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Ironman Florida 2010: race report

2010-11-13T18:49:00.004-04:00

My first Ironman was a great success!

After a great deal of hard work I finished in 10hr 16 min- 2nd place!

And... a Kona, Hawaii World Championships spot for 2011!

Here is my race report as published on lifesport.ca:

http://www.lifesportcoaching.com/news_article.php?id=391

When Laura Keefe joined LifeSport she was an absolute novice triathlete. Her secondary goal was to get through a triathlon, and her primary one was to run something close to a 3:30 marathon in the local race, which was a BIG personal best. 2 years, and a lot of miles later, Laura ran a low-3hr marathon, had completed a few half Ironmans, and decided to tackle her first Ironman. Under the tutelage of her coach Lance Watson, the 37 year old mother of 3 went a remarkable 10:17 at Ironman Florida to qualify for the Big Show in Hawaii next October, the Ironman World Championships. Read her report here:

I just pulled into Disney World for a week of fun post Ironman! I'm not sure that it has all sunk in yet-what a day :)

It was just days ago that I was anxious before the race and Lance told me that I was fully ready for this challenge. He said I had the cake baked, the icing, the sprinkles, the shavings and cherry on the top (minus 1 shaving for a missed bike ride-haha)! What I didn't realize, was that this race was going to draw on all those ingredients, every last one! It wasn't that it was a struggle - in fact the race came more easily than most hard training days. It's just that I had to draw on all my past experiences to make it feel "relaxed".

I had no idea that my showshoe running in -20 degree up a mountain was going to help me get through a freezing bike ride in Florida six months later. When my feet were cold and my hands were so numb I couldn't grab a PowerBar, I thought back to those days training through the winter, and I knew that I could get through it! (Besides I couldn't be a Canadian and DQ in Florida because of the cold!)

I didn't realize that a crazy mass swim start in Rhode Island 70.3 this year was going to give me the experience to LOVE my time swimming in a "school" of 2500 people. I kept saying over and over, "this is sooo much fun, this is sooo much fun". Getting pulled by hundreds of people in warm crystal clear water- what a sensation!

It was hard to imagine that a tough 70.3 in Buffalo Springs Texas, that almost brought me to my knees, would help give me the strength to power through almost any mental obstacle an Ironman could bring.

This race was about "feel"- it was about summoning the experiences from so much hard training, and using imagination to bring them to life on the course. It was about patience and allowing myself the time to let the race unfold in front of me. I was astounded by the power of mental focus and creativity. Lance and Magali Tisseyre have helped me so much with this, the skill of imagining the positive!

On the run course, many people complained about a lonely park stretch at the half way mark, a 3 mile suffering loop of isolation. I saw the desert and forest of Ethiopia and tried to imagine myself an African Queen running tall and proud. The mind does amazing things, and indeed that stretch turned into a place I looked forward to going on the second loop. But truly the race was about "feel". This journey toward ironman has been like putting together a puzzle without the box. There were all these parts, and I never really knew how they would fit together. But on race day, when all the pieces had been gathered up and delivered to me, they all fit into place.

Ironman is about support. It is about family, friends, volunteers, and great coaching getting you to the start line! I thank them for supporting me and coaching me to achieve more than I ever dreamt.

At the awards banquet, the men's winner James Cunnama (super cute South African) got all the first time Ironman finishers to stand up and he read us a poem.

I will never forget for the rest of my life what it was like to stand there as a newly minted ironman, with my second place trophy, and hear the following:

It is something that changes lives forever,

And makes those who do it different,

Not only to others, but to themselves.

It takes ordinary people,

Who struggle to achieve mediocrity,

And allows others to look up to them in awe.

- Arthur Newton (about Comrades)

New Icebreaker clothing at the Trail Shop!

2010-10-07T09:25:00.001-03:00

There is nothing better on these cool mornings than pulling on my favorite piece of clothing: the ICEBREAKER 150 wool long sleeve.

It is perfect as a base layer for colder days and an ideal layer to pop on over workout gear for warm-up and cool down. It is also great in warmer weather and acts like a bit of an air conditioner by releasing moisture!

The best feature of course is that this shirt is stink proof. No matter how crazy things get in a workout (or in my case how long you go afterward without a shower) this stuff always smells great!

You can buy Icebreaker at the Trail Shop on Quinpool Road!

http://www.trailshop.com/

http://www.icebreaker.com/site/index.html

Check it out-you won't be disappointed!

PS: Trail shop also has awesome winter gear for kids including children's Icebreaker.

Best Soup in the World!

2010-09-28T08:46:00.005-03:00

Ironman is quickly approaching, and I am trying to eat as nutritiously as possible!
No easy task mind you.
What exactly IS the proper thing to eat between threshold workouts? a 6 hour ride? a 12 hr race? Ahhhh!

Apparently vegetables are good!
(Apparently wine and cupcakes are not good-too bad!)
But if you are like me...this time of year.....a cold salad at the end of the day... just isn't going to cut it!

So...I've discovered soup!
I began the quest for the best soup ever.....and here it is!!

Laura's Curried Autumn Vegetable and Chicken Soup with Guacamole and Plain yogurt!

2 onion
4 carrots
2 stalk celery
2 red pepper
1 acorn squash
1 box grape tomatoes cut in half
2 tablespoon olive oil
4 cloves garlic
1 chilli pepper
1 1/2 tablespoon cumin
1/2 tablespoon paprika
2 tablespoon finely chopped basil

1 roasted chicken:( I cheated and bought a store bought precooked chicken)
12 cups water

garnish: guacamole (avacado, garlic, lemon juice mixed) , plain unsweetened yogurt and coconut.

1. In large frying pan add 2 tablespoon olive oil.
2. Saute onion, red pepper, tomatoes, celery, carrots, and acorn squash (put in uncooked).

The trick here is patience.
Try a long and slow saute so vegetables soften and the olive oil doesn't overheat.
(Apparently this is bad- olive oil above it's smoke point loses it's valuable "healthy fat" status! Plus it starts to smell gross.)
This took me about 30 min. The veggies should be soft and smooshy-almost caramelized in the pan.

3. Add 4 cloved garlic crushed, 1 chilli finely cut, paprika, basil and cumin. Stir.
4. Transfer mix to large pot and add water.
5. Add chicken. I striped the meat off the precooked chicken. Removed bones and skin, cut into peices and added it to soup.
6. Simmer soup for at least one hour. Can be made days ahead-tastes better with time!!

Now that my love affair with soup has begun- I can't wait to try all the recipes my best friend Lindsay's "SOUP" Cookbook! I'll fall in love with them all over again!
http://www.lindsaycameronwilson.ca/cookbooks.html

Providence 70.3: Yep...a stretched Hummer!

2010-09-25T15:27:00.002-03:00

Providence Rhode Island: 70.3

Incredible Finish Line in Providence, RI!

I made the decision to compete in Rhode Island 70.3 for the simple and ridiculous reason that I LOVE the word Providence. Silly huh?

Each time I write of Providence, I remember the quote that stands behind my words. They are the words of Scottish expeditionist, W.H. Murray (based of Goethe's Faust).

"Until one is committed, there is hesitancy, the chance to draw back, always ineffectiveness. Concerning all acts of initiative (and creation), there is one elementary truth the ignorance of which kills countless ideas and splendid plans: that the moment one definitely commits oneself, then providence moves too.
A whole stream of events issues from the decision, raising in one’s favor all manner of unforeseen incidents, meetings and material assistance, which no man could have dreamt would have come his way. I learned a deep respect for one of Goethe’s couplets:
Whatever you can do or dream you can, begin it.
Boldness has genius, power and magic in it!"
- W. H. Murray, from The Scottish Himalayan Expedition (1951)

Whenever training gets difficult I return to this quote and it always brings me home!

So Providence it was...and what a wonderful event!!

GO Netherlands!

I decided to drive by car to Providence after my flying disaster from Texas!

It was a real treat to drive through the Eastern USA -it was so gorgeous!

It was also a relief to keep my bike setup and not worry about a bike build.

The trip was pretty relaxing and despite being long it was quite a fun adventure.

For instance, I had the opportunity the shop in the World's biggest Walmart!

You might not get the full effect from the picture below, but this Walmart requires a map to get around otherwise you can get lost...literally!

I arrived in Providence in the evening and it was so beautiful! And it was soooo hot! Like 100oF hot.

Luckily I had just raced in Texas so this felt pretty cool in comparison!

Spent the next few days checking out the race course. It was going to be a real treat.

The start is in the ocean at the southern tip of RI then we ride upstate into the city.

We check into transition and run around the city for the half marathon!

THis was going to be really exciting!

Narragansett

The start of the race is in Narragansett- a beautiful series of beaches that could have trapped me forever!

The water is warm and the sand and sunshine go for eternity!

THere is a manditory bike check in the day before so I had to get the old bike spiffed up early!

I think my new wheels looked pretty Ninja!

Check in for my Orbea!

At bike check-in I met a great group of friends/family who offered me a ride to the race the next morning. Everyone has to take a shuttle to the start line, so the idea of traveling in a real car was super appealing!

What I was not expecting at 4 am the next morning?

Yep...a stretched Hummer!


An inspiring crew of athletes including the Cullen Clan, Glen and Kyle!

You have not lived until you have ridden a white, stretched Hummer to the start of a race!

Between the music, laser lights, and the hilarious crew of athletes- it was non stop laughter!

Thanks to the Cullen's, Kyle, and Glenn for including me! Hope IM Wisconsin went well and good luck at Lake Placid!

Here comes the sunrise for race start!

Swim: I don't remember much from the swim except the physical beatings.
It was a washing machine out there, and I could not find clean water the entire race.
I came out sputtering and just hoping to get a clean transition to the bike!

Bike: This may not be the fastest bike course in the world but it sure is scenic! It is filled with gorgeous homes, gardens and seascapes!

I was so excited to see my friend Lauren Cullen blow by me in the first five minutes. I tried to hang onto her as we raced through the waterfront highway north to Providence!

Beautiful home on early part of bike course!


We traveled under this tunnel right beside the beach-it is also a cool museum and restaurant!

The plan was to be pretty aggressive on the bike, especially after my horrible bike in Texas.
The goal was to really "give it "on the hills in the later section of the race.
Unfortunately, this strategy drew me a 5 min penalty!

Being aggressive up hill also means passing.
However, passing up hill is not as fast as on the flats, so I did get pretty close to a guy ahead on me. That's when I got the drafting penalty!
It was disappointing because I was pretty sure that steep uphills, and tight turns were "unwritten draft legal" zones. Guess not!

I took my 5 minutes in the penalty box and tried to stay focused. I remembered what the pro Brent McMahon told me once. If you draw a penalty-accept it right away with no complaints. Then use that time to recover.
SO that's what I did.
I politely took my stop watch, got off my bike, stretched and rehydrated! I got back on my bike and felt like superwoman!

The final stage of the bike is slow, hilly and technical.
After the penalty.... the plan was to stay in the race.

T2- filled with running gear in downtown Providence!

Run:
Every runner has one.
The kind of day that occurs every once in awhile.
You start your run, and then it happens......you are running faster, and you find that you can run farther and faster because it just feels good!
It feels easy.
It is like moving with the ground itself.
It isn't so much that it feels extraordinary speedy -it is simply unstoppable!
Like the fog rolling in - it is just inevitable.

I wish I could have bottled the feeling from the race that day- it was magical!

And like all great runs ...I don't remember it....just that wonderful feeling of flying.

When the run started I was in 10th place...and ended up in 2nd!
It was pure shock when I crossed the finish line.

My first trophy the size of a human head!

It was a great day and wonderful to find redemption in Rhode Island.
Providence continues to be one of my favorite words!

Buffalo Springs 70.3 - Lubbock Texas! Magali Tisseyre, Craig Alexander and an IV bag!

2010-09-02T13:34:00.002-03:00

Buffalo Springs Lake 70.3-Lubbock Texas!

I should have known how tough this race would be as I stepped off the plane into unimaginable heat!! As my friend Amy (previously lived in Forth Worth) describes it- Texas heat is like taking the hottest summer day in CAnada ......then setting it on fire!
It was simply the hottest place I have ever been.
115 degree F the day I arrived and it was like moving into an easy bake oven for the week...without the quick cooking snacks!

THe next red flag was when I met Cory Smith, a charismatic lawyer and husband of the lovely and incredibly talented former pro Lauren Smith. (Interestingly this wonderful couple live in the same neighborhood as Tiger Woods and frankly I couldn't help imagining Cory and Lauren out on their pool deck sipping cocktails, as Tiger speeds down the street in a SUV followed by a gorgeous blond with a golf club!)

Cory asks " have you ever done this race before"
"no" I say.
Long pause.....chuckle under his breath....another pause.....
"Your from Canada? How hilly is it up there?"
"Hilly?" I say.
" Have you ever seen the Grand Canyon?" he laughs with a slightly exaggerated tone.

In the spontaneity and excitement of adding this race to my schedule I did neglect to look at the elevations online. The race description read "hilly" but I thought they meant "Texas" hilly!
I was imagining flat with little rollers.....I couldn't have been more wrong!

Realized quickly that you need two things in Texas. A car and lots and lots of air conditioning.
Unfortunately ....I did not have either!

I was traveling on a budget so a car was not in the cards. Luckily the Smiths kindly drove me to the hotel Holiday Inn :)

Prerace:
THe hotel was great and luckily all the event meetings and expo were taking place right there-very convenient. Only problem was that the race start and finish was 30 miles away and I had no car!

View from my hotel room overlooking the indoor pool! I'm pretty sure it would have incinerated outside!

Settled into the hotel, arranged to get my bike built and then remembered Coach Lance's advice to get outside a bit and heat acclimatize.
No problem.
I was getting a bit hungry anyway. I would walk to a nice place to eat and take in some sunshine!

Ha!

I walked outside into an inferno and realized that the nearest food was the Target 2 miles down the road.
Excellent I would get some healthy groceries...stock up... hydrate!
Well.... the only way I can describe this 2 mile journey back and forth from Target is to remind you of the opening sequence from the movie "Total Recall".
Remember the scene where Arnold is on the surface of Mars and his body incinerates, dehydrates and dies in 30 sec...that's pretty much how I felt!

In that 2 miles I literally passed by 25 cactus, 2 free roaming horses, 500 Texas Tech decals, 150 pickups, a camel and 15 pictures of Jesus - all with the pavement melting beneath my feet!

I arrived back at the hotel after what seemed like hours sweating and huffing from carrying water, bread and peanut butter 5 blocks...seriously ...how was I going to do a half Ironman?

Over the next couple of days I did some easy workouts to get used to the heat and warm-up for the race. I tried to stay positive and said stupid things like: " It is what it is", and "oh...its not too bad" -all as the flesh was being burnt off the surface of my body!

One day I took a cab to the race course ...to check it out, and swim in the lake.
My jaw dropped as we drove literally into a canyon!
Not only was this hilly but it was wild twisted roads with technical turns and drops. THis was going to be a roller coaster ride at Disney...not a bike course!
The cab dropped me off with my bike and left me on the side of the road.
I still had a bit of a bike to the lake so I hopped on with my bag and started the descent to the water below.
The first thing I noticed was that my bike seemed to sink slightly into the pavement and this black tarry film formed on my tires. I found out later that in the heat of the day the tar literally melts in the asphalt and creates what is called Texas Ice-apparently it can be quite slippery!

Texas Ice!

At the bottom of the canyon there is a beautiful oasis with large lake, lush green grass and gardens with cottages and homes spread about along the lake shore. It was really lovely inside the canyon and below one got a break from the relentless 50mile/hr winds above !

THe lake was calling my name, so I shook off my things and jumped straight in!
It felt wonderful to be in the water but temperature was still quite warm -no way it was going to be wetsuit legal (it did end up being wetsuit legal and we boiled in our neoprene before the bike even started ...got to love those wetsuits though)

As I returned to shore I was greeted with a wonderful surprise!

My Canadian friends Magali Tisseyre, her mom and their sweet dog were on the beach!
It was so wonderful to see familiar faces!

Myself and Magali's Mom!

Magali and I at the expo

Magali is a pro from CAnada and she is easily one of the best triathletes in the world right now. SHe is also one of the most incredible people you will ever meet. Magali and her mom took care of me all weekend in Texas, taking me to dinners and lunches. WE toured the course together and Magali gave me tips for the bike. The morning of the race they picked me up in their hatch-back and drove me to the race while Magali crammed herself in the back with the bikes!!!! She climbed out of the back and proceeded to win the race with time to spare!!! Un believable!!!
To me, Magali embodies the true spirit of triathlon. She loves her sport, she trains and races with a fierce determination, and yet she is delightfully happy, funny and humble. She has an unlimited capacity for joy in our sport and shares it with every athlete she meets. I have enjoyed watching her win all summer :)

I am starting to ramble.

The race:

Swim: Hot 85oF lake that surprisingly was still wetsuit legal!
My wave was reasonably behaved and there was much jostling at the start.
The lake was flat and buoys were very clear!
THis was a total dream swim.
I found fast feet early and stayed with them the whole way for a pb swim of 28 min!!!

t1: Felt a little dizzy from the heat.
My core temp had risen dangerously in my wetsuit and now I felt awful ! Managed to find my bike and climbed on for the ride out of the canyon!

Bike: The bike was hot, hilly and windy. To be honest I don't remember much other than wondering if I was dragging a 250 pd man behind me! I do remember really trying to push and thinking I was going fast and looking down at 28km/hr!! I wasn't going anywhere fast that day! Was I riding with my breaks on?

t2: WHen I arrived in t2 with a 3 hour ride (same speed as my first tri having never ridden a bike before!) I was so disappointed and I could feel the tears starting to well up. It was 115oF.... almost noon....and I still had a half marathon to do!

Run: Many 70.3 races have a nice flat run after a challenging bike course...not this one! When you are not climbing steep hills you are out on a barren flat, out and back, road with heat mirages rising from the pavement and perpetual beating sun! It felt a bit like a twilight zone episode when you get trapped in a hallway...you run.....but never make progress! I'm convinced there are roads in Texas that never actually end!

Finish:
As I approached the finish line I could feel tears welling up again. I must have been quite a sight to behold. Limping along, crying, flushed and sweaty with sponges stuck out of every part of my tri-suit and hat. It was at that moment I realized that triathlon God, Craig Alexander was at the last aid station handing out water. As I went by he handed me a glass and asked if I was OK. I cried even harder then mumbled something about allergies! Apparently cool under pressure ....I am not!

