The Iron Couple

The blog has moved!

2009-06-03T08:22:00.000-07:00

Ironcouple is now at theironcouple.wordpress.com. Check us out!

And we're back

2009-06-02T14:14:00.000-07:00

So it's been a while! But these days I've got a little extra time at work to kill so I figured I would dust off this old thing...

Here is an update. Ironman came and went. I sat on the couch, gained 40 pounds (ate a lot of good food though), did some renovations on the house and I'm getting back in the workout game. Stay tuned for more amazingly exciting updates :)

Cuteness Runs in the Family

2008-08-11T13:27:00.000-07:00

Spiky ear hair may also run in the family, but it's a little too early to tell.

Confessions of a Cheapskate

2008-07-30T11:08:00.000-07:00

[My husband informs me that I talk too openly about things like poo, pee, vomit, and other personal matters. So, to avoid shocking anybody who has come here to read about cake, triathlon training, or the cutest dog in the universe, I am hereby issuing a TMI warning. If you're easily grossed out by bodily functions, you might want to skip this post. The rest of you sickos, read on.]

I recently posted about my new coffee obsession, and the fact that I am a much nicer person in the morning after I've had a cup or, let's be honest, two. I used to scoff at all the caffeine junkies lining up outside Starbucks for their jolt of java, but I'm sad to say that I'm now one of those addicts. Though Starbucks (yuck!) isn't what did me in. No, I blame Hines Public Market Coffee for initiating the downward spiral. I was always satisfied with green tea until an innocuous looking bag of Hines beans and a French press proved just how delicious coffee can be.

Besides making me perky, coffee drinking has another side effect: it gets things moving, if you know what I mean. And normally I view this as a good thing. It's really quite satisfying to get the daily constitutional over and done with and go on about my day. The one problem is timing. I'm never really quite sure just when nature will call, whether it will be two sips into the first cup or halfway through the second. Because I work from home, this inconsistency isn't normally a problem, except for days like today when I have an early morning meeting on the calendar.

I think you probably know where I'm going with this by now, so I'll just cut to the chase and tell you that during this morning's teleconference I was faced with an extraordinarily urgent need to...drop the kids off at the pool. And not to be crass, but the kids couldn't wait. And I have to say that while you're trying to lower yourself gently so that the sound of the bum hitting the seat remains inaudible to your colleagues is not the ideal time to discover that your cordless telephone lacks, of all things, a mute button.

Oh I tried to do my business quietly, I tried to cover the phone's microphone with my finger, I tried coughing and pencil tapping to disguise any errant sounds. But about halfway through the...evacuation...one of the people on the line paused mid-sentence to say, "Is my audio okay for you guys? Cause I'm using this new headset and I seem to be picking up a lot of...outside noises." Now I don't know about you, but I'm pretty sure I know what he meant. And I'm pretty sure that if he heard "outside noises," everybody else on the telecon heard them too. Despite my desperate attempt at control. Despite my finger across the microphone.

If there is a moral to this story, it must be LISTEN TO YOUR HUSBAND. Because even though you want to cheap out on a basic phone, even if you don't think you will need any of those fancy, over-priced features, your husband is right when he says that someday you might. Someday your coffee might be a little stronger than usual. Someday you might need to release the hounds with a quickness. And, who knows, someday you might just think that little mute button is worth every last penny.

Cocktails, Dancing, What Have You

2008-07-30T00:33:00.000-07:00

Well, I can't sleep. It's after midnight and James and Disco are snoring away next to me, but here I am awake. Perhaps this explains my desperate need for coffee in the mornings? Anyway, since I'm up, I thought I would tell you about my recent trip to Philadelphia to visit my university roommates. Really I went to visit Nilika, but by a stroke of luck, Lucey was in town too. So it was a double whammy. Looking through my photos from the trip, I now realize that there aren't very many. I guess we were just too busy having fun, so I will have to fill in the gaps for you.

Where to begin? How about with Obama? Philly loves him, apparently.

Nilika threw a housewarming party, and Lucey and I got caught in a downpour on the way there.

Neel's roommates were fab. We did lots of wandering down the historic, tree-lined streets in Nil's neighborhood.

Much of this wandering took place after long nights of cocktails, dancing, what have you. Judgements may have been impaired.

Despite the lack of photographic evidence, it was an excellent trip. Nilika, Neel, and the Fitzwater family were incredible hosts and showed us a great time. Now they'll all just have to come to Victoria so we can return the favor!

One Hell of a Revelation

2008-07-24T08:32:00.000-07:00

After a late night of cake-making, I woke up at the crack of dawn this morning to prepare for an early meeting. Took Disco out to do her business, checked email, watched some Tour de France...you know, the usual. But upon stumbling into the kitchen, I found something that made me want to head straight back to bed, curl into a fetal position under the covers, and wish for the resilience of a cockroach.

Plague? Check.
Pestilence? Check.
Not a speck of coffee in the whole damn house? Checkity check.

Let us pray.

Happy, Happy Birthday Granny!

2008-06-28T18:59:00.000-07:00

May there be many, many more!!

White Rabbit Goes Camping

2008-06-28T12:22:00.001-07:00

Sarah's boyfriend took her camping on Saltspring Island for her birthday, and he wanted to surprise her with a camping-themed cake. Who did he call? White Rabbit Cakery, of course! We created a forest cake for Sarah, with birds in the trees, a bear scratching his back, and a googly eyed snake winding around a tree trunk. And lots of mysterious eyes peering out from within the forest. Oh, and of course there was a red pup tent -- who didn't grow up camping in one of those? -- with a pair of feet sticking out. We considered putting two pairs of feet, but not knowing Sarah and her boyfriend very well, we didn't want to get the poor chap into trouble! Inside was our signature chocolate cake with raspberry buttercream filling. We hope the cake survived its journey to Saltspring and was enjoyed by birthday girl Sarah and all her camping buddies.

Chef James Presents: Cherry Lime Pie

2008-06-27T17:06:00.001-07:00

Did I mention he cooks now??? Oh, baby!!!

Sparks

2008-06-27T16:45:00.000-07:00

About a week ago, James and I celebrated our third wedding anniversary with a big meal, a bottle of wine, and a late show. With the notable exception of our bulging bellies, it felt like any other night out together, and we both agreed that the third anniversary calls for less pomp than the second, and only a fraction of the first. It's a good thing, don't you think, that we're not counting the days with tick marks on the wall, not treating every month survived together as a remarkable milestone? But just because we've settled in for the long haul doesn't mean we're not enjoying ourselves. Sure, our life together has become comfortable. Sure, we've broken each other in. But there is still laughter. There are still sparks. And in the words of our favorite psycho cheerleader, changing the routine now would be, like, total murder-suicide. Seriously.

Adventures in Cooking

2008-06-08T10:13:00.000-07:00

So I've never been able to cook. I mean I can make toast but that is about the limits of my culinary skill. Kristi has always been the one to pick up the slack in our relationship and provide me with healthy tasty food. Problem is when she is not around I stare into the fridge look at all the food and have no idea what to do with any of it. I've decided to take a stand and learn how to cook for myself.

There are these things called cookbooks that are surprisingly easy to use! Who knew? In the past week I've been making a few soups and last night I cooked dinner for Kristi and I. I saw some amazing looking turnips at the farmers market and heard them calling my name. Yes, you heard me right. I said turnips! Turnips alone however wouldn't cut it so I also made a lentil soup to go along with it. I present to you Glazed Turnips and Mediterranean Lentil soup.

Glazed Turnips (so good!). From Modern Vegetarian Kitchen by Peter Burley

Mediterranean Lentil Soup. From Chez Panisse Vegetables by Alice Waters

Sexy on the Inside

2008-05-26T09:26:00.000-07:00

Abi's mom sent us more pictures of the heavy metal cake, complete with a sexy inside shot. Enjoy!

To Market

2008-05-24T22:37:00.000-07:00

Today was our third Saturday at the Moss Street Market. It was also the first sunny day in MONTHS, and the first day that we sold out long before the market was over. Coincidence? I think not! We also had a very special order to fill today -- an Iron Maiden birthday cake for our friend Abi -- which was fun but very challenging, and it's left Cara and I both thoroughly exhausted. But before I tuck myself in for the night, here are some long overdue pictures from the past few weeks.

Cupcakes in boxes:

Cupcakes out of boxes:

Cara made us this awesome menu chalkboard sandwich board sign thingie:

A recent special order, a birthday cake for a talented writer:

And finally, a bird's eye view of today's Iron Maiden birthday cake, mind the wicked flames:

Disco says it's bedtime. Sweet, cakey dreams, everybody!

Vegetables Never Tasted So Good

2008-05-01T08:26:00.000-07:00

White Rabbit Cakery, formerly known as the Sugar Sisters, will be at the Moss Street Market every Saturday in May (except May 17) from 10:00 am - 2:00 pm. If you live in Victoria and don't know where the Moss Street Market is, shame on you -- it's at the corner of Moss and Fairfield. Cara and I will be there peddling our fabulous (vegan) cupcakes, mini cakes, and cookies. Advance orders are welcome, and can be emailed to info@whiterabbitcakery.com.

We'd like to keep this going all summer, but we have to sell enough cakes to keep our spot. So hop on over to the market, ignore all the icky vegetable stands, and come see us for a serious sugar high.

Don't Try This At Home

2008-04-22T13:19:00.000-07:00

Today I managed to ruin both a dinner plate and a tea towel with a single stick of unattended incense. And just as I was starting to mentally prepare myself for the fire safety lecture I was certain I would be subjected to, I stepped outside to see that James had left a bag of garbage next to the front door. That's right folks, the man forgot to take the garbage down to the dumpster and left it on our doorstep for all the world to smell. From where I sit this looks like a tie game, and I am thinking I am probably going to get away with tea towel arson without so much as a dirty look. Amen and hallelujah, and who says all the fun stops after the honeymoon?

Finger-Licking Good

2008-04-18T07:26:00.000-07:00

Me: Are you here for the giant raccoon?

Animal Control Officer: No. I'm here for the cougar.

Me: Cougar?!?

Animal Control Officer: Yes. We've had a report of a cougar on the other side of your building.

Me: Yikes!

Animal Control Officer: I suggest you get inside.

Me: Okay.

Animal Control Officer: And take that cougar-snack of a dog with you.

What a Way to Go

2008-03-30T15:46:00.000-07:00

8:00 am Wake up early to bake pie.

10:00 am Put pie in oven without a baking sheet underneath.

