A&M Adventures

Sometimes I Feel Like I Get Looks Like This

2011-03-02T18:39:00.000-08:00

I'm off to bed....enjoy. M

I Love My Slow-Cooker

2011-02-22T17:13:00.000-08:00

Recently, Matt and I have been putting together a slow cooker recipe almost every Monday for dinner that evening and lunches throughout the week. This month's Chatelaine magazine had some great recipes that we tried out and we would highly recommend the Chicken Mulligatawny Soup & the Moroccan Vegetable Stew. Both were really easy to make and a fantastic twist on our regular go to slow cooker recipes. Enjoy!

A New Look

2011-02-21T14:54:00.000-08:00

Well we decided to mix things up a bit and revamp our blog with a new template and some new pics. We've also added a "Followers" link (bottom right) - be sure to add your details so we can post accordingly.
Stay tuned for an update on Tessa's swim adventures and some news on our training and race goals for the year. Happy Family Day! A

A Valentine's Day Wish

2011-02-11T13:22:00.000-08:00

Free digital slideshow customized with Smilebox

Tessa's 1st Christmas

2011-01-08T08:30:00.000-08:00

The holidays have come and gone and Matt (most unfortunately) has to go back to work on Monday. Tessa's 1st Christmas was wonderful - filled with lots of friends and family and lots of firsts. Matt's dad, Billy, came to stay with us over the holidays and Tessa really loved all the attention Grampie gave her - so much so that she wanted to be carried around all the time after he left! We hosted Christmas lunch/dinner at our house again and in addition to Billy, my mom (Sheila) and dad (George), sister Tara and boyfriend Dave made the trek up from Toronto. We hardly made a dent in our 20lb turkey but the dinner went off without a hitch, even with the addition of some new recipes (apricot glazed pork tenderloin and caramel pot-au-creme for dessert!). Missing this year was Pearl, but we know that she was watching the whole fiasco from above - especially as the three of us tried to figure out how to cook the turkey overnight and how to make gravy - two of her specialities. It was great talking to Matt's brother, Mark and his girlfriend Ashley in Calgary and the gang in Nova Scotia via Skype on Boxing Day - it was so nice to see everyone doing so well. A few days after Christmas, we headed to Toronto to see the rest of the Comisso family. Aunty Sandy hosted a wonderful New Year's Eve dinner and New Year's Day Open House. We loved introducing Tessa to my cousin Alessandra and husband (Adrian) and niece and nephew, Anna and Allan who were visiting from Mexico. The kids were hilarious as per usual and so much fun to be around! We're just finishing up the last week of our holidays which was very laid back (except for all of the shovelling Matt had to do!) and not looking forward to getting back to the daily grind. Tessa is growing like a weed and really coming into her own. She laughed for the first time a few days ago as a result of Daddy making some pretty silly faces. Here's to a memorable 2011! A

Well...

2010-12-12T18:10:00.000-08:00

Well, it has been a while since we posted last and a lot has happened. Tessa has been growing big and she is definitely keeping us busy. My mother passed away on 11 November 2010 after fighting a rare form of cancer for a few months. It was definitely a shock but as my mom would say, "It is what it is." She was amazing for the last months, not complaining at all and being extremely thankful for being able to see her grand-daughter which she so much wanted in her life. It has been quite the journey since and looking at Tessa I can not help but be sad that she only got to see her grand-mother once and will not experience the love and caring that I got for over 30 years. Until next time... M

Tessa Turns One Month Old!

2010-10-30T08:24:00.000-07:00

Happy Halloween Everyone!

Thinking about all of you :)

Love always, Amber, Matt & Tessa

Life As We Knew It

2010-10-25T09:14:00.000-07:00

Well... life certainly is different since Tessa arrived! Lately it's been a lot of trying to figure out how to put her down for a nap when she's tired but won't fall asleep. The nights haven't been too bad though. Now that Matt has gone back to work, I wake up for the middle of the night feedings but the good news is that she just eats, has her diaper changed and then goes back to sleep. We feel like detectives trying to figure out why she is crying which of course can be both exciting (when you figure it out) and frustrating (when you can't figure out what is wrong). This definitely is the most challenging thing we've ever done.

On the training front, Matt's has a negotiated a deal with his boss to train over lunch which works well and allows him to come home at a reasonable time. On my end, I'm looking forward to running again - I really miss it - but need to get Tessa on some sort of schedule before that will happen. It's hard to get much done when she doesn't sleep for long during the day. Apparently, the naps get longer as they get older so I'm looking forward to that :)

All in all, it is a pretty incredible experience being a parent. There are so many days that we look at her and realize how amazing it is that she came for us. And nothing is better then when she gives you a crooked little smile and melts your heart.

Introducing... Tessa Victoria MacMillan

2010-10-03T08:08:00.000-07:00

Amber & Matt are very excited to finally announce the arrival of their daughter, Tessa Victoria MacMillan born on 30 September 2010 at 1045pm, weighing 6 lbs, 13 oz and 20 inches long.

After coming home from the hospital, the past few days have been a whirlwind but everyone is doing well and settling into this new change of pace. Many thanks for all of the notes of congratulations and well wishes. We can't wait for you to meet her in person :)

1 hour old

Proud Mom & Dad, on a high after 29 hours of labour

Dad & Tessa, his little bundle of joy!

Already a Thinker!

3 days old

Due Date Come and Gone

2010-09-22T06:32:00.000-07:00

Monday, 20th September 2010 was the official due date for Baby Mac but it is now Wed and still no sign of the little one. Looks like she's going to be a cheeky one! We finished our pre-natal classes with Childbirth Kingston a few weeks ago. Lots of good info - hopefully we'll remember it all when the time comes! The class is going to meet up again a month after the last due date to meet everyone's babies. Should be fun :)

Well.... not too much else to say since all the baby preps were finished last week so it's just a matter of waiting now :) The midwife said that you normally go into labour when you're not thinking about it, so I've been trying not to think about it but that is much easier said then done. Hopefully our next post will be a baby announcement!

Sweet Dreams Baby Mac! The Nursery is done :)

2010-08-09T16:23:00.000-07:00

One of the best parts of our week of leave was finally finishing the nursery! We must admit that it turned out even better then we expected :) 6 weeks today until the big day! We can't wait! Here are some pictures of Baby Mac's crib:

Race Season?

2010-08-05T17:36:00.000-07:00

Well, not quite. It has been a difficult summer when it comes to racing. My body has not really cooperated but it has been a great learning experience and I'll take some small positives, move forward with a solid plan for fixing the issues long term.

A little over a month ago I had to pull out of the Wolfe Island 5k because I could barely stand up and walk. My back had been bothering me on and off this summer and I tweaked it doing stuff around the house.

Moving on to the CF Invitational in Gatineau PQ, I ended up with a DNF. I came out of the two loop, 1500m, non-wetsuit swim in around 21:40 which was great for me (of note, swimming has actually gone pretty well). On the 8 x 5k bike route, which had a number of turns making a square at one end prior to starting the next lap, I flatted and did a bit of damage to my wheel. I was coming around the last turn about to start the 7th lap when I was trying to avoid a slower rider, it was either hit the brakes and crash or try to bunny-hop the curb. I elected for the bunny-hop and it didn't go so well...I slammed the back wheel into the curb. I thought I got away with it, but I blew the tire jumping back into the road. Then there were some issues with the wheel, so a DNF was a result.

K-town tri last weekend was the straw that broke the camels back. It started a little rough - a friend smashed his arm into my face, flipping a goggle lens. A bit annoying but it comes with the starts. The 2k swim went so so. I couldn't keep with the group I normally swim with which was frustrating. Towards the end, my lower back was starting to get tight and it would be a foreshadow of the day to come. The 56.5k ride was terrible. I could not push at all. I could not stay in the aerobars due to my back and I could not go at any desirable speed. Frustrating overall. Getting off the bike was tough. I had trouble getting my shoes on and could barely stand up. I contemplating not going on the run but decided to push on. I walked a lot of the 15k run to a very disappointing finish.

In the end, I've now decided to take it easy for the rest of the season. What I mean is that I will systematically look at what is causing problems and come up with a way ahead to solve the problem, learn from the experience, and plan for next season. Coach Noa has been great and has provided a lot of support in what has been a very frustrating time.

That's it for now. On to the planning and diagnosing stage. Until next time. M

Congratulations Stephen and Navreet!

2010-07-31T16:49:00.000-07:00

Last weekend, Matt and I headed to Toronto for my cousin Stephen's wedding to beautiful Navreet! It was a great night and nice to see everyone on the Montgomery side of the family who we hadn't seen in awhile. Despite charging my battery the night before, my camera died right after the ceremony :( Will post some more pics from my iphone on my next blog.

On the Sunday, we had a great BBQ with the Comisso side of the family. By this time, the camera was fully charged, so here are a few pics from the afternoon.

Nonna with Alain and Anna & sis Tara with Alain and Anna

Matt monkeying around with Alain

Beautiful pic of Anna in the sun

The perfect end to a perfect day.... cartwheels!!!

Farewell to Nova Scotia

2010-07-18T17:28:00.000-07:00

Matt and I just got home from a short, but fantastic visit to the Maritimes, to his home town of Stellarton, Nova Scotia - 1 hour and 30 min north of Halifax by the ferry to PEI. The drive out wasn't too bad except for the traffic in Montreal (nightmare!!!), with a pit stop overnight in Cabano, Quebec. It was great to spend some time with his Mom & Dad, grandma's, aunts, uncles and cousins. A few highlights included the Pictou Lobster Festival, Matt's altercation in the YMCA pool, a quick visit to Halifax to visit Billy, Lindsay and Charlie, homecooked meal chez the MacMillans and many great sunny (and rainy!) days of catching up and sharing news about the baby! Wish the visit could have been longer but it was great to see everyone nonetheless! We ended our time off in Ottawa for the Gatineau Triathlon - Matt will post a race update soon :) In the meantime, here are a few pics from our trip:

A Weekend Away in the County

2010-06-27T17:44:00.000-07:00

Matt and I escaped this weekend to Prince Edward County (1 hour west of Kingston) for some rest and relaxation and a weekend in the County. Unfortunately, there was lots of rain on Saturday but we made the best of it and were still able to explore this beautiful area. Susan was able to find space for us in her suite at Eleven Center (http://www.bbcanada.com/11200.html) and even though it wasn't too far from home, it was a perfect little getaway.

A highlight was a visit to Fifth Town Cheese, http://www.fifthtown.ca/. "The Fifth Town Artisan Cheese Company is privately owned, environmentally and socially responsible enterprise positioned as a niche producer of fine hand made cheeses using fresh, locally produced goat and sheep milk." No soft cheeses for me but Matt was able to try some of their delicious samples and came away with some cheeses for the week.

