Beating Limitations

Friday Fotos - USA Paratriathlon Nationals!

2012-02-24T13:24:55+00:00

Guess it’s time to get serious and kick my training up a notch!

Yesterday I noticed that the CapTex Triathlon Paratriathlon Registration Site was LIVE!

So I took a deep breath…

And registered!

And I submitted my proof of qualification times…

Which were accepted!

Now, the only thing that remains is a 2012 reclassification, on site in Austin.

And we all know how much I *love* classification… (see posts here, here, here, and here for my thoughts on this tricky subject - and here for an interview with Darren Smith on the same topic)

Onwards, upwards - and to train like I mean it!

11 Random Things

2012-02-23T11:31:54+00:00

Ah yes, the blog meme. I was tagged in the 11 Things meme by my friends Ann, John, and Peej. Yes, I still call them my friends even though they tagged me!

Sometimes these memes are a great excuse to do a reveal, to show a little bit about what makes you tick that otherwise might not show up on normal day to day blogs. So I actually was pretty happy to join in. And because I was tagged a few times, I am going to split this post into a few parts - the first part (today) being my 11 Things, plus 11 new questions to ask to some more people (spreading meme love!) - then I will do a few posts to answer the 11 random questions that Ann, John, and Peej posed to those they tagged. And I’m hoping to get an interview with each of them too, as I have followed them on Twitter and read their blogs for years, and would love to share a little bit of their stories on here (they each hugely inspire me).

So without further ado…

The Rules

1) Post these rules.
2) Post 11 random things about yourself.
3) Answer the questions set for you in the post of those who tagged you.
4) Create 11 new questions for the people you tag to answer.
5) Go to their blog (or email them or tweet them) and tell the people you tagged that you’ve tagged them.
6) No stuff in the tagging section about “you are tagged if you are reading this.” You legitimately have to tag 11 people

11 Random Things About Me

(1) I was born in Washington DC but consider Hawai’i my home.

I actually don’t know many people who can say that they were born in DC, or who say that they grew up in Hawai’i, but I claim them both. I lived in the DC area until I was 11, and then moved back to the area in 1988 when I arrived at the University of Maryland. I have a huge affinity with DC and Maryland, and love my homestate of Hawaii – returning, someday, to one or the other, is ALWAYS in the back of my mind.

(2) I’m not gonna lie – I have a horrible habit of picking my nails and cuticles.

I have done this since I was very little, and I have tried to quit so many times, with some moments of limited success, for a few years here and there. I can’t figure out the trigger, but I know that it is an ugly habit. I’m not focused on not doing it at the moment, but I know it drives my husband nuts and told him to tell me to cut it out when I am doing it. I give you all permission to tell me the same.

(3) In sixth grade I had a fierce rivalry with a girl named Diane – it was all about grades.

It was kind of funny because when the grades for the term were posted, I remember everyone standing around to not only find out how they did, but also checking to see who was tops – Diane and I were neck in neck. But by year end, Diane had won. She got straight As all four quarters, whereas I had two A- grades. It was a humbling moment for me.

(4) For my birthday in 1992 my friends and fellow Student Government Officers got me a sweatshirt that said “UM” with the words “respect” written across the front.

At the time I was so embarrassed – the gift was a play on the fact that I always said my role – the VP of Administration for the Student Government – was the least respected job on the slate, and probably the hardest. The other officers wanted to show me that they did respect me and the job, so they gave me “respect”. But I was embarrassed because I realised with that gift that respect is not something you can ask for, and that I shouldn’t have needed a sweatshirt to show me that. I hope my embarrassment didn’t offend my friends – and I still have that sweatshirt at my father’s house!

(5) I spent a year working on Capitol Hill for my congressman, Neil Abercrombie (now Governor of Hawaii). I started as a summer intern, and one of the things interns did was take photos sitting on their congressman’s (or senator’s) chair. I declined the photo opportunity.

Why? Because I thought that only the congressman – who worked hard and was elected to his “seat” – was the only one worthy of sitting in it. I vowed if I would ever have my photo taken in one of those chairs (they are really cool chairs by the way) it would be as an elected official.

(6) I came very close to not graduating from the University of Maryland.

My undoing was Advanced Calculus Theory. I hit my limits and that class showed me what I knew deep down – that I was much more of a practical than abstract thinker. I had to take the class twice. When I passed it, just barely and a few days before graduation, we took my professor to the bar for drinks. It was a beautifully sunshiny day, we had a shot of tequila and a beer, and life was very very good. I really thank my Advance Calc Theory friends – George, Sarah, and Keith – for helping me to get through that class.

(7) I run into people I know, everywhere, anytime, and have done even before the internet helped to make random meetings possible.

I always have done, and am convinced lurking around every corner is someone I know… For example, in 1996 I ran into my Japanese teacher from the University of Maryland while taking a walk on the Chicago lake front. In 1997 I literally bumped into one of my friends from Maryland while walking down Wall Street. In 2003 I unexpectedly sat down next to one of my best friends from Maryland on the Metro in DC. I met one of my Georgetown professors at Dulles airport at arrivals. The world is a very small place. I believe if you keep your eyes open (and away from your smartphone) you never know who you will meet!

(8) The hardest thing I have ever done was saying goodbye to my mother, knowing it would be the last time I saw her alive.

