dreaming over the ocean

Oh boy, this time of year is a bit of a struggle... I have been wishing and waiting for holidays (err.... 5 more work days until a week off?!), and everyday seems a little bit behind. Today, I was to pick up a package from FedEx.  Because they only deliver during the day, I had to get it from the depot.  I also needed to drop something off to be shipped (My wedding band lost a stone.  Boo...).  I was super disapointed to find out that I was going to pay another 20$ on the package to pick up: the GST/PST (fine, ok, I forgot about those) and an unknown 10$ processing type fee.  Isn't that what I paid shipping for?  ARGH!  but, is the time and mental strain of arguing with customer service worth the 10$ potential refund?  I dunno. Last week was my first "all green week" in training peaks.  Essentially, what that means is that I did every workout, when I should be doing it, and for the right amount of time.  This is the first time this y...

So , its the eve of race day! A little copy and paste from an email I sent to my coach, earlier.  Mostly because I'm tired, and I don't want to type on my tablet more. But, let's just start this out with saying that Boise is beautiful!!! I'm so excited for this race tomorrow!!! I'm also so excited for my 12:40start time! Generally, the things that could effect this race are done, including the mandatory pre race frozen yogurt. Now it is to get a good sleep, a morning "get the jitters out" run, and toe the line tomorrow.  No photos, as I forgot my phone at home.  I'll upload some when I get home. Meanwhile, if you are at all interested in I am doing tomorrow, have a live feed at ironman tracker .  (That link might only open well in a mobile format... ).  I'm bib # 991! ----------- Drive went really well yesterday, got a little nap in there, didn't feel to stiff.  Wasn't able to get a run in, because it was about 11-12hrs... By the time!e...

I really ought to start writing short, frequent blogs.  But, seriously... who has time!?!? What has been going on in this little life of mine!? Well, I have been hammering out personal best times : In February, at the First Half Marathon, I ran a PB of 1:42:52. In March, I didn't race. In April, I ran a "almost" PB of 47:33, having done a 115km bike ride the day before with lots of climbing. In May, I ran *another* Half Marathon PB of 1:40:46 at the Vancouver BMO race. Of course, in order to do all that personal best racing, I also have to be training hard.  Training hard, but maintaining sanity is my motto these days. I have been working working working hard.  It has been very busy at Primary Outreach Services, and I have been really enjoying the work with the clients & am excited about the "system" changes that are happening at work.  Its new and exciting.   Its also stressful at times. I have also had the chance to take a great little get aw...

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 ...

Wednesday was crazy.  I had a paper due, i had to pick up stuff at a shop in montreal, I had to give school books to a friend, I had to pick up revisions for my thesis    clinical project manuscript, and I had to be out for the bus to the airport by 3:00pm. and, to tell you the truth, it was (what I think) is the closest I have ever come to having a panic attack.  no joke.  my heart was racing, there was one point that i was so "paralyzed" that I couldn't even write my references, despite know that was the only thing left on my ethics paper. but i made it. and, wow.  Here I am, once again, in the Big Easy. And, I have already seen Tim Robbins in a cocktail bar I was having a drink in.  and Mirinda Carfrae in a Q&A session for ironman.  and people in the street playing jazz.  Are you kidding me?  This place is awesome. I am so excited to be back in this city, where I did my first 1/2 Ironman ever  back in 2009...

There, being where?!?!!? there being New Orleans .  There being back home in Vancouver .  There being done my assignments .  Done being job searching.   There are so many things going on right now!  so, i am going to hit a few points: triathlon, Malawi, and school.   Triathlon:  It's kinda amazing, because the fact that I am doing a 70.3 in 8 days has kinda snuck up on me.  I know that I haven't talked much about triathlon this spring, because... well... sometimes I wonder how interesting it is to people?!?!?  I do  think that there is so much more in this world (and, consequently, in my life) worth talking about.  Not that it isn't interesting... but, it's narrow.  And, I wish that this blog can reach a large group of readers.  Not just people who do triathlon. that being said.... I am SUPER excited about this race.  Mostly, because I feel spot on.  Now, I have no data to back that up.  Not really...

