Lauren Campbell

A Fresh Start

2012-01-19T08:50:00.000-08:00

I seem to have experienced a lot these past two years from marriage, to injuries, crashes, sickness, surgery, frustrations, comebacks, and everything in between.

I haven’t written a blog since this past summer. I was really struggling at the time, and so worried for my health and my future in the sport that I couldn’t bring myself to write anything for the longest time. Despite a strong start to the 2011 season with my 9^th and 10^th places at Mooloolaba and Sydney after a year and a half away from racing, I wasn’t able to continue forging ahead with the rest of the WCS season. The fatigue seemed to creep up on me in March and April, but it wasn’t until the end of May that it was really forcing me to slow down. Unfortunately at that point my body had had enough and even with a week or two of full recovery, I seemed to fall deeper into a world of fatigue. I was away at Switzerland with my squad at the time and beginning to worry about my health. While everyone was peaking for the World Series races I was sleeping 15 hours a day, having night sweats, losing handfuls of hair, gaining weight, and overall struggling to function. My health seemed to take a sudden nosedive from being in top form to being a complete physical (and eventually emotional) wreck over a period of a couple of weeks. I didn’t want to completely pull the plug on the season as I was desperate to hold on to whatever fitness I had, hoping that I might come out of my hole before the next races. But as the season wore on, I could feel my fitness dwindling. I soon realized that hoping to be well enough to race again that year was beginning to look like a pipe dream. By September I was even wondering if I would ever be well enough to train again. Eventually I began to notice my energy returning, slowly, but my confidence in my ability was completely shattered. I was so far from training at a high performance level. I was still struggling to run for 20 minutes without my heart rate sky rocketing or feeling all sorts of “nigglies.” Nothing made sense to me and I was ready to throw in the towel thinking this was really the end. Thankfully I had people pulling for me and I really don’t think I’d be where I am right now if it weren’t for them refusing to give up on me. I know Adam was just as confused as I was, but he never let me believe that this was the end for me. He was certain I would eventually bounce back.

And I eventually did bounce back by the time Fall rolled around. I had a lot of time on my hands to think about my future in the sport and I knew that if I were to continue pushing forward to the 2012 Olympics, I needed to create a low-stress environment. It was a very difficult decision, but I decided not to return to my training squad and coach Darren, but to stay closer to my family and support network. I owe Darren a lot of credit for bringing me “back from the dead” after my bike crash, to top-10 in the world in a short period of time. I learned a heck of a lot from him and his fantastic squad so it was a tough decision to make. It turned out that Joel Filliol was returning to Victoria and was starting up a squad so that helped solidify my decision. I worked with Joel at the end of 2008 until early 2009 before he left to coach the British Team. I had one of my best seasons in 2009 and I know the training I did with Joel had set me up well. Also, having worked with Joel before allowed for a smooth transition so right from our first meeting, we were able to set up a plan and get right to work.

Apart from a few bumps along the way, I’ve been able to consistently build up my fitness over the past three months. I truly started from “ground zero” in October. It was shocking how much fitness I had lost, but as I began to see the training increase and my body responding well, I was one happy girl. Joel has built up a slow but steady progression and by the time mid-November rolled around, I was doing intervals and even seeing little blips of my “old self”. This brought back a little bit of confidence and eventually the belief that I did in fact have a shot at qualifying for my second Olympics.

One of the obstacles I have to overcome though is not only Canada’s Olympic selection, but earning our county spot. Unfortunately it hasn’t been a great couple of years for Canadian women, apart from Paula, so at the end of 2011 we had only earned one Olympic spot. So, Joel and I sat down with a plan to earn Canada a 2^nd and hopefully 3^rd country spot. It’s no easy feat given I have basically missed out on two entire race seasons so am way down there in the rankings, but if I can race to my ability, I can earn that spot. What this means is that I will be racing A LOT this year. It’s not necessarily about targeting one race or peaking for August, it’s about finishing the best I can at each event and chasing those points. Here’s what my schedule will likely look like:

January 15: PATCO Champs, La Paz, Argentina

February 12: Bridgetown Sprint ITU, Barbados *tentative

March 3: Clermont Sprint ITU, Florida

March 25: Mooloolaba World Cup, Australia

April 15: Sydney World Triathlon Series, Australia

April 22: Ishigaki World Cup, Japan

May 5: Huatulco World Cup, Mexico

May 12: San Diego World Triathlon Series, USA

May 27: Madrid, World Triathlon Series, Spain

So as we like to say in our squad, “it’s happening.” I’m very fired up for my Olympic conquest. I know I haven’t given myself a lot of time to make this happen, but this is the way things have panned out, and I’m up for the challenge.

I’m writing this as I fly back from the first race in Argentina. Unfortunately this first race really didn’t go as I had hoped. A tactical error reading the current on the river swim led me to narrowly miss the main front pack. I struggled to find my biking legs and couldn’t bridge the gap. My run was also very sub-par for me and I undoubtedly ran below my current level of fitness. That was frustrating. I don’t know if it was the heat that I struggled with, or the fact that I am returning from such a long lay-off and just don’t have the top end race fitness yet, but there’s nothing like a poor performance to increase the motivation! (just in case I was lacking any! ;) Of course I am happy to be back at the races but am hungry for taking things up a level (or two!) at the next race.

I owe a big thank you to my friends, family and sponsors that have stuck behind me through this difficult time. I truly couldn't continue to chase my dream without your support.

I promise to keep this page updated more frequently as I’d like to share my Olympic journey with others.

Thanks for reading,

Lauren

Pumpkin Pancakes

2011-10-22T19:39:00.000-07:00

I've been putting off writing a blog for quite some time. It hasn't been intentional but the more time that passed the harder it has been to sit down and write. This isn't going to be a "life update" but simply a recipe post. I promise the proper update will come soon... (and don't worry, all is very well in my world these days :)

I made a batch of pumpkin pancakes for lunch today. I posted the photo on twitter and have had quite the response asking to share the recipe, so thank you all for getting me to update this blog! I seriously needed that kick in the pants.

The pancakes were our post-run snack which turned into brunch/lunch with a nice cup of coffee and some lounging in front of the tv (gymnastics was on - my fav!). These were incredibly easy to make for two reasons: 1) I "cheated" by using a pancake mix and 2) I had some leftover pureed roasted pumpkin from a very delicious recipe of Noa's that I made/devoured last week. I think simple is good though so if you don't feel guilty by cheating with the mix and/or have leftover pumpkin (or a good canned one), then definitely take the easy route here. I found the pancakes to be quite savory on their own so the toppings are key.

I didn't measure out all the ingredients so the recipe below isn't exact. Just add extra water or pancake mix at the end until you reach a nice pancakey-battery consistency. You really can't mess it up!

Pumpkin Coconut Pancakes

~1 1/4 cup Pamela's Pancake Mix (a great gluten-free mix, should available at most health food shops)
2 eggs
~1 cup pureed roasted pumpkin (I roasted my own, but canned should work fine)
1 tbsp pumpkin pie spice
1 tbsp coconut oil (melted)
1/2 cup unsweeted shredded coconut
1/2 cup water

Mix it all together until the batter is smooth, adding more water or mix to reach the right consistency. Melt coconut oil in a frying pan and cook until golden brown.

Topping ideas: we had ours with goats milk butter, maple syrup and shredded coconut. I'm going to toot my own horn here by saying these were AMAZING. I had another one after my bike ride, this time topped with plain yogurt and maple syrup. If anyone tries any other delicious toppings or tweaks the recipe to make them even better, please share!

Kitchen Therapy

2011-07-16T14:23:00.000-07:00

Cooking has always been therapeutic for me and it's one of the first things I turned to when I got home to Victoria last month. There were a few days where I had slept through most of the daylight hours, but would stroll downstairs at 5pm in my pajamas to announce to Wendy (mom-in-law-extraordinaire) that I would be cooking dinner. "Are you sure? I really don't mind." And my response was always, "Thank you, but I'd LOVE to." And I really would. Cooking is relaxing for me, even though I may have five different things going at once and the kitchen looks like a tornado rolled through. I think I especially enjoy it right now because it's something I CAN do. It doesn't involve monitoring my heart rate or emotional state so I can just switch off and cook! I'm also able to create something tasty (usually....) and it's productive as we all need to eat, right?!

Here's a sweet potato salad I made a few weeks ago, and then again recently. I don't often repeat recipes unless they are really good, so this one is worth sharing. It's a variation from Eric Akis' Moroccan potato salad from the Times Colonist.

The original recipe called for a mix of potatoes, but I preferred to use all yams/sweet potatoes as their flavour and nutritional value is much greater...in my opinion :) However, when I made this earlier today I had picked up some very cute looking organic purple and regular yams (the "cuteness" factor is key for me when picking ingredients. Ask Adam.. "why would you buy carrots so tiny and pathetic looking?" Me: "Because they are CUTE!") Anyway, the purple yams weren't what I thought they were. They were really just a darker skinned sweet potato, which I think lacks flavour. Anyway, they turned out to compliment each other well in the salad so feel free to mix and match!

~1.5 lbs sweet potatoes/yams (I used about 7-8 small ones)
juice of an orange
juice of a lemon
zest of one lemon
2 tsp honey
2 tsp ground cumin
2 tsp paprika
sea salt and pepper to taste
a few green onions, chopped
fresh mint or basil, chopped

Wash and chop the potatoes (leave the skin on) and cover with water in a large soup pot (the size of the chunks doesn't matter, just try to get them around the same size so they cook evenly). Boil for about 8 minutes until fork tender. Be sure not to overcook as they will fall apart when tossed with the dressing. (I made them perfectly the first time, but got distracted today so they were a little on the mushy side). Drain and set aside to cool.

Whisk all dressing ingredients together in the salad bowl you will be using (lemon zest & juice, orange juice and spices). When the potatoes have cooled from "hot" to "warm", gently toss with the dressing. Mix in the fresh mint/basil and green onions and that's it. Serve warm, room temperature or chilled. I find this salad tastes better after it's settled in the fridge for a bit, especially the following day. Just give it another mix to blend the flavours before serving. Enjoy!

Struggle Street

2011-07-14T19:28:00.000-07:00

I think it's time for me to get this monkey off my back and write an update.

No news from me this time is unfortunately not exactly good news...

To be honest, I haven't felt like writing anything for awhile because I just haven't felt very good. When I don't feel quite right, I tend to close up and keep to myself, quietly looking forward to brighter days. However, this stretch has gone on long enough, and even though those brighter days are a bit distant in the horizon, I feel as though sharing my experiences might actually be therapeutic!

When I look back on the last few months, and am totally honest with myself, I guess my feelings of fatigue (more than the "norm") started before the Mooloolaba and Sydney World Cups. With the lighter training around the events, I was able to hold it together and put out some solid performances but I remember feeling especially drained after Sydney. It was an emotional race for me: my first WCS in over a year and a half, which unfortunately included a bike crash, and a sprained ankle, and finished with a trip home after being away for six months. I remember when I settled into training at home the following week I struggled with motivation. I just felt flat. I've learned over the years that we don't always feel fresh or motivated when training, so you just have to get on with it. But, this feeling carried on for the weeks I was home and I really felt things unravel my final week before leaving for our Swiss summer camp. I figured there was just one week left, and we were packing up our apartment so I guess you could say life was full-on and I didn't take a moment to reflect upon my dwindling health. When I look back and realize I was counting down the days until I got on the plane so I could SLEEP, I wish some alarm bells had gone off.

I was treated to an upgrade on the plane, and once I settled into my nice little business class pod, I was ready for snooze. But, I didn't sleep a wink and found myself sweating most of the flight. Unfortunately this was just the beginning of some of my bizarre symptoms that would linger for the following six weeks. Training was very much touch and go from the moment I arrived. Both Darren and I weren't sure what was wrong with me. After taking a full week of rest here and there, I would seem to rebound for a few very good days of training, followed by being in something just short of a complete coma for a week. I was chronically tired, stressed, sick, emotional, unable to train, counting down the weeks until races and eventually, pulling out of all races. It was not a good situation.

I decided to return home about three weeks ago and have kept a pretty low profile since (not that my profile is ever "high"!). I slept most of the first week, literally. 12 hour nights, followed by 2 hour naps. I kept saying to Darren over skype, "I feel like a teenager!" Although it wasn't very funny and was getting worrisome.

I actually thought this would be a relatively quick fix. I'm not sure why I thought that when I look back on the pattern over the past couple of months. I just figured that after a week of sleeping and being at sea level, I would be good to go again, maybe even in time for Hamburg this weekend. After two full weeks of resting, my body was still not right. Some days I am well enough to do bits and pieces of training, all with a very controlled heart rate, but others are write-offs. I've been tested for most major illnesses and thankfully nothing major has come back. I had some abnormalities in my blood work, a possible stomach parasite, and an "inconclusive" viral test, but nothing that didn't point towards "rest" as the treatment.

This has been a really tough pill for me to swallow. Last year was rough and I looked forward to this season more than anything. I always think I pay attention to detail and have good communication with my coach, but obviously something went wrong. It was possibly the ten-month training block I'm now coming out of that was too much (I was playing catch-up in the off-season after a year off), or not recognizing the signs of needing a break after Sydney, or simply getting a little older (eeek!) and not being able to handle quite the load of life and training stresses that I used to. I am sure it is a combination of all of these, but going through this has definitely been a learning experience. All of my previous setbacks have been structural injuries so to be honest, these symptoms and feelings weren't on my radar as being terribly problematic. One thing is for sure though, both Darren and myself will be experts in the field of monitoring "over-training" (or rather, "under-resting") by the time this is over. It sounds like athletes can vary dramatically in terms of symptoms, but now that we've been through this, we've created a whole catalog for reference!

As for now, I'm having more and more moments when I feel like myself. And I love that! When I'm having a good day, I will be busy in the kitchen, catching up on emails, laughing, jogging, swimming and spinning. Thankfully theses days are now beginning to string themselves together and I look forward to my return to Switzerland at the start of August. As for racing, unfortunately I can't put a date on that. My body is clearly on its own schedule right now. I will continue to "test" it gently everyday, but I need to give it respect and understand that it will allow me to rip-it-up in races when the time is right.

International travel and the can opener of doom

2011-05-22T11:46:00.000-07:00

International travel sure can have its moments. Last night's events are a perfect example of a situation that made me want to cry and laugh.... and I'm pretty sure I was doing both at the same time.

I wasn't feeling too great (as the blog below describes) and decided to make a simple dinner: vegetable curry. It was basically sauteed onions and fresh ginger with curry powder, then adding a pot-full of every vegetable available (you can't be terribly picky in a Swiss mountain town), adding a splash of water, putting on a lid and cooking it until the veggies are soft. I know it sounds simple and even I was surprised by how flavourful it was. Ok, back to the story... I was going to add some chickpeas at the end so I got my can all ready to go, but when I went to look for a can opener, all I could find was this device:

I figured it had to be a can opener as it had a twister-type knob and a little bladed wheel, but I had never seen one quite like this before. It looked way too simple, but yet seemed to require an engineering degree to use. After about ten minutes of very unsuccessful attempts at even coming close to piercing the can, I gave up. It would be a low-protein dinner. Adam rings on Skype around this time and I tell him about the can opener. "What? What do you mean you can't open it? It's EASY!!" This is followed by some laughter and more laughter when I show him the actual can opener over skype. I'm really not that big of a princess if I've never seen this before, right?! He gives me a lesson and I have another go at the can. Literally twenty minutes later, with sore hands and chickpea juice everywhere, the can is destroyed.. but opened! YES!

After dinner I head down to our laundry room to do a quick load of laundry. I needed some clean cycling gloves and tights for the morning, so I figured I would pop it in for a quick wash and get it out on the drying rack before bed. It's just after 7pm at this point so PLENTY of time before bedtime. Or so I thought. I toss the clothes in, close the door, put the liquid soap in the drawer, and go to put the money in the coin slot... it only takes 1 franc or 20 cent coins and I only have a 2 franc coin. Oh well, I guess I won't be doing my laundry tonight. I go to open the door and it's locked! And, the pink soap has already rushed down the inside, covering the clothes. Crap. After pressing every button on the machine, I realize it's just not going to open without running the cycle. I then remembered from last year that if the previous person's load didn't use the all the money they paid, the next person can use the remainder. I turn on the control and it starts! I select the short wash and the timer counts down from 45 mins. Perfect, not long at all. After an hour, I cruise downstairs (4 flights I might add, and the elevator is broken). The power is off and the clothes are sitting in water. Crap, I have mixed light and dark so this is a recipe for disaster. Now I really cannot leave it until the morning.... I go back upstairs to check all my pockets for coins. Nothing. Back downstairs I decide to twist the coin return slot on the other machine. Two 20 cent coins come out! YES! I put them in my machine and it's back to life. 35 minutes to go. I'm getting tired by this point so I'm down there right on time but again, the door is locked and the power is off. Having no more change and all shops in town being closed at this point, I'm doomed. I resort to crawling around on the floor, looking under the machines for dropped money. I see the glimmer of a 20 cent coin in the far corner of the room. I go back upstairs for my broom and wedge it out. YES! I pop it in the machine and the timer says 4 minutes to go. I sit there watching nervously, hoping it runs through this time as my next move would likely involve a break-in of someone's apartment or vandalism of the machine. I'm watching the timer count down... 1 minute... still spinning...boom-boom-boom (that's my heart beating)... spinning stops... silence... CLICK, the door pops open! Massive sigh. The clothes are clean.

And I wonder why I slept so well last night!

SYD - YYJ - ZRH

2011-05-22T06:46:00.000-07:00

I'd say it's time for an update! It sure has been a busy past month. Now that I'm in settled in one place and can take a deep breath and look back on things, I'm amazed just how much I was able to pack in there (but, not without consequence... more on that in a bit!).

I flew home after Sydney WCS and spent the first week recovering from the race and travel, rehabbing my ankle and spending the much needed quality-time with Adam and my family. Six months was by-far my longest period of time away from home so it was a bit overwhelming in terms of catching up on "life."

