My favourite new accessory…

Looking at my blog, I [once again] realized it’s been a while since my last update… so I started jotting down all the ideas and things that have been happening over the last couple weeks.

Then the phone rang, and it slowly turned into “one of those days.” What felt like bad news, after bad news, after bad news, just kept coming.

My poor little pooch is sick and I don’t want to face the fact that he is getting old. I honestly don’t know how parents cope when their children are sick [see Mom, this is why I’m not ready to give you grand babies].

Bad picture, but he looks cute anyway.

Better picture :)

Anyway, I kind of just wanted to sit down and have a little cry until my tears washed the sad feelings and bad news away.

Instead (since I think my co-workers might be a bit concerned if I just started randomly bawling in the middle of the office) I decided it was time to just think about all the good and focus on some of the stuff that I should be thankful for today…

And then!
Shane sent me a great text that went a little something like this “Yeah and we can run tonight. And no problems follow u when your running.” He has bad texting grammar, but I love him anyway. Also, his statement is very true - most problems vanish for the duration of your run. Part of me does wonder if some wise man who likes to run has hi-jacked Shane’s phone though ;) [I joke, I joke].

So, enough rambling.
Without much further ado, some thankful thoughts…

I’m thankful I’m eating a Hernandez Burrito Clasico right now – it is flippin’ delicious!

I’m thankful I just read one of my favourite new blogs: Ali on the Run. Ali just ran a marathon for the first time, and well, I kind of want to be her friend.
Oh, also, admittedly, I may have stolen this “Thankful Things” list idea from her. Oh, oh, and just because… this is another of my favourite new blogs: Sweat Once a Day.

I’m thankful (and excited) that I’m going to try out Cyclocross really soon. Because of this, my lovely little “Blue Steel” is going to get a cross makeover tonight.

I’m thankful I started Yoga Teacher Training. The first weekend (which was last weekend) left me a little overwhelmed, but I think it is going to be really fun and all of the girls in the program seem really nice.

I’m thankful Kirsten’s qualifying time held strong and she has been accepted to run in Boston!!!!! I’m really really excited for her and can’t wait to go to Boston to cheer her on.
[Note to self: I really really need to start saving some money].

Now, that brings me to the title of this post and my favourite new accessory ~ the cowbell. It’s awesome. I love cheering at events that I’m not racing at and the cowbell makes it that much more fun. Also, I just saw the classic “More Cowbell” SNL skit the other day and it made me happy. If you haven’t seen it, Google it.

So yep, the cowbell, I’m thankful for the cowbell.

I’m thankful I had a good swim this morning and pretty much had the whole lane to myself the entire time. I’m also thankful that when I did have to share the lane for a brief period, it was with a super-fast guy and I was able to draft off him. Awesome.

I’m thankful for blue-sky and sunshine this afternoon.

I’m thankful I finally made a decision about the Victoria Half Marathon and that I’m not regretting that decision (as of yet). My decision involves cowbell. I will elaborate more in another post.

I’m thankful for prune plums. I ate two this morning with my yogurt. They were delicious.


Umm, and well, I’m sure there is more but I should probably get back to work. I don’t feel like crying anymore, so I think this list may have helped after all.

"Does this bike make my butt look fast?"

My brain has been feeling a bit tired the last couple days, and then today as I was trolling the internet, I came across a bunch of fun triathlon quotes, slogans and one-liners. So, rather than coming up with my own words, I figured I'd share a few of the quotes that made me snicker or smile....

"If you really want to do something, you'll find a way. If you don't, you'll find an excuse."

"Obsessed is a word the unmotivated use to describe the dedicated."

"If your relationship is working you’re not training hard enough."

"Inside every car is a cyclist."

"I'm not slow; I'm just enjoying the race longer."

"Anyone can work hard when they want to; champions do it when they don't."

"Athletes are ordinary people with extraordinary determination."

"If you think you can or think you can't, you’re probably right."

"There are really just two kinds of people. Those who say I can't. And those who say I can."

"If it doesn't hurt, you're not going fast enough."

"Swim, Bike, Run, Rinse, Repeat."

"The only easy day was yesterday."

"You do marathons? How cute!"

"Some people consider the marathon the ultimate endurance event. We consider it a cool down."
[truth be told, I think people who run marathons are crazy MoFos and I have the utmost respect - but I still thought the last two quotes were kind of funny]

"PR or ER"

"Your workout is my warm up."

"How do you spot the triathlete in a room? You don't have to; he'll tell you all about it."

"Speed Hurts. How fast do you want to go?"

"Success isn't the result of spontaneous combustion. You must learn to set yourself on fire."

"Triathlon: this much pain is expensive."

"Triathlon is Latin for HTFU."

"It's not about finding your limits. It's about finding out what lies just beyond them."

"Please help me learn how to pee in my shorts."

"Pain is temporary, quitting is forever."

