The Interview

My friend and fellow blogger Vicki Thomas suggested the questions below might make an interesting blog topic. The questions she came up with are interesting, the answers, I’m not so sure. Anyway, here is the interview.

Were you always active growing up?

Mm, active yes, sporty, athletic no. I didn’t do many sports, mainly softball in the summer as a kid and in the winter I went cross-country skiing at Cedarhill before all the houses were built. I was always outside though, winter and summer.

I always rode my bike as kid all over Barrhaven and down Strandherd which was a dirt road back then. In my teens I didn’t have my own bike for a long time but I always wanted one. When I was around 10 years old somebody told me that ten-speeds could go as fast cars. That left an impression on me. They left out the part about needing to be a pro elite racer to go such speeds. I remember riding to Parliament Hill one hot day with my sister and best friend. That was a big accomplishment for me at the time. I must have borrowed a bike from one of my sisters. I bought a new bike with my first paycheque working at the bookstore at age 20.

How did you get involved with martial arts? 

I don’t know where the idea came from but I always wanted to learn martial arts. Probably got it from TV and movies. I was always fascinated by Bruce Lee. After University, I got a job working for the National Library and decided to upgrade my skills by taking Computer courses at Algonquin. It took 5 years of night school to finish the program. When I was finished night school, I took a speed skating course for three months in the fall of 1997. Then in January 1998 I enrolled at Greco Martial Arts. The school was above the TD Bank on Greenbank, a 10 minute walk from my house. I loved it from the first class and knew I would stick with it and get my black belt.

What drew you to strength training?

I was attracted to muscular physiques. I used to draw muscle men a lot. I thought it was the best look, whether male or female and something you could create yourself: a muscular physique. So initially, strength training was synonymous with weight lifting in the bodybuilding sense. I was small and skinny and I wanted to big and strong. When I got into martial arts it became more functionally motivated. Fifteen years of strength training gave me a good foundation for martial arts. Once I started to teach classes, my interest grew from there, exploring new and different ways to build the body.

Do you do any other sports besides martial arts and strength training?

About the same time as I started going to the gym to lift weights, I started riding a bike. I tried running with my Irish setter, Bender, but after a few months that got boring. So I bought myself a bike. Bender got a better workout. I rode to school and work and went out on weekends for ever-increasing distances. Long distances were my thing. My husband Paul and I used to ride to Pembroke for the weekend and we’d take trips to Golden Lake, Barry’s Bay and Algonquin Park for summer vacation. We weren’t your typical tourists though because we just had a small bag with a change of clothes and a toothbrush. In 1996, after many years of riding just the two of us and a friend, we joined the Ottawa Bicycle Club.

What motivates you to train and be active every day?

Health is number one. My mother died of cancer when I was nine; she was 39. I think that subconsciously motivated me to get fit, stay in shape and eat well. Now I think it is more about enjoying life. Being healthy and fit is more fun than the alternative. It opens up possibilities.

What have you learned about yourself while pursuing your passions?

I learned that I am more capable than I thought. But I think this is true of most people. We limit ourselves by our thoughts. I think I learned mental toughness from cycling. The ultimate test for me was doing the Animalathon, which was 332 km, also known as a double century (200+ miles). When doing a ride that long it helps to think about the old Chinese adage, “A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step”. Breaking the distance into manageable chunks makes it easier to handle.

This mental toughness came in handy when I was training for my black belt grading, which is an intense physical and mental challenge.

There are also some super challenging climbs in the Catskills it easy to get freaked out about. This is when you need to be totally in the moment. I like climbing because it’s just me and the mountain (everybody is else is up ahead!).

What about in the kitchen - any favourite foods or ingredients?

Yes, my favourite thing is to have a big salad for lunch or dinner. I cook out of necessity but it is not my favourite thing to do. A salad is less work and it’s always enjoyable. I like eating raw vegetables. I use dark leafy greens as the base, add some colourful like red peppers, carrots, or radishes, celery, cucumber, some kind of sprouts (high energy food), and avocado, nuts like pecans or sliced almonds and pumpkin seeds for magnesium. And I make my own dressing.

Another favourite is oatmeal. I add hemp seeds to salads and oatmeal because it’s high in protein and I am not a big meat eater. I also add walnuts, sunflower seeds, flax meal, and cranberries. Those are my go-to meals. When I cook, I like to cook with curry, usually something you can make in one pot.

Do you ever "go crazy" and eat a big bag of chips or some chocolate? 

Oh yeah! On UFC fight nights, we have friends over and everyone brings their favourite or our favourite junk. There is no shortage of chips and sour candy and sometimes chocolate. I figure it’s okay to indulge once in a while. I choose Saturday nights to “cheat”.

If you could give people one piece of advice that would help them stay motivated - what would it be?

Hm, well, ask yourself why you want to train in the first place? Is it for better health, longevity, feeling better, increasing strength and other attributes. And keep that purpose in mind. How badly do you want it? Also, keep your training fun. There are many skills I want to learn and improve upon and that is what keeps me motivated in the area of functional fitness.

I’m not super excited about winter training on the bike, but I do intervals at least once a week and one “long” ride because I want to stay in shape for the summer. Our whole vacation is centered around cycling in the mountains and it is so much more enjoyable if I’m riding well. In fact, we try and crush our personal bests, which is getting increasingly more difficult, but it gives you something to shoot for!