But the weeks at home flew by and I was able to put in really solid training block, even able to celebrate a few milestones along the way:

My sister, Amanda was bit by the running bug a couple years ago after being a self-proclaimed "gym rat" for most of her adult life. I was thrilled when she decided to get off the treadmill/elliptical and join a running club about a year ago. And she didn't start with a learn-to-run clinic, but found herself a competitive club with a great coach that she's able to meet up with at Stanley Park a couple of days after work. She's now running intervals, learning paces and testing the waters of the competitive running scene. One of her first races was the Vancouver Sun Run, back in April and my gosh, she was rolling! She paced it perfectly, ran a huge PB and even had energy for some mid-race dancing.

Adam also has some serious reason to dance.... he seems to be on a roll at the moment! Shortly after I got home he finished his final exam and paper and within a few weeks had his marks. He's officially a law school graduate! I would love to share his grad photos on here but I fear he might seek revenge by posting some dreadful teenage photos of me... so I will just let you picture him smiling (beaming?!) in a cap and gown :) A few days after this celebration he goes off to run the Elk-Beaver Ultra, Canada's 50mile trail championship. To those who know the 10km Elk Lake loop in Victoria, you are probably in agreement with me when I say that running 8 LOOPS of the lake is insane. Adam loves this stuff though and it turns out he's really good at it. He not only won the race, but set the Canadian record, running the 80km in 5hr and 44 minutes!

Last week I packed up to join my squad in Davos, Switzerland for our summer training camp and base for the next four months. Before the trip I had an incredibly busy week with some solid training sessions as well as packing up our apartment, packing up for the summer and saying goodbye to everyone. I had a few "warning signs" in terms of over-doing things but I figured rest was coming in the form of travel and and easy training at the start of camp. Yes, now that I look back on it, travel and adjusting to altitude is NOT recovery, but added stress on the body. I didn't feel too great when I got to Davos but figured things would come around. I came down with a cold within a few days of arriving and for me that is a big sign that I've bitten off more than I can chew. The cold is easing but my body is still feeling run-down so my start to the training camp is slower than I would have liked, but I need to give my body the respect and rest it deserves.

Despite feeling pretty rubbish, I have had the chance to take some photos of this lovely place I will be calling home for the summer.

It was full-on winter when I arrived! I thought it was safe to say I had avoided this snowy stuff by spending the entire winter in Australia...

A few of my goat friends on the climb to Durrboden.

The pool in Davos is closed for the week so we've been commuting to the nearest pool. Distance-wise it's not far, but if we're tracking elevation, it's quite the commute! Up and over Fluelapass every morning.

I suppose there could be a worse view going to/from a swimming pool!

And, you've got to love mountain weather, snowy one day and twenty degrees the next!

Sydney WCS

2011-04-10T06:13:00.001-07:00

It's pretty late at night but I'm riding the post-race wave of insomnia so thought it might be a good chance to share my experiences from today's World Championship Series race in Sydney.

I had the opportunity to dust off my ITU race skills at Mooloolaba World Cup a couple weeks back, finishing in 9th, after a 20-month hiatus from racing. I'm pretty sure I had the biggest smile out of the entire field that day as I was SO happy to simply be back on that start line after everything that happened last year. There really were many dark days when I doubted I would ever be healthy enough to train on a daily basis, let alone return to a world-class level, so you can imagine my joy when I finally crossed that finish line. I made mistakes in that race, had my cap AND goggles ripped off in the swim, but came away with a strong sense of accomplishment and belonging. I didn't know how I would fare in a WCS field though, but I finally felt I was ready enough to give it a go.

The field today was stacked with the top 66 athletes in the sport. To be honest, it was the most competitive race I've ever done, Olympics included. My ranking was 60th, probably my highest ever, but I guess that's what you get for taking a year off! I guess one positive is that I didn't have to stress over where I would pick for a start on the pontoon as there were only a few open spaces by the time I was called down!

My swim start wasn't terribly rough, which is a very pleasant experience and I found myself holding a nice rhythm right out to the first turn buoy. With a field this big it did get a little messy as we made the turn but I didn't experience much of the dunking, grabbing or pulling that I had in Mooloolaba and I felt like those around me were also focused on moving forwards rather than fighting for position. I had no idea where I was in terms of position because all I could see was a sea of women around me. Once out of the water I knew I wasn't too far down from the leaders but probably mid-field. I got on my bike and chased hard as I know how critical the first lap can be as the packs establish themselves. I knew I was at the tail-end of the lead group and after chasing with a few other women for the first lap, we were able to tack on. It was a pretty large pack at that point and the pace seemed to be all over the place; very slow on the technical corners, many random surges, followed by sudden slowing of pace. I was a little nervous at times, especially after the multiple crashes in Mooloolaba that I managed to narrowly avoid. However, on the 2nd or 3rd lap I was in the middle of the pack, quite close to the curb, when I saw someone go down a few bikes ahead. The bikes then started piling up and I had nowhere to go as I was blocked on both sides. I knew I was going to go down, but it all happened in very slow motion. I don't remember much of it, but I think I did bike over someone, ending up on the road, lying on my side. I got up as quick as I could and hopped right back on my bike. My ankle was aching as I tried to pedal but I didn't put too much thought into it, hoping it would warm-up as I got going. I obviously lost the lead pack after this pile-up so focused on chasing. A pack from behind soon caught me and we worked until we caught back up to the front pack. I breathed a huge sigh of relief when I made it there again! I never knew making and staying in the front pack could be so challenging!! I wasn't feeling too wonderful at this point though and was really looking forward to getting off the bike. I had a great T2, exiting within a few steps of the lead women. Unfortunately my legs were not turning over too quickly and I couldn't go with them. I wasn't feeling terribly fantastic out there but ran as hard as I could, finishing in 10th.

Initially I was disappointed with my run as I didn't feel quite like myself out there, but maybe that's to be expected after all the drama on the bike. When I look at the big picture, where I've come from over the past 6 months and the sacrifices I've made to get here, I'm really quite pleased. To start the season ranked 10th amongst the world's best is more than I could have ever hoped for.

There's no question the excitement of the day though was Paula's WIN. Even from back in 10th place I could see the race unfolding at the front and was quietly screaming for her inside my head. I can't think of a better way to start the season than on top!

I found this photo from an album on Facebook. I'm not entirely sure how this picture was taken (helicopter?), but it shows the carnage on the bike. I think I'm second from the bottom, lying on the road, still clipped in! It sure was messy!

Thanks to super-therapist Sam for taking such good care of my ankle after the race.

Now the best news is that I will be going HOME to Victoria the day after tomorrow. Yep, the five and a half month-long camp has finally come to an end. Am I excited? Just a little!!!!

I've got an entire day to spend exploring Sydney first though so as long as I can walk/hobble, it should be a great day.

Sunday Comfort Food

2011-03-19T23:26:00.000-07:00

Today was a very rare occasion... a sleep-in morning! Last night I declared that I would take full advantage of this extra rest, sleeping as long as possible and lounging around in my pj's until I absolutely had to put the bike shorts on. Well, that didn't exactly pan out as I has hoped, the sleeping part anyway. My internal clock seems to be stuck at 6:15am. That, coupled with the anticipation of Adam's 50km race result, got me out of bed pretty quickly. I immediately checked my email for an update, and there was one from his mom, Wendy. All it said was: "he's done hurting, but he's ok." Knowing Adam and how crazy hard he can push, right away I'm thinking this either means he's "at the hospital, but alive," or "fell down the mountain, broke a limb, but still finished the race." Thankfully it was neither, just had a rough patch mid-race, but came home strong, finishing 8th. I'm sure there will be a race report up on his blog in the coming days.

I was feeling a little "blah" today and with the Autumn weather in full-effect, I was craving some comfort food. Because I'm still very much in love with butternut squash, there was no question, it had to be a starring role. I paired it with lentils and cooked up a pot of steaming curry. Needing to satisfy my sweet tooth (and also thinking of those at morning swim tomorrow), a cake was also needed. Both were incredibly simple and worked out wonderfully. I think it was start to finish within 90 minutes for everything, and the smells in the kitchen were incredible. I didn't think curry and cake could combine aromas nicely, but trust me, it works!

Butternut and Lentil Curry

olive oil
1 onion, diced
1 large chunk of ginger, peeled and grated
2 tsp curry powder
~1 butternut squash (1 medium size, or 2/3 of a large one), peeled and chopped roughly
1 1/2 cups dried red lentils ("split peas"), rinsed well
5 cups good quality vegetable stock

In a big soup pot, saute the onion and ginger with the olive oil for a few minutes, until softened. Add the curry powder and cook for another 30 seconds. Add the rest of the ingredients and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low, cover and cook for about 30 minutes, giving it a stir every 10 minutes or so.

Ok, I have to start with a confession. I know I preached about how bad white sugar is in my last post, but I used it today... To be honest, I didn't have much honey, maple syrup or agave left and I'm trying to use up what's in the pantry before I leave in a few weeks, so couldn't justify buying more. There are a lot of GOOD things about this cake, so let's focus on those... ;) I'm looking forward to trying this cake when I get back home with an alternative sugar (maybe coconut?) and a different type of flour. I really like the coconut milk base, it gives it a nice rich flavour and chewy-yet-light texture. I think the variations with this cake are endless so if anyone gives it a try, please let me know. I'm already thinking about macadamia nuts, blueberries, maybe a touch of dark chocolate...

Raspberry Coconut Cake

1 3/4 cup finely shredded coconut (unsweetened)
1 1/2 cup coconut milk
3/4 cup caster sugar
1 egg
1 tsp vanilla
1 2/3 cup self-raising wholegrain flour
1 cup frozen raspberries

Preheat oven to 170 Celsius (for those back home, 350 degrees Fahrenheit).

Mix together the shredded coconut and the coconut milk, and let rest for about 20 minutes while it forms a nice paste. Next, mix in the sugar, egg and vanilla. Add the flour slowly and mix until combined. Just before baking, fold in the raspberries. Spread into a greased or parchment lined loaf tin and bake for about 1 hour - 1 hour 10 minutes, until a knife inserted in the middle comes out clean. Let it rest in the baking pan for awhile before cooling on a wire rack. Slice and enjoy!

In non-cooking related news, I kick off my World Cup season next weekend in Mooloolaba! I have a solid 4 months of training under my belt and a handful of tune-up races so I'm itching to get out there and see where I'm at. I'm also looking forward to the beach and the warmth! I won't complain about the "cold" Canberra weather on this blog because it still is over 20 degrees during the day. It's actually quite a lovely time of year with the seasons changing.

I also wanted to share a few incredible photos from Canberra's Hot Air Balloon Spectacular. Every morning at 7am this past week, the balloons rose above Parliament, floating across the lake. I'm on the bike at that time every morning, either heading out for a ride or to the pool, so have been able to admire them rising at the same time as the sun. A lovely start to the day!

Jewels

2011-03-14T01:26:00.000-07:00

Despite cooking for one and having to use pedal power to get to the grocery shop (rather pathetic pedal power, I should note, see photo below), I've been fairly creative in the kitchen lately. While in the thick of training I seem to go through phases where I never want to cook a thing, opting for take-out or unenthusastically throwing together very simple meals. Or, in contrast, there are times when I go all-out in the kitchen, trying anything and everything. I used to think there was a correlation between the amount/intensity of training and the culinary creations, but I'm not so sure anymore. I simply love cooking but just like other aspects of life, there are ebbs and flows, and my energy and creativity for cooking tends to fluctuate. I'm pretty sure though that the "next chapter" in my life will involve many hours in a kitchen, whether it's through culinary school or as a full-time chef for my ultra-running husband, attempting to keep him fueled (I'm only joking about this last one.. sort of... but he is training for a 160km RUNNING race, so I can only imagine the sheer quantity of food he's consuming). Right now though, I find cooking to be an enjoyable way to "switch-off" after training and a way to satisfy any craving I might have.

With the training we've been doing, I've been craving more sweets than usual. I know, this isn't ideal from a "health" perspective, but it's just the way it is for me when things ramp up. I try to avoid sugar whenever possible, especially white, refined sugar, so I often make my own sweets using other sweeteners (maple syrup, honey, fruits, etc). I thought I'd share my 6-ingredient "jewel" cookies. They happen to be vegan, wheat-free, sweetened with honey, and very tasty (in my humble opinion :) If you end up trying them, please let me know how they are!

Jewel Cookies

1 cup oat flour*
1/2 cup ground almonds
1/4 cup honey (or maple syrup)
2 tbsp coconut oil (if you don't live in a hot climate, heat until melted)
pinch of salt
fruit jam of choice

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Mix together everything but the jam and roll into small balls (if the dough is a little on the dry side, add a touch of water, or too wet, add a little extra flour). On a parchment-lined or greased baking sheet, press into patties and create a little dip in the middle of each cookie with your finger. Dollop a little jam into the dips and bake for about 12 minutes until crisp on the bottom.

*For oat "flour": pulse whole oats in a food processor to a mealy-consistency. I don't have one with me in Australia, so I used some elbow grease with a mortar and pestle! It worked great!

Happy baking!

Geelong

2011-02-19T22:36:00.001-08:00

I raced Australian Sprint Champs in Geelong this morning. It usually takes me more than a few hours after a race to write a report, but without having to pack up and rush to the airport tonight, I've found a few quiet moments to put my feet up and share my thoughts.

I flew into Melbourne yesterday afternoon with one of my training partners, Czech athlete, Vendula (Vinnie) Frintova. The two of us hired a car; I was the driver and Vinnie the navigator, armed with a very small scale map of the area and a crappy GPS. The car was manual (not exactly my specialty) and visibility was next to nothing with the bike boxes packed up in the back. Oh dear... I was driving even more like a grandma than usual, chugging along the motorways in and around Melbourne. Thankfully we arrived unscathed and without any major dramas. However, upon check-in we realized our hotel had no power. We also realized there was a bit of chaos surrounding the Saturday races, with the postponement to Sunday due to stormy weather and unsafe water. This didn't affect us apart from having to start a few hours earlier, which I would prefer any day. We braved the windy conditions and hopped down to the course for a ride and picked up some pasta take-away for dinner. Our hotel still had no power when we returned and it was getting dark at this point, so it made for an eventful night. I was rooming with Kirsten so those that know the two of us can imagine the giggling going on as we chatted in our room with only one flashlight between the two of us. If it weren't for the plush beds, I'd say it was pretty similar to summer camp. There was no giggling though when the lights and bathroom fan burst on at 1am once the power was restored. That was quite alarming!

I was really relaxed going in to this race. I think having done a couple other events has eased my nerves a bit and helped to get my mind back in race mode. Much to everyone's surprise, the swim was declared non-wetsuit just before the start (this may have been a first for Geelong). I decided to warm up in my wetsuit as I know how the water can be chilly when things are borderline, but I was pleasantly surprised. The water was actually quite a bit warmer than the air so staying warm wasn't a major concern. It was a deep water start and I had a smooth, clean start. There was no fighting for position and I found myself right on the feet of a pack of four. The pace was solid but nothing out of control. I struggled however to find a rhythm like I have in training and at the previous race. A small gap opened at the final turn to shore and I could see it, but couldn't seem to respond like I know I could. By the time we hit the exit ramp, the gap was about five seconds. I got to my bike as the other girls (Kirsten, Emma Moffatt, Emma Jackson, Liz Blatchford) were hopping on their bikes. I had a good transition but couldn't close the gap and watched them pull away up the road. I was really disappointed but thought I might have a chance to catch them on the bike with the help of the girls coming from behind. My group ended up having about five or six women (or maybe more, it was hard to tell). I was committed to working hard, but unfortunately there were only two others who could or would help. We rode well considering we were chasing four strong, organized girls, losing only about 20-30 seconds over 20km. I had a good T2 and was first on to the run from my pack. My running legs were slightly better than Devonport but by no means did I feel speedy. I ran solid, had a few moments where I felt like my old self again (it's been awhile...), and finished in 6th place.

It's amazing how one small slip-up can really set the tone for the day. I wasn't upset with my effort on the bike, or most of my swim, or even my run. But, those few moments in the swim where I made some errors ended up significantly impacting the outcome. I can't lie, I was really disappointed in myself. I was disappointed because I don't feel as though I swam to my potential. But, I'm trying not to beat myself up. I came here to learn and determine what still needs work, so it's all part of the process. As much as I'm itching to be out there smashing it and winning, I've got to remember it's still early season, not to mention coming off a year of no swimming or running. I just love racing fast but have to keep things in perspective and give myself credit for the small improvements along the way.

I'm really looking forward to this next block of training. What I love about races, good or bad outcome, is the motivation and "fire" I return home with. Darren and I have compiled a checklist over these three races of the things that still need work, so we're going to continue to plug away and check them off. It's five weeks until Mooloolaba World Cup and seven weeks until Sydney WCS, so it's time to get down to business.

Congratulations to Emma Moffatt for an impressive win, Kirsten for her solid 2nd place and Emma Jackson for 3rd. And thank you to USM Events, Triathlon Australia, and all involved with the race. It was yet again another fabulous Aussie triathlon, impeccably organized, even with the last-minute changes. And thank you, Geelong for being so lovely. I have now fallen in love with yet another beautiful coastal city. The photo above shows a few of the many wooden characters along the waterfront. As someone who loves all things artsy and crafty, you can imagine my excitement to check them all out. I need to find the story behind them, so stay tuned for an update on that!

Caloundra Enduro Triathlon

2011-02-11T17:32:00.000-08:00

I traveled up to the hot and muggy Sunshine Coast last weekend for my second race of the year. It feels odd to write another race report this early in the season, and like Devonport, the decision to race was made about a week ahead of time. I'm beginning to get used to Darren saying, "How do you feel about racing next weekend? I think you should go." I am also quickly learning that when those words are spoken, it immediately becomes part of the program and isn't really a question at all. That's ok though, I've got plenty of racing excitement banked from my year hiatus so I am keen for it.

The race was a style that I've never done, two back-to-back super super sprint triathlons: 400m swim - 7km bike - 1.8km run - 200m swim - 7km bike - 1.8km run.