My mother was really really sick from breast cancer that had metastised. I received a call around midnight in August 1999 that I needed to come home, which meant a really quick readjustment of plans (I was due to fly to France on holiday the next day, but instead boarded a plane to Florida via DC). By chance, I ran into my boss on the flight, and she told me to stay as long as I needed to – but in my head which was full of sorrow and not thinking too clearly I interpretted that as permission to stay for as long as my vacation time allowed.

When vacation time was over, I stopped by the cancer outpatient treatment center and said goodbye to my mother – she was hooked up on a drip and it was a very public setting. Neither of us cried, but we both had tears in our eyes – we both knew that this was goodbye, even though neither of us said that truth out loud.

I spent the whole flight home to London in tears, and even writing this down is making me cry…

I wish I had realised that my boss really meant “stay until your mother passes away.” It is one of my few life regrets, and also the single hardest thing I have ever had to do.

(9)2003 was the first time I did anything remotely athletic since I was 9.

Besides the occasional gym session or swim, walk in the fresh air, or other light activity, I never really did anything athletically oriented until 2003 when I signed up for and did the half marathon midnight walk in London. The first time I ran consistently since I was 9 was in 2010. I guess my experience shows that you don’t need to be a lifelong active person to get active – and that you can get active even if you are managing other physical issues.

(10)I used to have a set of career five-year plans. But I haven’t had one since 2007…

When I finished grad school and took my first job, my objective was to become an international business developer within 5 years. By 2001 I had secured my position as a Business Developer, specifically covering the Latin America and Caribbean region. Then my next plan was to become an international negotiator. I secured this role when I changed employers in 2004. But by the time 2007 rolled around, I didn’t re-set my career five year plan. I didn’t know what I wanted next – an international job move? To start a family? To focus on my husband’s job? Back to the US? It was all kind of up in the air. So I decided to focus on trying to have more balance in my life, and did my first triathlon.

My career path and choices are all still a bit up in the air – but I have had some incredible experiences over the last five years even without a clear end game in mind!

(11)I have always thought about getting a tattoo, but I have never made the leap. And I probably never will.

I know exactly where I’d get it, and even discussed it with my mother at length in 1990. She said something that stuck with me – she asked me if I would really like whatever I penned myself with when I was old and wrinkled. I had to answer that I wasn’t sure it would mean anything in the future. And because of that conversation, every time I think of a tattoo, I find myself wondering if it would actually mean anything to me in the future, so I’ve never followed through.

Who I tag

Now the fun bit - who I tag to write about 11 Things that we may not know about them, and also to answer 11 Questions from me. Here’s my tag list - I highly recommend each of these wonderful women and their blogs, if you are looking for motivation, excellent writing, and a healthy dose of balance and fun from sports enthusiasts!

Women I Met on Twitter and Who I Signed Up for the Bay Swim With:
Amy Reinink (Amy Reinink)
Kati (Gluten Free Tri)
Amy (Running Around Uptown)

Women Who Run and Live in Colorado and Make Me Wish I Lived There Too:
Lara (Saturday Morning Zen)
Lindsay (Lndsy with an A)

Women Who Tri - And Inspire Me To Tri Harder
Jules (DoubleD Athlete)
Katie (Tri-ing for Pro)
Kelly (My Life as a Trimommy)
Maria (Running a Life)

Women Who Live, Write and Do Sport, But Who Write About Life More Than Sport

Andi (Bringing the Sunshine)
Lori (We Bloom Where Planted)

My questions

1. When was the last time you went to McDonalds and what did you order?
2. When it comes to food, are you a sweet or savoury lover?
3. Coffee or tea?
4. What is your favourite “go to” “easy to make from scratch” meal?
5. What did you study at university and does it relate to your current job?
6. What is one race (sporting event) that you want to do in your life – a bucket list race, so to speak?
7. Can you explain to me why Lululemon is considered controversial? I thought it was just a brand of (mostly yoga) clothing.
8. What is your most favourite travel memory?
9. Airport security – a necessary evil, or just plain evil?
10. Do internet and personal privacy matters ever worry you?
11. Would you rather have time or money?

The Rubbish Diet - I’m Still on a Diet!

2012-02-22T16:00:08+00:00

All may have gone quiet on the Rubbish Diet front, on my blog at least, but I have still been dieting. Weeks 4 and 5 tackled some subjects that I like to think I’ve kind of got under control – food and cleaning (well, cleaning products, not cleaning – cleaning and keeping things clutter free is always an uphill battle for me!).

A Quick Rundown of the Last Few Weeks

Like every good diet I have been keeping track of “my weight” – or in this bin slimming exercise context, keeping track of my rubbish bag totals.

Week 2 Totals

Abel & Cole boxes for recycling: 1 (previous week: 0 – no delivery)
Recycling bin: 1 stuffed 50l bag (previous week: 1.5 bags)
Non-recycling bin: ¾ of a 30l bag (previous week: 1 full bag)
Food waste bin: 3 x 3l bag (previous week: 4 bags)

Week 3 Totals

Abel & Cole boxes for recycling: 2
Recycling bin: 1 very stuffed 40l bag (back to the council issued pink sacks which are smaller)
Non-recycling bin: 2/3 of a 30l bag (shrinking a little bit!)
Food waste bin: 2 x 3l bag (shrinking a little due to eating out more)

Week 4 Totals

Abel & Cole boxes for recycling: 2
Recycling bin: 2 very stuffed 40l bags, plus a cardboard box
Non-recycling bin: ½ of a 30l bag (shrinking still!)
Food waste bin: 2 x 3l bag (still low due to being out of town over the weekend)
Garden rubbish bag: sack half full (first ever collection of garden waste on my street!)

