This is extremely cool...

...but I don't suppose we'll ever see it here in Vancouver (or North America for that matter.)

It's a two minute video...  worth the time to see what a progressive society is doing.

Click HERE to see the video if clicking on the "play" button below doesn't work.

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Spectathlon

With so much spectating going on lately (another two races this weekend) I am beginning to get antsy.

I am seriously toying (if one can "seriously toy"...) with the thought of racing in Sooke next weekend.  The event features a sprint and a half iron race.

Decisions.

My ability to "chill" needs work.  I only have to watch two races to feel lazy...

On the bright side I will have some more good photos from my exploits as a spectathlete this weekend.

Damn near every last person I know competed in the Innovative Fitness Canuck Place Adventure Challenge on Saturday.  It was a gorgeous day in Deep Cove and I got quite a few great shots...  more importantly than my photographs though - over $200,000 was raised for Canuck Place!

Then this morning Sacha and her good friend Mel (and several other friends) knocked out a very solid 14km Coho Run effort under brilliant fall sunshine.  I pestered (cheered for) them 4 times with the kids (all 3) at various points along the way...  It was a "Superfan" outing for the ages if I do say so myself (and I do.)

Look for some good photos and a decision from me tomorrow.  It was a great weekend but one that has left me hungry...

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Ski Season - Planning, Goals

It's Fall people...  the sooner we accept it the sooner we can all get over the passing of summer.  I thought the painting above was particularly appropriate for this time of year.  It is by Kesler Woodward and is only one of many cool paintings on his site...  Check it out HERE.

Now that the post is adequately decorated, onto the main topic for today:  Ski season is approaching.

I have been working out the key races, dates, locations etc. that will make up my 2008/2009 Nordic Racing campaign.  The season is pretty short, just December - March, but there is a lot of racing packed into that time.... 

Season Goals:  Move up from National Development Team to National Team.  Qualify for Paralympics.

Here are the key events on the schedule:

Dec 6 - 9  Nor Ams 

Vernon

Dec 13 - 14  Nor Ams 

Callaghan Valley

Jan 24 - 25  BC Cup #2

100 Mile House

Feb 7 - 8 BC Championships

Kelowna

Mar 4 - 7  IPC World Cup

Callaghan Valley

Mar 11 - 14 IPC World Cup

Mt. Washington

I suspect we will be racing almost every weekend because there are smaller races in between these larger ones.

A lot will be decided in the first two races.  They are qualifiers for the IPC World Cup races that come later in the season.

Key races in early December present some issues because I will have limited access to snow prior to these very important races.  The current National Team skiers will have been in New Zealand for a few weeks of training over the summer, and also Finland (in a futuristic ski tunnel) in October.

The challenge is to crack the squad without the advantage of the 'on snow' training.  Ultimately, I have to focus on the things I can control - like my workouts, my fitness, my recovery, my equipment, my mental preparation etc.  It would have been great to get on snow this summer but it wasn't in the cards.  C'est la vie...

If all goes well I will find myself traveling to these places next summer and fall to prep for the Paralympics:

Snow Farm in New Zealand

Vuokatti Ski Tunnel in Finland

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Downhill Running

OK, last post for today.... 

Check out the cool photo I found of Sacha and I running the 5 Peaks Trail Race together in July.  

Photo Credit:  Steve Ellison.

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Training Update

The long weekend was pretty quiet on the training front.  Sacha and I spent a good deal of time planning our next few weeks and months.  

Back to School has encouraged us to get our ducks in a row as far as the home front goes.  We got a bit more "moved in" to our house - hung some pictures etc.  We got some Back to School Resolutions in order and are ready to hit the fall at full tilt.

This kind of stuff, though annoying, does get your energy pumping if you give in to it.  I gave in and am now feeling some jump for the new season.

TRAINING

Monday - 10km ride with Mattias in the Seymour Demonstration Forest....  I was scoping it for roller skiing...  I think his biking pace will be pretty challenging for me on the skis.  He will get a kick out of kicking my a$$ out there.  Look for that workout later this week or maybe early next...

Tuesday - Dryland Training at Burnaby Central Track.  Double pole intervals on the roller skis.

- 5 x 400m all out with 400 easy in between.

- Then push-ups 90 seconds as many as possible (around 65)

- Another 400 all out on the tired arms

- Then we did a relay where I did another 400 all out.

Mostly working on leading with the hips and getting out over the front of the ski so that momentum can assist and it isn't all arms...  ideally double poling power is generated and applied through the core.  It's not nearly as simple as it looks....  The position I am striving for is shown nicely in the following pictures:

Wednesday AM - Masters.  Our first fall session after a 10 day layoff.  Mischa hit us with:

- 600m - Back and Free (x100)

- 100 warm-down

- 6 x 100m - (50 drills, 50 swim)

- 100 w-d

- 4 x 200m Free (30 seconds rest)

- 200 w-d

- 10 x 50 Free (on :55)

- 100 w-d

- 2 x 25 Free! Race.  (on :45)

- 100 w-d

This was tough on the sore arms from last night, but it felt great to see everyone again and to be back in the pool.

Wednesday PM - Innovative Fitness.  I have a workout in a couple of hours with Daryl at I.F. in Kits.  I go to the Kitsilano I.F. on Wednesdays which, despite being further away, has been good - it gets me out of my little West Van bubble once a week which is nice.

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Back to School

Mattias just left for his first day of Grade 1.

That was fast...  Seems like only yesterday we were coming home from the hospital and stopping at Delany's on the way (creating a tradition which we repeated two years later with Aia, and six years later with Viggo.)

As our eldest, Mattias is sometimes subjected to greater expectations as we hope he'll set the right kind of examples for his siblings.  He does an admirable job with the eldest child burden and is a great big brother for Aia and Viggo.

At moments like this I think it is fair to reflect and feel some pride in the job Sacha and I have done with him so far.  It's kind of like running a marathon and looking at your watch and seeing that you are on pace at the 3 mile mark though...........

 

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Vancouver Triathlon 2008 - Friends throw it down!

Today I was a spectator and a chief photographer for several friends competing in the Vancouver Triathlon.

Everyone seemed to have a good time on the course. Here are a few of my photos:

The highly coveted finishers medals....  Consider this photographic foreshadowing...

Keith Iwasaki - Intrepid Official and my friend from the board of Triathlon BC.  Keith actually gave me a 2 minute penalty at the UBC Triathlon one year for racking my bike incorrectly...  I have since forgiven him (so that he won't give me any more penalties...)

 
Kevin Parenteau - My near neighbour here in West Van.  We swim together at Masters and in Batchelor Bay and ride together as often as we can.  Great race today Kev!

 

Chelsea Raymond - An IF trainer and Sprint Distance specialist.  After a last minute broken wetsuit zipper panic she went on to place first overall female in the Sprint Distance race.  Awesome!

 

Sandy Treagus - Another West Vancouver Masters swimmer and friend.  Sandy crossed the line with all his kids and I actually managed to get a shot of it!  Nice job Sandy!

 

Hayley McGowan (ex-IF trainer) and her relay team.  Bill (middle) and Ryan Weymark (right).  Bill swam, Ryan rode the bike, and Hayley knocked out 10km on the run.  Nice team effort!

 

Mark Vaughan - IF customer and my City Chase partner, keeping fit for next year's Chase (which we are going to win).  Nice Race Mark!

 

Keith Nicoll - Owner of North Shore Athletics (a great running store here on the North Shore).  He had about 40 people in the race from one of his shop's clinics.  He also wins the prize for most spectacular finishing pose.  Very majestic!

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