"Sweet As"

Life is amazing...so many beautiful places and people in this world, I am so glad to be able to see/know so many!

Our NZ trip is in full swing.  Enjoying all the sights and events.  We have 11 days left and I am looking forward to some of the adventures we have planned, especially the bungee jump (check out http://www.bungy.co.nz/the-nevis/the-nevis-bungy this is how SV, Tom, Ashley and I are spending our morning tmo...what a way to start the day...YAY!!!!)

Our week in Auckland went quickly.  We did the run course our first day and I was happy that it was a flat one, lots of turns but mainly around the waterfront; very pretty.  We did the bike course twice before the race.  The first ride, was windy (50km/hour) which made for some incredibly tough sections and scary descents but the next ride the winds were calmer (only 30km/hr) and I was able to get a better sense of what it was going to be like on race day.  The course was great, a few good climbs and descents in the 20km loop (2 laps) only the 7km section back to town in a headwind was challenging.  

We didn't get in the ocean to swim before race day, we opted to swim in the pool instead, the cold air and low water temperatures didn't excite any of us!  

Watching the elite men's race was exciting;  pouring rain, gusting wind and the thrill of watching them  put it all on the line.  Definitely gave me inspiration as I watched them all push themselves to the limit; man can those guys run/fly!!

Race day the weather was cool but sunny.   After several days of rain I was pretty happy that we were going to have the sun!  Competing at World Championships you start in a wave with only your age group.  Very nice to start with only 98 women!  Jumping into the water was shocking...the temp was 14 degrees Celsius.  We were off in less than a minute and I was out front...SV said he could see me out front from the start which is pretty cool.   I wasn't prepared for how choppy the swim was...a few large mouthfuls of salt water... poor sighting and the cold temp didn't make for a very fast swim time, but wasn't much I could change.  I came out of the water fourth in my age category and I felt pretty good.  

The run to transitions was long, running to the end of the wharf then back into the transition zone to the bikes.  This made it fair for everyone as there was a huge transition area (3000+ athletes competing).  The wharf has several rail tracks (similar to what you find in the city for street cars) which the race organizers covered with blue carpet.  The carpet I believe was intended to make the area safer/more even...unfortunately it disguised the tracks and I rolled my foot as I was running to transition from the swim-bike.  The first time I hit one, I swore, the second time I hit one, I swore louder!   I seemed ok so I kept going.  

 I had a pretty good ride. The wind was not a factor until 13km... it was a LONG 7km back to town with the headwind, but the cheering from Ashley and Cat at the turn around was a nice boost.  I saw SV on my second loop...he was on the 7km headwind section and for the first time in a race he didn't look like he was flying (that's what a 33km/hr headwind will do to you I guess).

 During the ride I realized that something was up with my foot.  When I stood for climbs I had pain on the lateral side of my right foot.
Heading into T2 was the worst part of the race...the long run up and down the wharf and trying to avoid any of the rail tracks in my bare feet was very painful.  I tried to run on the inside of my foot/big toe and tried to not focus on the pain, but I knew then that something was wrong. 

 I want to say I considered stopping.  Honestly though, there was no way I was stopping.  I had come too far and it was only 10km...I could do it.   

The first two kilometres of the run were a mental battle...the sane part of my brain was telling me to 'Stop, something is wrong and it is ok to just pack it in'.  The other part (you all know that part) was telling me ' I have come all the way to NZ, that I am not a quitter'.  I wanted to place top 10 in my age category and I kept thinking that the foot was already messed up so I may as well keep going.  Obviously, this competitive side of my brain won the battle.
I convinced myself to not focus on the pain...to get through the first loop and to use the cheers from all the spectators to keep me moving forward.  It truly is an amazing feeling to have so many people yell "Go Canada", "Looking Good Canada", etc.
As I started the second loop of the run I saw Ashley and I was pretty sure she yelled "Bring it home!".
This gave me a huge push... I decided I had already done 5km, I was finishing the next 5km, and I had better get it done faster (the longer I was out there the longer it was going to hurt).  I focused on the people in front of me and catching them.
I am happy to say that I did not get passed by any women on that run...but I did a lot of passing!  Coming into the finishing area was a great feeling.  I had no clue how I had placed...I was pretty sure I hadn't made it on to the podium, but was hopeful that I had placed in the top 10 in my age category.   In the end, I placed 9th in Women's 35-39! 

I was able to watch John and Dave from Gravenhurst race each other to the finish line and unlike Budapest, I was there to cheer SV as he ran to the finishing line looking super strong.  (He had a stellar 38th placing in the Men's 45-49!).

I am still not sure how I got myself to keep going...is it determination or stupidity (I oscillate when I think about it).  It's been a challenging few days post race...the 4th/5th metatarsals are sore and possibly broken but I have been resting/icing/elevating as much as possible, and the swelling and bruising has gone down significantly.  I have been swimming a few times to keep active but man do I want to run, lol!