I crossed the finish line and cried unrelenting tears.
I don't remember what happened after that, but I awakened lying in a cot in a MASH tent with a large bore IV on full blast! I felt better and looked around the room. This tent was a sea of bodies lined up in the dozens with IV's hanging above them. I guess there were a few others who had a tough day too!

I eventually returned to my room and slept for 3 hours.
It was a disappointing race and my slowest on record. It was a tough day but I guess what doesn't kill you right?

Postrace:
The best part of a race is when it's done!
It is wonderful to rest, eat and spend time recounting the great stories with old and new friends.
The lobby and restaurant of the hotel was filled with laughter and lively conversation the next morning.
I had the pleasure of meeting two of the wheelchair athletes. Unbelievable people who had both also been olympic medalists! I was amazed to hear their stories of changing flats and dealing with grueling temperatures and racing up hill with no brakes!
I met others from all over the world who shared their stories and experiences.We laughed outloud about the things that nearly killed us yesterday. The fellowship in those moments after a race are filled with great joy and provide perspective and healing to any of our disappointments!

Racing Ironman is filled with ups and downs.... with good and bad days. It is these challenges that galvanize us and make the journey worthwhile. I guess it wouldn't be called ironman if it was easy.

Ideal Bike Shop ROCKS!!!!

2010-06-23T14:36:00.006-03:00

Of the three sports in triathlon, I find cycling is the most complicated and gear intensive.

After several years of training, I still find myself easily overwelmed by my bike.
At times I feel like a Sherpa preparing for Everest when I organize my bike for a race- especially if I'm flying! (I've made the mistake of trying to board a flight with a CO2 cartridge in my bag and practically found myself strip searched!)

I just picked up my ride from Ideal Bike Shop- checked over and packed with 15 min notice for $20!!!

Bikes ARE complicated and that's why you need a great bike shop ....and I found one just around the corner.

IDEAL BIKE SHOP- on Barrington Street.
http://www.idealbikes.ca/

This week I was pretty desperate to get a tune-up and bike boxing for a race this weekend in Texas.
I decided to do this event at the last minute so I didn't have time to book a time at a shop.

I called Ideal Bikes and they took my bike in 15 minutes.... and it could be ready by the end of the day!
Amazing.....and its not like they aren't busy!
Everytime I've been there since, the store is filled with interesting riders and athletes.
The shop has a great urban vibe and has the cool style of little bike shops I've been to on the west coast.
Mountain bikers have known about this place for a while (The Coast has voted it best bike shop since 2004) and have kept it a closely guarded secret- so now I'm leaking it to the triathlon community!

IDEAL BIKE SHOP is super friendly and are truly interested and passionate about cycling.
They sell new and used bikes at great prices as well as providing stellar service and rentals!
They don't have a tonne of accessories in stock but they can order anything you need!

Check them out-you won't be disappointed!

Aspotogan Peninsula-voted best ride in the world.....by me!

2010-06-21T21:50:00.002-03:00

Aspotogan Peninsula

It doesn't get any better than this!!!

The Aspotogan loop around the peninsula from Chester's East River to Hubbard's is exactly 50km and is exactly ........Awesome!!!
Quiet roads with sandy beaches, ancient little cottages and the smell of seaside roses and lupins around every corner!
The south shore is positively charming and provides a great workout as well as a spectacular experience!

Bayswater beach at sunrise....incredible!

The loop is challenging with some good hills and often a stiff wind.
It can be ridden from either direction, although I prefer starting at the East River end (exit 7 off 103) and riding through to Hubbard's (exit 6 off 103) and around. I find this way a little safer.
The road has been freshly paved in many places this year which is a real treat!

As I mentioned, the loop is 50km so it can be a single loop for a shorter ride, or looped a few times to build up the mileage!

Things can get a little busy in the summer months, so timing is important to get maximum enjoyment!
I would suggest heading out early (5-6am) on weekends and midday during the week.

Don't forget to bring some money to eat at the Trellis Cafe in Hubbards when you are done-it has wonderful homemade sandwiches!

Happy, and safe Riding!

Sprint triathlon - a great day at 14 wing Greenwood triathlon!

2010-06-14T13:24:00.005-03:00

There is something about racing in the Valley- always lots of sunshine, friendly people and lovely quiet roads!
The 14 wing Greenwood airforce base provides an amazing venue with great facilities, wonderful volunteers and well organized flat, fast roads!
This year we biked along the runway which made the bike super fast and fun.

Setting up the early morning transitions area-Andrew and Laura!

I competed in Heat #3-the first sprint heat with a group of amazing ladies-here is our photo girls!!!
We all waited at the finish line to cheer each other-lots of hugs and plenty of water!
Many of these athletes finished their first triathlon today! Huge congratulations to everyone!
Hope we see you ALL again!

All the Heat #3 ladies!

I love the sprint triathlon!
It is lots of fun and a wonderful opportunity to practice using all your gear, transitions and get the feel of race day. Triathlon is a gear intensive sport and requires a great deal of organization.
I figured out much of my area, but I'm still working out a few bugs.

This year we witnessed a great battle between Brad/Matt Piggott and Parker Vaughn! It was a super close finish and a great race to watch.
The Piggott twins will be on the ITU circuit this summer and we wish you the best of luck.
These guys have a great future ahead of them, and can't wait to see them rock Ironman someday too!

Here is Matt Piggott leaving transition for the run!

Moka Case ROCKING the trisuit!

This alone should be inspiration for women to start triathlon!

Seeing all those racked bikes makes me smile every time!

The best part of the day was meeting all the youth athletes this year in the super sprint.

Many of these kids were doing their first triathlon here in Greenwood.

The 15 year old girl who won the youth division helped me clean up afterward!

It was such a pleasure to hear her experiences on the course.

Young athletes have such a wonderful enthusiasm for sport-it is truly inspiring!

A fabulous day and nice to start the triathlon season off with a win.

Finding Balance with family and friends on Wisteria Lane and the Axis of Awesome!

2010-06-07T11:30:00.003-03:00

Triathlon is rather an extreme adventure at times.
Hours of training, solitude, and transitioning between sports!
The last training block was tough with lots of volume, hours of threshold work and lots of racing.
I always know when I need a break.... I start craving a little balance!

This past week it was my son's birthday, so I dove headfirst down the rabbit hole of cakes, bouncy castles and silly games!

We had family over for dinner to celebrate and had tonnes of fun!

I hosted my other son's preschool luncheon and thoroughly enjoyed the time with his teachers and the other moms.
One night, Dave and I actually got dressed up and went out to a nice restaurant with friends!
It was like being Cinderella at the ball-released from duty to enjoy the world!
I ate too much, stayed up too late and indulged in everything!!!

On sat morning (instead of a race) I visited with the masters of balance- the three amazing Cameron sisters- Sally, Lindsay and Lee!
We sat under the Wisteria and talked about life, love, babies and sofas- it was great!

THe canopy of Wisteria over our heads on Lee's deck-unbelievable!!!

All too soon my carriage turned into a pumpkin!
Or rather....my Orbea turned from a coat rack to a racing bike again!
It was off for a four hour ride Sunday morning -the start of a new training block building for a half-ironman!

For now...
Cinderella is back in her lycra and heading to the pool for a swim!

Platypus Triathlon Camp

2010-06-01T23:01:00.007-03:00

What could be better than triathlon camp in an ancient town filled with history, white sandy bottom lakes with 20 degree C water, perfect roads, no traffic, wonderful meals in the dining room of a venerable old manse? There were great training partners and an awesome German coach? Nope it's not Europe- it's Shelburne, Nova Scotia!!!

This past weekend I attended a triathlon training camp with Matthias Jaepel of Platypus METT (http://platypus-coaching.ca/index.php?option=com_frontpage&Itemid=1). It was a wonderful experience and excellent training!

We worked hard, but there was still lots of time to enjoy the beautiful town of Shelburne, learn a little history, eats some great meals and even catch a nap on the sunny deck between workouts!

left to right: Matthias, Karen, and me!

Peter climbing up from the beach after our third swim in the lake Sat!

Time for dinner!

It felt great to get into open water.

I can't remember swimming in a lake before June-and it was lovely and warm too!

I still had a wetsuit on though!!!!

This lake had gorgeous white sand beach and a sandy bottom so it was ideal for practicing entry and exit!

Matthias had a course laid out with buoys and we did LOTS of laps!!!

We worked on bike handling skills- something I needed a great deal of!

We worked on tight turns around cones and practiced accelerating post cornering.

Peter can get aero faster than lightning!

Through the weekend we got some practice group riding, and accomplished lots of transitions.

I am quite thrilled after two years of triathlon, that I can execute an "almost clean" transition!

Deep into our Sat morning ride we saw this gorgeous and colorful house with a widow's peak and a PEACOCK on the roof!!! Definitely the strangest and most unlikely find of the weekend!

We started each morning with an aerobic ride (or tempo ride if Matthias was leading).
Shelburne has dreamy roads and no traffic- a perfect combination for some really great cycling!
We passed by old historical homes, crossed charming old bridges and lazy rivers.

The roads were so quiet we often had them to ourselves!

Downtown Shelburne!

After a busy weekend we topped it all off with a "multi-brick"- which is basically an olympic distance triathlon with lots, and lots of transitions! It was super tough but a fantastic learning experience!
Overall camp was a great success.
I left Sunday in "the jag" (http://laurakeefe.blogspot.com/2010/01/jag.html)
very tired and happy after a great weekend of quality training!

The Magic of the Bluenose Marathon

2010-05-28T12:47:00.006-03:00

I am excited and proud to be the winner of the Bluenose Half marathon this year- a race that means a great deal to me, and to our community!
Five years ago, I ran my first running race- the Bluenose marathon- in a raging wind and rain storm!
It was the hardest and best thing I had ever done and I pretty much came last!

Coming across the finish line in the sunshine: a big change from the hurricane conditions from five years ago!

Gosh... when I think back to that first race... I was dressed in long pants, cotton t -shirt and a long non -breathing rain jacket!
I had a 20 pd weight belt tightly wrapped around my waist as I slogged around the city in gusts of wind that nearly knocked us all down.
My children cheered from our house, dressed in winter clothes, as I stopped for hugs and kisses.
I went through 15 gels, 3 bananas and had to take 20 minutes in bathroom breaks.
I laugh now because my pace bunny had to eventually take her "ears" off with her posted time, because I was so far behind my goal!

I will never forget the volunteers and crowds who braved the storm to support the runners that day.
People like Coach Gary McDonald and my Uncle Bill McCormick who stood on street corners, freezing and soaking wet, to cheer us on! As a runner you always remember the people who cheer - it is such a special gift!
Runners may not be able to acknowledge it, but ALWAYS greatly appreciate the warmth and generosity of this support. You don't need to clap or scream out words, the act of simply standing there means more than you know!

When I came across the line that rainy wet day, I jumped (well.. fell really) into the arms of my proud and wonderful family.
I was SO happy- and TOTALLY hooked on running!

The day after the Bluenose I devoured the Chronicle Herald- our local voice. It has become a bit of a tradition, as I know it is for many of us. We go through the lists and celebrate the victories of so many friends and family. The people we see there make us proud and excite our passion for next year. For some.. it ignites the desire to try it for themselves!

There is no denying it...we are now a running town!
Look at Denise Robson and Rami Bardessi, arguably two of the fastest marathoners in the world-right here in Halifax!
And check out the youth run on the Sat before marathon day!
This run grows each year and believe me, you haven't seen joy until you've witnessed thousands of children running together!

Every year, I see more and more runners on our streets, and every year, more and more children are introduced to the joy of sport. People are running faster, thinking healthier, eating better, and reaching and striving for their personal goals!
The Bluenose has been the inspiration and beginning for so many runners across our region.
Each year it is filled with returning athletes ready to race their personal best, and new runners ready to complete for the first time!
The Bluenose challenges us with hills, turns, crowds and sometimes epic weather, but we keep returning.
The Bluenose does not have the warm, soft, approachable easiness of the Valley Harvest marathon or the comfortable trail of the Johnny Miles, but there is something about it!
Maybe because it is the first race we've done..... or maybe because it is hard?
Regardless, one can't deny it's influence on our community!

Five years ago after the Bluenose marathon I got a call from a friend. She was a runner, and had been in the Bluenose as well that year. She asked if I would like to run sometime.
That friend was Colleen Drohan.
Since then she and I have gone on countless runs, participated in so many races and helped support each other through all the ups and downs of life.
She is one of my dearest friends, and we found one another because of the Bluenose marathon!

Since that first race, years ago, I have relied on the support of so many people.
I have to pinch myself when I think of all the wonderful things in my life that have spun from running.
I think of the amazing and inspiring people I've met- the places near, and far I've had an opportunity to visit.
It is humbling to see the incredible athletes around me, many of whom I'm glad weren't there on Sunday to kick my butt!

Thanks to my husband David Keefe who is the most amazing person I've ever met. The depth of his character is infinite and I cannot even express my gratitude for his tireless help and encouragement. His passion for sport is contagious and fuels me everyday!

Thanks to my children, and parents who are always my inspiration and like so many of us, our dream is to see the pride in their eyes.

Thanks to my dear friends Lindsay and Lee Cameron , and my amazing babysitter Julienne Theriault who cares for my kids when I can't!
Thanks to Margaret and Paula who rearrange my schedule for races and training-your support is so appreciated!
Thanks to all the cougars who remind me of the warmth, generosity and strength of women!
Thanks to Robert Dunn who brings me a bottle of Champagne after every race and reminds me to set my goals for the highest mountains!
Thank-you to the runners, strangers and friends who help during races- pointing out rocks shielding the wind, sharing nutrition or a kind word. The generosity of runners astounds and humbles me, and I cannot count the times I have been helped by another runner.

So many of my running and triathlon goals have been achieved because of my coach Lance Watson from Lifesport coaching.
When I first started training with Lance, I didn't think I'd be able to get through one of the workouts let alone a week, or a years full of these challenges.
Lance's workouts have pushed me to the very limits of my physical and psychological courage but have been a crucible to forge a deep and enduring strength.
When I think I can only do 5 of something , he asks for 20.
I think...... that's crazy!
I do it...and think wow....that's crazy, and I did it!
Lance has taught me that people are capable of achieving more than they ever know.

Thomas Kochanoff from the Tower at St.Mary's is my Strength/Conditioning coach and has been a huge help both mentally and physically. He has improved my strength, my balance, and prevents many injuries. He's invested in every workout and every race, and has a wonderful gift for being able to convert nervousness to excitement!

Gary McDonald, my swim coach, works tirelessly to help me do the impossible-improve my swim times!
For triathletes like myself, who come to swimming late in life, the swim can feel a lot like golf. The harder you try, the worse it gets!
Gary patiently stands on deck with his stop watch and we work for hours to shave the seconds!

Thanks to Al Yarr, Matt Sheiffield and all the Dal runners who have welcomed me into their "Halifast" group! They have taught me what real hill training looks like!

To all the ladies at Restless Pines who are pursing my true love-horseback riding- I can't wait to join you in the barn soon!

Thanks to my friends and family all over the world!

I'm looking forward to the upcoming season. There is still so much to learn!
My swimming is making strides, but I still find myself being passed by 8 year olds!

I'm especially looking forward to the World Championships in Hungary this Sept with Angela Ripley, Suzanne Ferrier, Heather Doucette, Rhonda Cook and Mary-Claude Gregoire;
and Ironman Florida with Kelley Polley, Richard Lecky and John Burke and families!

Congratulations to all the runners this weekend: the young, old, woman, men, rookie, veteran, healthy, sick, tartaned, fresh legged, biked legged, and 12 hours on the treadmill legged, to those who ran with goals or ran for friends, to those who finished easily and to those who nearly passed out!

We will see you all next year!

Laura

High Performance Muffins- My sports nutritionist has inspired me to make a plee for healthy calorie dense recipes!

2010-05-21T10:40:00.001-03:00

These muffins are a great snack and filled with tonnes of nutritional density!

My new sport's nutritionist Angela Dufour is awesome.
I met with her on Monday night on the recommendation of one of the uber-fast Dal girls Cara Groves!
After a wonderful visit with Angela she suspects that I might not be getting enough calories/ protein.

Solution: I am carefully documenting my food/exercise for the week and we are going to meet again to come up with a plan.
As I am now inspired nutritionally, my motivation this week is to gather to recipes for food that is calories/nutrition dense, portable (to take to office/workouts) and somewhat palatable.

My mom provided my first recipe for seed/ nut bread that I turned to muffins.
I have included pictures and recipe in this blog.

Anyone reading this.....I would love some recipes/ ideas if you have them!

Seed/Fruit muffins

3 cups dark buckwheat
1 cup spelt flour
1 cup oatmeal
1/2 cup flax seed
1/2 cup flax meal
1/2 cup cornmeal
5 large eggs
1 cup blackstrap molasses or honey
1/2 cup maple syrup
1 cup sunflower/pumpkinseeds/walnuts- as you like
3 tablespoon vanilla
1 tablesppon baking powder
1/2 tablespoon baking soda
1 cup soy milk (add more as needed if too dry)
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon/nutmeg/ginger
1 cup dates
1/2 cup raisins/apricots
1/2 cup dried cranberry
2 tables spoons olive oil

Mix ingredients, place in greased muffin tins-I like silicon!

Bake for 20 min at 350 degree!

Yummy!

Triathletes Killed While Training Near Montreal, Quebec

2010-05-15T10:32:00.001-03:00

Three Triathletes Killed in Montreal

Three triathletes were struck and killed by a pickup truck near Montreal, Quebec on Friday, May 14. Three others were critically injured in an accident that officials described as, “a tragedy, incomprehensible, a disaster.”

Cyclists, please be careful out there today!
If you are driving, take an extra moment to look out for others sharing the road.
The person on that bike is someone's mother, brother, son or daughter.

For some really awesome bike safety tips -check out this site:
http://bicyclesafe.com/

Mother's Day on the Rails to Trails!

2010-05-13T06:51:00.005-03:00

One of the jewels of Nova Scotia is certainly the "Rails to Trails" along the gorgeous south shore.
As the name implies it is an old railroad line that has been turned into a trail system. There are hundreds of km of safe, well maintained, easy riding trails all across the province.

