Trip Highlights

Apart from being re-elected to the board there weren't too many highlights from this trip.  It was mostly meetings.

This was the view from my hotel room:

And this is the CN Tower on a cold, wet night:

On Saturday I had the pleasure of meeting Simon Whitfield - Triathlon Canada had flown him out to give a presentation and slideshow to the board.  He is such an engaging guy - lots of great stories and lots of passion for the sport and for life.  

We chatted for a minute or two... I wasn't too proud to ask for a photo, "Sure!  Let me grab my medals..."  He reached into a little bag and out popped a pretty beaten up gold from Sydney and a significantly fresher silver from Beijing.  I looked at them for quite a while....  kind of speechless.  It's not that the medals themselves are that amazing - it's what they represent.  For me it's those moments in time that I, and millions of Canadians, remember: exactly where they were when Simon won gold, and when he won silver.  Jumping up and down, heart pounding,  then replaying it again and again for Mattias (and for myself.)

I didn't really know what to say so I probably said something like "Wow, cool!" or some other nerdy thing...  

Simon's the man in my books.

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Home is where the shoes are...

The Toronto trip is over and I am home now....  good thing too because I forgot to bring my runners on the trip.  Therefore I got no exercise other than walking to and from the elevator.  (The nature of the weekend meant running for an hour here or there was the only exercise option.)

Some readers have not met me in person....  me without runners is kind of like George Burns without his cigar (may he rest in peace.)

Not exaggerating - I would say I wear running shoes 360 days a year.  Which is lame, I know....  

After hastily packing my bag (full of running gear for the Toronto cold, and grabbing my running leg which I did not need) I headed for the airport with these on:

...which, granted, may look like running shoes to some of you, but which would mercilessly tear the skin off of my heel and probably give me instant plantar fasciitis.  Not to mention I was at a Triathlon Canada board meeting and could not be seen running in Stan Smith's (no matter how cool they are for non-running endeavours.)

So I am super eager to get out tomorrow for a good run.  After being cooped up all weekend in meetings (and in a hotel room with no real window) there is going to be some pent up energy to burn.

Tomorrow morning starts like this:  

Swim 6am

Run 7:10-9:00am

EAT 9:00am

can't wait...

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Postcard from the Centre of the Universe

That's what they call Toronto - though I have no idea why....

I am here for the Triathlon Canada AGM.

Our meetings (and accommodations) are at the SkyDome Hotel.  Truth be told, the SkyDome Hotel does not exist - these days it goes by the catchy moniker "Renaissance Toronto Hotel Downtown".  For that matter the descriptive, and widely known name "SkyDome" does not exist either - it's the "Rogers Centre" now.      

Whatever....  My room has a glorious view of the stadium's playing surface - upon which absolutely nothing has occurred since I arrived at midnight last night.  I was hoping for a room that overlooked the field - why not?  ...it's a bit different.  I'm over it now though...  some fresh air and natural light would be kind of nice.

Anyway,  I have a cool picture or two in my camera but no cable with which to liberate them...  Until tomorrow you'll have to make due with the postcard above and this picture of an open-roofed Skydome:

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Fall Wedding in Whistler

This weekend I headed up to Whistler to attend a good friend's wedding. Keith (the groom) trained Sacha and I at Innovative Fitness for many months before moving on about a year ago.

Sacha was invited as well but Mattias and Viggo both got quite ill on Friday and it lasted through the weekend so she didn't make it. I had a good time with the few people I knew but weddings always seem better when you are with your wife. Nevertheless, Daniel (another ex-Innovative Fitness coach) and I perservered and enjoyed ourselves and the evening enough to have to retrieve the car on foot the next morning.



Keith and his new bride Naomi are heading to Machu Picchu with packs on their backs for an adventurous honeymoon in the Andes. Pretty cool. Congratulations and thank you's to Mr. and Mrs. Sharman - enjoy Peru!

As many of you may know I travelled to Machu Picchu 2 years ago in order to hike the Inca Trail.  I would like to take this moment to provide a quick preview for Keith and Naomi (as well as the rest of you) by showing a few photos from that trip...

No doubt my wife will accuse me of digressing this way in order to find an excuse to post the alpaca shot (which I will admit I find quite hilarious.)  Sacha and I may be like "peas and carrots" most of the time but when it comes to "appropriate humour" we don't always see eye to eye... 

Anyway......  back to this weekend..... Prior to the ceremony Daniel and I did a great 2 hour (or so) hike on the mountainside above Green Lake in Whistler.  The trail we were following (sort of) was called Shit Happens - which, under the circumstances was quite appropriate since we kept getting lost.  I have included a map below - you can see my approximation of where we lost our way...

Here are some photos from the weekend:

That's why it's called Green Lake

We think this little one is called Duck Lake but not certain...

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Kauai - Vacation Wrap and Slideshow

Hey folks... wow it takes a long time to go through digital photos.... sheeesh.

