9:30am Johnny was kind enough to come grab me and help me paddle a single and double surf ski. I’m planning on racing in a surfski next weekend but have little to no experience paddling this type of boat. Stu was kind enough to lend me his XT Fenn surf ski to practice on. Without these guys my paddling dreams could literally not be reached, without a car, boat, paddle, or instruction I wouldn’t get too far. Through this select group of paddlers I am learning so much and finding out that I just love to paddle. Johnny was nice enough to paddle with me for 2 hours this morning and let me freak out a couple of times while he remained calm as a rock. Following our paddle session we went to Stu’s house where he kindly made us some delicious cappuccinos, and Johnny entertained us with a slide show of his bike trips. Wow, he is a machine and has traveled more kilometers on his bike than most do in a car. There were some pretty awesome pics (he scanned each one individually from his film camera, his pics dated back from 1985). Thank you Johnny, you inspired me to keep traveling by bike. I was getting fidgety by the end of the show though as I was hungry and feeling a little unsettled. I felt horrible but I do get grouchy when I am hungry. SO I headed home, ate, relaxed and decided to head out for my first training run for Knee Knacker (I’ve been putting this race on the back burner but it is quickly approaching and I need to start training as it is not an easy race). I spent 2 hours running around on the trails behind my house (Mt Seymour). It actually felt great; I didn’t push it all and just cruised along and enjoyed the trails and my thoughts! Cane home, made some dinner, read and relaxed. What a great weekend!
Live, Love, Laugh,…DREAM!
Apr 28, 2008
Suburban Rush Adventure Race
Suburban rush is a sprint “adventure race” out in Port Moody. It is designed mostly for new adventure racing racers but there were some old timers and speedy AR racers there as well. The course is extremely well marked and so there is very little orienteering involved. You can also race solo or in a team of two. I had done this race last year but didn’t fair too well…This year I was excited for the race but feeling a little tired from the many weekends of racing in a row since my return from the big race in Baja. I was trying out my brand new Giant Trance X0 mountain bike as well this race without even riding it in the trails yet (I always seem to tell new racers never to try anything new race day but this is my second week in a row trying out new equipment race day…hmmm). The race course although meant for more the beginner adventure racer is tough. It has a lot of elevation gain and some fairly technical mountain biking sections. Thank you to Jordy, Ryan (I think) and everyone else that helped me get to the race start and drive my stuff to all the necessary areas (things like this get a little more complicated without a vehicle). The race began with a run that was essentially straight uphill. I actually felt pretty good the entire time, I tried not to ever really really push myself knowing that I would bonk if I did. I managed to keep a nice steady pace and pass those speedy off the line runners that don’t know what will hit them in about 20 minutes time…hahaha…The Bike section began with more uphills (my strength). Throughout the first section of technical downhill two girls passed me, which forced me to really start moving on the down. We then had another run that included a little more orienteering than the first one. Here, I managed to pull away. Side note, funny at first I thought it would be smart for me to run in my bike shoes,….I lasted about half the run until it got rocky and I stopped and quickly slipped on my runners, my feet were much happier.
The last bike section was awesome, rolly, with lots of single track. Normally, I would not enjoy this but on my new bike I was rolling over everything. It blew my mind. I managed to be the first female across the line. It was a good feeling. I ended up setting up my slackline while we waited for awards and practice away. Thanks Dean and Shawn for a wonderful event!
Live, Love, Laugh,…DREAM!
I am crooked…A magical haircut and Critical mass
I love appreciation days! We had a day off on Friday and because I had a race on Saturday I decided it would be a good time to do some errands, treat myself to a hair appointment, slackline and join the critical mass ride….
I went into Paris Orthotics to get some ankle braces. I came out without any ankle braces but new orthotics and the knowledge that my parents didn’t build my body for long distance running…I am crooked and a mess but somehow have been managing these ultra distance races…hmm….good thing I met the yogaslackers because I need to learn how to stretch and do it all the time…haha….
I then headed to get my hair done and had the most touching unique hair appointment experience. My hair stylist, a lovely lady named Kamal is just the most fabulous person (and great hair stylist). We had the most touching, deep, and beautiful conversation for over 3 hours. I left feeling tingly, emotional and at peace. I received a call from her last night that brought tears to my eyes. She just wanted to let me know that I was a beautiful person, inspiring and motivating….THANK YOU Kamal, that is not a compliment you receive every day and especially not from a random hair stylist you met for the first time. I hope we keep in touch…
I set up my new slackline at Kits Beach and practiced some slacklining…I have been itching to get up on it since I learned in San Diego but my brain couldn’t figure out this one simple way of putting the slackline up….well, thanks to Jason and the internet…I managed. It was great to be back on it….
