Beautiful Fall

Having missed fall last year, (what with traipsing around New Zealand and all), I’m feeling extra lucky to be home and soaking up this amazing autumn that we are currently experiencing in Victoria.

The colours of this season all seem so vivid and so bright!

The blue skied days have been amazing (even if today has more of a grey tinge) and I’m pretty sure the leaves are extra crisp and vibrant this year.

I love crunching the freshly fallen leaves under my feet as I run, or hearing them rustle under my tires as I pedal my bike. Rusty seems to like running through the piles of leaves on the sides of the roads too, and watching his joy never gets old.

Another favourite odd little pleasure is stepping on a freshly fallen pine cone and feeling that slow "crunch" underfoot. Scraping the ice off my car windows, and yet still needing sunglasses is pretty awesome too.

Aside from the colours and brisk, bright days, (and scarves and boots and chunky sweaters) another thing I’ve been enjoying about this fall so far has been getting back into a bit of structure and routine on the training front.

I took some time off post-TransRockies (and absolutely loved it) but when October 1^st hit, it was time to get back at it. When I checked my training calendar and saw all the lovely planned workouts, I may have been, oh, just a little bit excited. [As much as I loved and needed the “do what you feel like” month post-TRR, I think I like structure more. More simply put, I like having someone tell me what to do – it gets me off my ass.]

I’ve started back training with Kelly this year, and you know, it’s great. It was nice to have a bit of a break and learn some new things and train with a different coach for a season (especially when it was such a different season for me), but there is something very comfortable and familiar about working with Kelly again and I’m really happy to be back under his guidance. I’ve got big goals for IMCdA, and I think with his help, I’ll achieve them.

Training isn’t anything crazy right now, mainly just easy workouts, redeveloping my routine, working on my strength, and getting in the habit of early mornings and the ol’ two-a-days. And you know, I am really enjoying it – especially my early mornings at the pool! (Remind me of that in June when I'm so sick of training and just want the race to be over, mm'kay?).

So yeah, there isn’t anything mind blowing or awe-inspiring happening in my life at the moment, but well, I’d say, so far, this fall has been pretty darn good.

HAPPY HALLOWEEN!

 

Thanks.

I sat down to write a post about this past weekend (Thanksgiving weekend), about how it was filled with so many reasons to be thankful… and while this is so soo true (it was a great weekend), I can’t seem to get it to come out of my brain, through my fingertips, into any sort of sensical writing.

So, instead, here is a list of just a few of the things that made me feel all warm and fuzzy this weekend…

• Sunny fall weather.
• Evenings filled with wedding dresses and race expos.
• A quiet pool and swim lanes all to myself.
• Solo bike rides with the colourful leaves falling all around me.
• Red Barn wraps and chocolate milk.
• Marathon weekend in Victoria.
  All of it. The cheering. The smiles at the finish lines. The grimaces. The determination.
• Awesome friends.
• Witnessing Justin rock his first half marathon.
• Apple fritters and americanos.
• Seeing Kirsten grit out another marathon when her legs decided to fail her ~ and getting to run with her for the last few kms and think that maybe, I helped distract her, even just for a second, from the pain.
• The return of The Walking Dead.
• Sleeping in and lazing around the house.
• De-slugging and portaging canoes.
• Family dinners.
• Apple crisp and tofurkey.
• Comfy pants.
• Gummy candies.
• Cuddles with the pup.
• Family.
  All of them. Shane. Rusty. Mom. Dad. Kirsten. Tyler. Grandma(s). Aunts. Uncles. Cousins.

Thursday Things (5 of ‘em)

1) I had a thought in the pool this morning that maybe Kirsten and I should go to Colorado to run the TransRockies Run3 next summer as a fun last minute bachelorette party before her wedding (don’t worry Shane and Tyler, it was just a thought).

So yeah, I guess it only took me 7(ish) weeks to make it to that point where, when I’m asked “would you do it again?” that I’m not like “well, maybe, but definitely not next year.”  I suppose I have my answer now, haha.

7 weeks to get to that point is definitely a slower turnaround than Ironman, as I usually go from “not again” to “sign me up” in less than 8hrs with an Ironman, but still… progress.

