stephanie dexter -

Dear Friends:

This is my most favourite month of the year and this upcoming May long weekend, my very favourite long weekend. Why? As a season, spring brings forth a sense of renewal, new opportunities, rebirth and refocus for me. I love the smell of the flowers and trees, the sounds of the bees humming and the way the lawn smells after it's been mowed. I love the availability of fresh vegetables and fruits in the stores, especially the strawberries. I love the way the dirt feels in my hands as I plant my flowerpots. I love the Little Britches Rodeo parade that takes place - the first parade of the season where good seats are abundant. I love the way the crisp air feels in the morning on my runs when the world is quiet.

I love spring. It's the best time of year to get healthy!

The Power of the Butterfly

A few years ago, a writer doing an article on me asked what it felt like to have transformed myself - physically and in so many other ways, mentally, emotionally, and spiritually. I replied that I felt like a butterfly, that a metamorphism had taken place and that I was finally becoming the person I wanted to be. My outside was finally matching my inside, my spirit.

Since then, I've collected butterflies to represent special occasions or moments in my life. Each one makes me smile as the represent a goal achieved or a moment experienced for the first time.

I would like to share with you how very powerful the butterfly and its effects can be.

We have all heard the overused cliché of "taking baby steps" in order to achieve big things. Perhaps that is why so few people apply this amazingly powerful principle in their lives. I call it a principle because it is absolute and universal. If you look closely at anything in nature you will notice how physically big plants for instance only consist of a number of smaller parts. It is the culmination of all the parts that make up the "bigness" that can only become and exist through a process of growth.

One step towards a goal becomes two, two becomes four, four becomes eight, eight become sixteen etc. This is the way the universe "expands" and this is the way your life expands.

The butterfly effect refers to the knock on effect that is created in the universe by a butterfly flapping its wings. At first is seems almost entirely unimportant and insignificant, but over time this can actually create a hurricane or something of great effect by the accumulation of a small effort.

It is the seemingly insignificant steps that eventually create the significant leaps in our lives. We often avoid taking the very actions necessary to make our lives extraordinary because we see these actions as insignificant. Never underestimate the power of the butterfly effect. Always reinforces your decisions with actions and keep taking action towards what you do want instead of what you fear. This includes work related, personal and health related goals (weight loss goals).

I used the principal recently in my training for the Vancouver marathon, May 6^th. Over months and months, I took what many would consider "insignificant" steps towards my goal...running hills, speed runs, and lastly long, slow runs. I took into consideration the food I ate, how I slept and my work schedule. I worked hard at building my confidence.

Consistent and congruent action towards the attainment of any goal is the key to building momentum. Every small action accumulates and builds on the ones before until you create a snowball that will eventually be unstoppable. You set yourself up for success.

On May 6^th, I completed the Vancouver marathon in 4hours 36 minutes. Goal achieved! (and a new butterfly added to my collection)

Across my right forearm, I wrote the words "Power of the Butterfly", "you can" and "you are worth it". All gentle reminders to me that every small step is in fact, not insignificant, but a step in the right direction.

(I am 4^th from the left, in the white shirt, white hat)

Vancouver Marathon - Race Report May 6, 2007

Wow! What an experience! It was everything people had said and a lot of what people hadn't said too. That is probably a good thing!

I was frightened...and rightfully so. Marathons deserve respect and until recently even I didn't know how much.

The weekend started out with meeting a group of new running friends from the Running Room forum and Running Mania forum on Friday night for dinner. They were kind enough to welcome some of my fellow runners also from Calgary and the evening was full of encouraging conversation.

Saturday morning started with a walk down to Stanley Park for the Running Room fun run...a quick 3k run into the park. It was the opportunity to see more familiar Calgary faces and discuss plans for the rest of the day. That morning capped with me winning a free Vancouver marathon shirt in a draw! Yeah! I love to win things!!

After an afternoon of lunch and picking up my race package with fellow runners, taking in the pasta dinner with more Calgary marathoners, and getting myself totally freaked out by seeing the Start line, I headed back to the hotel to organize myself for the Sunday morning.

