Final Post

I've had a fantastic time throughout the last couple months learning and being able to figure more out about my relationship with myself and the environment around me. I've seen that people are there for me no matter what, always helping me through my struggles that I face. The mentors in my project don't leave when I'm finished the project, they are there for the long term which is why I've needed them and utilized them as much as I have throughout the entire project. I've also learned about how the environment around me affects what I am able to accomplish. For example, the weather was a problem because I wanted to run outside but I was often unable to do so. I really enjoyed being able to look at myself from a far and see how I was improving. My attitude improved immensely. Rather than sitting around saying I don't want to run, I would find motivation to try new things and run new places or create new routines. I would pray for God to lead me in the right direction when I steered away from the initial goals, and he presented me with a fundraising run for my moms condition, NF, which is something that is so close to my heart. I could not plan that myself and it is truly his work in my life because there is no other explanation I could give to you. It was a really fantastic learning experience and I'm glad that I was able to learn from something from a project with such immense freedom and individuality. Running was not my biggest passion to begin with, but after the project I have created a different outlook. A new positive perspective of something I looked at so negatively before. I can now clearly see how this project can impact us spiritually, mentally, and physically. Thank you to everyone who listened to my presentation and also to my main mentors and friends along the way, and also to Mr. Hazeu to make it all possible.

Race to the Finish

I am very excited that I was able to achieve a huge part of my project last night. I ran a race to raise awareness for a cause that is very close to me. My mother has NF, also known as neurofibromatosis, which is a disease that affects 1 in 3000 people. This disease is where tumours on the spinal cord cause decrease in mental ability and can also cause disfigurement, which my mom is fortunate not to have. Being able to incorporate my passion project into something that means a lot to myself and my family has been a pleasure. There was approximately 40 of us running, and a whole support group behind us. The run also helped the legislative pass the proposal of having May be NF awareness month in Manitoba.

Race wise, I hit a few obstacles as I was running. I have been consistently going to the chiropractor for my lower back and he said I should be able to run, but it was difficult to get through. I ran a total of 3 laps around Kildonan Park, which is a total of 9 km. I ran that in 53.16 minutes. I will be challenging myself to continue running and beating this time. I do not consider this my final time because I will progressively improving throughout the next couple of weeks into the summer.

It is a shame that the project is ending right when the weather improves, but I have been enjoying running outside much more than running on a treadmill. I think this will also help improve my motivation because I will want to run more if I can go outside than if I'm stuck inside. I will let you know the rest of my progress as soon as possible :)

Plans in Motion

I'm very pleased to announce that I will be doing the NF run on Thursday, May 29th. I believe I am prepared to do whatever I can to run this race as well as I can. I will be working this week to make sure I am prepared in all the ways possible. I'm going to take a bit of a break from running to rest up and make sure I am ready to run.

On the day of the race, my plan is to make sure I keep hydrated. This will help me stay strong, keep focused, and run to the best of my abilities. I will also make sure I eat a good meal maximum of one hour away from the run because if I eat too close to the race it will slow me down. Also right before the race I will make sure to do a proper warm up as well as stretch to prevent injury. After the race I am going to do a cool down as well as a stretch to make sure I get my heart rate down safely.

I will let you know how the race goes after Thursday!

Mentor and Changes

Over the past couple weeks, the weather has been slowly improving. With the nice weather comes the ambition to do a lot of things outside. I have had soccer practices and games almost every day, which doesn't hurt because I still get my exercise. The one problem I have been faced with is the desire to relax outside with friends just enjoying the nice weather. I thought I would be more motivated to run, but I have almost been less just because we've been trapped inside for several months, unable to enjoy the outdoors.

I have also had some positive things happen over the past couple weeks. I spoke with my mentor and she said she would be able to make up a running plan for me as soon as possible. I told her what I like about running and what I dislike, and she said she would be able to customize a running plan that I would enjoy more than just running at a constant pace. It will make me faster and stronger, and will help improve my time. I am excited to see and record the results as they come. I will let you know about my progress as soon as I can.

One thing I have changed recently about my project is which race I will be entering. Since my dads recent injury to his hip he will be unable to run the Manitoba Marathon on Fathers Day with me. I was disappointed about this so I chose a different race to run in. I will be fundraising and running for a cause I could not appreciate more. My mom has a disease called neurofibromatosis, also known as NF, which is trying to gain awareness. I will have more information about the run as it comes, but I am excited to be a part of it.

Until next time! :)

Process of Learning

Hey guys,

Just a quick update, I was planning on running the Manitoba Half Marathon with my at home mentor, my dad, on Fathers Day. Unfortunately due to injury my dad will be unable to run this race with me, which will not stop me from continuing my training. I have been training three times a week and my time has been improving. I feel much better after running now than I did before.

I have been learning several things over the past few weeks. One thing that I have learned is perseverance. I have been faced with many obstacles like being sick, tired, or busy, and I have still found a way to keep my focus on the end goal. I have been slowly learning how to overcome my frustrations that I've faced so that I can continue working hard. This will eventually affect my end result. If I don't focus and preserver through hard situations, I will never reach the goal I would like to attain.