I often complete my long bike rides along this trail on my cyclocross bike. (And stop for a snack at the Bike and Bean coffee shop at exit 5-but that's another story!)
The day before these pictures were taken, I ran for 1.5 hours in the city with Colleen and then biked for 3 hrs 15 minutes on the trail to get to the cottage!

On mother's day, our family, including three generations packed up a little snack and headed out on the trail!
We rode from the cottage to Cleveland beach-one of many gorgeous white sandy beaches along the way.

Stopped to get the bikes sorted out!
Darcy, our three year old rides on the back of Dave's bike.
Henry is 5 and Ella is 7-they can easily speed along these safe and flat trails away from traffic!

My Dad figuring out his helmet-almost!

The trails can be used for everything from biking, hiking, cross country skiing (in the winter) and horseback riding (see above)!

Ella and my mom ready to ride!

We stopped for a snack and a play on the beach!

Riding a bike allows you to be a kid again.

Get out there and check it out-you will love it!
Here is a link to find out more info on St Mrgaret's Bay Trails:
http://www.stmargaretsbaytrails.com/
http://novascotiarailwayheritage.com/lighthouse.htm
http://www.blttrails.ca/index.html

Love letter to our Magnolia!

2010-05-11T12:10:00.002-03:00

Each May for a fleeting but glorious moment, our magnolia blooms into a show stopping feast of saucer size pink blossoms!
It is a herald for spring and makes me smile with the memory of some wonderful people!

Magnolia blossoms

I think fondly of Dave's mother Anna.
She was, of course, the gardener who many years ago delicately planted the little sapling magnolia so cleverly in the perfect spot.
I imagine her placing it in the ground hoping that future generations would enjoy its beauty-and indeed they are.

It also reminds me of Mrs Robertson.

When Dave and I originally bought our house it was divided into four flats.
The second floor was inhabited by a wise and eccentric lady in her late 80's named Theodora Robertson.
Mrs Robertson was sweet and kind and especially loved to feed the squirrels and birds off the second floor balcony. Birdseed, bread and and lunch leftovers would often rain from the sky as she fed her animals. I remember one day sitting on the deck with my friend Denisa (we were probably relaxing after a long day in medical school) and a piece of steak plummeted from the second story above and landed on my head!

In those early years, I spent hours working in the garden- digging, planting weeding!
There is nothing like the feeling of tending your home and the primal joy of getting one's hands in the dirt and turning the soil.
One summer, I was particularly obsessed with the house and yard....the summer I was expecting our first child Ella.

That summer Mrs Robertson came down to visit me in the yard every afternoon.
She was smartly dressed in a beautiful light pink suit, strings of pearls and perfect make-up.
Mrs Robertson would slowly stroll through the garden and admire the flowers -taking her time to smell and regard each little section.
It must have been quite an effort for a lady in her late eighties to attend to herself so carefully; walk down two flights of stairs; then walk around the property only to climb back up again.

Mrs Robertson was a real lady, and of course she thought I was the gardener!
Nine months pregnant, dressed in the ugliest maternity pants you ever saw, and covered in dirt-I must have been a site to behold!
Whether she was lonely, or felt sorry for me I'll never know. But one afternoon she invited me up to her second floor flat for a cup of tea and cookies.
I was thrilled to take a break (cranky and pregnant) and was so curious to see her apartment.

We went in the front door and up to her entry.
Her flat was perfectly clean and filled with gorgeous old antiques and pictures of her family.
She guided me into a huge room in the front of the house which was her sitting area.
I sunk into the most comfortable (and largest) sofa as she made the tea.
There was a sweet little ornate fireplace in the corner of the room and loads of sunshine spilling in through rounded bay windows.

What took my breath away was the magnolia.
Those massive blossoms danced in the sunlight and created a pink sunny curtain around the room.
I couldn't take my eyes off their beauty as Mrs Robertson told me her life's story.
She showed me her pictures and told me stories about Halifax during WW2.
She and her husband had owned "Thorndeen" the gorgeous Manse next door and after his death she sold the house and had rented here for the last 40 years.
She shared stories of her children and how much she loved to garden.
It was a lovely visit....and the last I ever had with her.

Two days later I went into labor and gave birth to Ella.
While I was in the hospital, Mrs Robertson died in her sleep in that beautiful room full of magnolia blossoms.
Dave and I went to her funeral the next week with our week old little girl.

Years have passed since then.... too quickly I might add!
I am still out there toiling each spring in the garden- still mistaken as the gardener in my sweat pants!
We have renovated and changed our house many times to accomodate our growing and busy family.

Mrs Robertson's sitting room with the magnolia blossoms is now my daughter Ella's beautiful pink bedroom.

And each spring I wait to see the magnolia bloom.

Ella's bedroom

Interested in Magnolias?
http://www.magnoliasociety.org/

Fishetarian Grilling- Fishshish kabobs!

2010-05-07T19:48:00.003-03:00

It's been several weeks of vegetarian +fish and the meals have been awesome!

I don't miss meat at all.

I'm feeling super healthy, and it had been really fun to try out some new recipes.

Interestingly eating fishetarian has also cut our grocery bills!

My inspiration for tonight's dinner was from my dear friend and food writer/author

Lindsay Cameron Wilson's cookbook "Grill"!

Actually.... she very sweetly dropped this ear-marked copy off for me to check meal ideas and then

proceeded to fly to Florida for two weeks.

I am very jealous.

She is probably sipping pina coladas on the beach right now!

Tonight's meal was skewers of halibut, onion, red pepper and eggplant.

I drizzled them with olive oil, 5 cloves of garlic, lime juice, lemon juice and fresh oregano.

They could easily be BBQ'd but I opted to bake them in the oven for 30 min at 400 o in oven!

I served them with fresh lemon juice and parmesan cheese!

Here is the link to more of Lindsay's great cookbooks!

http://www.lindsaycameronwilson.ca/cookbooks.html

Saddened by the loss of Craig Blake

2010-05-05T12:29:00.001-03:00

All our thoughts go out to the family and friends of Craig Blake (middle -photo above) who was killed Monday by an improvised explosive device as he returned to camp in Panjwai District southwest of Kandahar city.
Craig was a member of a diving unit based in Shearwater, N.S. and leaves behind his wife and two boys.

He was a great athlete and a friend to many in our local triathlon community-all of us are saddened by his loss.

Thanks to my friend Lynne Patterson who provided this photo from a team triathlon they won together.

It is a very sad story and a reminder that life is so fragile and precious.

Beautiful bridal shower!

2010-05-05T09:01:00.001-03:00

My Cousin Kelly is getting married this summer!

We are all very excited, especially my daughter Ella who will be the flower girl!

My mom and I hosted a wedding shower for Kelly last week.

Here are some pics!

Mom made this gorgeous pink apple blossom cake!

The table was filled with vintage glass, crystal, silver and porcelain.

Green depression glass filled with fruit!

Ella liked the brownies!

We all loved the crystal bowl filled with triffle.

Whipped cream, chocolate, strawberries!

Mom made her famous chocolate and meringue mushrooms.

They look just like mushrooms-but are delicious treats!

On the right corner you will see the wedding cake cheese tray.

Just pile layers of round cheese on top of one another to form a wedding cake shape!

Kelly and her wonderful bridesmaids!

The flower girls making ribbon bouquets!

Kelly getting decorated!

Spring Cleaning-Tapering gives some extra time for organizing!

2010-04-29T16:02:00.000-03:00

With a generous taper this week (yeah) in hopeful anticipation for a personal best 10km time there is just one thing to do with all this time....Spring cleaning!

I've been down on my hands and knees all week to organize!

Nothing like a little cleaning and tidying to fall in love with your house all over again!

Here are the results:

I cleaned out the sitting room- all fresh white with hints of turquoise and bright yellow!

Dusted and cleaned the kitchen. Got things off the counter and put away!

Cleaned out the drawers and organized pots and pans!

Bought some turquoise tumblers and the dollar store for a splash of color!

Cleaned up the TV/den/toy room!

Put toys away in cupboard and organized them.

Cleaned up the kitchen office and planned summer activities for kids! Ahhh...big relief!

Organized my pantry/craft closet!

I placed my Restoration Hardware candle set in the shelf above the TV! It gives a beautiful glow to the room at night!

I organized the two bulletin boards in the den to hold the kid's latest artwork!

The kids created the paintings to decorate a huge wall space-I love them!

Created a place for Dave's olympic flame!

Organized my collection of vintage milkglass and 1950's pyrex!

Got some lemons and fresh napkins in bright turquoise for color!

And done....until the kids get home!

Trout and Avocado Sandwich!

2010-04-27T18:57:00.005-03:00

Trout and Avocado Sandwich

After a message from one of my reader: Leah J. I checked out the Clearwater fish site and was inspired to create the following incredible sandwich-you won't believe how amazing it tastes and packed full of nutrition!

Here are the layers:

1. Bread: Ezekiel 4:9 100% sprouted organic bread (available at local organic section of grocery)

2. Rainbow trout: Place fillet in tinfoil with olive oil, garlic and dill-bake at 400 for 20min.

3. Avocado: One whole avocado peeled, pitted and smooshed in bowl. I then like to add two cloves of garlic and some lemon juice! ( THis is delicious on anything)

4. Hummus: Layer of hummus on one side of bread.

5. Broccoli slaw with cabbage and carrots (from bag) !

This can be made in under half an hour!
I got home at 5:30 pm after a busy day at work.
By 6:00 we were sitting at the table eating this and also had time to write this blog!

Greenwood 10km- Wonderful excuse to play in the Annapolis Valley!

2010-04-27T09:03:00.003-03:00

THe Greenwood 10km race was this weekend and we decided to turn it into a bit of a family vacation!
One of the things I love about road racing is the opportunity to explore the beautiful parts of our province!
There are so many great races, and so many incredible places!
There is nothing better than packing the car up on a sunny day and heading out of the city for adventure and the Annapolis Valley is one of my favorites destinations!

Dave's wonderful cousin Jennifer Jollimore lives in Coldbrook NS just 30 min from the race start. She offered for us to stay with her AND watch the kids in the morning so we could both race!
Pretty much a dream come true really!
Wonderful accommodations, the comfiest beds I've ever slept on, delicious food, AND babysitting!

It was better than the Ritz!

The races at the Greenwood airforce base always impress me-in fact the are so well organized and the facilities are so amazing it makes me want to join the military!

Check out the gym at Greenwood- rows and rows of high tech gear!'

They even had specialized road bikes available for rides!

There is also a track and a wonderful pool as well!

When we first walked into the sports facility to register we saw this big screen with people chatting live from an airforce base in Afghanistan!

We were excited to find out that the people there were going to run a simultaneous 10km race with us...so cool!

Aside from the obvious location differences, our race was 5 oC and theirs was going to be a scorching 38 oC! Yikes!

WE all signed a poster for the troops in Afghanistan!

My husband David raced and took a smokin' 4 minutes off his 10km pb for a time of 40 min!

I posted my best 10km time -39min!

My fellow Halifast runner-Megan!

Fellow triathlete Bruce after a great race!

Rayleen Hill (with a superfast race) and her husband Kurt Stevenson!
I wish I also had a picture of Heather Goodfellow. She had a spectacular race as well!

Fellow Halifast runner Sandy stretching after a great race!

After the race we met up the Jennifer and the kids at the Oaklawn Zoo in Alyesford!

SOOOO fun!

We wanted to take this little baby miniature pony home with us...so cute!

At the end of the day we crossed the province and went to mom and Dad's cottage in Hubbards NS for some well deserved rest!

Mom made us homemade sweet potato soup and salmon sandwiches as we relaxed from our view of the ocean from our sofas!

What a great weekend!

Evening Nutrition for a crowd: Bouillabaisse

2010-04-26T08:42:00.006-03:00

Evening Nutrition: Bouillabaisse!

I'm experimenting with my nutrition so for the next two months I am only eating fish-no meat!
So far I love it-and it feels amazing!

All that seafood has inspired some great new food in the kitchen! Try this recipe!

On Wednesday nights we have a family dinner including Dave's 95 year old grandmother!
I had to find a fish recipe that would serve a crowd of 14 ...so I made bouillabaisse-or fish stew!

Bouillabaisse, or fish stew, in such a nutritious meal and serves a crowd!

Here is my recipe for healthy Bouillabaisse -it is delicious and nutritious!

First saute onion, celery, leeks, fennel, parsley, garlic, orange zest and oregano! It looks delicious and forms a great base!

Vegetables

1/2 cup white onion, roughly chopped.
1/2 cup celery, roughly chopped
5 leeks (white part only) roughly chopped into rings
1/4 cup fennel, roughly chopped (optional)
5 tablespoons chopped Italian parsley
5 tablespoons chopped curly parsley
2 tablespoons fresh chopped basil
7 cloves crushed garlic
zest of one orange
six skinless, seedless tomatoes (canned tomatoes also work well, maybe use seven tomatoes as they're generally smaller)
1 five and a half ounce can (156 ml) tomato paste

Seasoning

5 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
one tablespoon paprika
one tablespoon crushed black peppercorns
one teaspoon saffron
one teaspoon cayenne pepper-I like a little heat!
one teaspoon salt (Hint: Mix all spices together in a bowl)
2 cups clam juice (two small bottles)-on Lindsay's suggestion I used this instead of fish stock!
5 cups water ( one cup was actually white wine)
3 bay leaves

Seafood

(There are no true amounts; the goal is to assemble six to eight cups in total of seafood. Use more of the seafood that you enjoy.)

Add whatever seafood you like-(Above) I added shrimp, scallops, salmon and talapia!

bay scallops
jumbo shrimp
calamari
mussels
little neck clams
salmon fillets
monkfish (option: swordfish)

Method

Heat olive oil on medium high. Add the roughly chopped vegetables (white onion, celery, leeks) Saute for a few moments until the vegetables become translucent.
Add garlic cloves, chopped parsley, oregano and orange zest. Stir until well blended.
Place food mill over pot and pass through the skinless, seedless tomatoes. (Option, add canned tomatoes)
Add blended spices.
Add can of tomato paste, clam juice and water. Stir to blend.
Add seafood (bay scallops, shrimp, calamari, clams, mussels, salmon and monkfish)
Give everything a good stir, then drop bay leaves on top. Reduce heat to simmer, cover pot and allow the bouillabaisse to simmer for 45 minutes. Do not remove the lid of the pot while the bouillabaisse cooks. This allows all of the flavors to blend nicely.
You may wish to garnish the bowls of bouillabaisse with a wedge of lemon.

A nice French Chardonnay would compliment this Bouillabaisse. French baguettes or cornbread makes a good bread accompaniment!

Enjoy!

I served this meal with homemade cornbread topped with lemon-so yummy!

Congratulations Boston Marathoners!

2010-04-22T14:30:00.003-03:00

What a Boston marathon!
It was so inspirational to watch all my friends complete this amazing race!
Our Maritime runners are incredible!
Denise Robson, 41, won the women’s 40-44 masters class and Rami Bardeesy, also 41, had his ninth consecutive best time in Boston to place third in the men’s 40-44 age division.
More than 100 Nova Scotians participated in the 114th edition of the race.
Enfield’s Harry Neynens was third among the Bluenoses in 2:49:36. Dartmouth’s Ray Moorehead (2:50:55), Halifax’s Shawn Deleu (2:53:49), Bedford’s David Holder (2:56:32) and Halifax’s Leah Jabbour (2:59:48) all broke the three-hour mark.
Congratulations to:
Colleen Drohan
Karalynn Burke
Andrew Dacanay
John Young
Mark McMullen
Dave Kachan
Ethan Michaels
Dave Kachan
Marie-Claude Gregoire
Tammy Mercier
DArcy Stevens
Lisa Cichelli
George and Mark Pothier-father and son team running together!
Lisa Wilson
Kelly Cormier
Louise Murphy
Rebecca Walker

My running partner Colleen Drohan -raced in her first Boston Marathon!

Morning nutrition!

2010-04-21T09:09:00.001-03:00

After reading the book Racing Weight by Matt Fitzgerald (http://laurakeefe.blogspot.com/2010/02/racing-weight.html) I have been inspired to eat more nutritiously. The goal is not to loose weight but to fuel my body with the ingredients it needs to build and recover from workouts.
A challenge for me has always been breakfast. What can you eat for breakfast that it filling, satisfying and healthy? There is only so much oatmeal I can take!
My mother actually was the one who inspired our family's latest nutritional adventure.
Jane Reardon, my mom, has introduced to us a new smoothie that is super delicious and wonderfully nutritious!

Here is the morning regime:

1. 2 glasses of water with lemon ( this can also be served warm): This is super hydrating and the acid in the lemon kick starts digestion (makes sense!).

2. Smoothie:

Blend together:
2 carrots
1 apple
1 orange (peeled)
1 cup shredded cole slaw (I buy the bags)
1 sprig parsley
2 stalks celery

I know it sounds gross-but it is amazing and really refreshing!

1 large glass of this and you are full for the whole morning and have fueled your body with tonnes of nutrients.

You'll love it!

Why are triathletes so dorky?

2010-04-15T09:11:00.004-03:00

Looking super dorky after the Ironman 70.3 World Championships!

Yes, triathletes look dorky.

Above.... is my case in point!
The bright colors, the too-tight clothes and that slightly manic look in the eyes!
There is so much gear that one feels somewhat like a cyborg rigged with straps, watches, HR monitors, visors, glasses, gels, granola bars, water bottles, cell phones Co2 cartridges etc etc.
Then, there is race day with race bibs, wrist bands and the ever so dorky tattoo!

Cyclists and triathletes are often misunderstood so...
I feel like I must spend a few moments defending myself and my nerdy compatriots!

Why so colorful?

If you have ever cycled any distance outside you will figure out pretty quickly why one needs all the bright colors. Picture yourself traveling 50km/hr or faster down a hill with a narrow margin of potholed, rubble filled space with cars zooming past you! It can be pretty scary ....and you want to stand out and be as bright as possible so cars see you ...and avoid you!
I have been brushed so close by cars that I could have reached out and turned the channel on their radio as they drove by!
When I go out for a ride I shamelessly put on my most obnoxious outfits-yes offensive and annoying...but at least you see me!!!!

