Heather Grubb

A Stitch in Time

Day 34 - FINAL DAY

DID YOU KNOW: By walking for just 30 minutes every day for a month I strengthened my heart and lungs, lowered my stress hormones, allowed my body to gain better blood sugar control, and lowered my risk for stroke and heart disease. ❤️

I can’t help but reflect on the last 30 days, which of course has flown by, and all the little things I’ve noticed and learned. 

• The city is a whole different being in the 5am stillness 🌄 
• The air has become crisper, and somehow cleaner 🍂 
• My pace has gotten quicker ⏱️ 
• The number on the scale hasn’t changed but I feel lighter ⚖️ 
• I choose how my body shows up 💪🏻 
• I choose how my mind shows up 🧘‍♀️
• Coffee doesn’t have to be my sole source of motivation (but I still love it! ☕️ 💗)
• It’s good to have goals 🏆
• I want to keep walking 👟🚶‍♀️
• The motivation to reach your goals has to come from you, but leaning on a network of love and support makes it so much easier to get there! 🥰

MY GOALS: Walk 90km and Raise $1,000 for The Heart and Stroke Foundation

MY ACHIEVEMENTS: Walked 117km and Raised $1,250!

Thank you to everyone who read, encouraged, shared and donated ~ your support means more than you know! 🙏🏻💗🙏🏻

To rack my full progress and posts you can still visit my donation page:

https://give.heartandstroke.ca/fundraisers/heathergrubb

Day 29

Ch-ch-ch-changes

100 km down! I crushed my walking target ~ can you help me reach my donation goal?? Only $325 to go! That’s just 30 people & $11 ea ~ We Can Do It!!🙏🏻❤️

Did You Know: Up to 80% of premature stroke and heart disease can be prevented by embracing healthy habits like eating a healthy diet, being active and living smoke-free.

I skipped my walk yesterday morning ~ postponed it til the afternoon. In addition to walking each day, I’ve been going to Pilates twice a week and ballet classes every Wednesday. I’m tired, but in a good way. 

It’s more activity than I’ve ever done and I’m enjoying the routine. Always more of a dreamer, thinker, reader, I never considered myself sporty or interested in regularly working out. But since creating this regimen I realize how good I’m feeling.  I feel strong and accomplished, and proud that I’m making such healthy changes. 

Before I start each workout, and even about 15 minutes in, I question whether I have the stamina to keep going. Maybe I should take a rest day as a treat for doing so well lately, or, you don’t need to exercise every day, give yourself a break… but then the serotonin boost kicks in and I’m glad I decided to show up for myself. I also know that taking a day off is a slippery slope for me. One day turns into two, two turns into two weeks and two weeks turns into two months a little too quickly. The momentum I’ve built slows down followed closely by the mental clarity and physical strength. And bringing up the rear, the sense of pride. That starts turning into shame real fast. Shame for not sticking with it and having to start over. Frustration that my body isn’t bouncing back into the movements as quickly as it used to. Disappointment at the rising number on the scale. In the moments when I question whether I should take a day off I remember what it feels like when I stop, and suddenly I’m thankful for those 30-60 minutes of movement and all the positive changes that come with them. 

They say your brain is a muscle, and, just like the rest of your body, it can be trained. Given the same dedication and passion of an athlete mastering a sport, we can alter the way that we think and feel. With the right tools and training, we can recognize thought patterns and change how we react. The more we do this, the stronger the new patterns become. It’s how habits are reformed and where personal growth begins. By choosing to reflect, especially in the moment, we choose how we respond and ultimately, the outlook we want to have on ourselves and the  world around us. And the more often we do this, the easier it becomes. You actually start rewiring your own circuits. I’ve spent the last few years working on mine, so when I have those moments when I remember to actively choose a different response, I’m grateful for the awareness and how far I’ve come. 