Capped off the weekend with roasting some baby beets from the Kingston market for lunch tomorrow. Yum!

Overall - the weekend was fantastic and exactly what we needed! Especially since next week will be really busy for Matt as he settles into his new job as College Adjudant. Good thing there is a long weekend around the corner! A

What the $*%& was I thinking?

2010-06-14T18:36:00.000-07:00

I....may be a moron....at least on occassion. We actually got some sun in K-town on Sunday which was great news for our run (Amber's now run/walk given she's pushing 6 months pregnant). Needless to say, me being the pasty white guy I am, I put sun screen on before my run....or at least I should have. The result -- nothing but burnt to a crisp shoulders. However, the run was nice.

And for those of you that are wondering, Amber looks more beautiful than ever. We must have an ahtlete in the making as the baby has been kicking up a storm lately. Baby especially likes when I push a little on the stomach and I get a kick in return!

On another note, we got a good glimpse of Tony in race mode courtesy of the RAAM site.

RAAM

2010-06-13T17:35:00.000-07:00

Tony O'Keeffe...technically my boss but a good friend and at times training companion is in the middle of completing Race Across America. You can check out his progress on his web site. Tony is an awesome inspiration and a great example of what can be accomplished when you put your mind to it. There is nothing like meeting up with someone on a Saturday morning for your long ride when he started around 6:00pm Friday evening. Tony's adventure will be taking him from Oceanside, CA to Annapolis, MD....right across the US and all the mountain ranges, flat land, and weather in between. Total time - right around 10 or so days. Not bad!

As for Amber and I, things are trucking along nicely. M.

The End of a Busy School Year

2010-05-29T05:34:00.000-07:00

Last weekend was Grad Weekend at the College and as such, the end of the Class of 2010 at the Royal Military College of Canada (RMC). Convocation was on Thursday which was attended by the Governor General of Canada and Saturday was the big parade (with the Minister of National Defence and Chief of Defence Staff in attendance) where the 4th year class was commissioned as Officers in the Canadian Forces and sent off to start their careers. The weekend capped off with Grad Ball - a great opportunity to say our final goodbyes - and despite being 5 months pregnant, we managed to stick it out for a while and have a good time :)

We then headed to TO to show off the baby bump and for a great BBQ on Sunday with Nonna, Mom, Dad, Tara, Dave, Aunty Sandy, Uncle Jorge and Andrew. The weather was fantastic and we finished the night with roasted marshmallows on the fire and Dad's favourite - the burning school house!

Billy and Pearl came up on Wednesday from Nova Scotia to give us a hand with all the projects we had to do around the house. They have been a huge help and have only just been here for a few days :)

Things will continue to be busy for Matt has he moves into the job of Adjudant at the school, but for me, things will quiet down and there will finally be peace and quiet in the halls. Just in time for a hot summer! A

Limestone Charity Triathlon 2010

2010-05-17T17:50:00.000-07:00

First triathlon of the season! So exciting! My relay team, P2C (Prego + 2 cadets) kicked some serious butt finishing 7th out of 29 teams in the race, with a final time of 1:10:48. My swim went really well and it was a tonne of fun racing with a team. The cadets were very motivating! I must admit, I wished I was racing the whole thing but it was a good way to still get a taste of racing :)

Overall, it was a pretty good race except for the fact that we arrived at 6am but didn't start until 10:40 (Matt) and 11:20 (Amber) so there was a lot of sitting around - they didn't post swim start times until after 7:30am...

Matt was seeded with all the Tri Club cadets that were 10 years younger than him so it was a tough race. He'll post his thoughts soon but overall it was a good way to kick off the season!

We're having a...........................................................................................

2010-05-08T18:08:00.000-07:00

crazy hectic week! Sigh. Things at work have been crazy (the Cadets leave the College on 21 May and its been absolute mayhem getting them ready for grad and their summer postings), it's hectic around the house (baby renos continue), and somehow we've managed to get most of our training in between all of this and tried to carve out some time to relax as well. A few weeks ago Amber went to Halifax to present at the Women Leading in Defence Conference. Her speech was a big success and she's now working on her paper and hoping to get it published. While she was away, I managed to get all of the furniture out of the office and into the basement. There are only a few things left in the former office, and when the baby furniture (Tulip Piccolo Collection) arrives, we'll be sure to post some pictures. It's amazing how many things there are to buy for baby! We think we've found a stroller we like and are thinking of starting a baby registry - everyone has been very generous in wanting to help with baby which has been really great. The pregnancy is going well - at the last ultrasound, the baby was as active as ever, kicking up a storm. What's next??? The first triathlon of the season is only a few weeks away! Amber convinced two cadets to race with her in a relay team (she's doing the swim and their team is called P2C (prego + 2 cadets) at the Limestone Charity Triathlon and I'm doing the sprint distance (500m swim, 20km bike, 5km run). Should be fun! M

Baby "Renovations"

2010-04-08T17:53:00.000-07:00

Well, hopefully by now we've told most of you the exciting news that... WE ARE EXPECTING A BABY in September. It's been very exciting so far - the first ultrasound was super cool! The baby was kicking and punching up a storm like a little Karate Kid! With all this in mind, we spent Easter weekend starting to reorganize the house to prep for baby. We had to rearrange the basement so that we can move the office downstairs to make the office the baby room. We're not there yet but we made some good progress and also found some time to relax. Will post before and after pics once it's all done.

We've also been exploring with some new recipes recently. Some successes so far include:

Local Portobello Mushrooms stuffed with Spinach, Parmesan and Fennel

Turkey Burgers on a Whole Wheat Bun with Bacon, Avocado, Tomatoe and Chipotle sauce with

Baked Sweet Potato Falafels

The find of the weekend was the funky patio set we bought at Rona which we got to break in with all the nice weather

.... Finally, we finished the weekend off with an awesome run along the K & P Trail :) All in all, a great couple of days! A

Random few weeks

2010-03-21T18:45:00.000-07:00

Well, the last few weeks have been pretty random...some good days and some not so good days. To begin, I found my seat upon my return from Tucson. It was right where I left it.

Well, aside from finding my saddle, things have been hectic with work for both of us. Everytime we seem to get ahead, some major work needs to be done. Over the next few weeks, we're going to try to focus a little bit more on ourselves. On Wednesday night, we ended up going to a talent show for work which showed the vast array of talents a number of the cadets have aside from what we see on a day-to-day basis. It was pretty incredible to see the talent....and on occasion shocking to see who was behind that talent.

The weather has been changing for the better here but it is still pretty cool. One of the highlights of this week was getting out in K-town for a ride. Regardless of how cool it is, as long as you dress for the occassion, it will be good. Luckily for me, I have managed to get some Assos gear which has proved invaluable for riding. The quality is unbelievable and I am so spoiled. It is very comfortable and awsome quality.

The ride was definitely good. Despite that one good ride, the rest of the training has not been that great. I have been having some issues for the past month with my knee and some lower back pain which I have been seeing a physio for. It's slowly improving but it is definitely on the sllllllloooowwww side. Beyond that, I have been finding it hard to get out the door to do anything. This weekend was a total write-off as, aside from work (yes, working) I slept most of the weekend away. Work consisted of a parade today, in the cold and snow and it was very cold. I did however, get my first medal so it wasn't so bad.

Beyond work and training, Amber and I have been trying to plan the next few months with the stuff that we need to get done around the house. It starts Tuesday with Sears finally getting us a new fridge. With all the rest this weekend, I think things have finally made a turn. Amber helped to put together a great salad for dinner which was awsome.

With some more planning and some focus on ourselves, this week will be better. Hopefully the weather will be better as it will be nice to get outside. M

24hrs of Mental Training

2010-03-07T17:50:00.000-08:00

Well, just a little update before heading to bed. This weekend was the 2nd Annual 24hr Bike-a-thon at the College. It started last year in order to raise funds for the Soldier On Fund which was create to "contribute to optimizing the functional independence of ill or injured CF personnel or former personnel by delivering programs and services and facilitating and integrating opportunities that support their full and active participation in physical fitness, health promotion and sport."

The event was well organized and pretty fun. There were only a handful of us that were in for the full 24hrs as most bikes had a group rotating through. One of those was Tony O'Keeffe who is heavily involved in ultra endurance events. It was definitely a benefit to have him beside me to talk to and discuss the ins and outs of such an event.

After a big week in Arizona, my plan was to take it nice and easy so as to not mess the rest of my training up by needing too much time to recover. The plan was to take a couple minutes every hr to stretch and then change my shorts every 4hrs to alleviate any saddle sores. The end result was 20hrs 6mins of riding on my Argon 18 E112 to a tune of 363.62km (not a bad total considering I wasn't going very hard). It wasn't too bad considering that previous to this, the longest time my bottom end had sat on a bike seat was around 8hrs.

The journey started at 7:00pm.

Not too long in to the evening, I wasn't looking too bad.

A little later on in the evening, I couldn't say the same thing.

24hrs is definitely tough but it is more mental than physical. Aside from being physically tired which is a result of just not getting to sleep, the hardest thing was staying mentally strong and not giving up. Around 4:00am in the morning, I went through a major rough patch and thought I would definitely need to curl up in the corner and get some sleep. Unfortunately this lasted for about 3hrs which I found hard to get through. Luckily it passed and I managed to stick at it. I would definitely say this was extremely hard to do but it was worth it. Aside from some tight muscles and a sore but, everything is pretty good.

I took some videos so once we get those squared away we'll throw them on. Until next time, stay focused, the human body can do a lot more than you think. M

Back to reality.

2010-03-01T18:20:00.000-08:00

Well, Tucson is over and it was great. Started off a little rocky in more ways than one. Yes, as Amber pointed out, I did forget my saddle and seatpost. I ended up renting a bike for the Sunday and finding a seatpost and demo-ing a saddle for the rest of the week. And yes, travelling with a bike is a pain.....350 pains to be exact....$175 each way on United Airways which I will honestly say is one of the biggest scams I have ever seen.

The weather in Tucson was not what I had hoped for...a little cooler then planned and some rain but the sun came out after a few days. That being said, the camp was great. It was the toughest week of training I have ever done with over 30 hrs of training. Despite the fatigue, I loved every minute of it. I must admit that when you have a group of people (Coach Noa, Adam, Kamal, Tyler & Derek) that are dedicated to sport and are pretty damn fast, it makes for excellent training and definitely provides a little bit of motivation.

The beginning of the week was a little bit of a challenge with the change in location...the runs hurt a lot more than usual....but it sorted itself out before long. By challenge I mean the 70 min run that turned in to 110 mins for myself as I lost the group and took a wrong turn. A little too long for the first run of the week. I had been doing a lot of slower runs so the pick-up in pace was a bit tough.

