I’m not even sure I can begin to describe the array of emotions that I felt while participating in Tough Mudder this past weekend at Mount St Louis Moonstone near Barrie, Ontario. The week leading up to the event had my team mates and I anxious and excited. Patients, friends and family were all egging us on and encouraging us to give it our all…and that is exactly what we did.

Tough Mudder is not a race. It is about mental grit, teamwork and camaraderie. It’s about facing your fears head on and coming out stronger on the other side. It’s about patting those perfect strangers on the back and giving them a helping hand or boost to get through an obstacle. It’s even about inspiring others when you didn’t know you were doing so. Apparently my fearful jump off “Walk the Plank” gave one girl the courage to do the same! How awesome is that!?

I can’t even tell you how scared I was up there!

Last weekend on an unseasonably cold day in May, my team mates on the Mudders from elle and I tackled a mountainous 16km course with 22 grueling obstacles that included jumping off an over 15 foot platform into murky water below and running as a team to the finish line through live wires delivering 10,000 volts of electricity. It was the most physically demanding thing I have EVER done and it was miserable and so awesome all at the same time.

Ow! Ow! Ow!

One of my goals as the owner of a clinic like ellephysio, is to put forth personal challenges, cheer you on and hold your hand as we go through these experiences together. The Mudders from elle are doing it all over again on Sat Sep 28th. We want to do it bigger, better, faster and stronger. To kick off our training we’re also going to take part in Warrior Dash on July 20th. That is a 5km obstacle course that will serve as a warm up to what we’ll tackle again in September.

So why not join me? Hold my hand and close your eyes as we jump off the platform together and experience a sense of accomplishment like no other! We can do it…TOGETHER!

To join our Tough Mudder team click on the “Join an existing Team” button on the TM website. Look for “Mudders from elle”. Our password is “ellephysio”. Welcome to the team and stay tuned for training updates! To see the full album of pictures from the day click here.

Details on joining our Warrior Dash team coming soon. We need a team name first! Enter our contest on Facebook to name our team!

I swear that my Pilates instructor, Riikka, has magical x-ray vision.  She’ll gently remind me, “Uncurl your tailbone”.  My first reaction is to think:  “What’s she talking about?  My tailbone isn’t  – Oh, wait… yeah, it is tucked.”  As I mentally picture my tailbone elongating, she says “Yes!”  Suddenly, I am able to feel my muscles firing in a new way while I hold that proper alignment.

Typical early Pilates appointments involved me walking while she watched me.  Then I did exercises in a very precise manner with helpful, patient cues while she watched me.  The cues are meant to help me connect my brain to my body, building new brain pathways to embed proper movement into my daily life.  I would walk again, while – you guessed it – she watched me.   Yes, I do feel VERY watched, but I need that while I’m working to increase my body awareness.

When I stood and walked after an exercise, Riikka asked “How does it feel?”  It felt very different, in a more stable, powerful way.  I was hooked.

I know that everyone has their own physical uniqueness, but with a half-pound of stainless steel and fused vertebrae from my shoulder-level to hip-level, my personal uniqueness is fairly evident.  I had corrective surgery for scoliosis (curvature and rotation of the spine) just over 20 years ago, and was lucky to only start feeling pain when my youngest of three kids was two years old.  I have had much help and improvement over the six years before starting with Riikka, and her approach added to everything I had built up to that point.  A benefit of seeing Riikka is that she is fascinated with scoliosis and was mentored by a Pilates instructor who has scoliosis.  I am so pleased that I tried that one-on-one Pilates session because my subsequent sessions have added head-to-toe exercises to my “tool-box” that will build my strength in the long-run.

Many of Riikka’s other clients don’t have scoliosis, but they all benefit from the exercises and her patient teaching.  We also have another fabulous Pilates instructor here at ellephysio named Linda, who works with her patients in her own style but with the same objectives.  All of Riikka’s and Linda’s clients also have the option of submitting these visits to their benefits companies as physiotherapy supervised exercise, because they perfectly complement the strength building component of physio treatment.

If you are currently seeing a physiotherapist at ellephysio, you can book a Pilates or Personal Training appointment to try for yourself.  Anyone else can also book these appointments after seeing one of our physiotherapists for a “Pilates or Personal Training Assessment”.  Click here to book an appointment.