10:34 am Pie overflows.

12:30 pm Remove ruined pie and set oven to Self Clean.

2:45 pm Die from inhalation of noxious oven cleaning fumes.

2:47 pm Eaten by rabid, pie loving terrier.

Candlelit Dinner Optional

2008-03-28T12:14:00.000-07:00

A few days ago, my husband announced that he has already picked out my birthday present and that it's a really good one. Don't be shocked and amazed by the fact that my birthday isn't until July. That James is a real catch, and he gives a good present. And since I know him to be both romantic and thoughtful (occasionally even at the same time), I immediately thought, YES!, this wonderful man is buying me a new dishwasher, one that won't spew soapy water all over the floor every third power wash cycle.

But then I thought, wait a second, James can do better than that. If this man is a true romantic, and I know that he is, then instead of a buying me a new dishwasher, he must have signed me up for appliance repair classes. Because then when my dishwasher breaks I can say to myself, sorry ma'am, can't find nothin' wrong with it, write myself a check for 500 bucks, and then mosey on down to the local Home Depot to buy myself something shiny and stainless. Teach a man to fish, right honey?

Snack Attack

2008-03-27T13:31:00.000-07:00

I just finished a recipe for the latest issue of the Victoria Vegan. This time, instead of baking for people, I baked blueberry dog biscuits for Disco. She liked them. A lot. And it sure took a lot of them to get her to sit still for this picture.

P.S. About Portland: it was fun and it rained. The end.

P.P.S. Those dog biscuits aren't half bad!

Grouchy

2008-03-20T10:42:00.000-07:00

The morning started out fine, except that I woke up at 5:30 and couldn't go back to sleep. Excited, I guess, about today's roadtrip. So I got up early and made coffee and got nicely caffeinated while reading the news (and by news I mean my favorite blogs). And then I packed all of my perfectly folded (to avoid wrinkles) clothes very precisely into my suitcase, a pre-trip ritual that I typically savor, a sort of obsessive-compulsive delicacy if you will. And then I did what I normally do when there are vegetables in the fridge that aren't likely to be eaten before they're past their prime: I put a huge pot of water on the stove and chucked them all in to simmer for a few hours while I got ready for work. If you're never made your own vegetable broth, you don't know what you're missing. It's so easy, so cheap, and makes use of those veggies that are on the bubble...too wilted to munch on, but still too perky to toss. So far, so good, I thought. It was shaping up to be an excellent day.

But then I couldn't fit all the dirty dishes into the dishwasher and had to HAND WASH some --horror of horrors -- which made my hands all dry and scratchy, and I think I can feel a hangnail starting to form. And then I tripped a breaker while blow drying my hair and couldn't for the life of me get the little breaker switch to stay flipped in the proper direction. And then, when I was throwing out the cooked veggies after straining off the broth, I missed the garbage can and dumped the entire pot onto my left foot, covering one of my new shoes in a mountain of sloppy vegetable mush. To their credit, the shoes cleaned up nicely, and the only reminder of the incident is the fact that one of my shoes now smells...well,vegetable infused, for lack of a better term.

Despite what you may think, I didn't come here just to gripe. I also came to ask you to pray for James today, if you do that sort of thing. Because the poor guy has to sit in a car with his grouchy, scratchy, vegetable infused wife all the way to Oregon today, and he's going to need all the help he can get. So send him patient vibes and keep him in your thoughts. Oh, and if you have thoughts to spare, I know a certain hangnail that could use a little attention...

100% Chance of Crappy

2008-03-19T18:17:00.000-07:00

James and I are headed to Portland tomorrow for the latest installment of Since We Love Our New Car So Much, Let's See How Many Roadtrips We Can Cram Into A Single Summer. We've never been there before, but our sources -- and by sources I mean Google -- suggest that we're really going to like it. We're staying at an uber-hip hotel and have plans to visit Powell's books and the Portland vegan mini-mall (yes, it's true!), among other things. Anyway, I just logged on to check the weather forecast before I commence The Packing, and this is what we're in for:

Oh, great. Something new and different.

Meet the Sugar Sisters

2008-03-07T16:27:00.000-08:00

I could not be happier to announce that my dear friend Cara and I are teaming up to take my -- scratch that, OUR -- cake business to a whole new level. Cara is a crazy redhead, an amazing artist, and she loves cake. In my book, those three qualities make her an excellent business partner. Oh yeah, and we have a lot of fun together. As evidence of this outrageous fun, see Exhibit A: Cara and I hanging out at the Mt. Washington pub last weekend after a long day of colliding with each other on snowboards. Nevermind the handbag-sized bottle of Fireball Whiskey, which of course was empty like that when we found it. We're good kids, honest!

Cara and I made our first cake together a few weeks ago, and by all accounts it was a great success. The cake was a birthday surprise for my triathlon buddy Bob, who was turning the big 5-5 and whose sweet wife Carolyn commissioned us to make a triathlon themed cake. Carolyn was an ideal first client because she was very open to our ideas and didn't request too many specific details. This attitude is extremely helpful when you're trying something for the first time and are bound to make last minute changes. She is also my friend, so I knew she wouldn't murder me in my sleep if the cake didn't turn out as planned. Luckily, both Bob and Carolyn were very pleased with the results and no bakers were harmed in the making of this particular cake. See it for yourself below. Oh, and in case you're wondering, it was hazelnut cake filled with chocolate-hazelnut mousse, and everything on the cake is edible and vegan. Except the orange ribbon. Which might actually be vegan, but please, don't eat ribbon.

Since Cara and I had so much fun making Bob's triathlon cake, we decided that we would try to make a real business out of our cakes. Don't worry, Mom and Dad, we're not quitting our day jobs. But we are trying to spread the word that the Sugar Sisters are the girls to call when you need a creative cake for just about any occasion. Why Sugar Sisters, you ask? Well, we tried to solicit business names from all of our friends, but Flour Power didn't quite fit us, and neither did Four Boobs and a Cake. (Thanks anyway, Frank!) So we're calling ourselves the Sugar Sisters until we think of something more clever. Or until we become so wildly popular that it would be impossible for us to change our name even if we wanted to. Like Hootie and the Blowfish, for example.

Little Baby's All Growed Up

2008-02-28T15:52:00.000-08:00

Just as I get done convincing myself that single gray hair was actually a natural highlight and the lines forming on my forehead are just shadows caused by sub-optimal bathroom lighting, a neighbor calls to ask if James and I will be her kids' "emergency contact people." Which means that if her kids are home alone and there is, say, a natural disaster or a scary stranger lurking about or a swallowed Monopoly piece they will, in her words, "run to you for help." At first I was flattered. I thought, hey, this lady trusts me with her kids! She thinks I'm a responsible adult! That can't be bad, right? But then I thought back to my own childhood and my own emergency contact person. Three words: FRUMPY. OLD. LADY. Grownupness isn't all it's cracked up to be.

Dear dishwasher...

2008-02-18T11:04:00.000-08:00

Next time you're feeling disgruntled, please just let me know instead of dramatically spewing soapy water all over the kitchen floor. I'm not sure if something's gotten your hoses in a kink or if you're simply having a bad day, but if this behavior continues, I will have no choice but to force you into early retirement and hire a shiny new replacement.

In other news, at the risk of jinxing myself, I'm going to go out on a limb and say that I think the long, dark, rainy winter might actually be on its way out. For the first time in months, I drove my Vespa to work today under a clear blue sky wearing only a light jacket with no puffy insulating layers underneath. Is it possible that spring really is springing?? Forget knocking on wood...I'm throwing myself on top of my particle board desk. Immediately.

Road Tripping

2008-02-12T08:13:00.000-08:00

Last weekend, James and I and our friends Jeremy and Virginia all piled into our brand new car (yes, the Element finally arrived!!) and headed up to Mt. Washington for a fun-filled weekend of snow sports. It was our first test of what we have determined to be the best road trip car ever, and boy were we right! We stuffed the Element to the gills with snowboards, skis, snowshoes, clothes, games, snacks, beer, and more beer. And there was still plenty of room for four psuedo-adults. And when we tracked snow and mud into every corner of the car, no one batted an eye, because we knew clean-up would be as easy as rinsing our all-season floor mats and tossing them back into the E. We are most definitely in love. Swoon!!!

The weekend was beautiful -- sun, powder, all night dance party (you'll have to ask Jer about that one!) -- and it went off without a hitch, except maybe for some mysterious food poisoning that reared its ugly head after we got home on Sunday night. But no matter. It was worth it. My only regret (aside from eating questionable sushi) is that we forgot to charge our camera battery before leaving home, so I only had enough power to snap one measly photo of the whole weekend. So, without further ado, I present James driving the Element as we headed out of town and up the island to the mountain.

Jer and Vir took more pictures, and if they ever post them on Facebook (hint, hint), I will link to them so you can see just how much fun we had all weekend. Until then, you'll have to use your imagination. Oh, and if you're looking for a place to stay near Mt. Washington, we highly recommend the Forbidden Plateau B&B in Courtenay, BC. Besides preparing incredible homecooked breakfasts, the owners Kim and Lorne were wonderful hosts and made us feel more like friends in their home than paying guests. They hooked us up with snowshoes, gave us all manner of directions, and even accomodated our special dietary preferences on very short notice. And when you stay with them, make sure you ask to feed the chickens and gather the freshly laid eggs. They won't even make fun of you for being a city slicker...at least not until after you check out!

Couldn't Have Said It Better Myself

2007-12-19T12:29:00.001-08:00

Dreams

2007-12-15T16:33:00.000-08:00

I have always maintained that I don't like musicals. Something about the way that characters spontanously burst into song really irks me, like when I've got a hair stuck inside my shirt that is tickling me but I just CAN'T FIND IT. But last night I dreamed that I was driving our new car on the highway when I hit a patch of ice and started to spin tilt-a-whirl style down the roadway. And what was going through my head during those last few moments was not how much I would miss my dog or my regrets about missed opportunities or even a slideshow of my happiest memories, but instead the voice of Julie Andrews singing, "Just a spoonful of sugar helps the medicine go down..." And then I thought, if Mary Poppins is the soundtrack of my death, perhaps I should reconsider my stance on musicals.

While Watching the Food Network

2007-12-15T08:45:00.001-08:00

James: Who is this Julia Child person?

Me: Um, only the most famous chef ever.

James: Oh. Never heard of him.