News!

Well, as my weigh in showed, I had my first ever collection of garden waste. I am really lucky in that my council does doorstop garden waste collection, and any household that is a part of the food waste collection scheme is eligible – all you have to do is request a sack. Which is what I did.

We plan to put it out only when it is at least half full. And once we clear out our back garden area (still a bit of a post-building works storage site – we have one last project to do back there to utilise the bricks and cobbles we are asked to keep on our property as a condition of the works) the sack will live there. But for now, it has joined the other bins in my kitchen.

I’ve also added something to my bag – a bag for my bag! I signed up for a sewing class (I know – me, sewing – how domestic!) and my first project was to make a bag. It was really enjoyable, and now I have a cute little bag to throw in my bag for random small shopping.

It was so fun making it that I am thinking of looking up a template and getting some parachute material and making bags for Christmas stocking stuffers for friends. I know – domestic and crafty!

Finally, I have begun to think and sort my rubbish at work. A lot of the paper I generate gets shredded due to its confidential nature. But for too long I have been just binning the non-confidential. I have even been binning cans and bottles. But no longer. I now sort at my desk and place everything in its proper container. I even discovered the cans and bottles containers in our work kitchen, lurking behind the Foosball table! Progress.

Week 3 – All About Food

Week three has come and gone – its aims were to reduce food waste, and the suggestions to do so related to things I have been doing for about a year and a half. Things like taking good stock of what is in the fridge and cupboard before buying food, menu planning, figuring out creative ways to use older foods (like old bananas, apples, things that maybe would get tossed in the bin but make great cakes).

The one thing I still have to work with when it comes to food waste is my freezer. I only started to really freeze foods (to avoid binning them) last year, and I am still not very good with checking the freezer and making sure I am using up what I have frozen. For example, right now I have stock lurking from Christmas, some frozen shredded chicken, and some bubble and squeak cakes. But I haven’t menu planned these into my meals. I still have some work to do here!

One thing I loved about Karen’s tips for this week (in her manual on how to go on a rubbish diet – such a fantastic resource) was an overview of how she approaches food planning, cooking, and her cupboard suggestions as a result of the way she does this. I loved this idea, and will do a blog post on this subject (eventually – adding it to my list of topics to write about!).

Week 4 – Domestic Chores

I have to admit this week I felt pretty good about. I am lucky in that we employ someone to help with our cleaning and ironing – and I am lucky in that she shares my values when it comes to using environmentally friendly products. Over time I have basically shifted all of my cleaning products to sulphur free, or non-bio. I am a huge fan of brands such as Ecover and Method. And I love my e-cloths which have made using paper towels a rarity in our house. My cleaner and I also share tips about how to clean without using expensive or harsh products – like my favourite Martha Stewart tip, where copper pans can be shined just by using a lemon and salt. Who knew?

That said, I still have some aims here – like re-purposing old clothes into cleaning rags and clothes. I also want to look into soap balls for laundry – Karen mentions this in her guide. I think these would be great for getting rid of fabric sheets for the dryer, and also for reducing my use of laundry tablets. Although I have to admit – nothing will get me to replace my Fairy with Febreze which is the only laundry tablet that I have found that takes the stink out of our workout clothing (yes, I know, it is a complete biological cleaning disaster of a product – but I can’t help it, the athletic kit was smelling so rotten!).

Week 5 – The Garden

This week Karen’s challenge is to get us to think about what we can do – and GROW – on our own. From herbs to salad greens, she is advocating home gardening. As mentioned above, our garden isn’t quite garden friendly yet. But, it is the perfect time for me to do some thinking, planning and research.

This week I will be researching how to start a container garden for the summer. Ah – the Spitalfields Tomato you will be mine! I will also be contacting my builders for the one last task I have in mind for the back garden – the repurposing of the bricks and cobbles we have left on site (and a duty to maintain). This research will also get me in the frame of mind for SUMMER.

Speaking of which… Have you noticed the longer days already? I can feel my spirits lifting and energy returning as the days lengthen - bliss!

I Am A CMTAthlete

2012-02-15T15:09:27+00:00

I have been ruminating about this post for a while. Since August 2010 I’ve been meaning to write about charity fundraising. Why it matters to me. Why affiliating with a charity is special to me. What your choices do or don’t do for the charities or causes you support.

And then in December 2011 I kind of had the stuffing knocked out of me with a decision by an individual. I decision I did not understand and a decision I felt had consequences on the organisation I have chosen to support with my own charity fundraising.

Me and the CMT Association

In 2010 I made a decision to shift my charity fundraising support to solely benefit the CMT Association.

Since I started charity fundraising in 2003, I had aligned my efforts with organisations supporting research and respite and programmes for breast cancer sufferers. I did this to honour my mother, who died from breast cancer in 1999.

Not to diminish all these organisations and the people who support them, but there are just SO MANY PEOPLE who wear the pink. There are literally millions of people who support breast cancer charities. I found myself wondering if my efforts were really having the maximum impact possible. And I questioned if I was really honouring my mother’s memory the right way. You see, my mother was a huge believer in the power of an individual to make a difference. She showed this to me from the time I was about 6 or 7.

