I guess this is not a dream
It's for real. I'm really competing for the Age Group National Team. My gear arrived today! Only 4 weeks before Worlds. Training is going really well right now. I feel motivated and fit.
Monday, July 31, 2006
It's for real. I'm really competing for the Age Group National Team. My gear arrived today! Only 4 weeks before Worlds. Training is going really well right now. I feel motivated and fit.
Thursday, July 27, 2006
Energy is eternal delight
Sometimes there are moments of infinitesimal clarity; times when everything just...makes sense.
Right now, the path I'm carving is straight as an arrow, with the endpoint firmly in my grasp. I couldn't be happier than I am now. The puzzle pieces fit so neatly, the momentum builds beautifully forward.
I just hope this energy surrounds me for as long as it can...
Right now, the path I'm carving is straight as an arrow, with the endpoint firmly in my grasp. I couldn't be happier than I am now. The puzzle pieces fit so neatly, the momentum builds beautifully forward.
I just hope this energy surrounds me for as long as it can...
Monday, July 24, 2006
Port Hood Olympic Distance Triathlon RR
Port Hood, Cape Breton
Sunday, July 23, 2006
For the Numberheads:
Total Time: 2:23:59
1200m Swim: 19:34 (1:38/100m)
40km Bike: 1:21:22 (29.5km/hr)
10 (?)km run: 43:04 (4:19/km)
1st Place Female 20-29
The theme for this race is “That’s More Like It.”
After a sub-par run at Nationals, and less than eight weeks away from Worlds(!), my goals for Port Hood were: 1) proper nutrition on the bike, 2) Have a strong run. I am happy to say that I met both of these goals.
My boyfriend, Rob, had Mountain Bike Provincials this weekend, and won his race too! So needless to say, we are one happy couple J
I went up to the race with my friend (soon to be roommate!) Rachel, and her friend Jill. We arrived Saturday night in time to head to do a little bit of site seeing on the beautiful island of Cape Breton. It was only my second time in Cape Breton, and the scenery was positively breathtaking. We feasted on a dinner of Brie, Goat Cheese, Baguette and a roast chicken. Mmmmmm!
Kit Pickup on Saturday Evening:
Me with all of my gear:
I was in bed by 9:30pm. I must have raced the race 17 times in my dreams during the course of the night. I couldn’t find transition – I was drinking Gatorade instead of accelerade – I missed the swim start – sharks in the water – giant mountains on the bike course…I guess I could say that I was really nervous about this race, if only because I felt that I needed to redeem my run after my last race.
We awoke at 6:15, got some breakfast and headed over to the race site. By the time we reached the race site, a torrential downpour threatened the mood as the winds whipped around the car. The rain was so hard that you couldn’t even see the swim buoys. I just prayed that they wouldn’t cancel the swim. Fortunately, by the time we were ready to start, the rain had subsided, even if the wind hadn’t. The race director, Ken Grandy, made the decision to shorten the swim course, to keep within the breakwaters. So instead of two 750m loops, we completed 3 loops of approximately 400m. It was probably just as well, given the size of the whitecaps and the swell of the sea. I was even feeling a little seasick each time I turned to swim from the breakwater buoy to the far buoy, parallel to the shore.
Coming out of the water for a loop.
Despite getting washed off course a number of times, I managed to hang on to a pair of feet and complete the swim in 19:34 (1:38/100m). It was a definite fight against the elements for the entire swim.
Coming out of the water and into transition required a short but steep ascent from the beach to the road. It was killer on my un-seaworthy legs. Once I was on the bike course, I stuck with my plan of taking a bottle of accelerade and a gel on the way out, and another bottle of accelerade and gel on the way back. About 25km into the course, the rain began to pelt down again, and it really hurt! (I later discovered that it wasn’t rain, but HAIL!). The course was Cape-Breton flat, which really meant that the whole thing was either false flat uphills and short climbs, and a couple really sweet descents. My official bike time was 1:21:22 (29.5km/hr), so I didn’t make my 30km/hr goal on the bike, but I was close!
