11 months Post Ablation and the Fitness Funk

11

I've been neglecting writing a post for my 11th month post ablation as I didn't really know what to say. After my performance at 9 run run I think I peaked and then I had one more redemption run in me to go back to the MEC road race to see if Michelle can tackle the hills at Fortune and to really test if I can truly push myself heart wise and ankle wise.

Sadly the day before the race there was a wicked wind storm that took down a lot of trees in Gatineau Park and the NCC couldn't guarantee they would be ready let alone MEC, the organizers, to setup for the 5K and the 1/2. 

I still picked up my bib, but it wasn't meant to be as late Friday they called off the race.

Obviously for safety reasons, but disappointment was had and I was feeling empty. I ended up joining the Bushtukah crew and hoped that would do it as I had not run with them often and it would have been a good test to see how I would handle trails. I felt fine, but of course didn't push it.

Redemption was not to be had for MEC Road Race #2

Ottawa State of Mind

Now once I hit that peak and that disappointment I hit what I'm calling a "Fitness Funk" I had zero motivation and basically some negativity in my life that was sending me into some anxiety. It was hard to articulate my feelings and whether putting them on the blog would actually help or not?! I didn't know so part of my "funk" was self inflicted and I turned to some people in my tribe that just know me. One of them posted this on their IG story!

This helped steer me in the right direction!

#truth

If any of you know me I give myself and to the community. It's just who I am. When one person in your life just cuts you off (see image above) then they are not worth your energy. So the past few weeks I gave myself to the run community and it was hard to let go. I'm not going to lie. Moving on is not easy when you've been an integral person to them. Well at least you think you were. But I found in the last couple of weeks I need to break that funk and just move on.

Volunteering as a course marshal and photographer for Pathway to a Cure

 

It was at the ArboRace2 that I started feeling like myself again. I saw many runners that appreciated me taking photos of the race and just for giving back to the community. I needed that!

Then the next day I did more photography and helped out the Goulbourn Museum for their Old Fashioned Christmas Craft Fair with their Santa photos. It was my 2nd year doing the photos and it was another rewarding experience.

I felt the spark slowly coming back.

The many volunteers with Santa

Bushtukah Stittsville Trail Running, Evolve Run Club and Mill Street Milers

This past weekend I joined a plethora of running. I was welcomed back with no judgement and appreciated to be around this tribe of people. Words can't convey the gratitude I have for them. It's not just friends, but family. They just get me and helped steer me away from the negativity and direct my energies to where they need to be! So thank you tribe.

I'm sure the photos will speak for themselves!

P8 - Bushtukah Trail Running Crew

The way to the waterfall

Long exposure of the waterfall. Getting there was icy AF

Happy to make it back to the ruins of MacKenzie King Estate

Mill Street Milers - Newvember

Photos by BytownBoy (IG)

So my message to you all is to find your tribe. If you're feeling in a "funk" and you don't know who to turn to anymore when certain people are no longer part of your life. Look the other way or even behind you! You never know who will catch you when you fall and bring you back up. It could be as simple as just getting outside or reaching out to a random person that you've connected with that understand you. Sometimes it's the little things that can break that vicious cycle and allow you to move on! Stay strong and stay tuned for December as I approach my one year Ablation-aversry!

23, 7 Months Post Ablation & Rolled Ankle Recovery

July 6, 1996

This year Kiera and I celebrate number 23 of married life together, but at least another 10 as a couple. Some quick highlights:

• started my civil servant job 1996
• bought our first car together 1997
• Had our 1st born in 2000
• Kiera finished her masters in 2000
• bought our first house together in 2000
• Had our 2nd child in 2003
• Kiera started her civil service job in 2004
• took our 1st destination vacation in 2008
• we got our 1st fur friend forever 2009
• moved and bought our 2nd home in 2010
• many more or either on my social media since really came alive around that time my life is pretty much on the Internet or rather our lives have been shared online.

Wedding Day July 1996

Multi-Celebration selfie

So this year we did something a bit different. We wanted to go try a spa, but nothing too crazy. I know Kiera loves Le Nordik, but we've done that so many times and I've wanted to do something different so we went to Strathmere.

We did a rest and relax package and I have to say if you want to get away this place really is a gem. It's tucked away in North Gower and the food and facilities are top notch.

We had a relaxing dinner and watched the thunderstorms in the distance, but it never hit North Gower. But it did knock out the power for a moment and reset the AC so our room was super hot so we called someone to check it out and found that the AC was on, but the breaker was tripped so it was registering 26C so it took some time to cool down, but by the late evening it was fine. Next morning we had our breakfast and couples stone massage. It was amazing! The breakfast and the massage. We enjoyed our one night stay and even extended by seeing Rocketman that afternoon before we went out for dinner as a family for #23 to celebrate all our achievements.

chilling on the patio outside our room

appy tacos

free range bison burger

tuna

ice cream sandwich

Options

Sangria

Food credit

Then our breakfast and morning stone massage

Waffles

Eggs Benny

Hot Stones

Post Massage

anniversary bouquet

7 Months

Not much to report other than the usual scarring and the lack of information from my caridologist/Electrophysiologist. I don't know why they don't to see me, but I've been checking for my last Holter, but with their computer switchover I haven't seen it uploaded yet so I will have to call again and figure out what is happening.

