STANDUP4GREATBEAR

Norm is busy preparing for an amazing journey SUP journey through the Great Bear Rainforest, drawing awareness for the need to stop Enbridge from being able to run their oil tankers right through an extremely fragile and unbelievable ecosystem on BC's North Coast. Having spent time in this area with the people of Hartley Bay and being exposed to their culture and traditional lands, Norm understands that should a tanker leak or sink, this area would be destroyed forever. Read on to find out more about Norm's upcoming paddle. Pacific Wild, First Ascent and Surftech have all come on board to support him on his journey!

Beginning on May 3^rd, 2010 and corresponding with the annual Pacific Salmon migration, Norm Hann will be paddling the proposed North Coast Oil Tanker Route through the Great Bear Rainforest and the traditional harvesting lands of the Coastal First Nations on his Surftech standup paddleboard. The paddle and support team will begin in Kitimat, B.C and will travel south to Bella Bella, over 300kms, paddling and documenting the people and places that are at risk.

The goal of this expedition is to bring awareness to the proposed Enbridge oil pipeline and tanker traffic and its potentially devastating effects to the traditional food harvesting areas of First Nations and wildlife of the Great Bear Rainforest.

The proposed Enbridge Northern Gateway project would transport oil from the Alberta tar sands to the Coast via a 1,170 km pipeline. The oil would be transferred to super tankers, transported through the Great Bear Rainforest, past Haida Gwaii and onto Asia. Opening up the North Coast to super tankers creates a very high likelihood of a tragic oil spill occurring. This spill would be devastating and would change life as it is known for the people and wildlife of this magical area.

Norm Hann is a professional guide in the Great Bear Rainforest and has worked closely with the youth and elders of his adopted native community of Hartley Bay. He is an outdoor athlete and stand up paddleboarder. He is excited for the opportunity to expedition along this incredible coast and though the Great Bear Rainforest promoting awareness and action.

CHARITABLE DONATIONS WILL BE MADE TO PACIFIC WILD

FOLLOW LIVE: WWW.MOUNTAINSURFADVENTURES.COM

WWW.MOUNTAINSURFADVENTUERS.BLOGSPOT.COM

Check out Facebook Fan Page: STANDUP4GREATBEAR

On the News Stands now.....

I must admit, this is just a wee bit humbling and strange to see yourself on the front cover. In fact, I was almost dreading to see what it would come out like. The photographer that I worked with was fantastic which helped put me at ease somewhat. I'm feeling overwhelmed by the number of congratulations coming in by those of you who have already seen it. Thank you for all your support :)

Kili to the Coast for a Cause

I recently learned about this group of Canadians who are headed down to Tanzania to partake in a 400mile ride in efforts to raise awareness and funds for the FOUNDATION FOR TOMORROW. Check it out. Cyclists will begin at Mt. Kilimanjaro and finish a great distance later at the Indian Ocean, following an old slave route as they go. The funds they raise go directly to supporting orphans in Africa to be educated, attend school and learn with hopes of a brighter future, teaching them how to grow their homeland.

Fundraising and awareness events are currently underway. To learn more about what this ride is all about, visit their FACEBOOK site. Kudo's to Tom and his crew, I'll be updating more on this group as the event get's closer. You can also email Tom Thomas.Scovic@asu.edu directly to learn about making a direct contribution.

Thanks for inspiring us all!

Ending Salomon Advanced Week with a RACE

(a long way up)
(race start)
(Gripmaster & Phil)
(many a climbs like this that go on and on and on)
(The blogging life when not running with the Exo recovery calves)

What an incredible week we have all had here in Bedoin, France. From 12 athletes three years ago to an amazing 32 this year, I've had a blast running with some of the most amazing and talented athletes from all over the world. Seven fabulous days of testing products and participating in R&D with the global Salomon family, it's been an honor and a privilege. I've been with Salomon for almost 8 years and I can't think of a better company to represent.

Ok, so to re-cap today, our last full day here. While the bulk of the crew headed out yesterday, I think there was around 10 athletes who stayed to participate in today's race back up Mt. Ventoux! I'm still in shock that more than 1200, YES 1200 people registered for this race. It was really great to see the energy and enthusiasm for trail running that exists here. I hope we can keep growing the sport in Canada. It's just so much fun. Anyways, we could choose from the 22km distance of the long course of 44km (originally 50km but got shortened due to the snow.) What was really different about this race is that you did NOT have to select your distance until you hit the 14km mark when the short course went one way and the long course continued the ultimate climb.

