After a few years of finishing the 50k Pick Your Poison Trail Race without the training I was really hoping for, I was determined this next race in 2025 would be different. The race sells out in hours on December 1st each year. On that day, before I clicked “Register” I said I don’t want this to be another “Somehow pulled it off race”. The physical toll on the body of running 50 kilometers is so enormous when I don’t properly train for it.
An extra incentive to properly train was a 52k ultra down in Cerro Pelón Monarch Butterfly Sanctuary, Michoacán, Mexico to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the discovery of the monarch butterfly wintering grounds. I had made arrangements last December with the 3 churches I lay pastor to have that period in the middle of March off from preaching. Just like in 2019 when I ran sections for the Monarch Ultra relay, I would take the bus down to Mexico. This would keep my travel footprint as low as possible.
Despite snow accumulations way above normal, training was going fairly well. The energy expended running through snow made up for going a slower pace. Even before the new President of the United States took office on January 20, 2025. he kept threatening to annex Canada and make it the 51st state. Because of this, I no longer had any desire to take a bus through the United States enroute to Mexico. This would have involved a US bus carrier, which I had no desire to support. Not only was the cancelled Mexican trip a huge disappointment, I lost all interest in running.
In February, just when I was thinking I should start training again I got a major gum infection. My gums have receded so much that the roots are exposed. This makes the gums very susceptible to infection. I try to keep ahead of it with salt water rinses and oil pulling, but this got away on me. It took a full two weeks for antibiotics to clear things up. Then in the middle of March when I was thinking I should start training again, developers destroyed a very beloved maple tree that I look out on in the field behind our home. The tree’s loss has devastated not only myself, but several Hillsdale residents who affectionately called it the Guardian Tree. My emotions were a mess. I just didn’t have the mindset to get back running.
Then in the end of March the devastating ice storm hit Central Ontario that knocked out power for over 1 million customers. Many customers were without power for 12 days or more. The outage was extremely stressful for me. With the power outage and no electricity to run the sump pump, it was desperate days in avoiding a flooded basement. In 130 hours I managed a mere 5 hours sleep. I was totally wiped for days after. With only 3 weeks to go before Pick Your Poison, I knew it would be foolish to attempt 50k as a 66 year old with so little training.
Because of the ice storm, trails were impassable do to tree debris. Which meant I had to resort to running on the road. When I first started running in 2013 at 55 years old, my races were road races and my training was always road. But once I started trail running, I was hooked. Ever since I became school crossing guard on Highway 93 in 2019, I’ve completely lost interest in road running. What I see each day in distracted and aggressive drivers on that highway is quite disturbing.
Despite all that, I did manage four runs on the road over the next ten days. My shortest being five kilometers, my longest ten kilometers. I was now down to two weeks before Pick Your Poison. I didn’t want to risk injury with a long run. So I decided to do a long walk, to see where I was in my conditioning. I’ve always tried to make sure I spend a lot of time on my feet. Dr. James Levine, a professor of medicine at the Mayo Clinic, coined the phrase “Sitting is the New Smoking”. He expands on this, “Any extended sitting, in a car, at a computer or in front of a screen can be harmful. Research shows that although exercise is very positive it doesn’t negate the damage done by extended periods of sitting.” Cardiology experts reviewing evidence in the journal Circulation say “No amount of physical activity is enough to combat the dangerous health effects of sitting for hours each day.” Michigan State University states from an article “Is Sitting the New Smoking?“, “Our bodies are designed for movement, but modern technological advancements have changed our world and our living environments to such an extent that many of us often find ourselves sitting for more than 9.5 hours a day. Folks sitting at work, at home or behind the wheel, end up being at more of a risk for: cardiovascular disease, lowering HDL cholesterol (good cholesterol), insulin Issues- which could lead to type 2 diabetes, weight gain and a variety of cancers.”
