Hah! There you go, old man winter!! you're not stopping me!!

Winter is here!  Holy crap, ever heard the expression 'freeze the balls of a brass monkey'?  Tonight was the night!  It was -18C(0F) with a nice solid north west wind(40 kmh)  off of the partially frozen bay!  Most people were driving their cars with all their clothes on and toques still pulled over their ears.  It is by far the coldest day of this winter and I had a run to do.

I talked to e friend on my way up and told him I was heading out for a short run.  His first reply was, 'you are nuts! Why the hell would you go out in that temperature?'  Well, the answer in my mind was clear!  I am going for my run.  

After my short rest this week I seen to have developed an absolute need to get back on track.  Not running today was not an option for the day.  I knew the weather was going to be foul for running so I got prepared, I went and did some shopping.  First idea on mind was a pair of good winter running socks. I got a pair of merino wool winter light running socks on the recommendation of the lady at the store.  The second idea was to a pair of YakTrax.  They are a wire bound thingy tool that you strap onto your shoes!  So, I had a very successful shopping trip, all the tools in hand!

When I got up to the ski cottage this afternoon I got my stuff on to go for my cool winter run.  It was a big day for layers to be ready to tackle to weather. I put on my new shocks and 2 base layers for my legs.  Seems warm enough for the bottom, now the top. ONe base layer compression top(from Lululemon and it rocks!) one mid layer with a fleece lining, one top layer to help stop the wind and one wind shell.  Cant forget my warmest hat possible to help for stopping myself from getting first bite!

As I headed out, the wind was at my back so it wasnt to cold on my face.  The first thing I noticed was my new foot gear.  My new merino socks were keeping my feet totally comfortable.  My YAKTRAX were awesome.  I instantly felt comfortable running on the snow and ice, my feet were not slipping at all as I ran down the icy road.  It is the first time running this winter that my back had not hurt while out for a snow run.  Although the wind was blowing strong, i warmed up fairly quickly.  The run out was comfortable, however when I turned the wind was in my face.  It was wicked cold.  I tried to pull my short up over my face to block the wind, it was a futile effort, shirts arent meant to be pulled up over your ears. So I ran along trying to block the wind with my hands.  At a couple of points I had to wrap my hands around my face to thaw it out a bit.   It was the coldest run I have ever had, but it was awesome!

Old man winter was not getting the best of me today!  I wanted to run and was  not going to miss it because old man winter was out!  I love running in the worst of conditions and today was on top of the scale.  Finishing the run is so much more pleasing than the easy days!  SO day 2 back at it and loving it.  Tomorrow is another great skiday.  It has been sowing all day today and it is freezing cold.  That translate into a crazy great snow day, might even get some powder to start the day.  Tomorrow night for some variety we are going to go out for a full moon snow shoe.   It will be a perfect nigh, it is supposed to be a clear night with no wind.  WIth all the new snow we have had the moon and the stars reflecting on them should make for an awesome night to be out walking through the forest.

I hope that you can enjoy some of the fun things you like to do this weekend! After all that what weekends are for!  

Cheers and happy training!  

 

out of self imposed training exhile!

I never thought not training would cause me to be a bitchy, moody slug so quickly!  Holy smokes, am I glad that is over!  This week I went inot a 3 day self imposed training exhile.  I was sick and  every bone in my body ached and I let it get me into a crazy tail spin. 
As I have ramped up training, there are days when I have thoughty, a couple of days off would be great!  Now that I have had those days off, it has put things into a new perspective.  I want to train!  I guess some where in the mind of a want to be IM is an obseesive gene requiring pain in order to keep things in a proper balance!  I am so happy to have discovered that.  I am going to pack it inot  my little mind basket so that when I am exhausted it serves as a reminder of how much I enjoy the stress and pain of training and how miserable I am to myself(and likely those around me) when I am not sweating!

This monring I rolled out of bed at 4:50AM to haed out for my Thursday AM run.  It is currently a short one that I do prior to doing a gtreat Yopga session.  THis morning was particularly easy for me.  I suppose the rest as well as the likley benefits of the periodization effect from being off for a few days.  It was great to be out and trotting down the sidewalk for an early start to the day.  With a couple of others, we are trying to gather a run club for early morning outtings, so far it is tough.  Mind you with the temperature at -6C(20F) not many people want to get out of bed at 5AM to run.  As the waether warms up I believe that we wil get a crowd together as there are a lot of runners in teh neighbourhood.  It wil be great, as well as being runners, it will be a good transition and build to a morning ride group for training and coaching!  Following the morning run was my sacred yoga practive, I love it!  This morning was a bit tougher than usual.  I am blaming it on the remainder of this crazy cold, but it got the best of me!  I had to take 3 rest breaks as I thought I was going to pass out.  The practice is about workoing through pain and discomfort, so each time I tought I could get up, I was apparently a little early.  Being a scuker for alittle more pain, I would force myself to try and get through it, only to find myself seeing the room starting to spin and te lights getting dark.  Oh well, it was still a great practice and I look forward to more.
I have written my post prematurely today as I am so excited to be back on my feet training.  I still have a pool workout this afternoon and then out to a Lululemon Yoga for Haiti event tonight!  I am pumped for the rest of the day and some more pain to come! 
I hope you are having a great day and have a smile on your face!  If you dont, take a step back.  Think about how bad it is.......could it be worse????  How bad is it relative to what others are going through??  Will you get home tonight and see your loved ones and get over it??  Likely the answer is YES!  SO SMILE!  Life is tro short to sweat the small stuff!
CHEERS AND HAPPY THURSDAY!
Part Deux!