So after 7 days of running, doubles and triples and time on my feet, I decided last night that the achilles would survive one more day. I decided this would be a fun day of running, nothing serious. To make sure of this, I put myself at the back of the pack to start (about 1000 runners in front of me) with Gripmaster and KJ. Once we got off though, I just picked my way through the pack, trying to find my stride. I soon lost KJ and Gripmaster amongst the masses and realized this would be a day on my own.

Tough, technical trails, tons of ankle breaking rock as we climbed and descended. The entire 44km required focus but because I was just enjoying my time, I never pushed, but rather chatted away in French to everyone around me and gave my achilles the easy running that it needed. My power hiking on 1/2 of the hills got me through the day, my downhill technical running was horrid as I babied my achilles.

I think this was the longest 44km of my life. There was NO logging roads for those "gimme free" miles but the terrain and atmosphere was fantastic. I enjoyed each step until I ran out of H2O 10km's out! Either way, I crossed the finish line in one piece and in 3rd place. Great to instantly learn that my fellow Salomon team mates had cleaned up in their categories as well. In the men's 22km - Ricky took a fast 1st place, Gregory nailed 2nd and Phil pulled off a sweet 4th. My good new friend Anna Frost killed it too and took 1st in the women's short and Chantal from Reunion Island finished 4th. In the long course, Francois D'Haene won for the men and I squeaked in 3rd.

But here was the real kicker for me. French racing is serious stuff, I was immediately greeted by the Doping Patrol crew and whisked off to get tested!!! HA, 1hr30mins later, 3 L of water and 3 attempts, I was FINALLY able to fullfill their requests!!! You try being super de-hydrated from running for 5hrs and have someone stare at you while you pee into a cup and see how far you get!!!! Let me know :)

Well.....that is it from France. Phil and I fly out tomorrow morning. Thank you to everyone for their supportive emails. This has been a great training camp for me and I'm happy to be back at it now in full force. Au revoir from Advanced Week 2010 and I'll see you on the trails.

Mt. Ventoux

Good crew of us headed up Mt.Ventoux today - a solid 1,700 meters to the summit. My watch crapped out on me en-route so I think we covered over 40km. What a view, what a mountain!

I wore the new S-Lab shoe. The grip was so good that it prevented me from being able to glisade off the summit. Finally, some great pics to share with you of today's running adventure here in France. Enjoy!

R&R day......kinda, sorta

So....after several really good days here of mileage on the French trails I awoke this morning and went out for an easy recovery run. The achilles was giving me a bit of trouble, so I played the safe card today and ran at my own pace. I know that as I headed out with a few of the British guys I wouldn't be able to hang with them so I quickly headed off for my own peaceful AM run. Their "easy pace" is no where near mine! HA!

Later morning was spent with the foot doctor - aka "podiatrist" who gave me some GREAT insight to my feet and what was actually happening. To make it short, he could see my achilles issue from a mile away and how my body was compensating for it. However, with a few inserts of material here and there, he is going to be able to alleviate all pressure and pain. I am very fortunate to have some custom shoes arriving in the next while to assist me.

This afternoon, 4 of us headed out for our photo-shoot to the Red Sand Forests. Spectacular!! Those photos I can post as soon as they are in my hands!

Phil has also been out and about today with another day of testing and he has some great photos of everyone on his blog! Sounds like another hammer fest with the boys of Salomon!

Tomorrow should be a great day. A crew of us are headed out for a 4-5hr run up Mt.Ventoux. Climbing is in my future to say the least. Off to bed.........

Onwards I run.....

Can I really start my blog post this evening with "today was another great day again..?" Well, it was so the statement holds true. After a terrible sleep last night that included a 3:30am - 4:30am appointment with my computer (yes to my athletes who got emails at strange times from me) due to my body not adjusting to "France time" very well. I was surprised that I was able to muster up enough energy to log in 3 runs today.