Why so tight?

Cycling gear is tight for several reasons.
Stick your hands out of your car sometime and see what it does to anything loose fitting. There is nothing more annoying than something flying around in the wind while you are riding. It is unsafe and irritating not to mention un-aerodynamic!
Layers of tight fitted high performance clothing are warmer and less drafty than loose fitting wear. High performance gear is tight for warmth, for wicking sweat off your body and sometimes for body compression. Chafing problems? Loose fitting clothes might be your issue. If you want to be comfortable and fast.... a cotton t-shirt just doesn't cut it!
If you think cyclists look dorky...try watching someone attack a hill in aero position with a loose fitted t-shirt blowing and shaking around in the wind!

Why the shorts?

Yes biking shorts might look, and feel like the goofiest thing on the planet...but they do serve an important purpose. I'm not going to go into full details here, but if you are planning to ride for more than half an hour at a time I suggest investing in one of these cushioned cut-offs! They become your best friend very quickly!
I'm not a big fan of running with a shami (the felt cushion inside the shorts) but I'm not willing to ride the bike without one yet. (I prefer to have sensation in that area of my body after a race.)
During the season, I will often do a few running races in tri-gear to get myself used to speedy running in puffy pants! (yep...as you might have guessed...get lots of "you're a dork" looks for this!)

Why so much gear?

Don't forget that triathlon is three sports and comes with the gear most sherpa's would find shocking! Ironman in particular is mostly a 12+ hour race including three sports and two transitions. This requires some infrastructure around! It is simply irresponsible to head out into a big triathlon or training session without the appropriate clothing, safety gear, nutrition.

Why the tattoo?

I don't know-this is just dorky!
And by the way...really hard to wash off.
If you see a triathlete with numbers still on....trust me it's there because it didn't come off easily...trust me I've tried to scrape it off. (The worst is actually when you sunburn your arms/legs except for the black tattoo numbers. Then, even when it is washed off you have a permanent white number tattoo!)

Hopefully this gives some insight into the triathlete's wardrobe disfunction.
But at the end of the day it is still pretty funny looking.

I found the following letter someone wrote to cyclists.....I find it quite hilarious!

Dear cyclists,

"I think it's great that you are saving the environment, getting some healthy exercise or just too broke to afford a motorized vehicle.
I any case, I think cycling is good!
But cycling outfits are not!
Just because spandex does stretch....doesn't mean you need to sausage yourself into an overpriced cycling jacket that gives most people the look of a pre-comeback Brittany Spears!
The same goes for the tight shorts and the shoes that attach to your bike pedals. Thus assuring that if your bike gets in an accident that you are staying with your bike through that accident!

The ever so annoying clippity-clop that cycling shoes make when you get off your bike and walk around are a nice little irritant bonus as well.
Then there are the helmets which appear to be manufactured for giant alien heads rather than humanoid craniums. I realize that they are designed to give an aerodynamic edge, but here's the thing. You are riding down a crowded public street going 10km/hr not flying down the Pyrenees mountains in the Tour de France!
So do yourself a favor and all able-sighted people a favor too and replace your outfits with a sensible t-shirt/ shorts and non-clippity-clop shoes!
Thank-you."

We All Look Dorky, And Let's Not Forget It!

Life is way too short and precious to worry about what other people think when you're out doing something.
Self-consciousness is the enemy of fun.
It's the enemy of feeling comfortable.
It's the enemy of achievement.
Decide right now to banish self-consciousness from your journey to triathletehood. Don't worry about what you look like in Lycra, or whether your boobs jiggle when you run, or whether your beer belly gets in the way of your aerodynamic tuck on the bike.
Remember, we all look dorky!
Believe that your body, like any body, was made to be moved, and that any body in motion is a glorious thing.

The Sam Worthington Bike Workout-the benefits of trainer riding!

2010-04-14T21:16:00.002-03:00

What do you do when you are crunched for time and have a long bike ride in your schedule?
Why the basement Sam Worthington bike trainer workout of course!

Most triathletes and cyclists immediately grimace and think "boring" at the first suggestion of riding their bike on a stationary trainer.
Trainer riding is wonderful and has numerous benefits and advantages.
I am confident that once you experience the benefits of indoor riding in the convenience of your own home you will agree.

My little bike world in the basement!

BENEFITS OF TRAINER RIDING

1. Solid aerobic base:

Triathletes and cyclists should also understand that early base phase is the most important time of the year to build a solid aerobic and endurance base, along with improving technique.
Without a solid base, there is no foundation upon which to improve. Athletes often think they can get by riding outside and going to spinning classes or riding a stationary bike at the health club when weather prohibits outdoor riding. Spinning classes can be a nice alternative once in a while, but generally spinning is much more of an anaerobic workout, and during the base phase most of the focus should be on building aerobic and endurance capacity.

2. Efficient:

City dwellers often find it efficient to jump on the trainer year round and ride inside rather than battle the congestion and mayhem on the streets below.
Riding the trainer means not having to worry and fuss so much about gear (layers, water bottles, helmets, money, cell phone, tubes, co2 cartridges etc.) All you have to do is strap on your shoes and pull up your shorts!
You are also not spending time road driving to an appropriate spot or having to call your husband to come pick you up because of a flat!

3. Control more variables and work on technique:

The trainer gives you control and provides a great workout without cheating. There is no resting, downhills, drafting, traffic lights or stop signs. Instead, you are constantly pedaling at a steady effort. You also eliminate distractions and can be totally focused on your effort.
It allows me to follow many cycling variables including power, tension, and time.
When riding the trainer, you can repeat your workouts consistently and measure your improvements.
The trainer is also a great opportunity to work on technique. You can work on single leg and other drills all without worry about traffic, weather or road conditions.
On Lance's recommendation at the end of each bike I practice slipping my shoes off and on. This gives me an opportunity to safely practice transition preparation!

4. Safe :

This speaks for itself-no one ever got hit by a car in their basement!

Ok so it is no fuss, no muss.

But how do you fight the boredom?

SUGGESTIONS FOR SUCCESS

1. Get good equiptment:
Get the best trainer you can afford.
This will improve your indoor ride in a number of ways.
First, you will have a more smooth and quiet ride.
There is nothing worse than a loud jerky tire!
Also take the time to make sure that you have a good bike fit, proper shoes and a comfortable seat. You will be logging in some miles!
Second, the better quality your trainer the more variables you will have to monitor. It is a huge asset to follow your power, speed, distance during your ride!

2. Set up a great training environment:

Take the time to set up a nice space for yourself.
Find a place in your home where you have plenty of space to position your bike. Once you have your bike set up on the trainer, you may want to set up an end table to the side of your bike for extra water bottles, towels, TV and VCR remotes and nutrition. Next, place a large towel or mat underneath your bike to prevent puddles from damaging your floor, and protect your bike from corrosive sweat with a bike bra. Also place a fan near you to circulate air in the room. You want to create a comfortable riding atmosphere so you feel good.
You are going to heat up more indoors so be prepared for the sweat.

3. Watch a movie/TV:

Watching a movie/TV while riding is a great way to entertain yourself while riding.
I have a weakness for Terminator movies so this week I opted for Terminator Salvation (#4).
It is not exactly an academy award winner but a solid heart pumping adventure!
And this was how I tapped into an idea for workout inspiration.....Sam Worthington!

I have to admit to having an innocent screen crush on Sam Worthington (despite the laughter from my brother Marc!), star of Avatar, Terminator 4 and now the remake of the classic Clash of the Titans.
Since my heart rate rises just a little when he is on screen- I tried to use this to my advantage!

Why not Sam Worthington Intervals?

On this particular day I had a 3 hour ride with HR between zone 1-3, so basically a very aerobic long ride.
I started out spinning at 90rpm with my HR low at zone 1 and just warmed up for 15 min.
Then every time Sam Worthington enters a scene, I increase intensity for 15/20min until my HR is in zone 2-3, then back off for 5-10 min rest.
It keeps the ride basically very aerobic but forces me to change my cadence, speed, power, HR through an ordinarily pretty basic ride.

Just a silly suggestion:
Feel free to exchange Sam Worthington for Johnny Depp or Angelina Jolie or whoever!

So grab some fuel and head down to the basement for a good movie!
And remember “An hour on the trainer can be worth two on the road"!

Adventure knitting

2010-04-03T10:49:00.003-03:00

Who knew you could combine incredible adventure with so much color and creativity!

Last weekend I went on an amazing trip to Tancook Island with some really inspiring women and learned to knit!

The leader of this adventure is Lucy Neatby, a world class artist and teacher.

She runs a wonderful business called Tradewind Knitwear Designs.

Here is the Link:

http://www.lucyneatby.com/

We started the day on the ferry to Tancook Island from Chester and headed off to the most fascinating island off the coast of Nova Scotia. We hiked the dirt roads in the sunshine and arrived at Lucy's romantic cottage by the sea!

We unpacked all our projects with rainbows of colorful yarn.

A harvest table was set with Curry bread, cookies and tea! (I was starving from a tough 2 hour run that day and nearly ate everything there!)

Here are some photos of the day!

We arrived by ferry to Big Tancook Island!

Then we hiked along the shoreline to Lucy's cottage.

Lucy's cottage is a feast of color and creativity!
How can you not be inspired sitting on a zebra sofa in a room painted bright pink?

A few of the projects on the go!

It was Lucy's birthday so we surprised her with a birthday cake!

I traveled with Christine (Sunny) Wilson! Here she is working on her gorgeous baby blanket. My goal is to someday knit her sweater!

Lucy helped us all with our projects!

Here is Sunny modeling with Harley.

I pulled my project out, but didn't get much done. I talked too much!

A harvest table was set full of treats including this gorgeous loaf of Curry bread made locally!

We hiked back to the Ferry. A few of us drove...I already did a two hour run!

Waiting on the dock for the ferry!

No, not a ferry massacre but an unfortunate spill of some nice homemade wine!

Race day jitters!

2010-04-02T17:16:00.001-03:00

Sunday was the 25km Moose Run in Dartmouth- the first race of the year!
As it approached I found myself paralyzed by fear.
I didn't want to go to the start line because of race day stage fright.

As it turns out it was incredible day- and thanks to some friends I learned a few mental tricks to help with race day jitters!

Five days ago when I looked and saw a 25 km road race in my schedule-I panicked!
I knew it was come up of course-but this soon?
Where had all the winter off season training time gone?
Suddenly it dawned on me... it was March .. the beginning of spring.... and the start of race season!!

The kids have been on March Break for two weeks and we had tonnes of fun at Sugarloaf and Wentworth- but training had been on the back burner.
Suddenly, I wished I had focused a little more acutely on my training and less on the Crystal Palace roller coaster!
How was I going to race a 25 km run off of sunshine and ski moguls?

Having fun at crystal palace!

Race day arrived and I really dragged my feet.
I'm glad I got myself there because over the next few hours I learned some great lessons in dealing with doubt:

1. Make the plan and tell others:

The very act of having a race written down is sometimes enough to motivate me.
Even though the plan had creeped up and surprised me-it was part of the schedule, and it was an important component of my training.
More importantly I had told Dave, and coach Lance that I was doing the race, so they were very encouraging of my participation. It is so great to have people on your team who know that sometimes you need a little push out the door!

2. Get to the race with supportive friends:

I have been fortunate to find myself several times in the pre-race company of a really amazing couple- Darcy and Lisa!
Darcy and Lisa are a part of the Halifax Running Club and are two people I enjoy seeing at every race! They are positive, relaxed, experienced, helpful and fun people to be around- they are fast runners too!
Years ago I remember standing at the start line of the Boston marathon eating oreo cookies (8 weeks pregnant) with morning sickness, nerves and shivers from the freezing cold. Lisa quietly hung out with me and directed me to the washrooms and advised me on appropriate race day clothing. I wanted to wear a jogging suit and she suggested shorts and a t-shirt were more appropriate-thank goodness... it turned out to be hot!
On Sunday I got lucky and was able to get a ride to the Moose run with Lisa and Darcy.
More than anything that day, this trip with them helped me relax. They laughed and spoke positively about all their training. They were looking forward to the race and all their upcoming races. We talked about the love of running and their favorite places to run a marathon. By the time we got to Dartmouth my anxiety had really decreased. The other side benefit was that I didn't have to worry about getting lost (as I often do)!
If you ever have a chance to go to a race with other supportive athletes-it is truly a gift!

3. Warm-up!

The minutes proceeding the lineup to the start can be the most stressful. This is when my legs feel like jello and I need to pee every 2 minutes!
I was reminded on Sunday about the power of a warm-up to settle these feelings.
A group of us went down the road a few minutes at a light jog and returned to the start line with about 10-15 to spare. I did a few fast pick-ups to rid the lactic acid and miraculously felt pretty relaxed.
A good warm-up is key for mental and physical readiness!

4. Run with someone for a while!

There is great comfort in running with other people.
Research shows that our thresholds to tolerate pain improve when we are exercising with others! This works for training and for racing!
At the start line, and for the first while in a race I will try and run near someone I think is a little faster than me. It motivates me to run well and get off to a better start. It also feels comforting to run with someone or a small group-especially if there is wind! Racing has its finesse, and sometimes this involves finding someone to run behind in a head wind. Thanks Kurt Stevenson!
Running in a group can keep your mind alive as you try and stay with them. It is fun to try different running focuses and techniques to remain with the group (ie kicking heels back higher and lengthen your stride downhill).

5. Use your mind and stay focused

Turn your ipod/iphone/mp3 player off!
Start thinking about what is going on inside your body instead of trying to disassociate yourself with music. If your working hard enough it will be annoying anyway.
Race day is a great time to learn so don't deny yourself an opportunity to discover what great physical challenges have to offer not just your body but your mind!

6. Think positive thoughts

The power of positive thinking is a cliche I know, but there is true magic in the ability to SAY and THINK good things to yourself!
Even if you feel nervous or worried say to yourself that you are not!
If the weather is rainy- say, "I love the rain!"
If there is a hilly course- say- "Hills are my favorite"
When you are feeling tired and sore say- "This is not so bad!"
When you think you want to stop - smile and say thank-you to volunteers.
Your subconscious works in funny ways and this positive talk can be so effective.
Try this in your next race (or life) and see how this can change everything!

One of the things that made me nervous for this first race was knowing that I had goofed off and done a lot of obsessive compulsive organizing this winter! See below at my new wrapping wall!
I know .....it is on the verge of crazy!

I tried to switch this negative anxiety to positive thoughts . For example:

             Lots of cross country skiing had given me more fitness for this hilly course.

                              Any amazing cross training sport for the winter!
                         This was one of my positive thought during the race!

You learn so much on race day ....and it is so much fun!
It was amazing to see all those fabulous Nova Scotia Runners again!

Laura

American Olympic Thank-yous!

2010-03-03T17:36:00.000-04:00

1. Below is an email my awesome cousin HJ sent me from New York City!
This kind of warm American sentiment should be reported reported more!

"Not every American was disappointed in the USA loss to Canada for the gold in Hockey. For some inexplicable reason, Nicholas (5) was cheering for Canada the entire game. After it was over, he asked me what Canada's flag looked like. Next thing I knew he had drawn and cut out a Canadian flag and taped it to a Popsicle stick. On the stick he wrote, "To Canada, Love Nicholas." He asked Charlie if he would put it in an envelope for him and mail it to Canada!!

This is a wonderful link my wonderful Mom sent me of a Thank-you from Brian Williams at NBC.

"After tonight's broadcast and after looting our hotel mini-bars, we're going to try to brave the blizzard and fly east to home and hearth, and to do laundry well into next week. Before we leave this thoroughly polite country, the polite thing to do is leave behind a thank-you note.

Thank you, Canada:

For being such good hosts.

For your unfailing courtesy.

For your (mostly) beautiful weather.

For scheduling no more than 60 percent of your float plane departures at the exact moment when I was trying to say something on television.

For not seeming to mind the occasional (or constant) good-natured mimicry of your accents.

For your unique TV commercials -- for companies like Tim Hortons -- which made us laugh and cry.

For securing this massive event without choking security, and without publicly displaying a single automatic weapon.

For having the best garment design and logo-wear of the games -- you've made wearing your name a cool thing to do.

For the sportsmanship we saw most of your athletes display.

For not honking your horns. I didn't hear one car horn in 15 days -- which also means none of my fellow New Yorkers rented cars while visiting.

For making us aware of how many of you have been watching NBC all these years.

For having the good taste to have an anchorman named Brian Williams on your CTV network, who turns out to be such a nice guy.

For the body scans at the airport which make pat-downs and cavity searches unnecessary.

For designing those really cool LED Olympic rings in the harbor, which turned to gold when your athletes won one.

For always saying nice things about the United States...when you know we're listening.

For sharing Joannie Rochette with us.

For reminding some of us we used to be a more civil society.

Mostly, for welcoming the world with such ease and making lasting friends with all of us."

Love bottle: Beautiful and safe reusable water container! Available at Rusty Hinges in Halifax!

2010-03-03T15:01:00.000-04:00

My favorite new sports drink is water!

Clean, cold, fresh water from a gorgeous new bottle-the love bottle!

This is my favorite-just clear glass with an etching that says: dream big and never let go...

They are safe, good for the environment and can go in the dishwasher.

They are really beautiful and are designed to be customized with markers, stickers and silicone bands!

I stumbled upon these visiting one of my favorite local shops: The Rusty Hinge -in the hydrostone market! Go over and get one!

Here is the website for love bottles to pick your favorite!

http://www.lovebottle.net/store/pc/viewcategories.asp

Check them out-healthy and so cool!

Speaking of love-here at my two loves making pancakes together this morning!

Olympics-What about Atlantic Canada?

2010-03-01T13:30:00.011-04:00

I love the olympics! But something sits heavy on my soul.
Where is Atlantic Canada in all this?

Wonderful Olympics

It has been an incredible two weeks filled with one amazing event after another, culminating in a glorious Canadian victory!
This morning we all woke up with a great sense of pride and sore throats from screaming and jumping in triumph!
I am a little sad that it is all over, because nothing compares to it!
The joy, the sadness, the determination and the heart pounding exhilaration of hope for the athletes.
I am going to miss staying up to watch the drama unfold.
It is amazing to wake up each morning and gets chills as you immerse in the stories and accomplishments of Olympians!
Professional sports are but a slipstream compared to the ocean of passion held by athletes competing for their hometown!