Critical Mass….My friend Christa and I were de-virginized on Friday. It was our first critical mass experience. Critical Mass is a mass bike ride that happens the last Friday of every month. A large group of bikers storm the streets of Vancouver, stop traffic and promote the amazing sport of biking!!!! All sorts of riders come out on all sorts of different bikes. I managed to bump into several friends and eventually found myself at The Raglan in North Van with Christa and a new friend Rad. We had some delicious food, good chatter and eventually parted ways (they headed to the sea bus and I headed home). I managed to get a lot of kilometers in on my bike…so much for a rest day…
I went into Paris Orthotics to get some ankle braces. I came out without any ankle braces but new orthotics and the knowledge that my parents didn’t build my body for long distance running…I am crooked and a mess but somehow have been managing these ultra distance races…hmm….good thing I met the yogaslackers because I need to learn how to stretch and do it all the time…haha….
I then headed to get my hair done and had the most touching unique hair appointment experience. My hair stylist, a lovely lady named Kamal is just the most fabulous person (and great hair stylist). We had the most touching, deep, and beautiful conversation for over 3 hours. I left feeling tingly, emotional and at peace. I received a call from her last night that brought tears to my eyes. She just wanted to let me know that I was a beautiful person, inspiring and motivating….THANK YOU Kamal, that is not a compliment you receive every day and especially not from a random hair stylist you met for the first time. I hope we keep in touch…
I set up my new slackline at Kits Beach and practiced some slacklining…I have been itching to get up on it since I learned in San Diego but my brain couldn’t figure out this one simple way of putting the slackline up….well, thanks to Jason and the internet…I managed. It was great to be back on it….
Critical Mass….My friend Christa and I were de-virginized on Friday. It was our first critical mass experience. Critical Mass is a mass bike ride that happens the last Friday of every month. A large group of bikers storm the streets of Vancouver, stop traffic and promote the amazing sport of biking!!!! All sorts of riders come out on all sorts of different bikes. I managed to bump into several friends and eventually found myself at The Raglan in North Van with Christa and a new friend Rad. We had some delicious food, good chatter and eventually parted ways (they headed to the sea bus and I headed home). I managed to get a lot of kilometers in on my bike…so much for a rest day…
My New Lover….
Who is he? This is probably your first question…well, the answer…not sure if it’s a he or a her…hmm…haven’t decided yet but I’m leaning towards a her. Its my new mountain bike.
I am in love. No joke, I get that tingling nervous feeling every time I walk by it in my apartment…I can’t wait to ride it again…and its only been three days…trouble…haha.. I might be moving too fast…luckily unlike “people” relationships my new Giant will not “run away from me”, it will love my attention and the more we hang out in the woods together, the more I stay close to it, cherish it, clean it, have intense moments with it the stronger our bond will be and the smoother and faster our rides will be…oohh that tingling exciting feeling is rippin through my body just as I am writing about it. Part of me doesn’t think I deserve this bike yet and part of me doesn’t care if I do or don’t because it is a beautiful ride…Thank you Kim and Steed Cycles, Giant Bikes, Sram, Avid, Rock Shox.
Kim, does this mean I have to be all fast and stuff now?
I am in love. No joke, I get that tingling nervous feeling every time I walk by it in my apartment…I can’t wait to ride it again…and its only been three days…trouble…haha.. I might be moving too fast…luckily unlike “people” relationships my new Giant will not “run away from me”, it will love my attention and the more we hang out in the woods together, the more I stay close to it, cherish it, clean it, have intense moments with it the stronger our bond will be and the smoother and faster our rides will be…oohh that tingling exciting feeling is rippin through my body just as I am writing about it. Part of me doesn’t think I deserve this bike yet and part of me doesn’t care if I do or don’t because it is a beautiful ride…Thank you Kim and Steed Cycles, Giant Bikes, Sram, Avid, Rock Shox.
Kim, does this mean I have to be all fast and stuff now?