A gorgeous morning, chilly and clear. Stephan "The Gripmaster" and I headed out for a pre-breakfast run at a nice talking pace. The route included a steady climb, a fun twisty descent and some red dirt running. The outskirts of Bedoin are fabulous! I headed back out to the same area for another run post breakfast on my own to test another pack and a compression shirt. No i-pod, it was nice being able to focus on my respiration (something that Coach Andrew is having me work on) and just be in the moment beneath a nice morning sun. I've been really diligent with my stretching after all these runs and I think that is what is allowing me to continue each day. I wasn't sure if I would head out after lunch for yet another run but twist my arm, I had another pack to test. I started out with "the boys" and then as they accelerated up the hills faster and faster when it was supposed to be an easy run, I played it safe (more so so that I could walk tomorrow without an angry achilles). I headed out on my own amongst the farms and up the canyon that provided me with a solid technical climb and descent. After a few wrong turns on my way home, I arrived back to the hotel, satisfied with a great day of training. Note to self though, 3 runs a day is just not necessary. I was fortunate that we had a therapist here this evening who worked on my achilles and unlocked my ankle joints for me.

So tomorrow I shall keep it to 1 run and then spend the day with a podiatrist and doing photo shoots. Michal Kapral from Canadian Running Magazine just arrived today so Phil and I will spend some time filling him on Advanced Week and all the happenings here.

I'm very fortunate to be apart of the Salomon family with all these great athletes, good people and amazing employees that make the products, allowing me to be out there and do what I love.

Check out Phil's blog here too - he takes good pictures!

Exploration Doubles

What a great day here at Advanced Week in France. The morning got going with a good breakfast and one too many coffees. Then we were off on our first trail run. My group was testing the new S-Lab 3 shoes however, my pair was in an incorrect size so I tested compression arm bands. Pretty cool. The route this AM took us on some good size climbs up into the mountains followed by a nice long technical descent into some rock caves. This was a good opportunity for me to work on relaxed striding on the downhills, allowing the pull of gravity to descend me and to focus on quick feet. The downhill felt effortless and the pace was really good. Nothing like a whole pack of runners hitting the trails together. We were out for a good 1hr30mins and then followed this up with another 1hr in the afternoon where I tested some packs. I must say, I'm really excited about the future of salomon packs and the direction they are headed for trail runners.

This year's Advanced Week has 32 athletes and a HUGE crew of designers, R&D and marketing personnel. We've taken over the hotel on the outskirt of Beodin. The first year I attended Advanced Week there were only 12 athletes so the training camp has really developed.

I'm off to bed. Energy is low and I think I'll be headed out in the AM for a pre-breakfast sess tomorrow......gotta get some sleep.

Adventuring onwards from France.........

Bedoin FRANCE - we've arrived

(Phil hard at work blogging)
(Jonathon Wyatt + Anna Frost having a catch up)

My travel luck must be changing (knock on wood) as Phil and I arrived on time and with luggage after our series of flights. Mine went Vancouver to Calgary to Frankfurt onto Marseille where we barely made our last connection because we decided to sit and have a coffee (surprise surprise) only to discover that the plane had loaded! HA! I got my coffee and my plane in the end :)

Anyways, we arrived to sunny blue skies into Bedoin (at 320m) at the base of Mt. Ventoux (at 1909m). Stunning!!! All the Salomon athletes are slowly trickling in from various parts of the world so its great to see some old faces and make some new friends as well. I'm feeling a bit jet lagged so naturally, I put 2 espresso's down at lunch followed by a quick 30min nap.

I've just returned from an easy 40min run to flush the legs and hope with some of the swelling that I get from travels. Tonight we have a bit of a welcome followed by dinner. The hotel is super great and everything we need is right here. I'm rooming with kiwi Anna Frost so it's been fun hearing about her running adventures and accomplishments as well.

Hope to have an early bed tonight so that I am feeling full of energy tomorrow and ready for 5 days of doubles (maybe triples) runs!

Bonne soir mes amis!

Salomon Advanced Week

I've just finished packing my bags and getting ready for my flight out tomorrow to France. Each year, Salomon brings a crew of their athletes from around the world together for a busy, yet fun, week of training, product testing, R&D with head designers etc. It's a great opportunity for us as their athletes to share our thoughts on what we like and don't like as well as to see and test gear for next year and beyond. We usually train/test 2x a day and then spend time afterwards in meetings with designers having discussions. There is a pretty stellar line up of amazing athletes headed to Marseille so it's sure to be a great week :) Looking forward to catching up some of my global salomon friends!