New Canadian Pride

Indeed, Canada has found a new sense of pride.
As we poured out of our homes last night, we came together with a raw patriotism and love for our country!
From my downtown home in Halifax I could hear shouts, screams, cow bells and horns all over the city.
People poured out onto the streets, and parts of Spring Garden Road were blocked to traffic to make room for celebration!

"Sid the Kid" from Cole Harbour NS!

However, within all this jubilation there is something heavy that hangs in my heart-something that makes me sad and angry at the same time and has motivated me to write this blog.
I hate being a critic, and try to purge negative thoughts, but this one is festering and I have to get it out!

WHERE IS ATLANTIC CANADA IN ALL THIS!

As a proud Atlantic Canadian is is difficult to watch Olympic coverage and see no reference or homage given to our region.
The opening ceremony had Ashley McIsaac but (watching the NBC coverage) no one even spoke his name and in fact the whole wildly Celtic piece was named as a tribute to Quebec.
I guess you might consider Sarah McLaughlin a Maritimer-but guess what?
She doesn't!
She claims BC as her home now!
The closing ceremony was jammed with images, celebrities, and performers and did not have a SINGLE element from Atlantic Canada.
Where was Great big Sea, Men of the Deeps, Rita McNeil, Anne Murray, Joel Plaskett, Classified etc,etc. At the very least they could have had a fish, the Bluenose or an image of Peggy's Cove. Cliche yes.... but at least something......anything!
During the hockey game last night and after we won- CTV aired glorious images of crowds filling the streets of Vancouver, Whistler and Toronto. There was no mention of other parts of the country.
There WERE mob scenes all over this country.
Where were shots of the Prairies, the NWT, NFLD, PEI, NB and NS?
What did they show of us you may ask?
Five fat guys sitting in a seedy bar in Cole Harbor drinking beer.
We deserve better than this!

Why are we forgotten?

Why are there so few athletes in the Olympics from our region?

Sarah Conrad from Halifax with best Canadian Snowboard Halfpipe performance!

Nova Scotia had two athletes in the winter games this year and one of them was Sidney Crosby and the other was Sarah Conrad- a snowboarder!
So why don't we have more people on teams and individual sports?
I have a few ideas:

1. Population:

Ok, our population is small and we have fewer athletes to draw from.
This is a detriment but frankly a lame excuse.
There are lots of small communities around the world that produce great athletes.
Look at Norway. They have a small population and their whole country rakes in the medals!
While it helps to have a large population to support sport and produce athletes I think it is the least important variable.

2. Money:

So we don't have a lot of money and what we have... I believe we squander.
WE need to STOP spending money on temporary ephemeral things and build infrastructure!
We need rinks, daycares, schools, hospitals, libraries, sports and recreation facilities.
Too much money is going into studies, surveys and government bureaucracy (and TVs and laptops).
We need to stop debating about cat leashes and abandon the idea that our major city can be the size of PEI!
WE need to spend money on things that work not things that are popular.
Do you know that we spent more money on our Premier Darrell Dexter travel to the Olympics than we did on our own athletes?

3. WE are discounted and we discount ourselves:

To me this is the biggest problem.
WE are discounted by our country and we discount ourselves!
I have had several conversations with people about the Olympics in the last few weeks and one of the things that comes up again and again is of course ....Sidney Crosby.
It is amazing how many Nova Scotians point to him with pride and say " hard to believe he comes from Nova Scotia!"
I don't find it hard to believe at all!

We have incredible athletes here right under our noses, and it is a sad statement that you literally have to be the best hockey player of all time for anyone to even look twice at you.

When they are picking national teams, or plucking potential Olympic talent, they just don't cast our direction.

How many Atlantic Canadians of world class talent in music, business, medicine, law, sport are discounted everyday because of neglect?

We are constantly fed the message that we just aren't talented. And we believe it!

4. The great lie: Excellence takes Born Talent!

In my opinion, genetic talent plays only a small role in developing excellence whether it be sport, music, art or other endeavors.
I may not be the best athlete in the world, but I have had an opportunity to see the best, and frankly from what I can see- most of what makes a great achievement is hard work!

There is no magic- it just takes time, effort, determination and belief in oneself!

Many people from our region look at the Olympics as an unattainable goal.
Something reserved for genetic freaks and elitists!
Think again!
Many of those athletes we witnessed out there are regular folks who just worked their butts off to get into that position!
They look fit and super human because they trained hard to be that way-not because they were born like that!
They train they bodies hours a day, they go to bed early, they eat right, they don't drink and smoke and while many of us are watching TV and playing video games they are out there sharpening their skills day after day!

Wonder why Norway is so dominant in the games?
I lived in Scandinavia, and I'll tell you, every child in every small town there believes they are an Olympian-and so many of them realize this goal because they believe!

So if you find yourself blaiming your genes for your lack of excellence-think again!
I believe the Olympic dream is attainable for anyone!

Sarah Conrad

5. Apathy, Passiveness and No Desire for Excellence

So many Atlantic Canadians are content to sit back and let the rest of the country forget us, criticize us, discriminate against us, pigeonhole us and patronize us.
And we take it!
In fact most of us probably don't even see it!
We are so nice and generally content with our lot in life so we don't rock the boat.
I have looked, and I have not been able to find a single feeling of unhappiness out there about our lack of involvement in this Olympics?
Maybe I am the only one? (In which case you can stop reading now, and frankly you likely have!)
The scary thing for me personally, is that I wonder whether at the heart of it all...maybe we just don't care?
Maybe we don't care about the Olympics?
Maybe people here don't care about excellence?
In fact maybe we hate it and criticize it?
Maybe people really do think that it is more important to wallow in the sad, pathetic, ugly things of the world that we can't do anything about?
Maybe people prefer to fuss over the petty issues in our lives, rather than address the larger problems at hand?
Looking back at the criticism, and eventual failure of Halifax's Commonwealth games bid, hits at the sore point for me.
Maybe we just don't care about supporting excellence in out community?
This may be the saddest realization.
It is sad because I believe excellence can be our salvation.
It just needs to be revealed to us.

People here cringe at the word excellence because they believe it is not available to them.

This is just not the case!

Excellence is not exclusive-it is attainable for everyone-I sincerely believe this!

In amongst the "I'm sorries" and the "what's wrongs" there has to be some hope, something beautiful that we can dream of.

Something that we can be proud of.

And in striving for excellence the measure of our success is not in the winning of the games we endeavor but rather the efforts we put forth to achieve those goals.

These efforts are what make a community great!

Looking back at last night's hockey game- we have lots to be proud of!
I believe that there are many more Sidney Crosby's out there-we just have to open our eyes!

Lots of good out there!

There is some great work being done in our province.

Ken Bagnell head of Sport Centre Atlantic ( http://www.forumelitesport.org/?q=en/node/459 ) is determined see see support for our athletes and provide world class training for them within our region.

Julia Rivard: a former Canoe Kayak Olympian who is both striving for business excellence (http://www.norex.ca/content/our_team ) as well as sporting excellence in Nova Scotia (olympic committe).

Thomas Kochanoff, (http://www.smu.ca/athletics/welcome.html ) my trainer, works quietly in the background to help bring many athletes to the national level!

David Wilson Sr and his daughter Leslie Wilson ( http://www.skiwentworth.ca/) own Wentworth ski hill and keep it running despite years of questionable weather. They provide thousands of people with winter activity and work tirelessly for that community!

Mattias Jaepel of Platypus ( http://www.platypus-coaching.ca/) exercise therapy training, is a sports therapist and coach and is doing an incredible job promoting excellence in sport within our community as well as keeping athletes healthy!

Brian Todd, ( http://www.sirc.ca/news_view.cfm?id=23246) Olympic sailing and world class ski coach works without rest to bring Nova Scotia to the forefront of excellence and is achieving it!

Gary McDonald, (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gary_MacDonald_%28swimmer%29) swim coach and Olympian, is working tirelessly to promote swimming and get people of all ages, genders active and fit in the pool!

Lindsay Cameron-Wilson ( http://www.lindsaycameronwilson.ca/) A leader in our community of the slow food movement and huge promoter of "buy local" and eating healthy!

Joachim Stroink, (http://www.trailshop.com/) owner of the Trail Shop, is a great community leader for sport participation and activity in our province. He is also a great humanitarian and is involved with numerous charities and events around our community. He owns a local business of quality that we should support and patronize (buy stuff)!

Natasha Burgess: http://laurakeefe.blogspot.com/2010/01/magic-on-halfpipe-thanks-to-natasha.html
A young woman who is inspiring and empowering young athletes all over our region.

My husband David Keefe is passionate about providing EVERYONE with access to world class coaching.
He has developed a site http://www.upmygame.com that allows any athlete (and by this I means anyone who moves their body) to upload a video of their performance, and have it looked at by the BEST coaches in the world!
He has built this because he feels strongly about providing sports excellence to every athlete, regardless of where you live!

Every day I run into average people doing great things here! Volunteers, parents and coaches who dedicate their lives to our region.

What can we do?

As a reluctant critic I feel I must include some positive suggestions for our community.

1. Support Local

Whether it's a minor hockey game or the Olympic hockey finals we should revel in the accomplishments of local athletes, their coaches, and of course, their parents, because without all of that support, current and future successes would not be possible.
We need to support our local businesses and athletes.
Go to games, cheer the home team!

2. Get involved and "Be the Change"!

Being involved can be anything you choose.
Whether it is volunteer at an event or attend a Moosehead's game.
Train for a marathon or learn to curl!
We need to have more of our population invested in our regional endeavors.

I believe in the famous Obama speech " Be the change you want to see"!
So get out there and shine!

3. Don't Tolerate Neglect and negative criticism

When someone asks me where I am from I proudly state that I am from Nova Scotia.
I don't make apologies for my community when people laugh or criticize it.
I show my irritation when I think we are being underestimated.

4. Higher Expectations-strive for excellence!

People meet the expectations they are given.
We need to expect more and we will get it!
We need to strive for excellence.

And in aiming for excellence the measure of our success is not in the winning of the games we endeavor but rather the efforts we put forth to achieve those goals.

These efforts are what make a community great!

5. Maximize accessiblity:

As a region we need to get more of our population involved!
We need to make activities and learning accessible to all regardless of age, gender, race, religion, background or circumstances.
We need more of our population invested in ourselves!

I will stop here, because I have probably exhausted the limits of even the most tolerant reader.

If you know of any community leaders striving for excellence in our region.
Please share.
I would like to know about them, and support them!

Back to the "hurt locker"

2010-02-25T20:00:00.002-04:00

Well...it has been an amazing winter riding off a sixth place finish at Ironman 70.3 World Championships!

"Off-season" has included lots of long runs, bikes and swim technique sessions.

It has also been filled with cross training, including alpine and cross country skiing, snowshoe running and skating. Strength training has become a big part of my weekly schedule and I am feeling fitter than ever! It has been a great couple of months but now it is time to get serious and climb into the hurt locker.

Courtesy of super coach Lance Watson my running workouts this week are a reminder that some fast threshold workout and racing is on the horizon-so buckle up!

Back to regular swim workouts at Dalplex pool!

If you're ready to "bring it" try out these workouts!

These can be done on the road or on the treadmill.

Remember the treadmill is a great place to work on speed and threshold work- there is no cheating!

It can bring you to speeds you might not otherwise be able to hold!

If your treadmill is in front of a mirror, it also a great place to work on technique with constant feedback about body position.

For those of you that think the treadmill is easy-try these workouts!
Adjust speed as needed!

Day 1

Workout #1: am run

45 minute run - middle 15 minute at 4 min/km pace or 9.2 speed on treadmill.

Workout #2: pm mile repeats

warmup: 15 minute easy

Main set: 5x 5.55 min/mile repeats with 3 min rest.

This speed is 10.2 on treadmill!

15 minute easy to cool down!

Day 2:

Workout #1: am run: hills
warm up : 15 minutes ( 5min/km pace or 7.5/8 speed on treadmill
Main set: 10x 2 min hills- 5% incline (incline 5 on treadmill)

at 4:30/km-4:45/km pace (8.5 speed on treadmill)

cool down: 15 min easy

W0rkout #2 : pm run

60 min at 4:30min/km -4:45 min/km pace (8.5 speed treadmill)

This is what I looked like after a trip to the "hurt locker"!
Covered in sweat an slightly nauseated!

2010-02-25T19:46:00.005-04:00

Terriffic Tremblant

2010-02-23T08:29:00.001-04:00

Dave and I have not been away on vacation since the kids were born! But this Valentine's day Dave surprised me with three days together at Tremblant ski resort! IT is an amazing spot and a wonderfully romantic holiday.
Here are some photos:

These were our favorite trails. They were groomed beautifully, close to a high speed chair for quick return back up, and all those black diamonds keep the numbers down on the trail (mostly)!

The village at the base of Tremblant is so beautiful and filled with energy!
THis week was also UK winter break so the little streets were filled with the sounds of english/Scottish accents and of course lots of french. You can easily imagine being in the French Alps!

This was our room in the hotel. So beautiful, rustic and Canadian!

I LOVE the "Bay blanket" and the raw linen canopy!

The food was simple and healthy.

My personal favorite was aphrodisiac granola (has chocolate), plain yogurt and fruit!

So delicious!

This is the light fixture in the lodge at the summit!

Handpounded iron and raw wood-unbelievible!

The outdoor pool at the hotel was a nice luxury!

THis is the main lounge of our hotel-mostly where we watched olympics!

I'm in love with this birch bark canoe!

The Trembant village is filled with beautiful little cottages.

Hard to believe this is the local chinese food restaurant.

Dave has his eye on some spring rolls!

The streets were filled with these outdoor iron fireplaces!

Great to lounge on the benches and read after a day on the slopes.

Behind my obnoxiously pink helmet is one of the nicest features of Tremblant.

From the summit you you have a tremendous sight of the village and the huge lake at the base!

It is much better view without me in it!

All in all a great romantic break for just the two of us!

Lots of workouts skiing, running and cross country sking!

A winter paradise!

Racing Weight!

2010-02-19T10:14:00.004-04:00

If you are embarking on a fitness journey this year, don't leave home without this great new book!
Thanks Thomas for the recommendation!

"Racing Weight-How to get Lean For Peak Performance" written by athlete, coach and sport's nutritionist Matt Fitzgerald.

http://mattfitzgerald.org/blog/

http://www.chapters.indigo.ca/books/Racing-Weight-How-Get-Lean-Matt-Fitzgerald/9781934030516-item.html

"Racing Weight" is the first book to explain how endurance athlete's should eat!

I opened the book for the first time last night and couldn't put it down.
It is filled with amazing information and sound nutritional advice for athletes.
I have always felt that nutrition was a weak link in my fitness and held me back from peak performances.
After reading this book I realized-it was!
I am feeling very inspired to improve my diet after reading this, and I thought I would send the recommendation out there!

The girl on the back cover is one of my lifesport teammates Katya Meyers!
L

Power at the Tower: Strength Training with Tom!

2010-02-16T07:39:00.000-04:00

It has only been in the last few decades that high performance programming has included strength training. Today it is hard to imagine an athlete in the world that doesn't benefit from this component of fitness! Strength training is an element so often misused, misunderstood and underutilized, and yet is something so important to athletes and well...every human being!

Strength training is improving all components of my core sports-and hopefully will be a key to success in 2010 season!
But if I was expecting bench-presses and sit-ups -I was dead wrong!
This is a new millenium and this science has come along way.
Luckily I have a good strength coach to guide the way, and you don't need to travel outside our region to find quality training-it's right here!

I do a lot of training at the Tower (Saint Mary's University) and the main reason I am there is because of my amazing strength and agility coach Thomas Kochanoff.
I have known Thomas for over a decade now and he is one of my most trusted advisers and role models!

Thomas is the person who humbles me twice a week for an hour at a time constantly challenging new muscles groups, movement patterns and balance postures. I never seem to do the same exercise twice!
Tom's approach is about results, using cutting edge drills, video analysis of the sport/activity and the newest movement base training concepts. Through Olympic lifts, plyometrics, yoga positions, speed/agility modalities or his area of focus - core stability and power, your goals become reality.
My body, and core especially, get stronger every week and I can feel the changes in my main sports of swimming, biking and running!

Tom is more than just a strength coach though.
He has a great knowledge of nutrition, sports psychology and health.
When I was preparing for the World Championships in November Tom sent me three videos a day filled with Lance Armstrong and Ironman inspiration. Whenever I got really nervous (which was pretty much all the time) I watched these videos and tried to channel that nervous energy into excitement!

When I have issues with nutrition-like eating candy bars nonstop-Tom reminds me of healthy alternatives and provides real strategies for better eating habits! This is a work in progress!

Tom is there for all his athletes-the varsity squads, the national team athletes and the supermoms!
Just this past week he spoke with such pride about his SMU Hockey and Volleyball teams!
He follows our triumphs and tragedies and meets them all with his support!

I highly recommend strength training to anyone!
Interested in personal training at the Tower:
Here is the link:
http://www.smu.ca/athletics/tower-training.html

“ THE GREATEST REWARDS CAN ONLY COME FROM THE GREATEST COMMITMENT.”

Also some video examples of exercises Thomas and I are working on!
Try them out!

They aren't as easy as you might think!

Strength#1: Rocking Core
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vFErQCSretY
Strength#2:Chest press on balance ball
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jrlJi49KTRI
Strength #3:Airplane hip rotations
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xhCaUq5CRZs
Strength #4: Flash pulls
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kg0w7vxwczw
Strength #5: leg lifts from bridge
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7qrJ6x5BDjI
Strength #6: leg hops
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MOhJK2SnXOQ

Still not convinced?
Here are 10 good reasons for adding strength training to your life!

#1: Healthy bones through exercise

Stronger bones lead to a stronger musculoskeletal system-that means you can lift, move and enjoy recreational activities with more ease.

#2: Great posture through muscle conditioning

Conditioned muscles help you lift and hold your body upright better. As a result, you appear taller, more confident and vibrant.

#3: Fewer injuries as muscles are stronger

When muscles are stronger, so are the connective tissues surrounding them. This means the entire muscular system is bolstered, providing protection against injuries caused by weak ligaments, tendons and muscle fibers.

