Swim, bike, run - How Bad ASS can I be?

Vancouver BMO Marathon and Half are coming up quickly – only 6 more sleeps. This will be my 3rd time as a race pace bunny for the 1/2 marathon. The first time I did it was because I wanted to be there for some ladies in my half marathon clinic running their first half and I was asked by the race organizer. I jumped at the chance mostly because I really wanted to be there for the gals in my clinic. It was everything I had hoped for and more - so much fun and a great way to be inspired by amazing people. I pace the 2:30 group - they are the closest to my heart. When I ran my first half marathon my time was 2:36 and change - I was pleased as punch. It was my first so a PB, I had been training almost from the get-go with extreme Plantar Fasciitis in both feet, my goal was to finish, against my physio and massage peeps advice I kept training. In my mind I had to do this - first off to win the bet, second because I had paid the registration fee and it was non-refundable, and lastly bec...

Not much to report - got another week under my belt on the training tread wheel and Super Wednesdays are becoming easier or maybe more appropriately I don't feel completely exhausted at the end of them. Wednesdays I run at lunch 6 - 10km depending on how the leg/hip feels. Then I ride with the group up the local mountain - Cypress - which would be fine but coach usually has some draconian (sp??) workout inter mixed with the climb (LOL) and then I zip home to grab my swim gear and head off to the pool where my far too young and exuberant swim coach is waiting. I'll be honest the first couple of weeks I was thinking OI but now, wait for it..... I am kind of starting to like it - I KNOW it concerns me to. I had to laugh though the first couple of weeks I did it my hubby was like are you sure it is a good idea to do all three in the same day? I was like - ummm it is called a TRIATHLON - I am going to have to do all three in the same day for the race.... (insert eyeroll). He i...

This past weekend Barb my cycling coach had all the girls go out to Fort Langley for a 12km Time Trial race to use as a benchmark. I was nervous and excited - I have never “raced” my bike in a time trial let alone against a bunch of roadies. I know I race but I don’t see triathlon riding the same as road racing on bikes. Anyways I was anxious. So when I finally got there - I left a lot of time but got a little turned around when I actually got to Fort Langley and stopping to ask the locals was not helping fortunately I noticed a car zip by with a road bike and TT bars on so I pulled a u-turn and followed the car figuring that he was going where I was, which he was. I got there and found Barb and the girls and noticed they were all warming up on trainers – where is your trainer? UH?!? Sometimes I think they forget that I really am a novice at this stuff – so note to self – next time bring trainer. Anyways no big deal – I did my warm up on the road. Warm up was going good and I...

Well since I figured I had used the girls in my application to Nathan and shamelessly promoted them as an asset to me and the team I figured it was about time that I formally introduce them. The Shaunettes (I still feel a smidge embarrassed about the name, but they chose it and I was not involved) officially formed in June of 2007 to come out and cheer me during what I now fondly refer to as "the 9 hour Incident" - aka Iron Mountain Half Ironman Maple Ridge. It was my first half Ironman and the weather was horrible. I knew the girls were going to try and come out and cheer so I did expect to see them. I just did not expect the extent to how seriously they would be about it. But then these ladies are some of the closest friends I have made my entire life and I should have known - go big or go home. Chris is my BFF and the founder of the Shaunettes. She is the lady who designed the original outfits - Pink shirts from the local running room with Shaunettes across the back ...

Oh wow - I am super excited - I have not really said much about it but a few months ago I received a random email telling me about a company called Nathan and how they were for the second year sponsoring a team of 10 amateur Canadian Athletes, with a link provided. I went and looked at the link and read up on the team. I like the products they use or at least the ones I know about I use and like. I only use GU and well who does not like Sugoi products, I read the running magazine and well I don't know much about E.N.D. shoes the reports I have read are all good and lets face it is time to buy new trail shoes! And well Nathan has a whole line of fuel belts that I like - so it just seemed like a good fit. Anyways I digress so after pondering it for a few weeks I mentioned it to my friend Kirsten and she was like OMG you should totally apply. What the heck - why not? So I did up a powerpoint presentation and sent it in. I got the call this morning I am one of the 10!!!! WOW - ...

I like to think that each training session is like a deposit in my race account. And on that belief I am pretty confident that I made an extra large deposit last night. Woke up yesterday to snow - I was like this is a real bad April Fools joke. Thankfully by around 10am it turned to rain. Did a tempo training run at lunch thinking about coaches comments on faster cadence = faster time. Did just over 5km in 32 min - still slower than normal but getting stronger and faster each run. Leg felt good till about 4.7km and then it announced so I dialed it back a smidge. Remembering my physio's words - Repeat with me - you were hit by a truck - don't worry I corrected her - I told actually I was there and it was jeep.... (she kind of appreciated the humour). Last night is the weekly ride with coach up Cypress the local mountain - since it stopped snowing I knew we were going up. The workout was actually 4 min muscle tension hell - woops I mean hill repeats on Cypress. We were ...