Which is why I feel so strongly about the importance of children walking and cycling to school. This is so much healthier for a child’s health and well being. Plus these are positive habits that are formed at an early age and can carry on into adulthood. However, if children are driven to school each and every day the habits of driving even short distances will likely continue into adulthood. Much to the detriment of their health and the environment. The Government of Canada website has a page called titled “Active transportation – How are children getting to school?” which lists several reasons why active transportation is beneficial for children’s health. They are “increasing cardiorespiratory fitness and maintaining a healthy weight, developing a sense of autonomy and independence, improving mental health, building social skills and improving performance at school. Active transportation helps the environment by decreasing greenhouse gas emissions, air pollution and congestion around school. Active transportation helps the community, by increasing social ties.” I love seeing parents interacting with one another as they walk their children to school. You will never get that when you drive your kids to school.
In the end I walked 47 kilometers. But it took me 9 hours 35 minutes. If I only walked the 50k of Pick Your Poison, I would not make the cutoff times. Plus my 47k was just on a road and rail trail. No elevation like on the Pick Your Poison course. No technical single track. No mud. No snow covered ski hills. I decided to sleep on it for a few days and decide the next weekend if I were to drop to the shorter 25k distance. The next weekend I went online to drop my distance to 25k, but discovered I had missed the deadline by three days.
I still could just run or walk 25 kilometers, though it would be a DNF (did not finish) for me. I would be speaking at my three church charge the next day. Running just 25k would mean my body would not be hurting nearly as much while I was speaking like it would if I ran 50k. My wife knew how little I had trained and said even if I ran one loop of 12.5 kilometers, that was a huge accomplishment. She even suggested that I go just to cheer others on and not run at all. In the end I decided to run the shorter 25k. After that I would hike in to a different area of Copeland Forest to meet up with some dear old friends. Because of the lack of availability of a car, it has been an entire year since I had been in Copeland Forest. I’ve missed that place so much. After meeting with my old friends I would return to the finish line and cheer the last of the finishers in the 50k.
Race day was cold and damp. The amazing thing is that I felt no pressure as I stood at the start line. If it took me three hours or six hours to run or walk the 25k, it was still a DNF. I was back in Copeland Forest, and this in itself gave me much joy. I positioned myself at the very back and the race was on. It didn’t take long to notice the amount of work volunteers gave to clear all the tree debris from the ice storm to get it ready for race day. They did such a phenomenal job. A Facebook update just before the race on the trail clearing went as follows, “We counted 351 downed trees and limbs on our course and we’re happy to say that every single one of them that would prevent you from running your best possible race has been removed from the course. A huge thanks to all those that helped. This was a monumental task to get the course cleared up.”
I always enjoy connecting with new runners at these races. Pick Your Poison 15 was no exception. In the first loop there was Tony, Kandice and myself running as a group of three. After a few kilometers Tony moved on ahead. Although Kandice has run heaps of ultras, this was her first Pick Your Poison. It is a challenging course, and each of my previous seven consecutive finishes was a challenge to finish. So I was encouraging Kandice through the tougher parts of the course.
Kandice and I continued running together in the second loop. It was wonderful to see my friend Martin volunteering at one of the aid stations. Although the weather was damp and cool, the course itself was quite good for running. I needed gloves for my hands and kept a rain jacket in my pack if the rain got heavier. Kandice was struggling later in the 2nd loop. Which left me torn. Should I finish my day after running 25k as planned for a DNF? Or should I go out with Kandice on her third loop? I really wanted to see her finish.
In the end I did go out on the third loop. I was feeling fairly okay at this point. My “go to” at the aid stations was small potatoes and dill pickles. Plus Heed electrolytes by Hammer Nutrition. Kandice continued to struggle in the 3rd loop. I continued to offer words of encouragement. Much of the elevation on each loop is found on the 2nd half of each loop. With the cutoff time for finishing three loops being 6.5 hours, I was concerned we were not going to make the cutoff. I wasn’t concerned for myself, but more for Kandice. She really wanted to finish the full distance. Pick Your Poison gives out amazing finisher socks to all finishers. Kandice really wanted a pair.
Kandice and I made the cutoff with just 5 minutes to spare. As I finished my third loop before the cutoff time, I decided to go out for the final loop. Kandice had mentioned a few times she gets very anxious running on a forested trail and not seeing anyone around. Which is exactly what she would be doing if I packed it in after three loops. I feel extremely bad for female runners and wish this world wasn’t this way. I wish we lived in a world where female runners (and female walkers) didn’t have to fear for their safety when they went out running or walking. Just three days prior to Pick Your Poison, here in Hillsdale police arrested a 34 year old man named Mitchell Koopmans. Charged with several counts including making sexually explicit material available to a person under 16 years of age, luring a person under 16 years of age by means of telecommunication and invitation to sexual touching under 16 years of age. He actually has come through my highway school crosswalk several times while I have been on duty. Sometimes while the kids were crossing and sometimes with no children around. This was over a period of several months. Like any adult I don’t know and am unsure of, who has no connections with the children, I keep an extremely close eye on that person. Is that person just crossing the highway? Or are there different, more sinister intentions? Perhaps Mitchell Koopmans took notice that he was being very closely watched by me. He didn’t linger. At the crosswalk and within view from my vantage point at the crosswalk I am able to see far down each sidewalk in all four different directions. There was no behavior from him that raised any suspicions to me that he was a sexual predator. There are a few other adults with no connections with the children who will actually time their walks around when I am on duty because they feel much safer crossing that crazy busy Highway 93 with me there. Sometimes there may be children around when they cross. Other times, there might not be children around. So this is not unusual. Since the initial charges were made against Mitchell Koopmans, over the next few days several women came forward regarding this same man sexually harassing them while they were out for a walk in and around Hillsdale. This was all extremely unsettling and fresh on my mind. No question, I would run this final loop with Kandice. In order for runners to continue they have to be back on the course before the 6.5 hour cutoff. We were back on the course with two minutes to spare.
On the last half of my final loop my body was really protesting because of my lack of proper training. Particularly on the downhills. Despite a lot of knee pain, I just keep pushing ahead one step at a time. Kandice was running phenomenal on that final loop. She needed no encouragement from me whatsoever. The pace she had set for herself would get her across the finish line in plenty of time before the final cutoff of 9 hours. I trailed behind her the entire time of the fourth loop. We were close enough together that she never got out of my sight. Kandice would gain on me as I struggled on the downhills. I would gain on her on the uphill. At last there was the final drop down the ski hill at the Heights of Horseshoe and across the finish line to boisterous cheering by the wonderful directors, 50 kilometers, 1372 meters (4,501 feet) elevation in a time of 8:41:29. Not only was I the last finisher of the 50 kilometer race under the cutoff of 9 hours, at 66 years old I was also the oldest finisher.
Looking back in hindsight, I am really glad I went out for my third and fourth loops and finished. Kandice mentioned to the directors after her finish she wouldn’t have finished without me. But it goes both ways. I definitely would not have finished if it were not for Kandice. I had no intention of finishing coming in to this race. At the finish line I was presented with the Mountain Goat award for the 50k runner who finishes last under the final cutoff. On the Pick Your Poison 15 race recap for 2025 they describe Mountain Goats as “Runners who finish, through determination, as our final runners within the allocated time. These finishes are often very emotional as the day has been long for these athletes – so we reward them for being determined and persisting.” Just under nine hours prior I had made the decision I was not going to finish. I was only going to run two loops for 25 kilometers. This was not going to be another “somehow pulled it off” race. The toll on the body of running 50k with a lack of training is enormous. But here I was at the finish line receiving the trophy as the last finisher for the full 50 kilometers under the cutoff. Despite putting everything out there each time I run these extremely tough races, I am poles apart from winning anything with my running. I ended up weeping with emotion. When I called my wife a few minutes later leaving her a message to tell her I finished, I was continuing to weep.
Thank you to our Race Directors, Rhonda Marois and Trish Mintz, our Creative Chaos Director, Chris Mintz and our Operations Director, Terry Marois. Thank you to the sponsors of Pick Your Poison. Hammer Nutrition for both prizes to the winners and fuel/electrolytes for the runners on race day. Sue’s Soap Creations donated some beautiful, hand pressed soaps for the winners. Incredibly, I also received a Dragon’s Blood infused limited edition Pick Your Poison soap from having won the Mountain Goat award. Having finished the race, I also received a beautiful hand crafted medal from Evan’s Tree Works. Not only did Sojourn Outdoors generously donate amazing gift cards to the podium finishers, all runners received a $25 off coupon towards purchases in their wonderful outdoor adventure store. Last but not least, thank you to all the volunteers, both on trail prep and on race day. The race would not happen without you. Thank you for reading. 🙌
My previous Pick Your Poison 50 kilometer finishes found below. Starting at 2016. There was a virtual 50k in 2020 during Covid and 2021 was cancelled due to Covid. Being my 8th recap of the same 50 kilometer race, it is challenging to put together something fresh each time. It takes awhile, but eventually comes together. 🏃♂️
theoldfellowgoesrunning 
Hi Carl…I really enjoyed reading about your 50 k run. Wh
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Thank you very much for reading and your kind words. 🙏😊
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Carl you run with your heart. And your long legs!! Superb write up. Super effort. Superb accomplishment.
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Thank you so much for your kind words, Martin. I really appreciate this. Thank you so much for the encouragement at the aid station. You are the best. 😊
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I am glad I read your other posy before this one, so Iknew about the downed trees and also seeing your nephew – the one that gave you the generator, I also knew his dad brought you one 20 years before that.
So awesome how your helping Kandice circled back around to bless you – God is amazing to how he leads and unfolds these things.
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Wow, you have an amazing memory to pick up on that from the ice storm post, Yvette. I am so blessed that my nephew Gavin got us that generator. Our next door neighbor and the next door to that (2 doors up) both had flooded basements.
It was really special to see how Pick Your Poison unfolded by the hand of God. I often pray that I would be a blessing to someone. The blessings always seem to circle back.
Thank you for reading and sharing such a wonderful comment. 🙏
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This is a very side story, but ties in a bit here. In the late 1990s, I was in our basement – our first home was built in 1950s and had a great basement – that was remodeled to have a living room and huge laundry room. Well, one day, I was doing laundry and I kept looking at the large drain on the basement floor to the right. A little while later, I felt led to pray that we would not have any flooding come up thru that drain. It was so random and I did not have any heaviness – but prayed that and left. Then, about two weeks later, a neighborhood to the south of us had a huge back up from the sewers and basements were flooded. Karl, I still get chills to think that the Holy Spirit had me pray that day – I felt bad for the folks who had the mess but really felt like something divine happened behind the scenes
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anyhow, bailing out all that water shows GRIT!
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That really does give goosebumps, Yvette. The prompting of the Holy Spirit is such a powerful thing. I’ve had that this past week. I have a 50k race tomorrow that has 6,926 feet of elevation. I registered for this 4 months ago. Earlier in the week God has been prompting to drop down to the smaller distance of 21k. I did transfer to the 21k before the Wednesday cutoff. I’m only learning now there is to be severe thunderstorms later in the day. I would still be on the course during that forecasted time if I was still running the 50k. Now I am praying for the safety of all the other 50k runners. 🙏
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hello – I will be joining you in prayer for the safety of all runners tomorrow. My husband and I are doing misc small projects around the house this long weekend – and I have been polishing the floors.
