Climb for Hospice

When we were quite a bit younger, Ali and I were in the Ladner Stingrays Swim Club. Not only did we have swim meets on the weekends and swim practices in the evenings, we also had the most evil thing in the entire world: 7am before-school swims.

That’s right. We had to get up at 6:30, and go to the Ladner OUTDOOR pool. I will never, ever forget the feeling of stepping onto that cold, nubbly concrete deck, and looking into that water just knowing that I had to jump in there.

They told me that the pool was “heated”, and one could certainly ascertain that by simply looking at the water through the mist of the morning, and seeing the streams of teasing “steam” coming off it. I believed them. I actually believed them. Stupid, stupid, stupid.

I’d be all wrapped up in my comfy jammies (with my bathing suit underneath, of course), and would sometimes even have a warm blanket draped around my shoulders. My feet, bare and feeling the cold of the deck, tried to tell me to run. They knew that it was cold! But noooo. My stupid brain said that I had to get into the pool.

To have to get all the comfy layers off to jump into a massive bath of cold water was not at all easy. To this day I simply cannot handle getting into cold water. I get all panicky and freaked out, and begin flailing in the water as I try desperately to doggy paddle and cry at the same time.

The ONLY thing that made the morning bearable was the fact that my mother was (and still is) an inventive, intelligent woman. She knew that her children wouldn’t want to wake up and go swimming! Did she want to fight with three grumpy, snarly kids when she herself was half-asleep? No!

To wake her children up on those 7am swim mornings, my mother would gently place a small chocolate macaroon on our tongues as we slept. She’d stay with us until we woke up, happily to the taste of chocolate, and then she’d hand us another macaroon and softly tell us that we needed to get up and get ready to go. And we would.

To this day, the taste of chocolate & coconut reminds me of my mom. It makes me smile. It reminds me that even though I may have to do something I don’t want to do, I can make it sorta’ fun if I get creative with it. My mom actually made it possible for us to look forward to those 7am swims. Genius, isn’t it?

And so, that’s why I am bringing a bag of chocolate macaroons with me on my Kili climb. I’ll have them tucked away beside my sleeping bag, and when I am woken the morning, I will grab a macaroon and be happy, even for a brief moment, before I get my cold clothes on and trudge up a mountain.

Gotta’ say, I love the fact that I can turn even the most strenuous of physical activities into an excuse to eat chocolate. Thanks mom! xo

Just got a GREAT song recommendation to add to my KiliClimb Playlist:

“Barney Fade” (Future Loop Foundation mix) by Fragile State

I’ve been listening to it on repeat, and I am completely in love with it. It’s very inspiring, uplifting and emotional. It’s exactly what I need for my playlist.

Speaking of inspiring, uplifting, and emotional…

I am so thrilled that I can FINALLY let you all in on the BIG FAT SECRET that I’ve been forced to hold in. Ladies and gentleman, I can now officially announce my Kilimanjaro climbing partner:

ALISON HOGG! (*wild applause*)

That’s right, my hiking partner has now become my climbing partner, and we are going to kick some serious Kilimanjarse! Yah, baby!

Now, as cool as this is going to be for me, (to be able to travel to the other side of the world with my life-long friend and hike up the world’s largest free standing equatorial mountain with her), Alison is just totally blowing my mind. Y’see, Alison is doing more than just conquering a mountain; she is conquering her greatest fear: herself.

An extremely private person, Alison has decided to make the most of her journey by inviting the world into her heart, her head, and her home. Her website FatGirlClimbsKili.com is a daring, open space for her to face her fears and admit some things to herself that she didn’t necessarily want to. As you can tell from her website, Ali has a very slick, self-depreciating sense of humour, and she’s braving the openness of the Internet, and the world, to show herself as she really is.

Alison has decided that she is going to climb Mt. Kilimanjaro in an effort to raise $10,000 for The Heart & Stroke Foundation. As an overweight woman, Alison is well aware of the importance of heart health, and is willing to show her own personal struggle with weight, fitness, and motivation to the world – friends and strangers alike – to increase awareness to all.

Alison, I am so happy that you and I are climbing this mountain together, and I am honoured to be a part of your journey. I support you, I love you, and I think you’re incredible.

ROCK ON, FAT GIRL, ROCK ON! xoxo

So, Ali is a total Copy Cat.

I went out months ago and bought new boots for this whole Kili Adventure, and have been hiking in them, and trying to break them in, get them comfy, and figure out if I can survive 7 days of walking in them.

Ali has been hiking in some weird pair of 1960’s stiff leather boots that her mother bought when she immigrated to Canada from Britain 40 years ago or something. Anyway, Ali’s feet are all blistered-up, broken, bent, squished and cranky because Ali hasn’t had the chance to buy new boots yet. Until last weekend.

She calls me up on Sunday and excitedly tells me that she finally has new boots. “That’s great!”, I reply. She’s really excited about them, because they’re comfortable, durable, and really don’t look too bad as far as footwear fashion goes. “That’s great, Ali! So, what are they like?”

“They’re green-ish with a light tan colour, were made by Scarpa, have round laces, and…”

Wait. Wait, wait, wait.

Round laces? “Yep”. Greenish? “Uh, huh”. Scarpa? “Yep. Why are you aski… ohhhh…. nooooo…”

Oh, yes. Ali has managed to root through the bajillion pair of available hiking boots out there and has managed to buy the same pair that I did back in January. Nicely done, my friend.

I mean really! How embarassing! Do you know how humiliating it is to show up at a mountain wearing the same boots as someone else!? You look forward to climbing this mountain, you prep, you choose your outfiit, you get all shapely-looking and *bam!* your whooooole adventure is ruined because some other woman shows up in YOUR boots and, AND looks better in them than you do.

This is terrible.

Thanks a lot, Ali.

Everything is like, totally ruined now. Humpf.

*pouts*

This morning I braved the cold (of my underground parking garage), and Ali braved the elements (running across her driveway in the misty rain to my waiting car), and together we forged ahead (to Ricky’s). We faced difficult decisions (sourdough or whole grain?), endured tests of strength (those little creamers can be hard to open!), and stared in the face of mountains (…of hashbrowns).

Together we discussed important aspects of the journey (bathroom: down the hall to the left), questioned the imperative issues (is it Superbowl Sunday? I thought that was at Thanksgiving or something), and pondered the breath-taking beauty around us (Non-smoking restaurants RULE).

We fought hard-won battles (over the bill), but we were prepared (cash, debit, credit). And when the time came for us to leave it all behind (plus a 20% tip), we did so full of pride, joy, and renewed vigor (in a word: coffee).

Another morning spent in the beauty of nature!