Different

I thought it was time for a new look for my blog...don't get me wrong LA naked on a bike will always have a special place in my heart but I thought it was time to make a few changes....

I never used to make change so freely...it is so easy to get caught up in what is comfortable and simple, not that it is always what you like or want but what you are used to....I am realizing that I am not that person any longer...yes I like a routine and getting things done the way I like them, but I find I am much more open to going outside my comfort zone...I have really challenged myself in the last year and a half and it made me start to wonder if I had changed a lot... this past weekend I realized that I had changed, not to becoming someone new but changed back into me...the me I really am. Spending time with loved ones has a way of opening your eyes...loved ones that have been there through all the hard times, the ones that know the good and the bad and have always been there to help you through it...the ones in the end who know you better than yourself...This past weekend I was able to spend some time with 3 of those great loved ones...my sisters and brother (1 official the other 2 by love!) and to realize how hard it was for them to see me not being me for so long...and how happy they are to have me back with them! I missed you guys!

Different isn't always bad or strange...in my case I am happy to say that different is wonderful...I feel stronger than I ever have (physically and mentally) I am healthy and incredibly happy and I am working towards many different goals in my life and I finally believe that I can do anything...and to have my loved ones recognize that the person they have loved and missed for many years is finally back makes me feel even stronger!

Soaring...

A wonderful person sent me a message the other day and made a comment about this photo..she wrote "So fun to see your spirit soar...just like in your profile picture"...that comment made me smile and think about how far I have come. It hasn't been the easiest route and life sure has been challenging...but it is that way for everyone and I think the struggles and stress that we all go through makes happiness that much sweeter. Life isn't always kind and you can never control what is going to come next but I have gotten to the point that I am surrounded and loved by positive, great people and I know that I can handle anything.

I am almost back to normal after getting the wisdom teeth pulled...I am still having a lot of discomfort in the mouth but I am slowly getting back to eating the things that I love...although I paid the price for eating those Snyder's of Hanover pretzel pieces...but they are SO good and SV was enjoying them...it was worth the intense jaw pain!

We had our last TT of the summer this week...I have missed the last few because of studying and getting the teeth pulled, but was glad to be able to do the last one...we had the option of 23.6 or 30km and SV encouraged me to do the 30km...it was a windy night and cool but I felt pretty good, legs felt strong... the top 4 ladies were within 20 seconds of each other so that made it pretty exciting for the volunteers who organize it. I want to just say how impressed I am with Wanda and Greg..they put so much time and energy into putting these on for us (with support from the local Bike Shops!) they were awesome with the timing and encouragement and they made it fun! You guys rock!! Thanks so much and I look forward to the series next summer (I will try to do more than 4!) after the TT we all headed to BP on the wharf and had a great wrap up celebration.

We also had our last group swim out at MD's place...a great night to swim out on Lake Rosseau..SV and I did 3.2km and then enjoyed some yummy dinner with the group. I am feeling good in the water and SV is swimming strong!

All these "last" events is making me wonder where the summer went...hard to believe it is almost time for it to come to an end...but we have a few more weeks and I know I will enjoy them!

Soggy and Swollen...

Rain, Rain and more Rain...that is what greeted me on Sunday morning, normally for a Sunday morning this would be an excuse to sleep in, however this Sunday morning I had made the mistake of putting the idea of doing a triathlon relay on the table...the reason this was a mistake was that I mentioned this idea to 2 very hard core ladies that jumped at it, the other reason this was a mistake was that I said I would do the half marathon portion of the race....normally not an issue for me since I tend to like the long stuff, but this year I have fully embraced the short distance training and have not run farther than 15km in over 10 months....ok not a problem, it's a relay and we will have some fun, 3 ladies going out and enjoying a nice Sunday (I also talked SV into coming and doing the swim/bike race that they had).

