Hi - I'm so excited. I've ported everything over to igo100.ca and now I can say my web presence is looking a lot better. Please follow my journey at www.igo100.ca
Thanks for your support!
Michelle
Sunday, September 27, 2009
Wednesday, September 23, 2009
Working on new website
I've been slowly pecking away at improving my website - behind the scenes and late at night. One of the things I'm working on is putting this blog directly onto the igo100.ca website using Wordpress. It's fun actually and I'm geeking out. Stay tuned - I hope to have it up and running very soon!
Monday, September 21, 2009
Fuel for Thought
Well, it had to happen. I knew this moment would come. It's time to start thinking more seriously about food and liquid consumption in terms of increasing my energy stores and improving recovery for my 100km training. So here are the top 5 action items on my list to improve my training from a nutritional level:
1. Drink more water. Lately, I've gotten out of the habit of drinking water during the day, and this means I'm often dehydrated. So my number one change will be to aim for 10 glasses of water daily.
2. Boost immunity through juicing. With the fall and winter seasons coming, my daughter will be bringing home a few colds and maybe the flu bug that gets passed around her classroom. Unfortunately, I am prone to sinus problems and have to be diligent in preventing sinus infections every year. So adding to my arsenal of preventative weapons this year, I'll be juicing on a regular basis to boost my immune system, and will aim for at least one glass of fresh vegetable juice daily. (I'll be giving my daughter fresh juice as well)
3. Reduce refined carbs. Along with my coffee addiction, I am also addicted to sugar. However, in the past whenever I've reduced my sugar intake, I've been able to stop the cravings and end the cycle of sugar boom-and-bust. So I will aim to limit myself to eating candy and baked goods (like my favorite morning muffin) to once per week. I'm hoping to take that down even further, but will stick to once per week to start.
4. Pack my lunch. I'm going to pack my meals and snacks for work, and allow myself to eat lunch out once per week (as a starting point). Controlling my food by packing it myself means I know what exactly I'm eating, and will become a healthier choice.
5. Eat enough. Sometimes if I have a workout session after work, I haven't fueled up enough earlier in the day and will turn to whatever is in my desk drawer to pull me through - often a high sugar item. This is poor planning and I'll need to be more vigilant about eating more, earlier.
So this is the top 5 action items to target for now. I may add more items to this list once these become habits, but it's a fairly good start.
1. Drink more water. Lately, I've gotten out of the habit of drinking water during the day, and this means I'm often dehydrated. So my number one change will be to aim for 10 glasses of water daily.
2. Boost immunity through juicing. With the fall and winter seasons coming, my daughter will be bringing home a few colds and maybe the flu bug that gets passed around her classroom. Unfortunately, I am prone to sinus problems and have to be diligent in preventing sinus infections every year. So adding to my arsenal of preventative weapons this year, I'll be juicing on a regular basis to boost my immune system, and will aim for at least one glass of fresh vegetable juice daily. (I'll be giving my daughter fresh juice as well)
3. Reduce refined carbs. Along with my coffee addiction, I am also addicted to sugar. However, in the past whenever I've reduced my sugar intake, I've been able to stop the cravings and end the cycle of sugar boom-and-bust. So I will aim to limit myself to eating candy and baked goods (like my favorite morning muffin) to once per week. I'm hoping to take that down even further, but will stick to once per week to start.
4. Pack my lunch. I'm going to pack my meals and snacks for work, and allow myself to eat lunch out once per week (as a starting point). Controlling my food by packing it myself means I know what exactly I'm eating, and will become a healthier choice.
5. Eat enough. Sometimes if I have a workout session after work, I haven't fueled up enough earlier in the day and will turn to whatever is in my desk drawer to pull me through - often a high sugar item. This is poor planning and I'll need to be more vigilant about eating more, earlier.
So this is the top 5 action items to target for now. I may add more items to this list once these become habits, but it's a fairly good start.
Sunday, September 13, 2009
There's Gonna be a Lot of PB's
And I don't mean peanut butter sandwiches...
I'm talking personal bests - since I've officially entered the realm of rowing longer distances than I ever have in my life, from now on I'll be setting personal records. Today was my first row that lasted over an hour - I went 15 km. It actually went better than I thought it would. I slightly changed my posture and by doing so kept the butt pain to a minimum...until the last 5 km and even then it wasn't too bad. I was surprised though by the massive tingling in my hands after I was finished and how they turned clawlike for a few minutes. Looks like I need more finger movement and maybe loosen my grip a bit. Some nice calluses are developing on my palms and I'll be managing that with chapstick - chapstick works wonders in keeping them soft. Dry calluses are painful so the softer the better.
