is our only opportunity to be an athlete when we are young and in school/college? or can we continue the quest of athletics as we age? should athletes only be the best of the best or does anyone applying themselves and working at a sport get to call themselves an athlete?
I grew up loving sports…. it started in Elementary School with an excellent Intramurals program… (this is what our school called noon hour sports… in grade 6 I got to be the captain of the Bears… highlight of my Elementary experience… low-light was the 52 detentions I received in grade 6.. after school – did not interfere with my Intramural pursuits)
I went to a different school for Junior High and my love of basketball really took off… this was back in the day when you could basically play every sport offered and no one was playing one sport all year round – unless you counted the pick-up basketball games we played year round… it was fun to have the season change and try out something new… and remind yourself why you loved basketball with your lack of talent in other areas…
heading to yet another school for High School, I was still very driven with sports and basketball in particular… it was exciting to keep this going and get to play in College…
and then I got married, started working and became an ‘adult’… which I thought meant sports quit for me… not for the farmer I should add… men seem to do a far better job of remaining an athlete than women do…
having kids was really the icing on the cake – cementing my ideas that athletics for me were part of my childhood… never to be revisited again…
I remember the joy I felt when I could finally put my oldest boy in baseball, hockey, you name it… I even cried at his first hockey practice… this should have been a hint to me that I was missing being an athlete…
Instant Pot Whole Chicken
Ingredients:
- one whole chicken (mine was 6 lbs)
- trivet
- butter, melted
- kosher salt
- cumin
- lemon pepper
- paprika
- carrots
- yellow onion
- celery
Directions:
- use a fresh or defrosted chicken – I defrost mine in the bag it is in, in cold water in the sink – this generally takes around 3-4 hours
- pat dry with paper towel
- place trivet in Instant Pot bowl
- add 1 cup water
- add chicken
- pour butter over the chicken
- add the carrots, onion and celery around the chicken
- sprinkle with spices
- place lid on and set manual high pressure for 40 minutes (basically, 6 minutes per pound)
- allow for a natural pressure release (around 15-20 minutes) when done cooking
- transfer the chicken to a cutting board
- put a strainer over a bowl and pour the liquid and contents into it
- use the liquid for recipes needing chicken stock and the meat for lunch meat!
{/recipe]
don’t get me wrong – watching my kids play sports is very fulfilling and exciting – but when I realized I was living through their experiences I knew I had to try to get back to being an athlete myself… I needed to let them have their athletic experiences for themselves and I needed to see what was out there for me…
it had been roughly 17 years since I had done anything other than ‘exercise’… there were many reasons why I let things get like this I believe…
I didn’t think I was athletic enough to warrant the amount of time and money it would take for me to be involved in my own adventures… we were busy enough with the farmer’s hockey and then my children’s hockey and other sports… I needed to be the one to keep everyone going… maybe – if I was a ‘gifted’ athlete – I would have made the time… but I was always middle of the pack and I thought middle of the pack people should just enjoy school sports and then settle into a life of cheering for those more talented…
I was a yo-yo exerciser… I would do some exercises for awhile and then quit… with no accountability, competition, coaching or purpose, I found exercising very difficult to be consistent or even motivated with…
I was also worried about judgement from other people… I felt like it would be selfish and almost spoiled if I spent time working towards some sort of athletic goal in my late 30’s… I didn’t have a lot of influences in my life or examples of moms that were pursuing athletic goals…
chili
Ingredients:
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 3 carrots, peeled (if old) and finely chopped
- 1 large red onion, finely chopped
- 1 1/2 tsp kosher salt
- 2 green bell peppers, chopped
- 1 lb ground beef
- 3 cloves garlic, roughly minced
- 2 tbsp chili powder
- 2 tsp ground cumin
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper (optional)
- 2 cups chicken broth (low sodium – preferably homemade)
- 2 cans (14.5 oz) diced tomatoes
- 1 can (15 oz) black beans, drained and rinsed
- 1 can (15 oz) pinto beans, drained and rinsed
- 1 can (15 oz) kidney beans, drained and rinsed
Directions:
– heat oil in a large pan
- add carrots, onion and salt
- cook on medium heat for a few minutes and add green peppers, beef and garlic
- season with spices and turn heat off when meat is cooked
- in your slow cooker, add the meat/veggie mixture and then add the chicken broth, diced tomatoes and beans
- simmer on low for 6-8 hours, high for 4-6 hours
- if you want more greens, add spinach or kale at the end
everyone has the money goal down… we all are pursuing money… security… but I just didn’t see women going on adventures or training for a sporting event… I saw moms dedicating their lives – nobly – to their families and it confirmed my beliefs that to be a good mom you sacrifice your life for your family…