The Bracebridge half is a great course... the swim is in the river and Beth did a great job out there... the bike course is challenging and MD tore it up, she knows those roads and did a great job, all while on her road bike! I have ridden the run course many times and figured that the hills would be challenging but it would be a good training day...unfortunately it started to pour and continued to pour the entire time I was out running...this was a very challenging run for me...starting fresh while other people are 2/3 through their day...I enjoy doing the run portion of a relay because you always feel fast passing everyone, but this race was challenging...some big hills and the non-stop rain made it tough. I focused on picking off the runners in front of me and trying to catch as many as I could...in the end I passed 26 athletes and was only passed by 2..I loved seeing old friends and new ones out there splashing in the puddles. I crossed the line and was happy with my run, it wasn't a really fast time but I will take it for a training run on a tough course...my feet were soggy and covered in blisters and I was cold when I finished, but it was great having my girlies there cheering for me (and making sure I got some pizza at the finish line!!) SV had a good day too, placing first in the swim/bike race!

Monday was a little different...had the 4 wisdom teeth taken out...I was pretty nervous about it..not a fan of needles and drills and tools and pain, lol...yep I'm a wuss...the Dr. was great and I didn't feel a thing :)....don't even really remember the drive home (SV was driving sillies!)...I'm doing pretty good, I am swollen...SV is calling me his puffer fish...

I have some pain..it hurts to smile and laugh..and I am missing food something fierce...I had 4 perogies tonight (it took me a good 30-40 minutes to eat them, but hey it wasn't soup or eggs so I am thrilled!), I am getting better...no bruising yet and the stitches are starting to loosen (feel them at the back of my tongue, such a great feeling!!) soon I will be able to open my mouth wide enough and chew so that I can get back to eating burgers and popcorn and sandwiches and cashews and carrots and pizza and steak and sushi and corn on the cob and strawberries and chicken and apple crumble...... I have only had one food related melt down and I am craving everything right now...what should my first meal be?? I am going to start planning!!

On top of all this I am in the midst of finals...3 are down...3 to go...it has been a crazy few weeks with school but I am doing well and the light at the end of the tunnel is near. I am feeling good about the finals I have coming up and did really well on the ones I wrote this week...pain meds and all!

Looking forward to the next few days and getting back to eating!!

a few more things

wow...it's August already, can't believe how the summer is flying...been so busy lately seems like there are not enough hours in the day but I do the best I can. School is insane right now...exam after exam and finals aren't even here yet, lol, but it is all good. I like the material we are covering and being able to put it all together, a few more weeks and I will be onto semester 3, crazy to think about but it is going fast!

SV and I did the Bala race the weekend after Gravenhurst...we didn't go into this race very well prepared, we had a busy week with more time spent doing anything but training, but that is life and SV came down with a chest/head cold a few days before the race but we decided what the heck, we had a friend doing the race and I had never done this one before and SV has done it every year except for 2 years since the race started 15 years ago. It ended up being a good race for both of us. I came out of the water in 2nd place and ended up being the first person out of transition...my first time being led out by the lead vehicle...very fun..lol. I stayed in the front for the first 10km, but then I felt the butt pat and off went SV blazing up the bike course. It is a challenging bike course in Bala...always climbing a hill it seems, but they are the kind of hills I like and I really enjoyed the ride...I managed to stay in 2nd on the bike for the rest of the ride, but SV was so far ahead of me I knew I wouldn't be catching him this time. The run was a tough one again some pretty tough hills and thankfully it wasn't as hot as the weekend before in Gravenhurst. I finished this race in 6th place...first woman overall. I was happy with how I did and the body was sore.

I also caught SV cold which is annoying..a summer cold is never fun..I also broke out in hives again...that is the second time...but interestingly the outbreak again happened after a stressful day of drama...I see a pattern here...hopefully this will be one of the last times I get hives but if not at least I know the cause now! And the third crummy annoyance this week was my wisdom teeth began causing me problems...in the past I have been able to ignore and avoid the dentist...I love my teeth and I take good care of them but this week I had to admit that they give me pain and after seeing extractor Andy...well these suckers have got to come out...it will happen in the next little bit..not thrilled about it (I passed out when my sister had hers pulled, lol) but I know that I can't live with the pain I have been in this week...I will let you know how it goes!