The weather was not what was predicted. Initially overcast, light showers soon started and continued throughout the race. I was excited to see my fellow Glenmore RR people at the Terry Fox Archway. We got together for a final few words of encouragement; a team cheer and headed off to the start line.

What can I say about the beginning of the race? I started with 3 other of my training "group". The first 10k we were with the 4hour 30minutes pace bunny - and at that point, 1 of our runners dropped back. Then it was only 3 of us and we made the decision to pass the bunny and get ahead as she was about 3 minutes off pace. We settled into our happy pace and chatted the whole way. Through the industrial section and then into Stanley park, we started to sing our chants "We're from Glenmore, yes we are and we got here without a car", "We are healthy we are strong and we are running a marathon!" "Our feet our fast, our feet our light, we won't go without a fight!"...As time progressed past towards the end of that beautiful park, we started to play the alphabet game. Other runners around us joined in...A is for amazing and that's what we are! B is for....

At about 25k, Bill dropped back and it was only Tanya and myself. Here I put on my headphones. I knew about 30k I would have to start to "work". As we headed through the residential area, I noticed Tanya was starting to look panicky. She was starting to hurt (ITB). We had been forewarned about the residential area...how it seemed to go forever and how seeing all the other runners go past you was distressing. I distracted myself by looking for other Calgary runners that I knew. They were there along the way and I shouted loud words of encouragement. My legs were getting tired...but my spirit was still strong. Where was that turnaround point??? Then, we heard sirens and saw paramedics on bikes go racing by. There was a runner in trouble. "Don't look - keep going!" I said to Tanya (and to myself). Just keep going."

What really helped me at the 32k mark and on was the dedication of each km to people in my life - to my Weight Watchers group who encourage me every week, my parents, sister and nephews, each of my 3 children and Dave, my running group and coaches, my grandmother and lastly my grandfather. He never saw me "healthy" but told me I could do it. I swear, this sounds weird, but I could "feel" him pulling me along.

Finally the turnaround. Yeah...! And then I felt it. It was about 35k...and suddenly my left quad, on the inside above the knee, started to Charlie horse. What was that?? I had never had that happen. I kept running "When is the next walk break?" I needed to stretch. All of a sudden, I realized the 430 bunny was in front of us. Tanya and I looked at each other...how did that happen? We passed her ages ago and hadn't stopped. And suddenly at the turnaround she was in front of us? I'm still quite perplexed by this!

At that point, I saw Wayne - one of our Calgary of runners. He had stopped on the side of the road. We had 6k left. I yelled at him "Don't you stop Wayne.... Don't you stop! Come with us. 6k Wayne...to Oscar and back, just like every Tuesday night."...and he did. His quads were hurting. So were mine. Now both were spasming in the same place.

As I tried to keep distracted from the pain, I looked up and saw the bridge. I heard about it and knew it was the tough part. We took our walk breaks and all I could say was "Tanya, 3k...we're half way back from Oscar". She just nodded. She is such an amazing young woman and a terrific runner. The pain she was in was written across her face, but she wasn't quitting. A man stood on the bridge holding a sign "Don't you quit now!" Talk about perfect timing for so many!

As we came off the bridge, I heard and saw an angel! My name...and then a face I recognized. A fellow runner I knew who was injured and volunteering to patrol the course on bike...and she started to ride along side of me. She kept talking and although I am not sure I understood the whole conversation, she distracted me from the pain. Thank you Katie...you were truly a Godsend! Before she left she said "Only 200 meters to go"...and I counted on that.

As I came into the stadium area, I tried desperately to burn the image into my mind. People lined up and down...Way to go Stephanie! You look great! Go Stephanie. Then I heard it "#1084 Stephanie Dexter from High River, Alberta" and I tore my hat off, raised my arms and laughed like crazy!!! I must have looked out of my mind...but I did it! Most importantly, at that moment, I realized that I had to celebrate. That's what this marathon was about to me...it was a celebration. I am the first marathoner in my family. I used to weigh over 320lbs and now I can run 42.2k. I am fit, I am strong, I am worth it and I can do it!

PS...All of my Calgary group finished! I'm so proud of them!

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