Somebody's Birthday

2007-12-11T11:37:00.000-08:00

It's somebody's birthday! And somebody's wife ordered a mini strawberries and cream cake from me. Somebody hasn't picked up the cake yet, but you get a special sneak preview. Aren't you special??

I made two of these mini cakes because it's actually easier than halving my normal cake recipe. In an auspicious twist of fate, my neighbor realized this morning that she had forgotten her mother's birthday today, but her mom will be none the wiser when presented with the extra cake! Don't you just love happy coincidences?

Snuggly Things

2007-12-06T09:34:00.000-08:00

Last night was girls' craft night at our house, and what a fun project we picked! Using a coat hanger and some thrift store wool sweaters (which we felted in the washing machine, producing gargantuan fuzz balls, I might add), we made recycled sweater holiday wreaths. Though James initially volunteered to help us cut up the sweaters into neat little squares, it only took a couple of beers before he got bored and complained that his delicate hands were sore from all the hard work. So the girls muscled up and finished the job. Isn't that always the way??

The most impressive part of this project is that, though we were tempted, we entirely avoided the use of the hot glue gun and instead SEWED the holly leaves and hanger covers from sweater scraps and buttons. Sewed by hand. Threaded needles, even. We are awesome, it's true. Here is a picture of my wreath hanging on our red front door. Tres cute, no?

In other news, we're not sure if it's the suddenly cold weather or a natural winter nesting instinct, but Disco's snuggling habits have reached a new all-time high. What was once merely gratuitous nuzzling has now become downright shamless cuddle demanding. Like, for example, when James was lounging on the sofa and Disco decided that, if he wouldn't snuggle her, by god, she was going to snuggle him.

Who needs a toque when you've got a furry creature on your head?? Like I said, shameless.

Holding Strong

2007-12-05T11:03:00.000-08:00

How long has it been since you last watched television? James and I are on day three of a self-imposed TV-Free Week, and though James admits to jonesing for an episode of Heroes, we are holding strong. Our reason for ditching the tube, if only temporarily? Well, it had become ubiquitous, ever-present, sometimes switched on only for white noise or as a light source, and often over-used as a tool for winding down after a hard day at work. I've gotta say that, if you're able to use it in moderation, the tube is certainly not the most insidious of vices. But for us it had become like hideous floral wallpaper that we couldn't even see anymore because our eyes had grown so weary from the constant visual assault. We had to turn it off. We had to take a break. And what we've realized is that, with the box unplugged, it's no longer possible to make it through an entire day saying ten or fewer words to one another. We interact. We talk. And what do you know -- we like it!

What Better Motivation then a Marathon?

2007-12-03T12:46:00.000-08:00

Ironman has come and gone and the past 3 months have been filled with TV, potato chips and some world class weight gain (almost 30 pounds to be exact!). As big as a life accomplishment that Ironman was it left a really bitter taste in my mouth. As the day got closer I resented the training more and more. I hated the weekends I had to spend on the bike rather then the beach, I hated the constant pain that injury brought and I hated that I was beginning to hate exercise all together. Looking back in our blog we both seemed to be so sick of everything triathlon related we didn't even make a post about finishing Ironman. We both finished with a smile on our faces if you are wondering.

After Ironman I made some attempts to get back into the swing of things but I was just kidding myself. Every time that I thought about exercise I couldn't help but have a flood of negative thoughts come pouring into my mind. So I continued to sit there on the couch in front of the TV letting my waist line get bigger and bigger. I decided that what I need is to ditch the negative emotions that exercise stir up and bring back that amazing feeling of runners high into my life. I need to make working out fun again.

Running was always my favorite. There is something magical about the simplicity of it all. All you need is a pair of shoes and the will to get out the door. So I have decided that 2008 will be a year of running for me. I don't particularly like swimming so I'm just not going to do it for a while. I enjoy biking but every time I think about getting on the bike I'm reminded of the long terrible 8 hour rides of last summer. Next summer I'm going to focus on what I love to do and just leave out the bad stuff. I'll swim when it sounds like fun and not because I have a race looming and I'll get in a long ride when the sun is shining and I can take my time. I need this to be fun again because I don't like where this path on the couch is taking me.

So knowing that running is where I want to focus my time and needing a little extra push to get out the door I've decided to sign up for the Vancouver Marathon on May 4th. I'm actually quite excited. I'm ditching all the time goals for now and I'm just going to run and have a fun race. If all goes well I might get a little more serious and train for the Victoria Marathon in October, but really I have lots of time to figure that out. For now it's time to reverse the weight gain, get my shoes back on my feet and get my ass out the door!

Amen to that!

2007-11-23T14:00:00.001-08:00

Might Should Bundle Up

2007-11-23T08:10:00.000-08:00

You see that white stuff on the hill outside my window? That's ice. I am not happy about that ice. Now I know that some of you Texans are buried in a wet layer of unseasonable snow and are stumbling through all the curious white stuff in your obligatory Thanksgiving-elasticized-for-eating shorts, utterly bewildered and concerned about the fate of the impending football game, but answer me this: are YOU riding a scooter to work today? Didn't think so.

Makeover

2007-11-16T13:12:00.000-08:00

Thanks to a slow Friday, our blog has a new look! You like??

Shaken, Not Stirred

2007-11-05T20:57:00.000-08:00

Tonight I discovered that, in the book Casino Royale, there is a recipe for James Bond's favorite Vespa martini. Oh, dear Internet, how did we ever live without you?

Vespa Martini
3 parts Gordon's gin
1 part Russian vodka
1/2 measure of Kina Lillet apertif

Shake, shake, shake until ice cold and serve with a slice of lemon. And next time someone asks you if you would like vodka or gin in your martini, take yours 007 style. But please, don't drink and scoot.

Meet Martini

2007-11-02T10:23:00.000-07:00

I've gotten good at sharing. Now, those of you who knew me as a child may be opening your mouths in protest, but before you remind me what a brat I used to be, consider this: I have spent the past ten years of my life living in small spaces (dormitories, cheap apartments, starter condos) and, except for a few brief months of solitude, I have always shared my tiny living space with at least one other person. In such close quarters, even the brattiest of us will eventually give in and learn to share, and I'm proud to say that is exactly what I have done (though my very first roommate probably deserves a gold star for her patience).

It should come as no surprise, then, when I say that James and I are very good at sharing one vehicle. And why shouldn't we be? We live in a small city where it's faster to bike to work than to drive. Our condo is mere blocks from downtown, so walking to meet friends for brunch is a no-brainer. We only own one space in our condo building's underground parking garage, so even if we wanted another car we'd have no place to park it. Like most other things in our life, our car has been shared and shared alike. And we like it that way.

Recently, though, our master plan hit a snag. James is required to have our car at his office all day so that he can zip off to a meeting at a moment's notice. But as I have gotten busier both at work and at home, I too have needed to zip, often at times that conflict with James' work schedule and transportation needs. When our schedules clashed yet again this week and both of our workdays screeched to a grinding halt, we decided we needed a better solution: meet Martini, my brand-spanking-new Vespa motor scooter.

As you can see, Martini is white with a tan seat and shiny chrome trim. Though she is a 2006 model, she was built out of the crate especially for me, and all 60 kilometers on her odometer have been ridden by me (and James, and the scooter shop test drive guy). Her 50cc engine gets me up to a top speed of about 65 km/h (~40 mph), which is just fine for my daily commute on residential roads. When I park Martini, I can store my matching helmet under the seat, and I can easily carry a couple bags of groceries thanks to a nifty little bag hook that pops out of the front of the seat. Martini's gas tank holds about 8 liters of premium unleaded, which costs me a whopping $10, and her gas mileage is ridiculously great. In fact, when I picked up Martini from the Vespa dealer, they gave me a $150 gas card, which they say will easily get me through a year's worth of riding. And one of her best features is that she fits snugly into our underground parking spot alongside our regular car.

Now, I know what you're thinking: isn't it a little cold in Canada to be buying a scooter this time of year?? YES! It most certainly is cold for scooting, but that, my friends, is why Martini was such a great deal. In fact, the price we paid for a new Vespa at this time of year is less than the price we saw advertised for used ones in the spring. So if I look a little chilly, I am. But I can buy lots and lots of mittens and thermal underwear with all the money we saved.

Besides admiring Martini's cuteness and functionality, I have been taking full advantage of my newfound freedom. Yesterday, instead of packing my lunch, I hopped on Martini at lunchtime and scooted along the ocean (brrrr!!!) to Fisherman's Wharf. In the summer, this place is teeming with tourists, but it's much quieter and nicer this time of year. I parked Martini and, after chatting with all of her admirers, warmed up with a steamy bowl of vegetarian chili. Then I walked around the wharf for a while until I spotted three harbor seals splashing around by the fresh fish stand. After chatting with the fishmonger, I learned that these three seals always hang out right next to his fish stand, waiting for the tourists to feed them. To demonstrate how tame they have become, he handed me a stinky bowl of salmon scraps and invited me to play with them and let them eat out of my hands. So, here is one of the seals doing a trick (spinning in circles) for a treat:

And here is another curious seal checking me out from underwater:

And here is another seal (who is apparently blind in one eye) coming up closer to say hello:

In addition to solving our transportation problem, Martini is an absolute blast to drive. Everywhere I go people smile, wave, and toot their horns at me. There aren't too many Vespas around town, so people seem excited to see one scooting by. And why shouldn't they be? Though it's possible that I'm slightly biased, I think Martini is the cutest little scooter in town.

Happy Birthday, Disco!

2007-09-26T09:14:00.001-07:00

Yesterday was Disco's second birthday, and though we didn't do too much to celebrate, I think she had a good day. It started with an extra-long snuggle when she first woke up, followed by a leisurely walk where she was allowed to sniff anything and everything she wanted. She also jumped in a lot of mud puddles! On the way back home, we stopped by a friend's house to visit, and Disco had a great time playing and tearing all around her house. Then Disco took a long nap, then she ate a lot of treats, then we played with her toys, and then it was back for another snooze in the pile of dirty laundry that has accumulated in our bedroom. (It's been a busy week, people!) Later that evening, we made a big bowl of Disco's favorite food -- popcorn -- of which she ate an incredible amount. And although she was stinky, we even waited an extra day to give her a bath just so she could have a perfect day free from the annoyances of personal doggie hygeine. If you missed Disco's birthday, never fear. She is still accepting gifts, belly rubs, head scratches, treats, and all around birthday love.

A Word to the Wise

2007-09-22T15:58:00.000-07:00

When one cohabitates with a tiny mischief-maker, one should take care to ensure that all delicate personal items have been stored safely away before going out, lest said mischief-maker tear said personal itmes to shreds when left home alone.