Great swim this afternoon!  Did 1800m in 30min, a bunch of length kind of stuff!  Only challenge was that I was not smart enough to learn my lesson about dehydration earlier this month.  As I did Yoga this morning and it was crazy hot I sweat any water that I have been able to restore since I got back to feeling well.  About half way through practice today I started cramping in my feet and it gradually worked its way up my legs.  I dont know how smart it was, but I figured it could happen in a race so I worked my way through it!  So, overall I was very please with my swim.  I compare notes on swimming from the fall when I did a 30 min swim and it is a great improvement.  I have added 300m to my distance in the same time frame.  I did do some 100 repeats today, and with cramps and all(did a couple of lengths without kick) I was managing 1:40-1:45 for 100 repeats.  I am now using that as a benchmark to grow and improve from.  Using drills I have been able to start to bilateral breath,  it does take a lot of time of of a length and it seems much more efficient. My next few weeks will be to work at refining my ability to swim that way all the time.  As I said last week, I am going to focus on form so that I can gain maximum long term benefit and speed once i start training in March!
Well, now time for some food and rest and off to Yoga for Haiti!  Have a great night!  Cheers!

PLease support Ride to Conquer Cancer

Today's blog is less about training and more about reflection and helping others!  Sorry about the emotional  tone of this blog, but life is not always about smiling!

This week a very close friend lost his mother to cancer.  Her battle was one that has served as an inspiration to me and many of those who knew her.
Over 7 years ago she was diagnosed with Leukemia and started her treatment.  She was always a person who worked for others so that they could live comfortably and with the least amount of displeasure in their lives.  She worked tirelessly for charities and her family and friends to see that every day of their lives would be spent with a smile on their faces and a 'joie de vivre'.
 In the time that I knew her I  never once heard her utter a negative word or complaint about a thing.  She fought courageously and silently, she went into remission 3 times.  I am convinced to this day she beat the odds  because she had unfinished business , she was not done bringing joy to her family and her friends and enjoying the moments that we are so lucky to enjoy in life.
I am certain that my short story is not a stand alone.  We are all affected in one way or another by Cancer.  Our friends, families and many around us are affected every minute of every day.
In June of this summer, I have entered a charity double century ride to raise money for one of the worlds leading Cancer Research centers.  Princess Margaret Hospital.  I will be riding a double century ride in honor of a lady that should serve as a role model to all of us.  If it is raining, sleeting, if I get 10 flat tires, if I accidently put tiger balm on instead of chamois butter, I will not utter a word of complaint for any of the 200 miles or the run afterwards.  I will remember the years that Sandra fought silently so that others could be able to carry on with a happy day with no burden.
As I do this ride in honor of her and all the others who have and are fighting, please support Princess Margaret Hospital Ride to Conquer Cancer.  I have put a link on the top left of my page so that you can go and enter your donation directly.(tax receipt will be issued at time of entry)
Her family will be grateful, kids and moms and dads will love you for it, and hopefully in the future one of our family members will be spared the terrible battle.

THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR READING THIS BLOG AND WHATEVER FINANCIAL OR MORAL SUPPORT YOU CAN COMMUNICATE!

In memory of Sandra Ryder MacDougall

3-2-1-GO!........to bed!

So as everyone seems to have has a chance to enjoy a cold in the past few weeks, I was feeling special as I managed to avoid it!  Well as I run into the 4th quarter thinking I missed it......WHAP!  up side the head and I am out!
That's all I have the energy to do right now...every bone in my body hurts so I am going to bed!
Hope everyone is healthy and ready to enjoy a wonderful week ahead!
Cheers to all!

OK! I accept skiing as cross training!

As always my weekend is spent on snow skiing like a crazy man and sharing my passion with others.  Today was a picture perfect day!  bright sunshine, wonderful smiles from everyone who looked at you, snow that was beyond amazing to ski on!  What a day!  I skied with the groups that I coached and was able to get them to push beyond limits they usually would never try.  I get such pleasure seeing the smile on peoples faces when they move outside of the box and are successful doing it!  I guess it is like a day in the pool for a previous non-swimmer guy!  The joy of victory, even the smallest is awesome!
I have struggled with the whole idea of not training on the weekends while I have been skiing.  Today, I put on a heart rate monitor to see what the result would be, does it actually equal a workout, or is it just another day sitting and burning calories.  Well, much to my pleasure it is a workout.  From 8:30AM to 3:00PM I burned 4100 calories.  I figure if I ran for 30-40 minutes after to day that I was training I could add another 600-700 to my total, but why?  My style of skiing is likely comparable to doing hills or sprints.  Although I m teaching/coaching I complete all of my demonstrations to the groups with a fierce passion and vigour.  I only n know how to show at 100%+ so that it is clear the result of what I am taking about.  I tend to finish lot of lessons with my clothes soaking wet from sweat, I actually bring a change of socks and shirts for lunch as some days I need to change.  I suppose it reflects my overall way of being, if you are going to do something, dont do it half way.  Put your heart into it, commit and do it properly!  Why go half way when you can go all the way!
That being said, my blog today is all about skiing and not a lot about training.  Although one is totally like the other!  I hope you did something today that brought a smile to your face and a memory you can enjoy!
Happy weekend!

