Rex, Kona, & Murphy!

"Play, play, play!"

"Whatareyoudoingnow?!Playnow?!Foodnow?!Okaythatsoundslikefun!Treatnow?!Dinnernow?!Play?!
Walkdownstairs?!Walkupstairs?!Fetchnow?!Kongnow?!Ballnow?!Leash?!Bag?!Car?!Walk?!Run?
ThatsoundsgoodGreatletsgoplay!Letsgoplayatthepark!Letsgoplayoutside!Letswrestle!Licktheface!
HappyHappyHappyHappy!Playwiththe ball!HappyPlayPlayPlayPlay!"

Rex, Kona, & Murphy keep recovery active & I've decided play is a perfect addition to a recovery week.

"Itstimeforabikeride!Okaythatsoundslikefun!Letsgorideintherain!Coffeefirst?Okcoffeefirst!
YeahCoffeefirst.Thenwegoplayoutsideonbikes!Weregoingtoride?Yeah!Weregoingtorideoutside!"

Rest well.

. . . or two . . . or three ;)

The Weekend of Adventure.

It was a cool frost covered Friday morning and before long the sky erupted with an explosion of sunshine. With the light bearing down on the deck, our thermometer read 25 degrees only 30 minutes after the sunrise. We knew this would be a great day to ride.

For the past 3 weeks I had been looking forward to the upcoming 3 days. We had put in a few good hours on the bike so far this week & the legs were craving more. Now's the time to ride.

I like to start these rides warm, so we polished off a healthy dose of the last remaining smokey chipotle beans from our Farmers First Mocca Java. Next, I warm the lungs with a little peppermint cinnamon Po Sum On, warm the legs with a little Zheng Gu Shui, & we're ready to ride.

Today's nutrition would be one reserve bottle with 2 scoops ofConscious Planet, just in case things go extra long.

Out the door, along the Goose & up the Malahat. Let's go make an adventure.

I love the adventure aspect. The unridden roads, new smells, new sights, new view points . . . ahhh . . . so awesome.

31 minutes up the 'hat we find a new road. Up we go and this is all uncharted territory. Roll past a mysteriously placed mill . . . we follow the adventure nose.

For 20 minutes our conversation is limited to 4 lungs breathing & 2 squeeky fenders. We're each having our own inner conversation, assessing just how the legs feel, learning to engage, learning how to ride.

"Stevo. Keep you head up 'cause there's a crazy wild dog somewhere around here."

"Wow! This is all new! This road used to stop right here. Let's keep going!"

We descend for a little ways with joyful shouts of excitement & enthusiasm. We carry the momentum and are once again climbing, now way above the tree line.

"This is so cool! We just made the Malahat twice as long!"

The viewpoint was incredible. From here we could see it all, the Saanich Peninsula, the peak of Mt. Finlayson, across to Metchosin, downtown Victoria, Juan de Fuca, & the Straight of Georgia. Absolutely awestruck.

"I bet we could connect from here to Leechtown. That'll be tomorrow."

On our descent we found the old abandoned highway, leading through Mt. Work and by now we're almost on a cross ride.

Back through the lagoon, home for a snack, & Commonwealth for a swim.

Friday complete.

Saturday's cross adventure could be summarized through a few memorable quotes:

"I'm sure this will connect."

"We must be getting close."

"That has to be Jack lake."

"This trail must get better."

"I wonder where we are.

"Let's leave our bikes here, hike to the top of that hill, & try for iPhone reception."

"Where are our bikes?"

"I feel like I'm in the Blair Witch Project."

"Are those guys ice fishing?"

"I smell like the lake I fell into."

Definitely an adventure day. Home for a snack / cookies for dinner / change the clothing break, & we're off to PISE for the ultimate weights session.

Saturday complete.

Sunday was the adventure run, extended waterfront ride, & a flush swim.

"Somehow my legs always feel good for Sunday's run."

"Yeah, I'm the same."

"Perhaps it's because we're still on a high from yesterday."

Sunday complete.

This morning I slept in, ate some oatmeal, watched the food network, & drank some coffee.