As for the swimming, it felt a little off and slow all week. Short course pools in yards absolutely suck. I am not a fan as there are way too many turns. However, having Noa on deck was great and swimming in an outdoor pool at the foot of the mountains was awesome and a little cold getting out of the water.

The riding was great. Having been stuck in my basement on the bike for the last 3 months, getting out on the roads was a nice change of pace. The highlight would have to be climbing Mt Lemmon. Climbing to around 9000' in just over 26 miles is a tough ride. I did the ride in around 3:05 which is slower than the guys but is a nice base to start from. I had a tough go with some definite energy problems. That being said, the ride was beautiful with snow from around 10.5 miles to the top. From this point on, the temp kept dropping as well. By the time I got to the top, I was done. One of best parts of the day was seeing Amber with Noa as I was heading up the hill. She was initially going to take off for the day. I'm a lucky guy.

As for the running, by the end of the week, it got a lot better and we headed to Catalina State Park for a long run. It was a lot more climbing than planned but the scenary was great. Definitely worth the extra energy.

It was great to see Noa as well and she made certain to help out a bit with the nutrition. We will see how that goes in the near future. I am certain she'll let me know.

On Saturday, Amber and I headed to Phoenix in the evening so we would not have to make the early drive up on Sunday morning for our 7:20 flight. Ended up being great as we stayed at A Loft (Starwood) and went in to Tempe for dinner. It was a nice way to cap off the week.

That's it for now. Will post some more pics in the coming days. Can't wait for the next training trip. Oh yah.....didn't really think of work which was great.

What is wrong with this picture?

2010-02-22T14:45:00.000-08:00

Any advid cyclist/triathlete will quickly notice that there is nowhere to sit on this bike. Why you ask? Matt was in for a big surprise when he opened his bike case in Oro Valley (north of Tucson) and realized that he had left his seatpost and saddle at home in Kingston. Luckily, after one day on a rented bike, he bought a new seatpost today from a very cool (and helpful) bike shop in Tucson - FairWheel Bikes (http://www.fairwheelbikes.com/) and rented a new saddle from Tri Sports. Needless to say, this will make a very funny story one day but Matt was less then impressed when the whole thing happened. One thing is for sure - he'll never forget his seatpost again! Things down here are good - it's great to be with the gang from PT Performance again. Will post another update soon (with comments from Matt) Until then.... order has been restored.... A

Tucson can not come soon enough!!!

2010-02-18T18:39:00.000-08:00

This week has been a gong show. We managed to leave work at arounfd7:30 this evening and the rest of the week has been much of the same. Tucson can really not come soon enough.

We'll be heading to Toronto tomorrow and catching an early flight Sat morning in to Phoenix. I'm definitely looking fwd to being in a focused environment and not having to worry about work. Way too often, work seems to get in the way of everything. Anyways, next week should be the kick in the @ss to get things back on track. Must admit, it will be nice to actually ride a bike outside and have some folks to train with. I may come to regret that benefit but it will definitely show how much work I need.

Anyways, we'll try to keep everything updated with what we are up to next week. Before we head that direction, we'll be lucky enough to see Amber's Nonna and parents.

Probably won't post something until we are in warmer weather. M

What the...............?

2010-02-13T18:48:00.000-08:00

It seems like every time we look at our blog multiple weeks have passed and to be honest, we have no clue where the time has been going. A couple of weeks ago, we made a quick trip out to Nova Scotia to see my family...my 2 grandmothers in particular. We managed to have lunch in Toronto with Amber's parents and see her Nonna and Aunt prior to catching our flight. We had dinner at my parents place on the Friday night with the rest of the family. Prior to catching our flight out on Monday we managed to hook up with a bunch of friends we went to University with so it was good.

Since we have been back in Kingston, work has been very hectic....too hectic for our liking. We've had to be at work way too early and we worked all last weekend which has been making it a little tough to get the training in and get things done around the house.

Since the Olympics started yesterday, we've kept the tv on quite a bit. Managed to watch the entire Opening Ceremonies this morning while on the bike which was pretty inspirational.

Aside from that, we're trying to take it relatively easy this weekend and will be getting ready to head to Tucson next weekend to meet up with Coach Noa and the gang from Victoria. I can not even begin to explain how much I am looking forward to getting out of the cold and actually focussing on training, recovery and not work. M

The Cookie Monster!

2010-01-17T17:15:00.000-08:00

Hi, my name is Matt and I have a problem! They say admitting you have an issue is the first step in making changes. I am addicted to....sugar...more precisely Starbucks' Chocolate Chip Cookie

Now, I am sure most people will say, "Well, don't you know they are not good for you?" The answer is yes...of course I do. I am fully aware that this is definitely effecting my ability to perform at the level I want but I'm addicted. I am starting tomorrow in an attempt to go cold turkey. Wish me luck. If you got any tips, feel free to send them my way.

In other news, training is going relatively well but I have a little cold. We're getting ready to head to Nova Scotia at the end of the month for a quick trip to see some family and friends. Until next time....M

Happy New Decade!

2010-01-04T17:40:00.000-08:00

Well, 2010 has started off well. We managed to get outside for our run on 01 Jan despite having to bundle up. I would definitely call myself a wimp when it comes to the weather so when the temp was only -3 and just shy of -10 with the wind, we decide to brave the cold. Despite mother nature deciding to start snowing as we departed, the run was excellent and it was actually nice to run in what seemed like a winter wonderland.

With the changing of the year, there always seems to be some reflextion and some looking forward to the next year to determine where you want to go. I have never been very great with keeping resolutions as they always seem to be a spur of the moment, what ya feeling like right now kind of thing. That being said, we've been putting together our goals and plans for 2010. We'll be posting those in the next couple of days but one of the big ones will be a better work-personal life balance with an emphasis on spending more time for ourselves.

Until next time, here's a little pic of us heading in to work. M

Going Local!

2009-12-31T17:58:00.000-08:00

As we approach the end of our holidays and are on the eve of another year, it is a great time to look both forward and back.

We had Christmas dinner in our first house with Matt's parents (who drove up from Nova Scotia), my parents, my sister and her boyfriend (all from Toronto). In addition to the fantastic company and wonderful memories that we were able to make, we were also able to cook a 100 mile meal thanks to Wendy's Country Market. Matt had been told about this place from a colleague at work so we decided to make a trip out to the country to see if we could source Christmas dinner locally - and it was easy!

We picked up our turkey, roast, veggies, cheese and dessert all from the market - got to meet Wendy, Rick and their daughter - and had such a positive experience that today we received our first delivery from their mobile market to our front porch. In the upcoming year, we are going to see if we can buy most of our food locally and get away from the processed foods that we occassionally eat. Should be a real adventure! We'll keep you posted on our discoveries.

We also went to Toronto for a day to horse around with my niece and nephew from Mexico - Anna and Allan. Playing around with them should count as a workout! But who could refuse them when they're this cute...

For new year's eve, we decided to just take it easy and are home watching the World Junior's hockey game and later a movie.

Losing Mic (Major Michelle Mendes) made this a hard year but with deep sadness comes growth and I am looking forward to rekindling & nourishing relationships, planning out our race schedule (New Orleans?) and finding some more balance between work and play.

Happy New Year Everyone! Thinking about all of you where ever you may be :) A

Does this Count as Cross Training?

2009-12-09T17:23:00.000-08:00

Winter arrived in Kingston with a bang yesterday! We had been experiencing a long spell of good weather but mother-nature decided to make sure that we knew we were no longer living in BC. The first day of shoveling was actually kind of fun but by day 2 (7:30am this morning) the novelty had worn off.
The tri bikes are now permanently affixed to the trainers in the basement and we are praying for the light at the end of the tunnel. As if getting up early to swim wasn't bad enough, we've been cautioned that we should add an extra 20 min to our morning routine to shovel out. Man, do we miss Victoria!!!

Besides the snow, Christmas feels like it has sort of come and gone at the College. The cadets are well into exam routine so most of the Christmas activities were last month. In November, we attended the Annual Christmas Ball with good friends Miss (middle), Cal (left) and Sean (RMC Rugby coach) and (literally) danced the night away.

We also served our respective Squadrons Christmas dinner in the Mess. Below is a pic of John (another Squadron Commander) and I monkeying around and our new friend Toure before the dinner.

Bumps in the Road of Training

2009-11-21T07:56:00.000-08:00

It's been one of those weeks when things don't go exactly as planned with your training and your schedule for the week seems to go to the dogs - or at least that's what it felt like. We got to the pool on Monday at 5:45am as per normal, but to our surprise it was closed because a little kid pooped in the pool on Sunday, keeping the pool closed Monday morning. Our coach tried to make the best of it - some dry land training (working on our stroke on top of tables) and some drills in the kiddie pool BUT we still had to go back at lunch to make up the distance that we missed. For some reason, this little blip in the road set everything askew this week - we ended up moving workouts around and skipping workouts to try and make up for the lost time in the pool which was pretty frustrating. It seems to be one of the trials and tribulations of triathlon training - how to fit training for 3 sports into 1 week - and although painful, it was a good learning experience - Hopefully next time this happens we can ride out the waves a bit better. A

Settling In.... Sort Of

2009-11-03T17:09:00.001-08:00

For a couple of months now, we have been promising to update on our big move from West to East and believe it or not, this has been the first opportunity that we've had to.... breathe.
Needless to say, our new jobs at the College have been much busier then expected but very rewarding in many ways. The biggest adjustment has been trying to rework our training schedules. The best time to catch the Cadets is either in the morning (before 0745, at lunch, or after 4:30pm (ie. after class). Most of the time in between is usually open to train whenever we want - it just has been a bit of an adjustment to reworking our schedules. Thankfully after a pep talk from Noa, things seem to finally be moving along. Check out the article that was written about our first few months on the job.

As well, moving from a 1600 sq ft townhouse into a 1900 sq ft + finished basement house has been a huge adjustment. Finally, after many months of searching (and thanks to the Mennonites!), most of the house is finally furnished and we're getting settled. To be honest, there are many rooms that we hardly go in, but the good news is that there is lots of room for company! So if you're ever in town... look us up! (Although... I must say that at this time of year KTown is no match for Victoria - believe it or not, its almost time to hang up our bikes). Having a lawn and garden has been a HUGE challenge - I did not inherit my parent's green thumb - but luckily they're not too far away!
We're slowing getting settled - not quite there..... but almost. It has been a huge adjustment but so far things have been working out well :) A

This Is It!

