STEPH CORKER

As a kid growing up swimming, i recall going to see the chiro often – be it for a shoulder pain, screaming arches in my feet or nasty growing pains. She was my favorite doctor and told me that any pain my body feels, my body can heal. I was young when I heard that for the first time and I absolutely believe it to be true. That being said, I’d be lying if I didn’t admit to my body being sore. It’s just a tweak here or there – a sore shoulder, a tight hip flexor, a pulled legiment in my ankle, ropey hamstrings…ya know, the norm. These tweaks of discomfort and pain have become my norm.

Until today! I met a remarkable man – Dr. Tyler Hunsberger. And realized that my norm doesn’t need to involve these small tweaks. He informed me that I’m not broken, I just have an opportunity to be even more finely tuned! #wellsaid #understatement

I wanted to share this because for the 9 (whaaat?!) years that I have been in Vancouver, I’ve looked for a chiro that I could call Doc, like my chiro from childhood. There are many different approaches, philosophies, business hours, etc that these sweet doctors work and I think I’ve found my match. (No pun intended – Tyler is a phenomenal tennis player and has been working with heaps of remarkable athletes.) Seeing him today made my day. Perhaps seeing him will make your day as well!

check ‘em out: www.broadwayburrardchiro.com

(psssst…this is another addition to Team Fletcher+Corker. We’ve got a rad duo going and I’m redonkulously grateful. Everyone needs a chiro on their team; you’d be lucky if you have a Fletchy on your team:))

I had quite the epiphany on my walk into work this morning….only moments after a bird pooped on me. #goodluck

I’ve been waiting for the proverbial shoe to drop and the dark cloud to hover. After all, I’ve done a remarkable job managing 2/3rds of my life at any given time to feel great, usually on a 3month rotation, and 1/3rd usually sucked, a lot. So I wake up in 2013 thinking my baggage was unpacked…yet I’ve struggled with accepting that three thirds can be awe-some.
I’ve been waiting to get kicked to the curb, thinkin’ that I was just a novelty that my guy was waiting to get rid of.
I’ve been waiting for the tides to turn at work; thinkin’ that you can’t actually love how you spend every day.
Heck, I’ve been waiting for my femur to break; thinkin’ training can’t always go to plan, injury free and happy.

And guess what? This rockin’ triathlete reminded me that she didn’t want to blog about “another age group win” (#niceproblems!) so she turned pro. I don’t want to sh*t butterflies, so I’m going to unapologetically let you know that it really can be this good!

My sweet lil crush has turned into adventures-gone-soooo-right. Work is a haven of radical inspiration. Femurs, frig, mine are strong! Your heart wants to fall in love, your greatest purpose is how you are meant to spend your days and femurs are surrounded by muscles for a reason – they wanna runrunrun!

So while hearts do break, work can get crazy, bones break and bodies get tired….none of that is my reality right now. I’m hangin’ on grateful  and blessed. #3for3! The craziest part of it all….is that not only can it really be this good….it can get BETTER! Inspiration is flowin’ like your garden hose around here – turn the tap and there are no kinks, no shortage of supply.

#truthbomb’d from the Universe:

You might not always see it, steph, but everything, always, plays to your greater good.
Things keep on getting better and better.
And you’re already the kind of person you once dreamed you’d become.
All choked up,
    The Universe

#mfpat….when it is this good, you are called into action to make the world a better place. Yvonne was onto something with this:

We are next, onto something awesome…#beready,world!

He said: “It’s not an adventure until something goes wrong.” – PapaPatagonia
I say: I believe that it becomes an adventure when you believe that it can go right! xo

It was a morning game time decision that my bike was calling over the Sun Run. A few quick texts and I learn that a group way faster than me is leaving town in 45min. #hurryupStephy!

A couple of hours later and my favorite part about today was indeed THIS.DOCK….

At the end of Indian Arm, out a spit that I have only seen from the water, never from land lies a dock. This very dock in fact. And the ride there is one heck of a speedy descent. Very fast. Sharp corners. Wet roads. I thought for sure I was going down. In fact, while my lil arms were shaking, I screeched, “Fletchy, I’m out!” only to turn the corner and see this sweet dock covered in sun. Of course I wasn’t out. Just another day scared! The climb outta there was somethin’ special.

