Yesterday was a beautiful day in Toronto. At 11 degrees, we all felt that Spring had finally arrived. After a winter of running on my treadmill, I donned the same shoes but instead of my usual route to the basement, I opened the front door, breathed the fresh air and with some trepidation, I began to jog. Being my first run, I chose a looping one-kilometer route back to my house. At about 200 meters, I remembered. Running outside is not the same as running on a treadmill. You have to propel yourself! With old familiar palpitations, I persevered. Passing my house for the first time, I felt strong. Dare I say it – a little cocksure. The second time around was great. I could feel my legs burning a little but what runner doesn’t? Boldly I past my house and began my third kilometer. At some time during that loop, my confidence dwindled and at some point I felt sick to my stomach. As I neared my house again, another familiar, albeit hibernated feeling emerged. This is the feeling that all runners experience. Without it, we wouldn’t run more than a couple of kilometers. Without it there would be no marathons. This feeling of determination, unconnected to the exhaustion of the body, is what made me run past my house and head on for a fourth kilometer. Non-runners may ask, and rightly so – Why? The truthful answer. I don’t know.

My hairdresser washes and conditions my hair with products designed for horses and call me crazy but I think I just bought into the whole idea. My hair feels great and honestly have you seen the shine on those horses! It’s an all natural product called EQyss and according to them, they’ve been in salons for years. I have to get my head around the fact that I can’t help noticing the word “pet” every time I pick up the bottle. Maybe I’ll decant it…

My nine-year old daughter, Gabi, had to write a story for school. She chose to write about a near-drowning incident that she witnessed when she was four. This was a first. She proudly showed me her first draft. It was a terrible experience and I am in awe of her strength. Together, we’ve worked hard at overcoming the emotional ramifications of this event, so for her to write the story, knowing also that it will be shared with her class, is an achievement of gigantic proportions. Good for you, sweetheart!