moms are pros at scheduling… and we schedule all the kids activities and our husbands lives but forget to schedule in ourselves… or feel too guilty to do so…
and now, after two years of scheduling myself in, I can tell you I wish I had done it earlier… I know everyone would have had a better time and I wouldn’t feel like I neglected myself for years…
in January of 2017, a friend of mine at the rink told me about a running coach she had and how much she was enjoying being coached… it was like a lightbulb when on… I contacted this coach and started letting her train me… it made me feel silly at first – I was too embarrassed to tell many people – but slowly I started to see the benefits in my own life… having a coach give me a ‘game plan’ for the week and then being able to schedule it in somehow gave me there permission to train and take the time for myself…
that fall, after hurting my knee, I thought I’d try some Hot Yoga/Pilates for rehab… and I fell in love with it – even though, again, I was not very good at it…
it did feel very selfish to be spending the money and time twice a week to do this and then running four times a week… my family has had to change they way we do things in order to accommodate for my schedule at times, which feels ridiculously self-involved…
but I started to ponder, what am I living this life for? so I can be exhausted, depressed and unfulfilled, complaining about how busy I am? live comfortably, not facing my fears and anxieties? never find out what potential my body had or where it could take me?
I had to tell myself that I am worthy… we all are worthy… it is what God put into creation and why we are created in the first place…
I am worthy of having a running coach… worthy of taking the time for long Sat/Sun runs and practicing yoga… worthy of trips and adventures that fill me with anxiety and leave me feeling strong… worthy of feeding my body healthy food and getting the sleep I need to have the energy for big training days… worthy of pursuing all these things no matter what my talent level is… (that was the biggest hiccup for me)
because sports, athletics, competition and adventure is not just for the super-athletes… it is for everyone… I have won a race and almost lost a race – and the fact of the matter was I trained for both those races and the training had made my life full of purpose and joy… I remember being on different teams and coaches often saying ‘it’s the journey, not the destination’… and it only really made sense to me as I got older…
strawberry-spinach wheat berry salad
Ingredients:
Salad:
- 1 cup wheat berries, soaked overnight and rained (2 1/2 cups cooked)
- 1 tsp kosher salt
- 5 cups spinach
- 2 cups sliced, washed strawberries
- 1/2 cup crumbled feta cheese
- 1/2 cup chopped, toasted hazelnuts (or see recipe)
Dressing:
- 1/3 cup olive oil
- 1/4 cup good balsamic vinegar
- 1 heaping tbsp Dijon mustard
Hazelnuts:
- 2 tbsp butter
- 2 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
- 2 tbsp honey
- 3/4 tsp fine sea salt
- 2 cups raw hazelnuts
Directions:
- for the wheat berries, bring 4 cups of water to a boil
- add the wheat berries and salt and simmer, covered, until soft – around 50 minutes
- transfer to a large salad bowl and allow to cool
- just before serving, add the other ingredients – you won’t use all the dressing
- for the dressing – shake well in a jar
- for the hazelnuts – preheat oven to 350 degrees and line a baking sheet with parchment
- melt butter in a small saucepan
- add cinnamon, cayenne and honey
- take off the heat and add hazelnuts and coat
- pour onto the baking sheet and spread out
- sprinkle with salt
- bake for 15 minutes, stirring every 5 minutes
- cool completely and break apart into chunks
it is the journey… it is the training and the dedication – no matter your skill level – to a craft, sport or cause that matters… keep asking yourself – ‘what do you want to be when you grow up?’ never stop asking yourself this and never stop going after the next thing that it is for you…
don’t feel like any dream is too big for you… set some outrageous goals and see how many you can check off and then enjoy the process… and realize that the secret to it all is that the process is what we are all seeking… a reason to get up in the morning and attack the day… a reason to be happily exhausted when you go to bed, sore in the morning and nervous at a start line…
there are too many people out there battling for their lives… whether it be cancer, depression, poverty, loss, addiction… the list is endless and you have no excuse to not live the best life that you possibly can… you are not guaranteed anything but death… and you owe it to yourself to explore why you are here and what you are capable of… and you owe it to the people that love you
because there is nothing more inspiring that watching someone attempt scary things, work extremely hard for a goal, conquer a fear… no one wants you to hate your life… so you must dedicate yourself to living it in a way that gives energy and life to those around you…
it is not just for the super-athletes… in fact, the middle-back of the pack people generally have the most fun anyways! (but I only watch the super-athletes on YouTube… so they should keep being super!)