We moved two years ago (to Arkansas – yeah, really…. and it brought us two hours from ym step daughter and her family and it has been pretty nice). Anyhow, the kitchen in our house has knotty pine wood floors and I have finally been able to nurture them. Filling little nicks – a few layers of oil – tomorrow is another conditioning day of oil and some wood putty in spots – and then on Sunday will add the top layer or a beeswax polish – and done
ANYHOW – the reason I mention all that is because wow, I have had some on and off extra time for praying for folks. It happened naturally and so I am going to put a sticky note on the fridge to pray for the runners – and for the weather to hold off (if possible)
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Also, thanks for sharing how the Holy Spirit led you to drop down to the 21k!
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On a side note, I do have suggestions for the gums and mouth healing. This is besides using clove oil – and bitters under the tongue.
The two things that come to mind right now – Kleen Green enzymes (I can send the link) from Natural Ginesis – this stuff really helped my gums a while back and I used it there on accident.
And my good friend, Mel (who also does some health coaching)shared that he healed his gums using a drop of sodium chlorite (and swooshing it around the mouth)- and he gets his SC because it is sold as a water purification solution, and many folks use the WPS to accelerate healing by reducing body acidity and overall infection load on the body when used appropriately.
Mel used just a drop of the sodium chlorite and in time, it healed his gums so much he did not need surgery and his dentist was in awe.
Email me if you want to chat about it more.
and God bless you
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Thank you so much for taking the time to share this, Yvette. A few days after Pick Your Poison, my gums did flare up again. I didn’t want to have another course of antibiotics. From a friends suggestion I tried Colloidal Silver. It cleared up beautifully and quicker than antibiotics.
God’s pharmacy is incredible. I have been looking at the webpage for Kleen Green Enzymes Concentrate. At 1st glance it looks more like a household product. But when I read the Customer Testimonials, I’m reading a lot of people use it for their body. I am guessing more like an oil pulling, this would not be swallowed.
Also read up on sodium chlorite. Amazing I’ve been online a lot researching and I never came across this. Very concentrated and as you say, just a drop.
I really appreciate you taking the time. God bless you my friend. 🙏
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I forgot about silver – and I have have this in my closet as well. I even have a collodial silver dog spray –
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anyhow, the Kleen Green is used by parents to keep lice out of hair and great for pets and rashes.
And I never meant to use it on my gums – but still thank God for how he showed me that. I had all of my old fillings removed about 15 years ago and I was told that some gum areas can still have mercury or other heavy metals and think they do.
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and I really beleive God led me to your bog this week – not just because I enjoyed getting caught up – but just to share about a few things we use for gum health.
And I forgot to mention ACTIVATED CHARCOAL!!
Oh my gosh, this is one of my favorite things for gum health and about once a week, I rub activated charcoal on the gums and let it sit.
The charcoal can also be good for removing tea stains from teeth – but sometimes the charcoal was hard to get off, so I also bought a whitening toothpaste and it gets the last of any residue.
But activated charcoal is something you should have around the house at all times – as it can be really helpful.
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and while on the topic, geez, can you tell I have done some exploring of healing stuff – I had to many years ago as I rebuilt my terrain –
anyhow, depending on what is going on with gums – I know a hiker who makes his own “asper-oragel”- what he calls it – and he crushes an aspirin, puts it in olive oil – to make a paste – then puts a tiny bit on the irritated gum….
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Thank you for sharing about the activated charcoal, Yvette. I think of it in the pitcher water filters to remove impurities from the water, but never realized in can be used on the gums or internally to reduce the body’s toxic load. I really must get some to have handy.
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Did I mention that another use for the charcoal is of anyone gets a tattoo – they take the charcoal and it helps pull the ink from the body.
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The only drawback is that charcoal is REALLY MESSY! And it is annoying to use if you use a lot. And one example is when I used it to help my mother.
I went to visit her in Dec 2023 – to refresh – and when I got there – she had two sores that were angry. In late summer, she had some skin tags removed by a dermatologist and my mom’s body had a bad reaction (later we found out that my mom never would have been approved for the laser treatment used for the skin tags) – and this doc did not check her file enough.
