It’s hard to believe that four months from today Marc and I will have ridden the 120 km long L’Etape du Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift.

It’s a pretty cool feeling to know that in four months, I’ll have accomplished a big goal.

Getting ready for L’Etape has made the winter one of the best I can remember in a long while. I was busy all winter either riding my bike in the basement, out fat biking, lifting weights, or recovering.

I’m not a big fan of the snow or the cold so having a structured training plan with a very large carrot at the end has been massive for me.

I remember many years ago when I ran a marathon and afterwards my brother asked me, “When did you know you would finish it?” and I responded “As soon as I registered.”

Admittedly I had some trepidation after registering for L’Etape. The scope of this ride is immense and when I registered I was at what I considered to be a low level of fitness.

But here I am today feeling very confident—confident enough to say “Yes, I will finish L’Etape on August 6.”

I trust in my training and the expertise of my coach, Steve Weller to get me ready for this ride. A big part of it won’t be the legs, it will be the head. And the good news is I’m doing pretty dang good in this department as well. For me, if the training is going well and I’m doing all the workouts, I’m able to build and maintain my confidence.

The old saying, “Trust your training,” really does go a long way.

Off the bike I’ve been very consistent with my strength program. I’m fortunate to be working with Paul Kernaghan at 613 Fitness. He’s put together a few programs for me now and I’m seeing real gains in my strength and mobility.

So, yeah, things are going well. We have our plans fully booked as well for France. We’ll essentially stay in Malucene for two weeks with a short four-day break in Vaison-la-Romaine, a short 13 minute drive away while we do L’Etape. Now just the picky details of flights and a car…

Away from bike riding and thinking about bike riding, life has been busy. Good busy!

I’ve got a new volunteer role as a member of the Nepean Sports Wall of Fame Board of Directors. We’ve only had a couple meetings so far, but I’m looking forward to getting involved with the communications and marketing team to help promote the NSWF.

I’m also still volunteering for the Ottawa Hospital as a Patient and Family Advisor—with a new position on the newsletter committee.

And lastly I support people who have ulcerative colitis or Crohn’s Disease and who may be considering having their colons removed and living with a permanent or temporary ileostomy. When I was getting ready for my surgery and a new ileostomate, it would have made a massive difference to me to have had someone to talk to about all the things no one tells you about life with an ileostomy.

I’m always happy to help and answer any questions and to talk about my experiences with an ileostomy and ulcerative colitis. (If you’re someone who wants to talk about ulcerative colitis or ileostomy life or you know someone who might want to talk—please do not be shy, send me an email.)

All of this fills me up and supports my soul. At the end of the day, I just want to know that I’ve made a difference in someone’s life. I think this is more important than any accolades, bank account balance, or fancy job title.

Oh, and more exciting news—I’ve signed up for two drawing classes. Yes, I know… I’ve got a lot on my plate. But don’t worry, I’ve got an extra large plate!

I start a four-week in-person drawing class on April 8 and then on April 28 I start an online four-week charcoal drawing class. I’m super excited about both of these. It’s really difficult to find a charcoal drawing class, so this really is going to be special.

So really that’s about it. Some of you may know that Marc had septorhinoplasty surgery about four weeks ago. He is doing really well. Back to riding and the best thing ever—he can finally breathe through his nose again. We’re super thankful to his brilliant surgeon and the care he received at the Carleton Place Hospital.

And, one last thing because I wouldn’t be a good Auntie if I didn’t brag a bit about my nephew. Henry is 16 years old and one of the top BMX Freestyle athletes in Canada. He’s currently fundraising so he can travel to three competitions in the U. S.

Henry has created an excellent web page that tells you all about his story, his goals, and accomplishments.

Brace yourself when you watch Henry’s video, it may leave you gasping when you see him fly through the air on his bike and your eyes may get a bit watery after listening to him share his hopes and dreams.

And once you’ve watched the video and read about his goals and upcoming competitions, watch his Thank You To My Supporters video. It is super sweet and really makes my heart full to see so many people supporting this young man.

Thanks for reading all the way to end. Have a super great day. I hope you’ve got lots to fill up your plate and soul.