I had to ask myself “was I making an individual difference lending my support to a huge recognisable cause?”

I did a total reassessment. I thought long and hard about what charity would benefit from my support. What charity supported my own values – an appreciation of the scientific (meaning: support for research), and appreciation for the individual (meaning: follow up and a demonstration of care to their donors), optimism for the future (meaning: a comprehensive strategy for how they would use the funds I could donate). I thought about what charities mattered to me. I thought about how I would fundraise. And I decided. I would support the Charcot-Marie-Tooth Association. The charity which supports research into the cure for CMT, the nerve disease which impacts 1 in 2500 people, including me. And I would do so by visibly displaying my support on my blog, by fundraising before key sporting events, and with awareness building efforts.

My choice on who to fundraise for and which charity to associate with was a deeply personal decision. I made this choice deliberately and through a selection exercise aligned with my values.

(Note: this may sound mechanical – but it is true. I strongly encourage anyone who does charity fundraising through sport or other events to go through a similar exercise to help you to ensure that your chosen charity matches your values and what is important to you)

What the CMTA does

You may not know it, but the CMTA:

* is the largest single focus organisation - 5 to 10 times larger than other smaller organisations seeking to focusing on CMT - that is dedicated to supporting all elements of Charcot-Marie-Tooth (awareness, information, resource networks, community, research, support).
* operates with a $3 million annual budget.
* includes amongst its advisors some of the leading CMT experts, including Dr Michael Shy and Dr Steven Scherer.
* has a partnership with Physiotherapy Associates in the United States to teach about CMT and provide specific information to their members on CMT
* provides active grants to more than 50 research endeavours in the CMT space, not only supporting research into the cure but also practical and cutting edge research, including stem cell applications in CMT research and treatment.
* is the only CMT-focused organistion actively financing research into the cure for CMT, with advances in high throughput drug screening for CMT1A treatment reaching the point of requiring a large identified group of CMT1A positive individuals for testing in the near future

The CMTA may be a relatively small charity, in comparison with the giants like the Muscular Dystrophy Association, but its ambition is huge. Its leadership is commited, energetic and responsive to the needs of the broader CMT community. I have never regretted my choice to affiliate myself with this charity, and I take comfort from the fact that all of those involved in my medical care know about and also support the work of the CMTA.

Being a CMTAthlete

Although I have a clear association on my website with the CMTA, and I have sent out hundreds of #swim caps with information designed to build awareness of CMT, and I have emailed people asking for contributions to my fundraising campaign, until 2011 I had never considered being a part of a “team” to support CMT. When I was asked if I would be interested in receiving a TeamCMT jersey. I accepted as the “team” jersey also had the logo of the CMTA.

I proudly wore the jersey during one of my events to show my support for the CMTA. I always made it clear that I was proud to lend support to the team since the team jersey displayed the logo of the CMTA STAR programme – the same organisation I fundraise for and the same programme I have featured on my site.

Rather disappointingly, in December 2011 a unilateral decision was taken to shift the affiliation of “TeamCMT” to the Hereditary Neuropathy Foundation. I was familiar with the HNF as in the mid-2000s I supported their efforts through donations and membership fees. But when I reassessed which charity to align my fundraising with in 2009, I chose the CMTA.

To be perfectly open – when one individual made the decision to change TeamCMT’s affiliation away from the CMT, I took this decision personally.

The reaffiliation was explained to me as “not a big deal” and that “it doesn’t matter what the charity logo is, the aim is the build awareness of CMT”.

But for me, when you wear a charity’s logo, you ARE supporting that charity. Jettisoning the CMTA logos meant that if I chose to wear a TeamCMT jersey, I would be visibly associating and supporting another organisation – even if I were to keep everything else the same – the same fundraising links on this site, the same regular communication and involvement in CMTA news that I have had in the past.

The manner of decision making also made me think deeply about what exactly I valued when I comes to leaders, organisations, and teams. As you may remember, I studied leadership at the University of Maryland and the ideas of TRANSFORMATIONAL LEADERSHIP almost feel like a part of my DNA thanks to Georgia Sorenson. I carry these ideals of leadership with me when it comes to what I seek in the teams I am a part of. I believe that TEAM means member participation. I think TEAM LEADERS should seek out member views - and consider these views when taking large decisions. And if a TEAM LEADER has a vision which differs from that of the team, the TEAM LEADER needs to explain their vision and convey it such a way to ensure team buy-in and commitment. A ZERO CONSULTATION MODEL OF LEADERSHIP does not sit well with me – and the wholesale realignment decision of one person which impacted a whole TEAM jarred with my LEADERSHIP DNA.

*she wrote and now steps off the soapbox*

I thought back to my mother. The one who taught me about charity at an early age. My mother always tried to show me that if I didn’t like something, it was within my power to affect something positive out of the negative I felt. So that is what I did.

Over the past two months I have been in touch with the CMTA, a logo designer, a clothing company, and others in the charity fundraising space. I have been assembling information and ideas, and helping the CMTA to develop their own athlete offering.

And as a result of this work and gaining the buy in of the CMTA, the HNF-affiliated Team CMT is no longer the only show in town for athletes and those who wish to support CMT focused organisations. Now there is the CMTAthlete program, which I am proud to write about in this post.