2009-10-30T18:18:00.000-07:00

Well, we have been away for a bit (figuratively that is). We'll be giving an update his weekend with everything that has been going on but until then I just wanted to drop a quick note about Michael Jackson's THIS IS IT

Amber and I went to see this movie tonight and I would have to say....it is quite amazing. Whether you like Michael Jackson or not, one thing is certain, he is an amazing artist. To see someone that is so passionate in what they do and a perfectionist is unbelieveable. It was evident in watching the rehersals that he is a visionary when it comes to his artistry. He makes the people around him great. On top of all of that, to see the back-up dancers and musicians and their passion for music and dance, and their desire to work with the "King of Pop" is great.

One thing that hit close to home is that to be excellent in whatever you do, you have to be passionate, commited, knowledgeable and surround yourself with people that are all of the above and more.

Before too long, Amber and I will be planning out next year and what races we will be doing. We'll be looking at goals and plans for the year.

For all those that have either dropped a line or made a comment, the answer is yes, we have been delinquent and we'll attempt to ensure we update more often.

Ironman Canada....Complete

2009-08-31T00:15:00.000-07:00

WEll, just a quick update. I will do a full report tomorrow. I have now completed my first Ironman and it was great....and very painful. I had some serious muscle cramping issues about half-way in to the bike which hampered the rest of the day. My goal was to finish 11:00-12:00 and I am glad to say, I succeeded. Final time - 11:54.08.

Unfortunately, I will not be doing IMC next year but I'll be coming up with a race plan in the near future. M

Twas the Night Before...Ironman!

2009-08-29T20:00:00.000-07:00

Well, the time has come for the big day. Ironman Canada kicks off tomorrow at 7:00am (Officially) but I'll be up around 4:00am for some food. Last night was the carbo load dinner which was a good time. Amber and I had a great time hearing about all the amazing people that will be competing this year.

Today was a non-eventful day. Well, not really but we tried to stay low key. George and I did some last minute tune-ups and got our stuff ready. We hit the transition area just after lunch to drop our stuff off. It went pretty smoothly.

Amber, the Comisso's (George and Sheila), and the MacMillan's x 4 (Billy, Pearl, Mark, Ashley) spent the day wine touring at Mission Hill, Quail's Gate and Sumac Ridge with a nice pit stop for a late lunch/snack in Peachland.

Tonight, we got together for a family dinner to celebrate Amber's birthday. To my surprise...and embarrassment, Amber had t-shirts made ("IronMatt Support Crew"). It was pretty funny.

Anyways, it is just after 8pm and I am off to bed. Not really nervous, but pretty anxious to get on with it. This will be the culmination of a lot of work. We will update after the race. I'm #287 if you want to follow at ironman.ca.

George (#619) and I the night before.

Wine Anyone?

2009-08-27T21:06:00.000-07:00

Well, the Okanagan Valley is definitely known for its wine. I, unfortunately have had little opportunity and have been the DD for the rest of the family. It's been actually pretty relaxing. Here we are at Road 13, a small little BC winery.

We've been having some great food and I've been getting in some tapering with some short swims, bike, & runs. Amber was even kind enough to join me in Lake Osoyoos for a swim. I managed to bruise the top of my left foot which has not been the best but it only is slightly painful running. Lots of polysporin to help with the scratches.

Today we made the journey from Osoyoos to Penticton. I left Amber and the gang and made the drive early in order to meet up with a friend - George. We accomplished a lot today. We registered early to avoid the crowds, got some free recovery Crocs, did a bit of training, got a few other things and relaxed. Amber and the parents explored the desert and downtown Penticton. I'll try to avoid the crowds over the next couple of days as people tend to be pretty tense. I am sure it will only get worse as Sunday draws near.

Speaking of Sunday, the temperature is supposed to be close to 35 degrees Celsius so that should prove to be interesting. Good thing I have been training in the humid, hot weather of Kingston.

Until the next one, keep it easy. M

In the Promise Land

2009-08-24T10:28:00.000-07:00

Well, we made it to Osoyooss yesterday and it is really nice to be out of Kingston, not working and just focusing on next Sunday. Both Amber and my parents made the journey with us, so it is nice to have some people around to take the mind off of things.

Amber and I managed to upgrade to business class for the flight from Toronto....so...I took advantage.

We arrived in Vancouver and we had all of our luggage which was very nice. Mind you, we did not travel lite.

Once we arrived in to Osoyoos, we met up with my folks at Spirit Ridge. I did not stick around long as I headed for a 15k run to shake out the legs. Run went well despite being pretty stiff from the plane and van.

Now we are just relaxing and I'm getting ready for IMC on Sunday. Just about to head out for a quick spin on the bike to make sure everything is working properly. It is very nice and not humid (quite the change from Kingston).

M

13 Days!

2009-08-18T17:03:00.000-07:00

Well, things have definitely been moving along. We have been settling in to the school and the kids are great...aka very funny. Air conditioner in the house was finally fixed on Saturday and not a moment too soon as the weather has changed drastically. The temp has been getting close to 40 w/ humidity. It has been tough. No A/C in the office so it's hard to work.

Training has been moving along and I'm in to taper. Have had some right knee issues stemming from being too tight and IT band problems. After multiple massage, physio, chiro, and some hard work, I've turned the corner and things are looking good.

We'll be heading out to BC this weekend and prepping for the big day. Amber, her folks and my folks will be joining the journey so while I prep, they'll drink (wine tour anyone?)

The plan is to bring the computer so I'll post some blogs and pics on the way.

Got the race number as well (#287) so if you are interested, you can follow athlete tracker at Ironman Canada

Until next time...M

Home Sweet Home

2009-08-09T19:03:00.001-07:00

Well, hectic as always but here is a pic of our new home....finally.

Hopefully we will get more up soon. The house is coming along slowly. We managed to get some more furniture delivered yesterday and a friend got some buddies to help us out with some electrical issues and an air conditioning unit that is not functioning (home inspections are not worth the money b/c you can't go back when they screw up).

It was a busy weekend with lots of training. The 2 big events...180k bike on Sat (I ended up having a guest for the last 3.5hrs - Tony O'Keeffe - 23 times Ironman finisher, RAAM solo rider finisher and 4 time Ultraman World Champion 2nd place - definitely nice to have someone with that much experience to bounce ideas off and just listen to) and 21.5k run today which was very humid.

That's about it. Take care. M

August Already

2009-08-01T18:58:00.001-07:00

Well, it's August and less than a month away from Ironman. We've been up to a lot and we'll fill you in tomorrow. Since the last post, we've moved in to the house, bought furniture, I've flown back to Penticton for a training camp with Coach Noa, and we will compete our first race in Ontario tomorrow.

K-Town Tri is tomorrow and we will both be doing the long course. The weather looks iffy but we'll see how it goes.

Until after the race...have fun. Good luck to the guys in Calgary doing Ironman 70.3.

Ciao. M

Well...We're here.

2009-07-06T18:37:00.000-07:00

We have arrived in Kingston after a couple of days with Amber's family. Training went well with a nice long ride through the back roads and farms just north of Toronto. The weather was just like the rest of Canada, cool and windy. It was a nice visit.

Now we are in Kingston and things are a little wonky. For some reason the bank did not have everything sorted out despite our best efforts last week. So, after 2 mtgs with the lawyer and a third visit to pick up our key. So, we have the house with only 1 key, 2 post office box keys and no garage door opener. Oh well... The adventures of home ownership!

The next step would be to move our stuff in but there is a delay with the truck so we probably won't get our stuff until Thur or Fri. This is a definite pain in the butt because we are suppose to go to triathlon nationals on Fri. Unfortunately this may not happen as a result.

I know we have promised pics but our computer is in getting looked at as it decided to die today so as soon as it is fixed we will post some pics.

Lastly, we are going on 2 wks in hotels which is starting to wear thin. Trg is tough and we're pretty tired overall. Hopefully things will get better soon. On the bright side - it's great to be in Kingston finally!

Canada is a BIG Country

2009-07-01T07:53:00.000-07:00

Happy Canada Day. This country is huge! Well, it has been a bit of an adventure. We left Calgary on Tuesday and decided to go as far as Winnipeg (yes....that is a very long drive...in hindsight, we would have not gone so far...it took 13hrs+). It was a long day. We are now in Thunder Bay after a not so long day but a cluster nonetheless. We intended to get up in Winnipeg this morning to get in a run but it didn't work out and we slept through 3 alarms. This led to getting to Thunder Bay a little later than planned but we managed to get in a run.

Overall, the drive has not been that bad but the change in time zones (losing an hr everyday) has proved to be a pain. We are now on Eastern time so that is finally finished. The training has not gone as well as we would have liked but with a not so busy week, we should be able to fit in the missed workouts without disrupting the schedule. Looks like we will hit the pool tomorrow morning prior to heading to Sault Ste Marie...should be fun.

We will hopefully post some pics a little later. Until then, ciao.

Visiting with Family

2009-06-29T22:01:00.000-07:00

Our last day in Penticton had us biking a part of the Ironman course and then testing out the chilly waters of Lake Okanagan - brrrrr! We left Penticton at 8am and then continued East towards Calgary, where we've been since Sunday. The drive through BC was stunning and unforgettable - we have some great pictures that we'll share as soon as possible.
We had a really fantastic visit with Mark (Matt's brother) and girlfriend, Ashley and their adorable dogs, Noodle and Guiness - will post pics tomorrow. We also had a great lunch with Aunty Chris today and are now all packed up for the long journey east to Winnipeg. It will be an early morning tomorrow as it is a good 12-14 hours to Winnipeg - our longest drive of the trip - hopefully it won't be too painful. All in all this has been a fantastic way to see this beautiful country of ours.

Enroute East

2009-06-26T22:15:00.001-07:00

We left Victoria this morning onboard the 9am ferry and I must admit it was bitter sweet - bitter in that we're leaving so many great friends but sweet in that we are looking forward to this next chapter in our life. The car is definitely jam packed so hopefully we'll lighten the load along the way. We made a quick pit stop in Merritt, BC for lunch and are now in Penticton, BC for a few days. The B&B we are staying at is further out of town then we wanted to be (we're in Naramata) but it will be good to have a day for Matt to train on the Ironman Course tomorrow. We're heading out for a bike ride early tomorrow morning and then will swim and run Sunday before we head towards Calgary. We'll also check out the market tomorrow and load up on lots of fresh fruit for the rest of the drive.

The Locusts Have Arrived!

2009-06-23T10:30:00.000-07:00

Well, the packers have arrived. It is absolutely amazing how fast these guys work. That being said, we have a lot of crap so unpacking should be fun. The car is packed...if it was not for all the trg gear & the duty free it wouldn't be so bad.