This is going to be such a phenomenal learning experience, not only from the fundraising aspect but also the physical training. What will I need to do to last 10 hours without breaking down physically? I dusted off my old heartrate monitor today after getting some weird heart thumps - probably just my aging body wondering what the heck I'm up to now - "Hello...hello? Why are you still exercising?" But it was more likely from the excitement I had while visualizing the event.
Gotta work on getting more sleep now too. That part is a bit hard for me because my quiet time is after the kiddo is in bed. Which doesn't give much time to read my favorite blog feeds and think about what I need to do next in the igo100 mission.
Must look for efficiencies in my schedule...oh look at the time. Off to bed I go!
.
I'm talking personal bests - since I've officially entered the realm of rowing longer distances than I ever have in my life, from now on I'll be setting personal records. Today was my first row that lasted over an hour - I went 15 km. It actually went better than I thought it would. I slightly changed my posture and by doing so kept the butt pain to a minimum...until the last 5 km and even then it wasn't too bad. I was surprised though by the massive tingling in my hands after I was finished and how they turned clawlike for a few minutes. Looks like I need more finger movement and maybe loosen my grip a bit. Some nice calluses are developing on my palms and I'll be managing that with chapstick - chapstick works wonders in keeping them soft. Dry calluses are painful so the softer the better.
This is going to be such a phenomenal learning experience, not only from the fundraising aspect but also the physical training. What will I need to do to last 10 hours without breaking down physically? I dusted off my old heartrate monitor today after getting some weird heart thumps - probably just my aging body wondering what the heck I'm up to now - "Hello...hello? Why are you still exercising?" But it was more likely from the excitement I had while visualizing the event.
Gotta work on getting more sleep now too. That part is a bit hard for me because my quiet time is after the kiddo is in bed. Which doesn't give much time to read my favorite blog feeds and think about what I need to do next in the igo100 mission.
Must look for efficiencies in my schedule...oh look at the time. Off to bed I go!
.
Thursday, September 10, 2009
I Go 100 Website is Live Now
I managed to get a website up last night - it's not the smoothest looking site out there but hey, it's been a long time since I've done any webpage building. So I'm cutting myself some slack for now until I get some basic skills back :)
www.igo100.ca will be expanded over the next few weeks to include video clips and other neat features. My fundraising contact for Plan is also going to send some good information on this agency which I can share. In the meantime, here is what Plan is all about: http://plancanada.ca/NetCommunity/Page.aspx?pid=201
It may seem that I'm a bit unorganized in getting this whole event/fundraising thing going. And it feels that way too. This is my first time in tackling something this big, and I don't want to waste time making everything perfect. It's all going to come together - I've got great people supporting me, and a general idea of what needs to be done. And deep in my heart I know this is going to work out - we are going to raise enough money - all $40,000 and maybe more.
Now to make sure I keep up my end of the deal and get trained. No injuries allowed!
www.igo100.ca will be expanded over the next few weeks to include video clips and other neat features. My fundraising contact for Plan is also going to send some good information on this agency which I can share. In the meantime, here is what Plan is all about: http://plancanada.ca/NetCommunity/Page.aspx?pid=201
It may seem that I'm a bit unorganized in getting this whole event/fundraising thing going. And it feels that way too. This is my first time in tackling something this big, and I don't want to waste time making everything perfect. It's all going to come together - I've got great people supporting me, and a general idea of what needs to be done. And deep in my heart I know this is going to work out - we are going to raise enough money - all $40,000 and maybe more.
Now to make sure I keep up my end of the deal and get trained. No injuries allowed!
Wednesday, September 9, 2009
Good News
Update: Although the "Build a School" project is no longer advertised on the Plan Canada website, I received good news today. We have received confirmation that this project is still on-going, and we can continue as planned with our fundraising. Whoo Hoo! I really needed to hear this today.
Here is the link to the igo100 fundraising page: http://my.e2rm.com/personalPage.aspx?registrationID=703649
***
Sometimes we all need someone to encourage us and believe in us, not to judge us. So if I share my dream with you, is it better to tear down my idea or build me up? What will accomplish more? Let's support each other in our dreams and goals, and bring up the level of energy in this world.
Here is the link to the igo100 fundraising page: http://my.e2rm.com/personalPage.aspx?registrationID=703649
***
Sometimes we all need someone to encourage us and believe in us, not to judge us. So if I share my dream with you, is it better to tear down my idea or build me up? What will accomplish more? Let's support each other in our dreams and goals, and bring up the level of energy in this world.
Tuesday, September 8, 2009
Passion
Many people have inspired me to row 100km and make a difference in the world. One person in particular who has inspired me is Roz Savage. Roz is an ocean rower, who is on her way to becoming the first woman to row solo across the Pacific Ocean. She has just completed her second leg of the three part journey; this leg started from Hawaii and finished with her arrival at a place called Tarawa. It took her 105 days - totally alone in the ocean and fully self reliant. She displayed amazing determination and perseverance when things didn't go smoothly. What kept her going when the currents worked against her? Why didn't she just decide to pack it in when things were tough and she was tired? So many of us do that - we start something and then get tired, or life gets in the way, or we experience a setback and use that as an excuse to try again...someday.