Let’s be honest, I have NEVER registered for any kind of race before. Heck, I only just started running about 10 weeks ago to prep for Tough Mudder! But when I saw the link to the Color Me Rad 5k on Facebook….well…I couldn’t resist!  It just looks like SO MUCH FUN! Plus I’ve always been a Rainbow-Brite-Crayola-lovin’ kind of kid. I actually did my ninth grade English speech on coloured pencils. Weird. I know.

So why not join us in the fun!? I’ve just registered a team called “ellephysio” for the 10:15am wave on Sunday, June 23rd. The race takes place at Downsview Park in Toronto, so if you’re not keen on taking the TTC don’t forget to get a parking pass when you register. Click here to register for the race or find out more information.

I think I might actually wear a tutu like this chick above. I’ve always wanted to wear a tutu!

Hope you’ll join us!

xx Karen

So the weather is getting milder (kind of) and it’s time to test our outdoor skills. This week the Mudders from Elle team training is headed outdoors! We have to commit rain or shine because as one of our team members pointed out, we have no idea what the weather will be like on the day of the event. Yikes!

Let’s all meet at 1:45 pm in the parking lot of the Tim Horton’s directly across the street from Bronte Creek Provincial Park on the west side of Burloak Drive and Mainway. If we park in front of the vacant units behind the gas station, our cars shouldn’t be in anyone’s way. Lynnette has offered to shove us all into her van like circus clowns and ellephysio will pay for the park entry out of our training funds. If we need another car because of numbers, Karen can fit 4 more people into her car.

What to bring:

• dress appropriately for outdoor training
• water bottle
• towel
• $10 cash training fee
• perhaps a clean change of shoes and clothes, depending on the weather on Sunday and what Natasha has in store for us! :s

Gooooooooo TEAM!!! See you on Sunday!

Doesn’t this look fun!!! Lol!

Green is the colour that we all associate with St. Patrick’s Day. A time where we can spend the day at the pub drinking green beer, guilt free, starting at 10am. Lol!

Oh but wait! Why reach for the green beer when you can have yourself a vitamin packed, nutrient rich, fibre loaded #ellefit Shamrock Smoothie!

There has been a lot of talk about green smoothies lately so I figured, I’ll give it a go. Let’s see if I can make a blender full of spinach and kale taste good. On my first try, I totally surprised myself with a glass full of green goodness! Here is what you will need:

• A large handful of fresh spinach, rinsed
• 1-2 leaves of fresh kale, hard stems removed, roughly chopped
• handful of roughly chopped romaine lettuce, rinsed
• 1 stalk of celery roughly chopped
• 1/3 cup of roughly chopped cucumber, skin on
• 1/4 cup of roughly chopped broccoli (I use the tender part of the stalk that you usually throw out)
• 8-12 fresh mint leaves
• 1/2 a banana (I keep mine peeled and ready in the freezer)
• vanilla protein powder
• 1/2 – 2/3 cup of unsweetened almond milk
• 1/2 cup coconut water

Place the leafy veggies in the bottom of the blender then everything else on top. Start by blending on low to chop the veggies up, then kick it up to high to blend it all to a smooth consistency. Watch as your green concoction comes to life!

The key to this smoothie is the mint! I swear it takes any evidence of veggies out of the smoothie and all you taste is refreshing minty goodness. Mmmmm…mmmmm…

Have you got a green smoothie recipe that you’d like to share? Post it here and let us know!

Cheers to good health!

xo Karen

Note: I use a pea-based protein powder that I purchase from Arbonne. I am an Arbonne consultant, so if you’d like to order a soy-free, dairy-free, gluten-free protein powder, just ask me. Let me know that you saw this blog and I’ll give you 20% off your first purchase of protein powder!*

*for pick up at the clinic

ellephysio was pleased to be a Diamond Sponsor at this year’s Claddagh Ball Fundraiser Gala in support of the Goggin-Carroll School of Irish Dance‘s World Qualifier dancers. This fundraiser features a fantastic silent auction, door prizes, cash draws, a photo booth, and other fun games all in the name of raising much needed funds to send these kids to Worlds, which typically takes place overseas in the U.K. This year’s Irish Dance World Championships take place in Boston, Massachusetts, the last week of March.

