Joseph Campbell, The Hero with a Thousand Faces.
I love this quote. Sure, it has mythological
connotations mixed with mystical powers, trials and tribulations, great gifts
for achieving the goal (aka: boons) resulting in the discovery of important
self-knowledge. But it also rings true
in our everyday lives of the 21st century. We wake up to face mostly unknowns
(try as you might to control your every minute) and use our critical thinking
to overcome, persevere and break through to a better place and become a wiser
person. For all these experiences, we become individuals of depth, curiosity,
patience, and respect...we become HERO'S every day.
This heroic introduction leads me to...nowhere
really...except how I have decided, after a long hiatus of writing, to
"take stock" of my fabulous forces and mysterious adventures since
the fall. By writing them here, its my way of capturing the memories and
reflecting on the many quality experiences that happen over a short period of time. Not surprisingly, most of my mysterious
adventures are the result of someone(s) special doing nifty things that opened
a door for me to take part. And usually those someone(s) are my hero's, they keep
up with themselves, share in the social media community, write about the
nuances of life and capture the essence of exploring something new every single
day.
Let's make this brief and let's make it fun. And
most importantly, let's make sure you are inspired to take stock of your
mysterious adventures thanks to fabulous forces.
Whirlwind Finale
Wrapped up the race season in a whirlwind with
Hurricane Sandy blowing through Florida over the Rev 3 Venice Ironman weekend. Swim
became a run. It went: Run, Bike, Run. Amazing race experience with the Rev 3 crew. Unlike the New York Marathoners, at least we
got to run. #nocomplaining
Learning the Slopes
Blew right into a new role with my company, Sunice
(Fletcher Leisure Group) as the VP of Sales for USA, Sunice Ski Apparel. Ill prepared and overwhelming but full of
newness and challenge. Walked the walk and learned as fast as I could about
selling ski apparel to ski shops from the east to west coast of North America.
Humungous help from the Sunice team, namely Derek Faith and Grace Maurer.
Mont Tremblant
Merry Ho-Ho'd at Mont Tremblant. Second favourite
place to Whistler. We were a house full of kids and adults ridden with the flu
blended in with tons of love, laughter and the X-Box. Highlight was snowshoeing
up the mountain with Louis Ludwig on Boxing Day. Gifted my brother a stationary windtrainer for his dust covered
road bike. I wonder if he'll ever use it?
Be Awesome
Joined Jasper Blake and his stellar coaching
company, B78 Coaching [Be Awesome], as a coach for aspiring and veteran
endurance athletes. B78 emphasizess the fun factor mixed in with a whole lot of
excellence, integrity, commitment, consistency without compulsion and of
course, awesomeness.
Montreal YUL Snow Storm
Attempted to fly out of Montreal on December 27th,
2012 however Mother Nature had other plans. A massive snow storm struck the
city causing havoc to traffic, flights, and millions of holiday plans. Spent 10
hours aboard a plane waiting, hoping and praying for the plane to take-off so I
could meet Steph Corker at the pool at 6:30 a.m. the next morning. Instead, the
flight was cancelled and I had the pleasure of meeting Stuart Wild. A
Montrealer, now Whistler resident currently working as a helicopter in
Afghanistan for the US Army when not kite surfing in Mexico. One of a kind and
unforgettable individual.
Kicked off 2013 on the skate ski trails of the
Whistler Olympic Park. Linked up with a few jack rabbits soon coined my
"regulars" as we all prepared for the Payak Loppet on February 23rd. Completed a 30km Loppet in February followed by a 50km
Loppet in March. Wow, 50km is a long way on skate skis. Now I know. Maybe never
again.
Solitude
Thanks to my new role with Sunice, I was able to
experience skiing in Utah at Solitude Resort with the crew at Powder Magazine.
The editors wore our duds as we got to know each other on the chairlifts and at
Après. Sunice will be featured in the
Powder Magazine Gear Guide, October 2013! Yoohoo. Oddly, hardly any of them
have skied at Whistler. Must change that.
Apple TV Neophyte...converted
Weekended at Whistler all through January, February
and most of March. Sadly without my partner in crime, Roslyn Boniface, since
she broke her ankle on January 1st while carving turns down Bear Paw run. Dang!
That sucked. Recovery strategy included
an investment in Apple TV. With my guidance, she pounded through Downton Abbey,
Damages and Homeland. Not to mention the books she devoured and a revolving
door of visitors and caretakers. Ros is back in action full throttle.
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C'est Le Weekend
Whistler...best part of my life. Downhill skiing
with a solid crew of entertaining mashers after dropping off their kids at ski
school. The days usually wrapped at 1p.m. at top of either mountain with a
lengthy lunch and maybe a glass of wine. The alternate day was spent skate skiing through Norwegian Woods,
Madeley Lake and the Olympic Connection trails. Every glide, pole and offset
was bliss. Best part of the ski is the Cafe Mocha and banana bread to refuel.
Madness at Method
Method...my winter training haven for the bike.
Three, maybe four, times a week, I pedaled my way into some form of bike
fitness under the remarkable guise of Jamie Armstrong. Jamie is a cyclist
extraordinaire. When lucky, we'd be side by side along with 20 some uber
committed, fit and first rate riders busting out 60 minute sessions.