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, how do you describe a few days which are indescribable (at least to a nursing student, who is NOT a english major) on a small little blog?!  It has been a while since I last posted, and there will be certainly things that are certainly missed out on.  So, I have decided that what I will do, is break it into days... first will come the race preparation days  which are Thursday-Friday, and kinda uneventful. then, Ironman Hawaii 70.3 Honu race report. following that will be recovery 2 days (including a story about a boy and a ring) Then, when the time comes, it will be about the Holiday days. 

There have been days and flights in my life, where I have arrived to the airport a day early or a day late or missed a flight or tried to get an earlier flight from the airport. and more often than not it has always worked out.  Not today, my friends, not today.  Air Canada does about 4 flights a week to Honolulu.  But, they are pretty much all squished around the weekends.  During the week, there is a flight on Monday, and on Thursday.  When I booked my original flight to Hawaii, i thought I would be doing clinical right until the end of may.  But, I was done early.  So I thought "hmmmm, i should try to go to the airport on monday morning, and get an earlier flight to Hawaii. I mean, 1.5 days in Hawaii prior to my race is just NOT enough.  I will be jet lagged, hot, and grumpy."   and, it is annoying to not be able to fly standby anymore. it was even more annoying to have to lug my bike box back to the city (as if i am going to pay 10$ a d...

leads to chaos around buoys.   aieeee!!!

so, it is raining today.  And, it will be raining tomorrow.  and, you know what that means?  It means that it has been a full day of HTFU workouts today.  But, surprizingly, the HTFU workouts have turned out to be some of my best of the season, thus far.  Which is really nice.  I went into this a little bit "ugh" due to the rain. I wanted to really control my ride (because, i knew that if it was a ride like last week, i would NOT be happy. Hard +rain= grumpy). It was certainly a HTFU ride. Cold, decently windy, and WET! I started off with a big climb, to warm the body up. Then, down (slowly, due to fear of wet falling and crashing!), and over to the F-1 track, for about 2.5 hrs on the track. round and round and round. Mostly, what i thought about, was resulting out of your blog the other day: consistency, and RPE. So, I have my HRM file, but, since I don't have HR, all I have is (most of my) laps. Not really sure as to why I got quicker towards the ...

so, it has been a while since I have had a decent post, and, there have been quite a few reasons as too why. I have had a great couple weeks.    things in life are going well .  They have been busy, I have had my first real race of the season, I am in the final steps of submitting my research proposal, and I started my final "Stage" (aka. clinical rotation) for the school year.  Grades for the semester are starting to roll in, so far, with very good results.  Over easter, i got to see the ever hot and wonderful boy i like. and, all of this means that I have all of 120 clinical hours remaining between me and the summer. it means that i don't really have much homework. just paying 800$ tuition for working 40hrs a week. 120 clinical hours between me and complete school freedom (or, so i hope) for the summer. 120 clinical hours between me and moving on from montreal for at least 8 months. 120 clinical hours between me and going to hawaii. 120 clinical hours ...

cross your fingers, and send fast vibes! because this girl is at the races! After skipping my afternoon class, a rapid toss of everything into a rental car (yay! a matrix. you may remember, that my first real car was a matrix. i sold maggie almost 3 years ago ), a pick up of a craigslist ride-sharer, a beautiful drive down to NY state... i have arrived in syracuse!!! tomorrow, race prep is happening: the carb loading will occur. the team schmoozing will be fun. the rest and relaxation will be nice. bike will be rechecked. packet will be picked up. on sunday morning, i will be starting at 7:48, wearing a pink cap, with a bib #1054. Use ironmanlive.com to do some athlete tracking!

So, getting pretty excited for this weekend. I had a super duper swim today. One where I just counted my laps, for 30 mins straight in a 30 minute steady swim. 1700m later, i was pretty happy (these are some photos... taken from a video... during the summer, when swimming in a glorious outdoor pool in edmonton) I am a little cautious about approaching my swim this weekend. I know that during my last race, I was not happy. I am a fairly quick swimmer, but, sometimes I over estimate myself (i think). I need to make sure that this swim is steady. That I keep my head in the game, and not worry about where other people are... just swim. And, that is what I have appreciated about my last 4 swims. They have all been 30 minutes continuous. And, that is good for my head space... 30 minutes continuous forces me to get into a head space where i am just finding consistancy: with my stroke, with my thoughts, with me. And, as I am getting ready for the race, the inspirational videos come...