A year ago this weekend I did UMC...and man am I glad that I am not out there this year...not sure how I was able to do such an epic adventure and for now I am happy to look back at all the great memories from that race....it looks like they are having a great weekend out there for the race, my swim course record was broken (Great Job Tracy!!) and to be honest I had said if my record was broken I would consider doing UMC again....but I made a promise to SV and to myself and I am comfortable with that promise....shorter pursuits are fitting me and life and family so much better right now....plus it leaves plenty of time for the "pants" war that SV and I have taken too....currently tied at 1-1!!

the race

It turned out to be a great weekend for the Gravenhurst Triathlons..AC and CS had come up to stay with us for the weekend and we headed out on the lake for a choppy boat ride and dinner(H&T joined us as H was doing her first try a tri..) Dinner was great at the Taboo boat house and I loved randomly running into old friends, DB and RF, who were up for the race as well...
Race day, I was in charge of getting us to the race site on time, after Binbrook I decided I would be in charge of this..although the transition area was less than 500m from the condo, I knew we would be alright. Things went smoothly for all 3 of us (CS, SV and I) and we made our way down to the Sequin for 8am..I was excited for this as I think the Sequin is beautiful and we have talked about going out for a cruise on it...so it was great to be finally heading out on it. The wait to jump off the boat and into the lake was probably the worst part of the day..it was already very warm by 8:40am and standing in wetsuits was not a comfortable thing. Once we were given the signal to jump in I was happy, the water was the perfect temperature and just a little bit of chop. The Whistle of the boat signalled the start of the race waves and once we got swimming it didn't take long to settle into my rhythm..I saw SV for the first few strokes and then I was pretty much on my own..I could tell there were at least 2 people in front of me and I just focused on the buoys and staying long and smooth on my swim. It is a great lake and I really enjoyed the swim course...it is an L shape with the swim exit at the dock at Boston Pizza (they installed some floating stairs for the athletes) I hit the stairs with one other person, 3rd out of the water..it is a long run up the dock, across the street and around the back of the park to the timing mat, but it was also nice as my bike was close to the swim entrance/run exit area..I had an ok transition, still have to work on being a little quicker in there and my mount to my bike was laughable, but it got me smiling and having some fun!
The start of the bike takes you up Brown St. which is a nice kick in the butt, the first few kms were great, I am used to the roughness of Jones Rd and was prepared for having to be careful. At the first turn around I found out that I was riding in 3rd place..not bad..but then I saw SV and it was sooner than I thought I was going to see him, I greeted him with an "Oh Crap", lol...I then saw CS and RF..it was very deceiving as they seemed to be right behind me...I gave myself a pep talk..figuring I wasn't making the 18km mark before SV caught me..I told myself to just do my own race and let him catch me..nothing I could do about how fast he was riding and I waited for the pat on the bum.
I ended up having a great ride, I felt strong in all the hard areas and pushed on the fun spots..I hit the 18km point and had to smile as SV hadn't passed yet...goal reached. He caught me not long after the 2nd turn around and it was nice to see him, no pat on the bum as we were climbing and he was trying to avoid a pot hole and then he was gone....The last section is tough and I was passed by one more person, he was a duathlete and he rode by me like I was standing still....at the last turn around I realized I was less than 2 minutes behind SV...this was going to be an interesting run!

The start of the run was tough... it was really hot and humid and my quads were screaming at me and on the verge of cramping...the first km I tried to reason with them that the run wouldn't be that bad and all they had to do was 9 more km...but they know that road and the hills aren't nice...but the fuzzy peaches I ate seemed to help a little. The run was a brutal one...the heat, sun and humidity on the road on top of the hills made it challenging, there wasn't much about that run that I found enjoyable...at the halfway point I could tell I was gaining on SV and I thought it might be possible to catch him...by the 7.5km mark I had goosebumps...it was the heat getting to me...I was closing in on SV by the last big climb but I knew that if I didn't catch him by the top that I wouldn't be able to take him on the down hill (as he is way better at running down hill than I am)...he knew this too and after checking over his shoulder for me a few times he raised his arm in victory at the top of the last hill, lol...I love that we can have such fun out there even when we are both hurting!