Apr 23, 2008
Tuesday Night Kayak Races
This past Tuesday Johnny and I raced in the double baidarka. We thought there might be a run as well and so figured it would be the best boat to paddle in with running shoes. Alas, there was no run...once we fixed our seats and had a good warm up we were off. We began well, and as we crossed the channel to head up and around Jug Island the wind picked up and the waves grew. This proved to benefit us greatly as we were more stable in the big double. I was a little nervous at times but felt safe and confident with Johnny in the front. I tried my best just to stay in time with Johnny's stroke. I know for a fact if I were racing the little blue baidarka I would have not enjoyed the race so much( it is a fairly tippy boat...) Once around Jug Johnny did a wonderful job at steering us so we could ride the waves as best as possible. We managed to pull away from the double surf skis and k1s and even lots of the single surf skis. We went for an all out sprint at the end (it hurt....I forgot how hard sprinting was). All in all we did super well and once again were the first double kayak across the line. YAY! We finished off the night with our regular visit to the Raven with beer, food and kayak talk.
live, love, laugh,...DREAM!
live, love, laugh,...DREAM!
Apr 21, 2008
Whistler backcountry Freeride Jam...Michael Franti/Spearhead
Whistler Backcountry Freeride Jam and Michael Franti/Spearhead to end it all off…
This weekend I headed to Whistler for a number of reasons…1. It’s Whistler and I love it and miss it. 2. I wanted to hang out with some good friends I have left behind there. 3. To participate in the backcountry races Whistler Backcountry Freeride Jam (www.wbfj.ca) 4. The real reason a free outdoor concert where I would get to hear and see Michael Franti and Spearhead play and woo the crowd….(I am still on this crazy euphoric high from the concert….he was unbelievable but more on that later)
Lisa and Kristina had room in their car to give me a lift to Whistler…Thank you ladies…it was nice not having to figure out the bus thing as I needed to be in Whistler Friday night for a pre-race briefing and gear check. I met Ali at the Cinnamon Bear Pub where I also happen to meet Al (the Dynafit rep) who let me borrow an awesome Dynafit ( http://www.dynafit.at/home.php?chid=1&lang=uk&m=4 ) set up for the race (THANK YOU!). From there I headed to the pre-race briefing where in the midst of it all I had managed to lose and re-find my borrowed skins (thank you guys….woohoo). At Grahame and Ali’s place I practiced getting into and out of the new Dynafit bindings…a little tricky with my boots but after about half hour I felt confident enough…
7:15am I found myself at the bottom of the Whistler Gondola. 8:30am I was skinning up the first hill…I went too hard and was tasting blood….it was not a good start to a 27km ski mountaineer race (The Spearhead Passage. It begins at the Roundhouse (top of Emerald Chair) to Whirl Wind Mountain and back). I couldn’t seem to shake off this horrible feeling in my lungs…so I slowed right down, took some deep breaths and told myself it was going to be okay and that I had zero pressure to perform….After the steep roped bootpack, a fall wouldn’t be disastrous but a good tumble none the less, I calmed myself down, and just took it easy and really listened to my body….slowly I started to feel better… unfortunately it was a little too late in the race and the top groups of skiers were far ahead….As we got over Flute and onto Oboe the wind was fierce and extremely cold…I had to stop and put on my thick gloves (I never ski tour with thick gloves but the pain was too much for me to bare). The hill up to Whirlwind was a long haul but getting to the peak felt pretty damn good. For me it was pretty smooth sailing from then on as I get energized as the race moves on. Although a big problem was a lack of water as the cold froze my tube…It’s funny how life works sometimes…it isn’t until you can’t have something that you really want it…hmmm…I managed to catch and pass a few guys on the return trip…The skis and bindings were fantastic although at times it felt like an adventure within the adventure when I couldn’t quite get the boot in the binding while the wind was howling and my fingers were frozen…but for some reason those are the situations I like best… it toughens me up…In the end I finished the Spearhead passage in 5hours and 30 minutes and with a smile on my face nonetheless….Following the awards I wanted to do nothing more than pass out at Ali and Grahame’s but forced myself back to the village to check out De La Soul. They were okay but I was starting to feel sick and a nasty cough was grabbing my chest so I decided to bus it back and find some rest.