On the bike, fighting the elements:
At about 5km from the finish of the bike course, I began to think ahead to the run: fast leg turnover, long breaths, and one foot in front of the other. It was my goal not to bonk on the run. I’ve been putting in a lot of miles since Nationals, and I think it’s finally starting to pay off. Whether it was proper nutrition, or training, I felt strong on the run from start to finish. The run was a fairly flat 2-loop out and back. My chip run time was 43:04 (4:19/km). I’m guessing the run course was probably closer to 9km, because, while I have been running, I’m not sure that an 11 minute PR was in the books!! Looking at the winning run time (by Mr. Speedy Himself -- Tyrone Clark) of 31 minutes also suggests that the run course fell a little short of 10km. But regardless, I felt strong and happy throughout the run, keeping my tempo high and pushing comfortably.
Sprint to the finish!
After the race I was very happy. My final time was 2:23:59, which I am very pleased with.
There were only 2 people in my age group, but I’m still very happy with my 1st place finish! This was definitely a race I needed to help my confidence as I head towards my big race in September.
Congratulations to all of the athletes who were finishing their first Olympic distance race, and to Tyrone for winning with style. Thanks to Sugoi, Rudy Project and Cyclesmith, and to Rachel and Jill for being at the race to support me.
And of course, Congratulations to Rob for winning MTB Provincials!
Sunday, July 23, 2006
For the Numberheads:
Total Time: 2:23:59
1200m Swim: 19:34 (1:38/100m)
40km Bike: 1:21:22 (29.5km/hr)
10 (?)km run: 43:04 (4:19/km)
1st Place Female 20-29
The theme for this race is “That’s More Like It.”
After a sub-par run at Nationals, and less than eight weeks away from Worlds(!), my goals for Port Hood were: 1) proper nutrition on the bike, 2) Have a strong run. I am happy to say that I met both of these goals.
My boyfriend, Rob, had Mountain Bike Provincials this weekend, and won his race too! So needless to say, we are one happy couple J
I went up to the race with my friend (soon to be roommate!) Rachel, and her friend Jill. We arrived Saturday night in time to head to do a little bit of site seeing on the beautiful island of Cape Breton. It was only my second time in Cape Breton, and the scenery was positively breathtaking. We feasted on a dinner of Brie, Goat Cheese, Baguette and a roast chicken. Mmmmmm!
Kit Pickup on Saturday Evening:
Me with all of my gear:
I was in bed by 9:30pm. I must have raced the race 17 times in my dreams during the course of the night. I couldn’t find transition – I was drinking Gatorade instead of accelerade – I missed the swim start – sharks in the water – giant mountains on the bike course…I guess I could say that I was really nervous about this race, if only because I felt that I needed to redeem my run after my last race.
We awoke at 6:15, got some breakfast and headed over to the race site. By the time we reached the race site, a torrential downpour threatened the mood as the winds whipped around the car. The rain was so hard that you couldn’t even see the swim buoys. I just prayed that they wouldn’t cancel the swim. Fortunately, by the time we were ready to start, the rain had subsided, even if the wind hadn’t. The race director, Ken Grandy, made the decision to shorten the swim course, to keep within the breakwaters. So instead of two 750m loops, we completed 3 loops of approximately 400m. It was probably just as well, given the size of the whitecaps and the swell of the sea. I was even feeling a little seasick each time I turned to swim from the breakwater buoy to the far buoy, parallel to the shore.
Coming out of the water for a loop.
Despite getting washed off course a number of times, I managed to hang on to a pair of feet and complete the swim in 19:34 (1:38/100m). It was a definite fight against the elements for the entire swim.
Coming out of the water and into transition required a short but steep ascent from the beach to the road. It was killer on my un-seaworthy legs. Once I was on the bike course, I stuck with my plan of taking a bottle of accelerade and a gel on the way out, and another bottle of accelerade and gel on the way back. About 25km into the course, the rain began to pelt down again, and it really hurt! (I later discovered that it wasn’t rain, but HAIL!). The course was Cape-Breton flat, which really meant that the whole thing was either false flat uphills and short climbs, and a couple really sweet descents. My official bike time was 1:21:22 (29.5km/hr), so I didn’t make my 30km/hr goal on the bike, but I was close!
On the bike, fighting the elements:
At about 5km from the finish of the bike course, I began to think ahead to the run: fast leg turnover, long breaths, and one foot in front of the other. It was my goal not to bonk on the run. I’ve been putting in a lot of miles since Nationals, and I think it’s finally starting to pay off. Whether it was proper nutrition, or training, I felt strong on the run from start to finish. The run was a fairly flat 2-loop out and back. My chip run time was 43:04 (4:19/km). I’m guessing the run course was probably closer to 9km, because, while I have been running, I’m not sure that an 11 minute PR was in the books!! Looking at the winning run time (by Mr. Speedy Himself -- Tyrone Clark) of 31 minutes also suggests that the run course fell a little short of 10km. But regardless, I felt strong and happy throughout the run, keeping my tempo high and pushing comfortably.
Sprint to the finish!
After the race I was very happy. My final time was 2:23:59, which I am very pleased with.
There were only 2 people in my age group, but I’m still very happy with my 1st place finish! This was definitely a race I needed to help my confidence as I head towards my big race in September.
Congratulations to all of the athletes who were finishing their first Olympic distance race, and to Tyrone for winning with style. Thanks to Sugoi, Rudy Project and Cyclesmith, and to Rachel and Jill for being at the race to support me.
And of course, Congratulations to Rob for winning MTB Provincials!
Friday, July 14, 2006
No one said it was going to be easy
The thing about most sports is that they are not purely a physical challenge. In fact, it seems to me that more than half the battle is mental. Getting yourself out the door at 6am, or interval sessions full of fighting through a pain so deep that your eyes tear up and you feel like you might puke because it hurts so much, this is psychological warfare. But this is what we love, right?
So why are mental blocks so pernicious? And what makes the task of pushing through them so odious?
Take running, for example. I came to the sport of triathlon as a runner. I love running. Or, should I say, loved (past tense). Running and I are on rather shaky ground at the moment. I admit that it is my own fault for not keeping up my part of the relationship. While running has been there waiting for attention, I, like a truant child, have trounced away to the world of water and wheels, forsaking my long-time friend. I didn't keep my end of the bargain. And so I now must face the arduous exercise of bringing myself back into running's good graces. No matter how much I apologize, cajole, or plead, this fractured friendship can only be rehabilitated through time. Time translated into kilometers of pain and self-doubt. Of wondering if running will ever take me back. Of hoping that the relationship can be rekindled and brought back to a place of mutal ease. There is no quick fix.
Today was the first day that I felt as though we were beginning to be on good terms again. For the first time in a long time, I had a say in how fast we could move. I'm starting to regain a smidgen of power and self-confidence. Our love affair is on the mend, but like any situation that requires a of regaining trust, it is going to take time.
So why are mental blocks so pernicious? And what makes the task of pushing through them so odious?
Take running, for example. I came to the sport of triathlon as a runner. I love running. Or, should I say, loved (past tense). Running and I are on rather shaky ground at the moment. I admit that it is my own fault for not keeping up my part of the relationship. While running has been there waiting for attention, I, like a truant child, have trounced away to the world of water and wheels, forsaking my long-time friend. I didn't keep my end of the bargain. And so I now must face the arduous exercise of bringing myself back into running's good graces. No matter how much I apologize, cajole, or plead, this fractured friendship can only be rehabilitated through time. Time translated into kilometers of pain and self-doubt. Of wondering if running will ever take me back. Of hoping that the relationship can be rekindled and brought back to a place of mutal ease. There is no quick fix.
Today was the first day that I felt as though we were beginning to be on good terms again. For the first time in a long time, I had a say in how fast we could move. I'm starting to regain a smidgen of power and self-confidence. Our love affair is on the mend, but like any situation that requires a of regaining trust, it is going to take time.
Tuesday, July 11, 2006
I'm Going to Switzerland!
I have been sitting on this news for a couple of days, because I was waiting for confirmation, and I didn't want to jinx anything, but now it's official!
I'm going to Switzerland to compete for Team Canada in the World Triathlon Age Group Championships. I think I'm still in shock and it definitely hasn't sunk in yet. Turns out that a few of the girls who qualified are not attending, so I was offered a spot on the team. It certainly gives me incentive to train hard for the rest of the season and get my running back on track.
When I went to Brampton, I didn't really expect that I would qualify, this being my first year racing Olympic distance. I feel as though I have been offered an amazing opportunity, and it will be so good to get experience racing at an international level.
I'm looking forward to the journey.
Tuesday, July 04, 2006
Canadian National Triathlon Championships RR
Canadian National Triathlon Championships
July 2nd, 2006
8 a.m.
Total time: 2:35:17
15/16 TF25-29
Swim 23:47 (1:36/100m)
Bike 1:16:50 (31.2km/hr)
Run 54:41 (5:29/km)
At the beginning of the season, when I discovered that Olympic Distance Nationals were being held literally a few hours drive from my home town, I decided that I had found the perfect excuse for a mid-summer visit home. After a successful last season, I made the decision to move up to Olympic distance racing. Having never done an Olympic distance race, I knew I had my work cut out for me, and I've been training hard all winter. It seems strange that my first Olympic distance race would be the Canadian National Championships, although I suppose my mantra "go big or go home" is applicable :) This was also a World Championship Qualifying race, and although I didn't expect to qualify this year, the carrot was firmly dangled :) I also moved up an age group this year, to 25-29, which is one of the toughest, if not the toughest category. I'm not even 25 yet and would be competing against 28 and 29 year olds, (the grouping is as of Dec 31, 2006), so I knew it would be quite the race!
In terms of preparation for this race, I felt pretty good about the swim and the bike, but I knew that I lacked run mileage going in. This has been a swim/bike focus year, and all of my race goals centred around both a solid time in the water and on the bike. At this point in my career, or this season, for that matter, I just wanted to be able to hold on for the 10km run.
We arrived in Brampton on Friday afternoon, and I had a chance to pre-swim the course. Professor's Lake was absolutely beautiful and warm, and I was pretty sure that we wouldn't be allowed to use wetsuits for the race, so I swam without. After the swim I picked up my race kit, did a quick tour of the bike course, and then headed back to the hotel.
On Saturday morning, my Dad and I biked down to the race course, and had a chance to check things out. I took a good look at transition, and had another pre-swim of about 20 minutes or so. I was feeling good and absolutely bursting with energy by Saturday afternoon. I was ready to race, and I hate sitting around waiting.
6 a.m on Sunday morning came soon enough, and it was time to get up, have a big bowl of oatmeal, and head to transition. All the racks were numbered and it was easy to find my spot. I had a chance to set up, lose my body glide, find my body glide, hear that wetsuits were going to be allowed, lose my body glide, grab my wetsuit, find my body glide, and have a chat with some of the other athletes.
I also met a couple of my Sugoi team members, which was very exciting!
They closed transition down at 7:45, and it was time to head over to the lake. Once we passed the fenced enclosure of the lake, we weren't allowed to leave the area. Here's a picture of me standing at the brink of the point of no return.
I had a chance to warm up for about 15 minutes, and then we were called out of the water for the start. Two waves went before us, and we had to stand on a waiting deck before we entered the water. This was perhaps the worse part of the whole race: waiting. Soon enough we were called into the water for our deep-water start, and it was only a few minutes of treading water before they counted us down and we were off. I positioned myself close to the middle of the pack, figuring that while I wasn't the fastest swimmer out there, I probably wasn't the slowest either.
After the usual pre-race jostling, I quickly found my groove and locked into a long, steady stroke, sighting every few breaths, and drafting off a pair of feet in front of me. Our pack (probably about 4 or 5 of us) started passing the heat in front of us at the 3rd to last buoy. The swim was over before I knew it, and I removed my cap and goggles and top half of my wetsuit during the long run to transition.
I had a solid T1 and was quickly out on the bike. The bike course was unlike anything I had every seen. It was 3 laps of a 13.3km loop. Even though I had already driven the course, the sheer number of twists and turns were dizzying. We counted 15 turns on the course, and 6 of those were 180 degrees. That makes 45 turns in 40km. Yikes!
The wind was also a force to be reckoned with, especially given the long straightaways that snaked back and forth. At some points I was flying down the road at 48km/hr, and after turning around to head back, I was reduced to a 25km/hr crawl. It was a very technical bike course, and a lot of fun.
I tried to stay hydrated and fed while the sun was bearing down on us. I felt very strong on my bike. Off into T2 and onto the run. The run was 3 laps of a 3.3km loop around the lake. My first two kms felt pretty strong as I maintained a steady 4:45/km pace. At the end of the first loop, my quads began to cramp up. By the time I had passed through the running chute turn around, I had been reduced to a mere crawl, as my legs cramped further and no matter what I tried to do, I could not move forward. People kept passing me, and though I tried to hold on to a better pace, I just kept losing ground.
The run hurt. It's supposed to hurt, but I had bricks for legs. I crawled through that 10km, just praying for it to be over soon. Finally I made it through my 3 laps and was through the finish chute! After the race I downed a couple glasses of powerade and as much water as possible.
I had a fantastic cheering section, my best friend Pam, two friends I hadn't seen in years Geoff and Lyndsay, and of course, my wonderful dad who is incredibly supportive of my crazy triathlon habit.
We also had a chance to watch the elite women's race, where Lauren Groves pulled off an amazing run and won her first National championships! I had a chance to catch up with her after her race. She's a very sweet girl and an amazingly talented athlete! Way to go Lauren!!!! Simon Whitfield is also one of the sweetest, most down to earth people I've ever met, not to mention the fact that he's an incredible athlete!
On reflection upon race day, two days later, I've decided that despite my dismal run, and that I finished 15th out of 16th, I'm still very happy with my performance at my first Olympic distance race. I did what I set out to do both in the swim and on the bike. I set PRs in both, and I feel confident that a few more years of hard work will get me where I want to be. It was an amazing experience to race against the best athletes in the country. I know that I have a lot of work to do, but that's part of the fun! The experience was exhilarating, humbling, exhausting, and inspirational. I can't wait to do it again next year!
Thanks for reading my ridiculously long race report. And thank you to Sugoi and Rudy Project for outfitting me, to Cyclesmith for providing me with a smokin' machine to ride, and to my fabulous supporters and loved ones.
July 2nd, 2006
8 a.m.
Total time: 2:35:17
15/16 TF25-29
Swim 23:47 (1:36/100m)
Bike 1:16:50 (31.2km/hr)
Run 54:41 (5:29/km)
At the beginning of the season, when I discovered that Olympic Distance Nationals were being held literally a few hours drive from my home town, I decided that I had found the perfect excuse for a mid-summer visit home. After a successful last season, I made the decision to move up to Olympic distance racing. Having never done an Olympic distance race, I knew I had my work cut out for me, and I've been training hard all winter. It seems strange that my first Olympic distance race would be the Canadian National Championships, although I suppose my mantra "go big or go home" is applicable :) This was also a World Championship Qualifying race, and although I didn't expect to qualify this year, the carrot was firmly dangled :) I also moved up an age group this year, to 25-29, which is one of the toughest, if not the toughest category. I'm not even 25 yet and would be competing against 28 and 29 year olds, (the grouping is as of Dec 31, 2006), so I knew it would be quite the race!
In terms of preparation for this race, I felt pretty good about the swim and the bike, but I knew that I lacked run mileage going in. This has been a swim/bike focus year, and all of my race goals centred around both a solid time in the water and on the bike. At this point in my career, or this season, for that matter, I just wanted to be able to hold on for the 10km run.
We arrived in Brampton on Friday afternoon, and I had a chance to pre-swim the course. Professor's Lake was absolutely beautiful and warm, and I was pretty sure that we wouldn't be allowed to use wetsuits for the race, so I swam without. After the swim I picked up my race kit, did a quick tour of the bike course, and then headed back to the hotel.
On Saturday morning, my Dad and I biked down to the race course, and had a chance to check things out. I took a good look at transition, and had another pre-swim of about 20 minutes or so. I was feeling good and absolutely bursting with energy by Saturday afternoon. I was ready to race, and I hate sitting around waiting.
6 a.m on Sunday morning came soon enough, and it was time to get up, have a big bowl of oatmeal, and head to transition. All the racks were numbered and it was easy to find my spot. I had a chance to set up, lose my body glide, find my body glide, hear that wetsuits were going to be allowed, lose my body glide, grab my wetsuit, find my body glide, and have a chat with some of the other athletes.
I also met a couple of my Sugoi team members, which was very exciting!
They closed transition down at 7:45, and it was time to head over to the lake. Once we passed the fenced enclosure of the lake, we weren't allowed to leave the area. Here's a picture of me standing at the brink of the point of no return.
I had a chance to warm up for about 15 minutes, and then we were called out of the water for the start. Two waves went before us, and we had to stand on a waiting deck before we entered the water. This was perhaps the worse part of the whole race: waiting. Soon enough we were called into the water for our deep-water start, and it was only a few minutes of treading water before they counted us down and we were off. I positioned myself close to the middle of the pack, figuring that while I wasn't the fastest swimmer out there, I probably wasn't the slowest either.
After the usual pre-race jostling, I quickly found my groove and locked into a long, steady stroke, sighting every few breaths, and drafting off a pair of feet in front of me. Our pack (probably about 4 or 5 of us) started passing the heat in front of us at the 3rd to last buoy. The swim was over before I knew it, and I removed my cap and goggles and top half of my wetsuit during the long run to transition.
I had a solid T1 and was quickly out on the bike. The bike course was unlike anything I had every seen. It was 3 laps of a 13.3km loop. Even though I had already driven the course, the sheer number of twists and turns were dizzying. We counted 15 turns on the course, and 6 of those were 180 degrees. That makes 45 turns in 40km. Yikes!
The wind was also a force to be reckoned with, especially given the long straightaways that snaked back and forth. At some points I was flying down the road at 48km/hr, and after turning around to head back, I was reduced to a 25km/hr crawl. It was a very technical bike course, and a lot of fun.
I tried to stay hydrated and fed while the sun was bearing down on us. I felt very strong on my bike. Off into T2 and onto the run. The run was 3 laps of a 3.3km loop around the lake. My first two kms felt pretty strong as I maintained a steady 4:45/km pace. At the end of the first loop, my quads began to cramp up. By the time I had passed through the running chute turn around, I had been reduced to a mere crawl, as my legs cramped further and no matter what I tried to do, I could not move forward. People kept passing me, and though I tried to hold on to a better pace, I just kept losing ground.
The run hurt. It's supposed to hurt, but I had bricks for legs. I crawled through that 10km, just praying for it to be over soon. Finally I made it through my 3 laps and was through the finish chute! After the race I downed a couple glasses of powerade and as much water as possible.
I had a fantastic cheering section, my best friend Pam, two friends I hadn't seen in years Geoff and Lyndsay, and of course, my wonderful dad who is incredibly supportive of my crazy triathlon habit.
We also had a chance to watch the elite women's race, where Lauren Groves pulled off an amazing run and won her first National championships! I had a chance to catch up with her after her race. She's a very sweet girl and an amazingly talented athlete! Way to go Lauren!!!! Simon Whitfield is also one of the sweetest, most down to earth people I've ever met, not to mention the fact that he's an incredible athlete!
On reflection upon race day, two days later, I've decided that despite my dismal run, and that I finished 15th out of 16th, I'm still very happy with my performance at my first Olympic distance race. I did what I set out to do both in the swim and on the bike. I set PRs in both, and I feel confident that a few more years of hard work will get me where I want to be. It was an amazing experience to race against the best athletes in the country. I know that I have a lot of work to do, but that's part of the fun! The experience was exhilarating, humbling, exhausting, and inspirational. I can't wait to do it again next year!
Thanks for reading my ridiculously long race report. And thank you to Sugoi and Rudy Project for outfitting me, to Cyclesmith for providing me with a smokin' machine to ride, and to my fabulous supporters and loved ones.
Saturday, July 01, 2006
Nationals Update
Well, here I am sitting in my hotel room in sunny Brampton, Ontario, getting ready for what is shaping up to be the biggest triathlon of my short career. I've been here since yesterday afternoon. It's such a neat experience to be here, with so many of the country's best athletes! I've shared an elevator with Simon Whitfield (twice!), and this morning I bumped into him again while he was chatting with Lauren Groves and Samantha McGlone. Wow! Although, I must say that it is rather intimidating to be surrounded by so many incredibly fit people!
Yesterday I went for a pre-swim in Professor's Lake. The water was incredibly warm. In fact, it was probably as warm as the pool I train in. A little different than Nova Scotian lakes, to be sure! I'm betting that wetsuits won't even be allowed for the race tomorrow. Here's a pic of me after my pre-swim:
My dad has always been my biggest supporter, and he is here at the race to cheer me on. I am really glad that he will be here, since he is the reason that I got into this crazy sport in the first place. Here's a picture of him doing what he will be doing most this weekend. (driving)
Last night we went out for dinner with my very close friend, Pamela. I haven't seen her in a couple of months, and it was really great to catch up. She looked as beautiful as always.
As many of you know, Italy reigned victorious yesterday in the quarter finals. I guessed we were driving through the "Italian" district of the GTA yesterday, when we discovered an impromptu street celebration:
It was a strange incident to see so many Italian flags so close to Canada Day. Oh yes, Happy Canada Day! Or Dominion Day, for that matter. This morning, dad and I went for an easy bike ride down to the race site to check things out. I am starting to get really nervous now! Tomorrow is the big day. My major goal for this race is to have a solid race. As long as I leave everything out there on the course tomorrow, I can't be anything other than happy with my performance.
So, as I sign off for the last time before the race, I wish all those racers out there the very fleetest of feet! Ready...set...GO!
Yesterday I went for a pre-swim in Professor's Lake. The water was incredibly warm. In fact, it was probably as warm as the pool I train in. A little different than Nova Scotian lakes, to be sure! I'm betting that wetsuits won't even be allowed for the race tomorrow. Here's a pic of me after my pre-swim:
My dad has always been my biggest supporter, and he is here at the race to cheer me on. I am really glad that he will be here, since he is the reason that I got into this crazy sport in the first place. Here's a picture of him doing what he will be doing most this weekend. (driving)
Last night we went out for dinner with my very close friend, Pamela. I haven't seen her in a couple of months, and it was really great to catch up. She looked as beautiful as always.
As many of you know, Italy reigned victorious yesterday in the quarter finals. I guessed we were driving through the "Italian" district of the GTA yesterday, when we discovered an impromptu street celebration:
It was a strange incident to see so many Italian flags so close to Canada Day. Oh yes, Happy Canada Day! Or Dominion Day, for that matter. This morning, dad and I went for an easy bike ride down to the race site to check things out. I am starting to get really nervous now! Tomorrow is the big day. My major goal for this race is to have a solid race. As long as I leave everything out there on the course tomorrow, I can't be anything other than happy with my performance.
So, as I sign off for the last time before the race, I wish all those racers out there the very fleetest of feet! Ready...set...GO!
