tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36936286905803865942024-03-13T12:46:59.982-07:00Alison HooperAlihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03248060994753815211noreply@blogger.comBlogger54125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3693628690580386594.post-21578134100032119222013-03-05T11:56:00.002-08:002013-03-05T11:56:47.814-08:00Florida Training Camp
Just got back from the first camp of 2013 down in Clermont, Florida. It was a great group of athletes from across the country and we were lucky enough to head down there for just over a week and get a short block of training in the sunshine. We had an amazing coaching staff, which included some very knowledgeable guests. I truly believe the super speedy Sara McLarty could get anyone though ANY swim workout with her amazing and motivational one-liners…best one of the camp would have to be “do 75 hard and then 75 harder!” or “lets separate the girls from the women”. She was great and I learned a lot of new swim workouts in the pool as well as some great open water technique. Bobby McGee was also a great addition to the camp. He showed us some great running drills and workouts as well as a presentation of the mental side of performance. He also analyzed all of us individually and gave us specific drills to work on which I think will make a huge difference in my efficiency at running off the bike. It was also nice to get to know Alan Carlson and Kevin Clark a bit better. I learned so much from them in a very short amount of time…both of them have a lot to offer. I felt like the whole 10 days my brain was just a sponge and I was trying to absorb as many tips as possible. Clermont was a great place to train…we were staying in a Swiss water Ski school that was about 15min from the main city center but you could ride and run from the doorstep. Loved running through the nearby orange grove and perhaps “borrowed” a few citrus refreshments from time to time.
I had to come back after 10 days to write a midterm and now I am just getting back into the routine of balancing school and training. Luckily only about a month left of classes! As overwhelming as school can sometimes get, the semesters do go by quickly!
This weekend the group is racing Bazan Bay 5km road race. In the past we have rested and focused on this race to get World Cup racing standards but now that those are gone we are not getting much of a taper. The goal is to run just as fast or faster than last year but on tired legs…Because we have done almost no speed work it shall be interesting to see where my running fitness is at!
Check out the video that Alex and Kyla made of the training camp!!
http://vimeo.com/60913691
Alihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03248060994753815211noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3693628690580386594.post-20188809429166422512012-12-27T14:10:00.002-08:002012-12-27T14:35:14.656-08:00Murphy’s Law-
It’s been a long time since my last post. The main reason for the lack of updates is because I didn’t really have anything worth sharing. My last post was a couple weeks after I returned home from Mooloolaba, Australia where I had the one race all season that I was actually happy with.
Heading into my first year as a U23 I took the second semester off school because I knew to get myself ready for Olympic distance racing I needed to get some more training under my belt. With it being the Olympic year there were also training opportunities that I couldn’t pass up.
I trained harder and longer than I ever have…and coincidentally I was the most consistent I have ever been. A sore heel and some food poisoning had me miss out on only about 2 weeks of training all year. Based on how things were going I thought I was going to have a fantastic year… I couldn’t have been more wrong. Looking back I have decided to call my 2012 racing season my Murphy’s Law year- “anything that can go wrong will go wrong”.
While preparation is the key to success in triathlon, the role of luck is not insignificant. I have had my fair share of luck to be sure, but not this year. (Not to say that my performance this year can all be attributed to lack of luck).
I got heat stroke in Dallas and had to get pulled off the course within two kilometres of the finish. Two weeks later at my first World Cup I got the first flat tire of my racing career. In the races in between something little always ended up hindering my performance. By the time I got to Kelowna in August I was not feeling my usual excitement to race. After that race I took a week off and made the decision to keep training hard and racing hard. A whole new wave of confidence hit me and I went on to have a month of fantastic training. I was fortunate enough to be included as a member of the Canadian team for the World Championship Grand Final. But, to finish my season off in Auckland being so fit and so excited to race and then cramping on the bike and getting dropped from front pack was more than disappointing.
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After Worlds, I ran for UVic at the national cross country championships in London, Ontario. Minus a fall at the start (Murphy’s Law strikes again?) cross country is always fun and my teammates are so awesome! After this race I discovered I had a stress fracture in my foot and have spent that past six weeks healing up.
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In elite sport there are always hurdles and by overcoming them you grow, get stronger and look at changes that need to be made. While I accomplished only a few of my many goals for the 2012 season, the experience I gained will help me get to the next level in my career. Reflection time is over. You live and you learn. Its time to move on.
Got through the semester of school and finished exams on the 20th with just enough time to get into the Christmas spirit. Have had a few days relaxing with the family but its time to get back to work. Here’s to a new year and new possibilities…
Thanks to:
Nineteen Wetsuits...I truly believe they are the best and will be working with them in 2013
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-Saucony...goes above and beyond providing all my running shoes and attire!
-Oak Bay Bikes for keeping my bike in working condition (New Years Resolution is to take better care of my bike :))
HUGE thanks to coaches Patrick and Carolyn who put up with me EVERY day.
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And none of this would be worth it without my darling training partners! I know I can rely on each and every one of you...xo
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And last but not least the fam...could not do this without your support (emotionally and finically)
Alihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03248060994753815211noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3693628690580386594.post-13190118402097388242012-05-21T09:54:00.002-07:002012-05-21T09:59:48.222-07:00Mooloolaba & Mazatlan Race ReportsAbout a week after my last post I headed to Caloundra, Australia for a 5 week training camp for all of March and the beginning of April. The first two weeks we got a solid block of training in the sun and heat minus the torrential downpours that would delay our afternoon rides (actually never have I seen it rain so hard- people who were in Gatineau in 2009...it was raining harder than that!). There was one night it was SO windy and raining so much Paula came into our room all serious and said "do you guys have enough food for the next, like, 3 days??". Luckily our condos were situated in a non-flooding area...but poor Patrick got stuck in Mooloolaba due to all the flooding there... <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Then on March 25th Ellen, Aaron and myself raced the Mooloolaba Continental Cup (It was mine and Ellen's first olympic distance). Besides having to set my alarm for 3:15 on race morning all the pre-race warm up was the same routine. We did a beach start at the far end and did a point-to-point swim to exit by transition. I didn't have a stellar start but managed to just be behind the fastest swimmer and instantly had the fastest feet to draft off of...running out of the water I made a little gap to lead up the long stairs/run into transition. The bike was chaotic, disorganized and slow. In the one out and back loop of 40km the front pack included about 15 girls: Ellen, myself and bunch of Aussies and a couple of Kiwi's...there was one flat and a crash that I barely avoided that took out 3 of the girls. Starting on the run I knew I needed to pace myself and save a little for the two killer hills we had to run up. As usual everyone was pretty spread out...I just focused on staying into a nice rhythm because I wanted to finish strong. Crossing the line in 5th position behind Ellen I really couldn't have been happier. Going into this race I didn't know any of the other girls and how the longer distance would affect me so it was hard to have expectations. But secretly my goal was top 10 so I definitely surprised myself. The race was a little motivational booster that got me through another almost three weeks of good, consistent training in Australia.
