Quote of the Day

"Things don't go wrong and break your heart so you can become bitter and give up. They happen to break you down and build you up so you can be all that you were intended to be. "Charles "Tremendous" Jones

"You become a champion by fighting one more round. When things are tough, you fight one more round"James J. Corbett

Training Update

Training Update!

I figured it was time to update you on the training I've been doing for the last little while.

Its been three weeks since my last intensity block, I've had a mixed bag of feelings- from being "extra crispy" to feeling like a million bucks... and today I finally started to feel better!

I'm heading into a few weeks of volume and then we up the intensity going into the races! I can't wait...I got my program last week and it is scattered with lots of zone 4!! SWEEETTTTT!!

This past weekend I joined the Foothills Nordic crew for one last dryland camp in Lake Louise. We stayed at teh Alpine club and ate dinners as a team. The highlight for me was not only watching lots of video, but we double poled for two hours up the icefields pkwy towards Jasper (see inset pictures) and I felt pretty strong- I'm not noted for my double poling prowess, but I honestly was pretty happy with how the training session went!

After the wet snow flurries on friday night we woke up to -3 weather and the roads were pretty icy, definetly a mental hurdle to make due wtih the situation and get the best workout possible- not the ideal situation for skate intensity as planned by the group! but I was quite impressed with the group who forged ahead and did some double pole intensity.

Sunday morning was "surprise" time trial. It was a 10km double start duathlon. So I got to start with the boy's! I was a bit intimidated the night before because I didn't want to be blown out of the water and I also didn't want to be skiing on my own. To my surprise I hung in there pretty well. I started a little too hard, but used it as practice to fight myself and continue to push through the fatigue!

In summary, I'm pretty happy with how training is going- I know I've worked hard this summer and I've been a lot more focused without having to force it or convince myself to train- this was one of the training goals I've been trying to accomplish and it seems to be working.

Today I did some intensity and my coach joined me for the workout and we also did some technique work. The one thing I noticed about today was that before the workout I was waivering on going back to bed and I have been a little worried as of later about over training...but having a chat with my coach made me feel a lot better and coupled with such an amazing day (it was 15 degrees this morning...now its raining!) it was hard to stay down for too long!

okay well the snow is coming...and I'm super pumped to get on snow!!!

oh and the National team is competing at the first world cups in less then a week...sooo I'll try to post the results for that!

NEW PLAYLIST FOR OCTOBER

New Playlist...

Lazy Eye- Silverspun Pickups
Jane Says- Janes addiction
1979- Smashing Pumpkins
Prime Time- Mariana's Trench
Waiting- G.Love
Tight Fist- Wil
The way I are- Timberland
Sugar, were going down- Fall out boy
Promise- Matchbook Romance

You can always go faster. You can always go harder.
Stop making excuses as to why you "can't"...its negative energy- it doesn't get you to where you want to be.

I know what your thinking- easier said then done right?
Yes, well it does take some practice to always strive to do your best, but it also takes a lot of practice to start believing in yourself.

The biggest thing I have learned in the last three years is that no matter how many people support you, no matter how many opportunities you are given, no matter how much training you do, if you don't whole heartedly believe in yourself, your goals, your abilities and your potential you might as well not continue to forge ahead.

In sport- especially at the top, confidence and belief in yourself is what will help get you to the next level.

Never give up- you always have a lot left in the tank!

...snow is just around the corner, are you ready for it?

NEW SPONSOR!!!!

I'm very excited to announce that Elkhorn Vacations based out of Canmore and Manitoba will be on board this year to help me out financially for the 2007/2008 Racing Season! I would like to thank Adam Tottle and Grady Manson at Elkhorn for working so hard to make this possible! It is a huge deal for me to have a local company like Elkhorn believe in my goals! Also thank you to Phil Villneuve, x-c.com manager for helping with the logistics! please check out Elkhorn at http://elkhornvacations.ca/ and book some time out in the mountains this winter!!!

Playlist

I thought that I would add a playlist that I like listening to when I'm doing recovery runs by the river...looking at the incredible mountains!

Lonestar- Mountains
Tegan and Sara- Living room
Timberland- Oh Timberland
Police- Every Breath you take
Citizen Cope- Bullet and a Target
Sloan- who taught you to live like that
Paul Brant- Alberta Bound
Beautiful Girls- Periscopes
Nelly Furtado- Say it Right
The Kooks- sofa Song
RjD2- Ghostwriter

Moose Mountain 16km Trail Run Race Sept.9.07

Over the last three years, I had started to believe that I was not a "runner" any more. I'm not sure what definition I use to define a runner- perhaps running everyday with an end goal of running faster. Since I started skiing again (three years ago) I don't run to run faster now- I run because I like it and its good for training (arbitrary, I know).

Two years ago, my friend Lindsey and I ran the Moose Mountain Telephone Loop 16km in Bragg Creek and it was so cold, wet and snowy that I was sure that my legs were going to just freeze on the spot. Let alone that there were so many mud bogs that my poor mitts were soaked and black by 6km from pulling myself out of the mud. All I remember is feeling really hardcore after the race- and wanting to be warm...I didn't care much about the results, but I managed to place 4th overall even with the men.

This year was a different story. The course still had sticky mud and it was cold, but I wasn't on the edge of becoming a Popsicle! I went to this race with a "secret" goal of not only beating my time, but I wanted to crush it- I know I don't normally voice my goals with such anger, but I wanted to judge my fitness and I wanted to find out just how hard I could push.

So I went out with the boys- leading for a bit- and got the usual comments "oh I'm getting beat by a girl"- in a sarcastic tone of course. Now usually I laugh at these comments, but I was pleasantly surprised by my reaction of quietly contemplating just how much I would try to beat this guy by. So off I went verging on blowing up for 16km and managing a strong kick for the last 2km. I was just under five minutes faster then I was two years ago. And I am pretty sure I saw stars. The best part was I got a sweet moose patterned buff and copious amounts of cookies and brownies at the end.

At any rate, during the race itself I didn't feel overly good. I always imagine a good race feeling effortless, but this was just plain grit and guts, there wasn't a moment that I thought it was easy- and even the last 2km took some coaxing from the gentlemen I had been pulling through the course- but I will say that I was pretty excited to see I had another gear and had that final kick left in my legs. I don't think I've felt like that in running since 1998. I think I'm in pretty good shape!