The secret ingredient is passion.
Roz is driven by her passion. She has a passion for taking on the ocean in a rowboat. And she also has a passion to make a difference; she is bringing awareness to our effect on the environment and that our plastic garbage is killing the ocean. Her passion is bigger than the fatigue, bigger than the frustration, bigger than the fear when things go wrong.
If you want to succeed at something, you've got to have a reason or a passion that is bigger than the things that could stop you from reaching your goal. Something that will carry you through the tough times, the humdrum times, and the scarier-than-hell times. Do you have a reason? Is it big enough?
A friend of mine, Bev, has a passion. She is co-owner of Function Studios Inc. and I gotta tell you, this woman is PUMPED about what she does. She loves fitness and she knows she is making a difference in women's lives through empowering them and motivating them to improve their fitness and self-confidence. To see Bev's face when she talks about her work is like watching the glow of a lantern in the dark. It's captivating and motivating. It makes me want to do better, to try harder. Thank you Bev for inspiring me.
What is your passion? What carries you through the tough times? If you can't think of anything, try to remember the last time you were doing something and lost track of time. What topics are you drawn to when you read a magazine or hear a conversation? What makes you talk faster and sit up a bit straighter?
I believe in the power of education. I believe that knowledge pulls communities out of poverty, increasing the quality and length of the lives of its people (here is one source that links education and life expectancy). The effects of education are long-lasting and far-reaching. Way more than we realize. My passion is to empower people, to be able to give them the tools they need to improve their lives. I may not be able to teach, but I can be a catalyst to provide education for a community that needs help. The end result is worth the pain and effort and inconvenience. It's worth the time and fatigue.
Here's an obstacle I need to overcome - I signed up as a fundraiser for the Plan Canada, Gift of Hope program with the intention to raise $40 000 dollars to build a school in Mozambique. However it appears that this gift is not an option on the website anymore, and I'm inquiring into whether this is still available. Until I hear back from my contact, I have suspended the link to the fundraising page. This will be resolved for the best solution, and I am continuing with the plan.
Update: Although the "Build a School" project is no longer advertised on the Plan Canada website, we have received confirmation that this project is still on-going, and we can continue as planned with our fundraising.
Here is the link to the igo100 fundraising page: http://my.e2rm.com/personalPage.aspx?registrationID=703649
The secret ingredient is passion.
Roz is driven by her passion. She has a passion for taking on the ocean in a rowboat. And she also has a passion to make a difference; she is bringing awareness to our effect on the environment and that our plastic garbage is killing the ocean. Her passion is bigger than the fatigue, bigger than the frustration, bigger than the fear when things go wrong.
If you want to succeed at something, you've got to have a reason or a passion that is bigger than the things that could stop you from reaching your goal. Something that will carry you through the tough times, the humdrum times, and the scarier-than-hell times. Do you have a reason? Is it big enough?
A friend of mine, Bev, has a passion. She is co-owner of Function Studios Inc. and I gotta tell you, this woman is PUMPED about what she does. She loves fitness and she knows she is making a difference in women's lives through empowering them and motivating them to improve their fitness and self-confidence. To see Bev's face when she talks about her work is like watching the glow of a lantern in the dark. It's captivating and motivating. It makes me want to do better, to try harder. Thank you Bev for inspiring me.
What is your passion? What carries you through the tough times? If you can't think of anything, try to remember the last time you were doing something and lost track of time. What topics are you drawn to when you read a magazine or hear a conversation? What makes you talk faster and sit up a bit straighter?
I believe in the power of education. I believe that knowledge pulls communities out of poverty, increasing the quality and length of the lives of its people (here is one source that links education and life expectancy). The effects of education are long-lasting and far-reaching. Way more than we realize. My passion is to empower people, to be able to give them the tools they need to improve their lives. I may not be able to teach, but I can be a catalyst to provide education for a community that needs help. The end result is worth the pain and effort and inconvenience. It's worth the time and fatigue.
Here's an obstacle I need to overcome - I signed up as a fundraiser for the Plan Canada, Gift of Hope program with the intention to raise $40 000 dollars to build a school in Mozambique. However it appears that this gift is not an option on the website anymore, and I'm inquiring into whether this is still available. Until I hear back from my contact, I have suspended the link to the fundraising page. This will be resolved for the best solution, and I am continuing with the plan.
Update: Although the "Build a School" project is no longer advertised on the Plan Canada website, we have received confirmation that this project is still on-going, and we can continue as planned with our fundraising.
Here is the link to the igo100 fundraising page: http://my.e2rm.com/personalPage.aspx?registrationID=703649
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