It was tough to keep the motivation flowing this week. Probably because I’ve hit my target and the month is almost over. As I started my walk today and looked towards the lighthouse, shining brightly through the rain and clouds, it struck me how far 3 km really is. In my head it seems like nothing because I’ve done that walk a thousand times over the years. But today I could see how far away that light actually is and realized, 3km isn’t nothing. 50 minutes at Pilates isn’t nothing, and neither is 75 minutes at ballet. So yeah, my body is tired. It’s being pushed harder than it ever has, learning new ways of moving and supporting me throughout the day. And of course my mind is tired because I’m pushing it into new habits and ways of thinking. Purposely short- circuiting the system to create new pathways…

So I’ll give myself some grace, give credit where credit is due, and be proud that I’ve had the strength to continuously show up and push past my comfort zones…especially when I want to stay in bed! 😆👏🏻💗

Day 25

My Why

One year ago today I received a text from one of my best friends. It was 12:50am and he was in the hospital. Ray is as stubborn as they come, despises hospitals,and rarely accepts help from anyone, so the fact that he was there was alarming on its own. When he told me they’d tried to send him home but he refused because he knew it’s was something bad, I was scared. 

He’d been at a soccer game and didn’t feel well so went to lie down. On the way home he was dizzy, sick and lost consciousness. His son was with him and asked if they should go to the hospital. Ray refused saying he’d sleep it off. Bless Joe for not listening. He called 911 and Ray was transported to the ER in an ambulance. All he remembers of the ride is swirling colours, distortion and a pounding headache. 

Two days of tests and the results were in: he’d suffered a stroke. Not 1, but 4 over the past week. He was only 47. 

He stayed in the hospital for just over a week. Scared, uncomfortable, unable to sleep, not wanting to eat, a constant headache, and countless tests. Eventually the doctors decided he was stable enough to go home. But being discharged didn’t mean it was all over. In reality, it was just the beginning. 

The next few months were filled with doctor’s appointments, bloodwork, monitoring, dietary, physical and lifestyle restrictions, prescriptions, prescription changes, occupational therapy and an endless array of information being thrown at him that he struggled to process. Eventually they determined the catalyst to the strokes. Along with weight and overall lifestyle, the main contributor was a congenital heart defect. Ray was born with a hole in the wall of his heart, an abnormality that millions of people live with and, as he had, never experience any symptoms or issues. Until that particular week in September 2025, when that hole gave a few tiny blood clots an all-access pass to his brain, and his life was changed forever. 

But this was good news. It meant we knew what was wrong and there was a fix. Ray would undergo surgery to correct the hole and prevent future strokes from occurring. HEART SURGERY…At 47… Easy…Scary as hell but No big deal…

The procedure was simple and non-invasive. A ferry ride to Vancouver, an overnight stay in the hospital, and now that the major problem was fixed, head back home to begin living the rest of his life. 

The last 12 months have been a whirlwind. 1 in 5 people die of stroke each year in Canada. Ray survived 4. His road to recovery has been long and isn’t over. On the outside he looks normal. You’d never think anything had happened. On the inside, he’s been quietly working through challenges we know nothing about. He’s been deemed medically impaired with short-term memory loss and trouble processing words and thoughts. Simple, everyday actions that we take for granted are no longer second nature to him. The skills he’d cultivated over decades to become a talented chef and leader, he has to relearn. The ability to focus, think and act quickly has been diminished. And the emotions that come hand-in-hand with such a life altering event are confusing and overwhelming. 

It’s not lost on Ray how lucky he is to be here. And he’s faced this year the only way he knows how - with stubborn bravery and determination. Determined to stay positive. Determined to find a way to laugh at whatever comes up. Determined not to let this change or define him. He’s had the courage to do the work and make the hard changes. And through that he’s had the courage to be honest and vulnerable with himself and the people he loves. 

It’s hard to watch your friend fight battles and not be able to help them. It’s scary to realize just how quickly we can lose the people we love. It’s humbling to remember that how we respond to adversity and hardships, and how we show up for ourselves, is a choice. A choice that’s entirely ours to make, every single day. 

So I’ve chosen to walk. 90km in September and beyond. To honour my friend whom I am incredibly proud of and grateful for. To honour those who weren’t as lucky as him. To build sustainable, healthy habits for myself. And to share a message with my loved ones and encourage them to spread awareness ~ that it’s too easy to take simple preventative steps to make the most out of a life that is so fleeting. To give ourselves more time to laugh and dance and love and LIVE. 