As you can probably imagine, this was an incredibly technical race. With two "T1's" and "T2's" (even a "T3": run - swim) there was a lot of planning, and with such a tight, short circuit on the bike and run, focus was paramount. My racing skills aren't feeling totally polished at the moment so I had a few more pre-race butterflies than normal. The field was very small, with only 5 women, but I'd say the depth was pretty solid: Ashleigh Gentle (AUS), Liz Blatchford (GBR), Barbara Rivers (CHI), and Canadian teammate Kirsten. I knew the first swim was important and could really make or break the race. I had a good one, felt comfortable up at the front, alongside speedy swimmers Kirsten and Liz. Barb was right with us too but when we hopped on our bikes we could see we had a small gap over Ashleigh. We were all aware of her run speed so we had to take this chance to get away. The four of us starting working right away, the gap grew, and we established ourselves as a pack of four. By the end of the first run we had strung out slightly, but bunched back together once in the water for the second swim. I have to admit, I have never felt this awful swimming in my life. I'm not even sure if you can call it swimming. It felt like diving in for a "band-only" swim with a heart rate of about 190. I thought for sure I was going to be popped off the back and possibly even drown, but thankfully the others must have felt just as awful as we stayed together as a pack. I got some rhythm back near the end and took the shortest line to shore, moving up to the front of the group. The second bike was uneventful as we saw our gap was larger over Ashleigh so it would simply be a running race between the four of us. The run went around a 380m block which was so short and fast that there was no "settling in" or really doing anything apart from moving the legs as quickly as possible. The last run is a bit of a blur apart from Barb taking over the lead early on and Liz going by me with about a lap to go. It was a close finish with Liz 3 seconds ahead and Barb another 6. After 48 minutes of feeling pretty darn uncomfortable, I was happy to be able to stop moving and catch my breath!

Next up is Australian Sprint Champs in Geelong next weekend. This will be my final prep race before Mooloolaba World Cup and Sydney WCS. As fun as these weekend racing adventures are, I'm looking forward to giving my bike case a rest in the shed for awhile and settling in to a good block of work. Swimming and biking has been my focus for so many months so it's time to put some work into the run. Hooray for that!

Until next weekend...

Devonport ITU

2011-01-26T22:30:00.000-08:00

This is definitely a first for me: a January race report!

As much as I'd love to buckle down and train hard until the first race, coming out fit and ready to roll, I haven't earned that luxury. Without racing on the ITU circuit since September 2009, I am well off the radar in terms of World and Olympic Rankings, not to mention a little rusty when it comes to racing. So, to ensure I get a start at the first WCS race in Sydney and to get myself on the board for Olympic points, Darren and I decided I should head south to Tasmania for the Devonport Oceana Sprint Champs. It was also a great opportunity to see how my fitness is coming along and go through to motions of prepping for an event. I have to admit, I was pretty hesitant to commit to this event in the first place. It was early January when Darren first suggested it and coming off a large swim block and some bike and run strength work, I wasn't feeling overly confident in my race speediness. I figured though, I could either overthink things to death or just get on with it.

So, I packed up my bike and joined training partners Dave, Mike, Andi, and Barb in Tasmania. It turned into quite the trek to get down there with some stormy weather canceling our flight from Melbourne. We were re-routed to another airport and by the time we landed we discovered the race was turned into a duathlon because of the heavy rain. And here's another first for me: I was disappointed the swim was canceled! In previous years I'd be doing a small happy dance inside her head with this news, but what I really wanted was the chance to see the progression in my swim. Anyway, I had to get over this disappointment quickly and mentally prepare for a completely different event: 5km run-20km bike-2.5km run.

With junior world champion and speedy runner, Ashleigh Gentle in the race, and WCS winner Barbara, I knew we were in for some quick running. I prepared myself by thinking of the first 5k as a road race and I'm glad I did because my legs haven't moved that quick in...... oh, a very long time. Ashleigh pulled away from Barb and I on the first run so once we got on our bikes, our mission was to reel her in. We were quickly closing the gap by the 3rd of 4 laps but when we rolled through transition with one to go, we noticed her bike was racked and she was out running! Barb and I continued because we knew we had one lap to go, but officials quickly stepped out in front of us and told us to turn around. It was a bit of a messy situation and I had a very slow T2 as a result. I left transition in 3rd and that's where I finished. Once the officials had time to look at the splits, they quickly realized that we had done one less bike lap, but because everyone did one less lap, no one was disqualified. It was chaotic, but I guess that's the way it goes sometimes. For an race officials point of view, I can understand how they could have got mixed up as we were on the course with about 50 junior women, all on different laps of the bike. Besides, the onus is always on the athletes when it comes to counting laps.

I was initially disappointed with my result. Again, I don't like racing if I'm not "really" ready. But, looking back on it, I realize that I did have a solid race. And, my gosh, it's only JANUARY. Sometimes you have to keep things in perspective.

This race also took place exactly one year after my bike crash in Maui last year. I never thought it would take me a full year to get back out there, but I guess better late than never.

Many thanks to my wonderful homestay, the Lyon Family and to the hospitality provided by all involved with the event. Tassie spirit is even more spritely than I remember, and it is a stunning part of the world. I look forward to returning one day with Adam for some serious adventuring.

And now, with almost the entire D-squad in Canberra, we're into the swing of things. It's hot here and we've got a fantastic, motivated (sometimes crazy) squad. I couldn't ask for more.

Christmas Down Under

2011-01-02T15:08:00.001-08:00

It was a different sort of Christmas for Adam and I this year. Having spent the last 28 Christmases in BC with my family in the cold, damp west coast weather, always with an explosion of presents under the tree, a non-stop buffet of the usual Christmas tasty treats, and permission to act like a five-year-old on Christmas morning for all days leading up to the "big day," this year couldn't be any further from the norm. I guess you could say it was somewhat subdued compared to this usual fanfare.

Adam arrived on the 18th, but with my training still on the go for another week, I wasn't a whole pile of fun, but he quickly meshed in to the athlete life. Don't feel bad for him though, because if you asked him what his ideal holiday would be, he would say running all day, everyday in beautiful places. Thankfully the trails around Canberra met his picky trail running criteria, so while I was out swimming and riding, he was busy in the hills. However, I do have to note that he would frequently start the rides with our group, backpack with run gear over his shoulders, and ditch his bike in the bushes out of town, heading off for a run while we did our session. Holiday for Adam is catch-up time for all the running he missed while in class and studying (aka over-training galore).

The last scheduled training session was over by mid-day on the 23rd and it was time to get into the Christmas spirit, ASAP. I had planned on an epic shopping session at the mall but after about 30 minutes walking through packed shops on tired legs, I was over it. We did go to a craft fair though and buy the most amazing Christmas cake, my favourite holiday treat. That was definitely a highlight! On Christmas Eve we joined our neighbours at the historic church across the street for some carol singing. It was a blast! And, if you need a giggle, just ask Adam to sing "Hark now hear the angels sing!" That guy has got some serious chops! ;-)

Christmas morning began with a run up and around Mt. Ainslie, the trails closest to our house, present-opening, and a pancake breakfast. We then drove up to Sydney and walked around the city for hours on the most beautiful and hot of days, and judging by the size of my feet and ankles that night, I probably walked more than ever before! The streets were packed with others who were also away from home and the holiday energy was infectious. Boxing day began with an ocean swim with with training mate, Dave at Bondi Beach and then a slightly-toned down afternoon of walking. I thought North Americans knew how to shop on Boxing Day, but Aussies take it to a whole new level. Shops opened at 5:30am and the streets were absolutely jammed with happy shoppers from sunrise to sunset. This was the first year in awhile that I haven't had my partner in crime, my sister Amanda, for an epic Boxing Day shop and you can be assured that Adam is not a sufficient substitute in this department. Sadly, there was no "shopping arm" for me this year (that is the medical term, coined by Amanda for the pain from carrying too many bags).

Next stop were the Blue Mountains, about an hour west of Sydney. We stayed at a cozy B & B in Wentworth Falls and spent our 1st wedding anniversary exploring the lush jungles and steep cliffs. If it weren't for the "leech incident", I would have described our hike/run as memorable, but now it definitely goes in to the category of "unforgettable." We had been on the move for quite awhile and were in the thick of the jungle on the valley floor when I felt something on my ankle. I looked down and saw the biggest, slimiest creature clinging to me. I went to flick it off only to realize that it was stuck inside me! I screamed, or rather had a serious panic attack as I had no idea what this was, but I was bleeding and couldn't get this thing off of me. Then I saw there were more, inside my socks, and others on my shoes trying to get their sucker into my skin! It was getting dark at this point and we still had to climb back up the mountain so there wasn't a lot of time to freak out. I pulled myself together the best I could and we ran out of there as quick as possible, doing mandatory "leech checks" every 10 mins. I felt sick to my stomach by the time we got home, but now that days have passed, I can laugh about it... sort of. An unforgettable anniversary no doubt!

We're now back in Canberra and training is back to normal for me. Adam is here just for a few more days and although it has been a fantastic holiday together, it's really hard to think that it will be over 4 months until I see him again. I've got to say, Skype sure makes life a whole lot easier!

I will be posting a race schedule soon. It sure seems like awhile since I've used those words! Bring on 2011, I can't wait.

Happy New Year to all! Here's to a new year full of health and happiness!

Christmas morning at Mt. Ainslie

Mt. Ainslie

Blue Mountains

Decending the valley. Look closely and you can see the stairs.

Some sections required ropes to descend!

Tidbinbilla Nature Reserve, just outside Canberra.

A wild emu!

My city wheels

Phew, my blog still exists!

2010-11-12T18:39:00.000-08:00

Oh dear, it's been so long. I had worried blogger might have disabled this blog by now, but thankfully it still remains, covered in a thick layer of cyber cobwebs and dust mites. Now, where to begin...

I suppose it makes sense to start with a recap of the last few months... I apologize if this becomes somewhat of a ramble!

The Davos camp was just what I needed to get my mind and body back on track after such an eventful, injury-filled year. I didn't exactly return home fully healed, fit and firing on a cylinders, but being with Darren's squad reaffirmed that my decision to make significant changes was the right one, and it also helped build back my slightly shattered confidence.

My body actually wasn't in tip-top shape when I got home in September. I could ride no problem, was able to start a little regular swim training, but my discomfort running remained the bigger mystery. Some days I could run for 20 minutes with no troubles, but others I struggled with simply climbing stairs. Earlier in the year, the main symptom was knee pain, but as the pain moved around the knee joint, I was given every overuse diagnosis out there and had multiple MRIs. With no answers, Darren and I figured it had to be originating from somewhere other than the hips or feet, the obvious knee-pain spots. Shortly after my collarbone surgery this summer I started to develop a burning pain through my thigh, accompanied by constant numbness and tingling. I would wake in the night and have to get up and move around for the burning to subside. It turned out that I had irritated my L4 nerve, originating in my lumbar spine. Whether this was injured in the crash or was building up over the years I don't know, but I was just relieved to have a firm diagnosis. The pinching of the nerve was affecting the functioning of those leg muscles, which in turn created varying overuse troubles in my knee. With some dedicated rehab back home in Victoria I was able to slowly, but surely, get some relief.

It has been an incredibly busy and emotional last few months, but also very rewarding. I have learned so much about how my body works, where my "weak spots" are that will require constant attention, and also how to be patient. In the past I have been very reactive, panicking when something feels off and wanting immediate relief, but sometimes things take time. Being patient and dedicated to my rehab was successful in the end. By October I was beginning to run consistently and trouble-free. In the midst of my busy rehab schedule, I managed to sneak in a good six weeks of bike work and when I look back on the sessions I did, mostly on my own, I almost can't believe it. However, the best news probably came in the middle of September: my collarbone was finally 100% healed! It took a good 9 months so you can imagine how delighted I was! Since then, swimming has been coming along great. We are really starting my stroke from scratch, trying to undo all of my bad habits I've collected over the years (and yes, there were A LOT of them!). It takes full-on concentration when in the water, but I have a feeling the hard work will pay off.

On November 1st I moved to Canberra, Australia for the winter. Well, actually more like part of the fall, all of winter and part of the spring. I will not be back home until mid-April or so! I can't lie, it was a hard move, being away from my extremely supportive hubby and family for so long and missing Christmas with the family, but I have no doubt in my mind that this is the best possible situation for me to help me achieve my goals. I've been doing this sport for awhile now, but Darren has pointed out there is still A LOT that needs to be addressed and corrected. Believe it or not, but some of my skills in the three sports are considered to be somewhat "pathetic" in comparison to the best in the world. So, I've committed to doing everything I can over the next two years to become the best athlete possible.

I'm actually surprised I didn't write a blog when I first arrived last week. Normally I'm busting to share my stories of cycling past kangaroos with joeys peeking out of their pouches, or getting dive-bombed by magpies on the running trails, but maybe it's because my internet access is limited or because the fatigue I've missed so much is starting to set in, regardless, I'm thrilled to be here and healthy again. At the moment, I'm living in a caravan/trailer in the backyard of Darren and his wife, Liz's home. I can't deny that I've never been much of a camper and definitely not one to "rough it" so I'm sure Adam thinks this is good for me. I know he secretly wants me to turn into a bush woman so that we can spend the rest of our lives in a shack in the mountains, running all day, everyday, but honey, don't hold your breath. You can take the princess out of the palace, but the royal blood is there for life :)

I also have to say that the caravan is FAR from roughing it. It's more like a peaceful backyard retreat with fresh air, chirping birds and a very comfy bed. I am quite lucky to have the opportunity to stay here while I get settled and find a more permanent home.

More from Australia soon.... I promise!

Auf Wiedersehen, Switzerland

2010-09-05T12:24:00.000-07:00

203 days later

2010-08-07T01:29:00.000-07:00

January 14 was my last swim workout and the funny thing is that I remember exactly what I did that session. Now if you were to ask me any other year the specifics of a swim I had done 8 months earlier, I would have no clue. Have I missed swimming much? Yeah, I'd say so.

The x-rays I had done last week showed some good healing (FINALLY!), but the fracture line was still visible so things are not quite 100% solid. I did, however, get the "ok" to hop back in the pool for a SLOW introduction to swimming. Slow was definitely emphasized, as was the importance of avoiding paddles for quite some time (just in case I decided to put on the big red ones and smash it out from day 1. Dr. Keeler, would that be a bad idea? ;)

I was nervous for my first swim. Very nervous, but the nerves were only partly because of the metal holding my collarbone together. I have been coaching/observing the squad swim for the past month. I have been a "student" of the sport, learning the fundamentals of a proper stroke. I was nervous because I knew the "old" me was not an exact master of these basics and I worried that when I got in the water for the first time, my stroke would resemble a combination of my old bad habits and someone flailing, desperately trying to stay afloat. I pictured looking over to the deck after the first length, seeing the pool door closing as Darren left the building. Would my swimming be beyond hope?

Thankfully things were not quite so dramatic. I was not given permission to simply "swim," as the technical lesson began immediately. It was a bizarre feeling to use my arms again. It has been so long and one arm has been so utterly useless and immobilized for so many months that losing "feel" for the water doesn't even come close to what I felt. At first, I honestly felt as though I had started swimming for the first time in my life.

After two days of my intro to swimming, I am starting to feel some soreness in the right muscles. It's a little sad to think that only a handful of lengths can put my body in this state, but I am embracing this feeling more than I ever could have imagined.

And here's a sight I haven't seen in a very long time....

A WET BATHING SUIT!

A Good Omen?

2010-08-02T05:31:00.000-07:00

I laughed aloud when I had a closer look at the art on the outside of the Davos Hospital. A plate and screws!!!
(you know you're in a ski resort that has a hospital specializing in "difficult" fractures when....)

Now if I were reading this like abstract art, I would say that I also see waves that represent swimming, and a spiral that represents coming full circle. I say this could be a good omen because the screws are perfectly aligned, solidly fixated and in the shape of a smile :)

I had my 9 week post-op x-ray done today. I don't know what the verdict is on swimming, but if it's not time yet, I'm accepting and prepared to be a little more patient.

Choose your roommates wisely

2010-08-01T01:14:00.001-07:00

Truthfully, I can't take credit for choosing my roommates. Darren found this room for me through the local bike shop and when I was changing my arrival date every week and unsure if I was even going to get the go-ahead to travel, I had to jump at this last-minute opportunity.

The two girls I'd be living with were described as "sporty." We joked that it sounded like I was responding to a personal ad ("two sporty Swiss girls looking for a like-minded female roommate"). Anyway, sporty was a good description to go off, but what would have really sealed the deal is knowing that one was a MASTER BAKER. The Swiss know how to make a good pastry, so when the word "master" is in the title, I think that's a very good sign.

When I left for my ride yesterday this was the scene in the kitchen:

And, when I returned, it was bread carnage. Not sure where the other loaf of "Zopf" went...

Oh Canada!

2010-07-31T10:03:00.000-07:00

It's always neat to come across a little piece of home when you least expect it.

A Love Letter

2010-07-29T07:21:00.000-07:00

Dear Turbo Trainer

I can't believe after 7 long months together we have gone our separate ways.

I still think about you from time to time. Like earlier this week, when the weather turned and coach gave me the option of riding the trainer. I just couldn't do it, it felt like betrayal. Instead, I put on my rain gear and ventured outside, remembering the good old days. Don't worry, I promise riding in the Alps pales in comparison to our thrilling sessions together.

I will never forget that session when we were ten minutes late and missed the beginning of What Not to Wear. Or that day when the fan wasn't working, it was nearly pitch dark in the basement, and nothing was on tv apart from soap operas. Or the time when I broke out in full body hives as my body sweated out the medication from surgery. Of course there were the early days when our love first blossomed, when I had a cast on one arm and a sling on the other. I remember the pure excitement just being able to spend time with you.

And now, I am across the world and only left with this one photo....