Aside from that, there is not much else going on. This is a relatively quiet trg week but well start ramping up soon enough. Before we sign off we just wanted to give a big thanks to Coach Noa. Without her help we would not be progressing like we are. We look forward to what the future brings. Noa's dedication & knoledge are second to none and were happy to have her on our side.

We'll try to keep regular posts on our trip across the country.

Amber's Race Report - I am a Half Ironman!

2009-06-21T22:08:00.000-07:00

Today was truly a great day! This was the race that I have been working towards since October and I couldn't have been happier with the results - it would have been awesome to be sub 5 hours 30 minutes, but considering that I honestly thought I would be done in 6 hours, I really surprised myself - even looked at the clock at the finish line twice to be sure! I guess it goes to show that hard work and training do pay off - it was a great feeling arriving this morning and knowing I was ready - thank-you Coach Noa!

Swim
Shawnigan Lake two weeks ago was my first open water swim start and I couldn't have started in a worse position - in the middle of the pack which resulted in being swum over by a bunch of people. I'll post a Youtube video that will give you an idea of what these swims are like. But... back to this morning - a great swim! Started on the edge, rode someone's wake to the first buoy, then fended for myself for a bit and then joined back up with the traffic for the sprint to the beach. Official swim time: 34 minutes, 10 seconds

T1
Pretty good although I did spend at least 5 minutes in the water wondering if I should have put clear lenses in my sunglasses because it was pretty cloudy. Tried jamming my gels into the bottom of my shorts and seemed to work well. Time: 2 min 31 seconds

Bike
I knew that this was not my forte so rode the first lap fairly easy but keeping a steady pace. Ride was great except for the occassional segments of heavy rain that filled my shoes with water and for one milisecond made me wonder "What the hell am I doing out here in my bathing suit in this weather?!?". The bad weather didn't last and the second loop was good. My Argon is definitely a speed machine with the SRAM Wheels - it feels great to go fast! Official bike time: 3 hours, 3.36 seconds

T2
Under 1 minutes (56:56) - nice and fast - wish I had brought another pair of socks because they were soaking wet from the bike. Oh well - no time to worry about it - time to run!

Run
The run was really great. Felt really strong coming off the bike and settled into a steady pace. By now the sun had come out and I was focused on watching the route so as not to get caught by any of the roots. Something must have been wrong with my timing chip because it said I did the run in 55 min which is impossible (it was 20 km long), but I know that I was well under 2 hours which was a great accomplishment. Most importantly finished strong and felt great.

Official 1/2 Ironman Final Time: 5 hours 32.24 minutes

Matt's Race Report - NB Half

2009-06-21T15:29:00.000-07:00

I figured I would try to be timely with this post. Before I got any further....HAPPY FATHER's DAY. Hope everyone had a great day. I'll let Amber complete her own race report so without spoiling it, she did amazing.

First half ironman out of the way - now that it is down, my goal was 5hrs. I figured this was doable but I would have to push. Turns out, I didn't have to go crazy and my time was 4:51:25 - I'm really happy with that result given that this is only prep for Ironman Canada. Fitness seems to be ok. Definitely room for improvements.

Swim (29:33 - 1:34/100m)
Nothing like being in a small pool with 500 of your closest friends all trying to get to the same location in a hurry. Better than Shawnigan but I have to be more aggressive. I managed to place myself in a good position for the start. I got off to a good start going hard for about 100-150m. Managed to get some feet for a bit of a draft. The problem was that I kept getting spit of where I wanted to be so I ended up swimming alone for a bit. This made for a more tiring swim than planned. Definitely slowed a bit towards the end.

T1 (1:50)
Definitely slower than planned but not horrible. I had a terrible location in the far corner.

Bike (2:42:14 - 32.2kph)
Bike started off pretty good and I got in to a good rhythm. Overall I was happy with the time but things were not great. I was never so happy to get off my bike. Right hip was tight right off the get go but that settled down. Around the 35k mark, my lower back was giving me some terrible issues. Felt like I wanted to cry at one point. First time this has happened. If my lower back is tight, usually it goes away. This time, I was not so lucky. Did at least 10k out of the aero position at one point b/c it was bothering me so much. It definitely zapped some power. It was pretty windy at points and the down-pour of rain at one point sucked. All in all, time was good but I was not comfortable. I also did not eat or drink enough but I'll let coach Noa in on that.

T2 (1:29)
Still a little slow but I ended up putting on socks as I had a blister from my shoes the other day. Also elected to use my fuel belt for the run.

Run (1:36:20 - 4:49/km)
I felt pretty strong off the bike. The cadence and turnover was going well. That slowed down at a couple of points but for the most part, it was good. Still too tight in the shoulders. Had 2 gels and a little bit to drink (not enough fluids). The course was around Elk Lake and it was nice to run on the trail. My right calf/Achilles and hamstring were not too horrible but they were tight at times (I've been having issues for the last 3 wks with these - recovery week should help). Overall, I was really happy with the run...just need to build on this as we move forward.

Overall, the race went well. Things could have been better from a logistical standpoint but the overall result was good. Standing in the line for the port-o-john 10 minutes before race start with no warm-up complete and the wetsuit to put on is not the best plan. I really have to sort out nutrition and I need to take a bit better care of my body.

Points to Ponder
This is a non-draft legal event on the bike. There was definitely a lot of drafting as a couple of packs whipped by me on the bike. That being said, there was one individual that sat on the wheel of anyone he could (bib 286) which is definitely not in the spirit of the sport. Oh well....some people...
The volunteers were awesome yet again and the race was very well organized....

That's it, that's all....back to packing....almost forgot we move in less than a week.

Cheers. M

Work's Complete

2009-06-19T16:38:00.000-07:00

Yesterday was our last day of work. We have a few days "off" before they come to pack up our place. "Off" is a relative term. Fri is a rest day before the first real big race of the year. It is also a day for us to take care of a bit of business prior to the move.

The last few days have been pretty good. They had a lunch on Wed for Amber and the guys took me out for lunch on Thur. Wed night was an imagery session courtesy of coach Noa which was pretty good. I remembered the importance of visualization from using it playing sports growing up but the imagery uses all of the senses. It is definitely worth while.

Aside from that, we are trudging along getting ready for the move and "resting" up for NB 1/2 Ironman on Sunday. Now, all we need is for the rain to hold off.

It has been bitter sweet over the last couple of days. It's exciting to start a new job in a new area but we are leaving behind an excellent community and good friends. All will be missed but only a short flight away. I'll be back in less than 3 wks for Ironman camp in Penticton with a lot of the gang. Should be good.

We start our drive on Friday and will attempt to keep everyone posted on the voyage across. Hopefully we'll even have a few photos.

Take care. Keep smiling. M

Rolling Along....!!!

2009-06-12T21:30:00.000-07:00

Whether we like it or not, things are rolling along quickly. Training has been going pretty well. It's been a tough week on Amber as she was away last weekend for 4 days with work and she did not manage to get a lot of rest. As for me, the run focus that Coach Noa made has been great but I'm finding it tough to hit the paces...easy runs are too easy, harder runs tend to be not hard enough (except for the track which is always hard work with the rest of the gang). It's just over a week until we take on the first half ironman. The Victoria New Balance Half Ironman will be 21 June (Father's Day for those that need a reminder). It should be a good day. We have some goals but we'll leave that for a later time.

Moving....well, it's been a bit of a cluster but prgressing slowly. It will happen regardless whether we are ready or not.

A new addition to the family (get your minds out of the gutter)....iPhones. Yes, we have succumber to the technological age and both got iPhones. We needed an update and since this is cheaper than what we have now, we figured we would jump in. In all honesty, they are amazing.

The BIG NEWS ---- PARTY TIME!!!!! This weekend will be our big moving bash with the gang coming along. One of the good things about all of our travel is duty-free booze. Since we can not move it, it will be party chez nous. Since we drink very rarely with all the trg and a big trg day Sat & Sun + race weekend a week away, we'll be doing it in moderation. But, it will be great to see everyone before we leave.

That's really about it. Take it easy. M

Random Rants

2009-06-06T16:59:00.000-07:00

So, there have been a few thins on my mind so I figure I'll share them.

Man's Best Friend
Now, I love dogs...would actually like to get one some day in the future but at present time I am starting to dislike them (I guess it would be more appropriate to say their owners). There is an area in Victoria along Dallas Rd that is an "off leash" area. In general, I think this is great. However, over the last week or so, I have almost run over a couple of dogs on the paved section, I've had 2 chase me as I was running and the ones that are on those leashes that are retractable - for the most part, their owners allow them to do whatever they want....so, a trip wire they create. It is extremely annoying.

Broken Glass
On my long ride today, the shoulder of the rode was littered with a lot of broken glass. Most of this came from liquor/beer bottles so it is nice to see that drinking and driving is alive and well. The least they could do is take their empties home. This is very annoying given how easy it is to get a flat. Just so you know the majority of it was out in Langford.

Stupid Drivers
Granted there are a lot of stupid bicyclists on the rode, there are a lot more stupid drivers. I past a girl yesterday with an "N" (ie. new driver) on here car - she was listening to her IPod with headphones in both ears while texting on her cell and driving at the same time. I highly doubt she has near the skill to accomplish the task. Time will tell. There are also those drivers that seem to thinking it is funny to lay on their horn as they approach a cyclist from behind. They are morons.

The Weather
The weather has been awesome out here over the last week. That being said, the weather folks got it totally wrong for today. It did not clear up and in fact it rained a little. Some things never change.

Amber is away for the weekend for work down in Portland. I'm trying to sort some stuff around the house and prep for the move. Aside from that, it's been a good training weekend. Tomorrow will bring a long run and a swim. Today was an ok ride (about 110k) followed by a short run. Looking forward to Victoria 1/2 Iron in a couple of weeks. We'll be hitting the road a few days after that.

Cheerio. M

0 for 2

2009-06-02T17:09:00.000-07:00

Well, we have purchased 2 dining room/kitchen tables and we are now 0 for 2. The first one arrived 2 months late without the chairs so it was returned. We then decided that we would wait until we found a table we love. We found it but unfortunately, the company screwed up and now it is cracking terribly.

So, as you can see, although it is suppose to crack a bit, it should not be this bad. Given that it sits 8 people, the chances that it will get worse are highly likely. The top has also started to crack. So, we will soon be on the hunt for #3. Hopefully we'll have luck and the table will work. We don't have time before we move so that will be one of the first things we take care of when we get to Ontario.

On a brighter note, the weather is absolutely gorgeous out here and we are getting ready for our group ride. Should be a good one. M

Shawnigan Race Report - Finally

2009-05-31T08:58:00.000-07:00

Ok, I'm finally getting around to doing the Shawnigan Olympic Race Report. A week ago today, we completed the first open water swim race of the year. It was great day, the weather was awesome, and a lot of the PT gang was racing.

