LOST : SENSE OF DIRECTION...FOUND : SENSE OF DIRECTION...

So...here's the thing...

May is a really, really opressive month for me...If I could skip from the end of April to the beginning of June...I would.  I unexpectedly lost my Mom on May 3rd 2005 when I was 3 months pregnant, Mother's Day is May 9th, and her birthday is May 12th...so it is like a Bermuda triangle of anguish for me...and it is also extremely trying on those around me as I don't manage my sorrow that effectively. I have a tendency to walk around with this black cloud over my head, in a daze, simply waiting for the month to end so I can EXHALE...
Driving to RSP today, I was feeling despondent and withdrawn. Last week was unbearably tough and add to that the emotional obstacles I personally confront during this month, I had lost my sense of direction...everything took a back seat to my hardship...the concept of moving forward with my training for this race was so far off my radar that I became indifferent ...but...remembering that I embarked upon this journey to prove a point to my awesome,beautiful daughter I sucked it up and got out of the car. The first person I saw was Susie. Sweet, sweet Susie...so brave, so strong, so inspiring...then I saw Connor ...aaaand...he sniffed my crotch. For those of you who don't know who Connor is, he is Susie's handsome black lab...not just some random guy going around sniffing crotches. Shane was there as well as Tracey, Beverly-Ann , Szerenka and Bryan Connel - our trainer for the day...who btw...has the patience of a Saint and will likely go home today and ask himself..."WHAT just happened?" Bryan led us through some basic theory of orienteering and the dynamics of a compass...OK, seriously , this guy was so amazing, so tolerant, so composed and level headed...not an easy task when faced with 4 women who admittedly have ZERO understanding of orienteering and compasses...so..long story short, in 3 hours, we successfully navigated our way through RSP using a map and a SUUNTO compass, located various check points, admired some trillium's, lost a set of keys, learned about liver cleansing AND had the pleasure of being offered Shane's NUTS!...SO WICKED! I will NEVER forget today...today I recaptured my sense of direction. Today I EXHALED.