When we entered the gala we were greeted by all the World Qualifiers in their full dress and wigs. Such a sight to be seen! Curly hair and bedazzling like nobody’s business. These costumes are each one of a kind. Hand made in the UK. We were lucky to be blessed with a wonderful soft shoe group performance, mini solo performances and a fun and impromptu dance by the teachers themselves! The ellephysio staff had a great time, we each went home with at least one silent auction item and hammed it up in the photobooth, ellephysio style!

Being silly at the Claddagh Ball (L-R) Jennifer Denys, Karen Neill, Natasha Walsh, Dennis Manzanares and Sandra Mills

We, at ellephysio, are so proud of the hard-working dancers that have qualified for World’s and honoured to be a part of their rehab team. We love helping these kids access their best potential and overcome both major and minor injuries with confidence. I have personally been working with many Goggin-Carroll dancers throughout my physiotherapy career all the while learning so much about the world of Irish Dance and what is involved in many different dance moves…treble step, anyone?

I am so excited to be headed to Boston in 3 weeks to attend a few days of the World Championships and finally get to watch my kiddos compete – and on the World stage at that!

ellephysio hopes that this is the beginning of a long lasting relationship with the students, teachers and parents of the Goggin-Carroll School of Irish Dance.

See you at Worlds!

xo Karen

To all my Mudders from elle! We’ve got an epic challenge ahead and with less than 3  months before we kick a$$ at Tough Mudder, we’ve got to ramp up our training fast! If you haven’t joined our team yet, its not too late! Check out our last blog, Get Muddy with Us, with details on how to sign up.

As promised, Natasha, our Certified Exercise Physiologist and Massage Therapist, has a whole hour of training planned for us this Sunday, March 31st at 2pm. Training will take place at Oxygen Yoga & Pilates Studio in Milton, Ontario. Oxygen is located at 348 Bronte St South, Unit 10. Each Sunday training session will be $10.00 cash, to be paid when you arrive at training.

What to bring:

• come dressed for a workout including running shoes
• water bottle
• towel
• $10 cash (will be collected at the start of the session)
• sense of adventure and readiness for a challenge!

As the weather improves, we plan on taking our training outside and we welcome any and all feedback and suggestions for training. See you at training! Go hard or go home, baby!

My eighth grade teacher used to always ask, “Clear as mud?” when confirming that we understood what she had just taught. For some reason, whenever I think of Tough Mudder, I think of this phrase.

Maybe it’s because although I love to challenge myself and try things out of my comfort zone, I am actually pretty damned scared of this upcoming event! I find myself thinking…Am I crazy!?!…Do I actually understand what this even entails?…Is it clear as mud? I guess I am a little crazy BUT you can’t grow without pushing your boundaries, so here goes nothing!

Courtesy of the Tough Mudder website

I’ve just registered ellephysio’s official Tough Mudder 2013 team, Mudders from elle!

Now our team is recruiting members! Here are a few perks to registering with us:

• We’re a super friendly bunch of people

• With each new team member, we can increase the amount our registration fee is discounted by up to $15*

• It is an opportunity to fundraise for the Wounded Warrior Project, a not-for-profit group that aims to help Canada’s injured veterans increase physical well-being, develop life skills and pursue mental health initiatives. Even better, if any team member raises $150 or more in donations, they automatically receive a $25 off their registration fee!*

• We’re going to do team training! Our Certified Exercise Physiologist, Natasha Walsh is putting together a training program for our team. We’ll meet every Sunday afternoon, starting Feb 24th to work hard together and kick each others butts! The rest of the week we’ll train on our own or in small groups using the training program outlined on the Tough Mudder website. We can use Twitter and Facebook to keep each other motivated and cheer each other on!

• We’ll help each other out at the event. We’re not going to have to do it alone. We can help push, pull and boost each other through obstacles so that we can all end up victorious at the end!

At the finish line we can say, “WE DID IT!”, and then cheers each other with our free beer!

Courtesy of the Tough Mudder website

This project is all about personal growth for me. I love a challenge. I know I will by no means be the best out there, but I will give my blood, sweat and tears to finish, so why not come along for the ride?