London-bound

2010-07-20T05:13:00.000-07:00

I'm off to London tomorrow to check out the race course and cheer/spectate the WCS race this weekend. Despite many connections through Heathrow over the years, I actually don't think I've been in London since 2000, during my first year of university in southern England. I'm excited to return and more importantly, excited to finally be back on the World Cup circuit (even if it is in the injured-and-itching to race capacity).

And now a few recent pics:

The three goats again! This time I saw them galloping after cyclists ahead, so I was better prepared.

Ding-ding-Ding-ding

2010-07-19T08:09:00.000-07:00

That's the sound I heard from behind as I was riding through the valley. I turned around and saw these three amigos with bells around their necks, trotting towards me. I've been chased by dogs before, even been snapped at by a snake, but a bell-tolling herd of goats in the mountains is definitely a first.

Jakobshorn

2010-07-15T08:19:00.000-07:00

I took a little field trip up one of the mountains today ("cable car trip" were the exact words on today's training program, I believe). Davos is situated in a valley with some of the most picturesque, extreme mountains on either side so I had quite the selection of ski hills and cable cars to pick from. After a 10-minute stroll from my house, I was whisked up into the air for one of the most scenic gondola rides of my life. The next time my foot touched ground at the Jakobshorn station, I was at 9,000 ft. It was a bit of a hazy day, but the views were still incredible. I have been to some pretty scenic places in the world, but I think this might take the cake. I wandered out on one of the hiking trails and sat down in a meadow to take in the view and read my book. Apart from the buzzing flies and blowing breeze, there was not a sound in the air. It really was a surreal experience to look out across the Alps and realize that I was completely alone.

Anyway, I will stop there because I am already in enough trouble from my mountain man, Adam for sending daily Davos photos and excitedly talking a mile-a-minute over Skype. I think the photos will speak for themselves.

As for life and training, I've been settling in well with my new squad, my Swiss roommates and my life in the mountains. Training thus far has been short and simple, with the focus on getting my body working properly, and well, starting from scratch. My mind is definitely buzzing everytime I lace up my shoes, hop on my bike, or grab those swim cords. But, this is exactly what I signed up for!

Thankfully I left my heels at home.

It was over 20 degrees up there, but a few patches of snow were still to be found.

Looking out over the valley. Maybe this is Jakob?

Adam's dream house: no shower, just clean mountain air and millions of trails.

Kneeknacker Champ

2010-07-11T10:23:00.000-07:00

BIG congrats, high-fives and hugs to my hubby for his win at the Kneeknacker 50km!

An update on my Swiss adventures in Davos coming soon!

Grizzly?

2010-07-03T17:11:00.001-07:00

Calling all bear enthusiasts, is this a grizzly or a black bear?

Adam and I ventured up to Callaghan Valley to check out the spring flowers and stunning viewpoints at the Olympic XC ski venue. We came across these three bears in different locations near the top. The two below are clearly the common brown bear, but the one above was somewhat of a mystery to us. It's fur was a light brown colour, but it was shedding in patches, showing black coloured skin. It also had a slight "hump" on its back, usually a grizzly bear characteristic. It was also the only bear of the three that had been tagged. We weren't thinking it was a Grizzly at the time as we have never heard of them in the Whistler area, but after looking online, it turns out there are four resident grizzlies in the Callaghan Valley. Could we have been lucky enough to spot one?

A few more pics from our Squamish getaway:

That's right, in the "FAST" lane! Sadly this had nothing to do with my speed... it was the only empty lane which meant a minimal chance of someone breaststroke kicking me to the collarbone (my biggest fear!). Kicking with my arms at my side is anything but fast :-(

Misc.

2010-07-02T21:45:00.001-07:00

I'm away in Squamish for a Canada Day (turned into a 2-day) getaway with Adam. I'll post some pics when we get back home, but for now, I found these on my phone from awhile ago. A very cute dog and vibrant flower - too good not to share!

In other news, I changed my plane ticket to Zurich. I'm now leaving on Thursday (yes, in 5 days!). I have my 5-week surgery follow-up in Victoria on Wednesday, and then I'm Europe-bound. It was a combination of getting antsy and needing some direction that led me to make this change.

Just one week until I can meet Sarah's buddy, Bessie!

Congrats, Amanda!

2010-06-27T12:56:00.000-07:00

Woo-hoo!! My sister, Amanda did her first half marathon today (and one of her first ever running races).

She was bit by the running bug a few years back but we never expected her to sign up for running RACES! (put it this way, growing up I was the one in the summer swim and ringette camps while Amanda was in the creative writing and piano classes...)

She started training with a coach and a group about a month ago and decided to race today instead of her long run. She rocked it, finishing within the top-50 women (out of 2100) and well ahead of her estimated time. AND, I think she had a lot left in the tank when she finished. I believe her words were, "my legs weren't tired until the end!" We need to lose the ipod, cut back on the pre-race dancing (see below) and get her hurting just a little! Just kidding, you were awesome, Amanda!

In a rut

2010-06-25T13:42:00.000-07:00

I have to admit that I am almost over being injured. I don't exactly mean this in an "I'm almost healthy" kind of way, but more that I am just tired of being injured in general. When asked what I like the most about sport, my answer is always "competing." The day-in and day-out routine of training in relatively enjoyable and hard work, but it's not what I LOVE to do. I love race, to see how good I can get, and the challenge of finding new ways to improve. I guess what I'm getting at is that I am in a training/injury rut right now - big time.

I used to look forward to "OYO" sessions like an easy jog or flush spin on the bike because it would give me a chance to clear my head and set my own pace. But, now that every aspect of my training and rehab is OYO, I am craving some social interaction... and competition (hence egging Adam into a race up the mountain last week). My training consists of trainer workouts in the basement, elliptical workouts and strength work at the gym, hiking, and now pool running and kick sets. Lonely stuff! Thankfully I can see the light at the end of the tunnel and in just two weeks time I will be on a plane to join my new coach and squad in the Swiss mountains.

I've also recently had a few bouts of paranoia regarding my new piece of hardware. "Adam, I think a screw is loose!!" His response, "Umm, I'm no doctor but you have a piece of steel and 7 screws in your bone. If a screw was actually loose you wouldn't think it, you would know it." Probably true... I've definitely been more nervous and tentative with the fracture this time around, but I guess that's to be expected after the 6-month non-union ordeal. I almost wish I had doctors orders to wear a sling and sit my butt on the couch for two months because I know that would guarantee a good union. But, because I don't want a frozen shoulder I have to work on range of motion and trust that my body is healing with the help of the plate.

I'm now three and a half weeks post-surgery and I have to say that I am very happy the burning nerve pain is disappearing. The stinging sensation over the first few weeks, centered around the incision was very intense. I can only describe it as feeling as though the steel plate was one million degrees hot and sizzling my skin. And no, I am not being dramatic here! I couldn't have ANYTHING touch the incision once the bandage was off. It was cold and rainy out, but I was wearing scoop neck shirts and tank tops 24/7, or walking with one hand pulling the jacket away from my shoulder. Windows had to be closed in the car and even a drop of sweat would sting like crazy. Thankfully that has settled (and the weather has warmed so scoop-necks are in-season). The swim suit strap is a whole other matter though and if I had more guts, I'd be sporting a strapless suit to the pool.

I also have to mention that I take back any "sissy" thoughts I had towards the elliptical machine in the gym. I used to think of it as a "princess" running (floating) machine where you pretend to work out while reading gossip mags and socializing. Ok, that's a little harsh, but I definitely never thought of it as hard work. I am eating my words now. Two sessions on there this week and my heart rate was WAY up there, my legs were burning, and sweat was flying everywhere. Honestly, it was gross how much sweat came out of me and I had to apologize for some of it hitting the gossip magazine on the elliptical next to me. I guess like any activity out there, if you want to, you can always find a way to make it hurt!

Date Night at Grouse

2010-06-18T20:45:00.000-07:00

I picked Adam up after work and we hit up the Grouse Grind. It was probably the nicest evening of the year so we were definitely not alone in our quest for the lung burning, "I HATE this, but also LOVE it" pain.

I did the Grind earlier this week as my 2 week post-surgery celebration. Apart from some trainer rides, it was my first real effort in a very long time.... and it sure felt like it! I did not go fast but it didn't upset me. I was simply excited to be outside, healthy and working hard again.

Coach Darren gave me the opportunity to hit it again tonight and with Adam in tow, I had a feeling I might move a little quicker. Well, I was at least hoping I would because if my time got any slower I might eventually have a little cry. Of course this "date hike" quickly became a race, but we couldn't agree on the start time differential. Based off my time a few days ago (and based on Adam's current crazy strong fitness level), I wanted a 6-7 minute head start. He bargained it down to 5 as he's racing a trail marathon on Sunday and didn't "want to go very hard." Fine. I took off and my legs felt like sand bags from the start. But, I did a time check at the 1/4 way mark and saw I was ahead of my previous time. This gave me a little extra encouragement and I settled into a rhythm. Just past the 3/4 mark I heard some breathing and quick moving feet coming from behind.....Adam. Shoot! My race was over as he passed me like a mountain goat. I felt more like a sloth at this point, but I could see the light through the trees up the hill so I knew I was almost done. I ended up taking 4 minutes off Tuesday's time, so despite losing our "race," I was one very happy hiker!

Adam turned out to be flying tonight and hit it hard to the top. Either he knew he was on pace for a good one.....or he didn't want to lose to his wife!! I think it might be the latter ;-)

On a side note, I've been thinking that my brightly coloured run clothes are not helping with the "out of sight, out of mind" concept of racing the Grind. I'm a pretty easy target to spot up the hill so may look into other options. Can't really go wrong with camouflage.....

Star Cake

2010-06-17T07:42:00.000-07:00

A relatively recent Groves family tradition is to bake a star cake when someone does something "star" worthy. Why? Because of course there is no better reward than a sweet, delicious baked good.

I whipped up a star cake yesterday when Adam called with some news. I have permission to spill the beans now.... he was offered (and accepted) articling at his current law firm. Woo-hoo!

Despite the carrot cake with lemon cream cheese frosting being very tasty, I will not be posting the recipe. It used ingredients I never have stocked in my pantry so apart from the carrots and a handful of walnuts, there is nothing that could be considered "healthy" by any stretch. But, sometimes that's the perfect reward!

Congrats, Adam!!

Thank you, Dr. Nelson

2010-06-14T11:40:00.000-07:00

Cheezy self-portrait I know, but I'm far too excited to care! I was able to remove the final layer of steri-strip bandages this morning and for the first time since the surgery, able to have a look at the wound. Without going overboard using words like "amazed" or "thrilled," let's just say I am quite pleased with how it looks.

Dr. Nelson truly is a fantastic surgeon and was meticulous in every way possible. I had expected the surgery to be 60 to 90 minutes depending upon the need for the hip bone graft. So without going to the hip, I thought it would be on the shorter side. However, I was under general anesthesia for nearly three and a half hours, and now I know why. Thank you, Charles, for not only taking the extra time to ensure a strong fixation, but also for thinking about how it will look years down the road.

A few great things this weekend

2010-06-13T20:44:00.001-07:00

Kitsilano Farmers Market

With the sun comes strawberries - finally!

Antique window shopping: somehow I resisted the temptation.

Foxgloves: one perk of this looooong spring.

Emma's inspirational comeback!!

And last but definitely not least, Paula's 4th place finish!! Well-earned.. and thrilling!
(sorry, Paula, I couldn't find a better photo, but I will update it when more are available :)

Never a Dull Day

2010-06-10T22:44:00.001-07:00

The raccoon saga continued yesterday. Actually, I suppose you could say it never ended as we have been spotting the mama, Roberta multiple times each day since Monday's "eviction." Sometimes we would see her just cruising through our backyard, or simply hanging out on the fence checking out what's happening around our house. She has even been spotted and heard poking about on our roof. Seeing a raccoon tail dangle in front of our kitchen window is no longer startling. "Oh, Roberta is back again..." My dad, however, is quick to react when he hears her up there and is always prepared for a battle, armed with tennis balls, the hose, and his ladder; he would do anything to prevent her from returning to our house. Two nights ago he heard her pulling apart the roof... at 3 in the morning. Adam and I slept blissfully through the battle that soon ensured. She wasn't backing down and seemed frantic to get inside our attic.

A call went in to Dan, our coon catcher yesterday. He found it very odd that she would return so many times and asked if we had heard any other babies in the house. No, not even so much as a peep. Last night though, Adam and I were returning for walking the dog and heard a faint cry. It sounded distant and muffled, but we knew we had heard that sound before. Once inside the house, the cry was more distinct, and coming from the attic. Oh my gosh, there was a baby stuck up there - 3 days AFTER the eviction. We knew we had to move fast as it was getting dark and we needed to get this little one back to its mom as soon as possible. Armed with a bucket and gloves, Adam and my dad hit the attic. They found the little guy hidden amongst some soft insulation. He was terrified and squealed louder than anything I had ever heard. Adam picked him up by the scruff of the neck and dropped him in the pail. This wasn't exactly the time for a photo opp, but we snuck one before taking him outside.

We placed him (now named, Bobbi) at the back of our yard, near where we had seen Roberta strolling through. Adam had to pick him up a couple of times for him to squeal as we needed mom to hear this. It broke my heart to put this little guy through more trauma, but we had to get him back to his mom. We all sat back on the porch to watch. I don't even know how long it took, but we quietly waited, listening for any kind of movement. Eventually we did see Roberta, hustling through the yard, but she seemed confused as to where the noise was coming from. She circled the perimeter and as she did, we heard a similar cry a few houses over - TOMTOM! He was calling to his brother and Bobbi responded. Mom eventually did find the bucket but before she tipped it over to see her baby, she spoke to it with soft purring noises. It responded with a strong chirp. They spoke like this a few times before mom knocked over the pail and promply picked Bobbi up in her mouth. Without hesitation, she was off, in the direction of TomTom's cries.

I was heartbroken after this ordeal as I now understood Roberta's angst and determination to return to our attic. Her maternal instincts were powerful. She's a good mom and we are so happy the family is together again. Even animal rescuer, Adam has a soft spot for that family (we've now got a photo of little TomTom on our fridge :) We look forward to this summer as the kits grow up and we can watch the trio strolling through the neighbourhood.

Raccoon Hunter

2010-06-10T20:46:00.000-07:00

Adam is my animal rescue hero. This pic was taken this evening at the Grouse Grind and at the time, we had no idea what excitement was in store for us tonight. Fast forward two hours later, and Adam was up in our attic rescuing a baby raccoon left behind from the rescue mission earlier this week. Story to follow tomorrow!

Poodles

2010-06-08T19:43:00.001-07:00

If I can't have the actual fluffy and graceful creature of beauty, this form of buttery, sweet deliciousness is the next best thing.

Thank you, Saucey Groff!

I knew Adam would enjoy poodles.

Roberta & TomTom

2010-06-07T19:50:00.000-07:00

For some reason animals are drawn to my parents house. Over the years we've had our abundance of family pets (dogs, birds, hampsters, guinea pigs, ant farms, hermit crabs, fish, turtles, and anything "cute" found in the neighbourhood), and wild critters have always seemed to jump on this ship, taking up residence here too.

We don't know why they choose our house because it's not exactly a tranquil environment with our yappy dogs, but it's no secret that the Groves always have visiting creatures. Just the other day our neighbour came over to say, "do you have rats again? We found a dead one in our yard." So, yes it has come to the point where the sighting of any rodent in the neighbourhood is associated with an infestation in our house.

A few weeks back my dad heard some all too familiar scurrying in the ceiling. Crap, the rats are back. He calls the exterminator and after many failed attempts at catching even one rat, it's determined that this isn't the issue. The scurrying continues and is now accompanied with squealing. These footsteps sound heavier than usual, so the next call goes out to Wildlife Control.

It was quickly determined that we have a new type of resident, raccoons! What we didn't realize at the time was that over the next few weeks we'd be seeing an awful lot of Dan, our 'coon catcher,' as he scoured our attic and the soffits (eves) for our furry friend. He was fairly certain we were dealing with a mom and her babies ('kits') as not only was it that time of the year, but she was relentless at breaking back into the house if locked out. It's amazing what those creatures can bust through, chew through, and how they outsmart all of us. It didn't matter if there was a wire screen over the hole or a 1-inch wood board, she would get in. This was driving my dad CRAZY, so as I love to do, I did my best to find humour in the situation. I named the mom, Roberta and the babies were TomTom, Bobbi, and Bob Jr (my dad's name is Robert Thomas). You can bet that he was thrilled to hear the clan was now his namesake! The names stuck and before long, even Adam was asking if anyone had heard from Roberta lately.

The den was eventually located in the ceiling above our living room. Roberta had chosen the quietest and warmest spot in the house - I knew she was a smart one! Dan returned today, armed with his ladder, headlamp, hockey stick, net, mirror, buckets, and even scratches from his previous capture. He was able to access the raccoon den through the soffits, sparing the ceiling drywall inside the house. Roberta took off right away, leaving the kits alone. Dan was able to reach in and grab one squealing baby. It turned out that this was a one-kit litter, somewhat uncommon, but none of us were complaining. The next step was getting Mama our of the house so Dan climbed onto the roof holding a squealing TomTom by the scruff on the neck. Mom did eventually come to claim her baby, picked him up and and they were off. Once the hole was officially sealed up, we watched her attempt to return, baby in mouth. I found this part really sad to watch, but again, was thankful she only had to worry about one baby and would surely find a new den for the two of them.

Of course this created quite the scene on our street today: Animal Control parked outside, squealing animals, nets, traps, gasps, and finally cheers. Just another day at the Groves house.

Flashback: Visiting Victoria, 1986

2010-06-06T15:48:00.000-07:00

I wish I still had that much excitement for the ferry!

Cranky Pants

2010-06-05T19:20:00.000-07:00

It was the most beautiful day in the world and I was one crabby girl today! I hate taking any kind of medication, let alone prescription pain meds with awful side effects. Since the surgery I have tried to wean myself off them and have gotten by with very few recently. Despite feeling a little achy this morning, I thought today might be the first day without them. Adam and I were out for a stroll through Kerrisdale when things started to get a wee bit sore. No problem, let's just stop at the pharmacy and get some Tylenol. A couple caplets later it became apparent that I might as well have eaten jelly beans.... I needed to get my cranky pants back home asap!

