tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-83270672989894638812024-03-14T00:40:52.143-07:00Year of Alisonlive like you mean itAlisonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17625895458409346937noreply@blogger.comBlogger378125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8327067298989463881.post-29977846564963138012018-01-29T19:27:00.000-08:002018-01-29T19:27:50.066-08:00Outdoor Pools of 2017<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Okay, I am waaayyyyy behind on blogging. It seems so much easier to put up a quick IG post. Anyway, carrying on my tradition of the past few years, here are the outdoor pools I swam in during 2017. Outdoor swimming is one of my fave things to do!</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-PDyTp0rx-tI/Wm_iY_RYCdI/AAAAAAAAEH4/WL3VetmaX1QTGgIhvZbCWnFtF3-il7KZgCLcBGAs/s1600/IMG_1793.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="960" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-PDyTp0rx-tI/Wm_iY_RYCdI/AAAAAAAAEH4/WL3VetmaX1QTGgIhvZbCWnFtF3-il7KZgCLcBGAs/s320/IMG_1793.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: magenta; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: small;">A new pool for us - the Janet Evans Swim Center<br />in Fullerton, CA. Perfect sunny afternoon Disneyland break!</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-8xYKSHKeXxk/Wm_igkoyBYI/AAAAAAAAEIE/lT5k_6s_4s0FV97X-_eqg2E277I_VZAuACLcBGAs/s1600/IMG_1796.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-8xYKSHKeXxk/Wm_igkoyBYI/AAAAAAAAEIE/lT5k_6s_4s0FV97X-_eqg2E277I_VZAuACLcBGAs/s320/IMG_1796.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: magenta; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: small;">Another new one - Belmont pool in Long Beach CA.<br />For a "temporary" facility, it was pretty sweet.<br />Thanks Erin for meeting us there for another sunny swim!</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-IncMOQR3sQU/Wm_iZwCzKWI/AAAAAAAAEH8/tMHG2p6YuOYik32GvIyf4JzH0i8aL6Q1ACLcBGAs/s1600/IMG_0102.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-IncMOQR3sQU/Wm_iZwCzKWI/AAAAAAAAEH8/tMHG2p6YuOYik32GvIyf4JzH0i8aL6Q1ACLcBGAs/s320/IMG_0102.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: magenta; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: small;">Alga Norte Aquatic Center in Carlsbad CA.<br />A frequent haunt, made it here a few times this year.<br />This picture was from Betty Epic Camp!</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: magenta; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: small;">Kona pool. We don't actually get much swimming<br />in here, as we're usually in the ocean!</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-qqu7OOVsG9E/Wm_i2fednlI/AAAAAAAAEIY/vLVpVGf0ak8sILtwaZ5NrJgpfeUPW-1tACLcBGAs/s1600/IMG_2557.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-qqu7OOVsG9E/Wm_i2fednlI/AAAAAAAAEIY/vLVpVGf0ak8sILtwaZ5NrJgpfeUPW-1tACLcBGAs/s320/IMG_2557.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: magenta; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: small;">Our "local" pool in Crofton...<br />it's only 20 yards so I don't hit up the lap swim<br />(too MANY turns), but I use it for water running in the summer.</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-mYjG1X8IB2k/Wm_ijrYGzsI/AAAAAAAAEIM/EKtSNDVvuhcxbhHHxTjxjfvgRxyqA569gCLcBGAs/s1600/IMG_2535.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1600" height="320" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-mYjG1X8IB2k/Wm_ijrYGzsI/AAAAAAAAEIM/EKtSNDVvuhcxbhHHxTjxjfvgRxyqA569gCLcBGAs/s320/IMG_2535.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: magenta; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: small;">Kitsilano Beach pool (or Kits pool for those in the know)<br />in Vancouver. One of the most stunning pools in the world.<br />150 yards right on the ocean, overlooking downtown.</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-gSExUbbIIY0/Wm_igbF9DxI/AAAAAAAAEIA/Mk0HnNQiJJsNQ85FvvqgOSzN8-OdKd1cwCLcBGAs/s1600/IMG_2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1600" height="320" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-gSExUbbIIY0/Wm_igbF9DxI/AAAAAAAAEIA/Mk0HnNQiJJsNQ85FvvqgOSzN8-OdKd1cwCLcBGAs/s320/IMG_2529.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: magenta; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: small;">Another gorgeous pool in Vancouver - across the harbour<br />from Kits. This is Second Beach pool, on the edge of Stanley Park.</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-dshm26jv4Ko/Wm_lQR2Z2VI/AAAAAAAAEI0/G0sr0xM-mscx1A55mF0dTSOCL-VmJ7ZEQCLcBGAs/s1600/Screen%2BShot%2B2018-01-29%2Bat%2B7.23.21%2BPM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="447" data-original-width="828" height="172" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-dshm26jv4Ko/Wm_lQR2Z2VI/AAAAAAAAEI0/G0sr0xM-mscx1A55mF0dTSOCL-VmJ7ZEQCLcBGAs/s320/Screen%2BShot%2B2018-01-29%2Bat%2B7.23.21%2BPM.png" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: magenta; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: small;">Another one sort of close to home:<br />Kin Pool in Nanaimo. It's getting busier during<br />lap swim as people are starting to discover it.<br />(stock photo)</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: magenta; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: small;">We stumbled on this one in Agassiz BC on the way to<br />ITU Long Distance World Champs in Penticton.<br />Super friendly lifeguards!</span><br /></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: magenta; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: small;">Squeezed this in under the wire on Dec. 30:<br />Palm Desert Aquatic Center.</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: magenta; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: small;">This is the parking lot for the Palm Desert AC;<br />each spot has it's own palm tree for shade!</span></td></tr>
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<br />Alisonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17625895458409346937noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8327067298989463881.post-81935910762318182132017-11-22T21:30:00.000-08:002017-11-22T21:30:34.866-08:00How To Pack A Bike - Scicon Edition!<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">I have had several bike boxes and have packing a bike down to an art and a science. It seems like Jason and I are always flying somewhere with our bikes - to train or to race - and packing up a bike can be a bit of a chore. However, my life changed when I got my Scicon Aerocomfort Triathlon bag, as it's super easy to pack, light and agile to travel with, and turned a half-hour packing job that often required help from Jason into about five minutes on my own.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">I will show you what I do with my TT bike, because of all my bikes it takes the "longest" to pack, and that's because I'm pretty paranoid about damage so do some extra steps to help protect it. But honestly, if you want to, you could be done in less than five minutes using a Scicon Aerocomfort!</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-l9TnivxzUew/WhZXkNsM-oI/AAAAAAAAEF8/4mn-aVgf72s6OC9_g0OeFbrIzE1RlYLIQCLcBGAs/s1600/IMG_2855.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-l9TnivxzUew/WhZXkNsM-oI/AAAAAAAAEF8/4mn-aVgf72s6OC9_g0OeFbrIzE1RlYLIQCLcBGAs/s320/IMG_2855.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: blue; font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: small;">My Shiv before being packed up.</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">The only steps you HAVE to do are: take wheels off. Yep, really. However, I also remove the pedals (so they don't damage my wheels - I race on Enve 7.8s which I don't want pedals sticking into the carbon rim). Additionally, I remove the rear derailleur (sometimes). Scicon bags come with this very cool metal cage that you can put over your derailleur so you don't have to take it off. I do this when I'm travelling by myself, because I don't like doing derailleur adjustments and am not confident that I can put it back on perfectly without having to tweak the trim. But when I travel with Jason, I (he) remove the rear derailleur and strap it to the chain stay, then re-install when I unpack the bike. Then I just clamp the bike into the frame of the case, put the wheels in the pockets, and done. All of this takes about 7 minutes.</span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: blue; font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: small;">Packed.</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: blue; font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: small;">Wheels go into pockets on each side. Easy peasy.</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: blue; font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: small;">Rear derailleur removed and zap-strapped to the<br />chain stay. An extra, unnecessary step if you use Scicon's<br />derailleur protector. But it makes me feel better.</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Because I love my bikes more than any person probably should, I wrap protective film all around my bike frame to make sure it doesn't get any dings or chips. The case itself comes with some padding - really high quality to protect the bars, saddle, top tube and seat post. I supplement it with some bubble insulation (you can buy rolls of it at any home supply store). I have cut lengths into specific sizes that fit different parts of my bike, and I've labeled them so it's quick and easy. I secure them with velcro straps. This adds probably another 10 minutes to my packing, but totally worth it. </span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-1RhgdyTmMqg/WhZYuIn1qcI/AAAAAAAAEGU/ziapBEYPORk8Sxu_3wZkNQZsOaAXdb_sACLcBGAs/s1600/IMG_2861.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-1RhgdyTmMqg/WhZYuIn1qcI/AAAAAAAAEGU/ziapBEYPORk8Sxu_3wZkNQZsOaAXdb_sACLcBGAs/s320/IMG_2861.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: blue; font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: small;">Literally bubble wrapped.</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">My final step - and you don't really need to do this if you have the triathlon model of the bag - is to take off the aerobars. I do because it gives me piece of mind; my shifters are at the end of the bars, and while it comes with a special aerobar protection sleeve, it only takes a couple of minutes to pop them off.</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-k9mIWTBIBI8/WhZagAqzplI/AAAAAAAAEGo/tBh3X6ijpLAiYjU_S5ZjefrAx3Waga5PQCLcBGAs/s1600/IMG_2862.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-k9mIWTBIBI8/WhZagAqzplI/AAAAAAAAEGo/tBh3X6ijpLAiYjU_S5ZjefrAx3Waga5PQCLcBGAs/s320/IMG_2862.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: blue; font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: small;">My "extra" step of popping off the aerobars<br />and velcroing them to the fork. Not needed as<br />the case is built for aerobars, but again makes<br />me feel better.</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-w_Cy_43DkYk/WhZa5KfCFGI/AAAAAAAAEGs/UH8Ueg66HyUVV4t_EwsYt3_gpyrWAQkNwCLcBGAs/s1600/IMG_2867.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-w_Cy_43DkYk/WhZa5KfCFGI/AAAAAAAAEGs/UH8Ueg66HyUVV4t_EwsYt3_gpyrWAQkNwCLcBGAs/s320/IMG_2867.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: blue; font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: small;">All packed!</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-OdsZLUU5ues/WhZZK6oqGNI/AAAAAAAAEGc/dqaUSPA8Z54JrohiF9ZHVqC9tpNwKEAyACLcBGAs/s1600/IMG_2869.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-OdsZLUU5ues/WhZZK6oqGNI/AAAAAAAAEGc/dqaUSPA8Z54JrohiF9ZHVqC9tpNwKEAyACLcBGAs/s320/IMG_2869.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: blue; font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: small;">Bonus - the case easily fits my pillow. I'm a<br />princess and insist on travelling with my own pillow.</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-HrtfXju6zmE/WhZZKwEh8dI/AAAAAAAAEGY/FMJ-axJjRpA4NSdDeESiDao1QpbSt7ZSgCLcBGAs/s1600/IMG_2870.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-HrtfXju6zmE/WhZZKwEh8dI/AAAAAAAAEGY/FMJ-axJjRpA4NSdDeESiDao1QpbSt7ZSgCLcBGAs/s320/IMG_2870.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: blue; font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: small;">All packed!</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-EETkfrCXcjQ/WhZbFvP6WiI/AAAAAAAAEG4/YNyO4JyiiLoBFrd2S3fwguKygxs9yJK4QCLcBGAs/s1600/Screen%2BShot%2B2017-11-22%2Bat%2B9.19.15%2BPM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="867" data-original-width="863" height="320" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-EETkfrCXcjQ/WhZbFvP6WiI/AAAAAAAAEG4/YNyO4JyiiLoBFrd2S3fwguKygxs9yJK4QCLcBGAs/s320/Screen%2BShot%2B2017-11-22%2Bat%2B9.19.15%2BPM.png" width="318" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: blue; font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: small;">My version of packing light.</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-WrbEh3nojww/WhZbFLuskDI/AAAAAAAAEG0/S0Nhl1b5FX0OytPdLtBnYJDcZMyYlFSXwCLcBGAs/s1600/Screen%2BShot%2B2017-11-22%2Bat%2B9.19.23%2BPM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="760" data-original-width="644" height="320" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-WrbEh3nojww/WhZbFLuskDI/AAAAAAAAEG0/S0Nhl1b5FX0OytPdLtBnYJDcZMyYlFSXwCLcBGAs/s320/Screen%2BShot%2B2017-11-22%2Bat%2B9.19.23%2BPM.png" width="271" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: blue; font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: small;">The bag looks huge, but I've had it in the trunk<br />of a rental car!</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">If you're thinking of flying with your bike, and wondering what kind of bike case to get, I really do recommend the Scicon. I have had hard cases, and I hear people talk all the time about preferring them for the protection the case provides. Which is true... until the TSA opens your case (which they WILL), moves things around, and then isn't really sure how everything should fit and closes it back up by brute force. I've seen this happen many times, and seen bikes scratched and even cracked because of this. With a soft case, and the bike clamped in, there really isn't any way for the TSA to mess things up and damage your bike. I've had both, and will choose this case every time. There is literally no guarantee with any case that your bike won't get damaged somehow. But I take all the steps I can to protect my bike, and hope for the best knowing I've done everything.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Happy travels!</span><br />
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Alisonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17625895458409346937noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8327067298989463881.post-43719043080591502862017-10-14T18:49:00.001-07:002017-10-14T19:04:28.073-07:00Ironman Maryland<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">About a year ago, I decided I wanted to do Ironman Maryland (yes, despite having vowed I'd never do another ironman... I know...). I started working with <a href="http://racergirl.com/" target="_blank">Melanie McQuaid</a>, as I wanted to switch things up a bit and really felt like she was the person to help me do that. I spent the last 10 months working harder than ever, especially on the bike, and turns out hard work really does pay off!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">We flew out to the east coast, and then drove to Cambridge MD. It's a small community, but very pretty. We didn't actually have much of a chance to look around as it was a whirlwind weekend, so did all the pre-race stuff then just relaxed. My BFF from high school and her husband (Elfreda "Fred" and Mike) drove down from Toronto to spend the weekend with us and cheer us on. </span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-C0Ugj6z-oCs/WeK5ytcmnhI/AAAAAAAAEEo/WLVzwbWbetQ4jBzXCSknuygrWeojSSERQCLcBGAs/s1600/IMG_2882.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-C0Ugj6z-oCs/WeK5ytcmnhI/AAAAAAAAEEo/WLVzwbWbetQ4jBzXCSknuygrWeojSSERQCLcBGAs/s320/IMG_2882.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: blue; font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: small;">The yard at our rental house. Idyllic and peaceful.</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-WYsLTQbvhxk/WeK6bjKvK-I/AAAAAAAAEEw/yly6omJRJT40f2EI0HbiYBrPDQpMOikygCLcBGAs/s1600/IMG_2883.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-WYsLTQbvhxk/WeK6bjKvK-I/AAAAAAAAEEw/yly6omJRJT40f2EI0HbiYBrPDQpMOikygCLcBGAs/s320/IMG_2883.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: blue; font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: small;">Each race package had a sweet letter<br />of encouragement from a local student. So cute!</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-mqdi6AQ6zTk/WeK6dYK3ZHI/AAAAAAAAEE0/aQHep0QdgrQdLBxqP3aHmJz58FjvIMm_wCLcBGAs/s1600/IMG_2886.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-mqdi6AQ6zTk/WeK6dYK3ZHI/AAAAAAAAEE0/aQHep0QdgrQdLBxqP3aHmJz58FjvIMm_wCLcBGAs/s320/IMG_2886.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: blue; font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: small;">Racked and ready!</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Race day dawned early as it always does, but one thing I will say about this particular race is ROCK STAR PARKING! The parking was literally right next to transition, so Jason and I got everything set up then just chilled out in our rental van, relaxing before the race start. We put on our wetsuits in the van, and walked about 20 metres to the swim start.</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-OIGh2_3G6oA/WeK6wLOLHDI/AAAAAAAAEE8/k_oZcoOOXywTpKs6ceQJQaI04PFnjXjbQCLcBGAs/s1600/IMG_2891.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-OIGh2_3G6oA/WeK6wLOLHDI/AAAAAAAAEE8/k_oZcoOOXywTpKs6ceQJQaI04PFnjXjbQCLcBGAs/s320/IMG_2891.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: blue; font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: small;">Parking area RIGHT NEXT to transition!<br />The little things make a race!</span></td></tr>
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<span style="color: magenta; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b><u>The swim</u></b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">It was wetsuit-legal, despite being warm enough the week before to have me pack my swimskin. The race started at 6:45a.m. with a rolling seeded start, and I was in the water less than 2 minutes from the gun. Of course it was still dark, and with my tinted goggles I couldn't really see anything for about 10 minutes. I could really feel the current (there was an incoming tide), and I was getting tiny jellyfish stings on my hands and feet.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">It was a two-loop swim, with a new cool feature: you had to swim through pontoons at the start of the second loop, and above you was a timing wire that picked up your timing chip. The second loop was a bit of a pain making my way through slower swimmers, and I really felt like I was fighting the current. When I made the last turn for the last few hundred metres to shore, I got a major jelly sting. I could feel the tentacles wrap around my wrist and hand, and could feel dozens of nematocysts firing and stinging. Painful, but academically kind of cool because I could literally feel the pattern of the tentacles on me. I kept swimming with the hopes that it would just fall off. </span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-A7IEdVL0r5c/WeK7LgUadnI/AAAAAAAAEFE/WbBEpWRExhgzJvj0MMB7c8QQYzxQs35PACLcBGAs/s1600/32_m-100788556-DIGITAL_HIGHRES-1834_025764-12164005.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1063" data-original-width="1600" height="212" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-A7IEdVL0r5c/WeK7LgUadnI/AAAAAAAAEFE/WbBEpWRExhgzJvj0MMB7c8QQYzxQs35PACLcBGAs/s320/32_m-100788556-DIGITAL_HIGHRES-1834_025764-12164005.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: blue; font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: small;">Coming out of the water. You can see the current<br />pushing everyone off course.</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">I hit the boat ramp and checked my watch: 1:07 which is not a great swim for me. I was disappointed, but knew it was a hard swim with the current so I hoped it stacked up ok in the end. I found out later I had the 2nd fastest swim in my AG and 15th overall!</span><br />
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<span style="color: magenta; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b><u>The bike</u></b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">I had two helpers with me in transition (there was only one other athlete in there at the same time as me), so they helped me pull my top up and sprayed my stings with vinegar. The transition was set up as really long and narrow, so it was a long run-out with my bike (then run-in as you had to rack your own bike). Once on my bike I started pedaling, and basically didn't stop pedaling for the entire time as there was no where to coast. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Once we were out of town, I could feel the wind but I just stayed aero, did my thing, drank, ate, focused, and turned the cranks. It seemed like a pretty course, through the Blackwater Wildlife Refuge, but I didn't look around that much. The wind kept getting stronger and stronger, and the course was very flat and exposed. How the 2 loop course felt like 80% headwind I am not sure, but the only recourse was to stay aero and focus. I stuck to the plan Mel and I developed. It would have been pretty easy to be discouraged by the wind, but I stayed positive because I knew I couldn't change the conditions!</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-9SoNez0adIo/WeK7lLPkkaI/AAAAAAAAEFI/olYLGz2D5kQbArg4fLjMag_kQSSBG6e6wCLcBGAs/s1600/64_m-100788556-DIGITAL_HIGHRES-1834_052030-12164037.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1067" height="320" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-9SoNez0adIo/WeK7lLPkkaI/AAAAAAAAEFI/olYLGz2D5kQbArg4fLjMag_kQSSBG6e6wCLcBGAs/s320/64_m-100788556-DIGITAL_HIGHRES-1834_052030-12164037.JPG" width="213" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: blue; font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: small;">Very flat course so every now and then<br />I needed to stand up just to change position.</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-WyTtQL49PMw/WeK7lL1VF6I/AAAAAAAAEFM/XpfI4YTywQg2-oETFz7LrE9OrhytUXOaQCLcBGAs/s1600/73_m-100788556-DIGITAL_HIGHRES-1834_068234-12164046.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1068" height="320" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-WyTtQL49PMw/WeK7lL1VF6I/AAAAAAAAEFM/XpfI4YTywQg2-oETFz7LrE9OrhytUXOaQCLcBGAs/s320/73_m-100788556-DIGITAL_HIGHRES-1834_068234-12164046.JPG" width="213" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: blue; font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: small;">Staying aero into the wind.</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">At the beginning of the second lap, Fred and Mike were there to cheer me on so that was a nice boost! The wind kept picking up, so I just doubled down. I spent most of the bike course watching 10 feet in front of me, eating, drinking, watching my heart rate, watching my cadence, thinking about perceived exertion... but there was one moment that stood out from all that. A turtle was crossing the road and I didn't see it until the last minute, just in time to swerve around it. It had it's own "holy shit" moment as it did the classic tuck-head-in-shell move as I passed. Funny!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">The final turn towards town was pure torture, as the wind was straight in my face and really blowing. I hit T2 with 5:32 (3rd in my AG!) on the clock, which is a 28-minute bike split PR for me!</span><br />
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<span style="color: magenta; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b><u>The run</u></b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">I didn't really know how the run would go. I am not a good runner, and until this year have not been anything close to consistent with run training. I have a chronic knee injury that has given me some pretty serious problems in the past. Melanie and I have been slowly chipping away at my running this year, changing my form to a shorter, faster cadence and looking for consistency. I really struggled in Whistler 70.3 on the run after the 15km mark, so I thought Melanie was absolutely out of her mind when she said I would be sticking to a solid run/walk plan (8/2, then 4/1 if I needed) for the whole IM marathon. I figured I'd pull my usual run for a while then walk the rest.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">I started off feeling all right, it was hot and windy but I was well fed and hydrated. I stuck to the 8/2 and just ticked off the metres. Jason passed me at about the 7km mark (on his second loop). I just stuck to 8/2. I saw Fred & Mike a bunch of times, kept 8/2, drank, ate, and time & kms passed by. At about the 24km mark, my watch died (it's supposed to last 18 hours but this was only around 10 so I guess there is something wrong with the battery). I was pretty dependent on my watch for my strategy, so brainstormed how I could keep a consistent run/walk thing going. I knew how many steps I (roughly) took per minute, so decided I'd count steps for 4 minutes then 1 minute walking. So all I did for almost 3 hours was count. It's one way to stay focused on the task at hand!!</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-kzZaE4yIzTs/WeK8MJh3z2I/AAAAAAAAEFY/B286PsbJjnMSZIysUHIIhG8fSj0lsIk3ACLcBGAs/s1600/9_m-100788556-DIGITAL_HIGHRES-1834_006564-12163982.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1067" height="320" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-kzZaE4yIzTs/WeK8MJh3z2I/AAAAAAAAEFY/B286PsbJjnMSZIysUHIIhG8fSj0lsIk3ACLcBGAs/s320/9_m-100788556-DIGITAL_HIGHRES-1834_006564-12163982.JPG" width="213" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: blue; font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: small;">Actually running!</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Ti118H3SWSs/WeK8eNV7xQI/AAAAAAAAEFc/zKMmL06o-E4a0ojL6-pBpE161wHe0g-vACLcBGAs/s1600/run.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1206" height="200" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Ti118H3SWSs/WeK8eNV7xQI/AAAAAAAAEFc/zKMmL06o-E4a0ojL6-pBpE161wHe0g-vACLcBGAs/s200/run.png" width="150" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: blue; font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: small;">Each of the 3 laps took you past<br />a brewery with a huge crowd outside<br />cheering. Very fun!</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;">Most memorable moment on the run... I had just passed the brewery with less than 1km to go to the finish. There was a guy standing on the side of the road who yelled my name and I looked over - most random thing as it was my friend Arliss. He and I went to grad school together at UBC almost 20 years ago when we were working in the marine mammals lab on our Master's degrees. He's now doing post-doc research in Annapolis and just happened to be in Cambridge that evening! </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">I finished in an overall PR time of 13:15, and a huge placing PR of 15th in my age group (the last IM I did I think I was 60th!). While I was hoping I'd run faster, I am STOKED that I actually stuck to the run/walk plan for the whole time (so I guess Mel knows what she's talking about...), and honestly when I think back, I wasn't even running over a half hour until June - so the fact that I actually ran the marathon is HUGE!!</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-dAOFWcFd364/WeK87z3MrHI/AAAAAAAAEFk/W26xdpyiJAIIXNxSL6MpeW5Ch2JwH4MqwCLcBGAs/s1600/22310322_10154885787336820_2637800312254625151_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="720" height="320" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-dAOFWcFd364/WeK87z3MrHI/AAAAAAAAEFk/W26xdpyiJAIIXNxSL6MpeW5Ch2JwH4MqwCLcBGAs/s320/22310322_10154885787336820_2637800312254625151_n.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: blue; font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: small;">Jason already finished, cheering me on at<br />about lap 2.5 of 3.</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-eedJnG8rFWA/WeK89uExIEI/AAAAAAAAEFo/vf4GB2DebkUlSbguHQMmh2tSZO0kNIYqQCLcBGAs/s1600/17_m-100788556-DIGITAL_HIGHRES-1834_013255-12163990.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1068" height="320" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-eedJnG8rFWA/WeK89uExIEI/AAAAAAAAEFo/vf4GB2DebkUlSbguHQMmh2tSZO0kNIYqQCLcBGAs/s320/17_m-100788556-DIGITAL_HIGHRES-1834_013255-12163990.JPG" width="213" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: blue; font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: small;">Jason and I decided we would do the<br />"Judd Nelson at the end of Breakfast Club"<br />move at the finish line. Here's my version.</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">And oh... Jason did all right :) finishing 1st in his AG and qualifying for Kona 2018. Aloha!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">This race has left me hungry to do another Ironman. Where and when I don't know, but working with Mel has been an incredible experience and I can't wait to see where we can go from here!</span><br />
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Alisonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17625895458409346937noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8327067298989463881.post-46364114294850152572017-08-16T12:49:00.004-07:002017-08-16T12:49:52.052-07:00Whistler 70.3<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Jason and I were up in Whistler a couple of weeks ago to race the 70.3. What a fantastic event - incredibly scenic, well-run, super challenging course... highly recommended!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The swim was a bit of a cluster, as about 45 minutes before the 70.3 start, the wind really picked up and the lake became a choppy mess of whitecaps. Made a couple of the legs across the lake particularly gnarly, but pretty fun! I ended up swimming a bit slower than I thought I would (but Jason and some other friends were also 2 minutes slower than expected) in 33:16, However, I came out of the water in 2nd place in my age group (W45-49) so still pretty good!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The bike has lots of climbs and lots of wind. Nothing like a long 25km climb into a headwind at the end of a 90km ride! I rode steady, just tried to stay aero and positive. I rehearsed all the mental and physical cues Mel and I have been working towards for my upcoming Ironman. I am not a great climber, so it's not a course that suits me at all, but it was still fun! I came off the bike in 11th place, and didn't go under 3 hours like I hoped (3:06) - but in the tough conditions of the day that's not a surprise!</span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: small;">On the bike course, next to Green Lake.<br />So pretty but I didn't really notice it on race day.</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The first 10km of the run went by pretty quickly and was fun. A couple of my Betty Designs teammates passed me (as I knew they would), and thanks to Amy for the walk & chat break! The next 6km were me digging deep mentally. The final 5km were pretty much torture... I haven't really trained past 15km and it showed, and the effort on the bike into the wind took it's toll with some pretty significant cramping. Didn't help that I spilled my container of salt, not like you can stop and pick that up! The "run" to the finish was all mental, telling myself I really needed the training day for Maryland. If Mel hadn't been my coach I probably would have given up! She has been fantastic at giving me some ways to really dig in.</span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: small;">Some teammates and I at the finish.</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Jason was first across the line, but the staggered start meant he was second in his age group (and 2nd overall as well - not too shabby for a 48-year old!). The best part of the race was having so many teammates in the half and full, there were 15 of us in total! Betty Designs represent!</span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: small;">Jason at the awards ceremony.</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: small;">We did get to spend a couple of days in Whistler<br />post-race, and got in lots of playing around!</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Next up: Aquabike World Championships in Penticton (August 27), Cultus Lake Sprint (Sept 17) and then Ironman Maryland (Oct 7). </span><br />
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<br />Alisonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17625895458409346937noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8327067298989463881.post-63721819109446341092017-07-07T18:09:00.001-07:002017-07-07T18:09:44.653-07:00Motivation<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I am always hearing from others about how motivated I am. Truth is, I don't think I'm particularly motivated. I wish I was - it would be easy! Yes, I get up at 5:30 a.m. most days to swim before work. Yes, Jason and I sit down for dinner past 8 p.m. most days because we train after work as well. Yes, our weekends disappear through long rides, long runs, long swims... But believe me, it's not motivation that gets me out the door. I am more motivated to hit snooze on my alarm, or hang out on the couch, or join friends for happy hour... but most of the time I don't. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I <u>choose</u> to get up when my alarm goes off. Some days I actually have to <u>force</u> myself to get out the door again with cycling or running gear after I'm home from work (a lot of days, actually). If it was motivation, then I wouldn't have to work so hard at just simply getting out there; I'd be skipping out the door. It's hard work, plain and simple. I have never regretted getting a workout done, but I've sure regretted skipping them.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I wish I was motivated. Instead, I'm actively choosing my destiny. Everyone has a choice. Choices are worth it. #doepicshit</span></div>
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Alisonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17625895458409346937noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8327067298989463881.post-35874511184321933242017-05-27T20:51:00.001-07:002017-05-27T21:10:10.551-07:00Belgian Waffle Ride, Wafer Edition<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">I'm still riding on a high from the <a href="https://belgianwaffleride.bike/" target="_blank">Belgian Waffle Ride</a> last weekend. It was probably the most fun I've had on a bike in a single-day event before. It's a road race outside of San Diego, but a road race that includes pretty much everything and more: long road climbs, fun sweeping descents, fast flats... but then this "road race" also throws in gravel climbs, washboard dirt descents, sand pits, single track, rocky steep pitches, dirt switchback descents, water crossings, bridges... like I said - everything and more!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">There are two distances: the 136-mile "waffle" and the 68-mile "wafer". Jason entered the waffle (of course), while Corinne, Catherine and I signed up for the wafer. My Betty teammate Amy was also doing the wafer, her boyfriend Rob was doing the waffle, and <a href="https://www.bettydesigns.com/pages/about-us" target="_blank">Kristin</a> and her husband were doing the waffle as well. So we had a great crew to roll out with!</span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: blue; font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: small;">Some of our group at the start - <a href="https://www.bettydesigns.com/" target="_blank">Betty Designs</a> represent!</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: blue; font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: small;">Pre-race waffles</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: blue; font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: small;">Me and Kristin - "Mama Betty" and designer<br />of the fabulous gear! Legend!</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">The tag-line for the event is "Don't let the fun name fool you"! Yes, you start the day with waffles, and end it with waffles and beer (it starts and finishes at the <a href="http://lostabbey.com/" target="_blank">Lost Abbey Brewery</a> in San Marcos), but there's a whole lot of hard riding in between! This is not an event for novices, and not really an event for people with no dirt skills - cyclocross or mountain bike skills were important! It was cool to be racing on the same course as real pro cyclists. The winner was Jesse Anthony from the Rally Cycling team, just coming off the Tour of California (along with some Herbalife and Jelly Belly riders), and there were stars in the crowd like Ted King and Phil Gaimon... sharing a course with pros is common in triathlon, but pretty much unheard of in cycling.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">To give you an idea of how hard a day it is, only 429 riders finished the waffle out of 756 registrants, and 353 finished the wafer out of 503. There were only 87 women finishers in both events total - and there were a lot of women on the start line. I finished 27th, never dreaming I'd be in the top 30 there. Next goal - top 20!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Part of the difficulty was the elevation. The waffle had 13,000 feet of climbing, and the wafer managed to pack in almost 5,000 in the "short" 110km. Part of the difficulty was the dirt - you needed some off-road skills to ride everything - and yes I cleaned everything pretty much (everything that was actually rideable, as there were some intentional dismounts), and you needed the right equipment to balance the road & dirt. Jason and I went with Hutchison Sector 28 road tubeless tires, loaded up with sealant, and they were perfect! And then part of the difficulty was the heat. The event moved from mid-April to late-May this year. It was 34 degrees C in spots where we rode, and even hotter up in the Julian area ("The Hinterlands") where Jason went in the waffle. </span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: blue; font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: small;">Waffle route and elevation profile (below). I had ridden<br />a lot of the roads in the area before, so even though<br />I wasn't sure what I was in for with the BWR, at<br />least I knew where I was :).</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Much of the fun was in the organization. OK, it's always fun to start with waffles... but in the weeks leading up to the race we received email updates with descriptions of each part of the course - the climbs and dirt sections had all been given Belgian-style names (in the spirit of the spring classic races in Europe). The single track section around Lake Hodges was named Hodgesmeergate for example, a fun dirt descent that ended with a road climb up Del Dios Highway was called Lemontwistenberg Omgekeerde, the final climb of the day up Doublepeak was called the Muur Van Dubbleberg, and it's twisty switchback dirt descent was the Dubbleberg Twistenweg. And those were only some of the sections!</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-ybEmkNTX6Ak/WSpIF8aRWdI/AAAAAAAAEC8/07ovCC0RG_4l633-tlKtc9Jz_ooIK3wegCLcB/s1600/coco.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="960" height="213" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-ybEmkNTX6Ak/WSpIF8aRWdI/AAAAAAAAEC8/07ovCC0RG_4l633-tlKtc9Jz_ooIK3wegCLcB/s320/coco.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: blue; font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: small;">Corinne in Sandy Bandy - a super-fun dirt section<br />with a lot of (you guessed it) sand.</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-B5kgYlhbc6c/WSpIEpiINfI/AAAAAAAAEC4/63BYVgFrNJAQfA0mclYVqdQiB5bv_mOMwCLcB/s1600/IMG_0027.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1280" data-original-width="960" height="320" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-B5kgYlhbc6c/WSpIEpiINfI/AAAAAAAAEC4/63BYVgFrNJAQfA0mclYVqdQiB5bv_mOMwCLcB/s320/IMG_0027.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: blue; font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: small;">Corinne selfie riding up the Bandyweg<br />(Bandy Canyon).</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-i6pM7vGmozQ/WSpIEozPZII/AAAAAAAAEC0/550LodJpKlwvx19JGpQebTeRbUh4OH6cACLcB/s1600/IMG_0030.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="480" height="320" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-i6pM7vGmozQ/WSpIEozPZII/AAAAAAAAEC0/550LodJpKlwvx19JGpQebTeRbUh4OH6cACLcB/s320/IMG_0030.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: blue; font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: small;">Me on some random dirt section, somewhere<br />in San Diego's North County.</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-osLWKe6OC2o/WSpG-Bc4taI/AAAAAAAAECg/CUonhPhpjh40LtYfLHmGCO8QANr6jas3gCLcB/s1600/34042693873_3b607839b4_o.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" height="213" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-osLWKe6OC2o/WSpG-Bc4taI/AAAAAAAAECg/CUonhPhpjh40LtYfLHmGCO8QANr6jas3gCLcB/s320/34042693873_3b607839b4_o.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: blue; font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: small;">Catherine and I riding through Hodgesmeergate.<br />It was actually much steeper and rockier<br />than the picture shows.</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: blue; font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: small;">Selfie of Corinne and I at the top of Doublepeak.<br />It was all (mostly) downhill from there, and the dirt<br />trail down was a riot of twists and switchbacks!</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: blue; font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: small;">Jason summiting the 23% (yes you read that correctly) grade<br />at the top of Doublepeak. Oops, I mean Muur Van Dubbleberg.</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">We all finished with smiles and laughter (mostly), and would all come back. In fact, I am already hoping it works out to go back next year, and this time I'll chase a faster time now that I know what I'm in for. </span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: blue; font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: small;">Post-race food with Amy, Corinne and me, while<br />we waited for the rest of our crew to finish. They<br />gave you towels soaked in ice water when you<br />crossed the finish line, which is what is on Corrine's head.</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-OA4CEheARkE/WSpDWxma4_I/AAAAAAAAEB0/v0LE7noOiJEAYL-cddi9_qD1PXLa4iWXwCLcB/s1600/IMG_0016.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="480" height="320" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-OA4CEheARkE/WSpDWxma4_I/AAAAAAAAEB0/v0LE7noOiJEAYL-cddi9_qD1PXLa4iWXwCLcB/s320/IMG_0016.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: blue; font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: small;">The post-race waffle with ice cream was AMAZING!</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-5DkSASjt4M0/WSpEhIMXQVI/AAAAAAAAECE/GkK8MDLCedoCVubezMWUpZgbXlAzU_vSgCLcB/s1600/IMG_0023.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="480" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-5DkSASjt4M0/WSpEhIMXQVI/AAAAAAAAECE/GkK8MDLCedoCVubezMWUpZgbXlAzU_vSgCLcB/s320/IMG_0023.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: blue; font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: small;">Cleaned up and watching the waffle riders finish.</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-qLUBvtzLQWA/WSpFbb9UGvI/AAAAAAAAECM/4onV0nLQ044WCjgfb7dnTMSF6iCcyrZywCLcB/s1600/IMG_2288.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="480" height="320" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-qLUBvtzLQWA/WSpFbb9UGvI/AAAAAAAAECM/4onV0nLQ044WCjgfb7dnTMSF6iCcyrZywCLcB/s320/IMG_2288.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: blue; font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: small;">Jason finished - check out the salt on him!</span></td></tr>
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<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-bkfCntfE85s/WSpDYBl9p5I/AAAAAAAAEB4/Q_iT-lRt7BcXAqdFRF3JBt-RoyPEQGJrwCLcB/s1600/IMG_2300.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="480" height="320" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-bkfCntfE85s/WSpDYBl9p5I/AAAAAAAAEB4/Q_iT-lRt7BcXAqdFRF3JBt-RoyPEQGJrwCLcB/s320/IMG_2300.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: blue; font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: small;">Souvenir beers (each racer got 2) to take home<br />from Lost Abbey Brewing. That was in addition to<br />the 3 beer tickets you got there.</span></td></tr>
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Alisonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17625895458409346937noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8327067298989463881.post-72787580733895681232017-04-05T20:53:00.000-07:002017-04-05T20:53:04.232-07:00Swimming in Kona<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">#tbt to vacationing in Kona. We spent a lot of time in the water! We love to swim the Ironman course in the mornings from the pier, and it's not uncommon for dolphins to come into the bay and join us for a while. There's really nothing more incredible than a pod of wild dolphins hanging out with you!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">We made sure to spend some time on top of the water too.</span></div>
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<br />Alisonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17625895458409346937noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8327067298989463881.post-12044013887751685262017-03-24T09:40:00.000-07:002017-03-24T09:40:55.616-07:00Kohala Climb<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">One of my favourite rides in Kona is the climb from Kawaihae, up to Waimea and then over the top of Kohala then down to Hawi, and looping back to Kawaihae. We try to ride it every time we're on the (other) big island. Since we're here on vacation, we got to do that ride the other day!</span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: blue; font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: small;">Sunrise as we drove out to Kawaihae</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: blue; font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: small;">Starting point - the harbour</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: blue; font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: small;">Snack break about halfway up the climb!</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: blue; font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: small;">We ascend the dry side - not a lot of vegetation!</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: blue; font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: small;">Almost at the summit - the little white dots behind<br />Jason are near the harbour where we started.</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: blue; font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: small;">We descend on the wet side, so there are trees!</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: blue; font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: small;">We took a detour to see the birthplace of<br />King Kamehameha I</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: blue; font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: small;">Tailwind back to Kawaihae!</span></td></tr>
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<br />Alisonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17625895458409346937noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8327067298989463881.post-68302242000157144482017-03-18T19:27:00.005-07:002017-03-18T19:27:59.160-07:00Betty Designs Photo Shoot<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">As part of our #BettyEpicCamp, we had a professional photo shoot with all of us in our team gear. It was a fantastic experience! And a huge thanks to Matt for trying to deal with all of us!</span><br />
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<br />Alisonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17625895458409346937noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8327067298989463881.post-46252554075720694592017-03-16T21:41:00.001-07:002017-03-16T21:41:06.103-07:00#BettyEpicCamp<span style="color: magenta; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">First - where did the time go? It's March already! Sorry for the radio silence; I'm back!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Last weekend we had our first annual BettyEpicCamp in Southern California. Almost 40 <a href="http://www.bettydesigns.com/" target="_blank">Betty Designs</a> team members showed up in Carlsbad to swim, bike, run, and socialize together. It was an incredible weekend, and even though I didn't get much sleep, it was one of the most rewarding things I've done in a long time.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Here are some highlights:</span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: small;">We rented lanes at Alga Norte Aquatic Center<br />to get a swim workout in...</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: small;">... but spent time playing too!</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: small;">Thanks to Nytro Multisports for hooking us<br />up with bikes for the weekend!</span><br /></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: small;">Leading the group through Oceanside</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: small;">The fast group before I got dropped :)</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: small;">Running through Encinitas with<br />a quick photo stop at Swami's</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: small;">Socializing was just as important as training!</span></td></tr>
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<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-tz-Nxs-uPbs/WMtkxdDCM9I/AAAAAAAAD8M/bxsYj2HZuSAc7h8GZFvOqbAQQehjK1j2gCLcB/s1600/Screen%2BShot%2B2017-03-15%2Bat%2B10.48.56%2BPM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-tz-Nxs-uPbs/WMtkxdDCM9I/AAAAAAAAD8M/bxsYj2HZuSAc7h8GZFvOqbAQQehjK1j2gCLcB/s320/Screen%2BShot%2B2017-03-15%2Bat%2B10.48.56%2BPM.png" width="296" /></a></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: small;">HUGE thanks to our team sponsors, we were<br />SO SET for the weekend with everything from<br /><a href="http://www.roka.com/" target="_blank">Roka</a>, <a href="http://www.coolasuncare.com/" target="_blank">Coola Suncare</a>, <a href="http://www.gatorade.com/endurance" target="_blank">Gatorade Endurance</a>, <a href="http://www.mavic.com/" target="_blank">Mavic</a> and <a href="http://www.suunto.com/" target="_blank">Suunto</a>!</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-H42T6zobMiA/WMtjqluFUOI/AAAAAAAAD7s/OS6ID816yoQyOtIt0_tXDVuLHqZcbxANACLcB/s1600/betty%2Bepic%2Bcamp17%2Bfun%2Bteam%2Bsklz.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="175" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-H42T6zobMiA/WMtjqluFUOI/AAAAAAAAD7s/OS6ID816yoQyOtIt0_tXDVuLHqZcbxANACLcB/s320/betty%2Bepic%2Bcamp17%2Bfun%2Bteam%2Bsklz.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: small;">We capped off the weekend with a<br />team photo shoot - incredible!</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I already can't wait for next year's camp!</span><br />
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<br />Alisonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17625895458409346937noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8327067298989463881.post-60023086514755553152016-12-20T15:51:00.000-08:002016-12-20T18:48:21.273-08:00Outdoor Pools of 2016<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">My only year in review post that I seem to do consistently is a look back at all the outdoor pools I've swam in. 2016 included some old favourites and some new ones (Healdsburg, Solana Beach, and Deerfield Beach). Here is the list of outdoor pools I was lucky enough to swim in this past year.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">One of my all-time favourites: Alga Norte in Carlsbad CA. Gorgeous facility!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Another favourite: Henderson Multigenerational Centre, Henderson NV.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Pier Pool, Portland OR. Not particularly fancy, but cute little pool tucked away in a quiet neighbourhood. Must be a gem for the local homes.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Healdsburg (CA) Swim Center. Attached to a high school.... that is my dream!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Finley Aquatic Center, Santa Rosa CA.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Kin Pool, Nanaimo BC. The closest "swimmable" outdoor pool to me, about 40 minutes from my house. There is a closer one (in Crofton, about 15 minutes away) but it's only 20 yards so not great for lap swimming. Kin Pool doesn't have the best hours, but it's worth it on a hot summer day.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Pardee Aquatic Center, Solana Beach CA. All the years I've been coming here, and this was the first time I've swam here!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Kitsilano Beach Pool, Vancouver BC. Kits Pool is probably one of the world's top pools (no lie!), it's 137.5m (150 yards), right next to the ocean with the Vancouver skyline in the background.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Second Beach Pool, Vancouver BC. Another gem, in Stanley Park and again right next to the ocean.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Kona Aquatic Center, Kona HI. Of course I love this one because it means I'm in Hawaii! Plus, Hawaii state pools are free!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Deerfield Beach Pool, Fort Lauderdale FL. A super-friendly swim coach let us use one of their lanes, as we were just getting in when their practice was starting. Thank you!</span><br />
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Alisonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17625895458409346937noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8327067298989463881.post-71166815686031318922016-11-19T16:58:00.000-08:002016-11-19T16:58:28.286-08:00Miamiman Aquabike<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Ages ago, I decided that a good end to this year's race season would be the half-ironman distance aquabike at the <a href="http://www.miamimanhalfiron.com/" target="_blank">Miamiman Tri</a>. Fast forward many months, I wasn't that into it, but I was registered and had plane tickets, so Jason and I were off to Miami for a weekend!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">When we arrived, we got a phone call from where we are staying; because of some renovations they had upgraded us to a luxury hotel right on the beach for free! While we weren't really there for long enough to take advantage of that, it was still a great place to stay (even though it was pretty far from the race site). We wandered around Deerfield Beach that evening, and woke up to a spectacular sunrise over the Atlantic Ocean the next day.</span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: small;">Outdoor pool = my happy place</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: small;">Racked & ready for the last time in 2016!</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Saturday was a whirlwind of getting a swim and a ride in, finding some food, driving to the race site, and getting everything checked in pre-race. With the time change from east coast to west coast, we were exhausted!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Sunday morning was another gorgeous morning, and we watched the sunrise from the swim start area. The race itself was huge, with over 2000 athletes since it was the US Championships for long-distance triathlon and aquabike, as well as hosting a standard distance race. And lucky me (not), I was in the last swim wave... which meant swimming through a lot of people in waves ahead of me, never my favourite.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">It wasn't my best swim - 1.9 km in 33 flat for the two loops. The water was pretty warm but they claimed it was wetsuit legal... sure. I had picked the race for the bike course, as I wanted the flat ride as that's where my strengths as a cyclist are. It was an out-and-back with a 2-loop section. There was some drafting, but like in any race you CAN make the decision to ride clean. I did, and still PR'd with a bike time of 2:35 (although my garmin said it was only 87 km instead of 90, so ride time would probably be more like 2:41-2:42 - still a 5 minute PR anyway!).</span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: small;">Jason enjoying spectating instead of<br />racing for once!</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Being the national championships, there was some fierce competition and I ended up in 8th place. I was ok with that, since we wanted to do a bit of exploring rather than hang around for the awards ceremony. We packed up my bike in the parking lot, did some sightseeing, then back on the plane headed for home. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Now for a few weeks of off-season!</span><br />
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<br />Alisonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17625895458409346937noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8327067298989463881.post-81532156691696424792016-10-26T17:40:00.000-07:002016-10-26T17:48:14.029-07:00Photos from Kona<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">It's been a few weeks since we've been home from Kona, and literally I think it's rained every day since we've been home. Sigh. In order to bring back that sunshiny-warm feeling, here are my favourite pictures from Kona. I don't know why I don't have any of Jason's race... race, what race? We all kept ourselves really busy with lots of goings-on during the week leading up to the big show.</span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: blue; font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: small;">The first thing we do in Kona is go<br />swimming at the pier.</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: blue; font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: small;">I got to know many so many of my Betty Designs<br />teammates that I'd only met online so far,<br />plus reunions with others I'd already met!</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: blue; font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: small;">Betty happy hour. We clean up nicely!</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: small;">I was truly fortunate to have been chosen to work with <a href="http://www.ironman.com/triathlon/organizations/women-for-tri.aspx#axzz4OF4ZtTM8" target="_blank">Women For Tri</a><br />to help promote triathlon and opportunities to grow the sport.<br />I spent time handing out cards & stickers in the mornings at the pier<br />and met some great people! #womenfortri #whywetri</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-u_qq7ro8Nf8/WBFHjTq_S6I/AAAAAAAAD2c/932jspBkZ28LK5Rv48nKtqESqUoVGmLhQCLcB/s1600/IMG_1290.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-u_qq7ro8Nf8/WBFHjTq_S6I/AAAAAAAAD2c/932jspBkZ28LK5Rv48nKtqESqUoVGmLhQCLcB/s320/IMG_1290.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: blue; font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: small;">Handing out swim caps in support of <a href="http://triequal.org/" target="_blank">TriEqual</a><br />#50womentokona</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: blue; font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: small;">Underpants Run was a real highlight!</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: blue; font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: small;"><a href="http://www.bettydesigns.com/" target="_blank">Betty Designs</a> represents in<br />Triathlete Mag coverage</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: blue; font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: small;">Thanks to <a href="http://www.witsup.com/" target="_blank">WITSUP</a> for organizing a Friday morning ride;<br />I feel lucky to have kept pace with the pros and legends in this pic!<br />For more WITSUP ride photos, check out:<br /><a href="http://www.witsup.com/witsup-kona-ride-2016/">http://www.witsup.com/witsup-kona-ride-2016/</a></span></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: blue; font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: small;">And thanks to Stef Hanson for the surprise selfie on my phone!</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption"><span style="color: blue; font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: small;">Proof (sort of) that we were actually there for a race.<br />Go <a href="http://teamemj.com/" target="_blank">#emjtriteam</a></span></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: blue; font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: small;">Getting to know Bob Babbitt this year scored me an invite to the<br />Thank God I'm Not Racing Party.</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: blue; font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: small;">Nicole, Ken & I with our TGINR party finisher medals.</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: blue; font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: small;">Our last morning in Kona. I want to go back...</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: blue; font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: small;">The obligatory sunset shot</span></td></tr>
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<br />Alisonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17625895458409346937noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8327067298989463881.post-91753443296340909252016-09-14T19:39:00.001-07:002016-09-14T19:39:18.502-07:00Cowichan Valley Wine Run<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">A couple of weekends ago, Corinne and I participated in the first annual <a href="http://www.winerun.ca/#intro" target="_blank">Cowichan Valley Wine Run</a>. Modelled after Le Marathon du Medoc in France, it's a non-timed, 13.5 km run where the aid stations are vineyards. The on-course nutrition was cheese, crackers, and apples, and the hydration was wine tasting. Needless to say, it sold out of the 200 spots very quickly!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Participants were sent off in waves, and we were in the first wave and eager to get going. We wanted to have a lot of fun, take pictures along the way, and sample some wine. The organizers had arranged bottle drops at each of the vineyards for your purchases, and they delivered them to the final vineyard for you to pick up after dinner. Oh yeah that was another thing, an amazing buffet dinner was included!</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-1mbzPBqKCp4/V9oHkSbhg8I/AAAAAAAAD1A/VXw0di3lnQ0oliQIOifgMPBYfWQu_hlQACLcB/s1600/IMG_1102.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-1mbzPBqKCp4/V9oHkSbhg8I/AAAAAAAAD1A/VXw0di3lnQ0oliQIOifgMPBYfWQu_hlQACLcB/s320/IMG_1102.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"> <span style="color: blue; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: small;">We started with a wine tasting, followed by a glass<br />enjoyed on a patio in the sun. Because don't you always<br />have a glass of wine before a run?</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-ih-LLvjkM6I/V9oHnW1gj3I/AAAAAAAAD1I/6CsDeszS6GEg2mf9rufLcMEKqpm6mBSngCLcB/s1600/IMG_1104.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-ih-LLvjkM6I/V9oHnW1gj3I/AAAAAAAAD1I/6CsDeszS6GEg2mf9rufLcMEKqpm6mBSngCLcB/s320/IMG_1104.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: small;">First winery, Cherry Point. Not necessarily my favourite<br />valley wines, but they do have a gorgeous property.</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-vjqpnHYt9jY/V9oHn8tUM9I/AAAAAAAAD1M/ESrnj17Awi4vi2gW85HKvV1sLVtFiHndgCLcB/s1600/IMG_1108.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-vjqpnHYt9jY/V9oHn8tUM9I/AAAAAAAAD1M/ESrnj17Awi4vi2gW85HKvV1sLVtFiHndgCLcB/s320/IMG_1108.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: small;">Second winery, Rocky Creek. They have a really<br />nice sparkling!</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-IHybyGR2WoU/V9oHlrkcpLI/AAAAAAAAD1E/i-ixD-kJUZAGixdiRoaFVuKJe1MFtgUAQCLcB/s1600/IMG_1110.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-IHybyGR2WoU/V9oHlrkcpLI/AAAAAAAAD1E/i-ixD-kJUZAGixdiRoaFVuKJe1MFtgUAQCLcB/s320/IMG_1110.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: small;">Third winery, Venturi Schulze. They are a really small, family-<br />owned winery that makes some absolutely amazing wines.</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-QSeSPU-mEXE/V9oHoQeXQMI/AAAAAAAAD1U/fejz5Ju9IRsVIe51Vxs4jds-aaV4hQfrgCLcB/s1600/IMG_1112.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-QSeSPU-mEXE/V9oHoQeXQMI/AAAAAAAAD1U/fejz5Ju9IRsVIe51Vxs4jds-aaV4hQfrgCLcB/s320/IMG_1112.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: small;">Two guys running in suits, because drinking wine<br />is classy of course!</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-iOy49_SvZc8/V9oHoLeGRRI/AAAAAAAAD1Q/xFhqL3A9Ko0VSe6xJVVUY5gVh4C5VwslQCLcB/s1600/IMG_1113.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-iOy49_SvZc8/V9oHoLeGRRI/AAAAAAAAD1Q/xFhqL3A9Ko0VSe6xJVVUY5gVh4C5VwslQCLcB/s320/IMG_1113.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: small;">The run finished at Blue Grouse, with a final tasting<br />and dinner!</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-huLt1n6uTg0/V9oHogYIsyI/AAAAAAAAD1Y/bsYsQ0dJLAYwPKPHiZCjaCnH5eYzLVCiACLcB/s1600/IMG_1114.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-huLt1n6uTg0/V9oHogYIsyI/AAAAAAAAD1Y/bsYsQ0dJLAYwPKPHiZCjaCnH5eYzLVCiACLcB/s320/IMG_1114.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: small;">Relaxing in the vineyard.</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-LXtXqDUhfu4/V9oHqHHq5bI/AAAAAAAAD1c/phZ6cTUP3Egrt9qm5meMS8OUUVlv2GeOACLcB/s1600/IMG_1119.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-LXtXqDUhfu4/V9oHqHHq5bI/AAAAAAAAD1c/phZ6cTUP3Egrt9qm5meMS8OUUVlv2GeOACLcB/s320/IMG_1119.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: small;">One of the banquet tables, right next to the vines.</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-81_B_uEn4qE/V9oHqyDjikI/AAAAAAAAD1k/C7y2fgHiBpAIjI5hVABfdZXSK4OG7__TQCLcB/s1600/IMG_1125.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-81_B_uEn4qE/V9oHqyDjikI/AAAAAAAAD1k/C7y2fgHiBpAIjI5hVABfdZXSK4OG7__TQCLcB/s320/IMG_1125.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: small;">Overlooking the valley.</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-zPgYbl2U7ks/V9oHrptuIaI/AAAAAAAAD1o/uxCmX23gUeIHE5CO9bDL5uoBvmmPniFGQCLcB/s1600/IMG_1131.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-zPgYbl2U7ks/V9oHrptuIaI/AAAAAAAAD1o/uxCmX23gUeIHE5CO9bDL5uoBvmmPniFGQCLcB/s320/IMG_1131.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: small;">Souvenir bag they put your purchased bottles in.</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">We had so much fun, and already can't wait for next year! This is a must-do event!</span><br />
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<br />Alisonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17625895458409346937noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8327067298989463881.post-61016953413909062452016-09-05T15:32:00.001-07:002016-09-05T15:32:41.352-07:00Challenge Penticton<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Last weekend Jason and I headed to the interior to race Challenge Penticton. It was the Canadian long-course championships, and if you placed top-ten among Canadians in your division, you would qualify for the ITU Long Distance World Championships in 2017 (also in Penticton). When it was announced that there was an aquabike division, I was in.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The 3km swim was two loops in Okanagan Lake, and then the bike course was 120km consisting of a flat out-and-back to Summerland and then two hilly loops around Skaha Lake. For those doing the tri, the 30km run was two loops on the trail next to the canal (definitely the least scenic part of the race, so I wasn't missing anything good!). Lots of reminiscing of the "old" Ironman Canada course in parts, and of course classics like Steve King there doing the announcing. Penticton is always a nice town to race in, and while this event was much smaller than in IMC days, it was still a fun event.</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-SDDgBs5cAzk/V83wdqZgWYI/AAAAAAAAD0g/W7K_WeodUxMarzZaSByByVpLEWOn9DyPgCLcB/s1600/IMG_1072.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-SDDgBs5cAzk/V83wdqZgWYI/AAAAAAAAD0g/W7K_WeodUxMarzZaSByByVpLEWOn9DyPgCLcB/s320/IMG_1072.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: small;">Met up with some other Betty Designs teammates<br />in town for different race-week events.</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-zWIQ2mMipo4/V83wdeDYtjI/AAAAAAAAD0Y/qCpqHg5VfT097iwlFtZBApQhifVd_uC1gCLcB/s1600/IMG_1075.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-zWIQ2mMipo4/V83wdeDYtjI/AAAAAAAAD0Y/qCpqHg5VfT097iwlFtZBApQhifVd_uC1gCLcB/s320/IMG_1075.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: small;">Everyone talks about how much better Challenge events<br />are compared to Ironman. I didn't notice much difference<br />(other than way less swag here unfortunately),<br />but one thing that stood out were the gear bags:<br />really nice, reusable, and not plastic! I imagine the<br />Challenge events in Europe are incredible,<br />but I think they can improve in Penticton.</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-OedaGLRPimc/V83wfGzrcEI/AAAAAAAAD0s/wYLHEoff5nYf54L4r7V9UwjEnFyKv0bzgCLcB/s1600/IMG_1077.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-OedaGLRPimc/V83wfGzrcEI/AAAAAAAAD0s/wYLHEoff5nYf54L4r7V9UwjEnFyKv0bzgCLcB/s320/IMG_1077.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: small;">Racked and ready (my traditional pre-race photo).</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/--qyDcPW8ds0/V83we8IH8pI/AAAAAAAAD0k/m3pueoidBMwM572Y5G6Ma6Z25Nsh7YtnQCLcB/s1600/IMG_1081.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/--qyDcPW8ds0/V83we8IH8pI/AAAAAAAAD0k/m3pueoidBMwM572Y5G6Ma6Z25Nsh7YtnQCLcB/s320/IMG_1081.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: small;">Race morning is always so early!</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-EOnJ8WO-Bms/V83wfl1XacI/AAAAAAAAD0o/vnamNguzG3sR3iUfvsVOQMKRnwUDx_akgCLcB/s1600/Screen%2BShot%2B2016-09-05%2Bat%2B3.20.51%2BPM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-EOnJ8WO-Bms/V83wfl1XacI/AAAAAAAAD0o/vnamNguzG3sR3iUfvsVOQMKRnwUDx_akgCLcB/s1600/Screen%2BShot%2B2016-09-05%2Bat%2B3.20.51%2BPM.png" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: small;">Exiting the swim - fastest swim in my AG.</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: small;">Jason was out for his long training run when<br />I went racing by on the bike!</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: small;">See you next year at Long-Course Worlds, Penticton!</span></td></tr>
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<br />Alisonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17625895458409346937noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8327067298989463881.post-48975459505750575352016-08-08T23:27:00.000-07:002016-08-08T23:35:09.791-07:00Solana Beach Tri Weekend<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Last weekend I headed down solo to the San Diego area for a little SoCal weekend, some time with my teammates, a sprint race, and to say hi to friends. It was a 4-day whirlwind and I wished I'd stayed longer... I've already told Jason that next year we'll be going for a longer holiday.</span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: blue; font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: small;">I packed really light... if taking a bike qualifies<br />as packing light!</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-lpieeSfvZCA/V6lylr1LOWI/AAAAAAAADzY/4Hp_EKuVKwEhsYIgx3noNfJX9Ow-gDXEQCLcB/s1600/IMG_0769.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-lpieeSfvZCA/V6lylr1LOWI/AAAAAAAADzY/4Hp_EKuVKwEhsYIgx3noNfJX9Ow-gDXEQCLcB/s320/IMG_0769.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: blue; font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: small;">I actually got the Scicon bag into the trunk of my rental car.<br />Took me a bit of wrestling at the airport, but once I had it<br />figured out, it was no problem. I was being cheap and didn't<br />want to rent an SUV, and turns out I didn't need to. Now if Jason<br />had come and we'd had 2 bikes....</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: blue; font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: small;">Friday night happy hour at Kristin Mayer's (creative genius behind<br />Betty Designs - far left) house. Hope Jenni, Misty & I didn't overstay<br />our welcome, it was later than I realized when I left!</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Sunday was the Solana Beach sprint tri, which several Betty teammates signed up for, but only 3 of us ended up racing, and superstar Julianne was there to cheer us on. It was a short, but really fun, race - ocean swim with a surf entry & exit , 2-lap bike along the coast, and 2-lap run. I knew so many people there, and met several others that morning, that it really did feel like I was racing at home with friends. I'm so glad for connections I've made through Betty Designs, and through my local friend Heidi as I felt a part of the Groove Tri family that weekend too!</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-wJsneB_-Jnk/V6lyoveXRoI/AAAAAAAADzw/VRRMP7oWxHsqoN5Hk0NEMgHlwkm-WcUKgCLcB/s1600/IMG_0866.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-wJsneB_-Jnk/V6lyoveXRoI/AAAAAAAADzw/VRRMP7oWxHsqoN5Hk0NEMgHlwkm-WcUKgCLcB/s320/IMG_0866.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: blue; font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: small;">I was 2nd out of the water in my age group. The swim ended with a heinous,<br />long run up a ramp and down a block into transition. Kristin said we<br />had to run the whole thing, so I did... and I can't believe no one passed<br />me there. I actually had one of the fastest T1 times in my AG,<br />I did not see that coming with the amount of running in there!<br />(Thanks Julianne for the encouragement and pics!)</span></td></tr>
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<span style="color: blue; font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Friends Heidi & Matt biked to the race to watch,</span></div>
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<span style="color: blue; font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">and Heidi got some good photos & this video of me riding by.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">When I put my bike together when I arrived in San Diego, my rear shifter wasn't working properly - it wouldn't shift into all the gears. I took it to a bike shop, they didn't have the same shifter in stock to replace it with, and couldn't fix it, so we "fixed" it by setting it to shift smoothly into only a few gears. The race was flat along the PCH so I figured that would be ok, and hoped it would hold for the race. It wasn't that big of a deal, I missed having a couple of the gears but it wouldn't have made a difference overall. Had it been a longer race, I definitely would have taken the time to chase down a new shifter.</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-2xs2upLwkCM/V6lyl7EyfQI/AAAAAAAADzc/8Vw_Bo1pAPwgZuyJ85qQOW4DcJPAH67LQCLcB/s1600/IMG_0794.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-2xs2upLwkCM/V6lyl7EyfQI/AAAAAAAADzc/8Vw_Bo1pAPwgZuyJ85qQOW4DcJPAH67LQCLcB/s320/IMG_0794.jpg" width="180" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: blue; font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: small;">Running past Heidi & Matt</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-yuiYXqGr5w8/V6lymdhd-DI/AAAAAAAADzk/6mAyu96XK4AAycgfL21LiXo-hMyJpgcLgCLcB/s1600/IMG_0795.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-yuiYXqGr5w8/V6lymdhd-DI/AAAAAAAADzk/6mAyu96XK4AAycgfL21LiXo-hMyJpgcLgCLcB/s320/IMG_0795.jpg" width="180" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: blue; font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: small;">Seriously, I had A LOT of fun at this race! I came<br />off the bike in 3rd, and finished up in 8th. <br />Not bad, as there are a lot of fast women in that area!</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-EqL6OEPxwKs/V6lypPkLGdI/AAAAAAAADz0/wTDu7dB6VvcMNvStgrs102zweGZppMdPQCLcB/s1600/IMG_0868.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-EqL6OEPxwKs/V6lypPkLGdI/AAAAAAAADz0/wTDu7dB6VvcMNvStgrs102zweGZppMdPQCLcB/s320/IMG_0868.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: blue; font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: small;">Julianne was such fun and was all over the course - we'd just<br />met that morning and became fast friends.</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-1aJHiOQoWac/V6lyna5RKMI/AAAAAAAADzo/ByR8Vs-y_WMdyDmzf3TewRnifbtyTKbUwCLcB/s1600/IMG_0799.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-1aJHiOQoWac/V6lyna5RKMI/AAAAAAAADzo/ByR8Vs-y_WMdyDmzf3TewRnifbtyTKbUwCLcB/s320/IMG_0799.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: blue; font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: small;">Heidi and I rode along the coast the next day.<br />Always one of my favourite routes.</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-s6U2wbMJJLY/V6lynUJWMtI/AAAAAAAADzs/qaQaTcXDbaoi01ijrPOQmnqL-xTZzmNWgCLcB/s1600/IMG_0816.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-s6U2wbMJJLY/V6lynUJWMtI/AAAAAAAADzs/qaQaTcXDbaoi01ijrPOQmnqL-xTZzmNWgCLcB/s320/IMG_0816.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: blue; font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: small;">My last night there, I went traditional touristy and went to<br />Mission Beach to watch the sunset, capped off by wandering around<br />Belmont amusement park.</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">I'm already looking forward to my time there next year!</span><br />
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<br />Alisonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17625895458409346937noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8327067298989463881.post-52177139778016820702016-08-04T19:37:00.000-07:002016-08-04T19:37:34.146-07:00Team Every Man Jack in Whistler<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">We headed up to Whistler a couple of weeks ago; Jason decided to race the 70.3 and of course we both wanted to cheer for friends racing </span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Ironman. Jason had several of his EMJ teammates racing as well, and they pretty much dominated both the half and the full.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Watching Team Every Man Jack, it seemed like they were putting on a clinic on how to race triathlon. Each guy executed their race perfectly, and the best part there was no hint of arrogance or attitude from any one of them. I've watched a lot of elite triathletes over the past couple of decades, and these guys are first class all the way. Hard working, talented, and awesome human beings.</span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: small;">Some of the 70.3 guys before the start.</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: small;">John from Team EMJ was first out of the water...<br />and then the rest came rapid-fire following him.</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: small;">Jason on the run around Lost Lake.</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: small;">Jason won his age group. A bit of redemption<br />from Vineman 70.3 two weeks prior.</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-L5NPx5vnb2Q/V6P59ruwhZI/AAAAAAAADy0/xMZPeFzY4y4zhHpI-5BGSZvhqK-oBAsCgCLcB/s1600/IMG_0742.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-L5NPx5vnb2Q/V6P59ruwhZI/AAAAAAAADy0/xMZPeFzY4y4zhHpI-5BGSZvhqK-oBAsCgCLcB/s320/IMG_0742.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: small;">The best part - they're all so supportive of each other<br />and other athletes on the course. Chapeau.</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: small;">For some reason this was the only<br />photo that came out of the EMJ after-party!</span></td></tr>
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<br />Alisonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17625895458409346937noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8327067298989463881.post-75943589408813269722016-07-19T16:32:00.000-07:002016-07-19T16:32:11.783-07:00Vineman 70.3 Race Report<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">SPOILER ALERT: I beat Jason! Want the details? </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I love Vineman; it was my 5th time racing on that course. The first time was back in 2001 with the girls (Corinne, Catherine & Kirsty) and that trip started my love affair with Vineman. It's a beautiful area, made even better by some of the best wines I can imagine. Sometimes I think that race is just an excuse to visit wine country. But anyway...</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Race morning started really early as we were meeting some of Jason's Every Man Jack teammates at 4:45am for a ride to the swim start in Guerneville (we stay near the finish line in Windsor, about a half-hour's drive away). Six of us crammed into Adam's car - including Betty teammate Rachel Norfleet (it was a weekend of meeting Bettys) who was spectating - and we beat the traffic to end up with pretty much valet service to the beach - thanks Adam for ignoring those "do not enter" barricades! We set up our transition spots, and said hi to Bettys Polly Gill and Christine Gould. I did my usual pre-race routine of waiting around, making small-talk with other athletes, trying to eat, standing in port-pottie line ups, putting on wetsuits... basically everything that makes triathlon seem super-glamorous! I did forget to put on Body Glide, so by the end of the day had some chafe marks on my neck (from my wetsuit) and feet (from my bike shoes). Oops. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Vineman is a wave-start race, and Jason started 6 minutes ahead of me. As I was waiting for my wave to start, I spied Betty teammate Heather Scott on the beach so went to say hi, and then spent the rest of the wait chatting with fellow Betty Jordan Blanco who was in the same wave as me. She and I lined up right at the front once we were in the water, and oddly enough no one else seemed to want the pole position. The horn sounded to start our wave, and we had really clear water with absolutely no contact - nice! One girl swam past us pretty quickly, I pulled ahead of Jordan by a few strokes, and basically just swam tempo for the 1.9km. I came out of the water in 2nd in our wave (ended up being 3rd in my AG as there was another wave of 45-49 as well). I really wanted to swim under 33, and was stoked when I saw my swim time of 31:51 - first time ever under 32 minutes! Jordan flew by me in transition as I struggled to pull my sleeved top on; I decided to wear it as there's not much shade on the run course, so I wanted to start that with at least not being fried by the bike. The only other time I'd raced in it was Ironman Louisville, where a volunteer helped me put it on... way easier to have help when you're wet. Oh well.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I started the bike comfortably but strong, as I really wanted to hold 80-85% FTP as Sean asked me to try. I love the bike course, it starts out flat so you can really get into a rhythm, then rolls, climbs, flat, rolls, climbs, flat... I basically alternate between watching the road in front of me to watching my power screen on my Garmin. </span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: small;">Racing past 100's of vineyards.</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">At around 25km, Betty teammate Polly was about 50 metres up the road from me and crashed hard on a pothole. She was ok, but it was a good reminder for me to not stare at my Garmin too much and watch the road. Then I passed Jason on the side of the road who said he was waiting for mechanical. I figured I couldn't help so rode away, and figured he pass me soon enough. I hit the climb at halfway, then the flat and fast section, then back into the rollers before the last climb - Chalk Hill - which is enough to get your attention, and still Jason hadn't passed me.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I figured he must have dropped out because of a problem with his bike, and I rolled into T2 with 2:56 on the clock for my 90km bike split, not a PR but I wanted to ride under 3 so I was happy. I was in 10th place at that point, and anytime I can be in the top 10 in an ultra-competitive WTC race is a win! I didn't see Jason - thinking he had DNF'd - but thought maybe he was getting his stuff or something. I put socks, running shoes, and my hat on, and cruised out of transition after a quick stop with some volunteers for sunscreen. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Because of a chronic knee injury, I just simply don't do enough run training to run well. Plus, I'm a shitty runner in the first place, so combined means I pretty much suck. But overall I really love long-distance triathlon, so I am content to suffer through the run. Slowly. I knew I needed to take in fluids at every aid station, and just simply enjoy being out there in a gorgeous place, doing what I love.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">About 7km had passed, and Jason caught up to me! He ended up spending an hour on the side of the road dealing with a total of 3 flat tires - needing mechanical support as you pretty much only carry one spare tube. He also went into the race with a hamstring injury that meant he couldn't run fast, and a bronchial infection... so decided to stick with me for the rest of the run. It was fun to have him along, although he was definitely chattier than I could be during 21km of running. It was also not that hot (for Vineman - I think it topped out at 25 degrees C and what shade there was felt pretty cool). Just before halfway, we saw Jordan coming back - she won our age group! - then Polly who had shaken off her crash and ran her way to a podium finish. Jason did a great job of cheering for everyone, including all his EMJ teammates who were steamrolling by on their way to top performances. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The run is a loop (used to be a pure out-and-back) but had enough overlapping sections that I could cheer for other teammates like Jen Temperley who was killing it as usual and would podium. I got to wave to Jonya and Yvonne out there on the course running by as well. On the last section on the way in, I got a great slap on the ass - </span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">great way to "meet" a teammate - </span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">by Audra Adair on her way to another Betty on the podium! With all the Betty and EMJ athletes out on the course, it felt like a home town race!</span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: small;">Finishing together.<br />The only sucky thing about wave starts is<br />that your finish time is never correct. Boo.</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Jason and I came down the finish chute together for the first time since 1995 when we started racing together. And since he started 6 minutes ahead of me, my finish time is actually faster than his - ha ha! One for the history books, for sure.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Of course, no trip to Vineman is complete without some wine tasting, so once the race was over we got on the wine drinking part. See you again, Sonoma wine country!</span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: small;">It's a long drive down I-5 to get there.</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: small;">One bonus of wine country: lots of outdoor swimming!</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: small;">Our favourite winery: <a href="http://www.mercurywine.com/" target="_blank">Mercury</a>. It's a must-visit each time.</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: small;">More wine tasting! This is our new 2nd-favourite winery:<br /><a href="http://christophercreek.com/" target="_blank">Christopher Creek</a>.</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: small;">Played tacky tourist and drove the 101 coming home.</span></td></tr>
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<br />Alisonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17625895458409346937noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8327067298989463881.post-64458840962579103752016-06-14T19:12:00.000-07:002016-06-14T19:12:05.556-07:00Women For Tri<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Earlier this year, I applied for the Women For Tri advisory board (a board under the World Triathlon Corporation umbrella - the company who operates the Ironman brand globally), as they opened up a couple of spots to replace outgoing board members. I didn't get chosen, but they reached out to me and asked me if I would consider being an ambassador for them, and specifically be the ambassador for the World Championships in Kona! How could I say no to that?</span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span style="color: blue;">To see the list of W4T Ambassadors,</span> <a href="http://www.ironman.com/triathlon/news/articles/2016/06/women-for-tri-ambassadors.aspx#axzz4BVSeODp7" target="_blank">click here</a><span style="color: blue;">.</span></span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The main goal of the Women for Tri program is to develop new female triathletes. Running races are seeing a majority of women as participants, but we are not yet close to 50% participation in triathlon. Yet! As part of my role as an ambassador, I will be encouraging and supporting women to try out this crazy sport we love, create networks to support female triathletes, and to engage experience female triathletes to encourage and mentor women beginners. Lofty goals, but important for our sport to move forward.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">In my role as the Ambassador for Kona, I will be involved in planning race week events on the big island - look for more information as we get closer to the big show!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">For more information on the Women For Tri program, <a href="http://www.ironman.com/triathlon/organizations/women-for-tri.aspx#axzz4BVSeODp7" target="_blank">click here</a>. To join the W4T Facebook community, <a href="https://www.facebook.com/groups/WomenForTri/" target="_blank">click here</a>.</span><br />
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<span style="color: blue;"><br /></span>Alisonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17625895458409346937noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8327067298989463881.post-11060638055678965632016-06-11T15:39:00.001-07:002016-06-11T15:39:28.299-07:00Shawnigan Lake Triathlon<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">This was my fourth or fifth or sixth or something-th time racing here... and first time at the top of the podium! I've been 3rd in my age group, 8th, 2nd, and now 1st! Best part wasn't really being first, it was that Jason said I looked waaaaayy younger than the other two women on the 45-49 podium with me! Don't worry, I'm not getting any better at running; I had the fast swim & fastest bike in my AG.</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Y54B_HS2Ifo/V1yRbeslw0I/AAAAAAAADuc/u5IIrrD3nQ44HXwwRXcOxzd_DBKG5iCqgCLcB/s1600/IMG_0489.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Y54B_HS2Ifo/V1yRbeslw0I/AAAAAAAADuc/u5IIrrD3nQ44HXwwRXcOxzd_DBKG5iCqgCLcB/s320/IMG_0489.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: small;">Racked and ready to race.<br />I love my bike - it is hot! And fast!</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-9pgdqy_0i2o/V1yRnjINE2I/AAAAAAAADvA/i7t6cmhyBrgX4ZJuujPbP69k6I3k6oOAACLcB/s1600/Screen%2BShot%2B2016-06-11%2Bat%2B3.25.19%2BPM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-9pgdqy_0i2o/V1yRnjINE2I/AAAAAAAADvA/i7t6cmhyBrgX4ZJuujPbP69k6I3k6oOAACLcB/s320/Screen%2BShot%2B2016-06-11%2Bat%2B3.25.19%2BPM.png" width="284" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: small;">My Betty teammate Kathy and her husband Jon<br />were visiting the island from Phoenix for the weekend.</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-4iQcerByckw/V1yRmvH8a4I/AAAAAAAADu4/BA_PqzWj0gc1jnri7lv8wBQWgkQ4QlLyACLcB/s1600/Screen%2BShot%2B2016-06-11%2Bat%2B3.28.39%2BPM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="208" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-4iQcerByckw/V1yRmvH8a4I/AAAAAAAADu4/BA_PqzWj0gc1jnri7lv8wBQWgkQ4QlLyACLcB/s320/Screen%2BShot%2B2016-06-11%2Bat%2B3.28.39%2BPM.png" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: small;">Jason winning his AG and 4th overall in the<br />Standard-distance event.</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-b7I6RSar0uE/V1yRjs22uGI/AAAAAAAADuw/COHDSR3-Ph0Z1ZhOc66rEA9xwoqoTKXdQCLcB/s1600/Screen%2BShot%2B2016-06-11%2Bat%2B3.28.26%2BPM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="229" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-b7I6RSar0uE/V1yRjs22uGI/AAAAAAAADuw/COHDSR3-Ph0Z1ZhOc66rEA9xwoqoTKXdQCLcB/s320/Screen%2BShot%2B2016-06-11%2Bat%2B3.28.26%2BPM.png" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: small;">Finishing up the sprint race;<br />clearly I need some pointers on run form from Jason.</span></td></tr>
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-olrJmVmp6R8/V1yRinrHn2I/AAAAAAAADus/3erBollYQykn7tx9WnavzmWb0pA3Hp4sgCLcB/s1600/IMG_0491.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="277" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-olrJmVmp6R8/V1yRinrHn2I/AAAAAAAADus/3erBollYQykn7tx9WnavzmWb0pA3Hp4sgCLcB/s320/IMG_0491.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: small;">Relaxing post-race with the dog.<br />She is always invading my personal space.</span></td></tr>
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<br />Alisonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17625895458409346937noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8327067298989463881.post-68093395954050309162016-05-28T20:49:00.000-07:002016-05-28T20:49:01.801-07:00Osoyoos Training Camp<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Last week, my <a href="http://www.cmscoaching.com/" target="_blank">coaches Sean and Tara-Lee</a> were putting on a training camp in Osoyoos, so I decided to tag along. It was Friday-Saturday-Sunday but I couldn't arrive until late Friday night; still I packed a lot into two days!</span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: small;">Getting off the rock</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-I8d5b7IkNnc/V0pkwgF9aVI/AAAAAAAADtk/qLrbngb-w_MYBN-n7263hs_h05j2vV0DgCLcB/s1600/IMG_0466.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-I8d5b7IkNnc/V0pkwgF9aVI/AAAAAAAADtk/qLrbngb-w_MYBN-n7263hs_h05j2vV0DgCLcB/s320/IMG_0466.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: small;">Have bike, will travel</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Saturday morning we did an open-water swim in Oliver - my first OWS of the year. It's always good to know that the wetsuit still fits and I still know how to sight in a lake. I led the group around the lake, which was a nice way to start the camp for me!</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Vw4kdzmeKoM/V0plL-DOgOI/AAAAAAAADts/Li4AAUr6G9M1o0zKM_kan4wyyS2XY6GFQCLcB/s1600/IMG_0470.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Vw4kdzmeKoM/V0plL-DOgOI/AAAAAAAADts/Li4AAUr6G9M1o0zKM_kan4wyyS2XY6GFQCLcB/s320/IMG_0470.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: small;">Woke up to a cool, raining morning... not<br />typical conditions for that part of BC!</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Next up was a long run on the Kettle Valley Trail. Yep, I got dropped by most of the group pretty darn quickly... but the KVT is a pretty nice place to run without company.</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-VfTmPkN77Ro/V0plXJS7XLI/AAAAAAAADt0/KfifWSc8jiYNSR8qa_J4zWkaNSapVB1OACLcB/s1600/IMG_0479.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-VfTmPkN77Ro/V0plXJS7XLI/AAAAAAAADt0/KfifWSc8jiYNSR8qa_J4zWkaNSapVB1OACLcB/s320/IMG_0479.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: small;">Long run selfie on the Kettle Valley Trail</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Back to my hotel, I had a bit of time to have a nap (yay!), then it was meeting the group for a ride over the Oliver half iron course. Sean had me hang on to his wheel for as long as I could... and I lasted about 20km at his furious pace. It was really fun riding that fast but I couldn't keep it going, so ended up doing the rest of the 60km at my own pace, spinning through vineyards and rolling hills.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Group social time that evening was a BBQ, and it's always fun to connect with like-minded athletes hungry after some hard workouts! Needless to say, I slept well that night and was up early for the next day's sessions.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Sunday started with another swim - this time in Osoyoos lake which was colder, but a nice easy short swim. Then onto bikes for a crazy "double summit day". We rolled out of town and up to the summit of Richter Pass, which I had always thought of as a hard climb on it's on. Not any longer... as we descended Richter only to ride through town and start climbing Anarchist Mountain on the other side of the valley!</span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: small;">The long & windy climb up Anarchist</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-rHvdwEdqpDg/V0pl3hAW-AI/AAAAAAAADuI/58-q3tQZc_ge4pNDYtqD9Tubx23DhH3EQCLcB/s1600/IMGP0261.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-rHvdwEdqpDg/V0pl3hAW-AI/AAAAAAAADuI/58-q3tQZc_ge4pNDYtqD9Tubx23DhH3EQCLcB/s320/IMGP0261.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: small;">Looking down at Osoyoos from about 1/3 of the way up</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-RPOgDNjmJeE/V0plq7wbC2I/AAAAAAAADt8/VfwmKs_elrAfq5vZfg3K-A5n7O1LfB6egCLcB/s1600/Screen%2BShot%2B2016-05-28%2Bat%2B8.26.57%2BPM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="153" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-RPOgDNjmJeE/V0plq7wbC2I/AAAAAAAADt8/VfwmKs_elrAfq5vZfg3K-A5n7O1LfB6egCLcB/s320/Screen%2BShot%2B2016-05-28%2Bat%2B8.26.57%2BPM.png" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: small;">Double summit day - Richter and Anarchist.<br />Richter looks like a mole hill... I'll never complain<br />about it again!</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Most of the group ended up bailing before the halfway point - boo! I made it to the 20km turnaround, while Sean and Alex went on to 25km before they turned around. It was a screaming fast and fun descent to close off a couple of hard days of training. Then I drove back over the coastal mountains and onto the ferry back to the island! Whirlwind but packed in a lot of good training!</span><br />
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<br />Alisonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17625895458409346937noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8327067298989463881.post-42702502680037749992016-04-24T18:00:00.001-07:002016-04-24T18:00:04.974-07:00As Seen On My Ride<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Yesterday's ride was the first really tough one since Ironman training last fall. In fact, it felt more like IM training than half training... over 4.5 hours of slugging it out in some pretty brutal winds. Lucky I had a good friend to share the no-fun fun with!</span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: small;">Field full of tiny daisies!</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: small;">Trying to stay on Coco's wheel.</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: small;">Gas station junk food tastes soooo good in<br />the middle of a long ride!</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-AldwqtlJL4g/Vx1qS22WqmI/AAAAAAAADtI/mICNOvxur-EXuWWWwPz-mzZiP2S1kq-ygCLcB/s1600/IMGP0220.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-AldwqtlJL4g/Vx1qS22WqmI/AAAAAAAADtI/mICNOvxur-EXuWWWwPz-mzZiP2S1kq-ygCLcB/s320/IMGP0220.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: small;">Low tide.</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-4e51OSkn1n8/Vx1qUqatnRI/AAAAAAAADtM/zheKXg1-RfsEGSzFdVa6gLh9NcstG7mswCLcB/s1600/IMGP0223.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-4e51OSkn1n8/Vx1qUqatnRI/AAAAAAAADtM/zheKXg1-RfsEGSzFdVa6gLh9NcstG7mswCLcB/s320/IMGP0223.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: small;">Lots of hills.</span></td></tr>
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<br />Alisonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17625895458409346937noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8327067298989463881.post-16648440860533789282016-04-20T21:09:00.000-07:002017-04-07T11:07:09.244-07:00Victoria 70.3 New Bike Course<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">A couple of weeks ago I decided to ride the new Victoria 70.3 bike course. I had ridden, driven, swept, delivered flyers & info, and more all along the old course back in the days my friend Norm & I ran the race. This year, WTC (who runs it now) changed the course to one loop and I wanted to check it out. It wasn't exactly new for me, but stringing the roads together in that order was. It was a fun ride, and the "Coles Notes" version is that I think it is faster than the old course. Read on for details.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Instead of two loops through Central & North Saanich, the new bike course winds through Saanich, Central Saanich, North Saanich, and Sidney - I can't imagine what a permitting nightmare it was to deal with all those municipalities. It was hard enough for us dealing with only a couple! Another note from my race director brain... there are some left-hand turns and crossings of West Saanich Road, and a couple of major intersections - I wish the traffic crew all the best of luck managing those! That would be a major headache from an organization point of view. Anyway, I guess that's not important to the athlete experience. So as far as actually riding the course - here goes.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><strike>The swim is now in Beaver Lake (which remains to be seen how that goes - it's fairly gross, but word on the street is that they will be working on removing the weeds), so the transition will be at the other end of Elk/Beaver than in the past. It's a good spot for transition, there's a large, flat area, more parking, and easier access. </strike> <span style="color: #3d85c6;"><i>UPDATE: for 2017, the swim is back to Elk Lake. Yay! Beaver sucks. They haven't posted a new bike course map yet, but stands to reason that they'll head out Brookleigh Rd, onto Oldfield, then West Saanich to hook up with the 2016 course. </i></span> The bike heads out onto West Saanich Road where it turns left, then another left onto Royal Oak. After that, it's fairly flat for the first 10km until the left onto Mount Doug X Rd. The climb up Mt. Doug is pretty gradual, and early enough in the race that everyone will blast up it, no problem. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">After that, it rolls a bit, but mainly a net downhill to Sidney. Hopefully because it's early Sunday morning, traffic on Cordova Bay Rd will be light, as it's narrow and the drivers can be kind of oblivious to cyclists there. Lochside Rd is one of my favourite spots to spin along, flat, with nice views of the ocean. Cyclists will wind through Sidney, and then at about 40km some more rollers, but they're pretty gradual.</span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: blue; font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: small;">View of the ocean next to Lochside Rd. You can<br />kind of see Mt. Baker on the mainland in the distance.</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">The course heads farther north on the peninsula than it used to, and goes along Lands End Rd, which has virtually no traffic, ever, and rolls in a pretty fun way. After about the halfway mark, the rollers pick up a bit, and the last half of the course is definitely harder than the first. This bike course will reward the patient rider who doesn't go out too hard (the net downhill for the first 35km will make that hard to do!) and leaves a lot in the tank for later in the ride. The terrain gets harder as the mileage adds up.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Heading south on West Saanich Rd is pretty similar to heading north, which the old course used to do. It's rolling, but the rollers are long so it's not exactly coast up after spinning down. You will be on the gas a lot. There will be a bit of a reprieve for a few kms once you turn onto Wallace, but not long after you'll hit the toughest climb of the day - up Willis Point Rd (and then back down for an out-and-back, I'm guessing to make up the needed mileage).</span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: blue; font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: small;">Still lots of rural roads like the old course. So pretty.</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Then it's back onto West Saanich Rd, but northwards this time, basically following the old course. Right turn onto Keating X Rd, then a right onto Oldfield which everyone will recognize as the end of the old loop. The last 20 km will be hard! Pace appropriately!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">My advice for riding the course: enjoy some of the nicest views on the peninsula. But be careful... you will pay if you go out too hard, as all the difficulty is in the last 50km, and in particular the final 20. Be smart with your pacing!</span><br />
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<i>(If you got here from a link on the post about the whole Victoria 70.3 race, click <a href="http://yearofalison.blogspot.ca/2014/05/victoria-703-very-brief-history-and.html" target="_blank">HERE</a> to go back!)</i><br />
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<i><br /></i>Alisonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17625895458409346937noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8327067298989463881.post-2417424060064724612016-04-09T23:30:00.001-07:002016-04-09T23:30:16.040-07:00Spring Training: The Run<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I don't spend nearly as much time seeking out cool places to run as I do to ride. We usually just run from wherever we are staying, but if I hear of a nice route I'll try to check it out. I also don't run as often as I swim and ride, so don't necessarily have that much to report. But while we were in Vegas I did hear about the tunnel run - an old rail route near Lake Mead that goes through six tunnels. It was only 6 kms long so I was in. The day we ran there, it was crazy windy so the sand blowing sideways felt like we got exfoliated, and the tunnels were a nice reprieve. The run ends at the Hoover Dam, and you can turn around and run the 6 km back, or run one way and get Jason to pick you up. He's a lot faster than I am (understatement of the year) so I wasn't waiting too long for my pick-up as he did the return trip.</span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: small;">Watching surfers when I should<br />have been running in Oceanside.</span></td></tr>
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<br /><br />Alisonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17625895458409346937noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8327067298989463881.post-65536087876788484942016-04-02T17:40:00.000-07:002016-04-02T17:40:20.103-07:00Spring Training: The Bike<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">We only had a few days in California so didn't end up riding some of my favourite routes. However, we did roll down the coast a few times - early one morning and it was pretty foggy. We also rode through the Camp Pendleton Marine Base, a nice ride as it comes out on a bike path passing through San Onofre State Beach. Unusual for there, that day we didn't see many surfers. I can't remember if it was a weekday or what, but often we're weaving between people carrying boards through the parking lot. #classicSoCal </span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: small;">Rolling out along the coast in the<br />morning meant riding through the fog!</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: small;">The sun is trying to make an appearance.</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I was pretty surprised at how awesome the riding was when we got to Nevada. Big shoulders, nice pavements, lots of variety - flat, rolling, long climbs - we'd definitely come back there before going back to Palm Springs or Tucson for training, for sure. Jason met up with some Team Every Man Jack buds for a couple of rides as well, which makes it extra fun for him. I opted out of one of their routes: 90 miles including a 20 mile climb to the top of Mt. Charleston. I was out for the following reasons: Tom said it would take them 6+ hours, 20 mile climb, snow at the top. I'm not doing an Ironman this year so I just wanted to do fun rides, and figured that one would involve some tears for sure!</span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: small;">Jason and Tom at the Mt. Charleston summit (8800 ft),<br />taken by some snowboarders surprised to see them!</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: small;">I rode to where the road ends (literally)<br />in the mountains west of Vegas... </span></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: small;">... and turned around for a view of the city.</span></td></tr>
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<br />Alisonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17625895458409346937noreply@blogger.com0