"I'm just going to go to have a cookie . . . or two . . . or three ;) "

Awesome weekend dude! Thanks for a great one. It's time for a swim.

Rest well.

they're back

Yes indeed . . . one Sunny ride & the freckles are back!

Rest well.

riding the wave

Every now and then I catch myself thinking, (which may ironically turn out to be the first step forward), what could I be doing right now? What needs to be done? Could I be more efficient right now?

These are great questions. They can produce progression; however, it's important to recognize these questions & thoughts as they arise. Where do these questions come from? Was it me who created these thoughts? Who says I need to be doing something right now?

I'm already doing something. I'm being here.

But the laundry needs to be done! I have clothes to put away. I could clean off the counter. I could make some energy bars. I could wash the car. I could go look something up on the computer. What's that bike part he was talking about? Perhaps that's the secret to going fast. . . the chain of thought continues & before long . . . where am I again?

Oh yes. I'm here. Here is good. I'm happy here. I'm happy to be riding. I'm happy to be swimming. I'm happy to be running. I'm happy to be cooking dinner. I'm happy to be coaching.

Here is good. I'm happy to be here.

We're in the midst of a great week. Let's keep riding the wave.

Rest well.

butcher before bed

This morning began with a double shot in the dark, adding a little excitement to the usual morning routine. Follow the clouds & watch them disappear into the deep blue sky.

Now I know I'm on the bike. I know I'm riding. I can feel the cool air on my face, the much appreciated sun drenching any exposed skin. The sun's light is flashing off the Gorge inlet as we ride across a frost covered Selkirk trestle.

I know I'm riding. I can turn the handlebars, feel the my feet in the pedals, hands on the bars, & seat on the saddle. I feel the vibrations of the road.

I know I'm riding because I can feel these things. I know I'm riding because I hopped on the bike. I know I'm riding because that's what we do on Wednesday mornings.

Yet somehow today it feels like I'm just watching a movie. It's like some kind of virtual reality. It's exactly like riding the bike, only it feels like I'm watching things happen, feeling things as they happen.

Great observatory ride. A little seated, a little standing, mostly big ringing.

PISE for weights. Commonwealth for the swim.

Oak Bay Rec for work.

Oak Bay Butcher for dinner & back home for bed.

Rest well.

Friday night? . . . Sunday night.

I am sitting down to Sunday evening & it feels like Friday night. I've finished all my tests for the week, most of my homework is done and there are no big projects due on Monday. We're finished a great week of training!

Saturdays are my favourite day of all. In fact I spend most of the week looking forward to waking up to a long ride.

We start with a big coffee, and lots of warm clothes. Add one heart rate monitor, 2 pedals, 2 wheels, and a clear plan for the day. Mix with some good company, add the weights, & let it settle with a flush swim.

I love Saturdays.

Thanks to Simon, Kyle, Lauren, & the Jazz man for sharing a good few hours. It's definitely a pleasure to ride with you guys.

The legs felt awesome for a Sunday sunrise run.

G-man, thanks for the chat & peppermint tea this afternoon. I'm looking forward to the next time we have to chat. Great coffee talk with Scotty as usual. MOW, thanks for the encouraging phone call this evening!

All around a great day and sweet week to come.

Rest well.

wine & cheese

"Purrrrrr."

That's the sound of my inner cat as I sit down for a moment, enjoy 11:34am and the wonderful sunshine. Vitamin D tastes so good.

Every day we drive home from the pool discussing our latest swim epiphanies. "Ok, here's the secret. Today I felt ____ and ____ happened. I think it's because _____, and therefor ______ is happening."

It came on Wednesday evening during a dreamish daze, a relaxed haze where my swimming mind fell asleep & something new woke up. Thursday was the first test run.

So this is what swimming easy feels like. I have always know what an easy run feels like, you just run easy. Easy biking is easy, you just bike easy. On Thursday morning I felt the easy swim. This is swimming easy!

Ok, I'm going to try and swim easy for the rest of the practice. Out the window it goes & I'm back to work, a far cry from swimming easy. Let the swimming mind fall asleep, & whatever else wake up.