Saturday night I wasn’t sure I’d feel up for the Sunday windup race (a race from the base of Whistler to the roundhouse approx 7km of pure uphill…). I awoke Sunday morning and didn’t feel too bad…I had to get up to the roundhouse to do a ski exchange with Al anyway so I thought…I might as well ski up to the top…hehe…so I did. It was a small crowd that dared to try it out…It was yet another sunny but chilly morning but much warmer as it was purely uphill and the wind was to a minimal in comparison to yesterday. I managed to ski up in 1.5hours right behind Mel B. I pulled off a solid second place and scored some sweet shwag. Thank you ROI, Scott, Jason, Delena, Rob and everyone for putting on this amazing event!
Michael Franti and Spearhead…
Words cannot describe it….basically if you weren’t there you should have been. It was an unbelievable show. He played for over 2 hours, the sun came out from the clouds and the crowd was hoppin’. He did yoga on stage, he spoke from the soul and he came out and greeted the crowd. If you have never seen him live….GO,…it’s an experience you will never regret!
I somehow managed to squeeze onto the 630pm bus….home at 930pm…fantastic weekend. Another one for the memory bank!
Live, love, laugh,…DREAM!
This weekend I headed to Whistler for a number of reasons…1. It’s Whistler and I love it and miss it. 2. I wanted to hang out with some good friends I have left behind there. 3. To participate in the backcountry races Whistler Backcountry Freeride Jam (www.wbfj.ca) 4. The real reason a free outdoor concert where I would get to hear and see Michael Franti and Spearhead play and woo the crowd….(I am still on this crazy euphoric high from the concert….he was unbelievable but more on that later)
Lisa and Kristina had room in their car to give me a lift to Whistler…Thank you ladies…it was nice not having to figure out the bus thing as I needed to be in Whistler Friday night for a pre-race briefing and gear check. I met Ali at the Cinnamon Bear Pub where I also happen to meet Al (the Dynafit rep) who let me borrow an awesome Dynafit ( http://www.dynafit.at/home.php?chid=1&lang=uk&m=4 ) set up for the race (THANK YOU!). From there I headed to the pre-race briefing where in the midst of it all I had managed to lose and re-find my borrowed skins (thank you guys….woohoo). At Grahame and Ali’s place I practiced getting into and out of the new Dynafit bindings…a little tricky with my boots but after about half hour I felt confident enough…
7:15am I found myself at the bottom of the Whistler Gondola. 8:30am I was skinning up the first hill…I went too hard and was tasting blood….it was not a good start to a 27km ski mountaineer race (The Spearhead Passage. It begins at the Roundhouse (top of Emerald Chair) to Whirl Wind Mountain and back). I couldn’t seem to shake off this horrible feeling in my lungs…so I slowed right down, took some deep breaths and told myself it was going to be okay and that I had zero pressure to perform….After the steep roped bootpack, a fall wouldn’t be disastrous but a good tumble none the less, I calmed myself down, and just took it easy and really listened to my body….slowly I started to feel better… unfortunately it was a little too late in the race and the top groups of skiers were far ahead….As we got over Flute and onto Oboe the wind was fierce and extremely cold…I had to stop and put on my thick gloves (I never ski tour with thick gloves but the pain was too much for me to bare). The hill up to Whirlwind was a long haul but getting to the peak felt pretty damn good. For me it was pretty smooth sailing from then on as I get energized as the race moves on. Although a big problem was a lack of water as the cold froze my tube…It’s funny how life works sometimes…it isn’t until you can’t have something that you really want it…hmmm…I managed to catch and pass a few guys on the return trip…The skis and bindings were fantastic although at times it felt like an adventure within the adventure when I couldn’t quite get the boot in the binding while the wind was howling and my fingers were frozen…but for some reason those are the situations I like best… it toughens me up…In the end I finished the Spearhead passage in 5hours and 30 minutes and with a smile on my face nonetheless….Following the awards I wanted to do nothing more than pass out at Ali and Grahame’s but forced myself back to the village to check out De La Soul. They were okay but I was starting to feel sick and a nasty cough was grabbing my chest so I decided to bus it back and find some rest.
Saturday night I wasn’t sure I’d feel up for the Sunday windup race (a race from the base of Whistler to the roundhouse approx 7km of pure uphill…). I awoke Sunday morning and didn’t feel too bad…I had to get up to the roundhouse to do a ski exchange with Al anyway so I thought…I might as well ski up to the top…hehe…so I did. It was a small crowd that dared to try it out…It was yet another sunny but chilly morning but much warmer as it was purely uphill and the wind was to a minimal in comparison to yesterday. I managed to ski up in 1.5hours right behind Mel B. I pulled off a solid second place and scored some sweet shwag. Thank you ROI, Scott, Jason, Delena, Rob and everyone for putting on this amazing event!
