Quick Thought, and Random Pen Pictures

What is the first thought that enters your head in the morning? Have you ever took the time to listen to it? Does it bring you joy, or stress you out. I awoke this morning to a thought of Prince George and Kelowna last year. I was forunate enogh to coach a small kids of steel camp in Prince George before Kelowna Triathlon last year. Just being around younger people learning about triathlons and sharing my stories remeinded me of how lucky I really was and still am. Kelowna was also my first race after my "short retirement" from the sport. I was so happy to be back racing everything about triathlon was getting me fired up even the silly little things like the race breifing or trying to eat food early race morning (everything always tastes a little different race morning for some reason)! I had not felt this happy about triathlon to many times this year. I have worried too much about this and that, and now I am ready to enjoy it! Take advantage of the fact that I am able to do something like this. No more worrying and more enjoying. Looking forward to the SRI this weekend. The summer is almost over and summer being my favourite season of the year I am not going to waste it. Time to take advantage of summer and racing!


On a lighter note some random pictures from my travels to Penticton that I have not posted yet.

I've got an idea lets stop and take a swim in the river to cool off.

Its too cold stevo, you will never

get me to put my legs in that water.

Home sweet home. (well at least for the weekend)

P.S. You may have noticed on our trips shirts are always optional. haha

The Pen,

So Last weekend Stevo and I were lucky enough to travel up to Penticton for the peach classic triathlon. We decided that we would be going on Friday morning after the swim at about 10:00 went home packed and was in the ferry lineup at 12:35 waiting to get on the 1:00 ferry boat. We new the trip was off to a good start when we got on to the ferry after showing up only 10 minutes before it starts to load. The trip up was awesome! We took the scenic way, on the old highway which took about the same amount of time as the kokahala. When we arrived there We were both stoked to be back in pen where we had enjoyed watching the Ironman last year. We stayed with the Symmonds which was awesome. Thanks to them for there awesome hospitality. We had all day Saturday to swim in the lake and hit the bike barn where we had an experience with mounting tubular tires. A solid Pre-race day nice and laid back and finished it up with a nice little hair buzzing. Yes I did buzz my hair, it is... different not good not bad just different. The race was early Sunday morning where is was hoping to beat the heat, but no such like. The race itself was a little bit ruff and a pretty stressful morning overall between forgetting my goggles, my race suit would not do up, and did not get to warm up for even 30 seconds in the swim. So shoes off 1500m a hard bike that I did not drink enough or eat on and then a run that started uphill for 4km and was on the hot pavement. O did I mention it was about 30 degrees at 8:00 in the morning. It seems like it has been a while since I have been able to say that is was a good race, but what can you do. The good news is that we learned a few new tricks to stay cool in the heat. After Kelowna which are nationals I will be able to say that I had a great race though. haha. Being that we were in Penticton I was not ready for this to bug me, at least not till I got back to Vic. So I enjoyed being in Penticton for the 24 hours even though we did not do much because we were so drained. Then time to head back.

Awesome trip back too! We saw coyotes, swam in the river to cool off, and showed up at the ferry at 6:54 and made it on the 7:00 ferry. Overall a really fun trip! Thanks to Stevo my partner in crime for driving up and making it fun.

It's always good to be back home and get back into training hard though, which is exactly what this week was. Stevo and I have figured we have raced 4 time now in the last 3 weeks so we are starting to get a little tired. That ok The Sri Triathlon next weekend and then two more weeks before having a great race at nationals in Kelowna!

Lastly a solid swim this morning at the HTO open water swim at Thetis. The goal time was just to be under 36:00 for the 3km as I went into it pretty soar from a wicked bike workout yesterday. Crushed a 35:59, good enough, especially considering that I probably did an extra 150m by picking poor lines to the buoys. Congratulations to that fundraiser for raising over $40,000 to the MS Society. I was taking some serious notes for the Run/Walk this year! It will be soon time to start organizing again.

P.S Props to the younger Dagnall who won the 800m in age 16-18 nationals in Calgary with a gutsy swim just off his 8:33 PB.


Quote for the Day:

Nobody who ever gave his best regretted it.
- George Halas