It was exactly three years ago today, on December 9th 2006, that Run for One Planet was born.
We were running around Burnaby Lake Park, at our 10km maximum, having just decided to run around North America, giddy as school kids from for what lay ahead in the hugeness of the moment. Little did we know what was ahead…
We promised each other we’d give our all, support the other through the tough moments, celebrate our victories together and leave no stone un-turned in our quest to do all we could to inspire a continent, one small step at a time.
Three years ago to this very day, we embarked upon a journey epic in proportions, much of which you’ve read in these words along the way. You’ve shared in our dream for a long time now.
Serendipitously, we are realizing another dream on R41P’s 3rd birthday. We are about to head out to, once again, run across the Lion’s Gate Bridge. This time, rather than our long 34 mile training route that took us out and back over the Bridge, or being escorted by police with family, friends, and Racy Verna in tow on Homecoming Day, this one is for our lululemon Ambassador photo shoot. This will be the first time we have both run over the bridge since we ran back home on May 8th.
Even in our wildest imaginations, we could never have dreamt all the things that have since transpired. And to think, R41P is only three…
Never underestimate the power of your intentions and know that by taking that first step, you’re on your way.
As I type these words I am awash in the warmth of a late November sunshine storm. Those of you living outside of Vancouver will be happy to know we broke two records for November! One was for least amount of sunshine hours and you guessed it, one was for total number of continuous days with rain. I believe the sun count was less than 24 hours and the rain days were more than 19 (in a row)! Needless to say, this moment of heat and light has everyone smiling (me included) and someone just walked by me, whistling a holiday carol!
We are into the Christmas month as of yesterday, even though you’d think it had been Christmas since the day after Halloween, as most stores have been blasting our sense with holiday classics from Nat, Bing and Sting since the scary decorations went down and the Santa scenes went up!
For us it is exciting times with continued speaking opportunities flowing “one opportunity at a time”. Like “small steps add up”, will always be relevant for everything we do. One presentation was last weekend, to close the Sun Run Leaders weekend with former Olympian Lynn Kanuka from Sport Med BC and her group of Sun Run leaders! Thanks to Lynn, for her energy and for the opportunity to reach more with our story!
As I’ve intimated in previous blogs and the Planet Action newsletter last week, we are so close to launching what we’ve feverishly been creating with our Executive Board in our desire to keep “Action alive and running” within our community, across Canada and beyond!
Yesterday marked the very first session with our community partner, lululemon and a most amazing, energetic and ready to run group of folks from West 4th Ave here in Kits. After a chat about the tour’s Top 10 Action Steps, each person chose which tip they were committing to for the month and we were off running (in the rain), talking about all things Planet and how our daily single actions affect her health both negatively and positively. The lulu edition of “Planet Runners” was born and next month we’ll meet again and we’ll all choose another habit to change from our website’s Top 10 and we’ll keep running, committing and building community one Planet Runner club at a time!!!
What is a Planet Runner club you might be asking? Well, let me tell you. How about you get your run gear on first, call a few friends who you know are keen to run with you and commit to making ONE simple change for a month and then I’ll explain in detail. Ok, ready, get changed, make the call to your friends, confirm a time, a place and now I’ll share with you, the whole Planet Runner story…..in our next blog
Hey, we gotta be mysterious sometime.
Run strong, healthy and make one small change at a time, for today and our children’s future tomorrow.
Today’s project with my kids was to make a terrarium. I remembered back to my childhood and my mom made one out of an old aquarium. It had a couple of plants and a little pond made out of a bowl. We would put any critters we caught like frogs and snakes in it. Now I live where some of the snakes are poisonous so my kids know not to touch any snake.
My original plan was to lay a 2 litre bottle on its side and cut a door im to it. While this would work for starting seed it wasn’t going to work for the Ivy that I had bought. I just wasn’t going to fit. Searching the web for ‘pop bottle terrarium’ brought up a number of sites that had the bottle standing up. That was going to work much better for the size of plant I had bought.
Need
2 litre pop bottle
1 plant or a couple of seed (warm humid environment)
scissors or knife
planting soil
Instruction
Take the label off
Cut the bottle in half
Either replant the plant in the bottom filling as needed with soil or fill to about 1 inch of the top with soil and plant the seeds as instructed on the package.
Water
Take the top of the bottle and cut 4 slits about ½ inch long
Fit the top onto the bottom. Fitting the bottom into the slits.
Place in a window with good light.