I urge you to make a choice for yourself. Visit my page to donate what you can help fund such an important cause. 🙏🏻Visit The Heart and Stroke Foundation of Canada to learn about the warning signs of heart disease and stroke. ⚠️Share my journey and Ray’s story with those in your circle that it will resonate with. ❤️ 

Every dollar, every share, and every step counts. You CAN make a difference ~ for yourself and the people you love!💗

Thank you all for supporting and continuing along my journey. And thank you Ray, for showing us what it looks like to not give up and accepting my support in the ways I was able to give it. I am truly grateful for all of you 🥰💗🙏🏻

Day 19: I Think I can; I Know I Can

👟61 kms out of 90.  $325 raised out of $1,000. 16 days left out of 30. 👟

It’s happening ~ I’m doing the thing ~ I’m making the changes for myself and hopefully helping others as I go. It’s a good thing! 

As I reflect on my weekend, I realize how productive it was. I slept in, I relaxed, but I also found myself planning the days around my walking. Asking myself where I could fit in the 3km amongst the other things I wanted to do. Searching my destinations on Google Maps to check the distance, clocking the time to make sure I could do it all…and I did! 

On Saturday I walked into town to run my errands, on Sunday I split the distance between two parts and places in my day, and even got an extra 2km in. I felt clearer, unweighted by the guilt that follows the paralyzed overwhelm which usually controls my days off, where there’s so much to do but I don’t knew where to start so end up doom-scrolling for hours instead….

Walking has given me a purpose ~ a reason for getting off the couch, while still feeling relaxed ~ a way to give back to myself, while simultaneously jumpstarting my day. I’m feeling a bit selfish about it too. My friends offer to join me, but I like the time to myself. The time to let my mind wander and uncover my reflection of the moment, the hour, the week. Every walk is different. Sometimes brisk, sometimes slower yet still focused, and sometimes even a little lonely because I do want a friend with me. I walk the same route each day, but the internal destination varies. What I need from it changes. What I get out of it is never the same. What looks on the surface to be a boring daily routine, is actually anything but. Because I don’t know who I’m going to be when I step outside at 5am tomorrow morning, or who I’ll be at 5:45 when I get back home…

What I can say is that what I thought was going to just be a 30-day challenge, is quickly becoming something that I know will continue long past that. My body needs it, my mind needs it, I need it. So I’ll keep walking through September and beyond, and maybe even continue sharing my thoughts and observations…thinking about what I’m going to write has been part of the fun.  Letting the thoughts out makes space for new ones, reflections flowing with my steps and breath…

To those of you who have followed alongside me, thank you for supporting my latest impulse and keeping me accountable to myself! Thank you for allowing my words to resonate ~ hearing that I’ve inspired someone makes my heart swell 💗(honestly, you have no idea!) 🥹. Thank you for sharing my posts, for your donations, and for doing what you can to spread awareness. It’s true what they say about the power of a village. To those I pass it might look like I’m walking alone, but there’s a whole gang of incredible friends strolling right alongside me, their footsteps silent but mighty, helping to carry me wherever I need to go. 🙏🏻🥹❤️

DAY 15

Skeletons in the Closet

A 7:30am meeting pushed my morning walk to this evening. Although I knew I’d still get out today, I was a little sad to not start my day with one. A few weeks ago I thought early risers were crazy ~ now I’m becoming one.  Not only do I feel my circadian rhythm shifting, I’m noticing other changes as well. My sense of smell seems more sensitive, my mind is a little sharper, and the noises that I used to drown out are switching places with the only ones I wanted to listen to. 

Any of my friends will tell you that I never go anywhere without my music. If I’m driving, the stereo is blasting, if I’m walking, the buds are securely in my ears connected to whatever playlist fits the current mood, and I’m strutting along giving my best Tony Manero impression, while being completely checked out of the world around me. Everything inside flows with the music ~ the tune directs how I’m feeling, the lyrics drive my thoughts. It’s where I go to figure things out. The outside noises are simply too loud without it and overwhelm my senses. Music is the escape and the mode of transportation determines how quickly that escape happens. 

