A tough week

This past week was very emotional. My beloved cat, Billie, passed away. It was all very quick, which in some ways is good, she didn't have to suffer.

I had always said that I would never put an animal through the ordeal of surgery and medical treatment unless I was GUARANTEED that this was necessary for a long life. When I brought my littl cat into the vet, he said she was in bad shape, and almost anything would kill her. He has known me for a long time, and he essentially said, it was time to let her go.

I go through feelings of guilt, wondering if I had made the right decision or not. Deep down I know that I did. A good friend, also said, this is the way it was meant to play out, otherwise, it wouldn't have happened this way.

My cat is in a wonderful better place now, where she can breathe more easily, and move without pain. She has all the catnip her little heart desires and she is chasing moths and butterflies.

Billie was much more than "just a pet" to me. She was my friend, my animal companion through this part of my journey. She wasn't a lap cat or a cat that needed lots of petting and cuddling. In fact, we were both content with each others company.

Those who live with animals can understand that their energy and spirit brings a gift. I am blessed to have had Billie in my life.

I invite everyone to celebrate their animal companions and enjoy the journey. We may "train" them but they teach us a great deal - compassion, simplicity of life, contentment to name a few.

To my Billie-Cat

Yesteday was the hardest day for me. Billie's breathing had because laboured and she was breathing threw her mouth. When i took her to the vet, he said she wasn't doing too good and likely wouldn't make the night. she was suffering and struggling and he said i would have to let her go. I wasn't ready to let her go, but I didn't want her to suffer. She went peacefully to sleep with mommy at her side.

Billie was a wonderful spirit and I am so grateful she came into my life.

Reflections on a great couple of weekends...

I taught the Women and Wheels weekend for La Rocca XC which was fun and inspiring as always.

I learned many things...

1) When things seem out of control, take a second and regroup. I did this emotionally after the first weekend, which seemed to hit me like a tornado, and I did this the second weekend, physically, when the groups seemed a little chaotic.

2) Things will get out of control, and may be completely OUT of your control. That's ok. Keep things in perspective and try not to lose self control.

3) Live in the moment and don't worry so much about the next one. Its amazing what you will miss. I fully lived each moment as I taught and I believe this is what made these two weekends special.

4) As you live each moment, don't forget where you came from, and celebrate all the progress and success. I watched the women I taught get better and better with each part of the lesson. This to me, is one of the best parts of the weekend.

5) I was also reminded how much FITNESS is important in mountain biking. One of the things that were limiting progress was the lack of upper body, core and even cardiovascular fitness.

If you play any sport, having a basic fitness program will make your sport that much better. Its not about being competitive, its just about injury prevention and being able to "play" for longer.