So when the results led to sores, my mother tried to get back in to see the derm, but had two trips come up (a baby shower for two great grands) and anotherone, each time – the sores got a little worse.
So when I got there – days before Xmas – the only thing I knew to do immediately was use charcoal to take away irritation and quiet them down. It worked – but it was so MESSY!
One spot was the cheek and the other on collarbone.
whew, she ended up having surgery two months later, but Carl, I know God sent me there at the exact time – for many reasons – but especially to help with that. The charcoal wasn’t able to cure it (and maybe a tiny spot, if caught early) could have been healed up with ac, but it was enough to halt some of the progress and other things.
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Anyhow, if you want to read more, there are lots of websites – but here is the link to Dave Asprey’s site – I like a lot of his content:
https://daveasprey.com/the-strangest-way-to-detox/
from the site:
“Activated charcoal has been used for more than 10,000 years from Chinese Medicine healers to Ayurvedic practitioners to Western medicine doctors. Activated charcoal is known for its ability to bind to certain poisons, heavy metals, and other toxins and flush them from your body, making it a wonder substance for acute and general detoxification.”
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sorry to ramble on with that – and it was so nice connecting with ya –
God bless
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Carl, I really felt the weight of this post – not just in terms of your decision about the race, but in everything that led up to it. The loss of your trip to Mexico, the Guardian Tree, the gum infection, the ice storm – it’s like life kept throwing punches, one after the other, just when you were trying to stand upright again. I can only imagine how exhausting and demoralising that must have been.
Your honesty about what it takes to train for an ultra at 66, and what it costs not to, really resonated. I respect your decision to drop to 25k – not as a compromise, but as a conscious choice that reflects care, perspective, and the deep connection you have to running, rather than to results. I’m glad you still got to return to Copeland Forest, and I hope that reunion with old friends and the land you love brought some healing. ❤
And thank you for using your voice to highlight the importance of active transportation, children’s health, and environmental responsibility. You carry that message with quiet integrity, and it stands out.
Wishing you strength – not just for races, but for all the roads in between! 🤗
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Thank you so much, Catrina. You have such a beautiful heart and leave such heartfelt comments. Pick Your Poison was an incredible day. I was able in the end to push through and finish the full 50k. One of my more memorable finishes.
Wishing you all the best at Comrades. You are going to be so amazing. 🤗
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Thank you for sharing your experiences of your running journey! Your determination and compassion are inspiring! 🙂
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Thank you so much for reading and for your touching comment, Susan. You are very kind. 🙏
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Such an inspirational post! And we thank you from the bottom of our hearts for keeping our kids safe and all you do for us! Love Angela, Adam, Austin, and Eli!
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You are very welcome Angela and Adam. It is a pleasure. You all brighten my day so much and bring me so much joy. It is such an encouragement to me to see you so dedicated in walking the children each day. Thank you ever so much. 🙏🚸
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Wow you are amazing! I am 66 and could never walk that let alone run!
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Thank you, Diane. You are very kind! 🙏
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Hi Carl, a mutual acquaintance Trevor P pointed out this blog entry to me. I enjoyed our km’s together. Thanks for taking the time to put pen to paper and the great read!
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You are very welcome. I appreciate you stopping by and taking the time to comment. Thank you very much. I met Trevor at Creemore Vertical Challenge in 2023. Amazing guy. Happy running.☺️ 🏃♀️
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Well-deserved congratulations, Carl! And I’m sorry about your fight against the flooding. All the colors of the rainbow here.
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Thank you so much, Diana. This is much appreciated. 🙏
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What an inspiring post, Carl. Very cool award 👍 👏 Congrats of finishing! My fitness level is no where near yours… wow! I’m not a runner and can’t imagine doing something so difficult. But the message I take away from your story is that difficult things and persistence are rewarded.
