Saturday 21 January 2012

Accountability

Sooo, how's my training been going?  Well, it started off with a bang and the first three weeks were fabulous.  I've been swimming two to three times per week, running three times per week, but lagging a bit on the bike rides.  I need to start being consistent with the bike as that will probably be my nemesis at Lake Placid.   Teaching a spin class alone will not get me to the top of Whiteface Mountain!

This week was a bit of a bust with my training.  I only got one swim in, one bike and one run.  I'm not happy about it, but it definitely makes me angry enough at myself to re-focus and get my a$$ in gear for this coming week. 

This has been a challenging year for me already, but I am determined to stay focused and to work through whatever obstacles the universe decides to throw at me.  I have an amazing husband, great friends and family and a renewed hope for what lies ahead.   Quoting from a horoscope one of my best buds sent to me:  "A big change is happening in your life...  this change is building momentum and will bring great happiness, opportunities, and rewards for the karma you have earned."   There's a lot more good stuff it said, but let's just say that, if it's right, I'm going to be one freaking happy camper this year!

...And I was born in the Year of the Dragon so this, apparently, is my year to shine!  Bring it on, I'm ready!

Monday 2 January 2012

Reflections on 2011

2011 was a year of many exciting adventures and a couple of accomplishments I'm a little proud of.   One thing I'm very proud of is participating in two charity bike rides.  The first one was the Ride to Conquer Cancer, riding 220K from Toronto to Niagara Falls over the course of two days.  It was a weekend of tears, laughter, hope and camaraderie.

The second ride I participated in was The Maritime Bike Tour to support a charity called Craig's Cause in its efforts to raise funds and awareness for pancreatic cancer.   This bike tour required us to ride 100K a day for five days through the Maritime provinces.  Whoever said the Maritimes are flat lied.  We knew one particular day would be very challenging and that was the day we rode up French Mountain on Cape Breton Island.  12K of straight up.  Very happy to say that we did it.   Here's a photo:


The Maritimers lived up to their reputation of great hospitality and being great hosts.  We met the most amazing people on this trip and they will remain life-long friends.  If you're interested in supporting this cause, send me a line and I'll send you the link, or just google it.

The NYC Half Marathon was a personal favourite this year.  We went down with a great group of friends and had a blast running through Central Park and Times Square. When else are you going to get to close down Times Square for 20,000 runners?  Best part?  I get to do it again in 2012!!  So stoked!

I had the pleasure of travelling to Spain and witnessing a good friend fulfill a goal of racing in the World Duathlon Championships.  The trip was spectacular and so was his performance.   I love Spain. I love the people, the food, the wine, the shopping....not necessarily in that order.  And we also made up a new word:  Culo Sombrero.   Try translating that one.  I think we made up the English version of that word, too.

One thing I truly enjoyed this year was going for monthly dinners with a very special friend.  We made a commitment that we would take the time out of our very busy schedules to slow down the pace and enjoy a great meal at a wonderful restaurant.  The fact that they had half price bottles of wine didn't factor into the equation at all.....really.....uhmm, maybe just a little.

Forging stronger relationships with my husband, friends and family wasn't something that I set out to do consciously, and maybe that sounds naive, but as a result of certain circumstances this year, I came to appreciate them even more and realized how much I rely on them for their love and support and for that I am truly grateful.

As for resolutions, I haven't really made any other than to cherish the people in my life that matter most.