August. What a month!

I finished off that great New Zealand training camp that I yammered on about in my previous post and it remained completely astounding. Believe it. The snow actually got better in our final week down under, with even more kilometers of trails opening up for our gliding enjoyment. Just when we thought it couldn’t get any better, we were even treated to a 10km loop that hadn’t been groomed in 4 years! The camp was boss.

I spent my first week home getting my life back in order. I endured a few jetlag induced sloth-like days in Canmore before gaining back some energy and sleep normalcy. It wasn’t long before my feet began to itch. After six days at home I drove the 1.5hrs to Invermere, BC to compete in the “Loop the Lake 10km.” We had quite the crew that made the journey to the Renner/Grandi cabin and after a great sleep under the singing pines we all hammered it out on the roads surrounding the Columbia Valley. David Leoni was the real man, and braved the 42.2km beast, running the marathon is 3:15 which is pretty damn impressive considering that he decided to race it the night before at around 8pm. The “GM” (aka – Hullsy) shocked us all by running a 1:40 for the half after “tapering” all week (translation: not running a step for 7 days), and Sara, Nighbor, and I all tackled the 10km. I ran a seemingly slow 32:48, but it was good enough to win by 4.5min and shatter the previous course record by over 3.5min. Sara PB’ed and ran a 40:40. It was a difficult course, with some epic climbs littered throughout, and even though it was mostly paved I found it to be one of the toughest running races I’ve ever done.

I was enamored with the Columbia Valley after my brief Invermere weekend, and soon made my way back there with“team 2010” for their mini-Nipika-camp #2. Located 1.5hrs south-west of Canmore, Nipika (www.nipika.com) is an amazing eco-lodge on the edge of the Rockies and is abundant in trails, rivers, and beauty during all four seasons. Eric DeNys had great workouts planned, and when we weren’t tearing up the trails or roads we were kicking back in the sun… chilling out, swimming, playing some beach V-ball, and even fishing (Widmer and I caught a few small rainbows in the Cross River one night). If you ever get a chance to go, I highly recommend it.

Post Nipika I had just enough time to do some laundry and pack again, this time for 3-part West Coast adventure. First up was the “The Richmond Flatlands 10km.” I ended up winning it easily in 31:43, which was kind of a bummer. I was hoping to be challenged, but so it goes. I split the 5km in 15:36, and was disappointed to fall off my pace so badly in the last few kilometers, but for a solo-effort I was happy to be under 32. It was a scenic course, and running at sea-level is a real treat!

Nighbor and Chandra hanging out by the pool in Vancouver after a tough morning 10km race.

 Let me let you readers in on a little secret. The best intensity training is a “real” race. Throughout the summer I can’t stress how important it is to pin that bib on and chase that finish line. Too many cross country ski racers in Canada barely race in the summer, or never race at all. Hint to coaches: time trials with 5 other teammates isn’t racing – it’s a workout, don’t kid yourself. An athlete’s job and passion is to race, so get out there and enter some summer races! Believe me; racing “for real” in the off-season will translate into better performances come winter.

From Vancouver it was off to the “real West-Coast.” Tofino, BC is a ridiculously rad locale and what better way to decompress after punishing myself in a 10km then to fly to there with some amazing people for a yoga, surfing, and culinary bonanza?  Allison Forsyth (newly retired Alpine ski star, and newly hired Lululemon employee) organized this fantastic retreat for Warren Tanner(freestyle skier), Emily Cook(aerials), Sara Renner and Thomas Grandi (xc/alpine), Jamie Cruikshank (bobsled), Melissa Hollingsworth(skeleton), Chandra, and myself. We are all Olympic athletes from different disciplines that share similar passions, and are all “elite ambassadors” for Lululemon. It was so fun! With the super-cool Lululemon staff and execs we played in the surf, ate copious amounts of culinary delights, relaxed, and talked “Lululemon” for three days. I learned a lot from everyone there, and had a great time getting to know some new faces. The midnight oceanic swims were something else too! I may not be flexible, or a good surfer, but to hang with the Lululemon crew was inspiring and an all around good time.

Chandra (with T in the background) banging out some Yoga action.

Chandra paddling away in the Pacific.

Eric Petersen, Thomas, and myself hanging in the fog waiting for some waves in Tofino

Thomas doing his best "pro-surfer" imitation. Ok, his best would have been paddling into a 20ft barrel but whatever...

Directly from some Pacific-Ocean time (I trained in Tofino as well, but that wasn’t the point), I moved yet again up to Whistler, BC. Nighbor made the move from Surrey (where he was hanging with Nicky’s grandma… I know!) to join in on 5 days of Olympic re-con fun. Along with Chandra we spent our time putting in bigger days (4+hrs), exploring the vast trail systems of Whistler without even scratching the surface of what’s out-there. I was glad to have been tipped off by Dan about Alta Lake Road, which was surprisingly great. The actual Callaghan site looks phenomenal as well, it’s in better shape that our Canmore Nordic Center, and it’s not even done yet! I did some great workouts running there, and I feel that any opportunity to hone-in on those trails will pay off come 2010.

Yes, it’s been pretty busy, but it’s good to be home kicking it in Canmore. I have a million ideas pulsating through my brain on how to “take ownership” of that Olympic area because 2010 is closing in fast, and I really want to capitalize on the opportunity of a lifetime. It’s sweet it’s in Canada, but what can I do to make it so familiar and welcoming that I will indeed have that elusive, “home course advantage?” I don’t know yet, but I am trying to figure it all out.

I feel I should touch upon “the REAL greatest sporting event in the World:” The summer Olympics. It was wild, and I was completely inspired by more than a few performances in Beijing. Below are just a few “wow” moments for me from the 2008 Games in no particular order:

-       Simon Whitfield getting dropped three times in the run, only to come back and snag the silver medal. It was one of the ballsy-est races of all time. Renner and I were screaming at the TV while we saw him make that final move to the finish line, I loved it.

-       Bekele winning the 5000m, and 10000m both in Olympic Record time. His kick is insane. His imitation of Bolt’s salute was insane too… Insanely bad. Bolt: 6’5, jacked as hell. Bekele: 5’4, tiny… Just doesn’t work the same way…

Bolt's Salute.

Bekele's salute. He's the best distance runner ever, but it's just not the same when he does it...

-       Bolt’s show: 3 world records, the 100m “throw the parachute out at 20m to go and still break his own world record deal” was nutty. I love how he got Johnson’s 200m WR too.

-       Nick Willis bronze in the 1500m. He’s a skinny white guy from NZed. Talk about inspiring.

-       Wanjiru’s 2:06:33 Marathon. Whoaaaaaaa!!

-       Obviously Phelps. 8 Gold, shit…

-       Paula Radcliff finishing the marathon. She was a complete mess, injured, limping for those 26.2 miles, and losing her 2nd ever marathon (she’d finished 7 before 2008, and won all 7. Her other loss? Dropping out of the 2004 marathon). I was almost in tears watching. London though? At home? I hope so…

-       Taylor Milne, Nat Brennen running the 1500m. I know it’s not what you dudes wanted, but you guys are right there!

One more thing: A big thanks to Brad Jefferson and his family for their huge generosity for letting us crash at their Vancouver and Whistler houses.

Word.

D.

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