Thanks to everyone for the support and encouragement leading up, during, and after the race...You are all the best people a person could know!!

Biking in NZ!

Cheering in the rain!

Elite Men's Top 3

Heading out to lap 2

Pretty Colours

Our view in Queenstown, NZ

It's Time!

That's right... bags and bikes are packed...the "To Do" list is all checked off... the proverbial "hay is in the barn".  After a whirlwind of a week, all that is left is to get to NZ. 

 I am excited and overwhelmed all at once. Not sure what to expect but I have heard so many fabulous things about the country that I know I am going to love it.   Excited to do one last race of 2012...both SV and I were feeling strong this week as we went through our last few intense workouts, no matter what happens on race day we are going to give it 100%!  (in our Team Canada gear!!)

Thanks to everyone for the support and encouragement.  Send those positive vibes our way as much as you can.  I am sure we will have some fun adventures and I will keep you updated as much as possible!

I'm going to leave you with the song that I have been singing over and over in my head...thought it was kind of fitting!!  http://youtu.be/sENM2wA_FTg

Time Flies

October 2nd...crazy to think that summer is officially behind us...the trees in Muskoka have taken on the breath-taking beauty of fall and there's a chill in the air, even with the glorious sun shining! I love autumn in Muskoka, so beautiful, but I was hoping it would stay away for a little while.  After such an amazing summer it is hard to move on, all I can hope is that winter is going to be just as great!

 I took a couple of days to recover from Centurion and found my way back to the pool and although I am not feeling strong in the water at least I am feeling "less sloppy".  SV and I have been keeping the training consistent with the arrival of fall.  It can be hard to stay motivated this time of year, as it's "off season" for most people, but I keep focusing on how hard those 2+ hours are going to be on race day (ITU Olympic Age Group World Championships- Auckland, NZ)  if I don't get my workouts done now,  and that has helped keep my butt moving.

 On Sunday SV and I did our "Killer Brick Workout",  a workout that I didn't think could get any more challenging.  Man was I wrong.  This workout toasted me...I was shattered at the end of it, but wow did it feel good to put in an all out effort.  Only a few more hard workouts over the next 2 weeks and then it's taper time...that's right 2 WEEKS until we are off to NZ!  Hard to believe a year ago we were just thinking about how much fun it was going to be, and now it's almost time!

Today I received some great news...extra motivation to keep working hard all the way to NZ .   I am honoured and humbled to have been selected by Triathlon Ontario as the 2012  Age Group Female Triathlete of the Year.  I am extremely appreciative of everyone who has pushed me to do my best throughout the triathlon season here in Ontario. Here's to hoping I can take all this positive energy with me all the way to the finish line in Auckland.....what a ride.

 Muskoka Colours

 SV ready to ride

Centurion Canada

SV and I took part in the Centurion Canada event yesterday.  It was a beautiful day for a long ride and the route through the Collingwood area was nice and challenging as always.   This race was hard to get excited for,  I was dreading it actually.  I know in my athletic past I have been on my bike for a lot longer than 160km, but that was a few years ago and as it turned out this summer, we just didn't get out for many long rides.  Since coming back from the huge bike week in AZ in early May, we did a handful of 100+km rides...the last one being in late June.  I tried to think of this race as a long group ride with a bunch of strangers but I was prepared to suffer  because of the lack of training.  SV was going to try and get into the fast group and hang on for as long as he could.  I thought we would be able to stick together for the "neutral rollout" but once the horn went off... Mayhem...5 miles of people trying to get to the front and slamming on their brakes while screaming "SLOWING"...I am not a cyclist and I am not your typical type A personality but those 5 miles were the worst for me...it was kind of like being in traffic on the 401...crawling a long for no reason then speeding up and having to slam on the brakes...but if everyone could just be chill and drive at a reasonable pace things would be fine.  My HR was 150 or above for that whole 5 miles and all the while I was thinking of the first climb we would be hitting at the end of those 5 miles and it was a nasty one.
It turned out to be an interesting day for me.  I lost sight of SV during the first nasty climb but knew he would have a great day.  I started experiencing slight cramping in my calves at 10km, not a good sign, but I made some adjustments and was better.  Eventually I heard Andrew H and we spent the next 90km together in a pretty good group, it was awesome to watch Eon D'ornellas ripping up the road and keeping the group in good pace and etiquette.
My body on the other hand wasn't having the best time, my quads started protesting at 42km.  I tried to massage and stretch them the best that I could and for the most part did pretty well at staying ahead of the cramping.  The race has a  King of the Mountain portion, which you hit at 120km(ish)  it is at this point that the group I was in broke apart, people really start to suffer. I felt pretty good going up that climb and once I got to the top had to push hard to catch a group of men in front of me...my quads were angry and they recruited my hamstrings to try to make their point clear...my legs were hating me, lol.  At 140km I realized how quiet it had become, the social chit-chat was gone, people had their heads down and were slowing.  For me though this was the point I just needed to be done..I kept talking to my legs telling them that they weren't allowed to cramp. I encouraged those I was passing and I just tried to get each km done as quickly as possible....the best moment came when I saw the caution sign for the decent back down into the valley...best 4km ever..top speed was 88.2km/hr on the downhill, WOOHOO!!
In the end, although my legs were cramped and angry with me, I was proud that I pulled out a strong ride with the little training I had done for it.  I placed 3rd in my age category and I stayed the same amount of time behind SV as I was last year.  (SV suffered out there too with quad and hamstring cramps but managed to stay with a strong group and earned a 15min PB!)
This is us at the finish line where kidlets and friends were waiting, Happy to be done!