On a completely different subject, when one eats alarmingly bright Red Velvet Cupcakes, one should not be surprised when one's poo adopts said hue. (I don't have pictures...you'll have to use your imagination for this one.)

Big Brother Is Eating Cupcakes

2007-09-19T15:20:00.000-07:00

Hi everybody! I know, I know, we have a lot to catch up on. And we will, in due time. But for now, I wanted to post some pictures from my latest cupcake job. A manager at the Forest Ministry saw my cupcakes reviewed in The Victoria Vegan and decided to order some for a staff meeting. Unlike other people I've worked with, he did not care at all what flavour the cupcakes were or what they looked like -- he left it entirely up to me. So, here's what I made:

Coffee Break cupcakes: spiced cappuccino cake filled with espresso pastry cream and topped with vanilla buttercream. Finished with a home-baked sprinkle donut on top.

PB&J cupcakes: peanut butter cake filled with preserved raspberries and topped with peanut buttercream. Finished with a fresh, organic raspberry on top.

Boston Cream Pie cupcakes: golden vanilla cake filled with Madagascar vanilla pastry cream and topped with dark chocolate ganache.

And here are some of the cupcakes lined up all nicely in their boxes:

And here are the cupcakes tucked safely inside their boxes, ready to be delivered (note the plethora of kitchen gadgets stored down below):

And finally, a blurry closeup of my signature labels, which I use to seal my cake boxes:

So, if anyone out there needs cupcakes, you just let me know.

Nesting

2007-08-06T07:07:00.001-07:00

Even though it's the middle of summer and has been as hot as it gets around Victoria, Disco's new favorite thing is squeezing into nooks and crannies between pillows and swaddling herself in blankets. James and I can hardly stand to wear clothes at all and wish we could crawl inside the freezer, while Disco settles down for a nap as if preparing for winter hibernation. I have no idea how she avoids overheating. Must be some kind of small dog super power.

Holy Moly!

2007-07-26T17:05:00.001-07:00

Ironman is officially one month away. Is anyone else as terrified as I am???

Feeling Groovy

2007-07-25T11:31:00.000-07:00

Hi, folks! You may not know this because we haven't been blogging lately, but I think I speak for both of us when I say that we appear to have finally drifted out of our training slump. For the past couple of months, James and I have both been tired. And frustrated with nagging issues like nutrition and injuries. And just getting tired of training in general. And just ready to get this whole Ironman thing over with. I was definitely in a bigger funk than James, but we were both feeling it.

But, two weekends ago, we went to Penticton with our coach and our training group to train on the Ironman course, and boy howdy did that give us a boost! (See, I'm bringing out the twang for our Texas readers.) Being there, on the course, surrounded by fellow triathletes made it all seem very real and brought the end into sight. It also made me incredibly nervous because James and I both had nutrition issues on the bike and ended up in the ER, but at least we knew what the problems were and still had some time to fix them.

So, upon our return to Victoria, I decided to consult a naturopath to help me with my Ironman nutrition struggles, and I wish I had done it a long time ago. She is already helping me so much! And with things I didn't even know were a problem.

Example: throughout my Ironman training, I have struggled with food, and not just during workouts. I'll eat what seems like a normal amount of quality food for breakfast, and lunch, but instead of dinner, all I want to eat is cookies. Or a Slurpee. Or those awesome baked Kettle chips. Or some other crappy junk food. Or all of the above. In my pre-Ironman life, I rarely ate crappy food and never really struggled with weird cravings for it.

Enter FitDay, a calorie calculator which I knew about already but wasn't using because I thought it was unrelated to my bike nutrition issues. My naturopath told me I should be eating about 3000 (I think this includes training foods) calories per day and gave me guidelines for percentages of carbs, protein, and fat to shoot for. And she wants me to track all my food on FitDay for a while so I get a feel for how much to eat. So yesterday, I ate what felt like A LOT of food throughout the day (way more than normal), but even including my on-bike food, I was still under 1700 calories for the day. A far cry from 3000, no? But even with just 1700, I felt stuffed all day and didn't even want an after dinner snack of fruit. And lately I have been eating a lot less, especially for breakfast and lunch because I just haven't felt like eating. So perhaps this is why I come home ravenous and turn into a cookie monster and then feel bad about it later? Maybe I just needed more real food earlier in the day. Why did I not do this months ago??

I gotta say, my list of "things to do differently for my next Ironman" is getting longer and longer...

I Love My Dog!

2007-06-06T20:21:00.000-07:00

She is the cutest creature ever! Don't believe me? See for yourself.

Panorama Classic Triathlon

2007-06-05T09:08:00.000-07:00

This weekend, James and I raced our first triathlon of the season: the Panorama Classic Triathlon. This local, sprint distance race has a special place in my heart because it was my first ever triathlon. Also, because it is the goal race for all the first-timers in our triathlon club, it is always full of our friends who we get to see out on the course.

James and I were both really looking forward to doing this race again this year and comparing our performances from last year to see how far we've come. However, the race organizers dramatically changed the course this year, which makes it very hard to compare. The race course distances this year were a 500m pool swim, a 32 km bike, and an 8 km run. In any case, it was a beautiful day for a race (unlike last year!) and we both had a great time. Here are some stats:

James

Total Time: 1:37:00

Age Group Rank: 2/5

Overall Rank: 13/202

Average Swimming Pace: 1:39 min/100m

Average Cycling Pace: 34.53 km/hr (21.46 mi/hr)

Average Running Pace: 4:21 min/km (6:59 min/mi)

Click HERE to read James' full race report.

Kristi
Total Time: 2:08:22
Age Group Rank: 5/7

Overall Rank: 140/202
Average Swimming Pace: 2:07 min/100m
Average Cycling Pace: 28.72 km/hr (17.85 mi/hr)
Average Running Pace: 5:40 min/km (9:07 min/mi)

Click HERE to read Kristi's full race report.

Asleep on the Job?

2007-05-11T16:09:00.000-07:00

So, this afternoon I was looking through some of our wedding photos, trying to find the right picture for a project I'm working on, and what did I find but a picture of what looks like my father snoozing during our wedding ceremony! Take a close look and decide for yourself: was Dad just caught on camera mid-blink, or is he pretending to look dignified while visions of margaritas dance through his head?

A Change of Scenery

2007-05-10T17:58:00.000-07:00

Yesterday, I had the absolute pleasure of heading up to Shawnigan Lake to run the trails with my good friend Aynsley who lives there. Shawnigan Lake and its eponymous village are located about 45 kilometers north of Victoria and the lake is a favorite weekend and cottage spot for Victoria locals. What was once a railroad track around the lake has long since been covered over with gravel and turned into a most excellent pedestrian trail. The trail is mostly flat, very wide, and impeccably maintained and is part of a cross-country network of trails known as the Trans-Canada Trail. Its only apparent downfall is its propensity to attract wildlife, which necessitates the wearing of a "bear bell" or the company of a dog or some other noise-making entity to warn lurking creatures of your approach. (See example below.)

Our two hour run led us to the Kinsol Trestle, which is said to be one of the largest wooden trestles in Canada. Largely dilapidated and currently unpassable, the future of the Kinsol Trestle is a hotly debated topic in these parts. On one hand, the aging structure is quite unstable and, in its current state, presents a safety hazard for hikers who disobey the posted warnings. On the other hand, it is a bit of a relic and stands as a beautiful reminder of BC's heritage. Just think: how tragic would it be if the Egyptians had destroyed every run-down pyramid, if the French had torched every decaying aqueduct, if the Vatican had simply painted over Michaelangelo's ceiling when it started to lose its luster? Shouldn't we leave our grandchildren at least a few monuments to read about in guidebooks and then make the journey to see with their very own eyes?

Having finished our run, we soaked our tired legs in chilly Shawnigan Lake while we shared a ripe mango and tried to avoid getting wet above our belly buttons. After a hot shower, a delicious dinner, and a leisurely chat that kept us both up past our bedtimes, I bit the bullet and started the drive around the lake and back down the mountain to Victoria. As I traversed the long and winding road in the darkness, I was shocked to realize that, when I looked into my rear-view mirror, I saw nothing. No tail lights of a trailing car, no street lamps illuminating my path, just the complete and utter black of a quiet country night. And for the first time in a long time, I felt truly alone. Twenty-four hours later, however, all I feel is sore!

Easter Treat

2007-05-07T08:47:00.000-07:00

A few weeks ago, over Easter long weekend, James and I grabbed some friends and made the trek to South Winchelsea Island (SWI). The island is owned by The Land Conservancy (TLC), a nonprofit British Columbia Land Trust. Some of the friends who joined us on the island work for TLC, and so were able to get us a great deal at what is usually a rather expensive eco-tourist destination.

SWI is a 25-acre island north of Nanaimo, just off the east coast of Vancouver Island. To get there, we drove from Victoria to Nanaimo, then hopped in a fishing boat at Schooner's Cove Marina and took the 15-minute boat ride out to the island. On the island is a dock, a small research cottage, a few outbuildings, and one small trail. In short: there's not a lot to do. Except admire the endangered Garry-Oak ecosystem, watch eagles catch and eat their breakfast, fall asleep and wake up to the incessant bays of sea lions sunning on neighboring islands, explore countless tidepools, and spend lots of quality time with your closest friends. It was a huge bonus to have our very own TLC biologist (and friend) with us to teach us all about the interesting plant and animal species on the island.

We had packed tons of food and what we thought was more than enough wine, but by the end of our second day on the island we had nearly exhausted our supply of libations. We put in an "emergency" call to our boat captain and asked him to please pick us up some more wine in Nanoose Bay and deliver it when he brought over extra firewood on Easter Sunday. What we didn't realize, however, is that all of the stores in this small town would be closed for Easter, including of course the liquor store. Imagine our surprise when he showed up with firewood and an eclectic supply of bottles (beer and wine) donated by the townspeople, lest we be stuck on an island in the middle of nowhere dead sober all weekend. We were overcome by the outpouring of generostiy, but the captain refused to take money back with him to repay our debts, accepting only some Easter chocolates (from our Easter egg hunt) as a token of our appreciation.