I guess I will have to suck it up for a few more days of unpleasant side effects. Ugh. I suppose the fact that I thought I could go without them is at least a good sign.

Thanks to the hubby for having extreme patience!!!

Catching him when he's 'trapped' in NormaTec...the BEST time to cuddle :)

2010-06-04T21:59:00.000-07:00

Seriously, where is summer?! I know I shouldn't complain because I'm not on my bike everyday or swimming in the lakes, and could actually avoid the "elements" altogether if I wanted to right now, but this is just getting silly! It's JUNE and I'm still wearing rain boots, long pants and wool hoodies.

Feeling a little stir crazy and adventurous this morning, I set out in search of some sign that my calendar is not a month or two off. With my rain boots on and little pudgy doggy in tow, I set out through the neighbourhood sniffing out the spring blooms. As we were walking I realized that Chloe is in the same recovery boat as me. Let's just say she hasn't exactly been the picture of health in a very long time, a condition we had all attributed to a combination of being fairly lazy and sneaking far too many treats. But a recent diagnosis of Cushings disease AND a thyroid problem have explained a lot, and also given her future a brighter outlook. She has to take medication daily, and for the rest of her life, but it has already made a world of difference over the past month. So, I have set a goal for the two of us over the next two months to get back our health, and maybe a little fitness along the way. I hope my program progresses beyond daily walks (and soon!), and I am also thinking that my curve to health might be a tad steeper than hers, but the two of us will make a good team. I am just glad that I don't have to subject myself to the weekly weigh-ins that she has to... sorry, Chloe, you are alone on those!

Chloe

2010-06-03T19:43:00.000-07:00

I'm all settled in Vancouver with my hubby, my family and my recovery companion, Chloe!

All fixed up

2010-06-02T16:31:00.000-07:00

Typing with both hands and my pudgy, swollen fingers is a bit of a challenge, but here goes.

As you can see by the photos below, the surgery was done yesterday. Not only did it go well, but we were reassured that this was in fact the right decision. When Dr. Nelson opened me up he found that "pseudoarthrosis" had occurred in my fracture site. In other words, my body had turned the gap between the bones into a "joint." It was obviously a joint without tendons and ligaments, but was filled with fluid so that the bones would glide nicely. I guess this explains why I had minimal pain but still a lot of fracture motion. Anyway, when pseudoarthrosis occurs, the fracture will never heal itself with new bone.

I also was able to escape the bone graft from my hip. This was a huge relief as I have heard that this would be more painful than the clavicle and would ache for quite some time. Dr. Nelson was able to create enough of a graft from the fracture fragments and the cleaned up bone ends to fill in the gaps.

I found this whole process fascinating. I loved the fact that I got to watch them set up the operating room when I got settled on the table. I had about 6 hours in the waiting room to get over my nerves, so at this point so I actually enjoyed seeing the tools placed out, watching the OR nurses rushing about to prep the room, watching Dr. Nelson pull my x-rays on to the tv monitors. I don't remember much beyond hearing the anesthesiologist say, "I'm going to give you some medicine now," and I am probably thankful for that!

Thank you to everyone for your kind, healing wishes! And, thank you to my hubby, Adam for being by my side yesterday. From what I could tell, spectating surgery was just as exhausting as spectating an ironman. I think he crashed before I did last night! And, thank you to my wonderful mother-in-law, Wendy for going above and beyond with pre and post-surgery hospitality!

Today was day 1 of the road to recovery and I can't say I felt like doing much more than a walk around the neighbourhood, followed by multiple naps, but I'm ok with that. I have to admit that my shoulder does feel foreign to me. It aches, but that's no big surprise. What's most bizarre is this sense of artificial sturdiness and rigid support. I don't think I could have poor posture and slump even if I wanted to! But, I suppose this is to be expected for having a plate of metal in there.

Celebrating with Tiff. Wine for her, prune juice for me.

*I apologize if this is a grammatical mess. I feel as rotten as I look in the photo above!

Success!

2010-06-01T21:12:00.001-07:00

So long my friend!

2010-05-31T21:50:00.000-07:00

Photo a day

2010-05-30T17:15:00.000-07:00

Because I love taking photos, love blogging, and love my new iphone, I have decided to chronicle my journey from surgery to health this summer with a photo a day.

One last ride: a soggy morning at Jericho Beach.

Surgery

2010-05-27T08:26:00.000-07:00

Ugh, I didn't want to have to write that word on here. But, at 4.5 months after the crash, my collarbone has yet to heal. A CT scan last weekend confirmed this and it also revealed that there is much less healing that we had thought based on the x-rays. This really isn't what I expected as I knew it wasn't fully healed when I went down to Arizona, but my range of motion was perfect and I was basically pain-free (apart from overhead activities...). Coach Darren and I decided to give my shoulder a big rest from anything aggravating. So, for the past six weeks I have not gone anywhere near a pool that isn't kidney-shaped, wearing nothing that resembles a 'real' swimsuit. No cap, goggles or paddles in my hands, just a plethora of trashy romance novels. That relaxing environment, in addition to the vitamin D overload, was what we were hoping would help the healing progress. That's all we were looking for, some progression. But, it looks as though my body has given up trying to heal this fracture. What I do find amazing though, is that I am almost symptom free, yet my collarbone still has a 1cm gap between the bones with a whole heck of a lot of 'floating' movement. However, if you ask me to lift some dishes out of the cupboard, put my bike up on the wall bike rack, or take a swim stroke, well, that isn't exactly symptom free. But it is amazing that my body has adapted the best it can to having the clavicle in two distinct pieces.

Surgery at this point wasn't really a question. The decision to move forward was unanimous between my very cautious, yet fantastic doctor, Dr. Keeler, surgeon Charles Nelson, and well, me. I'd like to swim again one day, please!

Surgery will happen on Tuesday (yes, in just 5 days). I am excited and nervous. Definitely more nervous though. The operation might involve a bone graft. When Charles (and Dr. Keeler who is assisting the surgery!) get in 'there' and clean out the fracture ends, they will make the call. If the two ends of bone don't fit together snuggly, they will take some bone from my iliac crest (hip). This bone will be added to the fracture site to fill in the gaps and promote healing. The plate and screws will then be drilled in and I will be stitched up. Sounds simple, right? I'm sure it is straightforward to an orthopedic surgeon, but whenever I picture the process I get really queezy. Charles even went so far yesterday as to describe the type of drill he will be using. My hands went right over my ears, earmuff style, singing la-la-la-la-la to drown out his voice. Sorry, but there are some things I just don't want to know.

Right now I am packing up for the next three months. Adam is working in Vancouver for the summer so rather than recover alone in Victoria, I will join him and my family. My goal is to make it to Europe to spend the month of August in Switzerland with my new training group. I realize this is only 8 weeks after surgery so I won't exactly be doing a heck of a lot of training, but it would be a motivating environment and I would be able to spectate three of the WCS races.

But for the immediate future, it's all about preparing for Tuesday. I need to get my hair cut as I know from past experiences that I will not be putting it in a pony tail myself and I'm not sure I want to test the strength of our marriage by asking Adam to assist with this again :) I've also pulled out my sling which I had hoped to never see again, my 80's style bandeau bras, and any top I have that can be pulled on from the ground up or zips open. I feel like I am preparing for another bike crash! UGH!

I'm off for another rainy bike ride, but I will not complain about this as this might be my last chance for awhile :(

Cover Girl

2010-05-17T17:50:00.000-07:00

I normally like to blend in behind the scenes but when you're on the cover of a magazine called IMPACT, it's not so easy.
I'm not complaining though, being a cover girl is kinda neat!

I heart the desert

2010-04-29T08:25:00.000-07:00

The next chapter

2010-04-28T08:19:00.000-07:00

It sure has been an eventful year for me! If I had a say, I might have swapped some of these "events" for something like say, a long uneventful ride, being able to go for a lovely sunset trail run, or even having the feeling of achy legs from a hard day's training. Ok, I will stop thinking about impossible situations of the past right now, but I'm just saying there sure has been a lot going on for me. Now this may sound surprising, but all joking aside, if I could go back, I truly don't think I'd change anything. Yes, adversity is all part of the sport and it sucks, but going through what I've gone through has got me to where I am today and that really is a good place.

I've decided to join coach Darren Smith's squad for the "next chapter" of my career. Maybe I should actually phrase it as I have been "accepted" by Darren and his squad, since he appears to put a lot of thought and research into his decisions. I have the utmost trust that I will be in good hands and a good fit for his squad of highly successful and lovely athletes. What happens from here in terms of training and racing is a little up in the air as the injuries sort themselves out, but for the first time in awhile, I feel as though I have a clear plan.

Now I can't end this without saying a huge thank you to coach Phil for the past 12 months. Thank you for helping me achieve some career-high results and putting up with me on a daily basis (by now you must laugh - or sigh! - when you see I am calling!!). Thanks for being a wonderful coach and a great friend.

Putting the pieces together

2010-04-18T13:55:00.000-07:00

Triathlon is like a puzzle to me. There are so many pieces, some sort of fit together if you force them, but if the fit isn't right and you push too hard, you're going to bend the piece. And, you're definitely never going to finish the puzzle with a bent up piece in the wrong place. But, when they do fit together you're able move on to the next piece, the next challenge. I don't exactly know what the equivalent to finishing the puzzle is..... maybe Olympic gold? But then again, we've seen those gold medalists back at it right away, still wanting more, excitedly looking for the next piece to the puzzle.

I guess you can say I have a bent puzzle piece right now. I had the niggly knee issue before the crash (first crease in the puzzle piece). Then the crash itself (good solid bend in the piece). Then the two months that followed the crash where I tried to keep moving (basically this puzzle piece was put through the paper shredder!). Don't worry, I'm laughing with you here.

I came down to Scottsdale last week to meet with Nate Koch at Endurance Rehab and have a fresh take on my situation. Nate started with a full assessment, then immediately sent me off for an MRI, and let's just say the time between then and now hasn't been at all what I had expected. I had two ideas in my mind of how things might pan out when I came down here: 1) Two days working with Nate and then I'm back home with a new approach. 2) Two days with Nate then a couple weeks in Tucson, training with Sam. On Friday night I had to create a new option: 3)Two days working with Nate, followed by an entire month working with Nate everyday. It turns out my little irritation in the knee is the symptom of a bigger issue in my hip. For the time being, I'm taking a break from biking and running, focusing on rehab (and not the celebrity type :)

It's been an interesting weekend for me, a bit of a scramble to say the least. Because I was booked to return home on Saturday morning I had some last-minute changes to make. The biggest challenge was finding a month-long rental on short notice, but thankfully the "snowbirds" are leaving town and I was able to get a vacation rental for a great rate.

It's a bizarre feeling being here alone, unable to train. I'm not exactly on vacation, but yet staying at a resort. The only suit I brought is my training suit and I don't really have much desire to put that on and lounge by the pool. Don't worry, I am NOT complaining. I realize I am in Arizona for a month. I'm just saying the circumstances make it a little bizarre.

I have no doubt that I made the right decision coming down here, but the next month will be an interesting challenge. We need to repair that puzzle piece!

I did get to do something touristy on Friday. To stop myself from losing my mind as I waited for the MRI results, I went to the Desert Botanical Gardens. I'm obsessed with all things floral and this trip happened to coincide with the beautiful spring desert flowers blooming. If you remember my Saguaro cactus blog from Tucson last year, I was crazy intrigued by these incredible plants so to have witnessed them in all shapes and sizes with closed-up flower buds was enough to distract me from the test result anticipation (remember, the flowers open only at night and they are pollinated by BATS!). Plus it was an incredibly hot day, so I was one happy camper to stroll through the desert.

Remember they grow only 1 inch per year!

I totally felt for this guy. Sometimes I just want to tuck up in a ball too!

Maple and thyme roasted carrots

2010-04-13T17:27:00.000-07:00

That title pretty much sums of the ingredients...

Carrots
Fresh thyme
Olive oil (~2 tbsp)
Maple syrup (~1 tbsp)
Cinnamon (pinch)
Salt & pepper

Slice up the carrots (or leave whole if they're skinny) and toss in a bowl with the remaining ingredients. Spread out on a cookie sheet and roast at 415 degrees for about 20-30 minutes, tossing once or twice. So simple and almost tastes like a dessert...almost...

And, now that my wrist is healed up and strong, I'm back to endangering my life by chopping squash! If you happen to have a squash on hand (any kind will work great), slice it up and roast it at the same time as the carrots. Tonight we roasted this banana squash with some thyme (can you tell what herb I'm crazy about these days?), olive oil, salt and pepper. It cooks quicker than the carrots so keep an eye on it and pull it out just as the edges crisp up.

I'm taking a hiatus from the kitchen for a bit. I've decided to take a new approach to my rehab and head down to Arizona tomorrow. I might be back in as soon as three days, but maybe longer... more on that soon!

Sunshine, please

2010-04-10T09:00:00.000-07:00

My life has been a bit of a roller coaster lately, and not exactly in a thrilling, can't-wait-to-ride again kind of way. Jokingly a few weeks back, Adam said to me, "when it rains, it pours" and even I had to laugh at that.

I first punched my ticket on this coaster back in December when my knee started to act up, likely from a change in bike position or new run insoles. But, it seemed to settle down quickly and I was off to Maui, excited to get the season started. On day 3 into the camp was the crash, leaving me with a broken clavicle and wrist, and a very banged up body. No big deal, bones will heal, so let's keep moving. This is when the storm clouds moved in and the drizzle began. To sum it up and end an already cheezy analogy, my knee pain returned, manifesting itself in every possible form over the next couple of months, leaving me a confused and emotional wreck. At times swimming with a one-armed splint and one flipper became the highlight of my day. Finally an MRI diagnosed it as quadricep tendonitis that likely developed into other knee issues as I did my best to keep my achy body moving after the crash. The good news is that I have narrowed it down to the one problem and have a plan in place to heal this up.

I found a few "silver linings" to this injury:

1) Appreciation. I have an enormous amount of appreciation for what our bodies allow us to do on a daily basis. Also, appreciation for what we have in life outside of sport (family, friends, our health, opportunities, etc). I find it so easy to get caught up in the moment, living in this injury bubble, stressed about what I can't do that others are doing, that I forget for just a moment how lucky I am to lead the life that I do.

2) Learning how the body works. Any non-medical professional want to challenge me on a game of knee or clavicle trivia? Bring it!

3) Swimming. I've had the opportunity to start my stroke from scratch, rather than my usual approach of doing a little bit of stroke work here and there while trying to get fit and fast. In the end, old habits would always stick around. But, when you are forced to swim only 25m full stroke at a time, slowly, everyday, making changes is possible, also giving training a sense of purpose and having a goal to work towards.

4) Motivation. I can't lie, there is nothing more motivating than a setback. Well, maybe it takes a lengthy setback to get you motivated, but whatever works right? I've also had the time to evaluate my goals and the road ahead. Why do I do this? What is my ultimate goal and am I on track to achieve it? If not, what needs to change?

Now, these pics are totally unrelated to everything above, but bring a spot of sunshine to my life . Rumon, thanks for capturing the joy on that day!

Best man duty: corral the peacocks!

Reader Recipe

2010-04-06T12:56:00.000-07:00

Thank you to Heather and Andrew Kennedy from London, ON for sharing this recipe.

They have created their version of a beet salad they enjoyed while traveling in France last summer. In my opinion, if "yummy" is part of the title, then you simply cannot go wrong!

I know what I'm making for dinner tonight. Thanks for sharing!

YUMMY PARIS BEET AND POTATO SALAD:

-mixed greens
-roasted beets (we do ours at 450 degrees for 1 hour and then peel and chop them)
-grated carrot
-corn kernels (ideally fresh; canned work well too)
-baby potatoes, thinly sliced and fried in olive oil
-a fried egg...mmm
-grated cheese to top (we like asiago)
-dressing = balsamic vinegar + olive oil + salt + pepper

Decadence

2010-03-31T20:32:00.000-07:00

I don't often make sweets. I mean real sweets, as in something you eat more than one, or two of and feel a slight sense of guilt, not to mention a little ill in your tummy. But, tonight I decided to look past the healthy nut cookies and the quinoa cakes and attempt to recreate my favourite tasty treat: peanut butter cups. Because there are no bottles of Skippy peanut butter or milk chocolate in our house, it was dark dark chocolate all the way, with an almond butter filling. I didn't exactly need a recipe as I don't think it's possible to really go wrong with those two ingredients, but the best part is that they even look like the real thing. Actually, maybe the best part is that they are so insanely rich and sweet that half of one is enough of a treat (ok, maybe a full one).

The ingredients:

These are all estimates as I was kind of winging it:

-2 bars dark chocolate
-1/2 cup almond butter
-4-5 tbsp coconut flour
-1 tsp vanilla
pinch of sea salt

In a double boiler (one small pot over a larger pot with hot water), I melted about 2/3rds of one chocolate bar. I lined a muffin pan with twelve paper cups and poured the melted chocolate into each, turning each cup so that the chocolate spreads across the bottom. I popped the tray in the freezer while I made the filling. In a small bowl, mix the almond butter with the flour, vanilla and a pinch of sea salt, until it has a slightly doughy consistency. Create tiny "paddies" and place one on top of each cooled chocolate in the muffin papers. Press each patty a little bit flatter. Melt the rest of the chocolate and pour over the almond butter filling. Again, turn each paper cup so that the chocolate covers the filling. Sprinkle with some sea salt if desired and pop back in the freezer. They will be ready in just a few minutes!

On a much healthier note, our rooftop veggie garden is coming along nicely. Well, maybe that is a slight stretch of the truth as it is somewhat of a meadow right now, but it's a work in progress. Man, those weeds can grow FAST! It was almost unrecognizable, although I had a feeling it was ours as it was the only non-manicured perfectly plotted garden up there. Ooops, that is a little embarrassing!