That’s changed since I started my walking challenge. I still love my music ~ the world would be such a dull and dreary place without it ~ but now I’m more selective with it. My morning walks started with instrumentals. Anything else was too jarring so early in the day. Instrumental sounds allowed my brain the chance to wake up slowly,  guiding it to move with my body rather than jumping straight into thinking & feeling mode. I found it calming and felt less rushed beginning my day. So I started doing the same on my way to work. The chords of a Peaceful Guitar playlist sooth my nervous system as I enter rush hour traffic. Instead of absorbing all the feels of a certain songwriter’s life experience and steeling myself for the daily grind, the 30 minute drive has become a soft, steady time to mindfully prepare for my day rather than an emotionally charged one where I’m mentally exhausted before I even start. 

As I stepped out this evening I didn’t want anything playing in my ears. I didn’t want lyrics or chords or anything persuading me how to feel. I didn’t want anything unnecessarily taking up space. I just wanted to be. For as long as I can remember that’s been a pretty uncomfortable place for me. The being. I’ve always looked for the escape into someone else’s world. Today was the first time I truly enjoyed being in mine. Sitting in myself. Letting whatever wanted to surface float until it sank again. Watching the observations come and go with my footsteps, ebb and flow with the sea. Today I felt fully present. 

The thoughts were all over the place as I tracked my KMs

250m - “the rush of wind in my ears is nice. Like it’s wiping my brain-slate clean”

600m - “3 cruise ships in tonight. Water is choppy. Lots of people out. Everyone is grasping to the last dregs of summer before the colder weather comes.”

650m - “that lady is wearing shorts and a puffy winter jacket…only in Victoria and yep, we’re all definitely begging summer to stay…”

1km - “11 min 34 seconds. Beating my morning average by 1 min. NICE! 👏🏻 

Shit, my shoelace is untied…”

1.5km - “this is a new route, did I judge the distance right? Am I gonna be over or under 3km??”

2km - “Nope, I’m good ~ it’ll be over 3…maybe 4! Ooo split pace is down to 11 min Nice work!” 🏆 

2.2km - “But if I walk too fast I won’t close my fitness ring. I hate when I don’t close all my rings…”

2.5km - “Closing the rings isn’t what’s important. There’s a much bigger picture to what you’re doing here than an Apple fitness goal. Stop being so competitive and appreciate what you’re doing for yourself!…💗”

2.53km - “…Oh don’t forget to stop at the store for yogurt on the way back”

2.54km - “I remembered to buy yogurt without setting an alert - YAY!! 🎉 My brain feels so much sharper the last few weeks…is the walking doing that? It must be…DOUBLE YAY!!🎉 “

2.7km - “That girl is out walking for herself too. Go my sista! (Makes direct eye contact and smiles -  she smiles back 😊)”

3km - “Hit my daily challenge goal and still going! Can’t wait to write about it! ✍️ 📔 “

3.6km - “Nearly home…so hungry. Need dinner…That skeleton isn’t wearing any costumes today. Wonder what the next one will be? Whoever owns this place are hilarious!💀😆 “

And the list goes on…

The thoughts were everywhere, but they were clear, unjumbled, free. Not scary, nothing that needed to be escaped. Allowed to be whatever they needed to be. They were me….and as it turns out, I’m not so bad! 😅

DAY 13

Embracing The Nothing

DAY 10 (cuz I cheated and started a few days early)

Lessons of a Skin Horse

DAY # Lost track

Picking up to slow down

My mind is racing this morning. How can your thoughts move so quickly when you’re so tired??

I started this walking journey with great expectations of eloquently blogging every day about how much I’m learning from the experience. Sharing my wisdom with the masses. Connecting with my inner Carrie Bradshaw, posting daily snippets of my Views & Wisdom from James Bay. 

Instead I’m literally rolling out of bed, throwing on wrinkled, completely uncoordinated comfies from the floor pile they were thrown on the night before, and walking out the door with my eyes half shut into the pre-sunrise darkness. My body is scrambling to keep up with this 30-day challenge I committed it to, and my mind is hot on its heels. 

It’s just walking, what’s the big deal? 40 minutes each morning. An easy way to get the body moving. Quiet time to recenter and reconnect with myself. An unassuming way to help me lose weight. A way to do something to help a community that needs support. A catalyst to share my thoughts because maybe someone will read them and feel heard. A number on a goal tracker for my competitive (anxious) nature to meet. A dollar value to raise. and, And, AND….

True to form, I’ve allowed a simple, healthy goal turn into something much bigger than it needs to be. Added pressure to the thing that’s meant to relieve it. Turned something light and fun into a thing to conquer…No wonder my brain keeps churning! 

