I’ve Got That Uneasy Queasy Feeling

COVID has lulled the Sisterhood into a routine, “one day looks the same as the next,” kind of life. But with all signs pointing to the virus receding into the background soon, and the likelihood that we will be able to resume the pursuit of our goal to walk a 5k race in every province and territory in the country, we thought it was time to get the competitive juices flowing again. Revisiting a time when we abandoned our comfort zone and tackled something that got our hearts racing and the adrenaline pumping will hopefully provide the needed inspiration.

You are advised to read on at your peril. The following stories may induce heart palpitations and feelings of light headedness.

My Paddle’s Keen and Bright

By Middle Sis

Given that our mom was a swimming instructor, I became a competent swimmer as a child and enjoyed many happy times at the swimming pool and, when the occasion presented itself, in lakes around our area. Happy times, that is, as long as I could touch bottom. Whether swimming or in a boat, fear of the deep always kept me in shallow water.

So it was with great trepidation I decided to face this fear when we were recently on a trip to Lake Louise and canoeing was one of the activities offered to guests. My husband, who is keen to participate in anything that involves being on or in the water, immediately called down and reserved a canoe for the next day. I meanwhile, was having a conversation with myself, trying to shore up my resolve as I watched all the canoes gliding around the lake.

Fast forward to the next day waiting in line for our canoe. We passed the time reading several signs with facts about Lake Louise including that it is 90 meters at its deepest and and is so cold they have their Polar Bear swim on July 1st. Not things I needed to hear, but I soldiered on and soon we were given a safety briefing sprinkled with lots of “in the unlikely event” phrases which did quell my anxiety somewhat. The last words of advice as we were about to push off from the dock were to use the whistle on my life jacket to call for help “in the unlikely event” that we fell out of the canoe. Not helpful…

Before I could change my mind and run, we were pushed away from the dock and I began hyperventilating. My husband calmly started paddling while reminding me to breathe and explaining which side of the canoe to paddle on so we wouldn’t start going in circles.

Once I got into the rhythm of paddling I was able to relax a bit and forget about how deep and cold the water was and started to enjoy the spectacular mountain scenery and the brilliant turquoise lake. After a while I was even able to wave my paddle and say hello to fellow paddlers passing by. By the time our hour long turn around the lake was up I found I was actually enjoying myself.

Little did I know that there would be one final challenge to meet – getting out of the canoe once we returned to the dock. I will spare you all the details, but suffice to say it took two strong young men and more than one try before I was out of the canoe and upright on the dock, much to the amusement of those waiting in line.

I’m not sure I will go canoeing again but “in the unlikely event” that I do, I now know which side of the canoe to paddle on to keep from going in circles!

Just Put One Foot in Front of the Other

By Big Sis

I knew when I set out on a trip to Italy with my two daughters, that there would be challenges. They are both young, fit and energetic. While I on the other hand am “seniorish”, semi fit and somewhat energetic .

I managed the flight and the frantic dash to catch the train to Cinque Terra with ease…. well at least I wasn’t lagging behind too much. Considering that the temperatures were in the mid 30C during our whole trip, I was heartened by this initial endurance test. (I do have to admit that my daughters had to lift my suitcase on to the luggage rack, but that was more of a height issue on my part.)

Cinque Terra is a string of beautiful centuries old seaside villages. Our destination was Vernazza, a picturesque community high up on the side of a cliff. Our Airbnb was beautiful but also steep. Not a problem, I thought. It would provide daily exercise, and after all, I am semi fit.

The first few days passed uneventfully. We enjoyed the view from our balcony, explored the town and sipped a glass or two of wine in the evening. There was a lovely relaxed vibe in the air, that is until I could sense a certain restlessness in my travel companions. And then, they dropped the bomb.

My daughters proposed a hike from Vernazza to the village of Monterosso. The five villages are connected by a hiking path. I use the term “path” loosely. Some parts are almost paved, while others are rocky, steep, narow and difficult to navigate. They assured me that it was the shortest and least difficult of the routes, and given my semi fit condition, they were confident I could manage it. Armed with a backpack, sunscreen and lots of water, we set out. I was determined not to be a sissy, and besides they promised a lemon gelato when we reached our destination.

