I guess I should have known better - the Winter Olympics are currently underway.
Today I set out for my toughest ride of the week: 2.5 hours that included 3x4km up Mt. Seymour. I have been working up to this distance and have felt pretty pleased with my progress so far. It has definitely helped that the weather in Vancouver has been perfect for the past week and riding outside and not on the trainer has been awesome.
Today when I left the house, it was slightly overcast, 12 degrees Celsius, but looked like it wouldn't rain for a while. I set off on my ride and made my way over to Mt. Seymour to get started. The first hill rep is always the hardest but I was committed to making this workout a great one! By the time I started the second rep, it started spitting. It didn't really bother me as I was quite warm with all my layers on and welcomed it. But, by the time I started the third rep, the rain REALLY started coming down. I was determined to finish what I had started, so I kept at it. 1km, 2km, 3km.... I had almost reached the 4km mark when the SNOW came down - hard!! I didn't want to turn around early (stupid me!) so I kept going until I had reached the 4km mark. When I looked down on my bike computer, the temperature had dropped a whopping 8 degrees and was now only 4 degrees C. Ouch! Needless to say, the ride down the mountain was NOT enjoyable. I went through snow, sleet and pouring raining before I made it to the basw. I was officially FROZEN. I also had a good 20-25min ride home in the pouring rain. I contemplated calling Mark and begging him to pick me up, but I sucked it up and finished the ride.
A hot shower and warm sweats have never felt sooooo good!
We are off to Whistler tomorrow to catch some more Olympic action. We will be at the victory ceremony on Wednesday night and the Nordic Combined on Thursday morning!
Tuesday, February 23, 2010
Monday, February 15, 2010
Olympic Fun!
Vancouver has fully embraced the Olympics. The city is packed with people decked out in patriotic gear from all over the world.
Initially I wasn't sure how the city would react to the Olympic Games. Vancouver always seems to be a city that enjoys participating in sporting events instead of spectating. However, if Saturday was any indication - Vancouver is ready to welcome the world and embrace anything and everything "Olympics!"
Initially I wasn't sure how the city would react to the Olympic Games. Vancouver always seems to be a city that enjoys participating in sporting events instead of spectating. However, if Saturday was any indication - Vancouver is ready to welcome the world and embrace anything and everything "Olympics!"
Ramsey, Mark, Nick, Dave, Allison and I with the torch!
Yesterday, we cheered from home as Canada won its first Olympic Gold Medal on home soil - EVER! Today we hope to head downtown to check out the Heineken House!!
I have a feeling I won't be doing anything productive for the next two weeks as I take in all the Olympic festivities!
Here are a few pictures from Vancouver:
Being interviewed by CTV!
Dave, Mark, Ramsey and Nick taking up the bobsled!
Being tourists in our own city!
Cheering on the home team!
Monday, January 18, 2010
SO far, SO good but SO tired!
2010 has continued to be a great year so far. The job search is keeping me busy, along with some coaching that I have picked up along the way.
With a little more "free" time on my hands, my lovely husband/coach has definitely been taking advantage of it on the training side of things. Ironman Canada is eight months away. However it is still an unbelievably daunting race and the thought of it has scared me into a consistent and intense training program.
In all my triathlons to date, I have always finished the swim in a great position, usually one of the first out of the water... but, that's when the race ends. The bikes starts, and I get passed, and passed and passed. In fact, I am pretty sure that I have never passed anyone on the bike... EVER. So, my "retired pro cycling husband" has made it his mission to make sure that doesn't happen (as much) come August.
For the past six weeks, I am have been on the bike - A LOT. Most of my riding has been on the trainer, thanks to all the lovely rain in Vancouver. But, as much as I love riding outside, the trainer has allowed me to do a lot of specific training without the worry of interruptions. My goal leading up to IMC is to be as prepared as possible for the 180km ride. After that, we'll see what happens...
Other bike related news - my new bike has arrived! Mark got me a TT frame for Christmas. Right now the bike is in a million different pieces on the floor of our condo. We are still waiting on a few more parts and then Mark can start building it. Also, next Saturday night, a group of us from the North Shore Tri Club will be learning to ride in the Velodrome! Should be a fun night!