BB and SV's Excellent Adventure...Take 2

Bags are pack...I was able to pack lots into the panniers, learned that tip from my mom!!   

I'm excited to be headed east once again...I have been dreaming of those lobsters for a year now!!

We have no "plan" just taking it one day at a time...figuring it out as we go...seeing what we see and deciding what we want to do each day...I think we may try to hit Lake Placid again, SV is wanting to swim the Ironman course again, but this time I think we will rent some wetsuits....no way I could fit those bad boys in the panniers, lol.  I will update you from along the road and the camera is packed so I hope to share as much of the adventure as possible....Keep your fingers crossed that this year really is excellent...no fires this year!!

New Challenges!

I love how life can keep you on your toes and push you into new things, things that if given the chance you would talk yourself out of.  This past weekend I was able to witness several of my athletes throw a blanket over the voices...the ones that would tell them they were crazy or that they couldn't possibly finish an Olympic distance triathlon...they rose to the challenge and accomplished great things.  I get goosebumps thinking about how they faced the unknown distance and every single one of them crossed the finish line with a huge smile on their faces!  

So with all of them in mind,  I forced myself to click the "register" button for my first 70.3 race.  I had been "persuaded" by two lovely ladies to do my first Half Ironman distance race a couple of weeks back, however,  I wasn't sure if I really wanted to do it...I have done Ironman and Ultraman and I am quite comfortable at the Olympic distance these days....but after watching so many of my athletes face the unknown this weekend I knew that I had to follow their lead.  Time to step outside of comfortable and do something I haven't done before.  I have that nervous excitement, the  slight dread, the "what have I done" feeling, but at the same time I am pumped for a new challenge.   SV is going to be right there with me and it is great to know that we are going to go through this together.  Looking forward to long training days and of course beers at the end!  (SC and JC get your butts registered!!)

Mark D...completing his 1st Olympic (Type 1 Diabetic)

Ashley B. Rocking the run on her first Olympic Tri

Shane W. completing 1500m swim, 7.5 weeks after first swim ever

Janny V. completing her 1st Duathlon in 60-69 age cat.

UltraPossible Team that inspire me everyday!

Smiling

I can't believe it has been nearly two months since I posted on this site,  not because I haven't had anything to blog about, but because I haven't had a chance to sit down and collect my thoughts.  Life has been full speed ahead since May and in all honesty I am loving the whirl wind!  I took a huge leap at the beginning of May, making a goal a reality... UltraPossible is alive and growing (www.ultrapossible.ca). I have surrounded myself with some of the most amazing people and the energy that's been created is overwhelming.  I am excited to say along with Coach Brent and Coach Steve that we are putting together an amazing team and program.  We are helping our athletes reach their fitness goals and creating a fun environment for people to learn and excel.  I can't help but be pumped.  Nothing better than waking up each day loving what I do and looking forward to what is going to happen that day...yes I am busy and at times I forget what I walked into a room for, but I have to admit that I am loving it!
This past weekend I did my first tri of the 2012 season.  The Gravenhurst Tri is one of my favourites, from the steamship boat ride to the swim start, the beautiful bike course and the killer run. It is one that I love to do but always suffer on.  Once again, it was a steamy hot day and although there were a few things I could have done better, I am happy with how my race went.  I haven't been swimming nearly enough, but my swim time was around where it should be. I felt pretty good on the bike and although I could have been stronger, I am pleased with my ride. My run was a struggle for sure, as I think it was for everyone. That run course is a tough one---lots of hills on a road with many deer flies and lots of sun (very little shade out there).  It ended up being a 10km run where I bargained with my quads, trying to bribe them to not go into full blown cramp.  I never felt that I was running strong, just trying to get to the finish. (I was very surprised to see that I ran a 4:12/km pace).
I found myself smiling through the entire day...I was able to race with several of our athletes as they completed their first triathlons, longer distance or improved their times.  I was overwhelmed by how many of our athletes gave up a beautiful weekend to come down to the race site to volunteer and support their teammates and other athletes.  The energy the UP athletes gave out there was amazing and I am so proud to be part of it.
This pic is from race day...thanks Jo for making this for me and thanks to all my family, friends and athletes who are keeping a smile on my face!