If I was singing raindrops on roses and whiskers on kittens, I’d tell you that these are a few of my favorite things: mountains and oceans; very fast riders; new routes way too easily available; Fletchy who promises me “it will always be an adventure”; and of course, sunshine. I’m gaining strength and confidence back on my two wheels…this season is just getting started! #letsridebikes

PS – it’s been 9days since Bro left for Bali. Kinda crazy. In some ways it feels like it has been many many many more and in other ways, it feels like it has only been many more – either way, he feels missed. It sounds like he is up to radical yoga/food/spiritual transformation and the coolest part is that it has only been 9days. #transformationdoesn’ttakelong #sweetreminder xo

(this is called catching up, on life…it’s just all too good not to share!)

day6: #mfpat - sweet hana banana bites
 

These were made in preparation for the island adventure…#alwaysreadytoeat
Prepare: Pamela’s GlutenFree choco-chip cookie mix accordingly to directions. (subst. coconut oil for butter)
Into a vitamix, add: 1c cooked quinoa/ 3 ripe bananas/ 1 egg/ 1 dash of vanilla
Mix Pamela’s + Vitamix in a bowl; add a sprinkling of coconut + chopped nuts. Stir until fully blended.
This doubled the recipe for me – I made 12 bite size snacks and a small banana loaf.
Bake at 375 for 24min.

Day7: #mfpat – bubbles+books

From pellegrino to prosecco, these bubbles came from one of the best days of work I’ve had this year! And I finished the day grateful for a radical boss who is candid, dreams big and tells the goshdarn truth.

And then we flocked to the ferry to catch a boat to the sweet land of Vancouver Island for a quick birthday celebration. While waiting at the ferry terminal, my guy arrives back to the car with this:

It makes me feel like a) this won’t be the last time I’m at this ferry terminal this season b) really cool adventures await and c) I’m lucky to have scored such a cool guy. #icecream+adventurebooks.

day#8: #mfpat – crabs+calves

After an awesome long run, along the shore line, I realized that I really haven’t spent alot of time on the island. It’s a really beautiful place! Nothing feels more Vancouver Island than tossing a ‘net’ to catch crabs for dinner…

And that lil trap caught one lil crab!

Nor does anything make me happier than a visit to the Farmer’s Market. This market was the home for a brand new calf – merely 4days old – drinking out of a bucket with a teat on it and running thru the fields like bambi. Bless the mama that gave birth to this animal!

It’s been a pretty awesome weekend…and tomorrow is the Vancouver Sun Run which we will walk/run for Boston. It feels only appropriate. #bostonstrong

After getting my bike fit done today at LaBicicletta, I left the store feeling stunned and stoked. It’s hard to believe that this is actually all happening. It’s really radical that these dudes have aloha size dreams! And JKameen from cervelo is a legend + a linchpin in my world. Mahalo my friend!

However, I’ve noticed a trend – daily I share my excitement about bike rides. Excited seems to be my middle name. This email chain confirmed that…and what I know for sure is that there are mo’than bikes that make me excited:)

From:  [a man who i adore]
Sent: Wednesday, April 17, 2013 2:05 PM
To: Stephanie Corker

You do this !!!! and I will do this . And together we can do this <3.
#right?

For 90days of rain, when the sunshine pours, it feels like it’s all so worth it. YVR is a perfect place to ride bikes and today was a special day to remember that I don’t ride bikes for what might be one day, I ride bikes because i simply LOVE!RIDING!BIKES! Great company is always equally important.

And the sweetest moment of the day came at 8PM, when this happened….#everythingfits #youcanhaveitall

Appropro theme song of the day: keep the earth below my feet. #mumford,iloveyou. #ilistentothissongonrepeat!

The best part of Monday morning was this jar of goodness post my morning sweatfest!

Ingredients:
1 banana
1 orange
juice of 1/2 lemon
2tbsp goji berries, soaked in 1/2c of water — add all of that goodness into the mixing machine
handfull of spinach, always
(recipe i found called for strawberries, which i forgot to purchase)
splash o’coconut water
a few icecubes, if you are into cold. (sometimes i need to be less cold tho…)
secret ingredient: 1tbsp of my new coconut flesh – coconut manna.

However, while sipping on this mason jar of goodness, to hear about bombs going off in Boston and planes crashing in Bali…i think of my friends who run and Bro who yogas. I’m grateful my friends run fast and heart gutted that if you didn’t have a great day, you just might be stuck on the street. #bombsarenojoke Thankfully my Bro’s flight was the day before the crash and everyone exited that plane safely.

Seriously. Favorite part of today: i’m alive and so are you. Sometimes I forget that that is all that actually matters…tomorrows are precious. Big Love and Big Dreams are better with lovers and dreamers. And those big dreams might not always come true…don’t bomb ‘em! xo