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Katie Bickell

Author, Instructor, Manuscript Consultant

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katiebickell

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In March I shook off my pandemic funk. A trip to C

In March I shook off my pandemic funk. A trip to Cuba brought me back to life and I made an intention to harness the energy. This morning I met my goal, five months in the making.

I wanted to feel strong again. I have a very vivid memory of the best I’ve ever felt: in this memory, I am 26. At this time I was still nursing my youngest daughter, and training for a half marathon. It was an unremarkable day, but, in this memory, I am running and the sun is at my back. I can see my shadow in front of me, and I can feel the way my ponytail swings behind me. I’m on Cloverbar road, just in front of the firehall. What I can’t feel are my legs: I’ve just crossed 7K and my mind has turned off from that part of my body. They’re doing their work but from my perspective, I just feel like I’m flying.

In March, I realized how badly I wanted to go back there to that moment of freedom - or at least try to. Although I’ve been a daily long distance walker for years, I didn’t know if I could still run and hadn’t tried but for a kilometre or so about once a year (usually around my New Years resolutions lol). Worst, this time last year I partially tore my Achilles’ tendon, an injury that had me on crutches and sunk any confidence I had in my physical strength.

But this time I took myself seriously. I started a “Dream Big, Start Small” program on the @runkeeper app, and then signed onto the #trainwithrunkeeper #myfirst10k program once it had completed. Today I finished the program and ran for a full hour - something I haven’t achieved in the last decade!

It’s been a hard won win: tendon pain, plantar fasciitis, then knee pain, and now piriformis pain I’m treating with massage and yoga. A spring and summer of ice packs, Tylenol, wraps, and liquid glucosamine and turmeric gummies. But today I made it to that moment: full freedom, flying.

Not a full 10K (yet), but the end of the Runkeeper program, and 60 minutes running: no stop, finishing strong ❤️

Maybe some luck is coming this way 🍀

Maybe some luck is coming this way 🍀

Chloe’s first soccer game ⚽️ For those of yo

Chloe’s first soccer game ⚽️ For those of you without preteens at home, this look means “stop embarrassing me, Mom.”

Just kidding, all the looks mean that.

For all the truth about how hard mean girl dynamic

For all the truth about how hard mean girl dynamics can be (and are) at their age, the best part of being a girl is having that one girl beside you. #girlhood #thisisten #besties

20yrs old: “I sleep in my contact lenses all the

20yrs old: “I sleep in my contact lenses all the time! Just doesn’t affect me! Weird right?”
36yrs old: “I looked at my computer screen for 15 minutes before remembering to switch into glasses and now I can’t blink.”
#sandpapereyes #amwriting #blindasabat

#spring2020 #stillsnowing #april2020 #alberta #sto

#spring2020 #stillsnowing #april2020 #alberta #stopsnowing #amwriting

🎶I want a home with a crowded table, and place

🎶I want a home with a crowded table, and place by the fire for everyone 🎶

Forgot to take photos of our “home with a crowded table” during a beautiful Easter dinner, but so loved stretching the holiday out over three days dyeing #pysanky with @lisasana, @liv.nich, Brynn, Caily, and Chloe. We used various teas along with beet powder and turmeric to make dye on Friday night and drew with the wax from tea light candles on Saturday and every night girls ran to and from our homes under the warm weekend’s full moon. The kids had such fun blowing the eggs that (thank goodness) we moms didn’t have to 😂

#easterphotodump #eastereggs #pinkmoon #springsnow #homemadedye #easter2022 #crowdedtable #plantyourgarden #romantisizeyourlife

Instagram post 17957270350683206

Instagram post 17957270350683206

A surprise gift from my 10 year old niece 🐣🌸

A surprise gift from my 10 year old niece 🐣🌸💞 @lisasana you make pretty sweet kids 🥰

Woke at 3am and couldn’t get back to sleep. Reor

Woke at 3am and couldn’t get back to sleep. Reorganized the living room as quietly as possible instead. Willow managed to sleep through it 🐾

I like my hair’s natural texture, but I don’t

I like my hair’s natural texture, but I don’t give it enough love. Usually I straighten or blow dry or curl it away before I have to do anything “professional” or “in public” or “normal” but the kids and I call it my witchy hair and when it’s like this I feel most me. Tonight I’m teaching a writing class and students will develop plots as wild as my waves. Death to styling tools (at least today anyway).

It is -12 degrees Celsius, and flurries in the nig

It is -12 degrees Celsius, and flurries in the night left snow on the ground. But F’s tomato seedlings have sprouted so, you know, hang in there… 🌱 ❄️ 🍅 🌸

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