A New Year, A New Path

In my kung fu training, I have for the most part of 7 years, been a part of a team which required me to blog weekly, all in order to publicly journal my journey in my training. Now with a switch in my training goals, I am no longer required to, but rather am choosing to continue to journal my year. Now I'm not the most excited or best blogger, not even a good one, but despite this I have learnt the value of it. It is a tool that keeps one accountable to oneself and others, it allows a person to express themselves in the good, bad and ugly, all the while leaving a trail of bread crumbs showing successes and failures, all which play a part in the end result. So with all that being said, here I publicly put my plans out there. Even though I am extremely excited, and would feel much more comfortable training silently on a trail in the bush with no witnesses other than the birds and squirrels, making this blog public gives me an added push and motivation.

 

This year I have set my big goal of completing the Canadian Deathrace solo, 125km through the mountains of Grande Cache in 24 hours. This coming August long weekend will be my 8th death race, as I have run both as a team and a solo marathoner for the last 7 years. In these 7 years I have learned more than I could ever put down on paper. I have experienced each one of the 5 legs, some multiple times and feel a little more confident with that knowledge. I know once I hit the teepees on leg one I'm almost at the first transition. I have learned that the power line on leg two is not my friend. I have been given instructions as to where to clap my hands on leg three to scare away the bear (like clapping is going to work 🙄). I have the last tree picked before the switchbacks start up mount Hammel where I can still pee with a little bit of privacy.  Last but not least leg five, the stretch that has a ridge that gave me the most beautiful view of stars in the sky with the silhouette of mountains around and the fresh smell after a rain.

 

Each year I have walked away with adventures that truly touch my heart and mean so much to me. I have been fortunate to witness family and friends strike out on this solo feat and have been inspired to up my challenge this year and see just how far I can push both mind and body, all the while enjoying and experiences each moment for the gift it is.

 

It is too easy to say “someday I’m going to…” or “before I’m 50 I will…”, when all too often these hopes and dreams never amount to anything and leave a person saying later on in life “I wish I would have…”  So here I go with a challenge which I know is going to push me in more ways than I can comprehend at this point. I know this will be difficult and know that there is really no way to prepare for absolutely every detail, as weather, animals, injury etc etc may change in a heartbeat, but I do believe that I can do my best to go into this race as trained mentally and physically as possible with back up plans and support that will be my saving grace if or when things go a little off course.

I am grateful that at this point in my life I am still capable, driven and have a support system that will help me because the truth is, challenges like this are never done 100% on one’s own. Life can change in a heartbeat so stop putting things off, strap on the shoes and hit the trail; it’s a mystery as to where it can all take you.

 

“Of all the paths you take in life, make sure a few of them are dirt”

John Muir

 Alana Regier

 

A Little Sunshine

“Those that bring sunshine to the lives of others cannot keep it from themselves”

James M Barrie

‘If you only want to shine light on one spot you may want to pull out a flashlight. But if the sun lights something up, its light shines on everything in its vicinity. When we bring sunshine to the life of others, it shines on us as well’

As Random Acts of Kindness day approaches, this excerpt was in my morning reading. How true it is! In a world that tells us repeatedly to be selfish and take care of ourselves and our needs above all else, it can be hard to remember that there is great reward found in helping others around us.  I believe it is impossible to do something kind for another and not feel a ray of sunshine lighting up your own life. ‘As we focus our time and energy on others, our lives become transformed internally.’ Every act of kindness shows love.  What good is love if we keep it to ourselves? What are we storing up kindness for in a world that so desperately needs it?  As Paul Brandt sings ‘Give it Away.’  Although we shouldn’t need or wait for a day designated for random acts of kindness, it is a day where we can spread a little extra and make others around us aware of the difference we are all capable of making by simply spreading kindness and showing a little love.  It will truly make your heart happy!

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=PKlgK5dKeTQ

Alana Regier

I'm Batman

As I get older I see things differently than I did in my youth. Although youth offers the benefits of lasting energy, long term hopes and dreams, the feeling of having all the time in the world, believing we are invincible etc etc…, age and experience has given me gifts of a different kind. I am learning more patience, acceptance, need and benefits of modification, different more meaningful purpose, appreciation, value, priority shift, learning where I belong and a better idea of where I want to be, and these are just to name a few. 

Perspective for each of us varies. Two people can look at the exact same thing and see something completely different, walk away with an entirely different experience and be led in directions that vary. Life’s experiences, circumstances and the general make up of a person alter what and how one sees things. Although we may have our own personal reasons for seeing things the way we do, we also have a choice as to the eyes we see it through.  It may not always be easy; however, there is usually some way, somehow to put a positive spin on every experience, if we choose to.

The truth is, we limit our possibilities if we allow our perspective to be skewed in a negative direction. The reality is that things are never all rainbows and unicorns, but there is always something to be grateful for, and a positive perspective to be found, we just need to be open, aware and acknowledge it. Some may look at this idea as being ‘fake’, but I would have to disagree. I believe it’s making a conscious choice to look at the moment, the circumstance or the person and view it as an opportunity to change things in a positive direction. If we choose to dwell on and continue to feed a cycle of negative and ugly ideas, feelings and behaviours, nothing will ever change. Take the negative, learn from it and change it, making something good come out of it. Positivity is contagious but so is negativity!

Alana Regier

 

alana.regier@blogspot.com