#4: Exercise can raise your metabolism

There’s no better way to increase your metabolism than to develop more muscle mass. Muscle burns a great deal of calories to keep itself alive-even at rest.

#5: Weight training leads to better sports performance

If you want to improve in your sport or activity of choice, start weight training. It’s no secret: Many top-notch athletes use resistance training to enhance their skills. Get your golf score up, increase your running speed or enjoy an easier time dancing. All compliments of strength training.

#6: Faster rehab with strong muscles

If you suffer an injury and keep the other muscles strong, you’ll bounce back quicker.

#7: Improved balance

Regular strength training leads to better muscle control and balance. As a result, you’re less likely to fall. If you do fall, though, your injury will be less severe.

#8: Strength training prevents obesity

When you build muscle, you burn more calories. The calories you burn come from fat. Hence, strength training prevents obesity. And when you keep your body fat down you add years to your life.

#9: Being strong can make life more fun

Your quality of life is enhanced when you’re strong. Whether it’s walking around for two days at Disneyland or rock climbing, you can get out there and enjoy all that life has to offer.

#10: Good exercise prevents a number of ailments associated with aging

Many of the conditions we link to old age are really a result of not exercising and eating healthily. By combining an exercise program of aerobic conditioning with strength training you can grow old gracefully!

Canada win's Gold! Valentine's Day! Olympic breakfast and a day at the hill!

2010-02-14T17:19:00.003-04:00

It is officially the Olympics when we're all eating corn flakes around the TV!

The circa 1950's "no cable" TV a the cabin in Wentworth didn't dampen the Olympic spirit!

It's better than Christmas!

This morning I went for a snowshoe up the hill and got to see lots of friends!

I saw my little Darcy(3) in his ski lesson with Alex Smithers-so cute!

At the summit I met a some paddlers from Dartmouth cross training by classic skiing!

A very creative training idea!!

No wonder our paddlers win so much! Way to go!

Right to left: Stefan (coach), Holly, Meghan, Dana (sorry if I spelled your names wrong)

The Myer's

Out for a very romantic Valentine's cross-country ski!

Chris is is channeling the olympic God's by wearing a hat with Norweigan flag!

On the way down the hill I ran into ski coach Dave Todd and his gorgeous wife Lori Todd!

Another romantic Valentine ski at Wentworth!

Tara and F.

Here is my little guy and his uber-wonderful ski race instructor Caroline Robinson!

THe olympic fire was in all the kids today racing down the border-cross and explosion!

I love this photo!

All those kids ready to race and having such a great time!

Hope everyone had a wonderful weekend and a romantic valentine's day!

Postscript:
Men's Moguls incredible! Gold for Canada !
What a day!

Running Revolution! Newton running shoes!

2010-02-12T12:19:00.001-04:00

These are my new favorite running shoes!

I've been getting lots of comments so I thought I would write about them!

I bought two pair of Newton's at Ironman 70.3 World Championships in November.

Now that I am in the off-season, I've been trying them out on my long and threshold runs.

The verdict.... I love them!

I am a mid-foot runner and feel strongly about proper running technique.

These Newton running shoes are designed to support great running form. They are amazingly fast, comfortable and are available in super cool colors.

If you are interested in more detail about the shoe I have pasted details from website below.

Here is the link to website as well: http://www.newtonrunning.com/

Newton shoes were founded on the belief that the lifted heel in modern running shoes promotes improper form and can contribute to various injuries. Newton shoes are designed specifically to accommodate and enhance natural running foot-strike and gait and mimic barefoot running.
Newton Running shoes feature a geometry and design that facilitates your natural gait and protects you from harsh running surfaces. We offer the only viable alternative to both modern running shoes and barefoot/ultra-minimalist shoe running.

1. Typical running shoes feature a thick, padded heel and a steep heel-to-forefoot ramp angle (gradient), which encourages heavy heel striking, increases shock loads and dampens afferent feedback (the ability to sense the surface under your shoes). Newton Running shoes have a negligible gradient (between 1% and 3%), which allows your foot to land with a reduced impact and take advantage of your body’s natural suspension system. (click images to enlarge)

2. Newton Running shoes provide industry-leading impact force reduction and energy return with our proprietary Action Reaction Technology™ strategically placed on the sweet spot under your forefoot.

3. Newton Running shoes are built with a biomechanical plate positioned directly under your metatarsals to enhance afferent feedback and allow your feet to spread naturally under load. The soft foam in regular running shoes dampens and blocks valuable protective feedback at foot strike. Without feeling the ground, runners will impact and push harder, creating the possibility for injury.

4. The anatomically designed upper and midsole allows your foot to move naturally throughout the gait cycle. In contrast, most modern running shoes are highly structured, rigidly encasing your foot and preventing natural movement. Over time, this weakens the foot and creates overuse of propulsive muscles/tendons, increasing the likelihood of running injuries.

Coaches around the world routinely use barefoot drills to improve running form. Newton Running has created the first natural running shoes for everyday training and racing that encourage barefoot running form. Join us in the Natural Running revolution.

Master's Ski Camp 2010: It's like being in high school again, hanging out with your boyfriend (now husband) on the ski hill....only without the crappy teenager part!

2010-02-10T21:22:00.007-04:00

Last week Davo and I packed up our ski gear, left the kids with our amazing babysitter Julienne and headed to Wentworth for Brian Todd's Master Ski Camp 2010!

Here are some photos and training log!

WEd Feb 3rd: Alexa, Dave and I woke up first thing and drove "the jag" (see http://laurakeefe.blogspot.com/2010/01/jag.html) straight to Wentworth. We quickly changed into our warmest kit (it was -25c) and headed to base camp for a little pre-ski stretch. We were thrilled to find that David Todd was going to be our coach again this year-not that we gave him any choice!

You can recognize David T. above from the yellow and turquoise suit!

We did some warm-up runs to get loose/ relaxed and get to know each other a bit. It was brilliantly sunny and a treat to ride up the chair laughing and chatting. It slowly started to sink in that we were here by ourselves with no responsibilities (no kids)-just skiing and fun!

Here is a picture of our ski group. We like to refer to ourselves as the "real world-cup team"!

Right to Left: Sue (sunshine super-skier), David Keefe (hot husband), Laura Keefe, David Todd (best coach), Patrick (skier and 5 star chef), Alexa (super speedy ski racer) and Julie (vet, equestrian and most improved skier)!

I like this picture too because it documents the one and only day we had our new goggles! The gorgeous shades above were stolen out of our locker that night! We left out locker unlocked for an hour while I went for a run and Dave went for a cross-country ski. When we came back -they were gone! We spent the rest of the week wearing our kid's eye wear, and I can tell you ...it's just not as cool!

Wed evening: Dave and I were thrilled to be staying at Patrick and Alexa's cottage (now referred to as the Four Seasons) for the two nights of camp. We arrived after our evening workouts for an exquisite Indian meal (from cookbook Vij) prepared by chef Patrick!

Dave W. and Christine W. were also staying overnight so we lingered over "happy hour" discussing the events of camp! We all felt some ski breakthroughs and some tired muscles. After our unforgettable dinner we retired for hot-tub, guitar and finally bedtime! Patrick and Alexa below.

Thurs Feb 4th: The whole gang at the Four Seasons (Dave W, Christine W., Patrick, Alexa, Dave and I) woke up and enjoyed the sun rising over the lake with a cup of coffee and an egg sandwich! How decadent the morning feels without having to chase kids, homework, lunches, school uniforms,work etc.

It was another cold day on the hill (-25), but we were dressed for it! It is amazing how little the cold effects you when you are: a) dressed for winter b) moving your body and c) really enjoying outdoor activity!
If you want to get through a cold winter, the answer is simple- dress-up and move your body! The best way I know to fight the cold is to warm yourself from the inside! So.... strap on the skis, x-country, snow shoes, snowmobile, skates, sneakers, whatever. But get out there and move, and I guarantee you won't want winter to ever end!

Alexa and I have the same ski suit and it's not an accident! All of us above are Karbon ambassadors and proudly wear our coordinated gear! If we look happy skiing in a -27C windsorm-it's because of the warm and stylish duds!
Insider Tip: Karbon suits are going to be available in great variety next year at Cleves-so keep your eyes open for some great stuff!

Thurs evening: Another leisurely happy hour back at the "Four Seasons" followed by an epic Fish Stew dish prepared by Patrick! Alexa and I topped off the evening by singing a Keri Hilson/Kanye West duet!

Fri Feb 5th: Last day of camp and a great video session demostrated that we ALL improved our skiing that week! The temperature had dropped even lower to -27C but no one really cared. We made sure there was no exposed skin and headed down each run with new found confidence.

My goal for the week was to overcome my "fear of steep". I often hit a "double black diamond" and panic! I have no problem rockin' the speed and turns on safer terrain but vertigo sets in on the precipice of steep! We worked on this through the week (mostly David T. telling me not to be a prun picker) and by Friday I felt really quite comfy coming down the "Explosion" and "Headwall"! Mission accomplished!

Above all, my favorite times at camp were watching my husband David ski! He is so smooth and relaxed going down the hill- I feel like I could marry him all over again! Spending some time together skiing was so fun! As Lindsay Wilson says : "Master's Ski Camp is like being in high school again, hanging out with your boyfriend on the ski hill....only without the crappy teenager part!"

It was a great three days and now ready for the weekend! More skiing and epic workouts!

Thanks Brian Todd for being the "Master of the Masters" and organizing such a great ski program!

Put this camp in your schedule for next year-it is a wonderful winter getaway!
Here's the link: http://www.mastersmaritimes.com/index.php

Do-an epic snowshoe run!

2010-01-31T21:32:00.001-04:00

There was a 2 hour run on today's training schedule and so I turned it into a 3 hour snowshoe!
It was up the mountain, around the mountain (to high head -our little Mount Everest) and back down the mountain. What an adventure and an amazing workout as well!
Here is my photo tour:

Started the day drinking hot chocolate with Dave (Daddy Sherpa) and the kids-Wentworth has the best hot chocolate!

Kids off the ski school and ski-gloo(daycare/lessons for Darcy)-then off for a run!

I got to have a quick chat with best pal and wonder-mom, Lindsay Wilson!

She had just come back from an almost unbelievable morning of dropping a first child at ski racing, nuturing a post-op second child and nursing a 4 month old 3rd child to sleep! Time for a few runs on her husband's racing skis, in time for pick-up and more baby time! Linds you Rock!

This is one of our friends from Duckies-and frankly has the BEST ski-suit EVER!

I strapped on my snowshoes and was off running up the chickadee!

It was a GORGEOUS morning with tonnes of sunshine. The only problem was that the temperature was -16C! BONE COLD! But not for long.

Warmed up pretty fast as I ascended the green circle ski trail. Funny how much steeper it seems when you are running up rather than gliding down!

In the spirit of transparency I must admit that the above picture was taken as an excuse to stop after a steep climb.

I arrived at the top of Wentworth and found lots of friends at the chairlift exit!

This amazing women is skiing in an adapted seated ski with arm blades to help her steer. If you ever question your courage - take a look around at what some people achieve to keep active! So inspiring!

Peter Henderson. Later to be found with the other super-fit handsome cross-country crowd (David Keefe (my husband), Tim Farmer, Scott Bagnell, Jeremy Law-and usually Kevin Waller) on top of the hill skate skiing! But this is another blog entirely.

Finally, I got to the top-of-the-hill! There is an incredible system of cross country trails at the summit- perfect for fast snowshoe running. I dumped my heavy bag, grabbed a quick drink and off for an adventure!

Snowshoe running is very similar to running and requires no special technique. My stance is perhaps a little wider but once a relaxed rhythm is established it feels very much like running on the road and frankly has less impact!

I had the pleasure of meeting these two ladies on my journey. One of them was cross country skiing for the first time!

She told me she had 4 kids and on her recent 40th birthday decided she was going to get fit!

She purchased some skis and here she was cruising around the 10km loop!

An amazing athlete is born!

About an hour into the run I see this sign.

It says HIGH-HEAD!
High-head is one of the great places to hike in Nova Scotia. The view from the hill is spectacular and it can only be reached by foot! On a clear day the view can be quite astonishing as the whole Wentworth Valley is spread out beneath you. If you look closely you can see PEI in the distance!
This could not be missed! I climbed under a rope and found myself on fresh powder ready to run to the top of Nova Scotia! The beginning of the trail was mostly flat and winding, but quickly became a scramble through the pine trees up steep terrain. At the very top, the trail turns acutely and suddenly I found myself in a clearing looking over a steep cliff to the world below!
It really was magnificent! It was incredible to look down and see the little tiny houses and cabins below and the Cobequid mountains rising in the distance.

I took a picture from the summit!

Trust me-you don't want to walk too far past that snow behind me!

Alright... so it's not the Rockies, but it is pretty awesome!

All down from here. A run down the mountain for you guessed it....hot chocolate!

THe Jag!

2010-01-27T13:16:00.002-04:00

I feel I need to acknowledge an important member of my training team in my blog today!
My Mercury Sable station wagon-AKA "the jag"
Some may scoff at the lameness of my rusty dented station wagon and others may criticize me for driving a gas guzzling clunker-to them I say.....too bad! I love my car.
The emotional attachment to "the jag" is complex and constant.

"The Jag"-in all it's glory- is often parked in the Tower parking lot while I workout. For those of you who didn't catch the irony here-I live 2 blocks away!

The car originally belonged to my grandmother and I have warm and enduring memories of riding in the front seat with her on trips to her summer home in the Valley. We would often pick groceries up on the drive and they would toss and roll around in the back giving off aromas of fresh dill, carrots, and yes sometimes even chinese food! The car was always immaculately clean and had that incredible "cementy" smell from being kept in 365 underground parking!

The car is much dirtier now. It is often filled with food wrappings, coffee mugs and sports drinks. In stead of groceries- our carseats, bikes, alpine skis, cross-country skiis, snowshoes, and horse bridles rattle around in the back! Every once in a while I catch the aroma of the underground parking lot that hints of the car's once glorious past (do Mercury sables have a once glorious past?)!

I adore driving a clunker filled with sports gear. It keeps me safe and other than one occasion when I forgot to put oil in it for two years-it has never let me down!
WE have gone to many races together and countless training sessions. The kids are rarely in it, but it has made some trips safely to swim team and riding lessons.
"The jag" carries everything and looks it's best now with dents, mud, studded tires and a few triathlon/marathon bumper stickers. I do believe I even have a pair of dice in the windshield!
My car performs it's duties as required and it is always ready for the next adventure.

If I really think about it "the jag" in many ways reminds me a bit of myself. We are both on the go, up for adventure, reliable, have too much gear and are just a little bit dorky!

So if you see me "rolling" in my grandmother's old station wagon-give a wave to the old girl! Me and the car!

Favorite product of the week- Icebreaker!

2010-01-26T11:16:00.002-04:00

Bodyfit / 150

L/S Atlas

This is me in my icebreaker at cabin in Wentworth-looks just like the model's picture above huh?

You won't know how you managed without this essential long sleeved tee-shirt. In warmer weather, merino fibre acts as your body's air conditioner: it cools you down by releasing moisture. Featuring an underarm gusset for added comfort.

Lightweight and odour resistant
Fits close to body
Underarm gusset forms forward side seam
Flatlock stitching throughout to prevent chafing from internal seams
Flatlock side gusset and seamless underarm for comfort and ease of movement

Available colours:

Aero

Black

http://www.trailshop.com/
http://www.icebreaker.com/site/catalog/index.html

Race like a kid!

2010-01-25T10:44:00.014-04:00

Children make you want to start life over. ~Muhammad Ali

WHen it comes to race day- kids have a lot to teach us!

Today was the first ski race for Ella and Henry on the slopes here at Wentworth, and it was such a joy to see how much fun it was for them. It was a great day and an inspiration about the joy of sport!

We arrived early Sun morning to register and the lodge was brimming and bubbling with children is various states of dress for -15C weather! The kids were thrilled to see their friends and cousins and couldn't wait to meet up with their coaches to start the day. Henry in particular wanted to tell his coach Caroline that he was "full of spaghetti" and ready to go fast!

Children don't complain about the weather (usually) or make excuses about how their training isn't going the way they planned! They aren't projecting failure or worrying about the past-they live in the moment! Even if some kids are a bit tentative or nervous - their emotions are in the present.

I rode up the chairlift with Ella before the race, and she told me about her skiing. She described the magic trees she visits on the way up the mountain and how she looks for deer and rabbit tracks in the snow. She wonders if there are snow fairies that live deep in the forest at the top, and whether the fir trees go on forever.
Ella describes skiing as flying, carving and swooping like a bird.
"I love the way the wind tickles my face when I go fast, and the way my hips wiggle" she tells me and giggles.

-Ella carving through the gates!

There is something magical about the way kids play! They are able to transform the most basic objects and tasks into something fantastical! There is joy and imagination in the things they love to do, and I am constantly surprised and humbled by how openly and fearlessly children approach the world.

Watching the kids come down the hill was amazing! First they practiced gliding down the ski race course with their instructors, then they came speeding down between the flags on their own! If you don't believe in the power of kids to inspire, then you need to stand at the finish line of any children's event! The smiles on their faces could light a room!

I spoke to a boy named Jackson (6 year old) after his 2nd run down the course. The joy in his voice burst-out as he described his journey down the hill.

"I went so fast." he said " I think it was kind of like the skiers on TV!"
Our short conversation taught me so much about the natural magic of kid's at play!
His experience was sensory and in the moment-he FELT fast!
He was also using the incredibly powerful technique of mental imagery to help him down the course-he was invisioning the skiers he had seen on TV!
He also didn't limit his abilities-something I adore about children. He wasn't just any skier- he was an olympic/professional skier!
With that kind of thinking, we might all see Jackson skiing on TV someday!

At the end of the day there was a big BBQ in the Lodge. We sat bundled up on the deck soaking in the wonderfully incongruous sensation of both warm sunshine and arctic wind. There was no talk of times or placings or who was faster than who. The kids were proud of their accomplishments and felt really glad that they worked hard as a team.

Ella went off giggling with some teammates- friendships made closer by the drama of the day. Henry sat comatose and pleasantly exhausted beside me, chewing on a sandwich. He wanted to know when the door prizes were coming out!

Today reminded me that the joy and magic of racing is simple- just race like kid!