The system is enclosed and thus will require less watering. For me this is very good as I forget to water. Between that and the cat we have no living plants in the house. Hopefully the pop bottle will keep the cat from eating it.
This project allows the kids to learn about plants and what they need to live and gives them something to care about. We talked a bit about photosynthesis, carbon dioxide to oxygen, cleaning the air we breath and water we drink.
Photo of Frank Lee & Rob Kelly, R41P Teammates, upon the tour's triumphant return to mainland BC in Powell River, May 2009. Photo credit: Berenice Freedome.
Is it winter already?! It seems like just yesterday we were arriving in the Carolina’s (but really it was about a year ago) and away from the cold, blustery darkness that was NYC (on election night), the big D.C freeze (we were sicker than dogs) and all points between. Then, seventy degree weather with humidity like we were back in Ontario, but all the license plates read S.C., Florida and Louisiana. Yes folks, we were spoiled for the next 6 months on the R41P highway with hot, sunny running. And then, arriving home in time for summer ’09, gave us the false sense that “this will last forever, right”?
Wrong. November in Vancouver isn’t like we’d fantasized. In fact, the reality is that it is wet and dark by 4:00pm and getting shorter. This told us it’s the Perfect timing to get a long awaited issue of Planet Action out to YOU, our faithful and forever in our hearts community. So put some soup on the stove, make yourself a hot chocolate (or stronger as the season approaches rapidly) and hope you enjoy some updates from our world!
Here’s some general ‘what’s been up with us” news.
WE’VE BEEN TALKIN’
Keynotes have been steadily gaining momentum as the Fall set in motion many opportunities for us to share the tour story with groups striving for excellence. Talk about feeling privileged to spend an hour with a room full of Olympians, past, present and future. This was the case early in the month as our talk opened a day-long symposium at Olympic Oval. Absolutely incredible experience and world class building to host speed skating in February!
In October we blasted up to Kelowna to do 3 hour long back to back talks at the BC Student Leadership Conference (felt like the tour again)! Only this time, it took four hours (by car) instead of the tour-like 7 days (by foot).
As of this typing we are thrilled to be the closing keynote at the Sun Run Leaders Weekend with SportsMed BC!
Steph and I are pumped with our upcoming speaking opportunities and are thrilled to be represented by a couple of speakers bureau’s across Canada!
NEW PARTNERSHIPS
It’s official. All the yoga/run events we did with lululemon’s around North America have fulfilled a secret wish. We’d like to announce that “lululemon on West 4th Avenue” the company’s original store has asked us to be their newest “Run Ambassadors”! Thanks to Katie, Mel and all the folks at the store for this great honor! We’ll be representing our neighborhood Lulu by leading monthly run groups and giving talks on building the business of your athletic career and other really cool things with our newest partner!
Speaking of run groups, we had an amazing night with Rob Kelly (our awesome team member ala tour video producer) and his Capilano Eagles Run Club! In case you haven’t seen our tour video, check it out, turn it up and grab a Kleenex):
We got to experience (again) being left in the dust by eager runners blasting up the hills of North Vancouver, as we did our usual “no speed required” small steps add up the hill”, finishing…dead last. Afterwards, we gave a passionate presentation, including a defense of the benefits of running slow…
OUR DREAM TEAM IS RE-BUILDING
As the summer sun set into Fall, we added a few more R41P team specialists!
Our Board of Directors, who stretch from Toronto to LA, and Hong Kong back to Vancouver, is meeting monthly to add valuable brain power as we create the next steps for the Legacy. In the next Planet Action issue, we’ll unravel what the heck we’ve been talking about
We had a super star answer the call for our Executive Director role. Hailing from Toronto Ontario, allow us to introduce the genius of Matt Wiesenfeld…applause please!
And just in time for the holidays, we’d like to say a huge welcome to the team, our newest Administration Superstar, Anran Luo…woohoo!
FINALLY…
Our Planet Action newsletter would not be complete without mentioning that Steph has won yet ANOTHER award. Yes folks, she just received the Alumni Special Achiever Award by the best day school for girls in Canada, York House School. Way to go Steph! Also at the time of this typing, she has just been informed that she’s up for two other awards! (Seriously.)
Matt, on the other hand, is still eagerly awaiting his 2nd award, to add to the first one he won in the 7th grade, for his passionate speech on…running. (Seriously!)
Stay tuned for more news on the Legacy… running to a neighborhood near you!