I crossed the finish line in 3rd place, 20 seconds behind SV...18 minutes ahead of the next woman...I was pleased with my first Olympic race in over 8 years and felt strong the whole way...my quads were tired...there was nothing else I could have given on that run and it was a fun day, people out there suffering and still cheering each other on! not everyone had a great day and some had some bad mechanical problems but still it is a great event and I love the route and can see how it was voted the #1 race in Ontario...

We ended the night with a great gathering of friends to celebrate SV birthday and we got up early to cheer on friends that were racing the next morning in the sprint and try-a-tri...body felt good but man was I tired!!

Muskoka

I remember my first ride up here in Muskoka last summer. SV took me out and we were going to do an easy 62km ride...the first 15km I broke up with him in my mind at least 3 times (possibly 4 but I can't be sure) these little hills that SV said we were "nothing" just about killed me...nothing like the hills I was used to riding in Southwestern Ontario...now just over a year later the Beach Rd is one of my favourites in the area to ride and I am looking forward to racing on it for the first time this weekend. The Gravenhurst Triathlon is here and I am excited to get out there and have some fun. The course really is a great one and even though I haven't done this race before, I have swam, biked and ran the course so many times in the last year, some good some really really bad, I can't wait to have 300 other athletes out there finding out why I love it so much. We have friends coming up to do the race and to celebrate SV's birthday (Happy Birthday babe!!)...I am looking forward to spending time with great people, pushing hard and then celebrating. This will be my first Olympic distance triathlon since 2001...my goal is PB baby, lol...hopefully that won't be a problem as it was my first triathlon ever...I think I know a few more things now...

SV is going down this race...there I said it..okay maybe not..but my goal is to get to the 18km mark on the ride before he passes me...and then make myself look strong on the run course so he thinks I'm catching him...ssshhh don't tell.... It should be a great weekend!

Lastly I want to just congratulate 2 of the best people in the whole wide world on an accomplishment I am very impressed with. My parents celebrated their 40th wedding anniversary...such great parents, spouses and friends! They have a marriage that amazes me and gives me faith that marriage can work (even if it isn't something I intend to ever do again). Congratulations on being so great for one another, for showing me that your partner has to be your lover and your friend and that relationships aren't always easy but liking each other and being a great team can get you through all the hard times! I love you both and thank you for being so great together!

July

Wimbledon...Tour de France....heat and humidity....I am in love with this month so far.

SV introduced me to tennis last year, a sport I had never been interested in watching before but now I am hooked, the skill, speed and power that these players put into each of their shots is impressive...I loved watching Wimbledon this year..some interesting things happened...and I look forward to the US Open!

Then the tour stared this week...so far so good, many crashes and excitement...it never disappoints and to be honest it is my favourite thing about summer...always makes me want to get out there and ride..it also floors me to know that they are able to ride at 50-55km/hour...amazing!

I had my 3rd attempt at the TT this week...I am really loving/hating this event...it is a great group of people who are coming out each week, between 10-14 people..and the volunteers are pretty amazing to come out and do all this for us. Last week I wore toe warmers and arm warmers and the wind was intense. I rode about 30 seconds slower than the first week but I was happy with my effort. This week I thought we were crazy to even be attempting it. It was 42 degrees out with the humidity and my motivation level was non-existent. I tried to tell SV that it wasn't healthy for us and that we shouldn't be doing anything intense....his response was.."this is the temperature it was for your Ultraman last year and it will be 30 minutes of hard work"......so to say the least I put my bike gear on and off we went.

I had a pretty good ride actually. I did a PB by 30 seconds and felt pretty strong and was actually able to even split the 2 laps. There is one lady that has come out the last few times and she is fast, I ended up being only 8 seconds behind her and it was great to be pushed by her and to know that I was pushing her as well! It was hot and painful..I was soaked by the time we were done but it was also a lot of fun. I am actually starting to enjoy these tt's...so different than what I have done before but fun to push hard and I never thought I would be able to ride at the speed I am riding at...hopefully I will learn how to do that in a race setting but for now I am having fun with the time trials.

I also found my way back to the water this week, the last time I swam was the triathlon last month but I have been in the water 3 times so far this week...can't say I am feeling great in the water but at least I am getting in again...we also got out in the lake for a swim and I am really happy with the new wetsuit...fit is great and the feel is even better!