So I've had some issues, but it could be related to the next topic

MEC Fortune Fell

From my FB post:

Today I had my first DNF! As well my 1st trail race of the season ended after 600m into the race and my foot slid in some gravel and I rolled it really bad. I was thankful for Katherine Kate Vicki and a few others. Ranya went and got some help as I hobbled to the steps of the lodge while the medics looked me over and the. I was able to walk to their tent and get ice on it. It was quite the cankle! 
I’m disappointed I couldn’t enjoy the race that I was training for and I had to bail.
The medics were fantastic. They kept me humoured with anecdotes of bone saws and amputations. Thanks 🙄
But seriously they were fantastic.
Thanks to those that stopped by to check on me and even take the obligatory injured runner photo 👌🏼 Cliff and Cindy
Huge props to Rebecca for heading to my car to grab my change of clothes and being a human crutch to take me back to my car. It was very much appreciated. ❤️
Now to swallow my pride and hope to heal quickly. It was a tough way to end what started to be a great weekend.
At least I was able to celebrate 2️⃣3️⃣ with my life partner Kiera at Strathmere for an adults only stay paired with dinner, breakfast and a hot stone massage.

Team Awesome Reunion

Fell at 660m

trying to keep the swelling down

Making light of the situation. Thanks Cindy

Of course Cliff made an appearance with a Stephen aka Bytown Boy photobomb

Nothing broken

enlarged cankle

that looks terrible

Not exactly comfortable

Now I await the main verdict that I have a long road to recovery. Stay tuned as I'm now moving from heart recovery to ankle recovery. If you're following my social media I've named my cankle "Michelle" and the boot "AC-0707"!

April Awakenings

Training

RunCoach

If you have signed up for Ottawa Race Weekend you may have seen an option for Run Coach. Run Coach is an online coaching app that helps you build a training plan to achieve your goals. In the past I've signed up for the Running Room Clinics and I've also dabbled in the Peak Performance Training. I'm taking a look at this app as 1) it was free with registration 2) it's about accountability when I felt I didn't want to be with an actual program that I couldn't adjust as if I'm at a clinic or with another plan it would have been tricky as my recovery/rehab has taken priority. With that being said I've been slowly returning and using the RunCoach to lay out my progress. What the app does it syncs to my Garmin data and calculates with its algorithm to develop a plan for you. 

Campus RUNch

Selfie outside my building

So I'm giving it a try and will keep you updated. It's about 35 days to Ottawa Race Weekend and I'll be ready for my 10K. So we shall see if I'm ready for my goal, but realistically I'm running it for Team Heart and spreading the word of awareness for the Heart Institute.

RunCoach Online Dashboard

Cardiac Athlete Meeting

I got a chance to meet with a fellow CA in Montreal when we went to bring Lia to a concert of one of her favourite artists Conan Gray. So we had a chance to chat over coffee.

She is an amazing athlete and overall amazing person that has overcome a lot since her cardiac arrest.

Nicole and I by McGill and Mont Royal

Run to Beer - Pint Series

On April 7th I participated in the 2019 Run To Beer - Pint Series and it featured my teammates from Team Awesome. It was great to meet fellow ambassadors IRL, It was nice to get out to run. I had registered for the 10K, but knew that I needed to keep it low mileage so I started out at the back of the 10K crew and decided to go and see if I can turn around at some point and head back. It was a great day and a great run to head out for a run with the crew. I found a great place to turn around by the giant steps on Colonel By and headed back around Echo drive and did a Bank Street loop.

Run To Beer - Dan's modified route

If there's beer you may find my teammate Jenn aka OmmMama

Warm up with Yoga on Tap Ashley

Jenn was doing an IG takeover of Ottawa Marathon.

Post photo of the Team Awesome crew

Q/A with the crew

Road Race #2

Rather than regurgitate the post I did on Facebook. I will link it up here to show and post some extended photos. I made it public so you can read the race recap I did.

https://www.facebook.com/dan.pak.904/posts/10156088443906766?sfnsw=cl

The route!

Equipe formidable/Team Awesome

Team Awesome/equipe formidable

Bib

Flat Dan

Team Nuun represent

10K mass start

The turnaround

Joelle caught up with me!

Cheer Becky in the distance

She's da best!

All MEC races end with a banana reward

Post Race Selfie

Maxime

Ian

David from the Bushtukah Trail Runners

Gesine

Christophe

Julie

Jenn

It's been a busy month already and I'm ready to take on the next set of challenges. Look out Turtle mode.