I'm fortunate to be back running and I think about that EVERY single time I put my shoes on and head out. In January I got cleared to start building mileage again and it's been a slow but solid comeback. I'm not nearly where I want to be for this time of year but I am healthy, the achilles is doing well and slowly my strength, power and endurance is returning. Above all, I am back to feeling alive in the trails as opposed to falling over in pain.

I plan to stay in France after Advanced Week in order to participate in a 47km race called the "Trail du Ventoux." Not sure what this race is all about because I can't read the website (it's in french and apparently I'm not as fluent as I would like to be :) Anyways, I hope to be feeling good after an intense week of training and ready to have a good run out in the mountains of France. Please wish me "bonne chance!"

I'll be blogging everyday and I'm sure Phil will be too. Keep ya posted on our adventures from Europe.

Au revoir :)

Learning to Challenge our Weakness

I'm recently home from a great trip to Vernon where Nicola and I spent 3 days learning, goal setting, being tested, determining our limiting factors and overall, looking at ways that we can both develop better as athletes.

FaCT education guru, doctor and coach, Andrew Sellars and his wife Ginny were kind enough to put us up in their beautiful lakeside home for a few nights (talk about the ultimate place to live if you are a tri-athlete.) Yummy meals, a relaxing atmosphere and several days of being focused on both being an athlete and becoming a better coach to all those that I work with.

Now, I could go on and on about everything that I learned but I wanted to give you the gist of where I am at now.

BALANCE

Time was dedicated to discussing and analyzing season goals and long term goals. Emphasis was put on living life in balance, something that I often forget all about. Racing is equally as important as my relationships with friends and family, career and all those things I love to do other than compete. Always room for improvement here...........

RESTING METABOLIC RATE

This was such an interesting area of testing for me. Essentially, these tests allow you to know exactly what your caloric intake is at rest or in other words, how much food you need to just stay alive and perform basic life functions. I was completely shocked (yet kind of confirmed) to see the numbers. I suspected that my body had become incredibly efficient over the years at storing calories due to the deprivation that I put it through in multi-day racing. I always thought that on rest days or so and as an "endurance athlete" who trains tons, I was good to eat somwhere around 1500-2200 calories. This would allow me to re-fuel etc for future workouts. However, tests would reveal otherwise. To give you an example, Nicola came in around 1100 and here are my results in calories for resting metabolic rate:

Test #1 - 679 (in AM, after breakfast)

Test #2 - 717 (in PM, no training day, before bed, after dinner)

Test #3 - 649 (in AM, before breakfast, upon rising)

Test #4 - 1620 (in PM, after dinner, after 2 workouts)

Now it should be noted though that these results do not include fueling for workouts and recovering nore do they include daily movement and tasks. However, what these numbers tell me is that I just REALLY have to watch my calories during periods of light training, multiple days off and down times. The answer: just be focused on good calories in order to maintain lean muscle mass and avoid over-eating!!!!! I do hope that I can somehow "re-set" my resting metabolic rate somehow. I hope to work through this with Andrew.

VO2 & POWER

Important to note here that I was not being tested for V02 max here as it is not valuable information for me so therefor no need to test to that capacity. As an ultra runner (and for all my sports) I NEVER go to max so no need to test that way. Andrew tested me (and this is how I can test you) is through "balance point lactate" testing. By taking blood samples and monitoring my heart rate (plus wattage on a spin bike) I can learn and set appropriate training zones that are SPECIFIC to me to train in. Super cool. This now adds VERY accurate data in which for me to train. I've already started to put my knowledge to the test now back home. Anyways, Andrew tested me running and biking and we were able to look at my respiration rate, oxygen intake, ability to flush lactate, heart rate, energy consumption (calories) at work etc.

Results: what I learned here is my new training zones for both bike and running, amount of calories I am burning during workloads at certain intensities AND some areas for improvements. While I pushed really good wattage on the bike according to Andrew, we concluded that my "limiting factor" right now is my quick breathing. So....my homework for the next bit is to focus on my breathing and change my respiration rate. In other words, it's time to challenge my "respiration system" as opposed to my cardiovascular system, neurological system etc. Cool. We also looked at body composition to set some markers for moving forward.