Race Pics
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Here are some other pics of our Australia adventures:
BBQ at the Wallace house
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Strollin on the beach
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Post race briefing
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Me and Super Alex
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Steve Irwin Zoo
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I made the decision to go to Mazatlan about 2 weeks prior to the race...I thought "I'm fit, I'm healthy and I'm coming off training in the heat... so why not?" The race was mid April. I flew home from Australia, had 4 days at home and packed up with my Dad and sister and heading to Mexico. The week leading up to the race I felt a little off...I think I was underestimating all the travel I had done. It was nice to meet up with the Guelph crew for some race prep. Heading into this race I was purely excited and felt ready to go! This race had a few little hiccups, as many Mexican races do. It was a two lap swim and the buoy's were a bit confusing...luckily I got the course figured out and lead out of the water on both laps...despite volunteers on paddle boards trying to tell me I went the wrong way. Heading out of T2 with a little gap the lead motorcyclist went the wrong way! Fortunately enough I had time to turn around and still make the front pack. The bike again was slow but I bit more organized that Mooloolaba. There were the occasional attack and sketchy-ness of the uneven course...but we all made in into T2 safely. Having a great T2 I started the charge only the feel totally horrible. I ended up running with another girl (which is rare) and we pushed each other for a whole lap. I made an attack but then she proceeded to pass me with 2km to go. The heat definitely got to me about half way through and I did not have another gear to push myself. I finished 9th and was the 3rd Canadian. Congrats Jo and Manon who finished 2nd and 5th respectively!! I was definitely hoping for a top 5 but really did what I could and minus the lack of speed on the run I was 100% happy with how I executed the rest of the race.
Its pretty cool starting my olympic distance career...man every single race is SUCH a learning experience. I've been training well in Victoria for the last month with a little weekend getaway to UBC with the twins and Paula. Heading to Dallas on May 30th to have another go!!Alihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03248060994753815211noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3693628690580386594.post-52060907413506609792012-03-06T15:25:00.003-08:002012-03-06T15:52:49.361-08:002012 thus farI really have been meaning to do a post for a long time...I guess in the fall I didn't want to post boring life updates that nobody wants to hear about or cares about for that matter. But I do admit that I have had lots of exciting post-able things happening in my life since the new year started. It was this past Saturday when I was doing my pre-race run that I ran into Mr. Nelson (the best cross country coach and man who got me through math 12). I have ran into him twice in the last couple of months and update him on whats been going on and vice versa (he became a dad about 4 months ago:) ). I know he is one of my blog readers who supports, is interested and excited about my triathlon career....what I am trying to say is running in to him gave me that little push to finally update this thing!!<br /><br />So the fall consisted of going to school and doing minimal training....oh I got my wisdom teeth out (one of the worst experiences of my life) and hmmm what else oh I went to visit one of my best friends down Fresno, California which was really fun. <br /><br />Okay now on to 2012<br /><br />Started off the New Year by heading to a 5 week training camp in Maui (that actually turned into a 6+ week camp). This was my second triathlon training camp and it was by far the best. The riding was especially amazing! Being able to escape the rainy weather of Victoria and really get a some consistent, solid training in the heat was just what I needed to start off my first year U23. Given the extra opportunities Olympic year had to offer I decided to forgo university for this semester and take advantage. I really got a step up in fitness while I was there. It was a great group of girls and we all worked really well together.<br /><br />We headed back to Victoria on Feb 11th and have been training consistently ever since. Adjusting to the colder weather and atmosphere where you have to be a little more responsible (like having to drive hahaha) took a little while to get used to but its good to be home.<br /><br />This past week I did both a 800m free TT and raced the Bazan Bay 5km to get both my World Cup time standards....it was a good indication of where my fitness level is and I'm happy to just get those standards over with :)<br /><br />Up next I head to Australia for another training camp/race. I will be starting off my season on March 25th at the Mooloolaba Continental Oceania Cup. Super excited to be heading to the heat again and can't wait to race!<br /><br />Updates to follow...promise<br /><br />P.S Check out Mrs. Pennocks new blog....good for a laugh and she has some good pictures from Maui - www.ellenpennock.blogspot.comAlihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03248060994753815211noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3693628690580386594.post-47305675031141738252011-09-28T16:53:00.000-07:002011-09-28T16:54:20.641-07:00excuses...race report...race reportSo I had nothing really exciting to post about in the month of August... it consisted of a smart decision to take a week off running to avoid a hip injury...which also resulted in a DNF at nationals in Kelowna. And then Worlds were at the beginning of September but facebook, twitter and blogger were all blocked in China so no updates could be done there...and then basically since I've been home I have been in MAJOR catch-up mode with school. So those are my somewhat pathetic excuses for why you haven't heard from me in awhile. I'm sorry. Anyways I will backtrack a little bit and review Kelowna and my prep for worlds...and then of course worlds race report. So Kelowna....this was my first time doing this course and I can see why everyone just loves it. Leading up to the race I was pretty tired. This was my 2nd nationals and it was weird not feeling completely rested for it. <br />My Kelowna race played out like this:<br />-had a horrible swim start...my goggles got foggy and for some strange reason I waited for about 150m before pulling them off...the rest of my swim was me playing catch-up to the leaders<br />-I think I was the 2nd last person to make front pack on the bike that out of the water...out of T1 I caught a couple of people so the chase wasn't too hard<br />-the bike was amazing! I loved the course with the all the corners. I felt totally in control and so strong<br />-T2 was alright and exited in about 4th position.<br />-First loop of the run was terrible and starting the 2nd lap my hip started to get sore...I told Patrick when I ran by and he told me to stop<br />-Very sad but I thought better to DNF at Canadian Nationals then at World Championships (like I did last year)...even though any DNF sucks!<br /><br />Now on to prep for Worlds:<br />-was trying really hard to stay focused and not get to the point of burn out and just wanting the season to be over (like I have the last two years)<br />-started swimming really really fast...the fastest I've swam all year<br />-had my best run workout of the year with a Tuesday 1km set<br />-was super pumped that training was going well and headed to China excited and ready to go!<br />-it seemed like we were in China a really long time before our race and for some reason I was unaware of the significant hill on the bike course...panicked a little<br />-went though the ups and downs of tapering by feeling amazing and then feeling crazy tried...but come race morning I knew I was ready<br /><br />Worlds Race Report:<br />-it was raining and cold which totally sucked and made me to half of my normal swim warm up<br />-when we were lining up I just wanted to start! Got a somewhat good spot on the pontoon with Joanna right beside me<br />-I thought I had a pretty good start but looking at the video footage Im pretty sure I was the last to actually enter the water.<br />-met up with Christine at the first bouy which was actually really comforting and we exited the water side by side in 7th and 8th position<br />-the bike was alright...first hill was the worst but the other two times I just spun up with minimal effort<br />-ALMOST crashed on one corner but somehow stayed up...and at the end of the last lap I dropped my water bottle (yelled and didn't take anyone out! ooops)<br />-worked the little riser into transition hard and got a little gap heading into T2<br />-left T2 in first and went out fast<br />-got passed by a couple of girls but tried to stick with them<br />-worked the 2nd half and the hills really hard<br />-gave it my all<br />-place 8th<br />-content<br /><br />Now doing school and a lot of down time...off season is here!Alihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03248060994753815211noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3693628690580386594.post-70569391519975933782011-07-26T11:47:00.000-07:002011-07-26T11:48:08.961-07:00Best Day of Summer~ali~<br />Well there has been a lack on updating on my part...sorry anyone who reads this :(. I have been very busy this last month with 3 races and on the only weekend free I was sick. The three races I just did was a big chunk of my season and everything just went so quickly. Things didn't turn out exactly how I wanted but I sure learned a lot and am growing as an athlete. Having some training partners away in France and coming back from basically a month of tapering has made this past week pretty hard mentally and physically. However the main reason for this post is to tell everyone about the best solo ride of my life! Cycling is for sure my weakness of the three sports and I also strong dislike training on my own. However this past Sunday was probably the nicest, warmest and most beautiful day of summer so far (it also happened to be Matt's 20th Birthday). <br /><br />Anyways, I decided to ride from the pool out to my parents house in Metchosin and would stay the night and have my mom drive me home in the morning. I decided on a loop that would take me about 2 hours. Everything just felt good from the beginning. I actually had energy around 2pm on a Sunday which is unusual and the temperature was a perfect 25 degrees. When I got on my bike my legs just wanted to spin and off I went. There were hardly any cars so it was just me and the road. 120 minutes went by in a flash and I totally would've kept riding if a homemade bbq salmon dinner hadn't been waiting for me :). Perfect training sessions like this make up for unfortunate events that happen in races or sometimes disappointing trainign sessions...and it reminds me that being happy and feeling great is the most important thing :)<br /><br />Finishing this next block off with my first olympic distance (non-drafting) in Sooke where the ladies get chased down by the men! And then on to Kelowna :)<br /><br />:)Alihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03248060994753815211noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3693628690580386594.post-39677838672043625642011-06-29T15:10:00.000-07:002011-06-29T15:32:43.354-07:00St. MaloSo like I said in my last post "the season has officially begun"...but off to somewhat of a rough start for me. This past weekend I competed in the first junior series race in St. Malo, Manitoba. While the weather was nice, the course was straight forward and the coach support was great....my body just wasn't 100%. It all started with a little sore throat that I thought was due to sleeping with the AC on in the hotel room. Anyways I was feeling pretty normal leading up to a race with rest (a little sluggish and tired)...I guess I just thought not racing was never an option so when I woke up in sweat and the chills on race morning I just looked past it (my mom tells me after that I probably had a fever- I should know things like that!). I am sure glad I didnt because I think thats what got me through the race. The weirdest part of racing while I was sick was being on the start line and not being nervous. I guess I just wanted to get it over with in a little pain as possible...which im sure is how some people race hahaha but not me! The swim was pretty good. Had the 2nd spot starting position and actually didn't touch one person the whole time! I also didn't exit the water with my teammates who I have been able to draft off of in workout (came out 4th about 20sec behind). Which lead me to be in 2nd pack...which was a first. Working with 2 girls we got caught by another 3 and really worked together and just about caught the two leaders by the time we got to T2. The best part of the race was the bike...I felt strong and in control. My transitions weren't too bad either and I thought my overall tactics for racing went almost perfectly. Then there was the run....I didn't know a 5km could feel sooooo long. I was having a hard time just even staying in the game mentally not to mention my body was failing me (not in the intense way Kyla's body was failing her though!)...so at half way all I was focusing on was my turnover. Finished in 4th position behind some speedy gals. Congrats to future teammate Ellen who won her first series race and Christine for pulling out a strong 2nd place. I am happy to report that there is nothing more I could have done in the race...so no regrets... Except for maybe actually racing because since then I have been in bed all day everyday watching episodes of Desperate Housewives trying to fight whatever virus has taken over my body. I am so sick and tired that I don't even have the energy to think about training, or stressing about upcoming races. I don't get sick often...I think its been about 2 years. But when I get sick... get really sick! So everyone please send healthy thoughts my way and hopefully my next post will be more positive!Alihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03248060994753815211noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3693628690580386594.post-76382540071079709712011-06-21T10:20:00.000-07:002011-06-21T10:29:59.349-07:00SummerToday is the first day of summer...well not until 1:16pm this afternoon. The longest day and the shortest night. I am happy to report that its been looking and feeling a lot like summer for the past 3 weeks here in Vic. I can't remember when I stopped putting on arm and knee warmers but it was awhile ago. We have also done a couple of lake swims in Thetis (where some of the boys have actually taken their wetsuit off half way through the set!)... and we did mini tri's in Durrance Lake last weekend (which wasn't SO warm).<br /><br />When I think of summer I think of sunny days filled with hard workouts and frozen treats....however summer also makes me think of racing. Yes the time has come...juniors we are officially in race season! woohoo!! This last block of training has been great but the U23's and Elites have be coming and going and heading off the races...and I have been really jealous. While I love training I was finding it hard to stay motivated and my body just wants a slight taper and a good race as a reward for all the hard work I've put in. Perfect timing I think because the 1st Junior Series race kicks off in St Malo, Manitoba this Sunday. I am excited to just get out there, work hard and have fun....its been a long time since I've been excited about a race!!<br /><br />Thats if for now....race report in the next post :)Alihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03248060994753815211noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3693628690580386594.post-89405813571161099762011-05-31T18:49:00.001-07:002011-05-31T18:49:47.028-07:00Links that interested me<a href="http://www.triathlon.org/events/start_list/2011_cremona_itu_sprint_triathlon__european_cup/6717/">#1 </a>(Click on country and then notice that TriathlonCode's tallest member is on the start list! First elite race for Matt...Jeff from Victoria is also racing)<br /><br /><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0BaDYnpTA2Y&feature=youtu.be">#2</a> I first saw this when it was tweeted by Simon...so I'm giving him the credit. Thought it was pretty cool to see how other athletes train and their perspective on our great sport.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.busybuthealthy.com/recipes/2010/11/fat-free-banana-loaf.html">#3</a> My newest cookbook. I discovered this blog about 2 weeks ago and love her recipes...plus she's from Vancouver :)<br /><br /><a href="http://canucks.nhl.com/club/page.htm?id=65623">#4</a> Some would say this is the most important or exciting... Game 1 tonight... "bring it home!"Alihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03248060994753815211noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3693628690580386594.post-86988658103263054182011-05-18T18:55:00.001-07:002011-05-18T18:55:39.208-07:00Home Sweet HomeWell I've been home for a week now...time is really starting to go by fast. I did a long ride this afternoon that involved some observatory hill repeats and if I'm remembering correctly the last time I was riding on the observatory was a month ago! A whole month! Basically ever since school stopped time just ticks away without me in realizing. The training camp in Arizona that was 2.5 weeks long and felt so short. Im heading into my first race of the season this weekend in Vancouver. The famous North Shore World Championships. Its in North Vancouver and we swim in a 37meter pool which feels really weird because you think you need to do a flip turn but still have another 8 meters to go...then we ride up one side of the street and back along the other side a couple of times and off on the run. Oh and I forgot to mention that you need to have a flawless T1 because basically at the mount line is a super steep (but short) hill. The run is the best part because its on a chip trail forest thingy and half on cement through residential areas so you feel like your running all over the place and can't see whoever is in front of you. I did this race two years ago and it was my second ever triathlon. It is drafting...however males and females go at the same time so I have a feeling it will just end up being a solo effort. No resting for this race but it will be good to go through the proper motions of transitions and get the feeling of doing all three sports back to back. Again with the time...I can remember doing this race pretty vividly and that was two years ago! Before I know it we'll be in full-on race season and then I will be back at school for the fall! AHHH....gotta make the most of the time you have people.<br /><br />Happy TrainingAlihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03248060994753815211noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3693628690580386594.post-63999283557359412862011-04-19T11:32:00.000-07:002011-04-19T11:51:46.379-07:00Life...Life has been treating me pretty well these last couple of weeks! I wrapped up classes 2 weeks ago and then wrote my last exam on April 7th....So I have been completely done school for almost two weeks now which is really really nice. Just when I thought that I could spend all my time focusing on training random life started to happen. First I made the stupid decision to move into my new apartment over a regeneration block... what I learned from this decision is that regeneration blocks should be strictly focused on regenerating, relaxing and SLEEP! I did the opposite...spent my days rushing around packing and moving and basically stressing! It was all over last weekend and I thought I could settle into a great training-focused routine....little did I know that my horrible job of recovering would come to bite me in the butt Tuesday. I had a pretty good swim in the a.m but it seemed to take a lot more out of me that normal. Went home and probably didn't do proper recovery things. Then on the way to the run in the afternoon a wave of tiredness hit me...I didn't really think much of it until 10min into the warmup when my heart rate was 175 and I was getting dropped!! Followed by a total meltdown (including tears) for no reason besides that fact that I was so unknowingly tired! I decided to do half the workout with some mile repeats around Beacon Hill....heart rate at 180 and way behind the gals that I normally run with...and I was working SO hard! Decided to call it quits for the day/body totally stopped functioning! Just on the safe side I had steak that night to get in a lil extra iron (hahaha). The following two days I had to take it really easy (it was basically the regeneration block that I failed to take last week). Back to hard on Friday morning I did the fast 100m from a push all year (but I guess I was pretty rested)...and managed to get a little out of the track workout in the afternoon. Moral to my story is that regeneration blocks are VERY important and although it seems like a time to catch up on stuff that you can't do during hard training days its more important to get the recovery your body needs...or maybe im weird and my body needs a lot of extra recovery.<br /><br />Just realized that this post is a lot like Alex and Kylas hahahah...maybe its a blogging theme for April.<br /><br />P.S I have decided to avoid this every happening to me again I want to try and spend 1hr in bed every day between workouts...doesn't matter what I'm doing as long as im in bed and attempting to relax (I was in bed while writing this blog post).<br /><br />P.P.S I will try and get pictures of my apartment up in the next post<br /><br />Happy training...and recovering!Alihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03248060994753815211noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3693628690580386594.post-75385973796363369772011-04-01T09:33:00.000-07:002011-04-01T09:51:16.920-07:00Noa DeutschFor anyone who doesn't know <a href="http://ptperformancetraining.com/">Noa</a> should really get to know her. She is a great sports nutritionist, as well as a coach, exercise physiologist and biomechanist (I believe we can also call her a teacher:) <br /><br />She has recently launched a new website called ‘<a href="http://fuelingenduranceperformance.com/">Fueling Endurance Performance</a>’ that is the start to her book that is in the works to be released on Oct 29th, 2011 (I want to pre-order mine!)In her book the dots are going to be connected between sports nutrition, training and what foods will help athletes succeed. Not only is she going to give details on what athletes should be eating but she is also going to have yummy recipes (I know they're yummy because I have tried them). She has a great flare in the kitchen and its amazing what she can do with such random foods. She always inspires me when I'm sick of cooking!<br /><br />"This book is one of the world’s first practical sports nutrition cookbook. It takes those two kinds of books and combines them into one, with a simple goal in mind: To provide healthy recipes, along side practical & easy to follow sports nutrition guidelines, based on the latest research and practice."<br /><br />P.S if you need bike fits she's the one to go to for that as well:)Alihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03248060994753815211noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3693628690580386594.post-29495230061077643122011-03-28T09:55:00.000-07:002011-03-28T10:13:10.232-07:00Ya for Canada!Watching the women's race on Saturday in Mooloolaba, Aus just got me so pumped up to race but more importantly made me very proud to be Canadian. Holy!! I cannot believe how well everyone did (especially with the somewhat poor conditions that I heard about). With such an early race and basically everyone making a comeback from one thing or another I think Kyla, Alex, Lauren, Kathy and Paula really showed some amazing talent. Everyone single one of them really inspired me in one way or another. It was pretty funny because watching the twitter feed on triathlon.org every other tweet was about the Canadian Ladies...just shows that Canada is a force to be reckoned with :)<br />-P.S KiKi I hope you recover well and will watch you crush it in Sydney!<br /><br />On other notes I, still being junior, don't really get to race for awhile.... I am doing a small race in the end of May but nothing really till June! Finishing up last week of classes and then on to finals! Woohoo and I really lucked out because all my exams are in the first week and I actually finish all school-related anythings on April 7th (SO SOON!)<br /><br />Nothing else too exciting happening here. Getting in some good training (although I am missing some of my training partners :(...one is returning home now which will be nice). Still feeling a little like i'm taking two steps forward and one step back but at least moving in the right direction! And once school is over I am going to move into my new apartment which is really every exciting and I will post pictures of it later. <br /><br /><3Alihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03248060994753815211noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3693628690580386594.post-65468206829216827112011-03-11T16:51:00.000-08:002011-03-11T16:57:20.507-08:00THANK YOU SAUCONY!First shipment of lovely shoes...great to have the support!<br /><br />My light-weight trainers that look extra boss in black :)<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-WmDZrovX024/TXrElIKup0I/AAAAAAAAANM/4QTwnPhneII/s1600/kinvara.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-WmDZrovX024/TXrElIKup0I/AAAAAAAAANM/4QTwnPhneII/s320/kinvara.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5582990830205839170" /></a><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-PoYPbwM6N38/TXrEkSpLjWI/AAAAAAAAANE/OQK1eAah8Nw/s1600/shoe%2Bboxes.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-PoYPbwM6N38/TXrEkSpLjWI/AAAAAAAAANE/OQK1eAah8Nw/s320/shoe%2Bboxes.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5582990815838047586" /></a><br /><br />My new race flats!! <br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-rQArzGJA7Ks/TXrEkM782hI/AAAAAAAAAM8/FVMiuFXe2Jw/s1600/fasttwitch.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-rQArzGJA7Ks/TXrEkM782hI/AAAAAAAAAM8/FVMiuFXe2Jw/s320/fasttwitch.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5582990814306163218" /></a><br /><br />Getting excited for race season!Alihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03248060994753815211noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3693628690580386594.post-79392918800408641912011-03-05T09:03:00.000-08:002011-03-05T09:08:01.957-08:00Race DayUSA Triathlon is in its third year of the build up to the 2012 London Olympic Games.<br /><br />The 2011 draft-legal races will give triathlon fans a chance to see athletes who are looking to qualify for the 2012 Games. These races will include U.S. and international competitors, some who have competed in past Olympic Games and others who are beginning to make names for themselves on the international triathlon circuit. (http://www.usatriathlon.org/events/190).<br /><br />From my understanding its almost like a mini WCS circuit within the U.S. First up is today in Clermont Florida called the Draft Legal Challenge...see here for more info http://www.draftlegalchallenge.com/ This will be the first time Matt will be on the start line with elite men. Lucky for him he's got a beach start, strong swim and still a sprint distance on his side. GO MATT! Also racing elite are Jeff, Aaron, Cole and AP!!! And for the junior Marc, Brook and Connor!!! From what I've heard about how everyone has been training down in Clermont 2 weeks prior I am expecting some pretty amazing results! GO NTC BOYS!<br /><br />Also today there will be the elite women's field as well as the 2011 ITU/PATCO North American Junior Championships, Age Group Draft Legal Sprint Race and Age Group Non-Drafting Sprint Race. <br /><br />Crazy and exciting to think the race season is around the corner....or tomorrow! I will be doing my second race of the year (running road race, not triathlon) tomorrow in Sydney for the Bazan Bay 5km. Im pretty excited because I hear its a fast course and the first year I was sick and last year injured so finally Im able to do it!!Alihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03248060994753815211noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3693628690580386594.post-81345346107305077062011-02-27T12:18:00.001-08:002011-02-27T12:39:43.461-08:00another update failAgain its been awhile since the last update....pictures are better than words in my opinion<br /><br />Setting up for a good block of training that has involved a couple new things such as doing some swims with the Island swim team and battling the snow!<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-LdBecAg_RKg/TWq2DL5NP3I/AAAAAAAAAM0/lDMt1w13cpo/s1600/Unnamed.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-LdBecAg_RKg/TWq2DL5NP3I/AAAAAAAAAM0/lDMt1w13cpo/s320/Unnamed.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5578471254300376946" /></a><br /><br />Spent the past weekend on a girls getaway with my mom and sister in California...it was a perfect 4 days of sun and R&R<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-bSL3AlcIFGI/TWq04VIu1-I/AAAAAAAAAMk/KY_FsOKSkp4/s1600/61e22_california_2503888350_00673b1f4a.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 198px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-bSL3AlcIFGI/TWq04VIu1-I/AAAAAAAAAMk/KY_FsOKSkp4/s320/61e22_california_2503888350_00673b1f4a.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5578469968291223522" /></a><br /><br />Had a great Valentine's Day with Matt...more like a Valentines weekend. He spoiled me.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-VMFNvU0ikLE/TWqzf66GfuI/AAAAAAAAAMc/7I6Hv9nXLqs/s1600/valentines%2Bday.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-VMFNvU0ikLE/TWqzf66GfuI/AAAAAAAAAMc/7I6Hv9nXLqs/s320/valentines%2Bday.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5578468449422048994" /></a><br /><br />Celebrated my 19th Birthday! <br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Dv4vUIddPCY/TWq1abkcdNI/AAAAAAAAAMs/I0JxJYvlL-A/s1600/IMG00051-20110205-1657.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Dv4vUIddPCY/TWq1abkcdNI/AAAAAAAAAMs/I0JxJYvlL-A/s320/IMG00051-20110205-1657.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5578470554133624018" /></a><br /><br />This is my first legal drink...it was called a pink squirrel (its wasn't that good, but AP bought me a bellini later that made up for it)<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-orwTZkwC71I/TWqy6s28vzI/AAAAAAAAAMU/Nw3b5nwlR6g/s1600/IMG00021-20110205-1907-1.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-orwTZkwC71I/TWqy6s28vzI/AAAAAAAAAMU/Nw3b5nwlR6g/s320/IMG00021-20110205-1907-1.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5578467809995570994" /></a><br /><br />Got my first shipment of Saucony gear...this seasons colour is bright orange! Love the company and the support!<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-F1uyA50JalM/TWqykS88WxI/AAAAAAAAAMM/SWuRQOnVri4/s1600/saucony%2Boutfitt.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-F1uyA50JalM/TWqykS88WxI/AAAAAAAAAMM/SWuRQOnVri4/s320/saucony%2Boutfitt.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5578467425084267282" /></a><br /><br />All my clothes came with this little safety lights on them for night running...you charge them in your USB port...pretty high-tech!<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-siaQELWTqec/TWqyQAaJAcI/AAAAAAAAAME/C67hG0Mb6Rs/s1600/saucony%2Blightts.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-siaQELWTqec/TWqyQAaJAcI/AAAAAAAAAME/C67hG0Mb6Rs/s320/saucony%2Blightts.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5578467076509073858" /></a><br /><br />I thought I would share this lovely pic that my mom took on her phone. This is Esquimalt Lagoon...I used to drive along the water every morning before workout<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-36DaSrpQ6CE/TWqxt65qqqI/AAAAAAAAAL8/pMvg2InkiHY/s1600/IMG00018-20110119-0805.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-36DaSrpQ6CE/TWqxt65qqqI/AAAAAAAAAL8/pMvg2InkiHY/s320/IMG00018-20110119-0805.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5578466490915138210" /></a>Alihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03248060994753815211noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3693628690580386594.post-28885176811867349202011-01-21T06:04:00.000-08:002011-01-21T06:07:04.221-08:00A Renewed Sponsor...http://www.prosnack.com/blogAlihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03248060994753815211noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3693628690580386594.post-75805657061391763802011-01-15T19:59:00.000-08:002011-01-15T20:13:58.630-08:002011I am so happy to announce that this year I have been lucky enough to get sponsored by Saucony! woohoo They have a great Hurricane Team, great shoes and the company so helpful and understanding! <br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_G5okHCl2UGI/TTJt3yw0D7I/AAAAAAAAAK0/bTZxVGVeyw4/s1600/saucony_1.gif"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 215px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_G5okHCl2UGI/TTJt3yw0D7I/AAAAAAAAAK0/bTZxVGVeyw4/s320/saucony_1.gif" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5562629295042727858" /></a><br /><br />On to other notes...nothing really super exciting going on. Had a great Christmas break with both Matt and my families...and then on the 28th we went up to Kelowna and stayed for a week including New Years...got to experience a little snow and my first time cross country skiing (I've been a downhill girl since I was 3).<br /><br />Back at the grind now with classes and a regular training routine....I am finding it a little hard to re-focus haha over the break I would spend my nights baking or watching TV...now I have to remind myself that I need to do reading and homework!! But before I know it I will be studying for exams and then done for the year!<br /><br />Time goes by fast...update soon :)Alihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03248060994753815211noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3693628690580386594.post-89455621482274057232010-12-31T23:22:00.000-08:002010-12-31T23:25:17.663-08:00<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_G5okHCl2UGI/TR7W19-YWVI/AAAAAAAAAKs/1yhOY4AmMa8/s1600/happy-new-year-2011-odometer_design.png"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 320px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_G5okHCl2UGI/TR7W19-YWVI/AAAAAAAAAKs/1yhOY4AmMa8/s320/happy-new-year-2011-odometer_design.png" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5557115212879386962" /></a>Alihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03248060994753815211noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3693628690580386594.post-55286265107858625942010-12-13T08:40:00.000-08:002010-12-13T09:00:11.821-08:00Its beginning to [feel] a lot like Christmas...About two weeks ago it was beginning to "look" a lot like Christmas with the random snow fall that Victoria experienced...however now everything is perma-soaked with the ongoing rainfall and things have actually stated to warm up (which is a positive for training hehe). See in Victoria we get the luxury of training outside basically all year round...however that means many many many wet muddy rides and I actually was running through massive puddles all over elk lake yesterday with the girls. Training has been going excellent, I actually had the "most enjoyable cross ride of the year" on Saturday.... enjoyable but still wouldn't describe as fun. The girls and the boys split up and Patrick took the girls down some trails where "we" could actually stay on our bikes and get some speed..(when I say "we" I actually mean "me" because hmmm how do you say it? I am the one lacking the most skill and bravery when tackling single-track trails with my couple sizes too big cross bike) Some of the girls are amazing at cross riding and well I'm working on it and I promised Patrick I wouldn't complain too too much:) P.S it was a good ride and I still came home with a huge bruise on my left shin and a cut on my ankle. <br /><br />Christmas...I am starting to get in the spirit<br />-decorated Matts tree last night...while listening to the new Glee Christmas album<br />-had an eggnog latte <br />-finished exams so I am truly on holiday<br />-going over to a friends today to make sugar cookies!<br /><br />ta taAlihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03248060994753815211noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3693628690580386594.post-6124811348556395962010-11-22T21:11:00.001-08:002010-11-22T21:12:32.749-08:00Just havin a lil fun...in the snow!<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_G5okHCl2UGI/TOtNOlS-9uI/AAAAAAAAAKA/VZOqfWBOB44/s1600/alison"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 314px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_G5okHCl2UGI/TOtNOlS-9uI/AAAAAAAAAKA/VZOqfWBOB44/s320/alison" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5542608679334770402" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_G5okHCl2UGI/TOtNKy2KRLI/AAAAAAAAAJ4/E4jPwuSAqlE/s1600/matt"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 316px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_G5okHCl2UGI/TOtNKy2KRLI/AAAAAAAAAJ4/E4jPwuSAqlE/s320/matt" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5542608614252496050" /></a>Alihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03248060994753815211noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3693628690580386594.post-56096480155700953382010-11-15T13:32:00.000-08:002010-11-15T13:47:02.489-08:00Results to be notedThis past weekend the group went up to Comox for a fall get-away/ training camp. We did some great work around the trails in cumberland on our x-bikes and worked hard in the pool with a 200 TT ( at the end of a workout that had like a million main sets). I have been horrible at this blogging thing but I have wanted to mention a couple of results that I thought were pretty impressive:<br /><br />1) My dad did his first ever marathon at the beginning of October. He placed 35th in his age group and had an overall time of 3:34.46....which to his surprise qualified him for the Boston marathon in the spring!! Without, I would say little training (he decided to do it about 3 weeks before the race) it is truly amazing and I was a very proud daughter!!<br /><br />2) Connor and Brookie competed in High School X-Country Provincials about 2 weeks ago. Connor really made Claremont look good and is a high hope for the next two years! Brookie pushed through the end and I was very proud!! A little shout out to Mr. Nelly who is a great teacher and coach!! I just wanted to say that I was very impressed with the size of team he had this year and with his determination and support things will just get bigger and better...and faster!!<br /><br />Now....not really results but exciting new things:<br /><br />-Marc got a job!<br />-The walk-run group is becoming exclusively a run-only group!<br />-There is less than a month left of school<br />-I managed to do all of the cross rides at the camp with only falling once (on each side)<br />-I have found a new power bar that I am totally crazy about making and eating<br />-It is officially tea and scarf season!<br />-Training is going great and I cannot wait for the christmas campAlihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03248060994753815211noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3693628690580386594.post-76355593661331339202010-11-08T19:49:00.000-08:002010-11-08T19:52:00.111-08:00Just letting everyone who has been bugging me about updating that I just spent over an hour trying to do a new post and somehow my laptop has switched the setting back to the ancient version...and I have some good news and results but want to post it when I can make them look all pretty and exciting!!!<br /><br />-hopefully I'll be able to figure this out soon!<br /><br />Ali <3Alihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03248060994753815211noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3693628690580386594.post-38303180269631003572010-10-10T13:48:00.001-07:002010-10-10T13:57:42.353-07:00update...<div>How I've been spending my time:</div><div><br /></div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_G5okHCl2UGI/TLIneoZNtUI/AAAAAAAAAJw/J0pcrpUfq60/s1600/matt.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_G5okHCl2UGI/TLIneoZNtUI/AAAAAAAAAJw/J0pcrpUfq60/s320/matt.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5526523099929752898" /></a><div style="text-align: center;">I save a few minutes for this guy</div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_G5okHCl2UGI/TLInbKI8VWI/AAAAAAAAAJo/vLD1XHjhA1g/s1600/uvic+best.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 310px; height: 120px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_G5okHCl2UGI/TLInbKI8VWI/AAAAAAAAAJo/vLD1XHjhA1g/s320/uvic+best.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5526523040268834146" /></a><div style="text-align: center;">A couple hours everyday here</div><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_G5okHCl2UGI/TLInXVqrZ1I/AAAAAAAAAJg/rCUyinzbCJg/s1600/baking.jpg"></a><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_G5okHCl2UGI/TLInXVqrZ1I/AAAAAAAAAJg/rCUyinzbCJg/s1600/baking.jpg"><img style="text-align: left;display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; cursor: pointer; width: 259px; height: 194px; " src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_G5okHCl2UGI/TLInXVqrZ1I/AAAAAAAAAJg/rCUyinzbCJg/s320/baking.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5526522974643644242" /></a><div style="text-align: center;">I do this in my free/super bored time (power bars that look like cookies)</div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_G5okHCl2UGI/TLInR2AnMHI/AAAAAAAAAJY/XTFUx6-me5E/s1600/seattle.jpeg"></a></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_G5okHCl2UGI/TLInR2AnMHI/AAAAAAAAAJY/XTFUx6-me5E/s1600/seattle.jpeg"><img style="text-align: left;display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; cursor: pointer; width: 223px; height: 167px; " src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_G5okHCl2UGI/TLInR2AnMHI/AAAAAAAAAJY/XTFUx6-me5E/s320/seattle.jpeg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5526522880246362226" /></a><div style="text-align: center;">I spent one of my precious weekends in Seattle...</div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_G5okHCl2UGI/TLInOVU9DbI/AAAAAAAAAJQ/ad8LnW7FSOY/s1600/shopping.jpg"></a></div><div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_G5okHCl2UGI/TLInOVU9DbI/AAAAAAAAAJQ/ad8LnW7FSOY/s1600/shopping.jpg"><img style="text-align: left;display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; cursor: pointer; width: 259px; height: 194px; " src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_G5okHCl2UGI/TLInOVU9DbI/AAAAAAAAAJQ/ad8LnW7FSOY/s320/shopping.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5526522819933703602" /></a><div style="text-align: center;">doing nothing but shopping and</div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_G5okHCl2UGI/TLInKRqGovI/AAAAAAAAAJI/kBikLozW5mQ/s1600/coffee.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 228px; height: 221px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_G5okHCl2UGI/TLInKRqGovI/AAAAAAAAAJI/kBikLozW5mQ/s320/coffee.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5526522750229193458" /></a><div style="text-align: center;">having coffees</div><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_G5okHCl2UGI/TLInGyFAuBI/AAAAAAAAAJA/m6uNsAoEsSo/s1600/studying.jpg"></a></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_G5okHCl2UGI/TLInGyFAuBI/AAAAAAAAAJA/m6uNsAoEsSo/s1600/studying.jpg"><img style="text-align: left;display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; cursor: pointer; width: 260px; height: 194px; " src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_G5okHCl2UGI/TLInGyFAuBI/AAAAAAAAAJA/m6uNsAoEsSo/s320/studying.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5526522690212509714" /></a><div style="text-align: center;">And I would be lying if I said I didn't spend a significant time with my books.</div><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_G5okHCl2UGI/TLInDAvWbYI/AAAAAAAAAI4/t8TUD1JdQM0/s1600/matt2.jpg"></a></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_G5okHCl2UGI/TLInDAvWbYI/AAAAAAAAAI4/t8TUD1JdQM0/s1600/matt2.jpg"><img style="text-align: left;display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 214px; " src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_G5okHCl2UGI/TLInDAvWbYI/AAAAAAAAAI4/t8TUD1JdQM0/s320/matt2.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5526522625428712834" /></a><div style="text-align: center;">And okay a little more time with him :)</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">ali</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div></div>Alihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03248060994753815211noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3693628690580386594.post-81290888301274541302010-09-30T15:41:00.000-07:002010-09-30T15:45:08.077-07:00My Superstar<span style="font-size:100%;">Does this mean I have speed goggles????<br /><br /></span><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_G5okHCl2UGI/TKUSc_69xSI/AAAAAAAAAHI/8DG5PewEx30/s1600/TC+article.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 206px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_G5okHCl2UGI/TKUSc_69xSI/AAAAAAAAAHI/8DG5PewEx30/s320/TC+article.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5522840807444170018" border="0" /></a><br /><div><div style="border: medium none ; overflow: hidden; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; text-align: left; text-decoration: none;"><div class="headline"><h1>Warning: Sharpe's turn ahead</h1></div><div class="clear"> </div><div class="clear"> </div><div class="byline"> <span class="name">By Cleve Dheensaw, timescolonist.com</span> <span class="timestamp">September 27, 2010</span></div><span><br /><br /></span>In many ways, they are Simon’s Children. They were not even in their teens but were still inspired when Simon Whitfield of Victoria scored his breakthrough gold medal in triathlon at the 2000 Sydney Summer Games. Now, this generation is starting to make their presence felt in a sport that combines swimming, cycling and running.<div><div style="border: medium none ; overflow: hidden; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; text-align: left; text-decoration: none;"><p>Among the group is Victorian Matt Sharpe, who was ninth in the junior men’s division at the 2010 world championships in Budapest.</p><p>The contingent also includes the likes of Christine Ridenour of Cowichan Bay and Brook Powell of Victoria, who represented Canada at the 2010 Youth Olympics in Singapore, and Alison Hooper. They are assuring the Island triathlon scene won’t suffer post-Simon letdown when the 35-year-old Whitfield likely calls it a career following the 2012 London Summer Olympics.</p><p>“Christine, Brook and I started out and came up together in the Kids of Steel program and we’ve known each other a long time,” said Sharpe, 19.</p><p>“We’re tight friends, even away from racing.”</p><p>All harbour Olympian dreams. Some will make it, others might not. They know that’s sport. But however their individual careers turn out, they also know they can depend on each other. “It’s competitive to a point because we all share the same goals of winning, and that’s not a bad thing,” said Sharpe.</p><p>“But it’s not too crazy. There’s never much politics or crap going on. It’s a great group.” </p><p>And they’ve had the best of role models at the Victoria-based national training centre to show them how it’s done — Olympians such as Whitfield and Brent McMahon as well as Kirsten Sweetland, Paula Findlay and Kyle Jones.</p><p>“For sure, training right beside and with the senior national teamers on a daily basis influenced us,” </p><p>said Sharpe. </p><p>“You get inspired by them. They are the racers we look up to. I get to train with Simon a couple of times a week. He is such a good role model. He gives support, advice and time to any young triathlete who asks him for it.”</p><p>While thriving in the company of others in the vibrant Victoria training scene, Sharpe is also introspective about racing.</p><p>“I’m not a music, ear-pod guy before training or races,” he said.</p><p>“I like to be with my thoughts most of the time as I ready to race or train. Different things work for different people.”</p><p>Most triathletes have one of three entry points into the sport. For Sharpe, it was swimming, although he also took part in track and field in high school. Born in Campbell River, he moved down Island and attended Claremont Secondary in Grades 11-12 and graduated in 2009. “Even though I was very young, swimming was getting tough and I was not improving. A family friend suggested I try triathlon at about age 10 and I found it more fun.”</p><p>To the point where it became and remains a consuming passion.</p><p>“You tend to shut people out a bit during the race season and it’s great this time of year to reconnect,” he said.</p><p>“This sport has a way of becoming everything to you. But I love it. I wouldn’t have it any other way.”</p><p>Sharpe attends UVic part-time, taking two or three courses a semester. Your body is only in its prime once, he noted. Right now, triathlon comes first.</p><p>“I’m still figuring out what I want to major in at UVic. I don’t have a defined non-sports career path at the moment, but I’ve got lots of time. I don’t want school to be stressing at this point. The goal right now is to experience as many top-level races as I can, domestically and in Europe.”</p><p>Two-time Olympic medallist Whitfield has shown where such single-minded dedication can lead. </p><p>“Yeah, I think about the Olympics,” said Sharpe.</p><p>“But that’s so far ahead. Yet it’s always there in the back of your mind motivating you. But overall, I like to keep my mind on the present.”</p><p>And that’s going well. At the 2010 world championships, Sharpe became the first Canadian male junior racer in history to crack the top-10. “I pushed the pace but then I made some tactical errors on the bike,” said Sharpe, of his world championships race in Budapest.</p><p>“But it was a good result. It was the best Canadian finish ever for junior men’s. It was nice to get that. I’m enjoying that result now that the season is over. But I’m looking for bigger and better things.”</p><p>Those things just might come to pass for Sharpe and company as the Island’s triathlon Gen Next begins to state its case.</p><span><br /><br /><a style="color: rgb(0, 51, 153);" href="http://www.timescolonist.com/sports/Warning+Sharpe+turn+ahead/3587974/story.html#ixzz113UxBxRW"><br /></a></span></div></div></div></div>Alihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03248060994753815211noreply@blogger.com1