Chelsea In Training's blog
Pictures...Joints In Motion/Arthritis team etc...
Arriving in Costa Rica.
This is Heather, Tasha and I with our pictures of our "Hero's" attached to our backpacks. Our Hero's were the ones we were trekking for. 
This is our Alberta Team. 
This is Amber and Anthony! They were this really cute couple in our group, both having a family member with Arthritis.
Wow!
Woohoo! I made it back from Costa Rica without being bitten by a big spider. Although I did see many. Ehh! I have tons and tons of pictures and video that I will be able to put up on here. A huge thanks to the Arthritis Society and our Joints In Motion team! Everyone that I met was awesome and it's really quite incredible how strangers become friends so quickly. It was a really neat experience for me personally as I was able to see many people conquer their goals. I'll post everything as soon as I can, and fill you in more on what happen down south.Aug.4th...Costa Rica...Joints In Motion!
Wow I can't believe it's already here! I am headed for Costa Rica with the Arthritis Society and Joints In Motion. There are numerous people from Calgary going but we will also meet people from all across Canada! The Trip will consist of hiking up Volcano's and through the forests. I'm sure it will be an incredible experience but that much more gratifying knowing that this is all for a good cause. If you are interested in doing your own Joints In Motion trip please head to www.jointsinmotion.ca or if you would like to donate please head to http://arthritis.akaraisin.com/p/chelsealoucks.aspxOnly a couple weeks to go!!!
Well there is only a couple of weeks to go until the big trip! Thought I'd put up some information on Arthritis, some questions that you have maybe wondered but weren't to clear on...Question 1
Is arthritis hereditary?
There are some forms of arthritis which are clearly inherited, but most are not. There is evidence that one type of arthritis of the spine - ankylosing spondylitis - and gouty arthritis are inherited, but other common forms such as osteoarthritis and rhuematoid arthritis show only a weak tendency to be inherited.
Fundraising Fun!
I want to thank the Backalley for helping me fundraise! They are always so good to us! This past Wednesday they generously said that a portion of certain drinks could go towards my fund raising efforts! Thank you so much! We had a lot of fun down there! We will be selling these drinks again on ladies night so come down, support a good cause and have some fun! http://arthritis.akaraisin.com/p/chelsealoucks.aspxHighway Clean up!!!
This past weekend our Vibe 98.5 Arthritis/Joints in Motion team headed out to clean a stretch of highway! We were out at Carstairs by 9am and sectioned off the highway all the way to didsbury. I cannot believe how filthy it was! I have a whole new respect for not littering! I swear if I ever see anyone do it I will walk straight up to them and give them a lecture! haha. The things that you find! I picked up everything from coffee cups, fast food wrappers, to diapers and underwear! EEhh! So wrong! This was a good experience though! The governTraining, training, training...
I have now met or talked through email to most of the wonderful people signed up to travel to Costa Rica with the Arthritis Soceity. This experience, even though it has just begun is incredible! Our group already has such a great bond and it can only get better! The group trains together twice a week and I find this helps me personally so much when you have people to go with. Of course we are advised to do more physically activity on our own time as well but these group times really help out.
Last week Kristina, a lovely lady in our group took me to do the stairs on Memorial. Do do dooo! I swear I thought I was going to die. haha. Krisitna is such a rock star and it seemed like she could do them forever. I have to thank her for being so patient with me! But when I am on the runs, the thought of " Some people with Arthritis can't even do this". It defiantly puts things into perspective! I have never been apart of something like this before and this process defiantly becomes something else. It has nothing to do with me, it has everything to do with the people that live with Arthritis!
Here's a little blurb about Arthritis....
"Arthritis ('arth' meaning joint, 'itis' meaning inflammation) isn't a one-note story or even a few variations on a single theme; it actually consists of more than 100 different conditions. These can be anything from relatively mild forms of tendinitis (as in 'tennis elbow') and bursitis to crippling systemic forms, such as rheumatoid arthritis. There are pain syndromes like fibromyalgia and arthritis-related disorders, such as systemic lupus erythematosus, that involve every part of the body. There are forms of the disease, such as gout, that almost nobody connects with arthritis, and there are other conditions - like osteoarthritis, the misnamed 'wear and tear' arthritis - that a good many people think is the only form of the disease.
True, many older people do have arthritis, but it's not just a disease of the old. Some forms of arthritis affect children still in diapers, while thousands of people are stricken in the prime of their lives. The common denominator for all these conditions is joint and musculoskeletal pain, which is why they are grouped together as 'arthritis.' Often that pain is a result of inflammation of the joint lining.
Inflammation is involved in many forms of arthritis. It is the body's natural response to injury. The warning signs that inflammation presents are redness, swelling, heat and pain. These are the same kinds of reaction the body has to a sliver in the hand, for example. When a joint becomes inflamed, it may get any or all of these symptoms. This can prevent the normal use of the joint and therefore it can cause the loss of function of that joint."
I't's not to late for you to join our team! You can email me directly if you have questions. cloucks@vibe985.com If you don't think you can make it but would still like to donate to the cause please check out my Arthritis page at....http://arthritis.akaraisin.com/p/chelsealoucks.aspx
Under 18 weeks...
Costa Rica is under 18 weeks away! That's kind of scary to think about but so exciting. Already I have met awesome people either in person or even just on email. so many great people that are coming along or are interested in joining us. Earlier I talked about how we all have a trainer, Dave! Dave keeps us motivated and sends us great emails to help out. Here is some tips for buying shoes, a crucial part to training.
Tip of the week - Shoes
Here's a brief guide to help you in your in choice:
