New life goal..

I have always wanted to be the guy that manages to get a whole bar room involved in a spontaneous, but somehow perfectly choreographed sing/dance routine.
The highlight of my life so far has been being on a plane when someone else got the whole plane to sing along to "I'm leaving on a jet plane"
But I would like to thank Derek for posting this on his Facebook and bringing my dream to a whole new level!



I must make this happen! (animated bird included). I wonder if Noa can work rehearsal and bird training time in to my training schedule!

Separating body and mind...

So I always thought that this was pretty common but all my fellow PT trainers looked at me like I was crazy yesterday...

Whether it is in training or during a race I always feel there is a separation of my body and mind. Sometimes they work together sometimes they don't, but there is always a distinct separation in my mind.

To clarify I don't mean that I actually have two distinct voices telling me what to do, because that is call schizophrenia and that would be really bad...

I am more referring to that voice that pops up in the middle of a long swim, or the first couple steps off the bike in a tri. The voice that reminds you how easy it would be to just stop and let you muscle rest, that points out how much the acid is burning your legs and tries to tell you that only crazy people do this silly endurance racing thing.

But then there is the other voice that urges you to keep going, that says "Its not that bad, you can push harder," "remember all that training, this is when it pays off," or my personal favorite "Stop whining, you can rest when you get to the finish!"

Anybody that knows the pain of pushing through a hard workout, or finding that last bit of power for a sprint finish, has had moments where they ask themselves "why am I doing this?"

I have had many workouts where something in me just isn't there, the drive to carry on just doesn't come through, and I ask myself "is this really what I call fun?". But then I remember the days where body and mind are in total sync; when all the voices are quiet and the universe comes into line, when everything feels smooth and effortless. Those rare and wonderful moments where time stands still and distance flies by.

So the next time I ask myself "why am I DOING this," I will know it is for those undefinable, perfect moments where body and mind become one and the world becomes my playground.

On a side note... Cool!

Quote of the week...

If at first you don't succeed.... Sky diving is not for you...

-anonymous guy in bar

I was probably laughing for about ten minutes after I heard this... No context just a random blurt over heard that I thought I would share

Running fun...

So for those of you that don't know me, one of my major passions is developing and supporting active lifestyle programs, mainly for young children, but I love working with all age groups.

For the last week I have been working on getting back in to running after my shin flared up and I took it easy over the christmas break. Trying to keep it light but still work up the time a big, I have been running on the treadmills at crystal after morning swims.

After all the elite tri groups clear out and the lanes are changed over a flood of elderly people seem to come from no where and fill the pool with water aerobics and the aquatic version of knitting circles gabbing away!

I love seeing a whole mix of ages, abilities, and body types coming together and just enjoying being active. Whether it is dancing to YMCA like a high school dance gone wrong or walking back and forth sharing the local gossip with the ladies, everyone just looks like they are having a fantastic time!

Activity should be a life time pursuit of healthy living and getting the most out of your time. To all the people getting healthy with their friends a crystal pool in the morning I thank you for giving my some great entertainment on my long treadmill runs!

Happy Holidays!

Well.... where to start, it has been a long time since I have posted any real news so I guess I will just start from the beginning.

December has been a bit of a challenge for me. I have been pretty stressed out from a combination of exams, work, training, and sickness. Usually I deal with stress quite well, but every once in a while I get overwhelmed a little and I have to find the reset button on my life.

It all started with a stomach flu that hit me like a load of bricks at the beginning of the month. I was pretty much bed ridden for a week, lost about ten pounds, and was left feeling weak and drained.

Coming back to training was a challenge to say the least. My first workout back was a 4k swim set with some of the better swimmers I have had the pleasure to train with. The pace was fast and I finished with just enough strength to hold myself upright!

The following saturday was the Stewart Mountain ten mile. I almost didn't run seeing as I had been off for a week and I wasn't feeling all that wonderful. I ended up posting a decent result but the race took a toll. My shin has been bothering me for a couple of months and all the descending during the race did not do it any favors. I awoke the morning after the race to find myself hobbling around the house like a sailor with a peg leg!

Admit all of this was my second to last finals period, and I am seriously running out of steam. I got caught in a bit of downward spiral. I didn't have the drive to study, which made me stressed, which made me not want to study, which made me stressed........

Anyway, to make a long (and depressing) story short. Everything culminated in Noa pulling me off the track last Tuesday and talking me through a minor meltdown.

Not that I had much of a choice in the matter, but I have taken the last week off running, and spent the time getting my shin worked on by everyone who would see me. I am happy to report that after a lot of treatment and a couple of water running sessions I think I am getting back to normal!

Now I am through the storm and looking forward to the weeks to come! I am home for the holidays for a while. Spending some time away and enjoying a different training environment for a bit. My brother has been handing me my hat on the squash court (there is a reason I do linear sports!), and I have been enjoying riding and swimming around Vancouver. I think the lighter schedual has been good for my mindset because I am in a great mood and looking forward to getting back to Vic and logging some heavy hours!

I hope the holidays are finding everyone surrounded by happiness, love, and lots of great food!!

I know this has been around forever...

But it still makes me laugh every time I see it....

I know I haven't been posting as much as I usually do, but I have been sick and finals are stressing me out a bit (despite only having two). After next week I'll be back to my usual chipper self!

Hope you are all loving this wonderful, winter, weather!