Side note: Ironically, Jamie tried to participate
in the New York Marathon but Hurricane Sandy changed the plan. Jamie witnessed the
wreckage. He then went on to run the
Boston Marathon this April. Thankfully he finished in 2:59 and was clear of the
bombing site. Yet, he now carries a first hand experience with devastation and
heartbreak following such brutal and senseless acts of cruelty. The Method
community was at a standstill
awaiting news from Jamie following the explosions. Tremendous relief to learn
Jamie and others we knew were okay. Heartfelt condolences to everyone affected
by this tragedy.
Partners
Method is one of my committed supporters as
professional triathlete. Dizzy Cycles, Specialized, Broadway and Burrard Chiropractic, B78, Polar, Smith Optics and Flora and Udo's Oil are also on board
to help me be my best self as a athlete. Connecting with this team of groovy
companies is a must and something I always wish I did more of. I have recently
added a few more supporters to my team which I will formally announce in a
short while.
Soulful Steph
March was a fun month. Yeah, real fun. Hopped on a
plane to join Steph Corker in Santa Monica for the LA Marathon. 26.2 miles,
point to point, from Dodgers Stadium to Santa Monica pier. She rocked out a
sweet run and got to celebrate with all her Lululemon peeps. I jumped in for a few miles to cheer her on (even drank some fluid from the aid stations which
I still feel guilty about). We did it
all - Lemonade, Abbot Kinney Street, Gratitude Cafe, Soul Cycle (this deserves
its own blog), outdoor swimming, beach runs, retail therapy and incredible
memories.
Safe Touring
In the final days of March came a backcountry
skiing adventure with Deanna Wigmore and Brent Lokash. Brent was our fearless
guide on a less than ideal backcountry ski day. Low visibility, high winds,
cool temps and two inexperienced touring chicks made for a high stress day. With unwavering confidence, Brent navigated us over mountains, across
ridges and down powder runs like a pro. Started at 9a.m. and finished at 4p.m.
#againagain
Zero Ceiling
Once safe from the backcountry, Brent invited a few
go-getters to join him in raising the profile of a very cool organization
called Zero Ceiling: an adventure-based learning program that empowers at-risk
youth and young adults to develop life skills and achieve personal growth. First fundraising event: May 25th at
Scandinave Spa in Whistler. #bethere
Torah
April 13th finally arrived. The day RuthieShugarman has been waiting for almost as much as all her friends and loved
ones. Her daughter, Talia, was celebrating her Bat Mitzvah. Guess where?
Whistler. It was #betterbiggerthanawedding. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZlWMR_7WbgI (Watch this!)
In
words: Adventure Rabbi from Colorado led service at Squamish Cultural Centre
(in Whistler) serving grilled cheese sandwiches and butternut squash soup as
appies, family a go-go, friends aplenty, love over-boiling. Talia was poised,
articulate and so grown up when reading and singing. She was
#outstandingfora12yearold! Food-a-licious, slide show of Talia's life (wow!),
dancing to best band and play list ever, memento photo opportunities, dessert
table was sugar & chocolate art. Most heart-stopping was Ruthie and Talia
#gorgeouselegantelated. And by the way, I am converting.
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| Not quite these guys but pretty close |
Guys-only
Dolomite Training Group
Its
official. I am just one of the guys when it comes to cycling. Thanks to an
annual cycling trip to Europe organized for 12 well heeled 40-something guys
(mostly husband's of my girlfriends), I have tons of training partners for long
bike rides. They are all fit, all
committed and almost all have shaved their legs. When we head out for a 4hour ride, I hang on. I dig deep to stay
in the pack. And, when they drop me, they wait, likely because I am a girl.
Girls-only
Half Marathon Training Group
Those
biker dudes all have incredibly driven, beautiful and talented wives and they
too are fit, fast and fabulous. Half a dozen of us have committed to the
Whistler Half Marathon on June 1st. They have instilled their trust in me to
bring them to the start line with considerable run fitness and endurance. Training weekend coming up in May! Can't
wait.
Swimming
Swimming.
Swimming. Well, for the past few months, I have a renewed relationship with
swim practice. That is 5:30 a.m. three mornings a week plus 6:30 a.m. on
Saturday. Since Kelly Taitinger has started coaching our Masters Club, I have
been working harder and smarter in the pool than ever. Sweat in the pool?
Always. Getting stronger? Absolutely.
http://www.canadiandolphin.ca/CoachesBio_2.aspx (Kelly's Bio)
Super Human Games
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| Start line |
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| Finish line |
As
summer nears so do key dates with start and finish lines and a pack of other
super human athletes standing on the same start line gunning for the same
finish line. Whilst our fabulous forces and mysterious adventures are all a
little different, our quest for self improvement and discovery is not unique.
Here is a tentative, but fairly firm, list of all the mysterious adventures I have completed and have lined up:
Here is a tentative, but fairly firm, list of all the mysterious adventures I have completed and have lined up:
February 11 - Vancouver Half Marathon - Done with Steph Corker with PB for her!
February 23 - Whistler Olympic Park Skate Ski Loppet (30km) - Done and 5th!
March 10 - Snowqualmie Skate Ski Loppet (50km) - Done and won!
May 4 - Ironman St George 70.3, Utah
June 1st, Whistler Half Marathon
June 8 - Ironman Boise 70.3, Idaho
June 23 - Ironman Mont Tremblant 70.3, Quebec
July 15 - Ironman Lake Stevens 70.3, Washington
August 25 - Ironman Canada, Whistler