A second thing I've learned is how working out effects me. A huge part of my personality is I like to work hard and I like to get things done fast. If I'm working out lots I want a result I can see, but this is not instant. It has slowly been effecting me in endurance, strength, and weight loss. With hard work and the help from my mentor, Mrs. Smith, I have remained committed and have lost a total of 5 pounds since the beginning of the project and I plan on continuing this work.

One of my favourite things I've learned throughout this passion project is how to relate my project to religion. This is a challenge, but keeps me thinking about what information God has provided me to help learn more about him as well as myself. I really like to find verses that will motivate me to do better and continue to work hard. I would love to share a couple of these verses with you.

1 Corinthians 6:19-20- Do you not know that your bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; you were bought at a price. Therefore honour God with your bodies.

Proverbs 14:23- All hard work brings profit.

Thank you for your interest in my learning. :)

Creation

Hey guys,

I'd just like to begin by saying where I've been for the past two weeks. Two weeks ago I was on a bus down to Mexico for a missions trip with my fellow students, so clearly I was unable to continue my schedule unless I were to run up and down the isles for an extremely long time (not that we didn't have the time). What comes with being on the road for that long of time is the food choices that they have on the road, which is something I had to work with. Although the food on the way there and back wasn't always the greatest and I didn't work out extra as I had planned, I ended up losing a total of three pounds of the duration of the trip. This is one of my most positive achievements from the past two weeks for sure. To put these 10 days more into perspective, you could start with the understanding that by the time you're finished running around all day playing with kids, cutting wood, hammering nails, carrying bags, climbing ladders, trekking through caves in Colorado, and constantly drinking water as well as eating a healthy meal in between, you end up working more than you ever would sitting in a desk at school and fitting in a short workout at the beginning and end of your day. It was almost more successful than I would have been at home, which I look at as a positive thing.

The back half of these two weeks was spring break. This week involved a whole lot of lounging around and recovering from the busy trip from Canada through the entire United States all the way down to Mexico. With relaxing comes snacking, television, movies, and drinks. I may not be a health expert but I can tell you that the amount of calories you burn sitting on a couch all day is not going to be as high as when you go for an hour run, unfortunately. I was looking forward to having the time to work out a lot more than I would usually be able to, but I ended up not doing as much as I liked. This was a negative part of the past two weeks that I would've liked to improve. For the next couple weeks I will have to work extra hard to get back into my regular routine.

One thing I planned on getting from this passion project is how to incorporate a Christian aspect into the project. A major part of these past couple weeks was being able to appreciate Gods beautiful creation. When you live in the same place all your life you sometimes take his creation for granted, but after travelling and taking in the perfection of his work you learn so much more. Working out in a different terrain and setting is something you should really take time to enjoy. When I go running outside I run in a straight line and focus more on the finish line, but when I'm in a different setting it makes me completely forget about how long I've been going for. I focus so much more on what God has given us to see, smell, touch, and hear. Hebrews 4:13 says, "Nothing in all creation is hidden from God's sight. Everything is uncovered and laid bare before the eyes of him to whom we must give account." In my mind we must appreciate his creation he has given us. I believe it will disappoint him if we don't look around us at what he has given to us. His creation is a gift, and we must cherish it.

Step in the Right Direction

Salutations,

The past week has gone extremely well. I have really surprised myself about how simple it has been to eat healthier and fit working out into my schedule, but I also learned some things that I know already need to be fixed. I feel really confident talking about this week because I think that I'm going a step in the right direction. There are some things that made me feel great, and as always some things I would like to improve on.

Last week I have ran twice for forty minutes. I was sick for the beginning of the week so I took my runs at a slow and steady pace to make sure I didn't over exert myself. I also entered an indoor soccer tournament on that Friday and Saturday in which we played five forty minutes games. I felt very good after playing these games because I gave myself no time to eat unhealthy over the weekend. I have a positive outlook on how the next couple weeks will go because I now have the motivation to continue this process. I realized it is possible to fit physical activity into my schedule. For me, the most difficult part is beginning a new schedule. I'm very proud of myself that I have been able to start off strong and confidently and I believe that my friends and family have been a huge part of this motivation.

There are some negative things I have seen over the past couple weeks. I've taken into consideration that when school gets busy it is harder to maintain the schedule I have began. I've gotten over the "I'll start tomorrow" phase and got into the initial first steps, but now its the maintenance that is the most difficult. Taking a running start at the project did really help but now I'm starting to slow down. I need to find an equal balance of working hard but also taking time to keep up with the work load at school. Also with the Mexico missions trip coming up I will be unable to record the amount I am going to run, but I will be doing physical activity and will look to eat the healthier options if possible.

I have learned more during the past three weeks of the beginnings of this project than I have over the past couple years. I have learned that persistence is the key to motivation. At no point do you tell yourself you are unable to do something because that attitude is only going to get in the way of your goals. There is also always going to be the question of how on earth you are going to pull it off, and if I had an answer that would mean I have nothing to learn from this entire experience.

Romans 5:3 "We know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope."