dreaming over the ocean

Today I sent out two emails.  One to 3 people, the other to hundreds.  If you are reading this, you may have received one of them.  I sent out both emails, then I went out to a movie with my love.  On my way home, i was thinking about the butterflies of uncertainty that I was experiencing in my stomach.  So, we talked about it. (and ps:if you go a see Thor 2, stay until the end of the credits.  its worth it.) The first email included a request of people who may make for a professional and career mentor. The second was a email contact list clean up, but also a request for people to buy gift cards for Warm Heart Initiatives.   And, what I find curious, is that despite these two topics being super positive things, and two topics that I believe are important, it still makes me have a sense of nervousness in sending them.  Because, despite being things that lead to good outcomes, sometimes it feels that I can be a burden if I ask other people to...

I can't remember exactly what motivated it back in 2004, but all I remember is that fall I wanted to be a better person.  I wanted to be a better rower~ so I started riding a road bike.  I wanted to be a better student~ so i set apart a dedicated study time.  I wanted to build my faith~ so i dedicated to a quiet time.  I wanted to deal with a broken relationship~ so I sought counselling. I remember my senior year at WVU as being a year that I grew a lot.  Let's do a throw back to that year: New years 2005 in Key Largo with some of the most quality people in the world. The reason why i mention this, is somehow this fall, I am feeling that motivation again~  it's building in the past few weeks.  The motivation to be a better person.  Maybe it comes as part of my off season from Triathlon, and I have more time on my hands... maybe it comes out of a trip to visit my brother and his family.  Maybe it comes with the autumn season, where the...

wow... it is almost a whole fricken month that I ran over the finish line at Challenge Penticton.   How time flies.  I guess that it is a bit hard to write a race report a month late, but, in so many ways, it still feels like it was yesterday.  Probably what happens when you do an epic thing for the first time in your life.  Full-distance racing is no joke.  It's crazy, its inspirational, it's EPIC! One question might be "have you done an Ironman?"  No.  I have NOT done an ironman.  However, with this event, I have done the same feat: completed a race that is 4km of swimming, 180km of biking, and 42Km of running.   Last year, as you may know, the city of Penticton chose to go with the Challenge Family , rather than Ironman. It brings a new feel to race week in the Okanagan, but a great feel.  The biggest expression that I have about the whole even is WOW.  What an amazingly put on event from the fantastic volunteers, Felix ...

Boy oh Boy, do I have some race reports to write!  What a few weeks!  I haven't (obviously) posted since after Lake Stevens 70.3, where I think I did the best 1/2 iron of my life.    July and August were fantastic, with lots of sun, lots of bike riding, and all round general beauty of the summer.  I love long days, and they are quickly running away from us. I wish that I can write a few other things other than triathlon, but, really, I feel like that is all that my life has involved recently.   I am finally on my off season, and I am happy about that.  A few weeks of doing *not much* is needed.  I plan to spend the time at home with my pup and my hubby, possibly to road trip a bit (jasper & lake louise this weekend! hopefully to go see family in October!), eat some good meals, and generally just not exercise very much.   I do have goals for the fall, and most of them include the outcome of being a better runner.  I have really strug...

Thank you for covering this interesting occurrence in a city where bike theft is rampant.  I find the social media furry that is coming up around this story particularly striking, as something very similar happened to me earlier this year. Last February, my 2000$ bicycle was stolen from the "secure" bike room in my condo's garage. Someone had targeted my bike, with a blowtorch to destroy the lock.  My husband's (more pricey bike) was left behind.  I, like Kayla, was incredibly disappointed with the loss.  I spend more time on my bike than doing any other leisure activity: I commute, I shop, I race on my bike.  It had traveled to Montreal and back with me.   I filed a bike theft report ASAP with the VPD, including a serial number, description, and inspection of the crime.  On the morning of the bike theft, I tweeted and facebooked my loss.  The bike company (Brodie) replied, and reposted.  My tweet was repeated a few times in the vancouve...

and, what a summer it has been.  I cannot believe how quickly it is zooming by, and part of that is probably because I have been working a full time job, as well as trying to enjoy the dog days of summer.  Other than working, our trip to alaska, and eating ice cream sandwiches, i have been busy training and racing.  Of course, I have a big race coming up in exactly one month August, which is Challenge Penticton.  I am really excited for this race, because it is my first full-length/iron-length/"ironman" race.  It is held on the same course as it has been for the past 30 years, but put on by a different company.  I like getting new flavour in the triathlon world, and I think Challenge is going to be able to deliver great things.  Meanwhile, I have had a few other races on the docket, and this past weekend was one that I felt excited about. The first time I ever was exposed to Long distance triathlon was way back in 2008, when I did a relay r...