Well, picture this: the temperature is 34C, there is no wind and so far we are climbing at an alarming rate. Sweat is dripping from all parts of my body and I am sure my face is purple. Now we are alternately climbing and descending and my pace is slow. My daughters are very helpful and encouraging even though I am sure they could move much faster without me. Words can’t describe the agony. I was so far out of my comfort zone that I will just say that it was hellish and leave it at that.

Once I realized that my 2.2 mile ordeal (officially rated as moderately difficult I might add) was over, thoughts of personal pride began to surface. Looking back, I don’t think many seniorish women could have equalled my effort and I am proud to say that I did it with a minimum of whining. Well, there was a lot of silent cursing, but there was no way I was going to give up.

I have many wonderful memories of that trip, but as unlikely as it may seem, that hike is one of my fondest. I can still taste the lemon gelato. Yum!

I Love Football..Until I Tried to Play it, That is

By Little Sis

Big and Middle Sis will never admit it, but I am the most athletic member of the Sisterhood. I’ve played soccer and softball, run track and field, and played floor hockey. I even coached girls softball for about four years. Needless to say, when I decided to play flag football, given my athletic prowess, I thought this would be easy. Boy, was I wrong.

It all started when I saw an ad in a local paper that there was a flag football league for women, and they were looking for players, so naturally I had to join. I registered and about a week later I was contacted by a woman who was putting together a team of beginners, and she asked if I would like to join. I jumped at the chance and was super excited. I had visions of making awesome catches and scoring touchdowns. I was going to be the MVP of the League.

Looking Good

The first thing I had to do was get some cleats. Off to the local athletic store I went. You would think buying cleats would be a fairly easy task, but it was not. I have small feet and ended up buying ” boys” cleats. I then needed to get a water bottle, a mouth guard, gloves to catch all those passes coming my way and a cool bag to carry everything. If nothing else I was looking good, and ready to play the game I love. I was ten feet off the ground with excitement.

The day came when we had our first practice. I met the women I would be playing with, and they were all really nice. Since we had some veterans, they were more than happy to offer up some pointers, which I tried to absorb as best I could.

I was all over the field that day, making catches, and touchdowns. I was unstoppable. Practice lasted about an hour or so, and by the time we were done I was pooped. Before we wrapped it up were told our first game would be in two days. No biggie. I was ready.

Put Me In Coach

Game day finally came. I was born for this. During the warm up coach gave us our positions. I was a little disappointed that I was playing defense, so my dreams of making touchdowns came crashing down. I pulled myself together, and thought what would Pittsburgh Steelers player TJ Watt do?

The ref blew the whistle, and after the kick off I ran out onto the field. We left the huddle, I looked around and my confidence plummeted. I was shaking in my shorts. Why was I shaking you ask? Well, I am 5′ nothing, and I was lined up against a women who was verging on 6′, and she certainly did not wear “boys” cleats. We were playing man to man defense, so she was going to be my sole responsibility.

I don’t remember much after the ball was snapped. I do remember the ball sailing over my head, and the lady who was my responsibility, (who had the longest arms I have ever seen) catching it and running by me. This happened a few more times, but I finally got my revenge.

During my one moment of clarity I was finally able to read the direction she was going, and picked off the pass. I ran about five steps, and my flag was pulled so I was down. It was still a great moment. I had conquered my fear of tall women with big feet and long arms!

All in all it turned out to be a pretty good day despite the fact that we lost 42-0 and my opposition lady scored at least 3 touchdowns.

To my credit, I stuck it out the whole season, but I eventually realized that I was probably better off sitting on the couch, drinking beer, eating nachos, and watching football on TV. And so my football career came to an end and my gloves and football now sit on the shelf gathering dust…

As we re-enter post COVID life with energy and optimism, and the knowledge that we have survived out of our comfort zone in the past and can do so again, the Sisterhood is ready. Bring on the 5K races!

We plan on doing a new post every Monday so stay tuned for our next one entitled “Life In The Slow Lane.”