To join our team, visit the Tough Mudder website > Click on the “Events” tab > Find “Toronto Spring” on the list > Click “Enter Now” under Saturday > Click on “Participants Register Now” > Join an Existing Team > Search for “Mudders from elle” > Our team password is “ellephysio” > complete your registration and pay for your registration at checkout.

See you at training!

xo Karen

*Any discounts are applied once the event has finished. See the Tough Mudder website for more details

Congratulations Nancy! You have won a $25 gift certificate towards any service here at ellephysio! We will contact you with details on how to redeem your certificate.

We had a vote here at the clinic and considered the comments from Facebook and Twitter as well.  The ellephysio Tough Mudder team will officially be called…

Now that we’ve decided on a team name, more details to come on how to register for the day and join our team!

Calling all those that love to rise to a challenge!

We’re forming a team to participate in this spring’s Tough Mudder event at Mt St Louis Moonstone Ski Resort on Saturday, May 11, 2013. What is Tough Mudder? Well….according to the website:

“Tough Mudder events are hardcore 10-12 mile obstacle courses designed by British Special Forces to test your all around strength, stamina, mental grit, and camaraderie. As the leading company in the booming obstacle course industry, Tough Mudder has already challenged half a million inspiring participants worldwide and raised more than $3 million dollars for the Wounded Warrior Project. But Tough Mudder is more than an event, it’s a way of thinking. By running a Tough Mudder challenge, you’ll unlock a true sense of accomplishment, have a great time, and discover a camaraderie with your fellow participants that’s experienced all too rarely these days.”

ellephysio’s own Certified Exercise Physiologist, Natasha Walsh, is going to put together a training program for our team participants to get us ready for the event. I anticipate that this will include home training, as well as group training dates where we can tackle some of the more challenging training exercises as a team. Hill running anyone?

Stay tuned for more information here on our website and blog, but in the meantime help us name our team!  I want to register our team soon but I need your help! Can we come up with a team name??

Let’s do a CONTEST! If I pick your team name, you will receive a $25 ellephysio gift certificate towards ANY service here at the clinic! That includes physio, massage, personal training or private pilates sessions. (ellefit and The Belle Method classes are excluded).

Rules:

1. The name must have “elle” or “ellephysio” in it

2. Let’s try to make it sound badass, but civilized

3. You do not have to commit to being a member of our team to enter the name contest (but we’d love to have you!). All name suggestions are welcome!

The winner will be announced at the end of the workday, next Friday, February 1st.  Good luck and make it interesting!

Cheers! Karen

Today, the ellephysio team had the pleasure of volunteering our services at the Oakville Hospital Foundation’s 2nd Annual, Tour de Halton. The Tour de Halton is a bike race aimed at raising much needed funds for the brand new Oakville Hospital, that broke ground earlier this year, at Dundas St and Third Line. Cyclists gathered pledges and rode either 100km, 50km or 25km, through the north Halton back roads. I was told by one of the committee members, Bonnie Flemington, that the government only pays for the actual hospital building. EVERYTHING else that the hospital needs, is to be paid for by the local constituents and via fundraising efforts like this one.

It was a cold and rainy morning while we waited for the cyclists to come back from their rides, but the sun peeked out just in time for us to roll up our sleeves and do our part! It was a pleasure to meet the riders and give them some much needed TLC through a few stretches and mini-massages. There were a lot of “ooohs”, “ahhhs”, and “oh that’s the spot!”, heard around our three tables that we had set up at the finish line.

This year’s Tour de Halton raised $80,000!! This is enough money to completely outfit 3 rooms at the new hospital. As you can imagine, we’ve still got a long way to go!

As part of our community outreach, we ran a draw at our tent for the lovely people that stopped by to say hello, and those that took advantage of our stretching and massage. We are pleased to announce the winners of our draw for gift certificates good towards any service at ellephysio!

Cam Walker won a $100 gift certificate!

Susie Shorey & Neil Ram each won a $50 gift certificate!

Congratulations to our winners, we will be in touch to give you your prize and look forward to seeing you at the clinic soon!

A big thank you to the ellephysio staff; Susan, Sandra, Leslie, Jennifer and Natasha, for helping to make our first community outreach event a great success!

xo Karen