Registration Complete

I just finished registering for my first Triathlon! It was surprisingly expensive and none of it is connected to charity, but having run a few events in my life, I understand the cost to create a race like this. At the end of August I will be completing in a Sprint Triathlon on the Toronto Islands. I will need to swim for 750 metres, bike for 20 km and finish by running 5km. Trust me, I have already started to train for this! Before I could register I have to get a race license from Triathlon Ontario, which was a strange requirement. So far, Jason has registered to join me, and Teri, my mom, and Kendra have registered to do the Give-It-A-Tri, a smaller version done on the same weekend.

Anna And Halley On The Front Page

The article that Halley wrote, that I mentioned yesterday, on the Huffington Post, became the main feature on front page of Huffington Post Weddings the day after it was published! They used one of the pictures from the wedding that featured Anna as well, since she was in the bridal party. Check out the screen shot:

Large Photo on the Left is from Halley's Wedding

By Atlas and Elia Photography

Halley is obviously the bride, and Anna is the brunette on the left. I loved looking at these wedding shots and it is awesome that one got featured. Sadly, when the story got moved to the front page they changed the title. The article is actually "I Took My Husband's Name and Kept My Identity" not "Why I'm Glad I Took My Husband's Last Name."

Name Changes

I was out the other night for a friend's birthday, Teri was there and I think we had a brief discussion about whether she is going to take Greg's last name after they get married. I don't think she is, but I really can't remember what was said about it. The 'Last Name Debate' is actually a thing, some people have really strong opinions about it. However, as I reflect back on the various couples in my life who have recently, or not so recently, gotten married - each has dealt with their last names in their own unique way. I think, just as relationships are different for each couple, so is the choice, and reasons for the choice, of changing the last name.

- My mom took my dad's last name
- Taylor assumed Mark's last name but will keep her maiden name at work, I think
- Aimee took Mike's last name, we are excited to have more Sweetons
- Steph took Dave's last name but officially changed her name to add her maiden name as a second middle name, since she is keeping it for her photography businesses
- Kristen will be keeping her maiden name

Halley wrote a great article about her choice - read it HERE.

The Humidity Paradox

I have curly hair. And, because it is curly, my hair looks the best in hot, humid weather. (Anne will attest to this.) With humid weather, my hair will curl beautifully with minimal work and product, even cheap products work well and make my hair look amazing. However, it is so hot, the last thing I want to do is have my hair down. So I find myself tightly tying it back in the hot, humid weather to try to keep cool. It is very frustrating!

Bike Poem - Hot Town

Hot Town, Summer In The City

"What seems to be the problem Officer?"
He sighs, the Medical Officer of Health is extreme
Subways and the GO have AC
Cooling Stations have no trains
Don't keep the elderly locked in your vehicle for too long
Seniors, like children without carseats, dogs without leashes
The Plan is 13 pages long
Give me bike lanes not flow charts
Cars just add to this heat

-- Christine Sweeton, 2013

Today's Bike Times:
To Work (7km) - 30 minutes (New Best)
Home (20km) - 112 minutes (Best: 108)

Quick Update

This is long long long overdue. I actually had to go back in the Always Standing archives to ensure that I really hadn't posted about it yet...

Two of my closest friends are engaged!

(Not to each other,

to awesome guys who are also my friends,

so FOUR friends of mine are engaged!) 

Actually their engagements occurred within weeks of each other, 7 months ago, back in December. I kept meaning to write about it but I think I was waiting until I got photos of their rings, or if they ended up doing an engagement photo shoot or something. Now it is more than a half a year later, one couple has already bought a house, one of the weddings is in less than two weeks, and I still haven't publicly congratulated them on Always Standing. (Of note, I am MC at one wedding and Maid of Honour at the other. Super excited for both!!)

So, much overdue congratulations to...

Kristen & Noah

... and ...

Teri & Greg

... on their wonderful engagements. I love you guys and wish all of you every possible happiness.

Finding My Way Back

I would like to write every day again. I am struggling to find the time to sit down and clear my mind to complete a post. There are many ideas swirling about in my mind that I would love to map out and see materialized but that final bit of motivation is still missing. I am not going to write every single day but I would like to fill out most of the week. I am working on returning, coming back to Always Standing.

Still Here

As you may have noticed, I have not posted on Always Standing in a LONG time. I just wanted to let you know that I am still alive and planning to start writing again on a regular bases soon. I hope to get back into the swing of things next week.

In terms of my New Years Resolution of blogging every day, I lasted until the start of June and lived up to that goal. I think that is probably the best I have ever done on a resolution before!

A Biking Poetry Plan

I am starting to bike occasionally to and from work. I thought I could record when I do and what times I achieve on Always Standing, I could also write a poem each time. During my bike to work I often spend the time thinking about various bike related poems.

Of note is the fact that I am training for a small triathlon being held at the end of the summer on the Toronto Islands, I will post more about that another time.

The Bike To Work - 7 km - Almost totally downhill. My goal for this is to keep getting faster obviously, but I don't want to work up a sweat before heading into the office. So my plan is to try to get used to high speeds on my bike, and use my brakes less.

The Bike Home - 20 km - The first half is flat but the last 10 km is steadily uphill with a 'killer' hill right at the end before my house. Jason has mapped out a route for us to take home that works out to 20 km, it is longer for him since he bikes down from his house to meet me at work. The triathlon cycling distance is 20 km but the Toronto Islands are flat so by doing this route hopefully I can get in better biking shape with the hills so that not having an incline will seem easy.

Today's Times:
To Work (7km) - 32 minutes
Home (20km) - 108 minutes

Money Challenge - Week 6

COUPLE CHALLENGE 
Time Frame: By Monday June 10
Budget out Jason and my trip to Calgary that is coming in July. 
I didn't keep track or plan out the spending for my big China, Mongolia, Russia, Iceland trip and to this day I don't know what that summer cost me (I don't like to think about it.) Jason and I plan to sit down and map out the various costs and activities that we are planning. Hopefully we can stay with friends and family (Anne or ERin or Mike) for some of the days. We also probably need to rent a car for certain periods of time. We should look into ticket and admission costs as well. It was an amazing birthday gift and I think it is a good idea to make sure it doesn't cost a ridiculous amount.

This Thursday - #GML2013

Everyone is invited - please come to my event. This coming week is going to be so crazy, I love events but I can't deny that they can be pretty stressful. Give Me Liberty is coming up fast, it is this Thursday!