Questions and Answers

Here are some questions I got from Abby's blog, Change of Pace.  It's one of my favourites, always reliable with great stuff to read about adventures, travel, training, racing, books, etc.  You know, all the stuff I love!  Anyway, so here are some questions she posted and my answers to them.


1. What was the inspiration for your blog and its name?

The inspiration came from my friend Kirsty when she was starting her blog and suggested I start one too.  Done.  The name is kind of a combination of a thing from Seinfeld and an inside joke between Jason, our friend Norm, and myself.  Remember the "Summer of George" from Seinfeld, when George's fiancee died and he was free to do whatever he wanted for the summer?  Well, Norm and I always joked it was the "Summer of Jason" when he would sign up for races and would focus on pretty much only that.  So in 2010 when I decided to return to Ironman racing for the first time in a decade, it became the "Year of Alison", and it just stuck.

2. What’s your favorite topic to write about?
I love to write about triathlon training and racing, travel, and our dog.  When I started this blog we had a nine-year-old German short-haired pointer named Humu.  Now we have a not-quite-three-month-old GSP puppy named Tiki,

3. What keeps you motivated?

Knowing that I want those couple of glasses of wine on the weekend.  Also, cute training & racing gear.  Thank you Betty Designs!

4. If you could have a super power, what would it be?
Honestly, I don't think super powers would be that great in real life.  Sure, if you could see the future you could choose the winning lottery numbers, but you'd also get advance notice of a lot of pretty depressing stuff, like when you and your loved ones are going to die.  That would really suck.  I guess if I could have anything, it would be to eat as much as I wanted and never gain weight.  But maybe there's a dark underside to that one too.

5. What’s your biggest fitness goal, or A race, this year?
Good question.  Our biggest personal goal is training our new pup, which takes priority over training and racing.  But my biggest race goal is the full Vineman Aquabike (IM-distance swim and bike) at the end of July.

6. Describe your perfect day.
Depends on if I'm at home or on vacation.  
At home: sleep in, go for a ride, play with the dog, then hang out with Jason and Tiki in the sun on the deck, drinking a nice wine.
On vacation in Hawaii: up early for an ocean swim, go for a ride, hang out by the pool, then go to Lava Java for pizza, wine, and watching the sunset. 

7. Do you have a mantra, and if so, what is it?

Live like you mean it.  You only get one shot at life, so what you spend your time on has to be what you love and what you want to do.  Don't merely phone it in.

8. What’s your go-to dinner?

Hmmm.  We have a few around here.  One is pizza.  Another is black bean tacos.  The other is rice bowls with steamed veggies and smoked tofu.

9. If you could give your 16-year-old self a piece of advice, what would it be?
Don't sweat the whole t-roof Trans Am thing.  While yes, it would have been a most awesome car to have back in 1986, but in the end my life has been pretty bitchin' even though I never had it.

10. What is something that you love about yourself?

My sense of humour... most of the time I can see the humour in things and laugh.  Also, I believe I'm fairly intelligent and can think my ways through things.

11. If you could pick your dream career, and money wasn’t an issue, what would you do?
I thought my dream career was marine biology, and worked at it for several years before I got tired of being away from home all the time.  I love my current job, but I guess if I could do anything at all... it would be a travel writer.  Go everywhere and share my experiences with others.

12. What are two goals you have for 2014?

One is to put the work in to train our pup properly.  The other is to improve my cycling and be more consistent with power outputs during long rides.

13. Where is one place you have never been that you have always wanted to go?

Africa.  Can't wait to get the chance to go there someday.   I feel like that won't be for a while, as it's going to need more than a cursory two-week vacation.  Someday Jason and I will be planning a trip of a lifetime to that continent, for sure.
I can also name a bunch of other places... but the question says just one so I guess I'll stop there.

14. Are you going to pass the torch and nominate other bloggers?
I would love it if other bloggers that read this would answer these as well.  Tag, you're it!