Shan, Steph, Ally and I after a 100km ride on Saturday.
Enjoying a well deserved coffee break!
With a little more "free" time on my hands, my lovely husband/coach has definitely been taking advantage of it on the training side of things. Ironman Canada is eight months away. However it is still an unbelievably daunting race and the thought of it has scared me into a consistent and intense training program.
In all my triathlons to date, I have always finished the swim in a great position, usually one of the first out of the water... but, that's when the race ends. The bikes starts, and I get passed, and passed and passed. In fact, I am pretty sure that I have never passed anyone on the bike... EVER. So, my "retired pro cycling husband" has made it his mission to make sure that doesn't happen (as much) come August.
A old picture of Mark representing Canada at some race!
For the past six weeks, I am have been on the bike - A LOT. Most of my riding has been on the trainer, thanks to all the lovely rain in Vancouver. But, as much as I love riding outside, the trainer has allowed me to do a lot of specific training without the worry of interruptions. My goal leading up to IMC is to be as prepared as possible for the 180km ride. After that, we'll see what happens...
Other bike related news - my new bike has arrived! Mark got me a TT frame for Christmas. Right now the bike is in a million different pieces on the floor of our condo. We are still waiting on a few more parts and then Mark can start building it. Also, next Saturday night, a group of us from the North Shore Tri Club will be learning to ride in the Velodrome! Should be a fun night!
Shan, Steph, Ally and I after a 100km ride on Saturday.
Enjoying a well deserved coffee break!
Monday, January 4, 2010
Happy New Year
This New Year has brought a lot of changes and Mark and I are excited about what the New Year will have in store for us. 2009 was a year of excitement, fun and friendship and we have no doubt that 2010 will be that much better!
I have a few personal goals for 2010 - in no particular order.
1. Keep a training log. It has been a long time since I have systematically written down my workouts and kept track of what I was doing. I miss being able to look back and figure out what works and what doesn't - along with all that I have accomplished in the year. I decided to start this goal early and haven't missed logging a workout since Dec 1st!
2. Eat healthier. Generally, I eat quite healthy. But, there are a lot of time when convenience outweighed eating the right food. With Ironman Canada as my main goal this year, I would like to fuel my body with the best foods and not the easiest foods. This will include planning out our weekly meals, bringing my lunch to work and having healthy snacks around the house.
3. Keep our home office organized. I have always prided myself of being extremely organized...ask any of my roommates in university :). However, this past year I have managed to neglect keeping things as organized as I would have liked. Over the holidays we have organized and sorted out our condo in an attempt to start this year off on the right foot!
4. Find a career that I am passionate about! Just recently, I have decided to leave my current role in search of something more. In the last two years I have gained a tremendous amount of knowledge and experience. However, something was missing and I am on a quest to find that something. I know it won't be easy and I definitely didn't make the "easy" decision, but I know if I work hard enough, I will find the "right" fit for me.
What are your goals for 2010?
I have a few personal goals for 2010 - in no particular order.
1. Keep a training log. It has been a long time since I have systematically written down my workouts and kept track of what I was doing. I miss being able to look back and figure out what works and what doesn't - along with all that I have accomplished in the year. I decided to start this goal early and haven't missed logging a workout since Dec 1st!
2. Eat healthier. Generally, I eat quite healthy. But, there are a lot of time when convenience outweighed eating the right food. With Ironman Canada as my main goal this year, I would like to fuel my body with the best foods and not the easiest foods. This will include planning out our weekly meals, bringing my lunch to work and having healthy snacks around the house.
3. Keep our home office organized. I have always prided myself of being extremely organized...ask any of my roommates in university :). However, this past year I have managed to neglect keeping things as organized as I would have liked. Over the holidays we have organized and sorted out our condo in an attempt to start this year off on the right foot!
4. Find a career that I am passionate about! Just recently, I have decided to leave my current role in search of something more. In the last two years I have gained a tremendous amount of knowledge and experience. However, something was missing and I am on a quest to find that something. I know it won't be easy and I definitely didn't make the "easy" decision, but I know if I work hard enough, I will find the "right" fit for me.
What are your goals for 2010?
Sunday, November 1, 2009
My New Home for the Winter
Thanks to my wonderful husband/coach, I have officially started Ironman training. Although the race isn't until August 2010, there are a lot of things I need to improve on - so I might as well get started. This year was the first year I did any type of legitimate training since I officially retired from swimming in 2004. Since then I have managed to stay in shape by training for local road races and a couple of marathons. When I retired from swimming, I was ready to move on and try all the sports I had to give up in order to focus on the pool. It wasn't until Mark and I moved West to Vancouver that I had the opportunity to try my hand at being a triathlete.
Our first summer in Vancouver I got back on my road bike and started to get back in the pool teaching Mark how to swim. We also started running together and found that between the two of us, we had 2/3 of a great triathlon! I competed in a couple of local sprint triathlons and found that I was itching to try something a little longer. This summer Mark and I put together a solid, but brief training plan to get me ready for both the Victoria and Vancouver Half Ironman races. The training plans worked out great and I had some really solid races with the limited amount of training I put in.
Since I definitely do not think I can "wing" an Ironman, Mark has started to put together a training plan that will work with my unusual work schedule as well as the local swim, bike and run sessions that are offered by our club.
I will be sending a LOT of time on the trainer, set up on our balcony as I try to develop my cycling legs. I will also try and get out on the road when the weather permits, but with the shortened daytime hours, most of my training will be in the comfort of our condo.
My goal will be to get on the bike 2-3 times a week and work through a series of drills and phases to improve my cadence as well as increase my power/speed. With Mark's experience I have no doubt that I will be well prepared to tackle the 180km ride next August!
Our first summer in Vancouver I got back on my road bike and started to get back in the pool teaching Mark how to swim. We also started running together and found that between the two of us, we had 2/3 of a great triathlon! I competed in a couple of local sprint triathlons and found that I was itching to try something a little longer. This summer Mark and I put together a solid, but brief training plan to get me ready for both the Victoria and Vancouver Half Ironman races. The training plans worked out great and I had some really solid races with the limited amount of training I put in.
Since I definitely do not think I can "wing" an Ironman, Mark has started to put together a training plan that will work with my unusual work schedule as well as the local swim, bike and run sessions that are offered by our club.
However, the main focus for me throughout the winter is this (my new home):
I will be sending a LOT of time on the trainer, set up on our balcony as I try to develop my cycling legs. I will also try and get out on the road when the weather permits, but with the shortened daytime hours, most of my training will be in the comfort of our condo.
My goal will be to get on the bike 2-3 times a week and work through a series of drills and phases to improve my cadence as well as increase my power/speed. With Mark's experience I have no doubt that I will be well prepared to tackle the 180km ride next August!
Wednesday, October 14, 2009
NS Half Marathon Race Report
This Thanksgiving weekend was the third annual North Shore Half Marathon and the first half marathon race for me in 6 years. The last half marathon I ran was the 2003 Hogeye Half Marathon in Fayetteville, Arkansas!
I didn't really have a goal in mind when the race started but I knew that a PB was possible. I have been doing some great training with Steph and Shannon and have pushed myself much harder than normal with weekly tempo runs, hills and speed work. Thanks girls!
The race started off downhill, so I tried to take it easy and get into a good tempo. Although I was a little chilly starting off, I quickly warmed up when I hit the hilly section of the course along Dollarton Highway. I wore my Garmin and was a little concerned when I was averaging under 7min/mile pace, but I felt good and went with it. Around mile 8 I started to feel as though I went out a little too quickly and tried to settled into a more reasonable pace (7:20/mile) that I could maintain for the final 5 miles. As we neared the finish line I was quite surprised to look down at my watch and see that I would be finishing under 1:40. In fact, I finished in 1:30:31 which was good enough for 3rd in my age group, 6th female overall and a 20 minute PB. Not a bad start for Ironman training, eh?!
I am not sure what is up next as Mark and I are off to Jamaica Nov 9th for our "better late, than never" honeymoon. Depending on how things go, I may do the Seattle Half Marathon at the end of November. For right now I will keep training with the girls and start getting into a more structured Ironman training plan when we get back from our honeymoon!
Around mile 5
Women's 25-29 top 3!