I am a CMTAthlete

As a CMTAthlete my affiliation for fundraising remains with the CMTA. My kit for my 2012 triathlon season will include logos in support of the CMTA. And I can remain 100% committed to support for the only CMT-focused organisation that actively finances research into the cure for CMT, the neuromuscular disorder that impacts me and so many others.

What will the CMTAthlete programme offer?

For both athletes with CMT, and their supporters, a comprehensive CMTAthlete programme is being launched. Some examples of the new offer include:

* Specific logos designed for use in printing (shirts, clothes, etc) – both the usual CMTA logos as well as those designed specifically for CMTAthlete use.
* Sites for fundraising – the CMTA already sets people up for fundraising with their own direct access pages on the CMTA site. Fundraising through the CMTA secure site ensures that the CMTA will receive the maximum amount of revenue from athlete and supporter efforts (unlike other sites such as Crowdrise which take a typical 5% of all transaction revenue for their own admin costs).
* CMTAthlete sports kit will be made available for purchase so that anyone can buy and visually support the CMTA with their athletic clothing choices.
* Athlete discussion forums have and will be launched.

And more will be done to make this an open, accessible community under the CMTA umbrella with all of the access, support, advice, information and enthusiasm that it has at its disposal. For anyone, any sport, who chooses to ally their efforts with the CMTA.

How to get involved

If you are interested in the CMTAthlete programme, please feel free to drop me an email, tweet, or Facebook message. My email is donna@beatinglimitations.com As they say (well I’m sure someone must say it somewhere?!), it’s a big house and there is room for all. Or maybe I should say “The More The Merrier!”

(Note: A special thanks to Hannah Ensor of Stickman Communications for the creation of the fantastic CMTAthlete logos.)

Note 2: This post was updated with links to the CMTA on 19 February - as one of my friends pointed out to me, people should be able to click through straight from the post, and I shouldn’t assume that people visiting would just find the links on the side bars on the site. Well spotted and thank you Tom!

Serendipity and Support: Me and Motion Junkies

2012-02-14T13:10:04+00:00

Sometimes life throws you something unexpected, that leads you down a path and direction to something so logical that you wish you could have seen the path yourself. And you are thankful that life threw you the chance to meet someone who introduced you to this path, idea, and direction.

That’s the way that I feel about announcing my affiliation in the UK with Motion Junkies.

In April 2011 I was on Twitter while at our family’s place on the Suffolk Coast in the UK. I was writing about going for a long ride, and received a reply from Reflect Sports, the women behind Hoo-Ha Ride Glide (yes, you read that product name correctly). Well, to make a long story short, they put me in touch with Dave at Motion Junkies, their UK distributor, to try out some samples of their product. Not just Hoo-Ha, but also their H2O swim shampoo product range.

Well, you may remember that last year I did this little swim across the Chesapeake. And I spent a lot of time in the pool in the lead up to June. A. Lot. It gave me a great chance to try out the Reflect H2O range - I’ll do a full review of that separately, but to sum it up in three words: I LOVED IT. My hair smelt like HAIR for the first time post swim in forever.

Over the course of 2011 I talked with Dave of Motion Junkies, ordered more products, tried a few other products out. And then we got to talking - could we develop an affiliation in 2012 where he could not only support my athletic endeavours with discounts for products I LOVE, but also where he could contribute a portion of all sales referred by me to my chosen charity.

When this was offered to me, it was like puzzle pieces clicking into place. Through triathlon I would be able develop a brand affiliation to benefit not only me, but also to benefit my chosen charity. The support a company could offer to me could be extended to support the fundraising vital for research into a cure to my nerve disease.

I spoke with Dave in the autumn and discussed the details. When I hung up the phone I cried, overwhelmed by the creativity and compassion that had come my way. Through a serendipitous tweet on spring day in the UK.

Serendipity (noun): The phenomenon of finding valuable things not sought for.

I am proud to associate with Motion Junkies for my 2012 triathlon season. For UK residents who wish to order Reflect Sports and Joshua Tree products distributed by Motion Junkies, if you order through me a 20% discount will be applied, and an additional minimum of 10% from orders will be contributed to the CMT Association in support of the cure for CMT. For US residents, through an affiliation with Reflect Sports, I can extend a code for 25% off orders which you can make directly through their site.

Just hit me up with an email if you want the details to donna@beatinglimitations.com, or via Twitter or Facebook.

(Note: I am placing an order for Reflect products with Dave on Tuesday 21 February, so please get in touch by Monday 20 February if you would like to join my order)

Two Times Who? Me + 2XU!

2012-02-13T11:52:26+00:00

There are so many things I want to write about at the moment.

Like the wrap up to my Matcha Challenge which I completed in January. And the latest and greatest on My Rubbish Diet (my week 3 update plus week 4 look ahead await!)... Or how my foot is doing after Egmond and the latest round of physiotherapy and orthotics visits I have made. And some good results after seeing my nutritionist in December.

But all those blogs will have to wait. Because today I have some exciting news!

As you may know, I am a huge fan of 2XU compression - both the socks (they work really well with my orthotics for running training) and the tights. I swear that 2XU compression is the reason why my legs cope so well with training for triathlon while managing a neuromuscular disorder. And I am also a huge fan of 2XU compression for long-haul travel - the tights are like my travel uniform, enabling me to get off a 12 hour flight and feel fresh with no travel related swelling. I often joke around that 2XU is like my uniform.

In late 2011 I received an email inviting me to apply to become a 2XU Brand Ambassador - to affiliate with the brand for my 2012 triathlon season. So I applied.

