This week was a week of ups and downs. On average I rated last week the same as the previous (both 6.3/9). However this week I had two days I rated a 5, and one that was an 8. Still 6.3/9 is 70%, and even a 5 would’ve been a (barely) passing grade of 55% in my high school.

The tricky thing is resolution. A week’s rating can be good but also have loads of extremes. Even rating a day with one number is questionable. What would the value of a monthly or even yearly rating be? How about a lifetime? How would you calculate that and communicate what it really meant – and without bias of the time you write the rating down. Would you rate a day with a horrible morning and amazing afternoon differently than one with a great morning and a bad afternoon? And is that valid?

It’s all pointing toward mindfulness, isn’t it? Anything other than paying attention to this moment now is doing biased math. It’s good for a high level assessment, but not much beyond that.

One thing that occurred to me this week was that this feeling of “having no projects” or challenges in the winter might be able to be addressed by listing what I can do in a month in a spreadsheet. I added “adventures” (like bike tours – bigger things) and everyday fun – fun things I can do almost any day. I listed those I have already done and those I might like to try. Here’s what I have so far.

I need to add lots more everyday fun things to try – and winter could use a few more adventures but it’s exciting to see and I’ll go back to it for things to do.

This was also a week of learning about the power of discomfort. It started by watching Jenny Graham’s “Eastbound” about her huge adventure of trying to beat the women’s world record for around the world cycling. I’d already read her book “Coffee First, Then The World” about this effort – a fantastic and inspiring book but seeing the actual video first hand made a huge impact. It reminded me of my love for pushing through discomfort.

On the day I rated an 8, I really didn’t want to go outside. It was about 8°C out and drizzling. t took me an hour to get out the door. I headed down into the ravine and ran mostly alone through the woods. The trees were starting to turn colour and between the rain and leaves it smelled amazing. It was the best 30 minutes of my week and I had spent over an hour dreading it..

This week’s adventure was a 5K race. I’d given up running some time ago because of shin splints. Truth be told I also chalked it up to being over 50 and running being something I’d just have to give up because of age. However, after finding better shoes and reducing my weight, I started again. The first challenge was getting to the starting line. To get there in time to start I was out at the bus stop at 5:30 AM. I had nowhere to put warm clothes while I ran so I had only shorts, jersey, and sweatshirt on. I froze waiting for every bus before finding half way there that the buses weren’t running across the running route. I had to take a cab which was quicker than I’d planned so I arrived with 90 minutes to spare – and here there was a wind blowing off Lake Ontario chilling my bones.

I remembered the film I watched earlier and the stories of her riding in cold, rain, while sick or through the night and reminded myself that I could manage it if I committed to it. I walked around to keep warm, joined hundreds of people for an active warmup as the sun rose and finally it was time to race.

The race was tough – I hadn’t run that hard in seven years. There were times I wanted to slow down but those passed quickly because I remembered my goals and the fact that pushing through discomfort is what makes these events special. All along the way there were people cheering, many with signs specifically offering encouragement to “Random Stranger” – hey that’s me! I don’t know how others feel about this but somehow this stuff really affects me emotionally. I am moved by that kind of encouragement – even if it isn’t specifically aimed at me. As I approached the finish line and saw all of the people encouraging friends, family and even me, I even felt a bit teary.

32 minutes and 30 seconds after I started, I passed Sage and Daegan as I crossed the finish line. My time was over two minutes faster than I did in my first 5K ten years ago. So much for “too old”.

Here are the ratings for this week’s adventure.

My ratings:

• Transit: 2/10 – I couldn’t get here by transit in the end. I got part way there, though, and appreciated the warm buses.
• Food: 7/10 – Not much food but the event made me enjoy it lots more. A banana and a bag of chips never tasted better. The oat milk latte that Sage and Daegan brought me was delightful, though.
• Atmosphere: 10/10 – From the minute I got to the starting line until the finish, there was music and people encouraging runners. It’s rare to be somewhere that feels completely positive but this is one.
• Price: 2/10 – The race was about $50, and I spent $30 on a cab this morning. It was much cheaper but I felt bad – the driver struggled to get me there and then he was worried he couldn’t find his way out and be stuck – I didn’t want him to regret helping me.

Sage’s ratings:

• Transit: 10 /10-  Bus arrived promptly, but no seats. (Where was everyone going at 7:40 AM on a Sunday?!)
• Food: 0/10 –  We bought Todd a celebratory coffee but didn’t have any ourselves.
• Atmosphere: 10/10 – I’m not a runner myself, but it was really joyfulto see so many people so happy to be running the race, and SO many supporters on the sides who were encouraging total strangers. Everyone had nice low-chiming bells for some reason which made a pleasing addition to the happy din.
• Price: 10/10 – For us it was just transit costs, so a nice ten out of ten there.

Takeaways from this week:

• Quit avoiding discomfort – that’s where the fun and happiness are. (Action item: Ride to work more this week starting tomorrow)
• Live in the moment – a bad (or good) moment does not fully make or ruin the day. Enjoy now

How about you? How did your week go?