Anyway, here are most of the good shots from our trip. Notably absent are awesome shots from the Na Pali Coast hike I did with Ian Daffern (a Cross Country Canada National team Wax technician who was on Kauai by chance at the same time...). They are absent because I forgot the memory card for my camera - doh! Anyway, Ian will send me a few shortly.

The final summation of this trip.... boring, lame, don't bother going there, the place sucks! Just kidding.... it was awesome! We loved the island and would recommend it to anyone - and there are great deals on accommodation there (good places from $125/night!) Just ask and I will fill you in...

Without further ado.... the slideshow:

Foreshadowing: great news coming up in a few days.... stay tuned for an exciting announcement!

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Home Sweet Home

Well we made it back safe and sound...  got back on Sunday night actually.  The journey was smooth right up till the last hurdle - our luggage got lost.  All four pieces to be precise.  We still don't have it and I won't lie that it's becoming a bit irritating.  Really it wouldn't be a big deal except for a few key items - the cord for my laptop being the #1 item I am missing.  (Mental note: don't separate the cord from the laptop to save a bit of carry-on weight.)  So, why did our luggage get lost?  Let me tell you (because this is a new thing and you may be effected)...

When you have a connecting flight and the second leg is international, say, Kauai - Honolulu then Honolulu - Vancouver you MUST pick up your bags in Honolulu and take them through customs and security yourself.  Not like the old days when they could "check your bags through".  The problem is that the airline check-in staff will often still say "we'll check your bags through to the final destination" for some reason (like any of the following: they don't know Vancouver is in Canada, they are half asleep, they don't look at the final destination at all, they forget the new rule, whatever...)  The result is you arrive in Honolulu, head to the gate for your next flight while your luggage runs into a problem in the bowels of the airport.  Said luggage then gets re-routed to the 'Baggage Department' where it collects dust until someone sees fit to process the paperwork and put it through customs without you.  Meanwhile a WORLDWIDE BAGGAGE TRACKING system headquartered in Bangalore, India is trying in vain to figure out this (quite simple) problem.  So beware....  just say, "No Thanks, I'll pick up my bag and re-check it."  Obviously, this isn't a problem if you are flying domestically or if the first leg of your journey is the international leg...  

Anyway, I am borrowing a cord and finally seeing my e-mail (over 200 new e-mails... arghh) and providing a quick blog update.

Our holiday was GREAT!  Kauai is a pretty special place and one that I know we will be visiting again soon.  I will load up a slideshow and a better trip report in an upcoming post (once my luggage returns from its extended holiday in Honolulu - that's positive thinking for you...)

Onto Training....  it's great to be back into a regular routine.  I got my program from James at Innovative Fitness and it looks like a great plan to put me into fighting form for triathlon season.

My first benchmark will be the Sun Run on the 20th - I am excited to do this race as it should provide a pretty good reading on my overall fitness.  Also, it is a lot of fun...

I am fighting off a creeping antsy feeling that I am late in preparations for triathlon season....  the logical side of my brain knows it is because I have had a busy ski season and things are different with a two sport focus.  The other side of my brain just feels like I am "behind".  The cure for this problem?  I need to ramp up the workouts and get down to business fast!  (without overdoing it and getting injured.)

My biggest weakness at the moment has to be my cycling as I have ignored it to a massive degree over the course of the winter.  I will be seeking to remedy that situation in the coming weeks.

Stay tuned for some training posts and pics in the coming weeks, and cross your fingers for better weather!

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Sun, Sand, Surf...

It may seem strange to you that I am proud of myself for hanging out at the beach so successfully for the last week....  But I really have to hand it to myself - I've got the beach dialed in.

Let me explain...  Beaches:  sand, salt water, waves, etc. all create scenarios that can be quite challenging to an amputee.  Sand wants to get into places in my liner* and leg that cause big fit and comfort problems, not to mention blisters... and stopping sand is tough.  Water wants to #@%! up my fit, corrode various parts and generally make stuff uncomfortable and heavy.

There was a time when I would head to the beach, lay out the most massive towel possible and try not to move from it (all while pretending to enjoy myself.)  Talk about lame and not fun at all...

Eventually I had a beach epiphany - a beapiphany:  quit trying to avoid these things - go for it and fix the problems later.

So how does this work? (if you don't care I understand... and now would be a good time to surf to MSN Money or YouTube or something more interesting...)

1.  I started by just going for it... doing what I used to do when I was a bi-ped.  Analyse the results.  Corrosion of metal parts, sand everywhere, ruined prosthetic sock, pretty uncomfortable while in use... though not as bad as I would have expected.  Also, the experience of "forgetting about it" - FANTASTIC!

What you need:  A willingness to get in there and tinker - don't be afraid of your own leg!  Some tools.  Dessert optional.