2) Speaking of, as much as I enjoyed all the trail running I did this summer, it did make me realize how much I love the variety of triathlon. In the last month I’ve probably spent more time in the pool and on my bike than I did all summer long, and well, I’ve liked it, a lot. Like, a lot a lot.

The combo of swim, bike AND run are good for my soul.

3) I’m getting back into a bit more structured training regime as I start to look ahead to IMCdA.

Of course, that means getting back into the morning routine and heading to the pool before daylight breaks. This morning I swam in a near empty pool [amazing], forgot a towel and had to dry off post-shower with my sweatpants [hilarious], and followed it up with an early arrival in town and a leisurely stroll to Habit.

Not that I don’t go there often, but let me tell you, that first sip of a Habit americano after a swim workout is one of my favourite things. I’m not sure why, but something about swimming makes it taste that much sweeter (and not in the sugary sweet way, but in the amazing tasting way).

"Once it hits your lips, it’s so good!" – Frank the Tank

4) As for the bike, I mentioned before that I’ve been commuting by bike a bit more frequently over the last little while. I know that there aren’t any ‘no drafting’ rules in commuting, and that people are free to do what they like, but holy-hell do I get pissy when people sit on my wheel.

Allow me to rant about one such situation…

A couple weeks ago a guy (who was clearly very fit and probably way faster than me) sat on my wheel for a good 10k. I slowed down to let him pass, and he slowed with me. I sped up to try and drop him, and he stayed glued to my backside. Then, at one of the stoplights we hit, he stayed so far and awkwardly behind me that I couldn’t actually say anything to him (you know, like stop being a dick).

Anyway, as I said before, I’m aware people are free to do what they like while commuting, and drafting isn’t the huge no-no that it is in triathlon, but man, I still think it is flippin’ rude!

So, Mr. Drafter, at the very least, maybe take the lead from time to time and don’t make me do all the work. Let’s work together, mmmkay? Maybe we could even be friends. Maybe.

Phew. That feels better to get that off my chest.

5) And finally. This.
[The whole tumblr is actually pretty great, and while it is ultra-specific, I could relate to a whole heck-of-a-lot of it].

One more day until the long weekend ~ Happy Thanksgiving my Canada peeps!

My sister is Awesome, with a capital A!

Those of you who already know Kirsten probably agree, she's pretty awesome, right? For those of you who don't know her, well, let me give you just one little reason that will prove my point.

In follow up to my last post [click here to go back and read it, I'll wait... ♫ final Jeopardy music sweetly plays in the background ♫]

Okay, good, you're done? We're all on the same page now? Perfect.

Anyway, to follow up on that last post, Kirsten decided to make one last push in the fundraising department for Right to Play as she heads into her taper for the Victoria Marathon. (Yes, she is running the marathon after having fairly recently completed TransRockies... she's awesome. And crazy).

This last little push for Right to Play comes with one SUPER AWESOME GIGANTIC TWIST though.

You ready for this?

Any money she collects from now until the marathon (or until she reaches her newly upped goal of $1500), she will personally match, and pay it forward to Audrey Lou.

In my opinion, this is a win-win-win all over the place, as this means every dollar donated to her Quest for Kids page is actually matched 4x! 

3x by Right to Play for the children of Benin and 1x by Kirsten for Audrey.

In Kirsten's words: "It will make suffering through a marathon that much easier, because really compared to what these kids deal with, running is easy."

Told you she was awesome.

Anyway, you can check out Kirsten's newly updated Quest for Kids page here.

Once again, thank you, thank you, THANK YOU to everyone for the continued support.
It sure does make my heart smile. ❤

Audrey Lou ~ this one's for you kid!

About a month after Kirsten and I decided that we were going to support Martin Parnell’s TransRockies Quest 888 and raise money for Right to Play on our journey to the TransRockies Run, good friends of mine and Shane’s got dealt the blow of a lifetime.

Just shy of her first birthday, their baby girl (Audrey Lou) was diagnosed with kidney cancer.

Shane does not cry much, but when he got the call from Justin (Audrey’s Dad), and tears started streaming down his cheeks, I knew something wasn’t right.