Also spent time exploring some trails in both Vernon and Salmon arm with Nicola. Always nice to get out on some new terrain. Andrew is a wealth of knowledge and I learned so much. I have lots to focus on now and look forward to embracing it all. I'm sure I am forgetting some of the other things I wanted to share but let me leave you with these thoughts:

1) Achieving goals takes time - it's a process and a journey - step by step we can make improvements and make changes - patience!!

2) training is individual and NO magic number or system works for everyone. If you want results, you need to understand how YOUR body works and what your limiting factors are so that YOU can improve them

Alkaline Your Body

Interesting article just passed along to me by health guru and mother extrodinaire! As athletes, we are always searching for that way to bring our body out of an acidic state (enhanced greatly by when we exercise) and into an alkaline state. My mom has worked hard on this with me over the years. But who would have thought, BAKING SODA is an affordable way to achieve this? Read on......

Acid Blood Kills -- Alkaline Blood Lives
A Simple Approach Using Baking Soda to Create Healthy Alkaline Blood Levels
by Dusty R. Green, M.Ed., Research Scientist/Author

This article originates from an email inquiry I received concerning the John Kanzius invention. He built an apparatus that sends radio waves into humans with the claim that it may kill cancer cells -- sounds promising.

In the email inquiry, I was asked to comment on the CBS 60 Minutes news story about John Kanzius that ran April 13, 2008.

My Response: My best guess is negative ions (or, maybe a relationship). One form of negative ions is the unseen particles of electricity that come in with thunderstorms and momentarily make us feel like "hippies on drugs" (not that I know anything about that). A simple Internet search on negative ions revealed the information (ions, not hippies). Research shows that negative ions put the body in a temporary alkaline pH state. Most humans are in an acid pH state ... cancer wards are full of 'em.

Theoretically (in my humble opinion, of course), negative ions have a common bond to the positive feelings we get from meditation. Regular/consistent meditation is associated with relaxed states-of-mind -- a stress antagonist. Stress is a major contributor to acid pH in our blood/bodies. As we buffer our acid-state in consistent manners (meditation, smart eats, baking soda, etc.), a healthier alkaline condition becomes the norm. In addition, nutritional supplements are assimilated more effectively/efficiently in an alkaline body.

Bacteria and Virus Refuse to Live in Alkalinity
This article is one of the best I've found on the pH factor in relationship to many disease-states. Harmful bacteria, virus, herpes (cold sores, etc.) andcancer, thrive in acidity. Stress, bad eating habits, pesticides, alcohol, pollution, etcetera, turn our bodies into acid smorgasbords -- the perfect environment for destroying our bodies in a slow/painful manner. In addition, heartburn, diabetes, heart disease, arthritis, and more are well-known maladies related to acid blood levels. The bottom line ... bacteria and virus will vacate your premises to find a more suitable acid-home as long as you keep your body in a state of alkalinity.

Of all Things ... Baking Soda?
Studies in respected medical journals worldwide consistently support the use of a simple dirt-cheap product for reversing acidity -- baking soda. Since there's no money in baking soda for drug companies, its excluded from medical school curriculum and/or associated health training/education.

Odors
As an interesting side-note, most odors we experience are bacteria related. A simple test is to sprinkle a bit of baking soda in your stinky shoes and/or under your smelly arm-pits -- odor diminishes readily. Odor from areas of the body that stay wet and/or dark for awhile are a result of/or caused by bacteria and/or the symbiotic relationship it has with fungus. Fungus (vaginal candidiasis or candida, jock itch, athletes foot, etc.) is odor-producing. Cavities and bacteria (bad breath) are best-buddies, too. Sugar creates an acidic environment in the mouth, thus, a reason why dentists recommend avoiding sugar-related foods.

And, stop using sponges to wash your dishes! Sponges typically stay wet for extended periods which encourage bacteria to multiply exponentially within minutes (Discovery Science channel).

Athletes -- Faster, Harder, Stronger
Lactic acid is a well-known by-product of the exercising muscle. To a large degree, it is responsible for muscular soreness and pre-mature fatigue. Sport drinks do nothing to address the acid issue. In fact, they add to the acid problem due to the large amount of sugar ingested -- sugar drinks are basically acid drinks. The same goes for fruit drinks (the actual sweet part of the fruit is replaced with sugar and/or high fructose corn syrup). It's no wonder regular exercisers have a hard time recovering from injuries -- the injury is surrounded by acid.