After a restful, fun weekend, we boarded the fishing boat back to Schooner's Cove for a quick return trip. Unexpectedly, however, we came across a pod of transient killer whales, and watched a mother and two calves hunt and kill seals. It was at once disturbing and fascinating, and it felt a lot like being inside a Discovery Channel show. Several more curious whales came to say hello, and eventually we had to say goodbye to them and head back to Nanoose Bay to start our journey home. We were all so enthralled by the marine wildlife that no one thought to take photos of our surprise whale watching expedition, but you can click HERE to see some more pictures of our weekend on SWI.

This Old Blog

2007-05-04T10:48:00.000-07:00

Hello, folks! Though life has been exceptionally busy over the past few months, we thought it was high time we blew the dust off this ol' blog, cleared out the cobwebs, and posted a quick update. What has been keeping us way too busy to blog? Training, of course! We promise we'll try to post more regularly throughout the summer as training (and life in general) gets more interesting.

James and I are well into the "build" phase of our Ironman training, where we ramp up the distance in each sport until we reach (or surpass, yikes!) the actual race distances. We've been seeking out new and interesting bike routes and are starting to mentally prepare ourselves for the first icy cold swim in Thetis Lake. The weather in Victoria has just started to improve, which has brought locals and tourists alike out of hibernation and into the downtown streets. The great farmers' markets will be starting up again soon, and every Saturday we'll be able to fill our bags with local organic produce and our bellies with fresh samosas. And I assure you, there is nothing nicer than a Sunday morning vegan brunch, followed by coffee to go and a long walk with Disco along Dallas Road. Though the grey winter sometimes makes us wonder why on earth we choose to live on this rock, the first glimpse of summer sun reminds us what paradise this place can be. We have a lot planned for the next few months and we promise to blog about it, so stay tuned for updates!

In the meantime, and in honor of spring's arrival, here are some pictures from our visit to Butchart Gardens with James' parents in April. Early spring is a great time to see the gardens because, though the weather is usually nice and the place is bursting with blooms, it's still pretty quiet. Disco particularly loved Butchart Gardens and was a hit with all the tourists. One Japanese couple, resplendent in their fanny packs and oversized cameras, was especially taken with her. They didn't speak much English but they managed to ask us the name of our dog. When we said "Disco," they exchanged a puzzled glance and some Japanese words, then turned to us and said, "Dees-co? Like...?" At which point they put their hands on their hips and wiggled back and forth in what we could only assume was a Travolta-esque pantomime. When we confirmed their suspicions that our dog had indeed been named after a particularly tacky style of dance, they collapsed in giddy laughter and petted her all the more enthusiastically. I could only imagine what they would have thought had we been able to communicate her full name: Waycool Days of Disco.

Yes that is ice and yes those are my legs

2007-02-26T11:48:00.000-08:00

So with the good that triathlon brings there is also the bad, that no one really tells you before you start down this crazy road and get addicted. One of those things is how your legs will feel like you have beat them with a baseball bat after a long run. However to counteract this feeling painful feeling in the legs there are a few things that you can do to make them recover faster. If god had been nice he would have made chocolate or beer be the recovery method of choice but that is just wishful thinking. Being the sadistic person that god is to recover faster you can sit in a tub put in the coldest water you can handle and then dump 2 bags of ice into the tub. Does it work? Better then you could imagine. Is it fun? Not even close. You have to sit in the tub full of ice for around 15 min, or just before hypothermia kicks in and then some how muster up the strength to get your frozen body out of the tub.

So if it is so bad to sit in a cold tub why don't I just deal with the painful legs? Well becuase in training for Ironman there is no such thing as a day off. So the next day I need those legs to be somewhat useful so they can take more punishment in the hopes that they get a little stronger.

Still at 184 Pounds... But a better 184 Pounds

2007-02-22T11:25:00.000-08:00

So I haven't updated pics like these in a while because well, there really was no progress from Nov to Jan. I pretty much ate a ton of bad food, drank a little more then I should have, did very little exersize and gained a bunch of weight to a high of 198 in Dec. Now that 2007 has come along, I'm back down to 184 which I was at in October I think, but I've spent a lot more time in the gym this year so I think I've got a little less fat and a little more muscle. I figure that I still have about 19 pounds to go before I get to the 165 I want to be a by Ironman and these 10 - 13 hour weeks of training are helping that happen.

And why I like Battlestar Galactica

2007-02-09T14:37:00.000-08:00

Why I Like Battlestar Galactica

2007-02-08T19:13:00.000-08:00

Need I say more??

My new addiction

2007-02-06T14:34:00.000-08:00

Yes that is right folks, I am an addict. It seems that the evil demons that live inside our TV have taken over my mind. I'm not sure how it happened or when it happened, but slowly TV has had its sights on me and has been reeling me in. It's started harmlessly last year when I figured that I would rent a few DVD's of TV shows to watch while I rode the trainer. I was being good I thought. Working out, getting rid of flab and watching Jack Bauer (who is actually Canadian by the way) kick some ass and save the world from terrorists.

But it didn't stop at the trainer. I wanted more! There were 5 seasons that had been played out already on TV and I had only discovered the first. There were still 119 hours of mind numbing, ass kicking, terrorist fighting action out there and I was getting thirsty for more. I started watching an extra episode before I went to bed with my lovely wife who would eventually become an addict as well. Soon it became 2 episodes, then 3 and then an even more dreadful day came. I had finished watching disk 5 of season 1 and only disk 6 remained till I would find out how Jack would get him self out of this mess. I ran to Blockbuster to get disk 6 but someone had beat me to it. My dealer was dry. I knew of other blockbusters in town so I drove around all night looking for that elusive disk 6 of season one. I couldn't sleep, eat or love again till I was holding it in my hand and it was in my DVD player revealing to me it's secrets. That was only one dark night of many.

I have watched an entire season in a weekend (thats right 24 hours of 24 in a 2 day period), and have reached out to others to get my fix. Now I take comfort in Prison Break, Battlestar Galactica (Kristi's drug of choice), The Office, and Heroes. I am just a simple man who's mind is being turned to goo by these addictive modern shows. I'm not sure when the day will come that I will break free of these chains but hope soon enough I will run out of good TV and can return to my normal life to function as a regular member of society.

Week 6 Training Plan

2007-02-01T10:41:00.000-08:00

Week 5 Training Plan

2007-02-01T10:38:00.000-08:00

I know, I know. Week 5 is almost over, and I'm posting this week's training schedule very late. But I will post Week 6 early to make up for it.

Week 4 Training Plan

2007-01-23T12:36:00.000-08:00

Our recovery week is over and it's time to get back at it. Here is Week 4 of our training schedule. It's only Tuesday, so I figure this is still news.

Stick It In Your Eye

2007-01-18T13:34:00.000-08:00

Well, James and I are both having really busy weeks at work. He is closing a construction job. My boss is in town and I'm starting a clinical study. Between the two of us, it's been hectic to say the least.

Today was by far the worst for me. My clinical study was supposed to commence this morning, and we were supposed to be testing a new piece of ultrasound equipment that takes pictures of the inside of the eye. In order to use this equipment, you need to anesthetize the eye, put ultrasound gel INSIDE the eye, and use an ultrasound probe to capture images of different eye structures. It all sounds very simple, doesn't it?

As simple as it seemed, we decided to try testing the device yesterday in-house, using my boss as a test subject. Not yet being an ultrasound expert, I had picked up a few liters of "regular" ultrasound gel, which apparently causes my boss' eye to turn very red, swell, and sting like crazy. Don't ask me how I know. Regardless, I had to find ultrasound gel specifically intended for use in someone's eye. After a few hours of calling around, I was finally able to locate some of this special gel on the mainland, but it wouldn't be able to be delivered until tomorrow. But the testing was supposed to start today! We needed an alternative. After some brainstorming, someone suggested we try KY Jelly, and I was subsequently sent to the pharmacy to procure a tube of lube.

So, mid-morning on a Thursday, dressed in my finest work clothes, I headed over to the Family Planning section of the pharmacy and snagged a jumbo tube of KY. Seeing the "Keep Away From Eyes" warning on the package and recalling the earlier incident with the other gel, I thought it would be wise to consult an expert before inflaming my boss yet again. So, in a most professional fashion, I marched right up to the pharmacy counter, held up my jumbo tube of KY, and asked the pharmacist, "Do you think it would be ok if I put this in my eye?"

Almost instantly, I realized I should have rephrased my question. With a look of utter disgust, the pharmacist leaned back from the counter and said, "I won't guarantee that you won't get hurt, but if you're going to do it, make sure you use the kind without spermicide."

Dreams vs. Reality

2007-01-17T20:21:00.000-08:00

Can you guess which is which?

Week 3 Training Plan

2007-01-15T08:20:00.000-08:00

There hasn't been a lot of blogging lately, mostly because not much is going on at the moment. Other than training, of course. Let me see if I can think of anything interesting to tell you...

I lost my swimsuit and found it in the washing machine. We discovered that we can buy fresh made corn tortillas from a nearby Mexican restaurant. There are lots of great vegan recipes in Vegetarian Times this month, so we're thinking of subscribing. Oh, and we think Disco may have picked up some fleas at doggie daycare, so she's getting a serious bath tonight. It's a fascinating life, isn't it? ;)

Truthfully, the past few weeks have really been focused on organizing our lives and getting all of our workouts in. To this point, we are doing really well. Our place isn't dirty. The laundry isn't piling up. We're not eating takeout. And we're hitting all the planned training. Hopefully, once we really get the hang of all of this organization, our life will start to get more interesting again. In the meantime, it's a recovery week and we're REALLY happy about that. :) Here's what we're up to this week.

Week 2 Training Plan

2007-01-09T10:52:00.000-08:00

As promised, here is Week 2.

Week 1 Training Plan

2007-01-09T10:16:00.000-08:00

Since this blog is supposed to be about our Ironman year and what it takes to get us there, we have decided that we will occasionally post overviews of our weekly training plans. I can't promise we will post them every week because, heck, we will be spending most of our time training! But we will try to do it as often as possible.

We will be leaving out all the intimate details of our workouts and instead just listing the amount of time we are supposed to spend doing each discipline. If you want to know more about the individual workouts, email me and I will send you links to our online training logs, where we write the details of our workouts each day along with some commentary. It's true that we could post everything here and keep it all in one place, but out of respect for our coach and the time she spends creating our personalized training plans, we are electing not to share them with the entire world. Because the entire world is reading our blog, after all... ;-)

Enough disclaimers -- now for the training plans. Here is Week 1 (last week), with Week 2 (this week) to follow in a separate post.

