Now I look back at my 2nd Danskin Triathlon. Very different from last year's, lesson 1: every year brings in new experiences, new challenges and new hurdles to overcome you cannot expect nor plan but prepare that whatever it is, you know you can and have the capacity to transcend it if you have faith in yourself. Your supporters are the the most unlikeliest persons in your life and of course the people you are closest to will always be there for you!
It seems that I generally expect too much of myself and fail to realize that things inside me and around me are changing. When realiy hits, I am off kilter and fear builds up. ONLY thorugh focusing on the level of importance of what I am doing for the other that I can visualize the task at hand! The present moment will come and go and then we look forward to the next preparation, the next event!
Next year it will be different I will anticipate what I failed to this year and know that whatever it is - I will overcome it! With all your help - thank you for being there!
Sunday, August 22, 2010
Sunday, July 18, 2010
Why Triathlons?
I had not been looking to do a triathlon at all last year, 2009. I just had been talking to my girlfriend, Heather, about getting back into shape after a hysterectomy procedure that had complications that rendered me pretty weak and unable to work-out for all of 8 months the year before. Heather suggested I train for a Triathlon which she had completed that year and expressed how fun it was. "Oh, really!" was what I remembered saying and thinking that if she could do it why not me?
Sign up was in February, 2009 and I had purchased Sally Edwards' book and was reading all about how to go about my training. Little did I know it was to be the start of a journey into getting to know what training is all about and what I was all about as well. I learned what beliefs I had about myself, both limiting and liberating! I learned that training with a team of women who had their varied reasons to train for the Danskin provided support, encouragement, comfort and friendship along the way. This was priceless! I learned that it's never too late to start any goal and records are meant to be broken. I learned that everything you long for and want to achieve is present inside you and needs to be nurtured and coaxed into fulfillment! I learned that despite the goal being out there, moving towards it is all that matters! I learned that my family is always beside me everystep of the way! I learned that one's actions can inspire the person you least expect to influence! I learned that one's values permeate everything we do!
I crossed the finish line last August 16, 2009 a different person than when I had started to train. I felt like a new person that day, that nothing is impossible and that the journey truly is the reward!
This year I dedicate my Tri to the children who live with a disability who yearn to jump and swim, cycle and run and I will do what I can do to provide opportunities for them to have happy fulfilled lives. Join me in this journey!
My 2nd Danskin Tri is on August 15th. The next week, August 21st my 2 sons, Richard and Carey are doing a Relay Tri with me at the Beaver Lake Triathlon in Sammamish, WA. We're 'Team Kathmandu!'
Sign up was in February, 2009 and I had purchased Sally Edwards' book and was reading all about how to go about my training. Little did I know it was to be the start of a journey into getting to know what training is all about and what I was all about as well. I learned what beliefs I had about myself, both limiting and liberating! I learned that training with a team of women who had their varied reasons to train for the Danskin provided support, encouragement, comfort and friendship along the way. This was priceless! I learned that it's never too late to start any goal and records are meant to be broken. I learned that everything you long for and want to achieve is present inside you and needs to be nurtured and coaxed into fulfillment! I learned that despite the goal being out there, moving towards it is all that matters! I learned that my family is always beside me everystep of the way! I learned that one's actions can inspire the person you least expect to influence! I learned that one's values permeate everything we do!
I crossed the finish line last August 16, 2009 a different person than when I had started to train. I felt like a new person that day, that nothing is impossible and that the journey truly is the reward!
This year I dedicate my Tri to the children who live with a disability who yearn to jump and swim, cycle and run and I will do what I can do to provide opportunities for them to have happy fulfilled lives. Join me in this journey!
My 2nd Danskin Tri is on August 15th. The next week, August 21st my 2 sons, Richard and Carey are doing a Relay Tri with me at the Beaver Lake Triathlon in Sammamish, WA. We're 'Team Kathmandu!'
Sunday, April 25, 2010
Follow us
This 2010 - we went back to Kathmandu with hopeful hearts and returned contented and renewed with the hope that the humanity in everyone we met will see us through!
this year's visit is documented in www.trifc.blogspot.com
this year's visit is documented in www.trifc.blogspot.com
Saturday, March 28, 2009
The Best Homecoming Ever
Its Monday at 6:40 PM, I am on the Alaska Flight 469 from LAX to SEA arriving at 8:10PM. 36 hours from the time I left KTM on Sunday at 11:00 PM KTM time. That's 1 1/2 days by myself, into my own thoughts and conversations about the last 3 weeks, my family, my friends and the rest of my life.
My life so far has been such a colorful tapestry. I have no regrets about my choices. I hvae been propelled by my internal compass that has upheld virtues like honesty, dedication to family, service to the beloved, understanding, diversity, equal opportunity and peace. I do not profess to be proud of all my choices nor the timing of some behavior that has overpowered my sense and sensibility. I chalk that up to survival, perhaps. I can be in the state of inconsistency yet my higher ideals do prevail in the end.
