support those affected.

I don't have any pictures downloaded but I realize that it has been ten years ago this weekend that many of us made the trek to Oostende Belgium for the Flanders Field Marathon. For Ally, Willie, Jon B, (and not-John), Shauneen, Carroll, Dori, Ken, Kim, Cathy (times two), Pam, Sylvia, Tony, Jim (8th overall that day!), and me it was a great trip. Now who am I missing from ten years ago???

Flanders as I remember it at the All American Table Dance Bar...

As last week my schedule is full of fun. Tomorrow is an all day planning session for the next Stampede Parade. Yep, it all starts now. No trot for me tomorrow but Tamara, Peter, Joy, and others have confirmed an 8 am departure from Eau Claire. Don't forget your passport for this really big trip!

Our next parade float from work? It's called the SWAGon.

Sunday has four of us at work competing in the Calgary Corporate Challenge Bocce tournament. If you are a fan of bocce come and cheer us on starting at 9 am in Edworthy Park. If you are trotting that day pick the NW passage and give us a high-five on your way.

-----

A couple of interesting stories for us this week in the Herald. Click on the photos for the links.

The right combination is crucial

I bet he just squeaks past the cut-off
or, "Hear I come to save the day!"
or, cheeseus, marathons are hard!

-----

Congrats to our friend Kristin who is off to the World Championships of dragon boat racing after a strong performance in the over 55 (what???) mixed dragon team races in Victoria. Next year she will be off to Italy to represent us all. Hmm, does she need a bag-boy?

Speaking of World Champions, I hear that Ally is in London doing the same for triathlon. She literally was bouncing off the walls! Okay, if you are on Facebook you know what I mean but the good is she seems to be okay. She also is realizing that bikes and her riding them are a near-lethal combination. Can a duathlon be run-swim-run?

-----

As a parent of a West Highland Terrier, I wonder how this will apply to me? For all you moms and dads out there who think their kid is the next Gretzky, or the next Dumonceaux. Thanks April!

Sport Parents, have you ever wondered...

• How to define your role?

• What to do when your child behaves poorly at a competition?

• How to talk to your child about disappointments?

• If there is there such a thing as a “good push”?

Come attend the Winning Sport Parent Seminar and find out!

This session is now taking registration:

When: Tuesday October 22nd, 2013. 7:15-8:30 pm

Where: Strathcona Community Centre, 277 Strathcona Drive SW, Calgary Alberta

Cost: $45.00 per person BONUS:  after the seminar check your inbox as you’ll be receiving a FREE copy of the eBook, “Becoming a Winning Sport Parent: Practical strategies to help you and your child
get the most from their sport experience”

Registration: Is limited, so don't delay!    GO HERE TO REGISTER

If you have any questions please don’t hesitate to contact me.  I look forward to seeing you on October 22^nd.

April

April L Clay, R. Psych.

Bodymindmotion

Mental skills for sport and life

www.bodymindmotion.com

www.ridingoutofyourmind.com

The calculation for a good trot

I was always good at math!

Good Friday to you all. Another glorious day in Calgary with some bright sunshine. So bright a colleague actually thought we may have snow on our soccer field. Thankfully it was only the sheen of our petroleum byproduct synthetic field.

This weekend is the official start of hockey. Yep, the Flames rookie camp is in swing while I start another season of whistle-blowing. I will be officiating Saturday morning and unable to lead our trusty group of trotters. Please join anyone else that believes the default is indeed a great idea. That is Saturday, 8 am at Eau Claire.

Good luck to Peter, Tamara, the Makaroff's, and everyone else doing the Kelowna Wine Half this weekend.

Shouldn't wine and running always be together?

I saw a couple of really good articles in the Herald over the last week and thought I should share. click on the photos to find the links.

Hills, why did it have to be hills?

The only way to travel, and survive...

Have a great weekend.