Michael Franti and Spearhead…
Words cannot describe it….basically if you weren’t there you should have been. It was an unbelievable show. He played for over 2 hours, the sun came out from the clouds and the crowd was hoppin’. He did yoga on stage, he spoke from the soul and he came out and greeted the crowd. If you have never seen him live….GO,…it’s an experience you will never regret!
I somehow managed to squeeze onto the 630pm bus….home at 930pm…fantastic weekend. Another one for the memory bank!
Live, love, laugh,…DREAM!
Apr 14, 2008
Reach the Peak and Whistler...
Reach the Peak Uphill Race (run/snowshoe)
Saturday morning was gorgeous and I had decided to try out the reach the peak race. It is a neat little race where you begin at the ocean in deep cove and finish at the peak of Mt Seymour with a little there and back to Dog Mountain.
http://www.runthenorthshore.com/qs/page/7040/3696/-1
Let me back track to Friday evening,..I had been out with a friend and home before I found out I no longer had a ride. Since I live about 6km from deep cove, instead of trying to find a ride to the start of the race I figured I might as well run to the start and use that as my warm-up….it was a little tougher than I thought but maybe in the end that was the secret to my success???..
It was a beautiful Saturday morning, the sun was shining (yes, even in North Van the sun comes out once in awhile) and the temp was just ideal. I had no intention of doing well as I was not sure if my body and energy systems were quite recovered from the Baja Adventure race. I just figured it was a nice morning and I was most likely going to go hike somewhere anyways so why not race? I took off with the top guys and quickly let them go and found myself a steady pace. I ended up being close to two other nice men for the entirety of the race. I felt pretty good through the trails and managed to keep my snowshoes off for quite a while compared to others. Once I did put the snowshoes on they felt a little awkward at first (hadn’t worn them since the Cypress Yeti race) but eventually got used to the extra stuff on my feet. I reached the Mt Seymour Cross Country trails feeling quite good…maybe jus t a little hungry. Hadn’t really drank anything yet…which is prob not the smartest thing but I tend to forget to sometimes….I’m working on it. Once to the parking lot there were a couple of people cheering and some snacks available. I smiled drank some energy drink and moved on to the Dog Mountain section. It was nice to finally get some speed. This section is rolly and so there was some opportunity to run. As I got closer to the turnaround pt some of the top guys were on their way back…it was nice to know I wasn’t that far behind. At the turn around there was an incredible view of Mt Baker, Van, Tantalus range, the island etc. I did a quick 360, got my pic taken and then headed back. I was feeling super good and ended up passing one guy before reaching the finish line. It was a fabulous race! Oh and a bonus, I ended up finishing as the top female and in the top 10. YAY! We then went to a pub for awards, food and drinks.
Whistler
Chris and Billy were nice enough to drive me all the way to Squamish. They dropped me off at the Greyhound and I caught a bus to Whistler from there. I met a nice man, Rob, and we chatted the entire way to Whistler. That night Ali and I attended the Big Air competition (wow, a huge crowd watching these amazing athletes clear a gigantic jump).
Afterwards we headed to the opening of the BraveArt show, some fabulous artists doing their thing live….it was inspiring. The village was a little chaotic with people everywhere.
Sunday morning
Ali and I headed up Whistler Mountain. As we headed up the chairlift checking out the runs I was thinking that it will be an early start to beers on the patio….the hill was a sheet of ice…ahh…fortunately we managed to find some good snow, bump into Graham and have a blast for the rest of the day. As the temperature rose the snow became softer and the sun kept poking out…Needless to say the snow conditions proved to be interesting but thank you to wonderful company and a most beautiful place I had a blast. We finished off the day with nachos at Blacks and dancing to the John Butler Trio band… I had an adventure in itself getting home. Who doesn’t order extra buses on Sunday of the Telus festival? That’s my little rant. I got home safe and sound (eventually…. and in the process got to hang out with a good friend that otherwise I would have missed…so all was not lost…just some shuteye time before Monday at work…I can deal with that).
Live, Love, Laugh,…DREAM!
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