About two weeks ago I received an invitation to join the 2012 Team 2XU USA, and I confirmed my acceptance late on Friday night. I’ve been trying so hard to keep the news behind closed doors until it was final - but now it is official. I am absolutely delighted to affiliate with 2XU for 2012 - the brand that quite literally supports my athletic endeavours.

Without going into too many details, I would very much like to thank both Sonja Wieck and Jamie Bull for their thoughtful counsel on how sponsorship works, what is “normal” for an age-group sponsorsed athlete, and what it all means. They shared their time, their experiences, reviewed my commitment, gave me thoughts to chew on - and frankly, they are some of the best people I have ever met when it comes to be so generous with their time and advice. Thank you both.

And I would like to thank Jayme from Sports Multiplied (exclusive distributors of 2XU in the USA) for her time and patience in answering my many questions. You made it easy for me to respond positively to this incredible opportunity.

As if I needed another reason to be excited about what 2012 brings!

(and with that segway… stay tuned because tomorrow I will be announcing another exciting partnership I have developed for 2012!)

(and a side note - while trying to fiddle with my site I kind of broke some of the formatting - so the sponsor logos will be up there as soon as my developer helps to undo the havoc I have wreaked - sometimes things really are better left to professionals!)

Becoming a Games Maker: the road to volunteering for the London 2012 Olympics

2012-02-06T12:55:21+00:00

My journey to become a volunteer at the London 2012 Olympics I guess started when I filled in the application form. I love watching the Olympics. So when the Games were announced and London snuck by Paris to win the right to host in 2012, I knew that I would apply to volunteer. With a triathlon specific code from both my triathlon club and as a result of volunteering at the ITU World Championship series race in 2010, I filled in my application form what seems like ages ago. And now the Games are only 24 Sundays and 172 days away. Time flies.

I had my first interview to become one of the 200,000 Games Makers (staff, contractors or volunteers who put on the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games) last winter.

If you were a blog subscriber last year, you might remember my entry about the process - it was the most popular post I’ve ever written in terms of hits, with tens of thousands of hits logged before I took it down from my website. In mid-2011, before the final selection of Gamesmakers, social media (blogging, twitter and Facebook) rules were released, and to be on the safe side and to avoid knocking myself out of contention, I removed the post. The rules in place also meant that I was not allowed to share some of the high points from the volunteering I did at the triathlon test event - the London World Championship Series race at Hyde Park in July - or the cycling test event - the Surrey Classic road race in August. But I was allowed to share my photos from spectating the Men’s elite event - and with the new rules issues in the autumn, I can also now write (and tweet, and post Facebook status updates) about my experiences. *happy writer smile*

On Sunday I headed to my first Games Maker training event, at Wembley Arena. Over 4,000 people braved the snow and bad weather to attend yesterday’s event - one of a series of half day orientation kick off events.

Hello, Wembley!

When I got home yesterday afternoon, DH (my husband’s initials - no I do not use this to mean “darling husband” which, although true, I would never use to abbreviate his name this way online!) asked me what the event was like.

In short: it was a multi-media heavy orientation to the sheer size of the task ahead. Through a combo of videos - including the awesome film that was behind the successful London 2012 bid - interviews, and “television” transmissions depicting a day in the life of a Games Maker, we were able to get a sense of the amazing month in store for both London and the world, and for us as volunteers at the 2012 Olympics and Paralympics.

It is a huge thing. To give you some figures, the Games will have:
- 200,000 Games Makers
- 1.75 million meals served at the four McDonalds concessions inside the Olympic Zone
- The single largest peacetime catering effort ever in British history

The day was hosted by Jonathan Edwards, British Olympic gold medal champion and presenter extraordinaire. He kicked off the day recounting his drive to London, and passing a big sign of Mo Farrah with the following tagline:

“Don’t just dream it, train for it.”

Of course, he used this to refer to the training at hand - to be a Games Maker. But I couldn’t help but think of the words in terms of my own 2012 triathlon ambitions…

The interview that stuck with me - above all others - was with Paul Deighton, CEO of the Local Organising Committee of the Olympic Games. The following words really resonated with me:

“The power to inspire can be a huge catalyst for change.”

Wow. Those words. They just clicked with me. They embody everything I believe, all that I have learned, and what I try to live when it comes to leadership.

And here’s a little known fact about me: I have a minor in leadership studies from The University of Maryland where I studied with Georgia Sorenson, one of the leading leadership academics in the world. Yes, I get all fired up when it comes to hearing powerful words from leadership, and moreso when those words are a call to personal action. I loved hearing Paul Deighton speak.

I can’t wait to be a part of the London 2012 Olympics - they say that it is a once in 80 years type of experience for a Londoner. But forget limiting the experience to Londoners - volunteering is an extraordinary opportunity to be a part of something that unites people globally.

It’s not on my 2012 schedule posted on this site - but it is a huge part of my summer plans. And thanks to the new rules about social media from the organisers, I’m glad I can publicly write about this part of my life.

My Rubbish Diet, Week 2

2012-01-31T13:55:51+00:00

No, it’s not McDonald’s at every meal. I’m on a diet to help me to become more “bin aware” and to work on reducing the amount of non-recyclable household waste we generate.

If you are interested in learning more about “bin slimming” and joining in the Rubbish Diet, I really encourage you to jump on over to Karen’s site, where she is running an eight week programme and has numerous resources available - she managed to get her weekly waste down to one single bandaid a few years ago!