2.  Problem solving.  Problem #1 - Corrosion.  Hardware store - metal nuts, bolts and washers - now chrome...  I was going to get stainless steel (and that would have been smarter) but the chrome was sexy...  somewhat of a makeover for my leg.  The locking mechanism inside the prosthetic is the only other metal part on my leg...  When I get out of the water I try to rinse ASAP with fresh water (as opposed to salt water) and I dry it every night by leaving the leg upside down and I also spray Liquid Wrench inside to keep everything moving and limit the rust a bit.  And if this doesn't work 100% I don't sweat it... because I can replace bolts and that locking mech. is gonna break one day anyway.  

Problem #2 - Sand:  Well, it's going to get everywhere.  What to do?  Let it.  And every once in a while pop the leg, liner, and pros. sock off and rinse it out...  No big deal.  Very liberating.   

Problem #3 - Fit:  Yeah it kind of sucks compared to perfect, dry-land conditions.  Then again everyone is a little less steady on the beach or in the waves etc. Buy a thicker sock and devote it to the ocean... once it is wet it will come down in size a little and the fit will be 'close'... I used to baby these prosthetic socks because they cost so much**... to hell with that. Pop it in the dryer at night (or don't bother if it is getting wet again tomorrow.)  I can chase my kids, surf, swim, and enjoy myself.  

Benefits:  You can do what you want at the beach...  not getting sunburnt can go back to being your number one concern (alas, it was never relegated to #2 for me...).  Also, and here's a nice one...  when you get home, just hop in the shower like you used to - on two legs! - to rinse everything out thoroughly.

Hey, this may not seem like a big deal to most people but I know that it can be for those of us with robotic parts.  Take it from me - go for it!  What's the worst that can happen?  (Well you could lose it in the ocean... but I am developing a leash system...  ha ha!) 

If you made it this far, take a moment to consider something that you have a mental block with...  think of that thing you just hate dealing with...  find your beach.  Now figure out your approach to defeating it.  If you are lucky it will require a week of working on it in Hawaii.... 

Trip to Hawaii:  $ a lot

Wrenches: $5.00

New chrome nuts, bolts, washers: $6.50

Leg Bling: Priceless.

(Rocking the beach with my kids - also Priceless - though less ironic and a bit too syrupy sweet to be written outside of brackets...)

* Liner is the silicone sleeve that I roll onto my leg.  The pin attached to the end of the liner locks into the prosthetic.  This system creates a suction suspension to keep the leg on.  Works 99% of the time...

** Ridiculously, wool prosthetic socks can cost as much as $60.  And it seems there isn't one company that has ever thought to make them in any colour other than white.

*** Sacha wants me to remind people that the photos are from the condo in Hawaii...  lest you should think we hired the Golden Girls to decorate our home. 

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Aloha!

Kauai - also known as the Garden Island - is a damn fine place as far as I can tell.

So far, we are having a blast.  The pace is super slow here - just what we need.  The beaches are really quiet even though it is Spring Break.  I think next week they will be deserted.

We have fallen into a quick routine which is basically AM=Beach, PM=Pool, 5=Dinner, 7:30=Kid's in bed.  Sacha and I spell each other off for some exercise - being late in her pregnancy, her exercise is walking (at a jogging pace - seriously - it's weird...)  I had my first run today (about 5 miles)...  my back was OK, though I didn't push it too much.  It seems that running does not upset the same muscle as skiing.  Luggage lifting on the other hand was excruciating...  though, when one's wife is 8 months pregnant it is best not to complain about lifting luggage (or anything else.)  

My current mini-goal is to set a personal record (PR) at the Sun Run.  My best time there was two years ago: 45:24.  I didn't run it last year.  I know I am more fit now though I haven't been running as much (due to all the skiing.)  I have time to dial it in before April 20th though.

I will have many great photos (now that I have found my camera lens which was missing for two days...)  In the meantime I have only this snapshot.

 

Mattias and Aia - (if not for Mattias I would be the whitest man on the island - but he got his genes from me, so I suppose I am ultimately to blame on both accounts.)

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Perspective

                                             Aia on the playground near the Marketplace

The hot tub at the Marquise is under a wild glass dome...  pretty bright when the sun comes out...

                                        Mattias preparing for the 2026 Olympics.

Aside from the trials and tribulations of racing - we have been having a pretty fun family time here in Whistler.

Today Mattias and Aia were in ski school...  Sacha and I got them out the door in their ski outfits with limited fuss this morning - (high-fives all round!)

After dropping them off we enjoyed a relaxing breakfast before I saw Mary-Beth for some back repair.  Post-massage, we snooped on the kids skiing - we hid behind signs so that Aia wouldn't spot us and decide to cry.  She was ripping up a 20 foot stretch of almost flat snow - she couldn't have looked cuter with her homemade bunny ears on her helmet.

Mattias, meanwhile was carving turns through the gates on the Level II slope....  By carving I mean snowplowing - but he has improved a LOT and Sacha and I were beaming with pride.

After skiing we took them to the pool and hot tub to rest all of our aching muscles.  They had a blast and forced me to do a lot of moving around - I think kids are as effective as physiotherapists.  They are relentless and they wear you down - you can't say 'no' to them because they don't really care about your sore back...  they care about you swimming with them.

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