Like sands through the hourglass, these are the thoughts of my day…

Usually I’d be annoyed with myself, for not “getting it right” and being all zen from the get go.  But I’m human, I have emotions and basement stuff that impact me. Rather than beating myself up about it, I honour it. I appreciate the reflections each step churns up. This is all part of the journey ~ and adventures are supposed to get a little messy at times. That’s what makes them exciting! 

So instead of getting down on myself, I’m choosing to be grateful for the strength it takes to commit to myself each day, and for the courage it takes to face whatever comes up. 

I wonder where tomorrow’s steps will lead me? Perhaps my therapist’s office would be a good destination 😂👟💗

DAY 3: 10km down!

Letting the Laugh

There’s a lightness in the air today. Inhibitions floating carefree on the breeze. Sunday softness. 

People are far more connected than we think. 

Balls of energy floating around in life lucky enough to bump into each other and trade offerings. It’s up to us what we do with that energy. That connection. We have the choice to make it whatever we want. 

Can we change others? 

No. 

But we do get to decide how we connect. How we respond. How we feel after. We get to decide whether we feel angry or sad or how much enjoyment we get out of it. How much fun we have. 

As I started my walk I heard laughter and happy yelling in the distance. As I heated the water I found a group of people taking a polar bear swim in the ocean (Is it called a polar bear swim in August??). They were splashing and diving, doing underwater handstands and calling out to each other in encouragement and support. It was 15 degrees out so the water must have been freezing, but they didn’t care. 

This group had made a commitment to each other. To themselves. To do something crazy. To have fun. To laugh and yell. To let their hearts be light and enjoy the moment. To live their best lives, together. May we all walk through each day with such courage and strength. May we all choose to meet each other in openness and vulnerability. What a beautiful thing it is to be so authentically ourselves. What an incredible thing it is to be free. 

DAY 2

Morning Rituals and Falling Free

I woke up with the world again. Not as early as yesterday, but it’s a Saturday so we’re all giving ourselves permission to move a little slower today.

A handful of people are out enjoying their morning ritual ~ jogging, walking the dog, decompressing on the balcony, soaking in the quiet solitude of their pristine ocean view. I like the idea of a morning ritual. Up until now mine has been sitting in the couch (In? On? No, ‘in’ is probably more accurate!) catching up on social media “news” before getting ready for work. It’s quiet and allows me to shut out the noise. Or at least that’s what I thought. But after just two days of walking through the city’s silence, I realize that I’ve been turning down the wrong sounds. All this time I’ve been muting myself. 

Walking stirs the soul. Like throwing the windows open after a long winter, letting the outside freshness break up the stagnant air inside. That’s where I’m hearing myself. My voice, my thoughts, my emotions ~  stirring up with the breeze. There’s some dust and a little dirt of course, but nothing too hard to clean. Just roll my sleeves up, get to work and face the day fresh, leaving ample space for the good to flow in. Walking and thinking. Walking and feeling. Walking and coffee. Walking and waking up. Walking and slowing down. 

Summer is slowing down too. Inviting Fall for a morning visit before it decides to properly settle in. This time of year has always made me a little melancholy, watching the colourful gardens wilt and dull, and the day turn to night far too soon for my liking. Today I felt the importance of the new season. There is beauty in the transformation. Nature isn’t dying ~ it’s shedding. Letting go of yesterday and making room for tomorrow. Beneath the surface the real work is happening.  Roots growing deeper and stronger, exploring new pathways to nourish fresh creations. Spring’s gardens will look different. Sure, there will be similarities, but they will smell and feel altered. A shift at their core. There will be no going back but why would you want to? 

Instead of summer sadness, I’m seeing that fall brings anticipation. Encouragement to imagine tomorrow and time to build dreams into reality. Fall is a crack of the garden gate ~ a peek into the future, stirring the thrill of excitement for what’s to come.

So I’ll keep walking. Showing up for myself. Shifting with the seasons. Sweeping up my fallen leaves. Soaking in the lessons of each step. Trusting and having faith in myself and the future. Because somehow, even when you walk in circles, you always end up exactly where you need to be 💫💗💫 

Day 1 - What the hell am I doing??