Week 1 Update

So, how did I do? Did I lose weight? Maintain? Or gain?

Here are my tallies, and a bit of narrative:

Recycling bin: 50l, 1 very stuffed bag (prior week: 1.5 bags)
Non-recycling bin: 30l, 1 bag (prior week: 1 bag)—half of this bag was full of plant waste (dead flowers)
Food waste bin: 3l, 4 bags (prior week: 3 bags)—the increase of one bag was a chicken carcass

The tasks for week one, according to Karen:

1. Write a list of the top 5 things that fill your non-recyclable bin

Half of my bin was filled with plant waste! We just started getting flowers for our house again after about 18 months of construction work, and I was aghast that I had to throw these into my non-recyclable bin (our house used to be on a garden waste collection route but when I jumped online to see what day it was I found out we were removed). So (for last week) I had to throw the dead flowers out with non-recyclables. The rest of my bin was mostly food packaging, especially the film and packaging from meats (plastic trays). We had some saran wrap. A little aluminum foil (not much though as if it is not too covered in food it can be put in our recycling).

2. Try to recall the amount of rubbish that you put out last collection, and record this week’s collection amount

See above.

3. Find out exactly what can be recycled, and where (curb side, other recycling locations, retailers, supermarkets, etc)

I checked out my local authority website for more details on recycling, and asked at a few stores.

4. Organise a place to sort recycling at home (note: I think I’ve got this covered!)

I already have a nice bin area for recycling, but I am going to add one more bin (using an extra food waste bin that was delivered to my house by accident) - labelling it “miscellaneous” recycling, it is a perfect sized container for plastic bags, batteries, Brita filters and things that can be recycled with a bit more effort than just putting the trash curbside.

5. Think about ways you can reduce waste, like reducing mail, reusing things, or repairing older things

One of my biggest things is that although I have many at home, I do not have in my handbag a nice, pretty reusable bag to avoid taking supermarket bags. By coincidence I checked out a local sewing class on Saturday and decided that my first project, to learn the machine, would be such a bag. I am halfway through making it. As a future project, I would like to take a good look at my sister’s “bag for her bag” as she has a really cool one that folds up neatly - and template this to make them for stocking stuffers for friends and family next year

My goals for week one:

1. Track how many plastic bags I collect in one week from shops.

I collected 18 plastic bags during the week. Of these, 14 can be handed back with ease to my online grocery delivery guy. 3 were from random store purchases, and 1 came with new orthotics prescribed at the hospital. Of the 4 random non-recyclable bags, I plan to find out if shops such as Marks & Spencer, Boots and Tesco offer the same bag return service as Waitrose. I learned, thanks to my friend Erica, that Waitrose offers a bag return service at most of its branches, where they recycle plastic bags into garden furniture. My regular Waitrose branch (Canary Wharf) does not take any plastic bag like they do at most of their branches, but will only take their own at the Service Counter (due to concerns about having large bins in one of London’s key business districts). I enjoyed asking the store manager about the programme (thanks Mr Harris) and will definitely ask about similar schemes the next time I visit other shops and take a bag.

2. Learn about how I can recycle the old satellite decoder boxes which were replaced in December (we have tv again after over a year!)

I learned that Sky offer a free postal recycling service for their products, so my old satellite dishes can be sent back to my service provider, free of charge. For more details about Sky’s program, click here.

3. Learn where to dispose of batteries

I found out that both my local Robert Dyas as well as Waitrose take back old batteries.

4. Learn about how to dispose of garden and plant waste (as we are getting flowers for our house again now that renovations are done!)

As a part of Karen’s “homework” I found out that my street was no longer on the garden waste collection list. By sending an email to my council authorities, I was able to have our street added back to the list, allowing us to be put on a weekly collection schedule (the same days as our recycling and food waste collection). The council will be sending a special garden waste bag for my house, and I will be setting up a new area for this in my back yard. I have let my immediate neighbours know about this, and will be sending around an email to our community asking if other streets wish to be added to the scheme. A huge success.

Tasks for Week 2

Week 2 is all about supermarket shopping - and packaging - and waste. I am already fairly aware of the waste we generate from food and food shopping, as a result of moving to the household food waste collection scheme offered in my council. But I wonder, how aware am I, really… And am I getting it wrong?

1. Before you buy, ask yourself - can I but it without packaging, can I compost the packaging, can I recycle the packaging, and do I really need the product if I can’t recycle what it comes in?
2. Become familiar with the labels (this is a big one for me as I don’t know the various plastic number types and which ones I actually *can* recycle)
3. Learn to lift and separate - basically, to prep what you put in your recycle bin the right way to facilitate recycling
4. Think about ways to build in habits - buy loose fruit and veg, take a container and bags to the shops, look for refillable options

And my mini-goals for this week

1. Make the random recyclable bin (label it and use it).
2. Finish making my new bag for my bag at sewing class.
3. Learn which plastic types are actually supposed to go in my recycling bin.
4. Label my recycling bin with what can actually go in there.

The Bandwagon

So, have you decided to join in the rubbish diet? If you have, let me know. The comments you all left last week were great.

And I am hoping to move more discussion over to my Facebook page as well, so feel free to check me out there too. Yeah, I know, so 2010 of me to set up a Facebook page… I’ve finally joined that bandwagon

The Rubbish Diet

2012-01-23T14:27:16+00:00

The Rubbish Diet. Maybe that makes you think of Supersize Me, and trying to eat only McDonalds all three meals for a month.