Adam is very proud of our "meadow." We've got some fertile soil! Note the weeded gardens all around us. Also note the coffee cup in his hand. Yep, we enjoyed dry cappuccinos while gardening on our rooftop: YUPPIE alert!

My rock star bike... and a bit of everything else

2010-03-23T18:13:00.001-07:00

Shimano and Trek have made me one lucky girl. Today I picked up my new lovely green riding machine. Complete with Shimano Dura-Ace grupo, Pro components, and my favourite Dura-Ace tubeless wheelset, the women's specific Madone 6.9 is one very sweet bike. Thanks so much to Troy and Bill at Pro City Cycles for building her up.... and for being just as excited as I am! I could probably write a novel about how pretty and fast it looks, and about how the green matches my Shimano tri shoes and will look flash with my red Canada suit, but I thinks it's best write the real report after I actually ride it. To be continued... for now, please enjoy the eye candy!

As for the training side of things, I'm not going to sugarcoat it and say that things have been great. It's been a trying month (or two), physically and emotionally. They are good days and not-so-good days (there were probably more not-so-good days than I would have liked), but these sorts of setbacks really do force you to look at the big picture, rather than what you can't do at that moment or that week, and to keep things in perspective. All I can say is that this adversity will definitely make the future successes that much sweeter :)

Apart from rehabbing and doing the little bits of training my body has been able to handle (now including 2-arm swimming!), my extra energy has been put in to cooking. I know I say I like to cook a lot, but I think I have taken things to a whole new level! I really have put all of my anger and frustration into the cooking. Don't get me wrong, I do find it enjoyable and relaxing, but right now it's a way for me to change my focus for an hour or two everyday. I don't think Adam is complaining either. He often laughs when he comes in the door from class to a plate full of roasted fennel bulbs stuffed with chicken, cranberries and almonds (thanks, Noa!), alongside a mixed green salad with roasted butternut squash, avocado, goat feta, and sliced peppers. For some reason, I have been going crazy over vegetables (yes, this is not a bad thing, probably better than going crazy over cakes or cream pies, but Adam might beg to differ..). So, we have had basically every vegetable I can get my hands on. Because it's simple yet adds dimension to the veggies, I have been doing a lot of oven roasting (yams, squash, onions, fennel, broccoli, kale, asparagus,..) anything and everything, sometimes tossed with coconut oil, sometimes olive oil, but always with a variety of fresh herbs (thyme, rosemary,..). This mixture is then added to a salad with a mixture of raw veggies (grated carrot, avocado, peppers), toasted seeds and nuts, some sort of protein (chicken kabobs, baked arctic char, smoked tofu, grilled & diced tempeh burgers, hard-boiled eggs...) and usually tossed with either of my favourite dressings (olive oil + balsamic vinegar + maple syrup or olive oil + lemon juice + lemon rind + honey). Then there's are the soups (coconut curry, lemongrass, miso, bortsch...) and proteins (slow cooked bison, kangaroo burgers (I apologize to my Aussie friends!), smoked salmon...). Anyway, it has really been a fun adventure and definitely rekindled my passion and love for cooking.

Here's tonight's salad creation, unfortunately not one of the most gourmet, but is still tasty. Oh, I just realized I forgot to add the cheese!!

If anyone has any yummy recipes to share, please pass them along! I'm thinking I might just have to officially turn this into a recipe AND triathlon blog...

Last but definitely not least, I must say how incredibly proud I am of my husband. He placed 3rd at his first ultramarathon this past Sunday, the Chukanut 50km. What I love about Adam's training is he just gets the job done. He's busy with school so often runs in the dark in the mornings or evenings and doesn't have the luxury of waiting around for the perfect weather conditions (if it's pouring during his study break, he is still heading out), and rarely complains. I know I am a proud wife, but he honestly rocked this race. He went for the win but still fought hard to the end. I do have to say though that I am a little annoyed that he is not even a snitch sore... and I am walking funny from doing a few sets of squats yesterday!!

Here's my favourite pic from the race:

Unity!

2010-03-07T19:10:00.000-08:00

After seven weeks of nasty separation, my bones have decided to play nice and unite. I was a little concerned they would stay mad at each other for ever, leaving me with a drooping shoulder and non-functional wrist. Thankfully the latest x-ray showed otherwise, displaying a beautiful hazy swirl of callus across my collarbone and a teensy tiny "flake" on the side of my wrist. Even the x-ray technician was speechless this time, silence that was music to my ears!

I am now in the midst of improving my range of motion. I thought this would be exciting and enjoyable but it is painful, slow-going and frustrating. I went to a hand physio last week (I did not know such a practitioner existed) and was given a few basic exercises for my wrist to get things moving again. I was very cautious for the first couple of days, being gentle with the movements and really making no progress. So, yesterday I decided to go cold turkey and ditch the splint. I acted though I had a hand made of glass for the first half of the day, afraid to touch anything and carrying it around like a limp rag, but as the day wore on, I got braver. Before I knew it I was chopping veggies, opening doors and shaking hands no problem. I decided today to try a swim without the splint. Lately I've been in a bit of a swim rut, being able to do only a one-arm-with-splint stroke for the past 5 weeks. It was fun at the start as I could get back to the pool on a regular basis, but I am almost at the end of my rope with these 2km special stroke sessions. So today I did not even bring my splint out on the deck and "swam" 2.1km. The highlight was not the weightless feeling of the arm, but the lack of hair stuck in my hand. It turns out the splint is a fantastic human hair net, picking up every possible strand of hair and hairball in the pool. It is never fun realizing later in the day that someone else's hair is stuck in the velco. Yes, it is disgusting, I know. So long, splint!!

On a totally unrelated note, here what I cooked up for dinner tonight, a recipe from March's issue of EAT Magazine. A little labour intensive and ingredient-heavy, but if you've got a well-stocked spice cabinet, it's definitely worth the effort.

Spicy Roasted Vegetable Stew

2 carrots, chopped
1 medium red potato, chopped in bite-size pieces
2 medium zucchinis, chopped in bite-size chunks
1 red bell pepper, chopped in bite-size chunks
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
2 whole cloves
1/3 cinnamon stick
2 green cardamom pods, bruised
2 tablespoons butter
1 or 2 jalapeno chile peppers, minced (with or without seeds, to taste -- I'm not a big fan of spice, so omitted this altogether)
1 bay leaf
2 inches fresh gingerroot, peeled and minced
1 medium onion, chopped
salt and pepper to taste
1/2 teaspoon tumeric
1/2 cup green beans, cut in 2-inch pieces
6 asparagus spears, cut in 2-inch pieces
2 medium tomatoes, chopped
1 1/2 cup chicken or vegetable broth
3/4 cup coconut milk
1/2 cup cooked lentils
1/2 teaspoon mustard seeds

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. In a bowl, toss carrots, potatoes, zucchini, and red peppers in olive oil. Place on a baking tray and roast for 20-25 minutes until veggies are slightly brown. Remove and set aside.
In a heavy-bottomed soup pot, dry roast the cinnamon, cardamom and cloves over medium heat for 2 minutes until fragrant. Add butter, chilies, bay leaf, ginger, and onions and stir fry until the onions are translucent. Add roasted vegetables and stir and cook over medium heat for 5 minutes. Add salt, black pepper, tumeric, green beans, asparagus, tomatoes and broth. Cover and cook until vegetables are tender. Add coconut milk, cooked lentils and mustard seeds. Simmer for 5 minutes.

During the last few minutes of cooking, I added some chunks of raw red snapper and it cooked quickly and was a tasty compliment to the cinnamon, ginger, and coconut flavours.

Oh Canada!

2010-02-13T09:04:00.000-08:00

Watching last night's Opening Ceremony made me truly proud to be Canadian. Despite criticism that it "underwhelmed" and was "boring," I found myself glued to the TV, with goosebumps (yes, I get these a lot when bursting with inspiration/excitement). Maybe I was like a proud mother where my child (the show) could do no wrong, but from the range of performers, to the tasteful and respectful memorial to fallen Georgian athlete, I thought Vancouver put on a fantastic ceremony, showcasing how great Canada is. I know VANOC is deeply embarrassed by the unexplained malfunction of the fourth torch, but reading this quote by a Toronto Star Reader puts a positive spin on the situation: "it could also be regarded as simply an unlit flame for a soul taken."

I have to admit that what amazed me most is how they transformed BC Place Stadium. The only time I have spent in that stadium is post-Sun Run and that is what I call underwhelming. Smooshed bananas all over the floor, paper cups everywhere, sweaty bodies packed in there with a nice potent haze of B.O. hovering throughout. Don't get me wrong, I love the atmosphere post-race, but I remember looking around last time I was in there, thinking there is NO way we can hold an Olympic ceremony in here..... But, we sure did pull it off, turning an existing facility into a world class Olympic show.

As for me, well..... let's just say I sure am glad the Olympics are starting because I will be spending a whole lot of time in front of the TV and on my bike over the coming weeks. X-rays are not the best for showing early stages of healing as there must a fair bit of callus to show up, and one month is still early for this. I was disappointed that mine didn't show what I thought it would, even though I was CERTAIN I saw some major signs of healing, but clearly my eye is untrained! I guess I was just so proud of my bones ;) There is definitely some healing, but not a whole lot and seeing the current state of the fracture was a good reminder that I still have broken bones and cannot "crank it" just yet (I think I say this to Adam everyday: "I just want to CRANK it today!!") Despite not setting world records for healing like I had planned, I will sweat it out on the bike, hike (with ponytail) and flail my way up and down the pool.

I do have to share the conversation with the x-ray technician though because this seems to have become an amusing situation for me. After the first x-ray, she returns to the room and says, "have you immobilized this?" Me: "Umm, yes, of course... well, for the first couple of weeks..." At this point, I'm thinking, geeze, I'm doing so well that she's simply curious how I have recovered so quickly. After x-ray two: She returns to the room and all she says is, "Well.....good luck." At this point my stomach knotted up..... what does she know, right? Well, I guess she knows a broken bone when she sees one!

Luge is on so time to get on the bike!

Goosebumps

2010-02-12T14:07:00.000-08:00

27 Days

2010-02-11T21:05:00.001-08:00

I can't believe it's almost one month since the crash... time seriously flies, even when injured.

Thank you everyone for sharing your healing stories. It really is inspiring to hear that in the end we all do heal and life does goes on.

For me, my clavicle is healing really well. Honestly, the human body amazes me. When I saw my follow-up x-rays one week post-crash I thought there was NO way this was going to heal on its own. The displacement between the bones was so apparent that the x-ray technician yelled, "Holy S**T" as the image flashed up on her monitor. I stood there, stuck in the x-ray machine, half laughing at situation, but also feeling my stomach knot up, realizing this was not good at all. Despite looking crazy dramatic, the bones were only displaced by half of a centimeter, close enough to find each other on their own. I sat there in disbelief looking at this image and I can't lie, deep down I truly didn't think it would heal. I was still in a lot of pain and it all felt very "fresh." But, day by day I improved and I gained more confidence and belief. This will sound cheezy, but everyday my body would surprise me with a little "gift". One day I was able to brush my teeth on my own, another I was able to pull on a t-shirt, and more recently, I made it until mid-morning before I even remembered I had this fracture! The "gift" a few days ago was the greatest prezzie of all: being able to pull my hair back on my own!! YES!!! I can be patient with swimming, but the pony-tail situation had to be rectified SOON.

Tomorrow is a day I've been looking forward to for quite some time... one month post-crash x-ray day! I hope to hear nothing but sweet silence from that technician this time... fingers crossed!

Mount Doug sunrise

My kind of graffiti

2010-02-02T16:34:00.000-08:00

This is just around the corner from our apartment. I can't even count how many times I've biked by it and not noticed the POODLE....until today. Awesome!

The Girl With the Crazy Hair

2010-01-29T09:40:00.000-08:00

I am officially "that" person. The type we all chuckle at in our heads. The one who power-hikes with a cast and sling that is strapped to her torso. The one who walks everywhere at top speed (power-walk commuting, as I like to call it). The one who wears the same yoga pants and zip top everyday (easy to pull on/off). The one who rides the trainer with the two aerobars sticking straight up, wearing a bandeau bra, HR strap and headband (the blinds remain CLOSED during these workouts!). Oh, and I'm the one with the crazy frizz hair. Yes, I have given up on ponytails (torturing Adam with this task was too cruel). And today, I was the girl in the deep tank of the pool, with no swim cap, hair floating everywhere, goggles, flippers, one arm strapped to my side and the other (casted) attempting a one-arm stroke. The lifeguards were on call and probably came close to a rescue. But, thanks to the fins, I actually turned out to be a good fit for the "moderate" lap lane.

I've been doing my best to make the most of this crappy situation. I've been staying as active as possible but refusing to put myself in situations where I could make silly decisions. I remember with my elbow fracture from a couple of years ago, I would constantly aggravate it by carrying grocery bags, chopping food, etc. Thanks to wonderful hubby, Adam and mother-in-law extraordinare, Wendy, I have been VERY well taken care of. I sure am one lucky crazy-haired girl.

If anyone has any collarbone or other broken bone healing stories, I'd love to hear them!

Back in the saddle

2010-01-20T19:24:00.000-08:00

I didn't expect to be back on the bike 5 days post-crash, especially after a sleepless, frustrating night. But, I woke up this morning and declared that I would be training today (yikes!). So, I met up with Bill Fry at the Trek shop. Bill is an excellent bike fitter and passionate about all things on two wheels so I thought he might like the challenge of setting me up in a reasonably comfy position. Right away he had this huge grin on his face and starts pulling out all of these aerobars from the 80's. No joke, these were HUGE! Ok, they were likely from the 90's as they resembled modern aerobars more than ski poles, but you get the jist...they were OLD! We played around with a few different dorky positions before we settled on a combo of a different aerobar for each arm. The broken clavicle side gets the longer "non-drafting" length and the broken wrist side gets the "ITU" bar. My bike officially looks ridiculous. We were laughing all the way out of the shop and I think both Adam and I were slightly embarrassed to walk this bike home, passing through the neighbourhood skate park.

I think the handlebar mounted waterbottle cage/remote control holder really completes the look.

I rode for 45 minutes tonight. I can't say it felt incredible (there were a few tears), but it sure did feel good to crank out a sweat again! It's a start, I guess.

DORK ALERT!!!!!

New cast!

2010-01-18T17:56:00.001-08:00

Today is Day 3 since the injury and I think I can safely say I am on the mend. Yesterday I experienced "rock bottom" in terms of pain and fatigue, especially after the travel. It sure was a nice feeling to get home and finally take a shower. I know this probably sounds quite gross, but I was still wearing my sports bra from the bike ride when I arrived in Vic. I had no way to get it off after the crash and I still couldn't manage to squeeze it off when I got home. So, Adam got out the scissors and I said a final goodbye before it was snipped to pieces.

The big news of the day was my new cast on my wrist. I had a temporary monster of a cast put on at the hospital. It was extremely awkward but very supportive as I never felt any pain in that wrist until today when I had it removed. The new cast is much smaller and allows for more movement which is not necessarily a good thing as I am already trying to do more with that hand. I can't forget that there is still a broken bone in there! But the new splint is custom, removable and designed to allow me to rest it on the handlebars and also to use in the water. I'm not sure I am ready to hop on the trainer just yet, but I am getting closer. I walked around town a bit this afternoon and plan to do an official "training" walk tomorrow. Who knows, I might even wear my RUN clothes ;)

Enjoying a brownie in Maui, still wearing the monster cast and THE sports bra.

Getting fitted for the new splint today. Notice my lovely pony-tail/headband combo (care of hairstylist Adam).

I begged to get the "paddle" splint....

oh dear...

2010-01-17T07:10:00.000-08:00

So it turns out the Maui camp wasn't meant to be for me this year.

I crashed on the bike during our first long ride, fracturing my left clavicle and right wrist. How it happened is a bit of a blur, but from what I remember something flew out of a jersey onto the road during a technical descent, resulting in some reactive breaking. The good news is that the injuries weren't worse, and both bones will heal up nicely, especially under the care of our fantastic support staff. The unfortunate news is that hubby, Adam will be taking on the role as hairdresser, esthetician, chauffeur, chef, and chick-flick renter as both arms are currently out of commission. I trust his cooking skills but I have a feeling I will be opting for a buzz cut in the near future...

It was sad to leave the camp as we were just getting rolling. We really have a great group of dedicated, hard-working, and positive athletes and coaches this year and it was inspiring to train with them, even if it was just a few days. I already look forward to joining the gang when they return to Vic and hopefully in Tucson next month.

A special thanks to Kirsten and Paula for taking such good care of me. Washing my hair in the sink, feeding me brownies, brushing my teeth, fixing my ponytail every two minutes, and even waking up to see how I was in the night. And to Brent for packing my bike as I just sat there like a princess (honestly I wanted to help...).

This has all been typed with one finger so I am going to take a rest now. More on the recovery soon.

Daily shop at Mana Foods

2010-01-14T18:54:00.000-08:00

lauren at mana foods (yippie heaven) from swhitfield on Vimeo.

Thanks to Simon for another fun video.

And, yes, I am a total yuppie...

2010-01-13T22:17:00.000-08:00

thats how its done. from swhitfield on Vimeo.

Intuition

2010-01-12T14:56:00.001-08:00

I am not writing this from Maui where I should be if all had gone according to plan. I am still in BC, but at least now am confident with how things are going...and finally en route to Hawaii!

I've struggled with some tightness in one leg for a few weeks but it wasn't until last Monday that I realized, OK, this is more than just tightness. It eventually became a sore spot in my knee and if past experiences have taught me anything, I know NOT to mess around with knees. Obviously training through pain (the bad kind) is never a good idea so I was careful to get right on recovery and treatment. I started to see improvement quickly and by the weekend I was able to do a shorter run. But, the soreness was still there....a bit..... and I hoped so very much that it would settle down in time for our flight on Monday. But, you can't give your healing body a deadline.... It was definitely better, but my gut was telling me not to get on that plane. I needed another day to let the body heal before the trip and the start of the camp. This was not an easy decision though and many thanks to Adam, Patrick and Kirsten who were at the airport check-in to offer support (yes, this decision was VERY last minute). It was bizarre to drive away from the airport, with the car full of luggage, amidst a rain and wind storm, after begging the check-in lady NOT to put me on that plane to Maui. YES, crazy I know, but you've got to follow your intuition sometimes.