The Life (and Near Death) of Bo and Tina

2007-01-05T09:43:00.000-08:00

My friend Cara, who sits next to me at work, has two goldfish who live on her desk -- Bo and Tina. Until recently she had three goldfish, but sadly, Johnny B. Good passed away earlier this week. We think his early demise was due to the dismal conditions of his bowl when no one was cleaning it over the holidays. There was a short service in the ladies' bathroom. But I digress. This story is really about Bo.

This morning, during our daily meeting, we noticed a funny sound coming from Bo and Tina's tank. Because we all love our animal companions, we put the meeting on hold to investigate. As we approached the tank, we realized that the weird sound was in fact Bo throwing himself against the glass. Upon closer inspection, we discovered that he had a rock (a piece of gravel from the bottom of the tank) stuck in his little fishy mouth and was thrashing about, trying to dislodge it! We're not sure exactly why he tried to eat a rock (feed those fish often, Cara?), but it didn't really matter -- Bo was clearly suffering.

As panic set in, we all gathered around the tank, shouting out ideas. "Help him!" someone shouted. "Press on his gills!" None of us could stand the thought of losing yet another fish this week. Instinctually, Cara reached for a drumstick (the drumming kind, not the eating kind) on her desk and proceeded to poke and prod Bo with it, squeezing him between the stick and the side of the tank in what appeared to be an attempt at an aquatic Heimlich maneuver. The compression didn't seem to help Bo at all, rather it only made him thrash more vigorously. I can just imagine him thinking, "Great! Not only am I choking on a rock, now they are attacking me with a musical instrument!"

Abandoning the underwater Heimlich idea, Cara ran to the lunchroom and returned with a teacup, which she used to scoop Bo from the tank. She placed two fingers on either side of his torso, and again attempted to pop the rock out by pressing on Bo's belly. Not only was this second attempt unsuccessful, but Cara was also entirely grossed out by the feeling of fish scales on her fingertips. Cara stepped back from Bo, head hanging in defeat, while the rest of us stood trembling around her desk, anticipating yet another fish funeral. And at that moment, Dave stopped by the office to see what all the commotion was about.

"It's Bo!" we cried. "He tried to eat a rock and it's stuck in his mouth! He's dying, and we can't get it out!" Perfectly composed, Dave surveyed the scene. Calmly, he picked up the pair of tweezers sitting on Cara's desk, gently removed the rock from Bo's gaping mouth, and returned Bo to his tank where he enjoyed a happy reunion with Tina. "Hooray for Dave!" we shouted. "You're a hero! You saved Bo's life!" Dave merely shrugged and walked out the door. All in a day's work, I suppose.

In other news, today is James' 26th birthday! Everyone please wish him another happy year and tease him for being such a geezer.

2007 - The year of IRONMAN

2007-01-02T15:42:00.000-08:00

Well 2006 came and went. It started off with Kristi and I joining the Tri club at our local YMCA not really knowing how to run, bike or swim and before we knew it we were in line signing up for Ironman Canada. A race that seemed impossible to complete and only attempted by elite athletes at the beginning of the year has became our goal for 2007. Now neither of us are elite athletes and the distance still makes me shudder when I think about it , but one important thing has changed in my life. Triathlon has made me re-evaluate what is possible and what I as a person can accomplish.

So here are my totals for 2006

Bike: 101h 16m 06s (37.2%)
Run: 85h 54m 33s (31.6%)
Swim: 55h 43m 54s (20.5%)
Strength: 15h 15m (5.6%)
Yoga: 14h (5.1%)

TOTAL HOURS TRAINING = 272.15

That works out to roughly 45min a day every day in 2006. Up from probably 2 -3 min a day in 2005. Also as a comparison to 2007 I figure from the first bit of training schedules our coach has given us, this year I will surpass those totals by June! It looks like my life will consist of sleeping, eating, training and working. I know it will all be worth it though when I cross the finish line at Ironman.

Now I have to get back to the working part. I hope that everyone had a wonderful 2006 and has an even better 2007. Take a chance this year like Kristi and I did last year and do something you think is impossible. I'm sure that you will find as I have you are capable of far more then you could ever imagine.

Lady Di

2006-12-14T11:43:00.000-08:00

Well, there is not a whole lot of training going on around our house. Between home improvements, holiday parties, and loads of treats, we are truly enjoying some time off. Since we moved into our place last summer, we have dreamed of covering up the neon walls with more neutral colors, hanging some pictures, arranging our furniture, and just generally making our home look like "us." And that's exactly what we've been doing...slowly but surely...

The truth is that, nearly three weeks into our "home therapy" project, we are still painting. We've decided that either painting takes a lot of time or we're really bad at it -- or both! We've repainted the kitchen three times to date because we hated the color we picked each time. Now we've finally settled on a color, but need to do a second coat with a more durable finish. The bathroom, which was supposed to be spa blue, has received two coats of a minty green hue, and I feel compelled to inform each and every visitor to our home that we did not, in fact, smear Aquafresh toothpaste on every wall. Though mint green could be an appropriate bathroom color, it overwhelms our small space and is destined to be covered over with a safe, beigy variation. Our new rule is to stick to basic colors for basic items (e.g., walls, furniture, appliances) and bring color in through accessories that are easy to change if you don't like them. Yes, I know, that does seem logical. But we are learning by doing, people! Oh, by the way, if anyone is looking for interior paint in buttercup yellow or spearmint green, come see us.

Finally, I will post some slightly blurry pictures of Disco in her new ladybug outfit. (Note the wings and antennae!) She spent last Saturday hanging out with her friends and upstairs neighbors Uncle George and Auntie Janice, who snapped these photos while she was playing in their living room. For those of you who are wondering, yes, Disco will be packing the ladybug costume in her suitcase for her trip to Texas later this month -- a lucky few of you may get to witness the extreme cuteness in person!

And the Painting Begins

2006-12-01T14:59:00.000-08:00

So this weekend is shaping up to be quite busy and full of paint. We are attempting to prime and paint our entire condo over the course of the weekend. When we first bought our condo we did so on the basis that it needed a paint job really bad. So here we go. I plan on taking many pictures along the way and will up date on the journey. This is the first time painting a house for both of us. Wish us luck!

Seattle, Hot Wheels, and an Unexpected Offseason

2006-11-28T08:28:00.000-08:00

So a lot has happened since our last triathlon related post. I'll give you a quick rundown.

Injuries plenty
Sickness Everywhere
Canceled Races

Basically I learned being new to this whole triathlon thing my body needs a rest after a the long summer racing season. The marathon that Kristi and I had scheduled for November proved to be too ambitious. As a result, after the summer races ended and we started to pack on the training miles in preparation our bodies started to give us some signals that we needed a rest. I got a fairly serious calf injury that has taken almost 7 weeks to fully heal. Kristi injured her hip and knee and to top it all off while trying to keep the training volume up and with our nutrition being less then perfect germs took advantage of our weak immune systems. I missed a week of work, have had a slow recovery and Kristi has fallen sick as well. The past 2 months have not been good and neither of us got to the starting line of the Seattle Marathon.

So what is the lesson learned? The body NEEDS a rest, so give it what it wants.

With that aside and our plane tickets already booked to go to Seattle we figured that we would take it easy and have a nice relaxing weekend. We checked out the very cool Experience Music Project, got nice massages is a Russian bath house, Kristi shopped till I dropped, we ate WAY too many vegan donuts and I picked up some slightly used racing wheels at an amazing price!

Really the only important thing in the above paragraph are the wheels that I have obtained that will hopefully propel me to lightning fast speeds at races this year. They are beauties :). Zipp 606 clinchers, which are essentially carbon fiber wheels which have a deep rim profile that will make me a lot more aerodynamic in my races. The front tire has a 58mm deep rim and the rear 81mm. I should get an extra 1.5 - 2 KPH or speed on the bike out of them which means that hopefully I'll be able to push around 33 - 34 KPH (21 - 22 MPH) in some of the shorter races.

Kristi picked up lots of new clothes and was very excited to be let loose in a city with real shopping. In around 10 hours of shopping we didn't even cover more then 2 square blocks! Her shopping stamina is quite remarkable. I have never seen her so focused an motivated :). We also got a chance to check out the Whole Foods in Seattle. So much vegan and organic goodness packing into such a small place. We ended up eating breakfast there 2 of morning that we were there and ate 8 donuts! Well I ate about 6 of them but I figured what other occasions do I get to eat donuts!

Lets see what else happened. Oh yes, we got massages at a Russian bath house called Banya 5. This was my first professional massage ever and I must say that I will be getting more. Although my masseuse put me into excruciating pain as he dug into my back on several times, it was actually quite enjoyable. I'm not sure how to describe it. But it was a good pain.

Well there is a fragmented description of the past weekend as well as the past few months of training. Hopefully all the resting and relaxing we have done will lead to happy training in the new year. I suspect that our coach will have us taking it easy over the next few weeks and start into some serious training come January.

Hot Child in the City

2006-11-12T18:41:00.000-08:00

Hello, folks. I write to you from a bathtub in the city of Elvis impersonators and shotgun weddings. Yes, that's right, I am in Vegas. For work, not fun mind you, and hard work at that. Standing on your feet all day while schmoozing with doctors and trying to sell medical devices really takes it out of you. But why am I writing from a bathtub, you ask? Good question.

You see, in this city, cheap hookers abound, but I challenge you to find a gym open past six o'clock in the evening. My hotel's gym is only open from 6:00 am - 6:00 pm, which means that the 15k run that was planned for today has been scrapped in favor of a leisurely soak in the tub before dinner and the obligatory "team-building" (i.e., binge drinking with co-workers) that typically follows. Though I suppose the reasoning for terrible gym hours is clear -- get thee into the casino -- it is nonetheless frustrating. I was really looking forward to a precious hour of "me" time in the midst of all this teamwork. Not to mention how proud I was of myself for mustering the energy to even put on my gym clothes after such a long day. I suppose my only option at this point is to peel myself out of the bathtub and meet my colleagues for what I imagine will be a long night after a long, long day. On the upside, the hotel I'm staying at has a roller coaster. That should get my heart rate up!

For those of you who have been worried since the beginning of this post about me using a laptop while in the bathtub, let me put your mind at ease. I have made it to the end, dear friends, without so much as a minor shock. It's just as well...I'm sure there are plenty of shocking Las Vegas moments yet to come.

Ode to Disco

2006-11-09T18:59:00.000-08:00

It's been a rough couple of days for our little Disco doggie. An accident at the groomer has left her with ulcerated corneas that, though healing nicely, are causing her a lot of pain. Through it all, though, she has been her spunky, playful, and just generally loveable self. What's not to love, really?