Well, my rubbish diet is going to be 8 weeks. And it has nothing to do with food at all. It is a programme designed to go on a rubbish (aka trash) diet - to reduce, reuse, and recycle with the aim of decreasing the amount of rubbish that a household generates each week.

I heard about the Rubbish Diet in 2008, when a woman in Suffolk was on the radio talking about how she got her family’s weekly non-recyclable waste down to no more than one plaster (bandaid), and that now she fills about one large bin bag with non-recyclable rubbish once a month. Karen, the woman I heard on the radio, just happens to be on Twitter, and I started following her “way back then”. So when she put out the word that she would be doing a Rubbish Diet 2012, I let her know to count me in.

It is perfect timing for us, really. For almost a year and a half we lived through renovations to our property, and these finally finished at the end of October 2011. By the second week of December, things were more or less unpacked from storage and we had “moved back in” - going from using only our kitchen and bedroom, to being able to use our living room, study and dining room. By the end of December, I had undertaken an epic sort (which is still not done - but I made huge progress by the end of 2011). And one of my 2012 goals is to become more organised (and tidy!) throughout the house. A consequence of having more time to focus on being organised is that I am spending more time thinking about - and planning for - our home. And as a consequence I am giving more thought to what we do with what we don’t need - eBay, charity shop or freecycle? - and more thought to how we dispose of those things that have no natural “home”.

Perfect timing to embark on a Rubbish Diet.

The Start - Week 1

Before you start any diet, you have a “health check” - in the case of the Rubbish Diet, this is a general understanding about how much household waste, on average, you generate each week.

Here are our figures:

Left bin - the recycling bin - 50 litres capacity - weekly total: 1.5 bags
Middle bin - the non-recyclable bin - 30 litres capacity - weekly total: 1 bag
Right bin - food waste bin (grey 3 litre box is normally on the counter, brown is what all bags are put into for collection weekly) - weekly total: 3 grey box bags

Tasks for Week 1

From Karen’s blog she suggests the following tasks to ease into Week 1 of the diet:

1. Write a list of the top 5 things that fill your non-recyclable bin
2. Try to recall the amount of rubbish that you put out last collection, and record this week’s collection amount
3. Find out exactly what can be recycled, and where (curb side, other recycling locations, retailers, supermarkets, etc)
4. Organise a place to sort recycling at home (note: I think I’ve got this covered!)
5. Think about ways you can reduce waste, like reducing mail, reusing things, or repairing older things

I can see myself on Thursday evening, before putting out the non-recyclables, picking about my rubbish bag.

My own goals this week are as follow:

1. Track how many plastic bags I collect in one week from shops.
2. Learn about how I can recycle the old satellite decoder boxes which were replaced in December (we have tv again after over a year!)
3. Learn where to dispose of batteries
4. Learn about how to dispose of garden and plant waste (as we are getting flowers for our house again now that renovations are done!)

The Diet Bandwagon

It seems that the theme of reducing consumption and waste is gaining popularity. Laura of Wife Mother ATHLETE posted yesterday (spookily) (coincidentally) that she is doing an environmental challenge (for how long? gotta wait and see for that answer!). And Karen’s story on how thinking about reducing actually saved her a lot of money is pretty timely given our current economy (lots more packed lunched and creative use of leftovers).

So I guess the question is - will you be signing up for the Rubbish Diet too? If you do, feel free to drop me a comment or an email, or to tweet using #therubbishdiet so we can all follow each other over the next eight weeks.

Good luck!

On Wine…

2012-01-20T12:55:45+00:00

It is no secret. I enjoy wine. Especially with a meal, but often as an after work drink on its own.

I first decided to learn about wine when I lived in Japan. I joined a wine club, and bought two bottles a month for home delivery. I got to sample wines from small estates in California, and discovered that when wine is grown in fields next to asparagus, the wine can actually have hints of asparagus in its taste. I learned all about corked wine too - I drank the worst Gewurzstraminer ever from one of the deliveries, and to this day still have an aversion to that grape because of that corked bottle in 1994… When we moved home in 2006 I consulted my French colleagues to choose the brand of wine refrigerator I would buy. And I joined another wine club. Every few months I get a home delivery, to learn more about wine and to continue to enjoy trying new things (but I still avoid the Gewurzstraminers)...

Yes, I enjoy wine.

Last weekend DH and I had a wine discussion. We decided it has become just a little *too easy* for us to have a glass or two of wine at home, after work, on most days of the week. That opening a bottle had just become a little *too* automatic.

So we’re implementing a change. Now, each time before we reach for a glass, we have decided to ask each other if we *really* want a glass of wine, or if a glass of water, or cordial, would be just as satisfying.

Just a little more mindfulness in our daily routines. So that we make choices, rather than defaults.

I know this will be good for us. Wine is just empty calorie intake and it can lead to water retention. I know that when I reduce the amount I drink I almost automatically drop weight. And I know that drinking less helps me with both triathlon training and recovery - it sounds obvious, but in 2010 I experimented with not drinking while triathlon training and saw that being active is just easier when I am drinking less…

But tonight… Tonight is Friday. And without asking the question, I can pretty much guarantee a glass of wine with dinner tonight. In this case, there’s always tomorrow!