Through all the ups & downs, rounds of chemo and surgeries, lil’ Audrey Lou has been a fighter and continues to battle this disease with a smile, making each and every doctor who meets her fall in love.

Tell me you don't melt, just a little, when you see that toothy grin.

Audrey's parents, Justin & Amber, are an awesome couple who I feel incredibly lucky to be able to call my friends. Throughout this whole ordeal, they've continued to remain positive and strong, even though the strain (emotionally and financially) on them is absolutely massive.

[More info about Audrey and her amazing parents can be found here].

Anyway, at the time we found out about Audrey, it didn’t feel right to pull the plug on the commitment Kirsten and I had made to raising funds for Right to Play (because I do believe it is an incredible organization and Martin is an awesome ambassador, who I was honored to meet and fundraise with), but I also struggled with asking people to support that cause when I knew what Justin & Amber were going through. As such, Kirsten ended up doing most of the fund raising for Right to Play and I just kind of piggy backed along on her efforts. Nevertheless, I am so grateful and absolutely humbled by the donations we received. Our friends and families willingness to support a cause we believe in is truly awesome.

Anyway, fast forward to a week or so after TransRockies…

Shane and I were talking about Audrey (as we so often do these days) and we both realized that we really wanted to run our next Ironman for her. When I proposed the idea to Kirsten, she was in too.

Our ideas on how exactly to do this are still a work in progress, but I can say one thing for certain ~ Audrey will be front and center in our minds as we prepare for IM CdA. This race is for her (and Justin & Amber) and will be fuelled and inspired by lil’ A-Lou’s fighting spirit.

And so, TEAM A-LOU is born!

We hope to raise some funds to help lighten the financial burden on Justin & Amber, so they can focus fully on Audrey and not have to worry about money. Should Audrey beat this disease or the financial strain on Justin & Amber lessen before we make it to the start line in Coeur d'Alene, we will shift our fund raising efforts to be in supports of BC Children’s Hospital. The work the doctors and staff do there is simply amazing.

We are currently tossing around the idea of doing a spin-a-thon type fundraiser on the bike trainers ~ ‘cause, well, if Audrey can kick cancers ass, we can sit our butts on the trainers for hours on end. We’re still hammering out details and will decide on a date soon. So, stay tuned!

Anyway, as I said, our ideas on are still a work in progress. In the meantime, you can check our Audrey Lou’s Fund on Facebook, as well as her Fundrazr Page should you wish to donate.

One of my favourite photos of Audrey Lou (and her little buddy Liam)
cheering us on last summer at IMC.

THIS ONE'S FOR YOU KID!
 

Tour de Vic, 2013 Edition

Last weekend I participated in the 100km ride that is part of Ryder Hesjedal's Tour De Victoria. This was my second year taking part in the event, and once again, it didn’t disappoint.

This year was a little different though…

Last year it was just me and my Dad riding the 100k. (Kirsten and Tyler took on the 140k, but we never crossed paths with them).

This year it was a family affair, as my Dad, Kirsten, myself and even my Mom took on the 100k ride.

Last year the weather was pretty much perfect. Sunshine-happiness and all that good shizz.

This year the weather was ugly. Rain, wind, more rain… oh, and a little teeny-tiny bit of sunshine to end out the day.

Last year Shane gave me grief for not stuffing my pockets full of Honey Stinger products at each feed zone to help fuel our Ironman training that year (and the fact that Kirsten had done this, and used the “free” Stinger products all season long only gave him more ammo for his “grief giving”).

This year, I took everything and anything I could get my hands on at the feed zones, and finished the ride with pockets so full they probably added 10lbs (or more) to my back. I’m pretty sure the kid volunteering at the Parkland feed zone will never forget me, haha.

Judge me if you will, but the event is expensive, and training for an Ironman is also expensive, so yeah…
a girls gotta do what a girls gotta do.

Last year the ride was in June and I was healthy and fit and heading into a peak block of Ironman training. 100k on the bike was a pretty regular occurrence at that point in the season.

This year I came down with a slight sore throat a few days prior to the event, only to have it turn into a full blown chest cold the day before. Oh, and with all the time spent running on the trails this summer, about 55k had been my longest ride of the season.