It was holiday time in early July!  And, for the... THIRD... time in my life, i went up to Alaska to enjoy the wilderness, spend time with my good friends Sam and Gretchen , spend 24hrs a day in the light, and get eaten alive by bugs.  Oh how much I love alaska, and oh how much it reminds me that i probably wouldn't mind doing some nursing up in the Northern Latitudes.  Sean and I had a few "discussions" prior to our trip, about what we planned on doing, as we tend to have opposite views as to what a holiday should look like.  I would love to just take off and spend a week in the backcountry.  Sean likes cultural activities. We tried to meet half way, and I think we did. Lets go through some of the highlights: My 30th birthday!   That's right, I'm now approaching the crest of the hill.  4th decade of life, bring.it.on.   We spent a few days in McCarthy, which is a wee small down at the end of a gravel road, surrounded by a national park....

Recently, i have had conversations about how the 3 different disciplines of triathlon always cause a little bit of a different result in terms of what i think about, or focus on, during my workout.   In swimming, I am totally able to focus on technique, my mind doesn't wander very often, and i like to focus in on exactly what i am doing, feeling, and seeing.   In  biking, I tend to think about the now.  what is going on in my life now, what are the conversations I am experiencing, what is going on later in the day, or this week, or what just happened.  In running, i tend to experience the deep emotions.  I either feel like crying, and work through the hard things, or I become exceptionally inspired, and feel like I can change the world. This past sunday was a great training day.  I am finally starting to believe that I will be able to finish Challenge Penticton. In August, I will finish 3.8km of swimming, 180km of biking, and 42 km of running. ...

Wow.  May is almost over, and I still haven't written part two of my race report!  I need to get on it, as soon I will have other races done, and more reports to write!  It is a rainy rainy spring day here in Vancouver~  it seems a bit more like winter, honestly.  But, despite the sun not shining, you can count on me getting out to New Brighton Park, and swimming in that outdoor pool.  Its pretty much one of my favourite things about the summer.  Outdoor pools.  Here is a instagram of the pool the other day. now, what I am going to do about the bike ride that is on tap, i am not quite sure.  For now, I will drink coffee, write my blog, and go finish painting the new colours in my washrooms.  I'll think about my bike later.  Finally, I am turning 30.  For my 30th birthday, I want 30$ for Malawi.  Go here to see what I am talking about. St George 70.3 Bike Oh Man, what a course.  I had driven about 3/4 of the...

It has been just over one week from St George 70.3 "US pro championship" race. Last year, after the Vancouver Subaru 1/2 Iron , I stated "it's hard to say which race is the hardest race I've ever done."  Well, I am 95% sure that I am confident to state that this was BY FAR the hardest race I have ever done.  And, im glad that I have waited a week to write this report.  It takes a while to digest races like St George. As my newest Vancouver Triathlete friend,  Erin , stated, when Ironman made this race the US pro championships, registration SOARED.  I barely got registered, as on Facebook, it stated that there were only 5 slots left. So, as planned, back in feb, I was registered.  It would be my first race in the (what I perceive as) super crazy fast new agegroup: females 30-34.  I counted the other registrants in my AG... 140.  WHAT THE?!?!  really? This kinda made me nervous.  And, when I saw that the super inspirational Sonja W ...

All of a sudden, I am racing a 1/2 ironman on saturday.  Not going to lie, it has kinda crept up on me, and as always, i have NO IDEA how I am going to do. I've already had my little freak out to Sean, where I complain that I haven't trained enough, and how it is going to be hot, and at elevation, and how there are more than 130 women in my age group.  that new, fast, age group   YOu know the one... those women who have been doing the sport long enough to be experienced, but not so long that their body is rebelling? WElcome to age group 30-34.  Welcome to St George, Utah. It's going to be hot . In more ways than one! meanwhile, I am doing things like this, to get me race ready... i went to physio today, and he did acupuncture.  If you remember, in 2007, I had a bike crash that caused me to break both my arms.  It left me with one joint that was "good."  I.e.  never been fractured. But, since my arms are pretty much ...

ai-eeeee!  I need to keep on top of this!  I just did 3 things to update: 1) Got rid of the photo page, as many were flickr, and I deleted that account quite a while ago.  But, go look at Sean's Photos on Flickr anyway. 2)  I updated the links page. Took a few away, added one or two. 3) I updated the "about me" page.  added some photos, made the Bio a little more accurate. still more work to be done though.  Need to update that race result list, and maybe the background, and actually the posts.  I should post more.  Cause I like writing... ciao for now!

Sean mentioned this morning "I wonder how many blog posts start with 'I haven't written here in so long...'" So, I'm not starting that way. It's Easter, I'm in jasper, and I am on a holiday with my love. Life is good. So, some photos that make this life so good... My hubby, our puppy, nature, work, bicycles. More substance to come soon. For now, I have to get back to the hill. Peace, love and grace this Easter season.