dreaming over the ocean

Oh boy!  I cannot believe how quickly this spring had passed by.  Seriously, it is summer already, and Ironman Whistler is just around the corner.   These last couple months, particularly April, have been super hectic.  At the end of March, I had a couple weeks of feeling like I was never feeling healthy.  So much so, that around Easter, I was so sick that I was (well... Still am) convinced that I had mono.  I've never had it before in my life, and my symptoms were right on.  It wasn't strep, which was my other likely.   At that same time, we had a wedding on Vancouver Island, so my mum came to visit.  On her first day here, she slipped and broke her arm.  She stayed for 3ish weeks.   Around that time, sean and I travelled to California (it was awesome!), and I had one of my slowest 1/2 Iron distance races ever.  It hurt SO bad.  I learnt a very basic message:  you can't race fast and efficiently if you don't t...

OH boy.  It's almost 11pm, and I am awake in my bed, with my mind running 1,000,000 miles a minute.  I may not be able to sleep this evening because I had a glorious afternoon nap today, but, I know that my mind is running with all the things that are happening in the next two weeks. When I feel my tired legs lying in bed, I am reminded that my first big race of the season is right around the corner. In 9 days, I will be toe-ing the line at Boise 70.3 .  There are only 40 qualifying spots for 70.3 WC Mt Tremblant, so I have to have my A game on.  I have high expectations, because I have only been faster this year, than any other year prior.  Can I do a sub 5hour race?  I hope so... last year, there were two women in my age-group who were that fast.  in 2012, apparently, Boise 70.3 had a 15mile bike ride due to ice.  In 2011, the times are all slower than 6 hours.   What the heck is going on here?!?! All it means, is that I have no idea wh...

Sean and I are currently on the ferry, making our way back home after a weekend on Vancouver island. Nice to get away from the regular bump and grind, and good to get a quick visit with the Birch side of the family.  We were taking the little trip to hopefully inspire young minds. That's the hope, anyway. A lesser known fact about my young life is that I am a private school graduate;  not only a private school, but a boarding school. My parents sacrificed a lot to send me away to a place that I would wake up to the ocean air every day, wear knee high socks and a tartan skirt, and be reprimanded for sneaking a pet hedgehog into my room to live in the closet. I'm not going to lie... I honestly think that if I did not go to Brentwood , I would not be the person I am today.  I would not have gone to WVU, because I would not have rowed. I may not have seen the world, because I would have stayed living in Edmonton. I also would not have had the house parent, coaches, friends, ...

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...

it is pretty rare that you want to post a school assignment on your blog.  However, I thought this was pretty applicable.  I am taking a "professional issues in nursing" class, in which we are examining everything from leadership, to power differentials, to unions, to.... you name it, it's there.  At the start of the semester, we were coming up with the class outline, and one of the aspects that we added to the class outline was a personal change initiative. it is not a "super serious" assignment, but one which is good to reflect on.   I always laugh about the aspect of "reflective practice" that occurs in nursing.  just sit, and think about what you did, and what could've been different.   :) anyway, this is how the assignment was described: " Leaders must embrace change and model change in order to encourage others to do so.   Learners will submit a 3-page, double spaced, 12 font description of a personal change initiative ...

I have been back in Montreal since Friday the 6th.   And, in many ways, it actually feels really good to be back.  Which, I know, might be shocking to you!  the first few days didn't feel good... I missed the boy I like love, it is fricken cold here, conversations that i was having were somewhat frustrating, and I was just wanting to be half way around the world again.  but, things have been going on an upward swing, which is a relief. In the past couple days, I have had great conversations that have just hit the spot.  You know those conversations... the ones that allow you to reflect on the past, and get prepared for the future. I am sub-letting a room for 4 months, with two beautiful girls, L and R.  And, to tell you the truth, it is a big risk (for both them and me) to sub-lease to someone they have never met... no matter how much you exchange via email and "social media" you truely cannot know someone until you meet them face to face.  The ot...

HURRAH!  IT IS 2012! I celebrated the new year by taking a ferry on New Year's eve, from Victoria to Vancouver (i know, amazing, right?  but... it was only 5% full, which is shocking...).  I have been in Van-city since then, and will be returning to montreal on Friday.   Coming back to canada has been better than I thought it would go.  Only about 2 break-down-and-cry moments.  I think, that the reason why it has been easier than planned is that I have been able to spend time with my beloved, and also his family~  his parents live part time in Laos, which makes talking about international-work & living & differences in cultural aspects very easy.  nice to transition with.  also, it has been filled with fun things.  Like going to the Kinsol Trestle.    and going on my first bike ride since august 20th (um... can we say sore butt and legs and back and hands?).  and drinking good coffee and ...

surely, this cannot be true.  but, alas.  i can see the end of the summer. in a mere 4 weeks , I will be one day post my last race of the season, and 1 day pre-leaving for africa. HOLY CRAP! it feels like there is so much time left, but also so little.  Scheduling is crazy and time is ticking away.  between now and then, there are weddings to attend on the west coast, "inlaws" to visit with, training to be done, Rx's to be picked up (yup. the doc convinced me to go on malaria prophylaxis), bags to move and people to visit with, work to do, and school work to be formatted.  oh yeah.  a lot of finger crossing and god praying to be had that my trip to Malawi is not a total gongshow. Anyway, i was down in Canmore this weekend, supporting and cheering and volunteering for the boy I like love's  24 Hour of Adrenalin   corporate team.  Like last year, it was a load of fun, I had a (marginally) better volunteer position, and I...

so, i guess the way to start this to to say:  "well, it turns out that the boy i like, is actually the boy i love." post race was spent in the hotel, lounging while watching the Canucks game (right... ice hockey while in Hawaii!), and eating a ginormous meal for dinner.  The plan was to go to the Mauna Kea Observatory , but the drive up and back would take at least 4 hours, and it would (obviously) be at night.  Not necessarily the best idea for the evening/night after a 1/2 ironman! so, we woke up on sunday after a lovely (surprizingly, for being in the same room as two boys who really like to snore) sleep, and went out for some coffee.  Then, of course went for second breakfast... at the buffet.  and, subsequently stuffed ourselves again.  then, it was a little lagoon lounging at the hotel, and off for the afternoon activities!    I have added pictures, but, I thought that i would leave the report up to the boy.  'Cause it was all him. ...

So, this is a bit of a topic that i have wanted to write about for a bit of a time, but, i got to thinking about it a bit more this weekend, which kinda prompts a new post.... but, before we start that. this week is a sweet sweet recovery week. Today, in fact i have NO workout scheduled. Shocking. First day in a LONG time that i have not exercised. and, i am SO ready for the recovery week. My long workouts this weekend were hard. and, i felt my body having a challenging time with them. But, alas. i know that come the summer, I am going to appreciate the work that has been put in now. My coach, Mary , at train-this, knows what she is doing. and i like to believe that what she is doing is going to make me faster. so, this past weeks numbers: Swim: 2hrs 4800m Bike: 6hrs 15 min run: 4hr 32 min strength+yoga: 1hr30 total: 14hr 17 min SO, let's start off with why i was thinking about this particular subject. I did not have a all together "productive" weekend, in te...