So yeah, I felt like crap, and the idea of riding 100k in the rain with a chest cold wasn’t super appealing, but I also have major cheapskate tendencies (^see evidence above) and I wasn’t about to throw away the registration fee (or the Honey-Stinger-getting-opportunities).

On top of that, I had been looking forward to riding with my folks and Kirsten and I really do enjoy the “no pressure” aspect of this event. So I sucked it up and well… onward we rolled.

Anyway, what can I say?

Despite the rain and the wind, the day was super fun. Aside from a little bit of laboured breathing on the Munns Rd hill climb (it was the chest cold, I swear) and some minor “my hands and feet are numb” wussy moments, my body felt good at the end, and it made me excited to really get back on the bike and get into training for IM CdA in the coming weeks (if only I could kick this damn cold).

Getting to ride on roads with little-to-no traffic, having flag people control all the intersections, and just being out in our beautiful city with a bunch of other like-minded people is a pretty awesome thing.

So yeah, if you couldn’t tell, I had an absolutely great time soaking up the day (pun totally intended); rolling along at Mom’s pace, just taking in all the cheers and cowbells of the [awesome, amazing, super-fantastic] volunteers on course.

Oh, and did I mention the Honey Stingers? Yeaaahhh!!!

 

Photos by Art Box Victoria.

Riding Bikes

“If you worried about falling off the bike, you'd never get on.” – Lance Armstrong

Love him or hate him, I’ve always enjoyed the above quote by ol’ Lancey Boy. It sort of goes along with that saying that goes something like “it’s not if you fall off your bike, it’s when.”

I’ve been riding my bike a lot lately. Commuting to and from work on my trusty Blue Steel.

I haven’t fallen off my bike yet *knocks on wood* and have only had one minor scare with a bus (admittedly probably mostly my fault ~ don’t worry parental units, I learned my lesson), which was MORE THAN ENOUGH to smarten me up, teach me some patience and become the best, rule following cyclist that Victoria has ever seen.

Anyway, September in the Capital always sees an increase in clogged roads and a return to ‘didn’t-get-out-of-first-gear’ commutes as students return to university and parents return to work after a summer off with the kiddies. Since we’ve been so lucky and had such beautiful weather as of late, it seems silly for me to be sitting in the car when I can ride to work instead (in pretty much the same amount of time as driving).

So I have been. And well, it’s been great.

On top of that, I’ve taken a bit of an unplanned break from running (and structured training in general) and spent the month since TransRockies just doing what I feel like. Riding my bike to and from work, going for walks in the sunshine on my lunch breaks (and then with Rusty and Shane in the evening) and swimming every once in a while, is really all that I’ve felt like.

Not a bad place for a lunch time wander.

My legs still seem to have a general heaviness in them and so I’ve been enjoying this “active recovery” phase before jumping back into a strict ‘more well defined’ training regime, and you know, I think my mind has enjoyed the break as much as my body.

That said, October 1 will be when I get back into some structure and start on the road to IM CdA. Between now and then however, I’ve got some fun things planned.

I’ll be tackling the 100km route in Ryder Hesjedal's Tour de Victoria with my family in just over a week and am really looking forward to it. No pressure, just fun, relaxed riding. Last year I had a blast riding with my Dad, so I think adding my Mom and sister into the mix will make it even better.

On top of that, I’m hoping to throw myself into a few cyclocross rides/races. Shane recently got a new cycolcross bike as well, so *fingers crossed* I can drag him along with me, or we can build a little track on our property to practice on (*hint hint* and ~pretty please~ Shane).

Anyway, this is rambly and probably kind of boring to anyone but future-me, but I felt like it has been a while since I touched base with the blog-o-sphere and well, just wanted to say…

ps. I’m obviously playing with the look of the blog, so give me some opinions would ya?

pps. Even though the title (Penticton or Bust!) may seem a bit outdated, my sentimental heart won’t let it go. I’ve come to realize Penticton isn’t only a magical little town in the Okanagan and home of my first and second IMs, it is so soo much more to me. So much really, that words can’t do it justice.