"Don't drown ~ Don't crash ~ Don't walk"

"There are no atheists the last eight miles of an Ironman."

"It doesn’t get any easier; you just get faster."

"Pain is weakness leaving the body."


Now it's your turn... Tell me your favourite quotes?

Marry the Man...

I have this amazing friend that is in love with Paris. She’s inspired some of my previous blog posts (like this one for example).

Recently, she unwittingly inspired another with a simple Facebook status update (which I really hope she doesn’t mind me sharing, as she is now on her way to PARIS, so I can’t actually ask her).

Anyway, it went a little something like this:
“Marry the man who lets you spend all day at the barn and never asks where dinner is; marry the man who never asks, "How much did that bag cost?"; and marry the man that has been secretly learning French for a dreamed about life together in Paris….”

My first thought when I read her post was:
“Marry the man that signs up to do Ironman with you when he’s never even done a triathlon before!”

Not quite as eloquent as my friends update, but you get the point.

Anyway, the question/comment I’ve been getting the most lately goes a little something like this: "Congrats on NZ, so Ironman again eh? [yadda yadda] Oh, AND SHANE SIGNED UP TOO???!!!”

So, let me answer that question. Yes. Shane signed up for Ironman Canada!

He will be an Ironman.



Shane has been putting up with my triathlon addiction for a few years now and I like to think that he’s finally been bitten by the bug.

He’s supported me and my endless desire to train (which is not easy, as I have this horrible compulsion that I must follow what is on my training calendar to a ‘T’ and if something gets thrown out of whack or I miss a workout, I can be a little hard to deal with… neurotic? maybe; obsessive? perhaps.)

He’s gotten up early countless times to come stand near the lakes edge, or on the side of a road to cheer me on, even if the course is not a multi-loop and he only gets to see me once during the whole long morning (and trust me, I’m not that fast, so there have been some looooong days).

He’s helped me drop off my bike and pick up my race packet on countless occasions; attended pre-race meetings and watched me ‘walk’ transition numerous times until I’ve got it down pat. (Neurotic and obsessive, remember?). He probably knows the inner workings of a transition area better than some triathletes.

He obliges when there is actually a race on TV and even lets me watch it without too much complaint. Shane’s words: “What’s more boring than watching triathlon in person? Watching it on TV.” (I did say “without too much complaint”). Oh, and for the record, I wholeheartedly disagree – neither is boring.

He even raced with me once in a relay (he did the bike leg) when I was coming back from my pulmonary embolism and wasn’t quite up to conquering the whole thing on my own… and let me tell you, that was a very very hilly and challenging 50ish km bike course. Especially when you consider the fact that he didn’t really train and decided to attend Beerfest the day before the race! Note to Shane: Pizza and beer is probably not the most ideal pre-race meal.

Anyway, as I say, I think he’s finally been bitten by the “crazy bug” that has sunk it's fangs into most triathletes.

I’m super excited for the next year of training, as not only do I have Kirsten as a training partner for the next leg of my triathlon journey, but I have Shane sharing the ride as well! I’m a lucky girl.

Oh, one thing though. Kirsten and Shane, let’s make sure this doesn’t turn out like that road trip we took down the Oregon Coast back in 2004 – mmm’kay? Thanks.

The Queen of Indecision

Post-Kelowna I decided to take a short break from coaching – not training, but coaching.

I’m starting a 200hr Yoga Teacher Training program in 10 days, and figured that a small break from structured training might be a good thing (the ever-decreasing weight of my wallet also had a large say in this decision).

Deep down, I know that this “break” is a good thing for my mental state. Next year will be a longer season for me (what with IMC in August and then NZ in October) and I don’t want to burn out before the big day(s).

That said, roughly two-weeks into my coaching hiatus I find myself missing the structure, thinking of questions for Kelly that I really shouldn’t be bothering him with while he’s not on payroll.

So yes, I'll admit to feeling a little lost without having something written in my calendar for me every day, but – get ready for the indecisiveness here – I have also been enjoying just getting up and doing what I feel like. I've decided to give myself to the end of this week to carry on with this "do what I feel like" routine and then I am going to map out a few weeks for myself on the calendar so I have a bit of direction.

Another thing that is helping to secure my royal title as the Queen of Indecision… the Goodlife Fitness Victoria Half Marathon. This race has been a staple for me over the last 3-4 years and I do really enjoy it, but for some reason, I can’t get myself excited enough about it this year to actually bite the bullet and register.

I seem to change my mind every day from "race the half – go for a new PB" to "break out my cowbell and my cross bike and be the best cheerleader possible" to "maybe I should just run the 8k" back to "cheerleader" back to "half" back to…. Well, you get the point. Lather, rinse, repeat and all that good shizz.

Before I register - IF I even register - I feel like I should actually want to race, you know?
But, will I be disappointed if I don’t race?

*sigh*

So, that massive ramble aside, I guess I still have no idea what I will be doing Oct. 9.