Henry on course

Excuses you will never hear children make before a race:
1. I didn't eat my normal pre-race meal last night-my nutrition just isn't on target.
2. I would have done better, but the race organization was lacking.

3. I've got this nagging knee injury that really slows me down.
4. I didn't train for this so, you know....I'm just not NEARLY as good as usual.

Incredible Athletes from Nova Scotia: Lucy Smith!

2010-01-21T11:37:00.004-04:00

This week I seem to be inspired by Maritimers and amazing female athletes.
With this combination, one of my favorite women comes to mind- Lucy Smith!

Lucy grew up in Nova Scotia and is now a world class athlete and coach living in Victoria, B.C.
She is a 20-time national champ in distance running, cross country running, triathlon, and duathlon. A two-time World Duathlon Silver medallist.
One of the top masters runners in North America, she prides herself in being an advocate for girls and women in sport, and is also a World Champion coach.

Lucy also happens to be the wife of my coach Lance Watson and so I have had the opportunity to spend some time with Lucy over the last few years.

What strikes me about Lucy is her boundless positive energy and almost mystical ability to achieve balance in her life. As a mother of two kids she is just as comfortable on the floor playing lego as she is decimating her competition in a road race. She is a dedicated parent, high performance athlete, community volunteer, avid reader and a damn good cook-as I have discovered personally!

An incredible role model for women, I often read Lucy's blog for top tips on how to balance life as an athlete with real-life motherhood. How do you survive Christmas holidays? How do you balance school schedules with workout schedules? etc.

You can read Lucy's incredible blog describing life as a pro athlete, coach and super-mom at:
http://lucysmith.ca/runforjoy/

If you are good here- you might be surprised to find out you are good around the world! Lori Kane's Story!

2010-01-20T16:04:00.000-04:00

"When I travel to a race and fellow competitors ask me where I'm from I proudly state that I am from Halifax, Nova Scotia. A look comes over their face - a look of relief. Suddenly they don't see me as competition anymore. People underestimate Nova Scotians, and last night Lori Kane shared her experiences and challenges becoming a professional athlete from the Maritimes."

Last night was the Annual Dalhousie Tigers Celebrity Dinner and Auction. The headliner for the evening was Lori Kane the Charlottetown golfer, and four-time winner on the LPGA Tour!
It was a fantastic evening and Lori gave a heartfelt and charismatic speech about her inspirations and experiences on the LPGA tour.

There were many wonderful stories, but the one that stood out for me was the description of her rise to pro status. Lori explained the point system that had been put in place to select the amateur Canadian female golf team for the world championships one year. Through earning points that summer Lori was entitled to a full playing spot of the world championships. However, after discussions within the selection board she had been placed in an alternate position. Lori was devastated and she (and her lawyer sister) inquired into the matter. As it turned out the selection committee had placed higher point value on tournaments played in Ontario than in the Maritimes. They argued that the courses in the Maritimes were easier and that her competition was of a lower standard, and thus had lower point value!

It was interesting how emotional Lori was in the telling of this story. Her voice even cracked as she recalled the events and described how she and her sister fought for, and eventually won Lori a spot on the national team that began her amazingly successful pro career!

A shocking story, but by no means surprising. This kind discrimination is a common phenomenon and whether it is in athletics, business or politics, the maritime provinces often get labeled as "backwater substandard"and the sad thing is we are often the worst perpetrators of this legacy.

Personally, I struggle with feelings of inadequacy-especially when I first started racing and certainly when I travel.
When I began running it was for pleasure and I never expected to finish near the top of the list in a race. And I didn't-not even close!
I trained harder and worked out with faster runners (my superfit running partners Colleen and Kelley) and improved my times to finish regularly in the top 10% of competitions.
Shortly after having my youngest son I started training with my uber-wonderful coach Lance Watson. Quickly I saw my times decrease and my performance sky rocket. Suddenly I was on the podium and even winning races in my community!

At this point Lance started encouraging me to branch out and try some fast international races.
"Are you crazy" I said. "I couldn't possibly compete against those girls!"
Lance encouraged me, and before I knew it I was off to New York City for a 4 miler in Central Park.
I'll never forget my nerves that morning. I was on the phone with my husband in Starbucks in tears with the thought of competing with New Yorkers!
I arrived at the race start and everyone looked like a super-fit cyborg!
Lance had wanted me to start at the very front-no way!
I wasn't going to be able to keep up with those folks and instead I chose the "midpack".
The gun went off and I shot off the start only to find myself piled up behind hundreds of "superfit cyborgs" running half my speed. I spent much of that loop weaving between people and taking in the sites of Central Park.
At the finish line I was shocked.
I had beaten my projected time for this race by 2 min and had come in 3rd!
It was a surreal experience as I picked up my crystal plaque in the grandstands of Central Park!

Since that race, I have won and placed in many international competitions.
Before each one I still feel the pain of doubt-the questions of whether a 36 year old mother of three from Nova Scotia can compete at this level.
When I arrive at races and competitors ask me where I am from, I proudly state I am from Halifax, Nova Scotia. A look comes over their face - a look of relief.
Suddenly they don't see me as competition anymore.
I usually end up beating these folks-even the men!

Don't get me wrong, there are lots of people who finish ahead of me and many of them them are right here in Nova Scotia. I am constantly humbled by my sport and the hard working athletes around me everyday. But most of the time I do pretty well. There is no magic to it-it just comes from hard work and staying focused on your goal. I guess what I am saying is that if you work hard and do well here in Nova Scotia, there is no need to feel intimidated testing your skills anywhere. If you are good here- you might be surprised to find out you are good around the world! ****

I keep my trophy from New York close to my desk to remind myself that I am from Nova Scotia and can work hard to compete with the best. So can any of us!

L
****Certain exceptions apply: You might find yourself in over your head if you are in:
a) Victoria, BC
b) Boulder Colorado
c) Anywhere you hear language resembling Kenyan!

2010-01-18T17:58:00.001-04:00

Magic on the halfpipe-thanks to Natasha Burgess!

2010-01-18T12:57:00.005-04:00

The sun was glorious this morning at Ski Wentworth, pouring down into the bowl of the new halfpipe. It created a sunny community of brightly colored snowboarders all performing their skills! Adrenalin inducing music played in the background as each athlete carved easily down the slope to the elevated rails in front of them. On the chairlift above, I couldn't help tapping my frozen toes to the music and secretly cheering for anyone who could hurl themselves down a steep slope on a plank and proceed to jump onto, and slide down, a piece of slippery metal! The energy of this group was palpable and the best thing-they were all girls!

I found out later that the person responsible for this inspiring group is an amazing athlete and named Natasha Burgess (see above picture of Natasha with my husband David). Natasha is an accomplished snowboarder herself and a world class snowboard coach (she is head coach of Nova Scotia provincial team). She is running free snowboard clinics and courses all over the Maritimes this winter to get people out on their boards! Incredible!

I skied down to watch some of the fun. This particular clinic was exclusive to women and was designed to provide an opportunity for girls to hone their skills and work on some of the more difficult equipment.
There has been a great deal of work done on Ski Wentworth this year in anticipation of the 2011 Canada Winter Games. There is a network of new trails, moguls, new snow making and huge improvements to the terrain park. One side of Ski Wentworth looks like a giant snowy playground covered in slopes, jumps, bumps and rails! Today it was time for the girls to stake some territory and show us how it's done!

My first impression was the positive and relaxed atmosphere of the group. Music was blasting as girls sat in the sun and casually chatted. Two coaches helped athletes on the equipment, taking photos and giving encouragement. Every attempt was met with rounds of applause, dancing and positive comments-praise was for the effort and courage!

There is magic on the half pipe today I thought!
Women can be so negative and critical of one another and yet here was an oasis of authentic joy. These girls weren't on the sidelines watching the fun either-they were out there fully participating and they were impressive!

At lunch, my daughter Ella and I found Natasha to compliment her on all her hard work. She thanked us and beamed an electrifying and contagious smile. "WHen are you going to come out snowboarding Ella?" she said.

"Anytime" said Ella.

Absolutely, I thought.

A list of the clinics and courses being offered are available at:
http://www.canadasnowboard.ca/en/dev/women/schedule/

See some of Natasha's provincial team snowboarders at:
http://www.upmygame.com/watchv/2411/0/
http://www.upmygame.com/watch.do?v=2649

Great Canadian Backyard rink!

2010-01-15T15:04:00.001-04:00

Winter is a difficult friend to make -but a rink can make cold weather seem like a dream!

This morning Dave and I had our morning coffee outside on the deck chairs as the kids skated in our backyard rink! I bundled up and held the warm cup in my hands as the sun rose over the trees. The crisp clean winter air and the sound of children's laughter first thing in the morning was breath taking!
Now who says winter isn't the best time of year?
Ice will having you begging for cold weather!

For a number of winters now we have built a little rink out on the back lawn. It isn't always perfect but it sure is fun for kids and adults alike!
The concept is simple and at the end of the day it is simply water frozen on an impermeable surface. The reality is a little more complex but with a little planning some common challenges can be overcome.

We (meaning my husband David and his brother Patrick) have spent many years trying to figure out the secret recipe. This year seems to be the magic year of great success mostly because of our super skilled and brilliant carpenters John and Paul! We (John and Paul) built a wooden perimeter the size of the rink. The backyard is not perfectly flat therefore one side of the boards are higher than the other. In a flatter yard less edging would be required. In the past, we have used plywood planks supported by 2x4.
We wait for the ground to freeze and check the weather reports for a cold front and then lay the tarp onto the surface. The rink is filled with water from the hose (this time is variable and it is watched closely to make sure it doesn't leak). Snow can also be shoveled into the tarp to speed up filling and save on water! Depending on the weather it can take a day or two to freeze. Once it is solid you're ready to roll.

So I say- flood those yards, scrape the ice of the ponds, or just come on over! But get out there and enjoy our Winter- it's going to be here for a while!

Snowshoe running! How romantically Canadian?

2010-01-13T17:06:00.001-04:00

Let me introduce you to my latest sneaker......the Monster truck of running.....
the racing snowshoe!

Test drove it for the first time in Point Pleasant Park today! Amazing!

What motivated this adventure? Well during this winter's training for a spring marathon I was finding it tough to get all my workouts in- especially on the weekends in rural Wentworth. During the week I could run on the treadmill or the plowed/shoveled streets of Halifax. On the weekend however, we are often skiing in Wentworth and the choices for running are somewhat limited. There are no treadmills, and for years I have been running on the side of the highway and back roads. At best, this is simply noisy and boring but at worst it is outright dangerous! There are logging trucks that take up two lanes and cars going too fast in dangerous conditions! The "side roads" are filled with dogs!

Then my husband David reminded me of one of the jewels of rural Nova Scotia-hundreds of miles of snowmobile trails! Literally....you can go forever through the hinterland of magestic mountains and lakes of Wentworth Valley and beyond! Wow.... I strapped on my sneaks and headed off to Folly Lake snowmobile territory!
THis WAS a great idea until I discovered that two feet of powdery snow and light weight sneakers don't mix very well. Through all the slipping and sliding I could hear the Rocky music in the background...it wasn't pretty though, and the most I can say is that it was beautiful and my HR was up!
Showered and warm again I went to pick up the kids at ski school. Despite the problems with sneakers on frictionless arctic trail, I was feeling quite smug about being so adventurous. I ran into a friend, an avid outdoorsman, and eagerly described my run to him. He looked at me as if I was a child trying to make coffee with a basketball pump. The answer was simple. "Sneaker...you need snow shoes young lady" he said an walked away.

Wow...how romantically Canadian! I love this!
And that is how I ended up with my new favorite piece of gear: The Atlas Racing Snowshoe.
I have attached to a link on snowshoe gear and below I have a more technical description of my experience with this specific shoe in Point Pleasant park today.

Definitely an awesome piece of winter gear and an amazing way to enjoy the great outdoors!
Looking forward to hitting the trails this weekend!
Maybe some "eye of the tiger" without the sliping of a drunken sailor!

Atlas Running snowshoe:

I was worried that it would be awkward but very little difference between this and my regular running stride-I was very surprised!
The fastening system was strong and effective. I could run in all directions, turn, run up and down hills without my sneaker slipping. The mechanism is also well thought out for colder weather. Anticipating that temperatures are cold when wearing these -they are EASILY tightened and secured with a bulky mitten hand!
A midfoot strike is still easily attainable in a snowshoe and I found that I could get up to some pretty fast speeds without mechanical breakdown (which was what I anticipated!).
The snowshoe itself went through lots of tricky ground. It seems to effortlessly cover everything from pavement, gravel, ice to mounding soft puffy snow. It was cold today so the snow was very crusty. Lots of tossed around snow and tracks that have been frozen in unnatural shapes. This didn't seem to stop my new Monster truck shoes! They bit through everything!
I would say that the graduation from running to snowshoe running is pretty seamless. I am going to be pretty careful working into it, but I am confident that this is something that can really augment running especially in rough weather.
Clothing: Same as running. Wore my regular running sneakers.
Would probably wear waterproof socks if anticipating bad weather.

Revenge of the Nerds- 6th at Worlds and 4th CAnadian Overall!

2009-11-19T19:37:00.008-04:00

CLEARWATER 70.3 World Championships!

What a whirlwind the last 2 weeks have been!

Like some sort of crazy soccer-mom-shirpa I backed my bags, and bike, and guitar for Ironman 70.3 World Championships and headed down the rabbit hole!

After only a year and a half of total immersion triathlon I find myself in a race with the best athletes in the world-and never in my wildest dreams would I have imagined coming 6th!

NERD
Now some people may be used to winning. Some people have been high performance athletes all there lives in some sport or other, so they are used to world class competition-not me!
I have always been was a world class nerd!
Picture the girl in high school studying for exams three weeks early, wearing braces and unflattering pleated pants! I mostly hung out with other nerds and was way insecure to ever try out for team sports or even intramurals.

SO how did this total geek become an athlete? Through nothing other than hard work, smart training and an amazing group of friends and family!

ARRIVAL
Arrived in Clearwater on Tues before the big event and got my bike and gear all set up-you can't totally get rid of the nerd!
Hurricane Ida was passing through Florida so the weather was cold, windy and rainy! Not exactly the beach days I was planning for!

I went out for a few rides on my own and got to know the area a little. There are some amazing little bike paths through the projects of Clearwater-I do believe I spotted a few homemade Meth labs!
There were some beautiful parks and lovely paths around the bay!

I was by myself of course, which was lovely and lonely at the same time. As a nerd my dream of being on a team runs strong.

The bike mechanics got a little tired of me as I tried to decide whether to ride a disc or regular racing wheels. I was having a hard time summoning the courage to ride a disc in a hurricane! I like my face the way it is, but in the end Lance helped me summon the courage to use the disc and shaved 25 minuted off my bike time!

NERVES
By the end of the week I was so nervous I could barely stand it! Visions of falling over sideways on the bike kept going through my head. I thought about the pain and heat on the run. It was difficult to conjure all my previous victories because deep down I didn't feel like I belonged!
If you could see the athletes there, so fit, so experienced, I felt a little out of place!

The day before the race I wanted to puke as I checked in my bag and bike. I watched all the athletes who seemed so calm and relaxed as I trembled to find a spot to rack my bike! There never seems to be enough space!

Had a pep talk with Lance at Starbucks. Felt a little more confident after this- Lance has a way of directing nervous energy in the right direction!
I went back to the hotel early, ordered room service and read my email and facebook. So many countless messages from all the people I love! I can't even name all the people who held me together at this point. My husband Dave and the kids, my mom and dad, Marc, John and Megan, Bruce and Trish, Colleen and Kelley, Lindsay, Lee, Tom, my friends at the barn, tri team mates from Halifax. Dozens of inspiring little notes that got me through the moment and helped me relax.
I relaxed but I never slept a wink!

At 4 am I showered and prepared for the race. I couldn't have been more nervous if I had been facing execution! Almost shaking I made my way downstairs to the lobby with my gear. There I was greeted by the darkness and 4 helicopters flying directly overhead filming the bike area. Lights were flashing, music blaring-it was a sight to behold and put my heart rate up 10 beats!

While I checked on my bike I finally started to relax. I went over everything in my head and rehearsed my transitions. I noticed that most of the girls in my group had their coaches with them which made me even more nervous.

SWIM
I peed six times before making my way to the swim start.
I got into my group an tried to get motivated by some gangster rap playing out the speakers!
The lineup started to move and we all got ready for our time trial start.
Before I knew it I was in the water and swimming around the bay. As soon as I started to move my body relaxed, and I just popped into automatic pilot. There were a few difficulties finding the proper line to the buoys and I have to admit I am often tempted to draft behind swimmers even though they are slower than me. I just love swimming with other people even if they are going slower than a manatee! oh well ...something to work on!

BIKE
Well, before long I was being hauled out of the water and making it to T1.
Our target for the swim was giant pirate ship and then we literally had to "walk the plank" out of the water to get to dry land. The ramp was slippery and jammed with people so volunteers were fully dragging people up the metal walkway beside the tall ship!
A quick run into the transition area and to the strippers!
Things went pretty well despite a someone incompetent wetsuit stripper with the strength of an infant!
First our bags then to the MASH tent to change and then grab your bike as a needle from the haystack. Luckily my needle was beside a speaker in the haystack so it was easy to find! Pretty soon it was bike time-so fun! Fast and Furious.

I fell in love with my bike that day.
Everything went perfectly and it was magic. Every time I looked down I was going 40km/hr. I know I had a smile on my face and the wind just whipped by!
I didn't want it to end!

RUN
It ended of course with a 1/2 marathon!
I knew I had 2 hours to work with to be under 5 hours! WOW-this was great!
My Garmin died so I didn't know my speed but just decided to go out there and have a good time. This was the "BIG SHOW" after all and I was going to drink in the view! What felt like a training run turned into one of my fastest half marathons ever! It was so fun-perhaps a little too fun in retrospect! Later I found out I was only 1 minute from the podium! AHH
I saw my friend Kelley on the course and I cried when I saw her! After so much time alone I was so happy to see someone so close to me-a training partner!

I thought of all my family and friends at home and all the inspiration they sent me and I ran hard for the end.

I saw Lance at 800m out. He told me to sprint for the end - I was happy I did as I passed someone in the chute! The end was in site and I finished in 6th, 4 th Canadian overall with a time of 4:32 -a pb of 33 minutes! I was so proud.