A good return to reality!

After a few days out of the office out on the ski hill, I came back to reality today!  WOW! I didn't miss it!  It serves as a great reminder to continue chasing my passions and dreams so that I dont have to rush home on a Thursday to of back to the office and deal with impatient and rushed people.  Coming back after being out working on the ski hill clearly shows why people have heart attacks!  So, if any of you would like to learn how to ski, give me a call.  I am a Level 3 certified instructor, Level 2 certified race coach, trained to teach in a terrain park and love to be out there sharing my passion!  Buy me a beer and I might even throw a 2 for 1 lesson deal!

In my return to reality I did get a great email today that confirms my passion for teaching and coaching to others.  I was informed that I am 'Instructor of the Week'!  Wahoo!  I get a free autographed sweat shirt from Olympian Brad Martin(another sweat shirt)  The best part of the recognition is knowing that my passion is recognized and appreciated!  Knowing that I am getting other people involved and passionate about the sport is a great reward for doing something that is so much fun for me!
Another fun thing about being back to the real world was getting in the pool today.  My schedule was mad, working to catch up on loose ends from the beginning of the week and getting organized for clinics this weekend.  Amongst the rush and chaos getting into the pool was a great outlet and opportunity to practice my swim.  Although the swim today was strictly lengths I was very happy with the feel in the water and my technique.  I only did 1600M, but in 26 minutes.  A great improvement from before the holiday.  I also did a few 100m to see where I am at.  I was doing them in 1:52-1:55  couple of weeks ago, today I was doing 1:38-1:40.  All the drill practice (totally irrelevant photo, but a lot of fun)seems to be paying off quickly. My goal is to continue with drills for the next 3-4 weeks before I get into my full program.
I also started my day today with a great yoga practice.  I have talked about yoga a few times and have to repeat it.  The hour spent is refreshing(eve though it is 38C in the room)  It provides and hour of focused mental training with the great benefit  of strength and flexibility built in.  As I get into my full training I am going to incorporate into my weekly program as I think it will benefit me all the way to the start line.  It is also great that the practice is led my a great instructor who makes certain that each individual in the room gets the maximum benefit.
With reality also comes some moments that are never fun to face.  This evening I went to visit my training partners mom in the hospital. She is facing the last few days with terminal cancer.  She has been an inspiration to me in the last few events that I have done.  When you see a friend fighting such a terrible and invasive disease it makes all my pains seem irrelevant.  She has been a fighter so that others around her would not have to endure any undue inconvenience.  When I am out on my Ironman journey and thinking that it is impossible, I will think of her and how I should suck it up and keep going.  My races this summer are in honour of her and all those who have suffered with cancer.  My thoughts are with her and I pray that she is comfortable and unbothered in there last few moment.  Bless you Sandy!

As I posted my Blog last night Sandy passed away peacefully in her sleep!  My thoughts and prayers are with her family and friends!

A day on the skiing Roller Derby track!

Another great day at the WorldCup Ski-Cross event that I volunteered at.  The photos below are some random shots of the insanity that these athletes expose themselves to in the quest to get their chance at the Olympic dream.  A picture may be worth a thousand words, but they dont show the speed the words are traveling at.  These guys and girls are flying at speeds reaching 80k/hr dow the track which was almost solid ice.  As some of the photos show, they are jumping 10-15' in the air, often flying over top of the competitor to get in front of them.  

Some times the Olympic dream is done in a second, the attached photos show it in action.  The 2 girls that are in the accident below, were in 1st and 2nd place up to that point.  ONe girl slips on the ice as she is trying to get in position, and the result is the chaos that the photo shows.  ONe separated shoulder, one pissed off girl, and 2 people not going to the Olympics to race.  The frustration was clear to hear, as the girl got up of the snow her only words were, 'you f*cking idiot' to the other girl.  When she reached the bottom she was in tears having seen her Olympic dream disappear!  I cant imagine the mental agony that she is feeling today, and also the separated shoulder to add insult to injury.

My day was spent shoveling snow and working like a dog, but I would not trade it for the world.  It was a privilege to watch our Canadian athlete who is ranked 2nd in the world on the podium today.  It was cool to have a small Canadian resort host a world event and be a part of it as it went off without a hitch.  

All that being said, I am walking in my sleep after 3 hard days, so good night to you all!  Off for a run at 5AM and Yoga to follow.  Then, I suppose I need to go to work!  Cheers!