Bananas, oranges, potatoes and melons are must-staples of athletes' general diet due to their high potassium content. Yes, they contain sugar, however, it's in a complex carbohydrate form (less inflammatory) that is a longer lasting fuel for the exercising muscle. They alkalize once consumed, however,baking soda water is a stronger and more direct alkalizing agent and may mean the difference between 1st and 2nd in an athletic event.

Bottom-line: As a general guideline, and based on personal research, the following is my recipe for adjusting acid-blood toward the direction of healthier alkaline-blood pH. Below are two separate examples -- do one or the other but not both: Mix 1/4-1/3 teaspoon of baking soda in a 12-16 ounce glass of tap or bottled water and consume 1 glass in the AM and 1 in the PM and swish it in your mouth (cavity prevention) before swallowing daily. In addition to, and at anytime when you experience heartburn, an extra glass may be necessary. This method is easy, convenient, and you're more likely to be consistent with it. If you drink distilled or reverse osmosis water daily as your main source of water (cleanest there is, but acidic), mix 3/4 to 1 teaspoon/gallon. Tap and bottled waters are not as acidic (but very dirty) so you may want to adjust them to a lower 1/2 teaspoon/gallon. You can make adjustments with pH papers below. Refrain from consuming straight baking soda and/or strong mixtures of the same. It can numb taste-buds and cause the skin from the roof of your mouth to peel (personal experience) not painful, just bothersome. In other words, strong alkalinity can burn you on its end of the scale similar to strong acids such as sulfuric or muriatic that burn on the acid side of the scale.

The above recommendation is for the non-exerciser and/or those who consume the average western diet. Dedicated life extensionists (typically consume lots of minerals), vegetarians, vegans, and/or those who consume more fruits and vegetables than the average person, may want to use a bit less baking soda. Their bodies tend to be a bit more alkaline than the average person. Your barometer can be the consistent use of pH strips/papers. They give you the information you need to make adjustments with the baking soda you put in your water.

Oranges and Lemons
When using pH papers to directly measure fruits and/or vegetables, they typically show-up in the acid range. Oranges and lemons are good examples. Touching the pH paper directly to the opened/peeled fruit reads acid. However, when consumed, they become alkaline as a result of the digestive process from the resulting residue. Fruits and vegetables have a special relationship with our bodies -- they are transformed into an alkaline base as they are burned to ash (as are most fruits and vegetables). Most other food sources do not have this special relationship with our bodies.

Sodium (and Potassium) Concern
1/4 teaspoon of baking soda contains 300 mgs. (milligrams) of sodium -- not much to be concerned about. Most of us typically consume 2,000-3,000 mgs. of salt (sodium chloride) daily. Studies show the relationship between sodium and potassium to be the high blood pressure culprit. Generally, where there is high sodium in populations, there is low potassium. Potassium rich foods generally cost more than sodium rich foods, thus, impoverished areas have a higher incidence of stroke and high blood pressure. The scientific literature shows that if potassium is increased and sodium stays the same, the incidence of blood pressure and strokes drop. A 2:1 ratio of potassium to sodium should be a strong consideration for anyone. Our government allows only 99 mgs. to be put in a daily dose where supplements are concerned. Raw fruits and vegetables are some of the best sources of potassium. This is one of the few areas where food provides more micro-nutrients than nutritional supplements.

Potassium can improve athletic performance in those who are deficient. Those who train 3-4 hours daily can lose up to 700 mgs. from sweat -- about the same amount in one banana. Typically, food manufacturers transform 3.5 ounces of fresh raw peas containing 380 mgs. of potassium and 2 mgs. of sodium into 236 mgs. of sodium. At the same time, they decrease the potassium content to 160 mgs. via the canning process. The same thing applies to other common vegetables. You can buy a salt substitute from your grocery store which is potassium chloride (as opposed to sodium chloride). One of the most popular brands is called No Salt.

Measuring With pH Paper/Strips
There are 2 easy ways to monitor your pH -- urine and saliva. Whether you test your urine or saliva, the pH value of either varies throughout the day based on many variables (food, liquids, stress, nutritional supplement intake, etc.). Therefore, it is necessary to check it 4-5 times/day so you can establish an average. Personally, I have found the urine method to be the most accurate. If your average is still acidic (or, gets too alkaline) adjust the amount of baking soda accordingly. You can use pH paper/strips or a pH meter. I've always preferred the strips for convenience.