I loved the crossing guard appreciation video. That sign you received was so sweet. Inwardly I was saying, “Awwwwwwe”
I’m sorry to hear about the Maple tree you’ve been grieving the loss of. 🙁 I would love to read your post when you find the words. I do love trees. I’ve written a few posts about my love and appreciation of trees.
It’s nice to bump into a Fellow Canadian here on WordPress. My husband and I are on the Westcoast (British Columbia).
I hope you and your wife have a wonderful Canada day Carl. Happy Canada day to both of you. 🇨🇦
Tina
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Thank you so much for your kind comment, Tina. My municipality at the end of the school year asked if I would return in the fall and I said yes. The highway itself is really hard on the nerves, But the kids give me so much joy. It’s fun seeing them grow up through the years and then then the school invites me to their graduation. They have me at the stage. Their are no handrails on the stairs, so I’m there to offer a hand as they go up and down the stairs to receive their diploma or award. The young graduating ladies with the high heels are the ones take up my offer.
I do miss that maple tree. I look out my back window (as I have done the past 34 years and it is not there. Have seen photos of some of the trees in the West Coast. So big and beautiful.
I do love the award. I am very blessed to have my health and strength and to be able to run.
I spent my Canada Day in nearby Copeland Forest and hugged lots of trees.
The you for the WordPress follow and your wonderful comment, Tina. God bless. 😀
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This was such a lovely story of twists and turns but ultimately, one about running for passion. Wonderfully written. The words about the race and the photos on the day really made me feel like I was there. It was very considered of you to go into the race open to not finishing. Sometimes you just don’t know how you will fare in a race until you are actually halfway through it – and the spirit of others will carry you as it did. Finishing last is nothing to be ashamed about – it is a finish. And you did it within the cutoff. You should be very proud and well deserving of the Mountain Goat award. Such an honour. The trophy looks very neat.
‘Sitting is the New Smoking.’ Have to agree with that. We are so conditioned to work, get caught up in it and focus on achievements that we neglect our health and movement. But there is much to be gained in the long term with a bit of movement each day. As you showed through your story, it’s never about coming first but prioritising well-being. Although I am quite busy most days, I try to walk a few times a week or at the very least each day do a bit of yoga or stretching. There are times when I do fall off and don’t move that much, and I do feel more sluggish and not that motivated. Getting up and moving around really does make a difference.
That is a lovely video of you. So creative to have the children make an appreciation piece of art with fingerprints. I really enjoyed reading this tonight, Carl. Hope you’ve been doing well 🙂
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I am so sorry your wonderful comment slipped under the radar. Just happened to be going through old emails and I noticed it. Yes, I am extremely proud of the Mountain Goat award. It has a special place on top of the piano for all to see.
Even though I don’t run every day, I try to walk enough steps of a minimum 10 kilometers each day. Some days life gets in the way and it does not happen. Like yourself, those days I do feel more sluggish and not very motivated. At my former employment they had a yoga class once a week and I really enjoyed it. I must get back into it, even if it is just doing it to a You tube video.
Thank you for watching the video with the crossing guard children. Here in Canada it is summer holidays and school will resume the 1st week in September. I am looking forward to seeing the children again.😀 🚸
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Totally understand Carl on the comments. It happens. So wonderful to hear your Mountain Goat award has its place at home. Well earned – never about what number you finish, but its a finish and effort put in in the end. It’s more about consistency and showing up in the most challenging of times. I hope you enjoy time off from crossing duties during the holidays, and come back recharged and full of passion for it as always 🙂
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Thank you so much, Mabel. It has been a great summer break. Back to my school crosswalk duties in just over a week. 🚸😀
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Carl, wow – what a recap! And I am mourning your tree right along with you.
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Thank you so much, Mary Lou. It continues to be really hard looking out the kitchen window and seeing the tree gone. Such a special tree. 🙏
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