Finding the cause of the knee troubles has been a tricky process. I am usually a believer of the "if it ain't broke, don't fix it" philosophy, and maybe even more so now...

On a happier note, I am the proud owner of my first ever garden! It's on our rooftop and is waiting for some TLC once I return next month. The goal is to grow some edible veggies this summer, but if my developing green thumb lets me down, at least I can have some fun playing in the dirt!

New Year, New Name, New Blog

2010-01-07T20:21:00.000-08:00

This is a new year and I have a new name and with that comes a NEW blog, one that will be updated on more of a regular basis (because I know everyone out there is dying to hear about the little dogs I saw, the tasty treats I enjoyed or the latest sea (or pool) creatures I've encountered). I am currently setting up the new blog and will post the link to Lauren Campbell's adventures in the coming days.

This winter has been nothing other than amazing. From the training, to family time over the holidays, to spending our first Christmas in Victoria in the new apartment, to the wedding, it is one that will stick with us forever. The wedding was incredible. Honestly, I don't think I can describe it any other way than to say it was perfect. It was very "us" which was exactly what we wanted. There were probably just as many tears as there were smiles and laughs which was unexpected for Adam and I as we've had the last 9 years to build this bond. I guess I had thought of this as more of a celebration than anything else. Geeze, was I ever wrong... weddings are emotional! The waterworks started as soon as we looked at each other and continued right through the end of the vows. It was an incredibly special day and we felt so lucky to be able to share it with our closest friends and family.

The honeymoon consisted of a swim at Commonwealth Pool with bridesmaid Sarah "Saucey" Groff. Adam was off for a run (swimming is not his thing these days) so as you can see, married life has been same old, same old right from the start. And, that's not a bad thing as I wouldn't change this life for anything in the world.

Next up is the Maui training camp. We are off on Monday for three weeks of hard work in the sunshine and I cannot wait. I feel as though I've set up a really strong foundation this winter but now it's time to get some power in the legs. I know one certain volcano that should do just the trick...

Wedded Bliss

2009-12-29T11:18:00.000-08:00

Tragic

2009-12-06T19:32:00.000-08:00

I don't really know what to say in a moment like this.

We have lost an incredible person.

You will be missed tremendously, Pete.

Peter - Our Friend and Colleague

It is with absolute shock and sadness that we have to inform you of the tragic death of our colleague and close friend Peter Holmes.

Peter passed away yesterday in an accident while hiking on a local mountain in Vancouver.

It is ironic in Peter’s line of work as Communications Manager, that words will never be able to describe what he meant to us all and the effect he had on all of those around him. While Peter worked with us for the last nine months, it seems like he was a part of our family since the beginning. Peter was a shining light of happiness and energy and truly touched all our lives in a deep way. We will always treasure his wit and humour. As those of us who knew him well can testify, he was a social butterfly who brought happiness to so many of our lives and those of whom he met on his international travels. Peter loved his job as much as those around him loved him. In only a short period of time he made close and treasured friendships with colleagues, athletes, event organisers and media alike. Anybody who Peter touched in life is for the better.

The triathlon world and all our lives are immeasurably poorer without Peter in it.

This has been a tragic week for the triathlon world. We have lost another family member. May we all rally together to commemorate Peter and Emilio.

Gunner Shaw Pics

2009-11-29T20:50:00.000-08:00

Here are some of Tony Austin's great photos from yesterday's race. I am still looking for the "swamp" shots so if anyone knows where they can be found, please let me know.

I think I need to take a lesson from Adam in race focus/seriousness. We seem to finish with a different level of intensity.

One Fine (rainy) Day

2009-11-28T18:49:00.001-08:00

The weather has been less than ideal lately. But, then again, I suppose that depends on your definition of ideal. For me, ideal is what it's like in Hawaii or Australia right now so, yes, a bit of a pipedream for Victoria. Everyday I wake up, look out the window and utter a tiny, quiet whimper as I realize that yes, it is 7 degrees and raining.... again.

For those who live on the west coast, you know how wet it has been. I've made the commitment to ride outside this Fall, so for the first year in a very long time, the rollers and trainer are not a permanent fixture of our living room. Instead, our balcony is strewn with the remnants of each days adventures (muddy shoes, filthy cross bike, random soaked bike gear that has yet to make its way to the washer, and even a wet "rain suit" for the scooter). I guess the upside is that our apartment stays remarkably tidy as the balcony becomes the change room. It's good thing it's winter as any company we might have will have no desire to even open that door!

Today I did something unexpected. Adam was racing the Gunner Shaw 10km cross country race at Thetis Lake. This race is honestly epic. Here is the course description: All trails, many tough hills, rocky, rough, always wet - a classic Autumn race. And the race features: Great course with roots, rocks, stumps, puddles, branches, boulders - no whining! I did the race a few years back and I remember doing some serious whining. I was out of shape and had unreasonable expectations. I really was hard on myself after that race and vowed never to do it again. Last night something changed and I emailed Phil to ask if he thought I could do my base run as part of the race. NOT race, just run and enjoy the atmosphere. He writes back saying, "Yes, do the race and feel free to run hard!" I don't like being given options like that and after hearing this I can't just run easy. So, before I knew it, I was committed to a "race"! I had about a 10 minute turnaround between my morning cross ride and the race. Enough time drop one load of wet clothes on the balcony, grab a chocolate croissant and coffee from downstairs and head to Thetis.

This year I had no expectations... other than having fun. It was as yucky as you can imagine out there and I knew what was coming because this race is always mucky, even on drier years. I didn't expect WAIST-DEEP puddles though. Two of them, about 50m long each. Honestly, I am not exaggerating and I will find some photos to document this. I couldn't even run through them, just walked while laughing. And they were friggin' cold. It was hilarious to attempt to find a rhythm with numb logs for legs after each of these mini-lakes. I was amazed though how warm the little puddles felt after this, almost like bath water. And of course in traditional Gunner Shaw style, the race finished with a quick run through the actual lake. When posted, results can be found here.

I had another quick turnaround (and balcony change) before heading off to Starling Lane Winery to talk logistics for the wedding (which is one month today!!). I have to admit, it was a relief to visit the site during the worst possible weather conditions and still find it to be quite lovely. It really is a magical spot and I get goosebumps thinking about what's to come.

I think we should try it before the wedding, just to be sure it's a good one :)

'Tis the Season

2009-11-18T20:35:00.001-08:00

...for fragrant INDOOR plants. I realize this is a really random update, but I picked up one of these beautiful paperwhite plants today and the entire house smells amazing. Nothing like a little winter pick-me-up :)

Simple Wedding

2009-11-18T19:22:00.000-08:00

When we talked about having a "simple wedding" we should have realized that this is actually an oxymoron. If you are not going down to city hall, eloping to Vegas, or restricting the guest list to immediate family, then you must be prepared to open up a big fat can of bridal worms.

Seriously, there is a lot to think about. Now I know why most couples take over a year to plan their wedding. You've got the dress, the venues, the flowers, the rings, the guest list, the invitations, the food, the bridal party,..... seriously, that is only scratching the surface. With only 5 weeks to go, I don't have the luxury of obsessing over the details and have had to make quite a few quick, on-the-spot decisions that would take a normal bride more than 10 seconds to make. But, I have really been enjoying the process (much more than I thought I would) and I think even the groom is looking forward to this day. Actually, he's probably looking forward to the end of Lauren as "Bridezilla!" I quickly learned that planning weddings or even talking about the details is not exactly his cup of tea. We still have to go for the very unpleasant task of ring shopping and I have a feeling this will feel like dragging a stick through the mud. Shopping is not his idea of a good time, let along jewelry shopping.... for himself!

Thanks to Adam's cousin, Karla for designing the invitations!

Training has been rolling along and I can officially say that the fun and motivation is back. The swim volume and intensity is picking up and I'm splashing my way through about 30km per week. The run is building up with some tempo effort mixed in and the fitness is slowly starting to creep back (that sure is a nice feeling). For riding, I've been out on my cross bike this past week, venturing on some unfamiliar territory: TRAILS. And no, I am not talking about the Goose (Phil has forbid me from riding this non-technical, partly-paved terrain.) I used to consider the Goose off-roading (seriously) so what I have been thrown into this week is seriously beyond what I ever thought I could, or would enjoy doing. Day one was rough and I unclipped and wimpered far too many times. Day 2 was definitely smoother but the trails were less technical... and may have involved some time on the Goose. Cross ride # 3, today, was awesome. Flooded trails, epically steep rocky trails (I am not exaggerating, ask Austin!), and minimal wimpering. I am far from wanting to enter cross races but I am at the point where I enjoy the challenge and am getting braver every ride.

A bit of everything.... and the little white dress.

2009-11-06T19:18:00.000-08:00

So apparently blogging has not been my strong suit this fall... It's funny because a lot has been going on, and I have composed many blogs in my mind, but they never seem to have made it through my fingers to the keyboard.

Nevertheless, here's the quick and dirty wrap-up of the last month:

-The move: It was a relatively smooth process but anytime you move all of your possessions on one day, it is tiring and chaotic. But, our new condo has more than enough storage space so every belonging has found a happy home. Yes, the clutter-free life has begun, but we are only in month one of our permanent home so we will see how long this lasts. We are LOVING this place. Honestly, I wake up most mornings, look around and say to Adam, "I can't believe this is our home!" I love to watch the rowers cruise down the Gorge, stroll down the street to the most delicious bakery coffee shop, and just enjoy hanging out in our home! (yes, I am still bursting with excitement!).

-Training: I hit a rough patch earlier this month with a nasty cold (or flu?) that lingered for far too long. I wasn't overly surprised I got sick as life was busy before and after the move. I ended up taking a good 7-day break. The need for this rest was sparked by a combination of the sickness and some mental exhaustion I felt I never kicked after World's in September. So, Phil and I decided taking this rest was the smart call and never once during that week did I regret our decision. I know that when I have no guilt, regret or urge to train I really needed the rest. By the end of the week, I was feeling lazy, sluggish and desperately craving some activity. So, that was a very good sign and I did a 2km swim before heading off to Portland with the training group (Simon, Kyle, Andrew, and coaches Phil and Paulo) for a training camp at the Nike campus. I am on a slightly different focus than the guys, simply getting back to training, continuing with our strength program, and enjoying the change of environment. Portland is a VERY cool city. I could live here no problem, and I promise I did not base this decision around the surprisingly high number of standard poodles prancing around...

The Little White Dress: Adam and I were chatting last week about this Christmas and jokingly said, "why don't we get married this winter?" "Why don't we?" After a series of calls to families and friends, we realized this actually is a great time for a wedding as our families will already be on the west coast and most friends are in town. So, once the ball starting rolling, it picked up speed quickly and before we knew it we had set a date (December 28) and secured two incredible venues. And, to make this occasion seem even more real, I picked a wedding dress (with the help of future-mother-in-law Wendy, and bridesmaid, Tiffany). Wow.... it is really happening!

For now here are a few pics from Portland thus far. Now that I have written a monster blog, this should be the start of consistent blogging.

A gallery in the Pearl District displaying the winners of Portland's best bike commuters.

This bike scared me. The horns were intimidating and the fur felt like it came from a poodle. That is not cool.

No surprise this was one of Adam's favourites...

Untraditional Training

2009-10-22T06:46:00.000-07:00

Anybody heard of Aksel Lund Svindal? He's Norwegian and one of the best skiiers in the world. Here he is in action at a recent training camp, on an "unnamed" peak in Chile.

Coach Phil, can we please include more dance videos shoots into our training camps?

I can't wait for Maui!

Homeowners

2009-10-15T22:39:00.000-07:00

Ok, that was an exciting night! It seems like we have been waiting an eternity for October 15th, the closing of our condo. We got the call late this afternoon that the sale had closed and our keys were ready for pick-up. Without one second hesitation, Adam and I were in the car. What a feeling it was to walk into the place for the first time. We felt just like kids on Christmas morning, except for the fact that we knew exactly what the prezzie was. I still can't believe this day is finally here!

Sadly, we aren't staying there tonight as by the time we picked up the Uhaul, loaded up our boxes (we are NOT traveling light this trip!), and cleaned the condo, it was dark and we were both exhausted. Tomorrow will be a big day, but I can't wait. Woot-woot!!

Brilliant

2009-10-15T11:40:00.000-07:00

Now here's an instrument I could actually play!

Rainbow Lake

2009-10-13T13:05:00.000-07:00

I know, I know..... I am really overdue for a blog...

I had planned to do a write-up of our hike this weekend in Whistler but Adam beat me to it and as is always the case with his reports, it is entertaining, well-written, and reasonably accurate. So, please check out the story of our hike here.

I do have to point out though that his very brief description of our bear-encounter was not entirely honest. Without being too dramatic (if possible), it was scary. We rounded a bend in the trail and the bear was right in front of us, no more than a few meters away. Adam was leading so he got an especially good look of this guy's teeth, claws, and overall massive stature. Thankfully, Adam's twiggy legs weren't an appetizing snack and the bear bolted into the bushes. Meanwhile, the two of us RAN away from him. Yes, this is what you are NOT supposed to do when you encounter a bear, but it was our immediate reaction. Again, this bear was BIG and he snarled at us (not quite a "guffaw" as Adam so calmly described). The bear disappeared far into the bush so we were able to continue our run, but were sure to sing and speak loudly for the rest of the time.

7systems @ Frontrunners

2009-10-09T17:23:00.000-07:00

Stop by Frontrunners tomorrow between 10am and 5pm to check out the 7systems booth. Kyle Jones and Jen Maclean will be there to hand out free samples.

It's definitely worth a try. I have been using it for almost two years and have noticed significant improvements in energy levels and recovery, as well as a stronger immune system.

Please check out 7systems for all the info... or stop by the booth!

Sunset

2009-10-05T21:53:00.000-07:00

Long overdue blog to follow...

Off-Season Pain Train

2009-09-20T19:28:00.001-07:00

Two years ago I finished the Grouse Grind Mountain Race and the first words out of my mouth were, "I'm NEVER doing that again." (it's 2.9km up Grouse Mountain, climbing 2,800 ft, with an average grade of 30%). Of course once my heart rate dropped and I could breath properly, I began to quietly plot my return to the mountain. Unfortunately last year I couldn't make my comeback as my elbow was broken after Beijing (you need both arms for this race), but I did return in the off-season with my sister, Amanda and her husband, Rob for a family "fun" race (I think I documented this event in a previous blog). There was trash-talking and tactics, but in the end, it was just a fun, hard scramble up the mountain. I didn't run a stellar time that day, but I was already thinking ahead to the race the following year, hoping that our triathlon schedule would allow me to return to Grind Race. It actually couldn't have worked out better, with the last race of the season one week ago. The preparation wasn't ideal (I would have like to done some uphill training/stair climbing), but I was just as excited as I was for any other race (maybe even a little more so...).

Last night I was able to talk Amanda into doing the race. She is anything but competitive when it comes to sports but she is fit and loves to hike the Grind most weekends. She actually did the hike yesterday, setting a huge personal best of 38-minutes. So, of course she HAD to race in the elite wave, right?! I think she felt a little out of place at the starting gate and didn't find my only race tip overly reassuring: "run to the trailhead as FAST as you can!" She found some serious competitive fire though and crushed her previous time, running 37:37, finishing 8th. What's UP! I think this was her first experience visiting that "special place" in the world of hurt... I couldn't be more proud :)

I didn't achieve my dream goal for this race, but I ran a best time (32:56), finishing 3rd. It was a more positive experience than the first time and I actually enjoyed moments of it. The highlight was definitely my extreme lack of coordination in the final quarter. There were a couple sections near the top that are runable, but after leaning over, power-hiking for the previous 30 minutes, my quads were more tired than I had anticipated. I went to lift my leg over a tiny rock and clipped it, sending me face-first into the dirty muck. This happened twice in a row...(to the guy behind me, I apologize for blocking the entire path with my flailing body). I finished with more mud on my hands and knees than I would have liked, but this time I had a smile on my face and once again, began to look forward to next year's race!

The Groves girls: muddy, stinky, sweaty, sore...but so happy to be done!

The Grand Final

2009-09-13T23:28:00.000-07:00

This will be a quick note as I am sitting at an internet cafe at Manly Beach, in Sydney.

I am definitely disappointed with yesterday's race, the Grand Final of the World Championship Series, with a 19th place finish. The swim really set the tone for the day, with the lead group swimming off course through the choppy waters. The pack behind followed and was pushed even more off course with the strong currents. Unfortunately I was stuck in the thick of things and didn't have many options but to stick with those in front of me. By the end of the swim, it was one long string consisting of nearly all of the 45 women and I was sitting in around 25-30th place in this bunch. By the time we were on the bikes, it was clear that there were three distinct packs and I was in the third group. I had about twelve or so other women in my pack and for the most part, we were not organized. I didn't have the strongest cycling legs yesterday but I put out what I could. We lost time to both packs ahead and were over two minutes behind the lead group by the end of the ride. As always, I did my best to salvage what I could of the race and was able to run into the top-20. It wasn't one of my better runs this season, but it's been a long year and I was pleased to finish up with a 12th place in the World Championship Series Rankings.

I always find it special to wear my red swim suit and represent Canada at a World Championship event. Thanks so much to everyone cheering out there! Hearing some familar voices really made a difference and if I wasn't working so hard, I would have given you a smile and/or wave!!

I'm not quite sure what is next for me, as far as training and racing goes. I'm going to take a few days off to decide if I want to jump in a few "fun" events.... or catch up on the "other" areas of my life (moving, quilting, planning a wedding... :)

For now, I am spending couple of days touring Sydney with Simon and Kim. Sightseeing, shopping, eating meat pies, drinking too many coffees is definitely on the to-do list. Photos to come!