black bean protein brownies
Ingredients:
- 1 (19 oz) can black beans (if you have 15 oz can, just use that), strained and rinsed
- 2 scoops (34 g scoop) of Casein protein powder (or whatever protein powder you have kicking around)
- 1/2 cup quick oats
- 1/4 cup creamy peanut butter
- 1/4 cup coconut oil, melted
- 1/4 cup greek yogurt
- 1/3 – 1/2 cup maple syrup
- 1 tsp vanilla
- 1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1/2 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp baking soda
- 1/2 tsp kosher salt
- 2 eggs
- 1/2 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
- 2 tbsp peanut butter
Directions:
- combine black beans, protein powder, oats, peanut butter, coconut oil, greek yogurt, maple syrup and vanilla in a vitamix or food processor and combine until no chunks
- in a separate mixing bowl, combine cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda and salt
- add eggs
- using a spatula, add the thick bean mixture to the cocoa powder and eggs
- mix until combined
- fold in chocolate chips
- in a sprayed or greased 9×9 baking pan, pour the brownie batter
- melt 2 tbsp of peanut butter in the microwave and pour in a few dollops on the brownie batter
- using a knife, cut through the peanut butter dollops to make a pretty pattern
- bake for 15-20 minutes, until the middle is slightly firm but the sides are not overdone
- let cool and cut into 16 brownies
- these freeze well
i feed a farmer 
Gear post Catherine!
I’m not a runner or anything like that but I do get the “personal goals on the back burner” thing. When our kids were little I was drowning. And finally a Dr strongly encouraged me to drop the kids for half day at daycare once a week. The mental and financial hurdles to make that happen were huge (and felt so indulgent) what?! Put my kids in Care so I can do what I want? How selfish? But (after about 4 months of guilt) I finally saw how I was a better mom and had a better relationship with them because I was discovering joyful things for me again- for me it was a lot of creating (painting), walking, having a coffee without interruption and watching a favourite show. But it did allow me to have dreams too. What do I want this life to be? And allowing yourself to work towards it!
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So true that many people have “the working to make a good living” down and yet so often I hear they are so discouraged because their life isn’t feeling so good in other ways.
For many men it can be “work hard-play hard”…there are many recreational hockey leagues for men; often see more men out on the golf course; or riding their harleys or side by sides; and weekend trips hunting or fishing.
For many women though it may be parent hard-work hard and to feel good just because your busy day ends…with not enough time or energy left in the day to play the sport you want or join a women’s hockey team or go golfing or go running.
I believe in balance in life and in following your true passion.
Passion to me is something you love and something you want to do. And you will align or schedule your life so that there is always time for that passion.
By living your passion you are teaching your children – whether they are male or female – to appreciate who you are and by appreciating your own worthiness they will love you even more. Ok…maybe not so if they are teenagers…but someday when they are older what you have done will inspire them to say, my mom started running even after she was married to my dad for 17 years.
I know this because my Mom started downhill skiing in her mid 50’s and at the time I may have thought little of it…but certainly admired her for it later in my life too.
Also other women may see you as an example of a loving mom who stills love to run and they may feel inspired to schedule their life so they can follow their passion too.
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