And since I'm posting photos, what the heck...here are a few more.

No, that's not half of the Village People! It's James and Kristi on the way to a Halloween party.

Kristi about to dig into breakfast at a Penticton restaurant.

James and a big sandwich. No real reason for posting this other than, wow, look at that sandwich!

Just Half and We're Baked

2006-11-05T18:53:00.000-08:00

Several weeks ago, James and I completed the Royal Victoria Half Marathon. Please refer to photo of us at left, looking happy and exhausted. The distance was a first for both of us, something we love because you always set a personal record the first time around! Though the day was cold and rainy, it was a fun experience to take on the challenge with so many other people, and it was an important stepping stone on our way to the Seattle Marathon.

Since our last race, we have upped our mileage as well as our time in the pool. Because we continue to be plagued by overuse injuries, presumably caused by missing too many key runs throughout the summer and early fall, the mandate from our coach is essentially to spend as much time pool running as possible. All of our long runs are long run/walks, and we are focused on injury prevention and our long-term Ironman goal. While it's not particularly fun to aqua jog, get poked by the chiropractor, and roll around on a big piece of foam (okay, that part is kind of fun), I'm glad we're having these complications now instead of the middle of next summer. The point of a fall marathon was to introduce us to endurance training and help us work out the kinks, and it's done exactly that.

And now, as we prepare to slog through a long, wet winter of training, let us review exactly how we ended up here.

First, James and I went to spectate at Ironman Canada in Penticton BC. We met up with a bunch of our friends from Victoria. Some were racing, some were just spectating like us, but all were confirmed tri-geeks.

We watched the swim.

We watched the bike.

We watched the run. (Yes, that is Lisa Bentley.)

And somehow, even after seeing all of this, we still waited in line.

And we signed ourselves up for 2007.

And then we went to Hawaii and forgot all about it.

Don't you wish you were in Hawaii right now? ;)

The Right Stuff

2006-10-02T10:25:00.000-07:00

Being strict vegetarians, James and I like to think of ourselves as a nutritionally conscious couple. However, when you're trying to be conscious of so many other things at the same time -- work, bills, housekeeping, triathlon training, doggy care, social life, marriage -- it's inevitable that something will occasionally slide. And for us, lately, it's been our focus on nutrition.

Sure, we eat a vegan diet, eschewing all animal products (except honey, occasionally) in favor of plant-based foods. But the busier we get, the more we tend to shift away from wholesome, home-prepared, vegetables and legumes to more processed, grain-based convenience foods. And let me tell you, we can feel the difference. So today, as we both battle a hangover from a particularly successful weekend dinner party, we will re-focus ourselves on the veggies and commit to making thoughtful food choices. After all, what's the point of doing so much hard work in training if we're not doing the easy stuff, like eating, properly?

Here's our daily plan, with quantities listed per person:

Strive to eat 1 lb of fresh, raw veggies.
Strive to eat 1 lb of cooked green veggies.
Eat no fewer than 4 pieces of fruit.
Eat at least 1 cup of beans, legumes, tofu, or some combination of those.
Choose starchy vegetables over whole grains, and whole grains over refined ones.
Eat 1-2 oz of raw nuts and seeds, plus some flaxseed.
Minimize use of added oils in cooking.

We both agree that eating this way makes us feel better. We both agree that we deserve to feel good all of the time. And we both agree that a little bit of planning goes a LONG way in helping us make the best choices to support our training and recovery and just keep us happy and healthy in general. Wish us luck!

Getting back on the wagon!!!!

2006-09-25T21:27:00.000-07:00

So training lately has been what you might call a little lacking. As well a lot has happened since our last blog entry of almost 2 weeks ago! I know people have been in suspense for the next great great entry by yours truly. Actually I'm sure you hoped it was Kristi writing because her english skills are a 'tad' better. I guess you'll have to take what you can get :)

Kristi's bum is "on the mend" as our chiro has said and I suffered a torn calf muscle during a long run, so I haven't really been able to run much. Kristi had her longest run ever yesterday at an amazing 20k and our wonderful coach Carolyn just gave us our October schedules. It's going to be one hell of a month. Forget about all the swimming, biking and strength training. If all goes well I will have run 235km in around 22 - 23 hours in the month of october with my biggest week at around 60km or 37mi! For some that is the amount they run during an off week but for me that is crazy amount of ground to cover. I'm excited to heal up and get back at it!

Guess what else is going on today! It is Disco's 1st Birthday!!! The little girl has definatly become quite a larger part of our life then I ever anticipated. She constantly makes us laugh and has become quite attached to her mum... In fact every morning Disco now cuddles up into Kristi's belly and demands a belly rub....

I know what you are thinking. These people need a life, but if you met Disco I'm sure you would warm up to her just as much as we have. Also we have a life, it's called triathlon.. oh wait you ment social life.... ya you got me there...

HAPPY BIRTHDAY DISCO!

One Month and 7 Unwanted Pounds Gone!

2006-09-14T17:59:00.000-07:00

So it's been a month since the last unflatering photo and it's time to step on to the scale again to see if any of the blubber has come off. Well I'm happy to say that it has. I'm now down to 184 for a total loss of 7 pounds in the last month. I've decided that my goal weight is going to be around 160 pounds so I've got another 25 to lose. Looking at the pics it seems my man boobs have gotten a little smaller, but all in all there really isn't all that much difference. Oh well, hopefully the scale will continue to dip in the direction I want :)

Pain in the Butt

2006-09-14T09:53:00.000-07:00

Yesterday I had my first ever visit to a chiropractor to address my piriformis syndrome (yes, I correctly diagnosed my own butt pain) and the neck pain that has been bugging me since our car accident last week. He did what I guess was a preliminary assessment, gave me some exercises to do to help with the piriformis, and asked me to come back on Friday to deal with my neck.
It was a very interesting experience, unlike any medical treatment I've ever had. He started out by asking me a bunch of questions and then had me stand up with my shoes off and looked at, I think, the overall alignment of my body. He then did a bunch of interesting things like assess my knee tracking (bad), check my balance (bad), and compare strength and flexibility on the two sides of my body.

Now for the really interesting part. He spent quite a few minutes doing this very crazy thing which he called "applied kinesiology." Basically, he asked me to make a movement with a body part to isolate a particular muscle or muscle group, and resisted the movement with his hand to determine, he said, if my muscles were firing properly. According to the doctor, I should be able to resist the force he was applying on every single exercise because it was not a strength thing, and he wasn't applying much force. At one point, though, he found a few leg motions during which I was not able to work against his resistance. He proceeded to poke me in a few places along the front of my thigh, and had me try again. And somehow, magically, I could suddenly resist the force he was applying against my movement. To further baffle me, I suppose, he had me jump up and down on the ground, then try again. I could not resist. Then he poked me again. I could resist! What was going on?!?!

I went back to my office and Googled "applied kinesiology," and most of the websites I found were articles explaining exactly why it's a crock of poo. I'm not so quick to judge, though. I fully believe that my body (and all of existence, really) works in ways that I don't yet and may never really understand, but I still want to try to understand it. One of the very fascinating arguments against AK, as they called it, was that my ability to resist my doctor's force had nothing to do with the precise locations where he administered pokes, and everything to do with my belief that he had somehow made me stronger by poking me. This phenomenon, called ideomotor motion, is in my opinion a hundred times MORE exciting than the idea that he somehow reset the energy along my meridians...or whatever he said he was doing. If the two of us believing that he was making my muscles work better did in fact make them work better, that is pretty powerful stuff!!

I have so many questions for this doctor, but he seemed a little rushed, and I'm not sure he's into patient education all that much. I can't blame him, really. He had patients lined up practically out the door of his small clinic. I even saw Simon Whitfield, a professional triathlete, leaving the clinic as I was going in. Next time, I think I will ask the doctor to poke me exactly where he pokes Simon.

Ironman, Holidays and More

2006-09-09T10:46:00.000-07:00

Well it's been a long two weeks since my last entry. Kristi and I went to Ironman Canada, and then off to Hawaii where we lay on the beach away from phone calls and computers. Sounds relaxing hey... well kinda... A lot happened in the past two weeks but I'll try to keep it short :).

So on August 25th we headed off to watch Ironman Canada, to cheer on our friends taking on the race this year, and to sign up for the grueling task next year. I can't really explain what it is like in Penticton the day before the race. You are constantly overhearing conversations about strategy, race day nutrition, and course conditions. The little, quiet town is full of triathletes who have come from all over the world to compete in the race. This year, 2350 people would jump into the water for the mass start.

On Sunday we got up early and drove from my parents house where we were staying (and eating way to much good home-cooked food) to the race start in Penticton. Watching the swim start was something else. Seeing over 2300 people dive into the water all at once was inspiring. Next year, we'll be in that mess of people. After the swim started we I headed into the water, standing almost waist deep to watch the competitors come in. I was able to snap a few pics of some of our friends coming out.

After all of the swimmers were out of the water, we headed out for breakfast and then decided to drive the bike course and cheer everyone on along the way. It was also a good chance to see what we would be up against next year. Well it's not going to be an easy bike.... It was pretty cool driving along beside all the bikers. I felt like we were watching the Tour de France from a team car, zooming from cyclist to cyclist along the way.

For the run, we headed back to Penticton and got a bite to eat with some friends at a patio along the course. The food was pretty bad but the view was pretty good, so I guess it was a good trade off. We saw a bunch of people we knew starting the marathon and Kristi started to cry. She was getting quite emotional taking it all in. The day really is quite amazing, and watching people you know struggle through it is even more inspiring.

After eating, we drove out to the run turnaround and then went back to Pentiction where we got a spot at finish line and cheered people on as they finished over the next 4 hours.

Watching the race was incredibly inspiring. Seeing so many people out there searching for their limits and testing what's possible really opens your eyes. After watching the race, I now understand why people go back and do this over and over again. We left Pentiction excited to start our journey next year to the finish line. Next year we'll take on the race and, hopefully, inspire someone else to redifine what is possible, just as we felt watching all of the amazing people out there that day.

As for the holiday which has caused this long delay in updating our blog, lets just say that Kristi and I both got sick pretty sick, we saw a sea turtle swiming in the ocean (very cool), and our car was rear ended on the way back to Victoria from my parents place.

The End of Season One

2006-08-22T22:35:00.000-07:00

So it seems that it has finally come. It's the end of August, all of my planned races have passed and I'm on my last of 2 rest days before training for my November marathon begins.