Running with the Roos

2009-09-07T20:34:00.000-07:00

...and koalas!

At the Petting Zoo

2009-09-03T23:14:00.000-07:00

I'd love to write the long, romantic version of what happened on my Birthday, yesterday at Beacon Hill park, but I am about to board a plane to Australia, so, this will have to be the short & sweet recap: Adam and I were out for a run along the waterfront just before dinner. It was Adam's first run since the epic Rockies race and he wasn't even sure he would be able to run. After about five minutes, he had to stop as his legs just weren't ready yet. He urged me to keep going but yelled, "meet me at the petting zoo!!!" as I ran away. At the end of my run we met up by my favourite stretching spot, in front of the white peacock's pen. He got down on one knee.....and asked me to marry him!! I started crying....until he said, "say SOMETHING!!"

YES!

Off to Australia now... with a ring on my finger!

I love all my fans equally....

2009-09-01T18:56:00.000-07:00

...but some more than others.

Tackling Nationals...and the Rockies

2009-08-25T17:21:00.000-07:00

So I figure I am definitely in need of an update now as LOTS has been going on over the last few days.

I raced National Championships in Kelowna on the weekend, winning the race and my 2nd National title. It was wonderful to share this win with my parents, sister, aunt and uncle (as well as quite a few gorgeous standard poodles along the sidelines).

I knew my swim was key in this race as the field was small and there were a handful of strong swimmers. I had a clear start, and within the first 100 metres, hopped on Kathy Tremblay's feet. There was a bit of rough jockeying for position around the first couple of turn buoys (everyone seemed to want Kathy's feet!) By the end of the first lap I was right up there with the leaders and I could see we had a gap on the rest of the field. I was positioned near the back of the 5 other women in the group and had a very sweet draft for the second lap. It was definitely a good swim for me and I was right where I had wanted to be. The six of us worked together on the bike and the pace was steady. Overall, the bike was relatively uneventful and we entered T2 as one pack. I had a great transition and immediately took the lead on the run. Kathy ran up to me and then Paula joined us. I wasn't feeling especially great and as much as I wanted to "hit-it" from the start, my legs just wouldn't let me. I felt better as we went along and even tried a couple small surges to see if Kathy would respond. And she did. Everytime. It wasn't until the final lap that I started to think ahead towards the finish and when I would really commit to a serious surge. With about 300 metres to go I picked it up. We've done some fast 400's on the track and I knew that if I could run fast at the end of a workout on trashed legs, I could probably survive a final push in this race. I opened a small gap on some of the tight turns and carried the speed up the hill on the bridge. I didn't look back until I was nearing the line because I know Kathy is experienced... and has speed!! I didn't have much time to celebrate in the finish chute, but that's ok, because I was just so happy to be able to stop running!!

The full results can be found here. I lost my timing chip during the swim (Ogopogo must have needed a snack), so my actual splits are an estimate based off the other women in my pack.

And, now for the really exciting stuff... Adam and his race partner, Aaron Heidt have just finished day 3 of the TransRockies Run. They had a rocky start on Day 1, but won the stage yesterday and finished 2nd today. In the general classification they are in 4th position with three stages left, so a podium finish is definitely not out of the question. These two have had some a few hiccups along the way (dehydration, deep blisters, smashed-in teeth, stitches,...), but isn't that all part of the experience?

Oh wow, I want this bike.

2009-08-19T21:15:00.001-07:00

Racing the Rockies!

2009-08-17T18:43:00.000-07:00

I thought I'd write an update about what Adam is up to because it's slightly more interesting than the swimming, biking and running activities that fill my days.

Adam left today for the Transrockies Running Race in Colorado. He is going to spend this week getting acclimated to the altitude in Boulder, then meet up with his partner for the start in Vail. It's a 6-day stage race with the lowest altitude of 7,400 feet and the highest at 12,600 ft. Yikes! The total distance they will cover is 113 miles and apparently the exact routes are kept secret until the race to maximize the adventure experience (I'm guessing this is to prevent some cardio-junkie (i.e. Adam) from pre-running the entire course!). They will be camping between stages and all meals will be provided. Of course I was worried about Adam surviving off bars and gels for a week (and I had good reason to be worried: I've witnessed him spreading a strawberry gel on toast at training camp....), so I looked up the info on the race food. Here's a sample menu of a few of their meals and lets just say I am no longer concerned...

Breakfast
Arrowhead Point Camping Resort – 6:00am to 7:30am

Hot Oatmeal
Diced Fruit & Berries, Whole Bananas
Orange Juice & Cranberry Juice
Coffee, Hot Chocolate & Herb Teas
Fresh Scrambled Eggs with Cheddar Cheese, Country Potatoes
Sausage & Bacon
Vegetarian Potatoes with Onion & Peppers
Mini Bagels, Butter, Assorted Preserves, Peanut Butter & Cream Cheese

Dinner

Arrowhead Point Camping Resort – 5:00pm to 6:30pm

Fajita Bar with Chicken & Steak
Warm Flour Tortillas, Onions & Peppers, Shredded Cheddar Jack
Cheese, Shredded Lettuce. Diced Tomatoes, Red Onion, Avocado,
Fresh Cilantro Cole Slaw, Diced Cucumber & Fresh Lime Wedges
Cilantro Rice w/Toasted Pine Nuts

I did notice though that the menu gets a little more basic as they get into the thick of things (in other words, deep into the mountains!):

Dinner

Nova Guides Lodge – 5:00pm to 6:30pm

Dinner Salad with dressings
Rolls
Spaghetti with sauce
Chicken Entree
Rice Pilaf

I'm really excited for Adam as I know he has prepared well for this adventure. He's run just about every hill and mountain in southwest BC, as well as joining me on the bike, running and even in the pool...well, until his flippers went missing.... The Transrockies website should post daily updates with results so we can follow along!

And in other news, Adam's brother, Matt, who lives in Sweden, has also been involved in some endurance activities of his own. Matt competed in a 1.2 km lake swimming "race" (a family tradition). His stroke of choice? Breaststroke. HEAD-UP. For 1.2 km. In board shorts. Yep, I'd say that is VERY impressive!!

AND, Wendy and Randy have been busy with dragon boat competitions. We went down to the inner harbour to watch the races this weekend. Go Blazing Paddles!!

One of my favourite poodles happened to be on patrol that day....

I know it's time for a blog when...

2009-08-10T19:55:00.000-07:00

...Adam has updated his blog about a hundred times in the last couple of days. Yes, Adam does have a blog, a great one, but it has been dormant since about 2007 (and amazingly not removed by Blogger), so all the more reason for me to feel the pressure to update!

After the mini-holiday at Whistler, it has been back to hard work and back to routine. I love traveling, but honestly, there is nothing I love more than being at home. Speaking of homes, Adam and I have started to look into buying a place. We started our search with condos and came to the conclusion that we cannot comfortably cram ourselves and our belongings into any of the places within our price range. We've realized that living in Fairfield might be a bit of a pipe dream right now so we've forced ourselves branch out a little (as long as the waterfront is still running distance...or at least a short drive away!). With the start of school on the horizon, we realize that we need to find a place reasonably soon (our current apartment is SMALL and there is no way Adam can study while I am quilting/sweating on the rollers/cooking/gossiping in the same room :) So, we've started to search for rentals for this fall. But, if we are going to rent, we want to be in this area. Well, a 2-bedroom is not cheap and after looking at a few, we were back to the drawing board. Rent or purchase? It seems as though we can purchase a place, even on the upper end of our price range, with the mortgage payments still being less or equal to the cost of renting something big enough. But, we need to consider that in two years Adam may be articling elsewhere....and then what?

We were driving through Fernwood the other day and came across an open house. Oh dear, this is the trouble with open houses...we fell in love with this place the moment we walked in. Built in 1890, this place had serious character! We were both speechless as we walked through, admiring the original hardwood floors, the high ceilings, the amazing garden and then I saw them... the chickens running amuck out back! And, YES, the chickens come with the house!! We were both anxious to check the listing price and sure enough, it was out of our price range. But, it got us thinking, what if we look for older homes, smaller in size? Afterall, a house would have enough storage space to keep our living area clutter-free (but who are we kidding, that would only last about 2 days...max..). We've come across a few places in Fernwood, Oak Bay and Vic West that are a perfect size, in the price range, and have plenty of character. But, owning a house is a different story than a condo, especially an older home. So much to think about!!

Anyway, we are not sure what we're going to do but if anyone has any suggestions or stories to share, please do so!

As for training, it's going well and we're rolling along in this final training block. It never ceases to amaze me how quickly time goes by. In less than two weeks we will be in Kelowna for Nationals and in just over a month, we will be racing the Grand Final in Australia. Can't wait!

Fashionistas

2009-08-02T12:37:00.000-07:00

So, I think it's official: Adam and I are not very trendy people. We were invited over to Wendy's for a delicious BBQ last night and we tried our best to look nice. Honestly, we did try. But, stopping at the ocean en route for an icing session was not the greatest of ideas. Thankfully Wendy's garage is still packed with just a "few" of our excess belongings (understatement of the year...) so we had no trouble finding warm clothes. So much for looking presentable.

Notice Adam's wool long-johns, over compression socks. He always has the "camping" look dialed-in. I would make fun of myself here but I'm at a loss for words...

Thank you, Wendy!

A few more Whistler Pics

2009-08-01T20:05:00.000-07:00

No surprise that summer is my favourite time to visit the mountains. Warmth and beautiful alpine flowers!

Peak 2 Peak Gondola: nearly a 4km free span between towers. I was skeptical with all the hype around this, but we were both very impressed.

Paddling the River of Golden Dreams. I have loved this river since I was a kid but I didn't realize quite how long it was (7km) and very slow-moving... that was one long paddle!

The wildfire started on Blackcomb while we were on the mountain, but we didn't realize this until we were out on the kayaks.

Beaver dams!

Watching the waterbombers.

Whistler

2009-07-29T19:19:00.000-07:00

Adam and I went on a "swim adventure" today. We loaded up our swim gear and started driving south from Whistler Village. There are many beautiful swimmable lakes in the Whistler area but today we decided to venture off the beaten track, heading towards Pemberton. As we drove, we watched the outdoor air temperature climb to 40 degrees. Wow. When we opened the windows it felt like a furnace. Adam hates air conditioning but I was able to coerce him into leaving the windows up today so we wouldn't soak through our clothes at the start of the trip. I don't think I have ever looked forward to a swim this much in my life. After a stretch along a bumpy gravel road just past Mount Currie (and one black bear sighting), we ended up at Mosquito Lake.

Adam sometimes pretends to "forget" his swim suit, but you can be sure he will NEVER forget his fins!

Hike to the lake.

Mosquito Lake. Thankfully no mozzies, just tons of dragonflies.

WATER SNAKE!!!!! My worst nightmare!! And yes, I did scream, LOUD.

We stopped by North Arm Farm in Pemberton on our way home to pick some raspberries and blueberries.

So long Number 10!

2009-07-25T11:52:00.000-07:00

The curse of the number 10 is history, but the string of 4th places at big events continues..... (well, apart from Hy-Vee....thankfully the poodle has been secured :)

I can't complain. In fact, I am thrilled with today's race, all things considered (Simon has given me permission to use this phrase in reference to my race... apparently I have misused it on other occasions....). After the way I felt leading up to Kitzbuhel and week afterwards, I honestly didn't know if I would be able to pull myself out of that hole and sharpen up in time for this race. I didn't doubt my fitness, but I know that finding the right balance between recovering, training and tapering between races can be tricky, and throwing the lingering fatigue into the mix didn't exactly help ease my mind. But, this is where Phil comes in... he is not one to show concern (EVER) and his confidence in my ability was just what I needed to believe that I could bounce back for this race. That, and his extremely-flexible "get-Lauren-to-feel-good-again" plan :)

What I have to say I am happiest about is the fact that I was able to pull out this performance in adverse conditions. I feel as though over the years I have become known as a "heat-racer" and I wanted to change that today. The TORRENTIAL rain on the bike was not only terrifying but also quite chilly. It took me a bit of time to find my legs on the run, but once they got some warmth, I found a nice rhythm and did what I could to secure that 4th place. Of course a podium finish would have been nice but I'll take this result....all things considered :)

My World Championship Series rank is now 7th so I should have a decent start position for the Grand Final in Australia in September.

But first up is some REST! Mostly, it will be a mental break, but Phil is not letting me "train" until the end of next week, so a trip to Whistler with Adam will be just what I need. We've got a final big block of training coming up so I will be sure to thoroughly enjoy every minute of our mini-holiday.

Tomorrow is the men's race (and maybe a little shopping). Can't wait!

Torrential!

2009-07-18T10:48:00.000-07:00

Paula laughs at me every time I said the word "torrential," probably because I overuse it...and sometimes grossly exaggerate (if it's there's a trickle in the sky, I might say, "oh wow, it's torrential"). But today, she was the first to use this term and Paula would NEVER be one to stretch the truth (in other words, she's anything but a drama queen).

The weather in the Alps changes so quickly. We saw this last weekend for the men's race. It was about 12 degrees and torrentially raining. Two days later it was 33 degrees and we were all winging about how hot and sticky it was. We lucked out most of the week with the hot and sunny weather, but yesterday on our ride some dark clouds rolled in extremely quickly. We were quite far from home at this point, riding through the most beautiful valley, alongside a crystal clear lake. At this point I was still loving life and had a big smile on my face, but when the darkness set in Philippe was quick to jinx the situation ("It's going to rain!"). And that it did. Torrentially. I think our tempo effort was extended a little as we raced the lightening home. It eased up a little in the evening but sometime in the night it started again. Honestly, if there was a more dramatic word than torrential I would be using it. It POURED. All night and ALL day. I turned on my favourite channel this morning, the live Kitzbuhel mountain camera and all I could see on the TV was a white screen. SNOW......just up the hill!

We all had a lazy morning, curled up in the apartments watching the rain, waiting for it to ease, but it never did. We put on all of our warm run gear and headed out on the "endless" trail for the run workout. It turned out to be a great run for everyone but by the end we were all a little chilled (especially coach Phil on the mountain bike! Brrrr).

Thankfully the weather will change as quickly as it did yesterday and we should be back to sun and warmth by tomorrow afternoon. I had to admit though it was a fun day. I can't remember the last time I've seen snow anywhere in July!

And in other news, I am still bursting with excitement from Adam's good news earlier this week: he was accepted to transfer to Uvic Law School! So, no more Freddy Beach (this does make me a little sad as I did love it there....in the Summer/Fall anyway...), BUT, this means we will both be based in Victoria...for good. Now the search starts for a new apartment (maybe dog-friendly?), but more on that later..... YAY.

The 3-day reset....and a little weiner schnitzel

2009-07-16T10:19:00.000-07:00

There's something about three days away from training that seems to reset the system. I've head this from other athletes before, and I have even been forced to try it myself over the past few years (at one point, I think I was so tired, I had to extend it to a 4-day rest...). After the way I felt on Sunday, I had a feeling I was needing this dose of extreme R & R. Thankfully coach Phil was on board so we set a very relaxed program from Monday to Wednesday that involved 2 swims of 1500m (max!) and zero biking and running. I felt no guilt taking this break and for me, that is the clearest sign that it was just what I needed. I don't really have much fun stuff to share about my adventures this week because they honestly only involve sleeping, eating, light walking through the Kitzbuhel shops (definitely nothing vigorous, no power-shopping here) and too much time watching Eurosport and Austrian cooking programs. By yesterday afternoon I was still feeling exhausted and started to worry that I wouldn't bounce back by today, but I still believed in the three-day reset rule and had a good half-day remaining. We went to an Alpenhaus for an authentic Austrian meal last night. Weiner schnitzel and some very hearty "pancakes" for dessert turned out to be the perfect fuel for training as I woke up mentally and physically ready to get back to business this morning. I don't think these photos show just how spectacular the views were. I have already started to plan an off-season holiday to this alpenhaus. Adam may protest, but I will be requesting a room without any antlers or decapitated animals on the walls...

We weren't able to get the correct translation of what type of deer these were. They were pretty small so I worried that they were quite young, but our host assured me this was not the case!

Oh deer....or, should I say, Oh, GOAT! Yikes.

Afternoon in Salzburg

2009-07-14T11:07:00.000-07:00

The Fortress on the hill. We admired it from afar, skipping the steep hike.

Austrian Easter eggs. I used to spend hours blowing out the yolks as a kid, so was amazed by the sheer quantity in this shop. Their detail was also incredible.

I could have spent ALL day here if the others weren't waiting for me!

Not your typical golden arches.

I didn't know the "bretzels" came chocolate covered...

Salzburg Catherdral

I saw my future in this crystal ball.

What's with the number 10?

2009-07-13T08:14:00.000-07:00

Kitzbuhel World Championship Series race yesterday was my third race of the series….and my third 10^th place finish.

It was a challenging day for me. I am still feeling some effects of the last few races, notably the Des Moines races. I came out of that weekend feeling more exhaustion that normal and to be honest, have yet to bounce back. I had a couple promising “sharpening” sessions this week so Coach Phil and I thought I would be good to put out a race effort yesterday, but it turned out that my body wasn’t quite ready. I am proud of myself for sticking it out (I can’t lie that pulling the plug crossed my mind more than once….) and for salvaging what I could of the race.

And, to stick with the trend, my World Ranking is now…..drumroll, please…. 10^th.

Initially, I wanted to hop on a plane home to sleep for days, hang out with Adam, and recover for the final training block, but, I have decided to stay here. We’ve got two weeks until the next race in Hamburg, plenty of time to recuperate and get some of my strength back. I actually got a little confidence from yesterday’s performance so am already getting fired up for another crack at that top-10 in Hamburg…..hopefully finishing within the top-10 ;)

I’m not really starting the recovery plan well, as it’s 5am and I am already wide awake. Sleeping after races is always hard, but when the race doesn’t FINISH until 6PM, it makes it even harder. I am just waiting for the grocery shop down the street to open. A cappuccino and a strudel will be the perfect brekkie, I think.