Back to swimming easy. For me it has something to do with relaxing. It's mostly just knowing when to relax the arms, & when to push. I actually like this! We'll go with this epiphany for a little while.

Relaxing really seems to allow one to enjoy the wine & cheese of swimming.

Tomorrow is my favourite day of all, the long ride day.

Enjoy the sun and rest well.

Back to the bike. . .

Yesterday we finished off the last few beans from one of my favorite blends, Level Ground Cafe Awasa. Today was a new coffee day!

A few weeks ago I let my nose decide what would be the next brew. After sniffing around the isle for few minutes, I picked up what smelled the most potent. My eyes confirmed the potential candidate . . . brown paper bag, organic looking design, a few fair trade logos, some organic symbols, and the three triangle recycle sign. It's "Farmer something or other, Macca Java."

My initial taste reaction, "Wow, that's different. What do I taste here?"

It's a little like chocolate, but with chili flavor. Perhaps chili chocolate? There's a smokey taste, almost like a camp fire. This is a good way wake up the tongue. Smokey chipotle?

Only a few years ago leading up to his race in Penticton, Jonnyo introduced Scotty & I to coffee. Scotty was already into the coffee scene. I pretended to care for the week we were there, perhaps even understand the morning coffee, but just to fit in.

Now I think I understand. Ahh, the morning coffee on the beach. . . remembering the day before, and imagining the day ahead. Good memories.

I enjoyed today's new Mocca Java while driving along Interurban to Commonwealth Place. FastForward, on the top, and Splash . . . we're in.

Swimming with the NTC development group is a pretty sweet story. It's a great group, high energy, fun people, good friends. Thanks to the group & coaches for accomadating our OD crew.

Home to the shake, nap, legs up, and bike.

Windsday came a day early as I could hear the water calling loud & clear. Windy waterfront ride it is.

I always love the bike sessions, windy, rainy, snowy, hot, sunny, it's all good on the bike. We just bring our house with us, booties, jacket, vest, & the new secrety weapon . . . a water bottle full of green tea. Pre - ride tea for pre - warming, during ride tea for warmth maintenance, & post - ride Ovaltine for comfort + more warming.

A coach once told me to make where you live the best possible place to train, & right now Victoria is a pretty sweet place to be. I will always love the windy waterfront ride.

Home again for the shake, legs up, and an evening run. To keep the old school theme going, I made it a golf course run. . . just like the good ol' Gryphon Nordic golf course days, only this February we're on green grass.

Soft, squishy run & home for my second favourite dinner. . . random food all mixed together in a bowl.

Tonight's master combination: Baked red potatoe, leftover red lentil soup, & a can of beans, with a sprinkling of parmesean cheese. . . absolute deliciousness.

Thanks for a great day. Tomorrow we're back to the bike.

Rest well.

spirtle

Stir oatmeal with a spirtle for an awesome start.



Classic Ovaltine makes it even better.



Kenyan run, Smooth Swim & an epic Oak Bay Day.

Salsa & soup to finish.

Rest well.

apple cider

Somehow Sunday runs always feel the best. Whether it's been a massive week of riding, weights, & runs, or a swim focus, the legs find a way to prepare themselves for Sunday morning.

Perhaps it's because the run is Sunday's focus. We expect it to be a good one. We expect a tradition of light running.

Lately the Sunday run has taken on it's own tradition of searching for the sunrise. Beginning at Cedar Hill our trio searches the burbs for the best lookout. Mt. Tolmie, Mt. Doug, 10mile point, Caddy Bay, these are all potential points to catch a good rise.

Another building week on it's way, so this evening I tested the vinegar waters with a little apple cider. Treat it like an Epsom bath, just add a quart or two of Apple Cider Vinegar.

Makes the body feel good.

Rest well.

Ride was great.
PISE style weights were awesome.
Swim was smooth.

And a Last minute hockey game with Mr. Finn & Mr. Jazz.

Sweet day. Elaboration later. It's time for a snooze.