At this stage in my life, I will need to reorganize these priorities and relate them to new relationships - a new re-created Gina, at 49, at the turning point of her life, to renew her role in humanity.
I see the Siskiyous Mountains outside my window as we flew over the California border and sneered at their diminutive stature to the Himalayas. Tsk! Tsk! It'll take 2 mighty tectonic plates crashing against each other for 60 million years to create another mountain range of such majesty! It may have taken many lifetimes for me to feel the compassion I feel today, albeit, still a longer path to travel.
Namaste my friends! There is much to do for the next visit in 2010. Please join me in any way your heart will allow for the benefit of the disadvantaged children of Nepal!
Shanti, Peace, Shalom!
My life so far has been such a colorful tapestry. I have no regrets about my choices. I hvae been propelled by my internal compass that has upheld virtues like honesty, dedication to family, service to the beloved, understanding, diversity, equal opportunity and peace. I do not profess to be proud of all my choices nor the timing of some behavior that has overpowered my sense and sensibility. I chalk that up to survival, perhaps. I can be in the state of inconsistency yet my higher ideals do prevail in the end.
At this stage in my life, I will need to reorganize these priorities and relate them to new relationships - a new re-created Gina, at 49, at the turning point of her life, to renew her role in humanity.
I see the Siskiyous Mountains outside my window as we flew over the California border and sneered at their diminutive stature to the Himalayas. Tsk! Tsk! It'll take 2 mighty tectonic plates crashing against each other for 60 million years to create another mountain range of such majesty! It may have taken many lifetimes for me to feel the compassion I feel today, albeit, still a longer path to travel.
Namaste my friends! There is much to do for the next visit in 2010. Please join me in any way your heart will allow for the benefit of the disadvantaged children of Nepal!
Shanti, Peace, Shalom!
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| From Trekking Photos |
Thursday, March 19, 2009
Trekking Post
Once you begin a trek you come back a different person. I began my trek to Poon Hill ( 3210 m. or 10,272 ft.) and returned a lot humbler to have witnessed the beauty of the Himalayas. The chance to merely view this creation from a vantage point requires one's patience, determination, understanding and acceptance that it should never be too easy to be in the presence of the Universe's gift to mere mortals like me.
Now I understand why trekkers come to Nepal and why climbers come to scale Mt. Everest. Beautiful, magnificent, glorious are all words that understate the majestic, royal and utter heavenly state of the Himalayan mountain range. You won’t be able to see everything in one glance, you have to pivot yourself at least 260 degrees to see it all! From Machapuchare to Annapurna West to Dhaulagheri I to V.
Oh no! And not that the masterpiece is available to an audience any time of the day! The lucky few who made it to the top of Poon Hill at sunrise were graced by the Western Himalayas which pealed off its sleepy head as the sun rose over its back at 6:30 AM.
First you will see a glow atop Dhaulagheri I then II then on towards the west, Machapuchare ( Fishtail Mtn.) will remain in the shadows a bit until the sun rises higher and higher and shines a spotlight at about 7:00 AM on all the sister mountains. You are overwhelmed and need to look away then glance in awe at the reverence it requests of you. Nature's opulent 'Cirque de Montagnes' tops any other magnificent sunrise I've ever seen before!
Now I understand why trekkers come to Nepal and why climbers come to scale Mt. Everest. Beautiful, magnificent, glorious are all words that understate the majestic, royal and utter heavenly state of the Himalayan mountain range. You won’t be able to see everything in one glance, you have to pivot yourself at least 260 degrees to see it all! From Machapuchare to Annapurna West to Dhaulagheri I to V.
Oh no! And not that the masterpiece is available to an audience any time of the day! The lucky few who made it to the top of Poon Hill at sunrise were graced by the Western Himalayas which pealed off its sleepy head as the sun rose over its back at 6:30 AM.
First you will see a glow atop Dhaulagheri I then II then on towards the west, Machapuchare ( Fishtail Mtn.) will remain in the shadows a bit until the sun rises higher and higher and shines a spotlight at about 7:00 AM on all the sister mountains. You are overwhelmed and need to look away then glance in awe at the reverence it requests of you. Nature's opulent 'Cirque de Montagnes' tops any other magnificent sunrise I've ever seen before!
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| From Trekking Photos |
Sunday, March 1, 2009
Family Trip To Manakamana
Family Road Trip to Manakamana
Everyone on the bus! Yes I decided to ride the kids’ bus and sit by Sanjay and Bikash.
Off we went together to travel many hours to see Manakamana, “The Wish Fulfilling Temple” on top of a mountain that rose 3000 ft high with a cable car system that took the devotees up.