Six months ago Kristi dragged me into this crazy sport after she learned about the tri clinic at our local YMCA and I don't know it I could ever thank her enough. Not only has the past six months given me a glimpse of what is possible, but has woken me up to what it is to really live. Triathlon has done more then enabled me to swim, bike and run for a long distance, it has opened me up to the endless possibilities. I'm beginning to see that life really is what you make of it and that any goal is attainable if you are willing to work for it.

This time last year I told Kristi that there was no way I could enter a try-a-tri with her because I couldn't swim 300m let alone bike 15k and run 3 after. Being the amazing person that she is she got me sign up for a swimming lesson and then the tri clinic. Now a year later we have both completed multiple triathlons and road races and are on the way to Ironman.

I'm proud of myself, I'm proud of her and I'm amazed what we have been able to accomplish in such a short period of time. It's made me realize that it's not the destination that matters, but the journey along the way.

Well I guess that’s enough sappy reflection for one day. Its 11pm, I've got to get up early because I've got a marathon to train for, and I couldn't be happier.

Kelowna Apple Race Report

2006-08-21T19:43:00.000-07:00

Kelowna Apple Triathlon - Olympic
2006-08-20
Kelowna, British Columbia
Canada

Total Time = 2h 36m 54s
Overall Rank = 188/446
Age Group = M2529
Age Group Rank = 13/19

Pre-race routine

Kristi and I got up at around 5am. Basicaly just ate a few bagels, drank some water and headed off to the race at around 6am. My heat didn't start until 8:30 but transition closed at 7:15, so I had to get there to set everything up and get ready a while before my heat started. This race was the Canadian National age group championships and as I expected the field was really strong. I beat my PB by over a 1.5 min which would have put me in the top half of my age group in the olympic I did 2 weeks ago, but today that time put me 13/19 in my age group. The top 6 in each age group qualified to be on team Canada and got to enter for the world age group championships in Hamberg, Germany next year.

Event warmup

I did about a 400m swim 15 min before the race start, with a few sprints.

Swim (1500m - 28:29, 1:54 min/100m)

This swim went much better then my race 2 weeks ago. I still swam a bit off course, but all in all it went much better :) In my wave were the M2529 and the M4045 age groups. It was a run into the water from the beach for the start which was new to me. I was just hoping not to get mauled in the sprint to the first bouy. Luckly I think I made it through quite well. The first loop I was with a pack of swimmers and I got to draft a bit but for the most part I think I was being drafted off of. I had hands hitting my feet for the whole first loop. At the end of the first loop we had to get out of the water and run on the beach to start the second loop. I was expecting chaos at that point because the turn around on the beach was pretty small but it actually wasn't too bad. The 2nd loop was not as good as the first. The pack had thined out and I had less people to follow. As a result had to rely on my own sighting skills (which are pretty poor :)). I got to the first two bouys alright and then as I was rounding the second bouy looking for the next one to sight I saw 3! In the chaos of the race I couldn't figure out which way to go. I just kinda tread water for about 30 seconds trying to get my bearings. Eventually I saw a few people up ahead swimming towards a bouy in the distance and decided to just follow them and hope for the best. Luckly they were right. The rest of the swim was pretty uneventful with the exception of this one guy who kept trying to swim over me even though it seemed like there wasn't really anyone else around us.

T1 (2:23)

The transition area was a bit of a jog away from the beach and took a little longer then I hoped.

Bike (40k - 1:16:01, 31.6 KPH)

The bike course was 4 loops and was changed from the course last year becuase of construction. So to change it they had to add in a pretty big hill which we had to climb 4 times. That kinda sucked. Beyond that hill this course was pretty fast. There was one guy that was playing cat and mouse with me. We seriously passed each other about 7 or 8 times. It was jsut back and forth and we would pass each other at the exact same points on each loop. I actually really liked this bike course and my parents we out spectating so I had a chance to see them 4 times on the bike which was a bit of a boost. They keep hearing about this crazy triathlon stuff I got into this year and they finaly got a chance to see what all the months of training are for. I also ended up catching Kristi on the last loop of the bike course and it was great to see her. She looked pretty strong and was climbing the hills really well. She ended up taking over 7.5 min off her Oly time from 2 weeks ago in this race!
T2 (0:52)

Good fast transition. I did take my feet out of my shoes a little early though.

Run (10k - 49:10, 4:55 min/km)

It was HOT! I knew it was going to be really hot so I expected that my run time would be quite slow today. It actually turned out to be faster then I expected. I thought I would be over 50 min for sure in this heat. The run started off pretty well and I saw my coach along the course cheering me on. It's always great to see people you know on the course. The run course was really flat but I didn't really like it all that much. It seemed like they didn't have enough room for a decent 5k course so they had us doing out and backs down steets and even run around a track to tack on some distance. My parents were out again on the run course so it was good to see them. I was really happy with my run preformance though. I was passing a lot of the women who were in the swim heat that started about 15 min before me. Every aid station I would try and take in a bit of water and throw 2 cups of water over my head to keep the body cool. There wasn't really any shelter from the sun on this course so the heat was getting to me a bit. The first loop indicated that I was on course for about a 48:00 - 48:30 min 10k, but it looks like I slowed down a bit on the last 5k.

Post race

Walked around a bit, ate 2 banana's and drank 4 cups of gatorade.

Shoes?!?

2006-08-18T08:17:00.000-07:00

Since James got to talk about shoes, I think I should get to as well. So, here are some beauties that are on my wish list. Too bad they're only available in the US. That's probably the most annoying thing about living on an island -- the utter lack of good shopping! Seriously, every woman I talk to organizes shopping-centric trips to the mainland or to the US or at least includes shopping time in her vacation plans. It's a wonder there's no Vancouver Island uniform given the lack of options.

What does this have to do with Ironman? It's marginally related, I suppose. The point is that, where we live, if you want a triathlon wetsuit, there are probably 20 different kinds to choose from and 10 different stores that carry them. But if you want a pointy-toed red leather flat, you're out of luck.

New shoes :)

2006-08-17T14:08:00.000-07:00

Sadly nothing in my life any more seems to be more exciting then getting a brand spanking new pair of running shoes (other then waking up next to my wife every morning. Yes Kristi it's you then new shoes :)). This is what triathlon has done to me and being a woman must feel like. I used to be excited about so many things, now it's shoes and bikes. However a pair of shoes is a little cheaper then a new bike so they bring me more joy on a day to day basis.

Why all of this talk about shoes you ask? Well I just picked up a new pair that I didn't exactly need. However they look fast and hopefully I will be faster by association. Now I'm sure you're saying James, I could really care less about your shoes, but it's my blog and chances are if you are reading this you have nothing better to do and will continue to read about me and my shoes.

I picked up a pair of Brooks Axiom 2. They are light, sleek, provide a moderate amount of support and more importantly look fast. I've worn many different Brooks starting with the ever so stable Trance, then moved down to Adrenaline because a shoe expert said the trance was too much shoe for me. I've been working a lot on my running form lately and now that I primarily am striking on my mid foot I thought I would try something lighter and a little less stable for tempo runs and speed work.

Yes I know, that was a pretty crappy blog entry, but it's going to be a long year and I assure you there will be worse :)

You look like killer whales!

2006-08-15T22:23:00.000-07:00

Today like almost every other Tuesday Kristi and I normally head out to the lake for a swim. Today neither of us wanted to go, but neither of us wanted to have an empty space in our training log either. So we eventually headed out, got suited up and jumped in the lake. Once we were in the water it was great and I was happy to be out there, which is typically the case.

Today was pretty easy, we just had to do a 1500m loop. Well I wont bore you with the details of the workout, but we did get a pretty interesting comment once we were finishing up and got back to the beach.

There was a man with his wife and three kids who told us "we looked awesome... Like 2 killer whales". After he said that I immediately looked at Kristi to see how she would take being called shamu... I know he meant it in a good way, but you would think if he was married he would know NEVER to call a woman a whale or any other large mammal. I've been married for just over a year and I learned that one long ago! Luckly Kristi took it well and the man got to leave the park with all vital organs attached. Oh ya and he asked us if we were marathoners, which was an odd question given what we were at the lake for.

Anyways, another day and another swim. Only 4 more sleeps till our goal race. I looked at the weather today and it's supposed to be sunny and 35C (~95F for any American readers :)). Not ideal by any means...

Race Photos!!!

2006-08-14T19:35:00.000-07:00

So we just got our race photos in the mail from the Self transcendence Triathlon we raced in last weekend. As usual it seems Kristi's looks great and I look about as attractive as Quasimodo. For some reason every race photo that has ever been taken of me looks terrible! I've heard that there may be others posted on the race website so I'll have to see if anyone caught me on film in some good light during the race :). Here are the pics...

This weeks training (Aug 14th - 20th)

2006-08-14T13:58:00.000-07:00

At the end of this week we'll be racing our goal race of the season which is the Kelowna Apple. So our coach has us on a bit of a taper.

Mon: 5k Race Pace
Tues: 1.5k Swim
Wed: 20k Bike 5k Brick Run
Thur: 1.5k Swim
Fri: Travel to Kelowna
Sat: 20min swim / 20 min bike / 20 min run
Sun: Kelowna Apple Olympic Distance Triathlon!

191 Pounds!

2006-08-13T20:12:00.000-07:00

I thought to start things off I would post a pic of my body (which at this point is quite unflattering) after each month and hopefully see the positive changes this year will bring on. I just weighed myself and to my surprise I checked in at my heaviest in quite a while. 191 Pounds! I knew that my diet had been pretty bad lately but I didn't expect that I had put on this much weight. In the interest of documenting my experience I will post a few pics that I'm not overly happy with...

Who are we and what are we doing?

2006-08-13T17:28:00.000-07:00

I'm a Civil Engineer working for a construction company in Victoria B.C. I graduated about 2 years ago and moved out to Victoria seeking a job and hoping to accompanied by my long time girl friend and at the time fiancee who was finishing her masters degree in Biomedical Engineering at Texas A&M University.

Kristi is a Biomedical Engineer and my beautiful wife. Originally from Dallas, Texas she moved up to Victoria to marry me and some how sucker me into agreeing to adopt a little yorkie we named Disco.

We meet 5 years ago on a study abroad program in Paris organized between my former university (University of Saskachewan) and her's (Texas A&M). Now just months after celebrating our 1st anniversary we have decided to take on another challenge together. We have decided to attempt Ironman Canada 2007.