Swim

1500m, 2 lap swim. Well, it did not go as planned. I ended up positioning myself in a terrible spot and did not get on any feet for the first lap of the swim. Add to this the fact that my sighting was absolutely horrible and it made for a long first lap. The second lap was a little better but the lines I chose were not the best. Getting around the buoys wasn't great either as I didn't keep my line and got knocked out of position a couple of times. I exited the water and had a bit of trouble getting to the zipper to get the wetsuit off. Overall, it was pretty frustrating and a lot slower than planned.

T1

Considering how long it took me to get the suit off, it was not horrible. I ended up losing one of my shoes off the bike as I was getting on due to trying to avoid the number of cyclists that were at the mount line.

Bike

44k - 2 loops of Shawnigan Lake. The bike course was pretty great. The roads were not awesome but the course was scenic and rolling terrain. I don't really have too much to say about the bike. I tried to maintain a constant pace throughout and make sure to push it when I could

T2

Went really well. Dismount was quick and I was able to get on the run in less that 1min.

Run

10k on a crusher dust trail. My nemesis. Got off pretty good but the cadence was not the best. Shoulders were pretty tight. Only past by a couple of people and managed to catch one of them at the line.

Overall

In general, the race served it's purpose. It was a good training evolution. I know I need to work on the open-water swimming and running (in the last 3 events, I have had the slowest run from my position to number 1 - obviously this is a weak spot). Rode the bike home after the race which was good. Aside from that, there is the Vitoria 1/2 Ironman in a couple of weeks so we'll see how that goes.
Until then, it is off to some run testing with Coach Noa, an open-water swim and a long run. Sundays are great. The weather is awesome so the it should be a great training day.

Ciao for now. M

Hectic Times

2009-05-26T09:46:00.000-07:00

Well, it seems as if we have been running around a lot lately and haven't had much time to do anything. A bit of an update....we got a house (our first). It's been a great experience and a headache all at the same time. Here is a pic of the kitchen minus the appliances that we just purchased last week.

We'll put some more photos up once we are actually there with our stuff in the house. Considering, we live in a 1300 sqft townhouse and are going to a 1900 sqft house (with a pretty much finished basement), there might not be much in there.

Aside from the house, we've been trying to take care of all the stuff around here in preparation for moving. That has been more time consuming than we thought. When you add all the training that we've been doing (& work I guess) there does not seem to be much time for anything else.

We've done 2 races in the last 3 or so weeks. The Sooke Spring Sprint Tri and the Shawnigan Lake Olympic Tri. They went ok with lots of learning. I think we know where we need to work. We'll post a race report in the coming days.

Here's a pic of Coach Noa and some of the gang at Sooke.

Lastly, we've managed to get some open water swimming in prior to the Shawnigan Lake Tri and it has been cold. Good thing for wetsuits.

Until next time. M

My Friend

2009-05-18T21:33:00.000-07:00

It's taken me many days to sit down and write this blog entry and even now I don't know what to say to make any of this okay. We, her friends and family, were and still are devastated by the news that Michelle is no longer with us but we are trying to seek happiness in the many wonderful memories we had together. I first met Michelle at the Recruiting Center in Toronto and we became fast friends in first year at RMC while playing varsity soccer together. Despite moving miles away, we managed to always stay in touch and I was a better person for having known her. I feel blessed to have been a part of her repatriation, the Highway of Heroes, the visitation, her funeral and her burial - I will take these moments in time with me for the rest of my life and seek comfort in the fact that we were able to celebrate her life and hopefully inspire people to be as thoughtful and brilliant as she was. A

Sick of Being Sick

2009-04-19T20:30:00.000-07:00

We had a busy week with work, training, and getting ready to head to Kingston house shopping. Unfortunately my cold has come back which has made things difficult. I haven't done any training since Wed. The weekend went pretty well. We were suppose to swim at BC Provincials and then have a 10k road race on Sun. Amber managed to do it all and posted some good times. She managed the 1500m swim in just over 27min which is pretty good. Today she competed in the Sooke 10k and did well despite all of the competing during the weekend.

This week will be just as hectic. Hopefully training will resume as I am slowly starting to feel better. We'll see when I see the doc on Tues. Aside from that, we are getting ready for a triathlon camp Fri- Sat, to fly to Kingston on Sunday and return in time for Amber to do the Vancouver half-marathon the following weekend. It'll be busy but things are moving along despite some bumps in the road. We took some pics of Amber's bike so it will be up on the blog soon.

Until then, take care. M

Happy Easter

2009-04-11T16:52:00.000-07:00

Just a quick note to say Happy Easter. We hope everyone has a great long weekend with family and friends. We almost went away for the weekend but with things being hectic around the house with the up-coming move and the work we needed to do, we decided to stick around Victoria. It looked like it was going to be a terrible weekend but the day has been beautiful which was great since we spent over 3hrs on the bikes.

Take care. M

One of those days

2009-04-04T17:31:00.000-07:00

Well, Amber is away with the girls for the weekend so I am home alone. It's not too bad as I have been able to get some stuff done around the house. Today was a big training day and it went....great and horrible all at the same time.

The weather has finally turned nice so I was off for 100k on the bike and then a run. I have a new system for holding spare tubes and the 2 I was carrying fell out about 30 minutes in (at least that is when I noticed it). That was the first issue and would lead to a stop half way at a bike shop for spares (this would result in problem 2). Sydney is a small little town out by the ferry with A LOT of elderly people. I had the privledge of having a run in with one such lady driving her car. The result of a car trying to turn left when I am going straight is a quick slam of the brakes and a quasi over the handle bar moment which leaves me landing on my hip. (we'll see how that feels tomorrow) This is where I went a little balistic as the lady didn't stop and turned, went and parked her car. (Note: Running on the road in carbon fiber road shoes is difficult and it is hard to stop as they are slippery). By the time I made it over to the car, I was quite mad and finally realized who was driving. Needless to say, I screamed a bit. Her response.....I bet you are thinking an apology....nope...."You should have been paying better attention!" Turns out the reason I didn't notice her until the last minutes was because there was another moron attempting to run the stop sign. I was hoping it would have been someone else behind the wheel as I may have bashed there head against the stearing wheel. Anyways, I digress. I felt a little bad when I left as I lost my temper at an old lady but it was the straw that broke the camals back. Last weekend Amber had an asshole in a red car lay on the horn and drive as close as possible to her and a couple of friends while riding. A few weeks before that, there was a major crash out here with a bunch of cyclists getting hurt. The paper proceeded to blame the cyclists. I can elaborate on that if someone would like. On top of that, pretty much every ride I go on results in a close call because someone either is not paying attention or is in too much of a hurry to be safe around someone on a bike. So, if anyone has access to soem grenades for my next encounter, they would be much appreciated. The cyclists always ends up on the losing end but I figure, if we carry grenades, it might help to even out the odds.

The rest of the ride went well, the day was beautiful, and the run was nice along the water. It's time for supper. I will also be trying to become more Zen....M

Oh....to be Lance Armstrong

2009-04-01T13:24:00.001-07:00

As some of you may know, I've had some shoulder injuries in the past. A shattered right collar-bone was left to fend for itself. While checking out a blog, "The Workbench" (you can read the entire article by clicking on the link), I noticed that Lance Armstrong, after braking his collar-bone, is receiving a carbon fiber (1st in the world) replacement from Bontrager (bike parts company) in order to speed up the heeling process (a couple of days for the stitches to fix themselves vice 1-2 months). I wish I had that opportunity. M

Latest News

2009-03-31T15:13:00.000-07:00

Our apologies for not updating sooner but we have both been sick with the plague since arriving home from Ottawa just over a week ago. We were in the Nation's capital taking part in CF Swimming Nationals. It was a great weekend with almost 50 swimmers from across the country (Army, Air Force and Navy) and a few posted outside of Canada taking part. The swimming was held in conjunction with Master's Ontario Provincials...in all, almost 600 swimmers competed in the weekend's events. We had the privlege of watching Alex Baumann swim competitively (At the 1984 Olympics, Baumann was selected as Canada's flagbearer for the opening ceremonies. He won gold medals in the 400-metre individual medley, setting a world record time of 4:17.41, and the 200-metre race, lowering the world mark to 2:01.42. The 400-metre gold was Canada's first in swimming since 1912.) - it was very impressive especially since he set a national or world record in every event he competed in for his age group (45-49). The swimming was great with both of us setting PBs in a number of events - Amber even got a gold in the 400m Freestyle in her age category! In total, there were 11 swimmers from the Navy Masters Swim Team - by far, the largest regional team. Lots of lessons were learned and many great memories were made.

Here's a picture of the West Coast team at the Awards banquet - we claimed 11 gold medals overall (Thanks in part to our Michael Phelpian Coach, Tony Zezza who brought home 6 gold medals himself).

On the posting front, now that our messages are in, we've started the daunting task of finding a house in Kingston. Looks like we'll go out for our house hunting trip in a few weeks and move in June.

Training is going well, despite being sick, especially now that we got our new speedy Tri bikes - the Argon 18 E112 (in mini-size for Amber). Here is a picture of Matt's bike before the UBC Tri.

The Good and The Bad

2009-03-16T18:45:00.000-07:00

Bad

I'll start with the bad. A friend, co-worker, on occasion boss, and fellow Sea King pilot died last Thursday in the Sikorsky S-92 aircraft off the coast of Newfoundland. Tim Lanouette, who had over 20 years in the Air Force retired in the summer of 2008 and started working for Cougar helicopters. It ended up that he was one of the pilots on the helicopter. He leaves behind 4 young children. He'll be missed by all.

Good

On a more positive note, it is official, I recieved the posting message this morning and we will be moving to Kingston this year to start a new adventure in a new location. Until then, it will training as per normal.

Take care. M

First Tri of the Season

2009-03-14T21:12:00.000-07:00

For our last weekend of leave we headed to Vancouver for the first triathlon of the season and both raced the Olympic distance (1500m swim, 40km bike, 10km run). The weather was definitely daunting but the snow held off and we ran the race in about 5C which was better then expected - although we are looking forward to warmer weather for the next one! It was a good opportunity to get a gauge on our training and see where we are at - as well as learn a lot about what to do better next time around.

I finished 2nd in my age group (101 out of 226 overall) with a final time of 2:55:31.6 (Swim - 31:38; Bike - 1:31:38 Run - 52:17)
Both the swim and run were strong but I've definitely got to work on the bike part!

Matt finished 5th in his age group and 22 out of 226 overall with a final time of 2:33:58.0 (Swim - 28:55; Bike - 1:15:57; Run - 49:08)
Matt had to run over the finish mat not once but twice(!) due to a timing chip malfunction - so his time was likely faster then posted.

