24.03.06
Posted in Canada, Sport at 4:15 pm by AB
That’s the questions i am currently asking myself. People in Australia have told me that the Commonwealth Games are on at the moment in Melbourne. Really? At the moment? I find that hard to believe as i am sure that being in a Commonwealth Country I’d be able to watch the Games on TV. Or at least see some highlights on the sports news programs that seem to be on 24/7 here in Canada. But no… Nothing.
I have been told that the Canadian National Broadcaster, CBC, was doing a one hour highlight package. Well when’s it on. It must be on at 3am in the morning as i have yet to see anything. About the only news i have received from melbourne was when Karl texted me to tell me the results of the Men’s Triathlon and following that a discussion i had with Coach Gathercole a few days ago.
So my question to Canada is; Are you guys actually competiting or does no one in this country give a stuff unless sport involves snow or ice? My money is on the later.
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12.03.06
Posted in Canada at 10:46 pm by AB
Hi Everyone,
Well i am still alive although i have been a bit quiet of late. Quiet in terms of keeping everyone up to date on my happenings anyway. The web site also hasn’t been updated for a while but that doesn’t mean i have been sitting around.
After the winter olympics finished i was all inspired to take to the snow and do some cross country skiing. Can’t be that hard i thought. I can skate a bit, it’s only skating with longer blades and a bit of a pole push. So which my new found excitement in hand i made Scott the manager from the store take me up to Cypress for some XC Skiing. Cypress is only 30 minutes (if that) drive from downtown vancouver and has night skiing both alpine and XC each night. Scott also used to do some XC racing so i thought he’d be a good guide.
All i can say now is that i have a new found admiration for XC skiers. Those guys make it look really easy,and really easy it is not. I spent most of the evening either picking myself up off the ground or wishing we were going down hill as i could just point down hill and go then. By the end of the night i was starting to get more of a feel for it, but every time we had to go up hill and i lost any momentum it was all over. We left the mountain at 10pm and i was dead tired, and not surprisingly i was pretty stiff and sore the next day. Hopefully i’ll convince Scott to get me up there again soon.
Earlier in the week Adam (a fellow work mate) and I spent 3 days up at Whistler getting in some downhill skiing. We had an awesome time up there. Lots of good snow and lots of powder to play in on the last day. Whistler is a pretty cool place, and an even better place to go skiing. And as i keep saying, any day skiing in Canada, is a lot better then a great day in Australia.
Not a lot else is news. I am still working at the running shop which has it’s moments but on the whole is a lot of fun. The fellow staff members are great fun to work with. Hopefully spring is on the way although Friday morning i woke up to find it snowing! This weekend has been great weather, and this morning we got out on the bike for a 70k ride, before we all had to start work at 12pm.
I have tried to get a bit of swimming into the routine as well as i have entered the Victoria Half Ironman Triathlon in June. I am looking forward to getting back into racing. The race is also one of the few qualifiers for Ironman Canada, not that i am entertaining that thought but it might attract a nice crowd.
I am also doing a half marathon in May and possibly one later after the half ironman, not that i am running all that well but it keeps me getting out the door, well sort of!
The final thing i have on the horizon is RAMROD. It’s like the Alpine Classic for those people who know that event in Victoria. Although you have to go into a lottery for this one, but Art and myself from work have put our names in for a start.
From the website - RAMROD [Ride Around Mount Rainier in One Day] is the Pacific Northwest’s premiere one-day ultra-marathon cycling event. It combines the incomparable scenery of Mount Rainier National Park with a challenging course featuring 10,000 feet of climbing over 154 miles.
So looks like i got some miles to get in. Better get out there and do them. Hope everyone is well. Bring on Spring!!!
Cheers
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