Bikash is attending Upper Kindergarten right now. He has been at DNC for 2 years. He is a burn victim. Half of his face had been burned in a fire accident and his left hand is deformed, perhaps due to the fire as well. It was early, about 8:00 am and they had gotten up at 6:00 AM to get ready. He was pretty sleepy and immediately fell asleep on my lap signaling that I should keep my right hand on his forehead to shield it from the bright sunlight. I held his left hand in mine, just like I would when my son Richard was a little boy. The feeling was not any different! Here’s a sleepy boy who needed a soft lap to lay on, to feel secure that he was not going to hit the window every time the bus would veer left or right (believe me, it veered a lot). A tear rolled down my cheek and as I held that deformed hand, he held my hand with his trusting heart!
Sanjay is now in grade two. He joined DNC in 2005 at the age of six. His feet, which had been severely burned in a fire at the age of two needed to be amputated. Only after the bandages had been soaked off and skin grafting had been done did he learn to walk. He has these round shoes that allow him to walk pretty much anywhere. His left hand has only the first knuckles and no fingers left to point with. Like Bikash he too was feeling car sick and sleepy! So after throwing up several times (I’m glad they had these little plastic bags for this purpose) he began to slump sideways as well, preparing to fall asleep. I had to hold him close lest he hit his head on the forward window that was a foot away. I held his upper body secured as he leaned on my right shoulder. It wasn’t the most comfortable position for me but it seemed fine enough for these two angels to forget their daily routine for a moment and dream of the Temple in the sky!
It was the family bus – kids asleep, kids singing, kids teasing each other and fighting over window seats. As far as I am concerned, I had the best seat in the bus!
Just wake us up when we get there...no need to hurry, though!
Everyone on the bus! Yes I decided to ride the kids’ bus and sit by Sanjay and Bikash.
Off we went together to travel many hours to see Manakamana, “The Wish Fulfilling Temple” on top of a mountain that rose 3000 ft high with a cable car system that took the devotees up.
Bikash is attending Upper Kindergarten right now. He has been at DNC for 2 years. He is a burn victim. Half of his face had been burned in a fire accident and his left hand is deformed, perhaps due to the fire as well. It was early, about 8:00 am and they had gotten up at 6:00 AM to get ready. He was pretty sleepy and immediately fell asleep on my lap signaling that I should keep my right hand on his forehead to shield it from the bright sunlight. I held his left hand in mine, just like I would when my son Richard was a little boy. The feeling was not any different! Here’s a sleepy boy who needed a soft lap to lay on, to feel secure that he was not going to hit the window every time the bus would veer left or right (believe me, it veered a lot). A tear rolled down my cheek and as I held that deformed hand, he held my hand with his trusting heart!
Sanjay is now in grade two. He joined DNC in 2005 at the age of six. His feet, which had been severely burned in a fire at the age of two needed to be amputated. Only after the bandages had been soaked off and skin grafting had been done did he learn to walk. He has these round shoes that allow him to walk pretty much anywhere. His left hand has only the first knuckles and no fingers left to point with. Like Bikash he too was feeling car sick and sleepy! So after throwing up several times (I’m glad they had these little plastic bags for this purpose) he began to slump sideways as well, preparing to fall asleep. I had to hold him close lest he hit his head on the forward window that was a foot away. I held his upper body secured as he leaned on my right shoulder. It wasn’t the most comfortable position for me but it seemed fine enough for these two angels to forget their daily routine for a moment and dream of the Temple in the sky!
It was the family bus – kids asleep, kids singing, kids teasing each other and fighting over window seats. As far as I am concerned, I had the best seat in the bus!
Just wake us up when we get there...no need to hurry, though!
 |
| From My DNC Children |
Sunday, February 22, 2009
Heart Strings
The day at the Kavre School for the Deaf was such a wonderful experience. The art workshop and the creativity that emerged from these children showed the power of art as expression from the youngest one in 1st grade to the eldest student who had intricately painted, in wonderful colors of magnificence, a clay image of the Lord Ganesh.
For all the art classes I took I painted a turtle green!
That was really fun! We used rudimentary sign language to look for and share paints, brushes, admiration and "right ons". The real treat happened when we were all waiting around for lunch while half the team cleaned up. I had with me the Nepali sign language workbook and decided to engage some of the girls into teaching me the proper signing moves. It was really fun to see them try to fold me fingers and show the expression that went with each of the animals represented in Nepali sign language. Signing 'Cat' I think is the cutest thing!! I think they actually used that motion in the broadway production !
As we were doing this we would ask the rest of the team who were seating nearby to guess the animal we were signing and laughter followed as it became evident that the actions did represent the animals and much fun was had by all!
That evening as I lay in bed with my faithful hot water bottle, (the method used to keep warm during the cold winter nights as electricity and heat are not available) I was reflecting on the events that happened that day. It was so easy to interact with the children! Once you show interest, they are right there wanting to show you what they know, what they feel, and what they can do. They were teaching me their world, I so wanted to be part of it myself! Sign language speaks louder than words!
They were tugging at my heart strings!
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| From My DNC Children |
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