Rest well.

BIG day on it's way.

Today we have sun for our BIG Satur Day. It's going to be a great one!

Enjoy the day & we'll catch up in a few hours.

Rest well.

awesome feeling

The day begins with new light of the sun, & new breath of the wind. We wake to a new beginning, with new life, new light.

We wake up to a new breath, of which we are at first unaware. Then as concentration builds, and focus grows, we begin to recognize the gift of breath.

A conscious focus and we see the breath entering our Self, waking our body to the outer world. At first the conscious breath takes focus and control, then it grows strength.

It becomes able to support it's own. It gives life and to us, & provides light to the world. As though through it's own accord, it grows deeper, filling each and every cell with light. It sparks new life from within; we begin to experience without.

We experience a boundless peace from within and our hunger grows. This is peace, but there is more.

We search within. We breathe with inner hunger, a longing to transcend our inner Self.

We search without. We race with outer hunger, a burning chance to transcend our outer Self.

//

Great ride & weights which I will surly remember tomorrow. Being alive is an awesome feeling.

Rest well.

roll ride

Today I am sure the weights are making a change. There were two sets to confirm.

After a sweet swim we hit the treads for some wake up base. 45 base, 10 x wake up, 5 cool down. It took 5 to wake up the hams, & by 10 we had bounce to the stride.

Home to recover where we have added another factor the the nutrition by absorption program. It's about density. The plan is to absorb density through concentration, both mental & physical. I'll keep you posted.

Onto the winter ride for a somewhat similar wake up base routine. 5 through, & the hams know a new tune. This is how we roll. This is how we ride.

Great work by Nicolai this evening @ OB Rec. Nice start mano. Recover well.

Rest well.

oh yeah . . .

Narrow it down. We each have our own list. What will we work on in the pool today?

As this is still early season in the LC world, the focus is technical, & therefore the challenge comes from learning exertion. Now is the time for neuromuscular work.

Any student will confirm, learning work is a far cry from easy work. It may look easy because there are fewer grunts, groans, splashes, & empty water bottles, but learning work adds both intensity & deep volume to any practice.

Narrow down the learning work.

For a brief moment this morning, only two things called for attention. These were the catch, & the roll. Oh yeah, the catch. What's that again? What does it actually mean to catch? Ok, what does it feel like to catch? Ok. I gotcha. Work on that. Oh yeah. . . we have a drill for that!

Then there's the roll. What's that again? We've talked about what it means to roll. What does it feel like to roll? Oh yeah, we talked about that. Oh yeah . . . we have a drill for that too!

I think the coaches were onto this a while ago.

Sweet Kenyan run today & a Timothy Noakes style bike.

10 hours to catch & roll practice. Thanks for a fun one.

Rest well.

kitten's company

Kitten has just perched herself upon my lap, tail angled towards the computer, her chin resting on my arms. You're looking a little darker today Kitten. The amber in your coat is turning copper orange. It's a fast looking color.

We all ask ourselves, "What is the perfect program?" What is the best, most efficient way to achieve what we conceive. It's a multidimensional equation. Right?

So many different factors to consider . . . but what really matters? This variable, that variable, one thousand and one other variables we have yet to consider.

Is there one master formula, one perfect way, one unifying theory to sort it all out?

Perhaps we could just start to cancel some of these pesky variables.

Our theoretical master formula has all the variables imaginable. We too each have our own set set which is certainly externally unknown.

Perhaps our own variables can match up, canceling out the x, y, &, z of the our unifying theory, our master formula. What's left?

We are left with what really matters, what we believe is necessary, what we believe will make the difference for us.

Many times we are told what matters for us. This comes from a reputable source, therefore it must be so. Is this source good enough to be our own Gospel?

In fact, we already know what we need to do. The answer is there, deep inside. Perhaps all it takes is trust in our deep down, high up knowlege & inner wisdom.

What do we believe we need to do? Ok, that's what matters. Now we do it.

We're onto week #5, our second block. A new block & a new set of rules.

Thanks for the company Kitten.

Rest well.