Instant Custom Signs – Drew Brims' Blog

On the Saturday before the race, I was awakened at 5:30 am with a violent leg cramp. The muscle was tighter than a drum and nothing I did would relieve the tension or the pain. I had to accept that I could not run that weekend. All that training had seemingly gone down the drain! Then I recalled my sage words of advice: ‘It’s not what happens to you…’

Athletes and business people who consistently practice, train, prepare and research, rise to the top and are sought after as team members and team leaders.

Today, a customer came in to pay for a job we installed a few days ago. He wanted to shake the hand of the person who installed his sign and thank him for doing such a fine job. Such praise from a customer meant a lot to the person who did the installation. This was one more accomplishment for this person who has risen in our company and is taking on more and more responsibility.

The real heroes in all this are the athletes who worked two jobs and sacrificed careers to compete for their country. Through the “Own The Podium” program, the Canadian government coughed up some decent coin so that athletes could concentrate on their discipline and hire the coaches and support staff they need to perform at world-class levels. That was an excellent investment in the future and the results speak for themselves as Canada was first in gold medals and third over all. How many young people will be inspired to try out for sports they might have ignored before these games? It’s about time we inspired young people to get off the couch, move away from computer games and encouraged them to get outside and enjoy every opportunity this great county of ours has to offer. And these Olympic games have provided them with wonderful role-models. Articulate, humble, skilled at their craft and generous with their time to speak to the media.

We had professionals teach our children to ski because professionals have unique skills, knowledge and experience required to do the job. I hadn’t considered it much until that moment, but it became clear to me there and then.

We will pay for driving lessons, post-secondary education, tutors, music lessons, gymnastics and other sports or endeavours at which they want to become proficient. Professionals can do this – I can’t. Well, I could try but I wouldn’t do a good job and we both would be poorer for the experience.

My friends know I’m a distance runner (I do it for fun!). I’ve run three marathons (each time qualifying for Boston) as well as many shorter races. Qualifying for Boston is a difficult challenge for a recreational runner like me. When you have a busy job, family and community commitments and health and financial considerations, it’s hard to make the time for all the training required to achieve that level of fitness. To run a marathon, one must train for a minimum of 18 weeks and be in good physical condition to start with. The training includes running 5 or 6 days a week including long runs of 20 – 34 kms on the weekend.