I didn't really have a goal in mind when the race started but I knew that a PB was possible. I have been doing some great training with Steph and Shannon and have pushed myself much harder than normal with weekly tempo runs, hills and speed work. Thanks girls!
The race started off downhill, so I tried to take it easy and get into a good tempo. Although I was a little chilly starting off, I quickly warmed up when I hit the hilly section of the course along Dollarton Highway. I wore my Garmin and was a little concerned when I was averaging under 7min/mile pace, but I felt good and went with it. Around mile 8 I started to feel as though I went out a little too quickly and tried to settled into a more reasonable pace (7:20/mile) that I could maintain for the final 5 miles. As we neared the finish line I was quite surprised to look down at my watch and see that I would be finishing under 1:40. In fact, I finished in 1:30:31 which was good enough for 3rd in my age group, 6th female overall and a 20 minute PB. Not a bad start for Ironman training, eh?!
I am not sure what is up next as Mark and I are off to Jamaica Nov 9th for our "better late, than never" honeymoon. Depending on how things go, I may do the Seattle Half Marathon at the end of November. For right now I will keep training with the girls and start getting into a more structured Ironman training plan when we get back from our honeymoon!
Steph and I at the start line
Around mile 5
A new PB... but looking a little tired!
Women's 25-29 top 3!
Thursday, October 1, 2009
I'm a sucker...
Let's just say.... I'm a sucker.
This summer I have met, become great friends, and trained with a fabulous group of people. Training has honestly never been this much fun. As much as I try to avoid getting up at 5am every morning, the lure of a killer run or tough swim with my training buddies, far outweighs the sleep. Morning after morning, I get "talked" into doing something.
Sunday was no exception. I got talked into doing a 26km trail race!
The Rubble Creek 26km trail race is by far one of the most beautiful races I have ever done, as well as one of the toughest. Although it is in its 25th year, the race is still relatively small and boasts no race numbers, aid stations or chip timing. The race organizer stood on a rock, said "ready, set, go"and we were off. The race started with a pretty tough uphill, taking us up 2600 feet, leveled out for a few km's before descending 4000 feet to the finish.
This summer I have met, become great friends, and trained with a fabulous group of people. Training has honestly never been this much fun. As much as I try to avoid getting up at 5am every morning, the lure of a killer run or tough swim with my training buddies, far outweighs the sleep. Morning after morning, I get "talked" into doing something.
Sunday was no exception. I got talked into doing a 26km trail race!
The Rubble Creek 26km trail race is by far one of the most beautiful races I have ever done, as well as one of the toughest. Although it is in its 25th year, the race is still relatively small and boasts no race numbers, aid stations or chip timing. The race organizer stood on a rock, said "ready, set, go"and we were off. The race started with a pretty tough uphill, taking us up 2600 feet, leveled out for a few km's before descending 4000 feet to the finish.
Here is the course profile thanks to Adam's GPS!
The reason why I am a sucker is because I hadn't really trained for this race... and got talked into racing it. Sure, I had started running a little more towards the end of the summer, but the longest run I had done was at the tail end of the 2 halfirons I raced! I was a little worried about finishing the race, but Steph assured me she would run with me and that it would be just fine. We started the race at a conservative pace, while Adam, Graeme and Shannon took off with the main pack. Once we reached the top of the climb, we stopped to take a couple of photos of the breathtaking view... we just couldn't resist!
Me - taking in the view of Black Tusk
Once we reached the descent, I was sooo happy/relieved. My legs were pretty tired and the thought of running up another hill was not very appealing. Steph and I took turns leading the way down the winding slope (she looked quite graceful, while I tried to not kill myself with my clumsy feet). After a good hour of running downhill, we were both very excited to see the parking lot and the end of the run. We were met by Shannon (who came 2nd!!), Adam and Graeme and the race organizer with a stopwatch calling out times.
Needless to say, I didn't exactly race the run. My goal was to get out and get a solid 3 hour run in with some great friends in the beautiful West Coast trails.
Needless to say, I didn't exactly race the run. My goal was to get out and get a solid 3 hour run in with some great friends in the beautiful West Coast trails.
Post race: Graeme, Shannon, me, Steph and Adam
Next up, the North Shore Half Marathon!
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