It was great to get back on the road - we're definitely hooked! Next tri of the season will likely be the Sooke Spring Sprint Tri in May. Until then... swim, bike, run... A

A Couple of Days Away

2009-03-03T18:02:00.000-08:00

We decided to head over to Pender Island for a couple of days to relax and get away. We've taken this week off work but didn't want to head anywhere too far away so we planned this little getaway for a few days. Since we always go to Salt Spring Island, we decided to change it up and head to Pender.

We've been staying at a place called Poet's Cove. It's the off season so it's been nice and quiet.

Last night, we ate at "Aurora" here at the resort. The food was fantastic with a beautiful view. Matt had the beef tenderloin and I had the rack of lamb and we finished the night off with two decadent chocolate desserts.

Today, we went for a rainy run along Gowlland Point Rd. Luckily, I was only out for an hour but Matt had to battle the elements for an hour and a half. We had lunch at "Syrens Lounge" and then had a couples massage at the Susurrus Spa. After the spa, it was nap time! We spent the rest of the afternoon planning the rest of the week. We're just about to head off to dinner and then relax for the rest of the night. A

Some interesting humour!

2009-02-23T16:43:00.000-08:00

Well, I'm in Halifax and Amber is in Toronto. I must admit....we both like the nice weather of the west coast. The cold will definitely take some getting use to.

If you'd like a laugh, check out this video. We were laughing pretty hard the other day when we were watching this on tv. For those of you who like cheese, I'm sure you'll appreciate it.

Until next time, we'll be trying to keep warm.

M

Wrist....

2009-02-17T21:26:00.001-08:00

Well, I figured I might as well post these now vice wait. Below is the wrist before:

So, in case you are wondering....the wrist is not supposed to look like that. That's what multiple broken bones, a dislocation, and torn everything looks like.

This is the side view.

Lastly, is the wrist after surgery.

So, that is my wrist and one of the major limitations in whatever I do. It can definitely be a pain.

M

From there to here!

2009-02-17T20:36:00.000-08:00

Well, as the majority of you know I, (M) have been heavily involved in sports my entire life. Playing pretty competitive hockey and baseball for a number of years, I seemed to "lose" interest after high school (politics maybe?). In university, I played for the fun of it and got into rock climbing. Turns out that after graduation, I had trouble finding the time to get it in. I guess it did not help that I spent a lot of time in the flat lands. After living in Victoria for a while, I started to get into mountain biking. As everyone must be aware, a left shoulder dislocation and right shattered clavicle (at the same time) and a myriad of other injuries (think wrist - I will post some interesting pics of this injury for some of you that may not have seen the x-rays in the coming days) led to this becoming a poor choice of sporting hobbies. After multiple months recovering, I decided to take up road biking. Turns out that I loved it.

Over to the better half - She played soccer growing up and in university. Once in Victoria, she found the running bug and has been doing that ever since. After completing a number of races, she thought it would be a good idea for me to join her....turns out this was a slow process....the only running I liked to do was for other sports. Since she ran, I ran....since I was road biking, she decided to try that out as well.

So, given that we have both played team sports for the majority of our life, we liked the competitiveness. I wanted to compete - not necessarily against everyone else but against myself. Since we have a lot of friends that are in to tri we thought it may be interesting. Turns out we love it and it has been going great.

I seemed to have jumped into the deep end...last year, we went to watch some friends complete Ironman Canada (IMC). Next thing you know, another friend and I are both doing it this year. This had been in the plan but just not so quickly. For those that do not know, that's 3.8km of swimming, 180km of biking, followed by a marathon (42.4km), or 140.6 miles total. I'll be doing that this summer...the day before I turn 30....I guess it will be a good birthday present. Amber will do her first marathon and complete a half-ironman in June. So, if you notice we are not updating as much as we would like, it is because our part time job (training) is taking up a lot of time. As an idea, this is a typical week for both of us.

Mon - wake 5:00am for 6:00 swim practice. 7:30 - out of the pool and quickly off to work. 4ish - work is done and we'll complete another workout (usually a run or bike) followed by supper and prep for the next day. - Every day seems to run kind of like this...early to bed, early to rise.
Tues - AM - run/bike, PM - group run workout
Wed - AM - swim practice, PM run/bike
Thur - morning usually off except for work but sometimes bike/swim, PM - run workout at the track
Fri - AM swim practice, PM possible workout but usually the light day
Sat - AM swim practice, PM - long bike ride
Sun - AM - long run, PM - recovery ride (shorter), usually the day we prep for the next week.

That's pretty much it. We'll be posting a few more interesting tidbits soon. We just completed another swim meet. I'll be heading to Halifax for a week with work and Amber will be in Toronto for work from Friday till Tuesday. Once we return, we have a week off (from work) and will use the time to "relax".

Until next time....
M

Where we have been

2009-02-01T13:50:00.000-08:00

We've been away lately. A couple of weekends ago, we went to Whistler with our coach for a cross-training weekend. It was a great time. We did some snow-shoeing (first time ever) which was an absolute blast and an awesome way to spend a few hours. On top of that, we went to the pool and got a short run in around Whistler Village. One of the definite highlights was seeing the ski jump portion of the Nordic Combined at the Olympic Nordic Village site for Vancouver2010. It was pretty crazy.

Imagine heading down a steep ramp at 90+mph with no other place to go but off the end and then flying through the air 140m and landing on a very steep icy slope only to bomb down the hill on skiis over 7' long without turning.....neither can we!

Last weekend, we took part in Race #2 of the Island Race Series (Cobble Hill 10k) and we both had PBs.

Amber's Results - 15/24 in age group w/ a time of 49:31 (4:57/km) - 274/491 overall

Matt's Results - 12/20 in age group w/ a time of 44:08 (4:25/km) - 146/491 overall

It was a pretty good race and we had a blast. Unfortunately, I had to run another 8k to get the run I needed for the day.

This weekend we were in Comox for a Regional Development Camp for swimming. We had a great time with the group that was there and despite being water-logged, the swimming was a blast as well. We learnt a lot and improved overall.

Amber is heading to Vancouver later this week for work for 4 days so I have managed to get some time off of work to join her. So, we'll be in Vancouver this weekend.

Looking forward to the weather inproving over here. M

Moving on the Horizon

2009-01-22T20:40:00.000-08:00

As most of you are aware, we will be moving this year. We were pretty certain where we were going and it has been confirmed. I had my annual interview with the Pilot Career Manager and baring a major issue, we will be moving to Kingston this summer. We are pretty excited with the change and the new adventure but, at the same time, sad to be leaving Victoria. I will be going back to the school as a Staff Officer. We will most likely be making our journey come June and there will be a lot that has to be done prior to leaving. We will be sure to keep you all informed.

On another note, some of you have been asking and I am sure some others are wondering, what is with all of the races and working out.....we'll provide an update very shortly and it might clarify why our weeks are so jammed packed with "things".

Hope everyone is well. M

Lows and Highs

2009-01-16T08:58:00.000-08:00

Last week ended on a low when we heard the news that Grandpa Harry had passed away peacefully in his sleep on January 8th. I am so happy that I was able to make it home for the holidays and that we celebrated Christmas with him. He sat at the head of the table and each and every aunt and cousin was there. I have so many wonderful memories of Grandpa - playing "boogie-man" in the basement (We'd hide as kids and he'd come looking for us with the lights off and a flashlight under his chin which made him look really scary!), counting the huge jar of pennies he had at his house every time we visited and as I got older, hearing about all his travels around the world. I know he passed away knowing how much everyone loved him. I will post a link to his obituary/guest book for those that are interested.
On a high note, Matt and I competed in the first race of the Island Race Series - The 30th Annual Pioneer 8km. All past winners had been invited back and it was the BC Road Race Championships - so needless to say the pace was fast!
Here are our results:
Matt finished 219 out of 630 overall; 21 out of 28 in his age group (Men's 30-34) with an official time of 35 minutes 45 seconds (4:28 minutes/km; 7:12 minutes/mile).
Amber finished 377 out of 630 overall; 17 out of 28 in her age group (Women's 30-34) with an official time of 40 minutes 19 seconds (5:02 minutes/km; 8:07 minutes/mile).
This weekend we are heading to Whistler for a training weekend with Matt's Ironman coach but also have the Montgomery family in our thoughts at this difficult time. A

Happy New Year!

2009-01-07T17:44:00.000-08:00

Happy New Year Everyone!
The trip back from Toronto was definitely far less adventurous then the way there, but regardless it was nice to have a week to ourselves to relax in Victoria - by the time we got home, thankfully most of the snow was gone! We are nearing the end of our first week back at work and looking forward to a great year of training and racing.
The Island Race Series kicks off this weekend with the Prairie Inn Pioneer 8km race. This series includes 8 races between now and April of distances from 5km to Half Marathon (21km). Matt and I are signed up for all 8 and are hopeful that we'll be able to compete in the majority of them.
Swimming is also going really well and at the end of the month we'll be heading up to Comox for a training weekend with the Navy Masters coach we train with three times a week. We're also looking forward to competing in a few more swim meets in February and March to sharpen our skills!
Of course, we are also anxiously awaiting the start of the Triathlon season which kicks off on May 10th with the Sooke Spring Sprint Triathlon. In the meantime, we've been keeping busy on our bike trainers, running in the rain (and on treadmills when we decide to be wimps) and (of course) in the pool swimming laps.
It was so nice to see everyone in Toronto over the holidays. Both Christmas Eve with the Calderon's and Christmas Day with the Montgomery's were memories that will be truly cherished. We're so sorry we missed the MacMillan's this year but are hoping that our move to Kingston, Ontario in the spring will allow us to see you more often. We're still waiting on the posting message which will be released in March, but so far things are looking good... keep your fingers crossed!
Wishing you all a wonderful year of health and happiness! Amber & Matt

Caught in the Chaos!

2008-12-24T12:41:00.000-08:00

Well...we made it to Toronto after a world-wind adventure. In the middle of a nap Monday afternoon we were awoken by a phone call at 3:00pm...Amber's parents were looking to see if we would be making it for Christmas. Turns out that our 9pm flight from Victoria to Vancouver was cancelled...in fact, all flights out of Victoria were cancelled. This was indeed a surprise to us as we had checked in the night before and there were no issues and the weather was even better this day. Given that we needed to make it to Vancouver, we decided to quickly pack and rush to make the 5:00pm ferry. (Air Canada said if we didn't make a run for Vancouver, the earliest they could rebook was Christmas Day).