Testing Roadtrip

WOW - Wednesday already. Holy smokes! Tomorrow morning I hit the road for Vernon to spend 3 days with Andrew and Ginny Sellars, FaCT Lactate Testing Coaches and great athletes themselves. The Goal: to see where I am currently at and develop a plan to move me forward.

Thank goodness I awoke this morning feeling somewhat better. I think my massage with Laura really contributed to healing my sick and aching body. After teaching my 6am class, I hit the trails for 45min good paced trail run ending with 12 x 20sec repeats (as prescribed by Crossfit Endurance) with 20sec recovery (was supposed to be 2mins, I altered). I gave a good effort out there. Actually, anything is better than how I felt yesterday on my 3hr run when I literally died out on the trails in huge coughing fits and a zapped energy tank. Being fun is no fun, no fun at all. After my run this morning, I hit up crossfit for some work on my "snatches" and this evening will see me up tackle The Chief!!

I will keep you posted on what I learn about myself this weekend! The tests will put me into that zone where we all hate to go. I've got my bike and shoes packed for the weekend so looking forward to coming home with lactate balance point results, body composition and power output knowledge that I can take and move forward with.

Cheers to good health everyone!!

Crossfit Certification Weekend

(no it's not raining in there, my camera just sucks)

This past weekends adventures took me back to California. Strange to not be headed somewhere for a race for once. However, a great opportunity came up for me to do my Crossfit Level I certification so I jumped on it. Despite a nagging cold (my first one in 2 years I think) from Ecuador travels, I hacked up my lungs all weekend and got the job done.

I have to admit, I have been out of mainstream Crossfit training for a few months now. Since living up north, I’ve been doing my best to keep up with air squats, KB swings and ab mats. However, any ability to lift heavy has disappeared - so very frustrating. On the plus, time away in a controlled environment allowed me to return to running and nurse my achilles, so I suppose not all was lost.

Ok, back to the weekend. I arrived Thursday night into Long Beach and first stop was to Crossfit Newport for the evening WOD. And as expected, it did not disappoint! I hadn’t hung on a pull up bar forever so when “Death by Pull-ups” and “Death by 30m” came up, I knew I was in trouble. However, I did my best on the bars and only needed to modify ½ way through. It was great to see the Newport crew as they are always a fun and welcoming bunch. Got to catch up with Coach Carl (my pacer from the SD100) and Bob and Jennifer drove down with baby Lincoln for a visit and dinner. Cat and I then hit the road down South to Salona Beach for a few days visit with TR. I enjoyed an early morning seaside run to Del Mar, breakfast at Ki’s and a yummy Mexican dinner, life at my “home away from home” was nice as usual.

Early Saturday morning, the amazing Cat drove me back up north to Anaerobic Inc in Rancho Santa Margarita for my 2 days of Crossfit learning. What a GREAT GREAT weekend. I learned so much more than expected. The instructors were awesome and all the people taking the course were really nice. We hit some tough WOD’s (like Fran) in addition to hundreds of squats, dead-lifts, SDHP, clean and jerks and on and on and on!!! My understanding of how to execute the movements and to teach them grew tremendously. My STOKE for Crossfit returned and after some good discussions with some new mentors (like the head strength and conditioning coach at University of San Diego who uses Crossfit for all his athletes) I now better understand how to make “endurance athlete Jen” and “Crossfit Jen” fit together!!! WAHOO!!!! I’ve got some great ideas for all the runners, tri-athletes, mountain bikers etc who I coach on how to apply these methods into their programs.

A tiring weekend, but a great weekend. I spent Sunday night back at the Cox household and realized more and more how much fun having a baby could be as I played with little Lincoln. Bob caught me up on the latest i2P happenings and we even heard from Ray this morning while we drank our morning coffee. He and Kevin are 2 days into the Siberian Express – Ray sounded cold! These guys are going to be great out there as over 8000 students follow along and learn.

Back here in Squamish now, times are busy. Outdoor classes start tomorrow morning, I have lots of training to get on with and Thursday I head out to Vernon to meet Coach Andrew and the Balance Point Racing Team for some testing. I’m on a great high from the weekend and STOKED on life! I hope you are too........