I met up with Bruce and Trish minutes later and I cried when I saw them!
Lee and Jamie, Bruce and Trish and I went to lunch! We laughed and ate and I could experience the joy I had longed to have since I arrived! Messages from family and friends poured in and I appreciated all the love they sent!

What a day!
And it won't be the last.

HOME
I arrived home to Halifax and Dave had a surprise party ready for me. I am so touched by all the friends and family who celebrated my day with me-I am so lucky!

Back to my wonderful life and being a mom to my three amazing kids!
When I think of my race I can't help thinking of Revenge of the Nerds.
I can hear Queen singing now.....

Off to see the olympic torch with Lindsay and all the kids!
xo

Joy and Pain......yes its like Sunshine and Rain!

2009-11-01T09:14:00.006-04:00

Sitting here at the end of my last hard workout before taper, I ponder the immortal words of Rob Base: "Joy and Pain....it like sunshine and rain!"
Yes, I've endured the crucible; been forged into a stronger faster me and as a child of the 80's the lyrics of 2 decade year old rap ring as true today as they did then! (Yet instead of enduring the challenges of a high school breakup it is the reflections of hard ironman training).

Looking back over the last 8 weeks of training I can see the challenges and hardship but also the triumph and brilliant sunshine that peaks through the clouds at the most unexpected times!
When I read my previous blog written at the beginning of my build I almost don't recognize the naive exuberance of the person I was then. Writing about eating veggies, no muffins and weight loss-it all seems so ridiculous!
Hard training is about survival, self discovery, discipline, sacrifice and team work. It is humbling, horrific and wonderful all at the same time. It is subtle and slow like climbing into hot bath. You sink in slowly, one moment at a time, until you relax into it! I thought I was equipt and educated for the challenges I would face- but I only knew the half of it!

Challenge #1: Lonliness: As a long distance triathlete many of my workouts are bricked. I start the day out with a swim, move to a bike and then immediately into a run. The logistics of balancing this within a day filled with kids, family and work and life makes this a difficult schedule to balance myself let alone adding a training partner. It is difficult to arrange a run with someone when your run time begins after your bike is done! I miss my regular runs with Colleen. We always had such a great early morning workouts, but now my runs were off the bike and on a treadmill.
As a result, many of my workouts are run with myself. Strangely this is one of the great joys of training but it can also be dangerously lonely. Time to reflect is fantastic, but frankly there are times when I just get tired of me and I want me to shut-up! The toughest battles are the ones with yourself, and never is this more true than when you are in a five hour threshold workout!

Strength and core Coach Tom just sent me this video as I write this and I think sums up the subtly of the internal struggle:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1sElYG7LmUU&feature=PlayList&p=8CFF172F81783210&index=0

Challenge #2: Nutrition
Nutrition is still difficult.
Getting calories into my body is my religion for me-what can I say?
I take a moment here to acknowledge the sacrifice of dozens of Tim Hortin's muffins, prime rib and Uncle Buck's pizza slices. Delicious!
I'll leave the carrots and celery for next race!
There are some athletes that look like they have never had a cheeseburger-that is not me!

Challenge#3: Guilt
I underestimated how hard it would be to alter my time demands from my friends and family!
I miss coffee and play dates with Lindsay, I miss taking my kids to school and seeing friends along the way. I miss evenings with my husband because I have to go to bed so early.
I underestimated how tired I would be after workouts, taking time from my life. It is difficult for people to understand the kind of bone tired that overcomes you after a five hour threshold day! The tank is empty by 8:30pm.
I've missed evenings with friends and family the last two months and to a certain extent dropped off the face of the earth!
My dearest friends have stood by me, my husband is a saint and my kids are joyful and happy! My hope is that my kids see my hard work and are proud of their mom.
Much of my training is for them. I want them to be proud of me, and I want them to know that anything is possible with hard work!

Challenge #4: Physical exhaustion
I now know what it is like to be so tired you want to cry.
This is all I can say about this.

Despite the challenges I found so much support over the last number of weeks. Things that lifted me out of myself an allowed me to continue on!

My husband David never ceases to amaze me with his support. He sends me to bed early, takes the kids when I'm exhausted, feeds me when I'm hungry. In the dark moments he is there to encourage me. It would not be possible to do this without his support.
Ella, Henry and Darcy are my greatest champions! When I see the pride and excitement in their eyes it inspires me to keep going no matter what! They always remind me to run for joy!

Colleen, my running partner and dear friend, is always at my side whether she is physically with me or not. She is there with me for every workout and every race! She knows the joy and pain of endurance sport as well as anyone and is a real inspiration! One of the greatest moments of my life was standing on the podium this year at provincial half marathon championships with Colleen. All that hard work pays off!

During the darkest time in my training I received a letter from my dear friend Lindsay.
She wrote me a note saying how proud she was, and that she was there for me! (She also tempted me with an amazing menu for my birthday-Lindsay and her husband James are world class chefs and as eating is my religion I guess their food is church!) This letter was all I needed to pull me from my own little pity party and drag my butt in gear for my next workout! I taped this letter to my bike and rode I record 56 mile time trial! Thanks Linds, and I'll take you up on that dinner soon!

I have a pretty amazing coach as well! Lance Watson has encouraged and pushed and pulled me to my physical and mental limits. Because of Lance I have accomplished things I never thought possible!

The joy and pain of ironman- unexpected and wonderful!
It is an individual sport and yet what I've learned most profoundly is the importance of teamwork!
The rain comes down but the sunshine breaks through in that glorious way because of the love and support of the people around you!
Hopefully the sun will shine in Florida at the Worlds in two weeks.

I'm looking forward to that magical taper and a super fun victory lap around the waters and streets of Clearwater!

"It takes two to make a thing go right
It takes two to make it outta sight
Hit it! "

Near nutritious?

2009-09-08T17:24:00.003-03:00

As I mentioned in my previous blog, one of my main goals of training this cycle is eating well. Awesome-sounds great doesn't it?
Well the truth is-this is a little harder to actually do in real life!-wow -earth shattering realization huh? As if that has never been discovered before.
I look at the pictures of myself and the kids above delightfully poised around the dinner table with raw carrots. These carrots were just picked from the organic garden of goodness and hey it makes me feel like a good mother just looking at the picture.
What the picture DOESN"T show is the 2 chocolate bars I ate after work several hours later.
You see the trouble for me comes when reality hits. Hungry doesn't feel good and with all my training I AM STARVING! Low carb diet great - but hey, try running 32 km on beans, eggs, cheese and broccoli. And well, frankly I have no will power.
I've always known I ate more than the average women. When other ladies are ordering salads I am wondering if it would be rude to get a whole pizza. When the idea of splitting food amongst a group comes up I almost have a panic attack! SHARE FOOD! Are you crazy?
So I always knew I ate a lot, but it wasn't until I went to tri training camps that I knew I ate crap!
Professional triathletes eat really well as a rule. THe idea of McDonalds makes them nausious and their idea of pigging out is getting nachos. Isn't that an appetizer?
So what is my plan. Well ultimately there are two factors at work here. One is that I would like to lose 5 pounds to be in racing form for NOV. This means dropping from my weight of 130 to 125 pds. OK so this isn't much but it needs to be just fat.
The other factor here in that I want to fuel my body for high performance. Frankly looking good in shorts is secondary to performing well. I want to be healthy!
So here are my nutrition goals:

1. NO MORE CHOCOLATE BARS-AHHHHHH
2. No more fast food-that includes Uncle Bucks, well especially uncle bucks!
3. More water, veggies and fruit. This is hard cause frankly I hate to chop and there is only so much lettuce you can eat before going crazy!
4. No more empty carbs- no white bread and no.....more.....muffins......AHHHHH
5. Carbs are for workouts and post workout not midnight before bed-try herbal tea-we'll see how this goes!

Whenever I stray from these goals-guess what? it will be written here in the blog as evidence of my lack of willpower and may keep me from again grabbing a wonderbar!

So here it is:
Today I ate a wonderbar and a crispy crunch bar and loved it-hopefully my last for a while!

Workouts today: 1 hour tempo run at zone 3.
15min 4:40min/km
30min at 4:09 min/km
15 min at 3:50min/km.
Felt fast!

Til tomorrow!

3 commitments to Ironman world championships!

2009-09-07T22:17:00.004-03:00

It has been a while sice I last wrote on my blog and mostly because I think I had mentally left and lost interest in triathlon. I guess this was a temporary thing and I am more excited than ever to get into my training.
I started this Monday Sept 1st- Ironically the kids first day back to school-so perfect!
We are all starting on a new adventure!
All three of the kids are in school this year if you count Darcy in preschool and so there is a little more time for workouts, and work and HECS board meetings, waxing etc!
I have made three commitments to myself this training cycle as I lead up to ironman championships:

1>Follow all my workouts from Lance
2> Follow some sort of healthy eating plan and slim down
3> Write in my blog to help stay inspired-so- here it is- my first post back in!

Here is a picture of the kids back to school and Mommy back into workouts!

2008-11-14T11:21:00.002-04:00

May the force be with you! I always wanted to be princess Leah!

Mental ruts

2008-11-14T10:45:00.003-04:00

I had a great run with Lucy Smith (one of the great Canadian runners of our generation) on Sun.
It was after a big dinner party in her honor the night before. I was tierd and still sore from a hard workout 2 days before. I knew I was not going to be at peak performance but I was a little shocked when I burst into tears when she said she was going to do my run with me.
Fear, panic, worry. How was I going to complete this run... period... let alone with the fastest runner in Canada!
I wiped the tears and we went for a warmup and 2 hrs around the waterfront and park.
I had a terrible run. I was slow, my legs were heavy and I didn't hit any of my paces. I think I even cried several times through the run. What I remember most is Lucy's composure and some advice she gave me. Here is what I learned.

1." It is not how you train on the good days that count, but how you push through the bad ones." This was important to me because it reminded me of the strength it took to be out here at all for a 2 hour run. I was not a quitter on a bad day!

2. "Put things in place so that you stay centered despite that which will through you off"
I'm a pretty sensitive person and I often let circumstances and situations give me second thoughts. Stay focused and centered.

3. I'm not a robot: I also have to listen to my body and mind and know like the gambler when to hold'em and when to fold'em. There is a time to run and a time to rest. It is the true test of of the runner to get them both right.

4. Sometimes workouts (many workouts) feel hard. But often the hardest ones make you feel the best.
Battles fought and won on those glorious sunny warm days are easily forgotten and blurr into my generic memory of training. The hard won diffficult days-the break through days- that hurt so bad I could cry. These are the days I grow, learn and love. I remember everyone of those days.

5. Laugh and enjoy your run. Run for joy.

Despite this Sunday being the poorest long run performance of my life, it is one of my most memorable and I learned so much.

On that note out for a swim!

Dream it then do it

2008-09-24T11:04:00.003-03:00

Have not written for awhile. Spent a dreamy week in BC racing half iron in Sooke then training with the pros and olympic athletes in Victoria! It all seems a bit surreal actually. I can't help thinking of a quote that has always inspired me!
"Until one is committed, there is hesitancy, the chance to draw back-- Concerning all acts of initiative (and creation), there is one elementary truth that ignorance of which kills countless ideas and splendid plans: that the moment one definitely commits oneself, then Providence moves too. All sorts of things occur to help one that would never otherwise have occurred. A whole stream of events issues from the decision, raising in one's favor all manner of unforeseen incidents and meetings and material assistance, which no man could have dreamed would have come his way. Whatever you can do, or dream you can do, begin it. Boldness has genius, power, and magic in it. Begin it now."
This has never rung so true as it does for me now. If you dream and commit you can truly accomplish anything!

2008-09-08T10:43:00.002-03:00

Athlete Acne

2008-09-05T10:29:00.003-03:00

Wonderful endurance swim with Lindsay this morning that was just so relaxing it resembled flying. I was feeling like a million bucks rising the stairs to the locker room until I caught a look at myself in the mirror. AHHHHHHH! (See photo)
It has become abundantly clear that I am fully afflicted with “Athlete Acne” or Acne mechanica. Being a physician working with skin I’m not sure how I could have let this get so far, but here I am. I’m going on antibiotics and I’m also going to write a blog about acne in athletes since it is very common!
It is hard to believe that the sports we play may be the cause of a number of skin conditions that can hinder our ability to perform to our full potential. Skin is a big deal in sport and in fact a recent study found that more athletes at the US Open tennis tournament frequented the first aid station for skin problems than for all other problems combined! Wow, maybe there is hope for me to go to the olympics-treating blisters!

ACNE MECHANICA
Heat, perspiration, friction, sun exposure and the emotional stress of competitive sports can cause or aggravate many skin problems. Acne mechanica is a form of acne seen in athletes that is a result of heat, pressure, occlusion, and friction. It usually occurs in areas such as the shoulders, back and head that are covered by gear. Tight synthetic clothing, hats or equipment such as helmets and shoulder pads are primary culprits of acne mechanica .
Prevention and treatment of acne mechanica include obvious measures such as wearing a clean T-shirt made of cotton or a material that whisks away moisture against the skin or underneath a uniform. Wearing synthetic fabric seems to worsen acne mechanica because they trap heat against the body. Most cases of acne mechanica respond well to over-the-counter salicylic acid or benzoyl peroxide treatments. Try a facial cleanser or body wash containing one of these ingredients, and use it daily. Thoroughly cleanse the affected areas, but do not scrub. The added friction caused by scrubbing away at the skin can actually worsen breakouts. It's best to use a soft washcloth or your bare hands.
The best you can do is limit the amount of heat and friction on the skin when you can, and focus on clearing acne with topical treatments. See your doctor if you are having trouble controlling acne mechanica after several weeks of using over-the-counter products. Like me, you might need antibiotics!

Workouts for Friday:
Workout #1: Swim, Planned duration: 1:30 , Planned distance:

Aerobic Power 3k WU: 300 choice; 2 x 50D; 200 free; 2 x 50D;100 free; 2 x 50D; 100K MS: 2 x 800 (30"). Short rest, steady aerobic. 1500m pace + :03-:05/100m CD: 4 x 100 alt free/non-free

Cheers,
Laura

Back to school

2008-09-05T09:19:00.003-03:00

Henry, Ella and Darcy on first day of school

Grant, Darcy, Ian, Henry, Ella and Connor- We are very proud of our kids and nephews!

Very excited for a new school year!

Great Website Dave! Click here!

2008-09-04T21:32:00.002-03:00

www.upmygame.com

My brothers

2008-09-04T14:07:00.003-03:00

These are my two brothers Marc and John Reardon on a recent trip to Vegas. I'm not sure what is funnier Marc's suspicious glare or John's Zoolander look of surprise?
Strangest of all... the Bellagio's creepy tree face guy!
Man, I need less time in the basement on my trainer and more time in Vegas!

Artic athlete in tropical sport

2008-09-04T08:35:00.000-03:00

Squishy shoe as my symbol of triumphant training in Nova Scotia.

Today it is raining-hard! Not just that little warm summer sprinkling but the fall kind of rain for which the season is named. It is the kind of rain that pounds down the earth to remind us that we are all subject to nature. My whole body is soaked through and my sneakers are making a very unattractive squishing noise.

I can't help but appreciate the irony as I log onto Lifesport with coach Lance and view the website home pictures of Hawaii and Beijing. Many of the pro triathletes I know (by the way, know means I read their blogs) live in nice warm climates where it is sunny and warm most of the time. Bree Wee is a triathlete who has a flower blossom as her symbol and lives in Kona, Hawaii. All her posts and pictures are of white sandy beaches and blue skies. Lindsey Corbin is a pro from Montana who wears a cowboy hat and looks fabulously tanned all the time. Even the triathletes out West in Victoria and Vancouver get to cycle most of the year without snow! It dawns on me-this is a tropical sport!

It gets me to thinking about being a triathlete in Nova Scotia. How is it that I ended up participating in this tropical sport on our little peninsula jutting into the freezing North Atlantic? We are talking about swimming in the same water that the Titanic sank in and froze poor Jack and Rose in 5 minutes-and they had some sort of door to float on!
We are talking about bone chilling cold here-and that's summer!

Winters are long and hard. The wind never stops blowing and the rain/snow never stops falling.
I've heard people say we have four seasons here: Winter, still winter, summer and deer hunting.
Sounds like heaven for swimming, biking, running doesn't it?

Did I mention that it is also ridiculously hilly here? We are talking about a city (Halifax) with a 1km ski hill at the 39 km mark on their international marathon! If that doesn't break you...?

My best friend Lindsay Wilson (writer, chef and mother extraordinaire) always says if you are something, you have to own it. So.. I have decided that I am going to own it! I am an arctic athlete in a tropical sport. And instead of dwelling on the negative I am going to embrace all the wonderful things that come from being a triathlete at 44° 39' N 63° 34' W.

I am starting a list of reasons why it is great to be a triathlete in Nova Scotia. Some are obvious and frankly I hope you catch the irony in others. You can't take yourself too seriously in a place whose best export is the trailer park boys! I will add to the list as it comes to me and I hope to get suggestions from fellow arctic athletes. I know you are there but I can't see your face because you are wearing a parka..a ski mask...gloves...etc.

So... as all those beautiful supermodel pro triathletes logon from Hawaii- so too will I!
Let there be snow and the rain and bad hair days! Bring on the blackflies and the pitbulls!
As for a symbol to represent this triumphant cause? I'm not sure yet. Maybe a squishy shoe?

I am exactly 11 days away from competing in 1/2 iron and I am getting very nervous!
I know I have been disciplined about my training and I am confident I am prepared, but there is that worry in the back of my mind lingering there- Am I up for it?
Faith. I need to have a little.

Workouts today:
Your Workouts for Thursday:
Workout #1: Run, Planned duration: 1:15 , Planned distance:

Pace work WU: 15'. 6 strides @ 70m MS: Track: 3 x 1600m (2') @ 6:00. Report HR/ pace through the set. CD: to 75'

WOMENS (cm)	XS	S	M	L	XL
BUST	83.5	88.5	93.5	98.5	103.5
HEIGHT	159	163	167	171	175

WOMENS (cm)	XS	S	M	L	XL
BUST	83.5	88.5	93.5	98.5	103.5
HEIGHT	159	163	167	171	175

DO