After arriving at 5:05pm for that ferry, we were pleased to figure out that the ferry was delayed. We departed at 5:45pm to get to Vancovuer. Once arrived, we drove to the airport. The roads were horrible and we were not able to get in to the Park'N'Fly. After driving around for a little while, we managed to find a clear area in the Long Term Parking. Now it was time to check in...

Checking in was not much of an issue and at 8:30 our 10:40 flight to TO was still on-time. SO far, so good. With all of Amber's travels, she has managed to get Air Canada Elite status so off to the Air Canada Lounge we went. After relaxing in this area out of the hustle and bustle of the chaotic travel scene, we noticed that our flight was delayed until 11:30, then 12:30. This is where the adventure really started. Luckily, around 11:30 our names were called to come see the lady at the lounge entrance. Our economy seats were kindly exchanged for Executive seats (this turns out to be the one saving grace in this entire story).

At 11:30 the lounge closed and we headed down to the gate where we found a mass of angry people waiting for their flight. Some of these individuals had been in the airport for 2+days. When we arrived, we also noticed a lively gentleman in hand-cuffs being escorted from the gate (this was the cause of some of the delays). Due to this debacle our plane ended up being changed (this will later prove to cause more issues).

We boarded the flight shortly after midnight. The nice Captain soon came on to welcome us and indicated that due to the change in planes, the aircraft was carrying 20 tonnes of extra fuel. Now, you might think that more fuel is a good thing, but not when you have to land...we would be too heavy. So, await the de-fuel we would do...except for the fact that the de-fuel truck was broken due to the weather Vancouver had been getting. Thus, we would wait until the fuel was burnt off and then depart at 7:00am.

After deciding that we would remain on the plane while we waited, people started to get extremely agitated. This is where our luck of being up-graded kicked in. We managed to lay flat out and actually sleep - and hide from the chaos in the back of the plane.

At 8:00am we pushed off the wall to de-ice before proceeding to Toronto. That took 3.5 hrs due to the amount of freezing the night before. Things must have been getting in the back, as the Captain warned that if people were violent with the stewardesses, we would return to the gate and these people would be removed. So, at 11:30 we were on our way. We finally arrived in Toronto at 5:45pm local. By the time we got our rental and made it out of the airport it was 6:45. It took us over 1.5 hrs to get to Amber's parents at 10kph on the 401. However, we made it safe and sound after 15 hrs on the plane with all our luggage and 2x$500 travel vouchers from Air Canada for the massive disaster.

Hopefully travelling back will not be so adventurous. Hope everyone has a Merry Christmas and we will talk to you soon. M

Lost Generation

2008-12-20T19:04:00.000-08:00

'Tis the Season

2008-12-20T18:42:00.001-08:00

Hello Everyone,
Our apologies for the delay in posting news recently. The Christmas Season has kept us quite busy at work and after hours. Last Friday, we were at Matt's 443 Squadron Christmas party, held at a hotel downtown. It was a great chance to catch up with everyone especially since many are posted next year. On Saturday we went to a potluck hosted by one of the members of the running group we train with Tuesday and Thursday nights. On Sunday, we attended Amber's work Christmas party up at the Wardroom (the Officer's Mess). Unfortunately, turnout was low as that was the day it started snowing in Victoria - and hasn't stopped since! The weather has been very unusual for this time of year. Apparently, this is the coldest it has been in the city since 1967 and since 1942, there have only been 8 white christmases (and the forecast is predicting this year will likely be the 9th). On Monday, we helped with a hot chocolate fundraiser in support of the base Triathlon Club that has just got back up and running. On Tuesday, we attended the Annual Naden Band Christmas Concert in support of the Salvation Army. Wednesday had us back at the hot chocolate shack persuading the few people that did brave the weather to see the ship's lit up with Christmas lights to buy some hot chocolate for the bus ride. Thursday we were supposed to run at the track but once again the weather forced us back on the treadmill:( And last night we hosted the Winter Swimming Social at our house for the Navy team we swim with Monday, Wednesday and Friday mornings - it was great to see everyone without their goggles and swim caps on! A good time was had by all but we must admit we were eager to start our holidays today and are thankful to finally have some time to sleep in and relax! A

Nanaimo Swim Meet

2008-11-30T17:45:00.000-08:00

Yesterday, Matt and I competed in our first ever swim meet. What a blast! We were both nervous as hell walking out on to the pool deck - wondering what we had gotten ourselves into, but once things got underway, it turned out to be a great day.

It was the Nanaimo Ebbtides 26th Annual Masters Swim Meet at the Nanaimo Aquatic Center. The team we swim with is the Navy Masters who is coached by Lieutenant Tony Zezza. We swim Monday, Wednesday and Friday mornings from 6-7:20am at the pool at the base.

Matt's raced in the:
200 meter men's relay (Our team (men 160-199) placed 1st in their age category!!!)
100 meter freestyle
50 meter freestyle (3rd Place in his age category! (25-29)
25 meter freestyle and (2nd Place in his age category!)
200 meter mixed freestyle relay

Amber's Races included:
100 meter freestyle
50 meter freestyle
200 meter freestyle (2nd in my age category (30-34) *What an experience! 200m is definitely painful!
25 meter freestyle and
200 meter mixed freestyle relay

As you can see, Matt is proving to be very talented in the pool! I can't say the same for myself but I'm getting better (or so I think). At the very least, I'm having fun :)

We've really come to like the whole Masters experience and are sure that this is something we will continue to do for the rest of our lives. It was inspiring to see so many elderly men and women out there competing and keeping in shape. If you've ever thought about joining a Masters Club, we would highly recommend it!

From Wikipedia:
"Masters swimming is a special class of competitive swimming for swimmers 25 years or older (Canada and the USA allow adults 18 and over and have an 18-24 age group, while Australia allows adults 20 and over and has a 20-24 age group). They compete within age groups of five years, with a swimmer's age group in a certain year determined by his/her age on the last day of that year:
Age Groups: 25-29, 30-34, 35-39, and so on at 5-year increments, the last group being for any age above 100 years.
The rules and distances are nearly the same as for competitive swimming. However, meet programs include 2 mixed (2 men/2 women) relay events in addition to the all men's and all women's relay events. Mixed relays are swum exclusively in masters' competition. The age groups for the relay events is determined by the sum of the ages of each team component, allowing for swimmers of very different ages to compete together in the same team. Age groups for relays are 100-119, 120-159, 160-199, and so on at 40-year increments.
Masters Swimming is a fast growing leisure activity, particularly in North America and Australia but also in Europe. Most towns or cities now have masters clubs. Typically these are very friendly and welcome newcomers. The minimum requirements to join a Masters club vary widely, anywhere from the ability to swim one length of the pool to the ability to swim a kilometre without stopping. Club members will follow a set of different drills and swims each time typically covering anything from 1.5 km to 3.5 km. Each club will have lanes and so whilst the younger and faster swimmers who are competing nationally and regionally are at one end, the other lanes are for hobbyists who may have taken up swimming quite recently".

A

The official results are in...

2008-11-17T17:46:00.000-08:00

After much anticipation, Bear Mountain has finally posted the official results for the race on Saturday.
I couldn't be more happy!

Overall Place: 147 out of 305
Division Ranking: 8 out of 42 (Age category: Female 30-39)
Official Time: 56 minutes
Official Pace: 5:36

Hmmmmm.... what should I conquer next.....
A

P.S. Scroll to bottom of blog for new photos from overseas

Bear Mountain 10km - Canada's hardest 10km

2008-11-15T13:49:00.000-08:00

This afternoon I'm at home recovering from the Bear Mountain 10km race - known as Canada's hardest 10km! The weather was cool with some fog and showers but despite that it was a great morning. I've been trying to go back and re-run the races I ran last year to see how I've progressed over the past year. I can honestly say that my recent interest in running and racing only started last year when I signed up for the Royal Victoria 1/2 Marathon - looking for something that would literally scare me into running. With Matt cheering me on from the sidelines (due to a quad injury), I was ready to go. And go I did. I'm still waiting for the official results which will be posted tomorrow but a quick look at the unofficial results had me finishing 8th in my age group (female 30-39) in approx. 56 minutes, which is amazing considering that it took me 1 hr 1 min to run the same race last year. Amber :)

www.bearmountain10k.ca

On the topic of running, it was only a few weeks ago that Matt and I ran the Royal Victoria 1/2 Marathon. This was Matt's first 1/2 marathon and my second. Take a look at our results - we were so happy!

Amber's Results:
Overall: 1112/4268
M/F: 385/2674
Div: 67/375 (Female 30-34)
Chip Time: 1:51:50 (Pace 5:18/km - 8:32/mi)
(My 2007 Chip Time: 2:00:31)

Matt's Results:
Overall: 876/4268
M/F: 606/1594
Div: 81/187 (Male 25-29)
Chip Time: 1:48:02 (Pace 5:07/km - 8:14/mi)

www.royalvictoriamarathon.com

What a year!

2008-11-09T20:30:00.001-08:00

As everyone knows, we haven't been the best at keeping in touch over the past year... But we thought that if we told you what we've been up to - and why we've been so busy - you'd forgive us and we could start fresh with this new blog :)

January actually had both of us at home but that soon changed in February when Matt went to Halifax for training and Amber went to Sydney, Australia and Hawaii with work.

Not soon after Matt got back in March, he was packing up for a 4 month deployment to the Far East onboard HMCS OTTAWA, stopping in Dutch Harbour, Alaska enroute.

As luck would have it, Amber flew t0 Okinawa, Japan - for work - but also got to meet up with Matt once there. Amber sailed from Okinawa onboard HMCS REGINA for a few weeks, while Matt stayed onboard OTTAWA. After a transfer at sea, Amber ended up onboard OTTAWA with Matt where we sailed into Kagoshima, Japan, a beautiful little town that has an active volcano 'watching' over the city.

From Kagoshima, we sailed to Incheon, South Korea and spent time exploring Seoul and the Demilitarized Zone on the border of North Korea. Both got to step-into North Korea... but only for a second!

From Korea, we sailed into Shanghai, China, just a few weeks after the earthquake had struck. After a short visit, Amber flew back to Canada while Matt continued on to Manilla in the Phillipines.

Matt then headed towards Hawaii for the Rim of the Pacific Exercise (RIMPAC) and met back up with Amber, who was there for work. While Matt was enjoying the good life on our Canadian ships, Amber sailed onboard the USS KITTY HAWK for 3 weeks - what an 'interesting' experience! Amber then flew home to wait for Matt's return in August.

Now it was finally time for some vacation! We spent a week in the Okanagan enjoying the beautiful scenery and sampling lots of the local wineries. We then flew to Toronto to visit Amber's family and on to Nova Scotia to visit with Matt's family. Matt stayed in Halifax for some more training while Amber got back just in time to leave for India for work.

She flew into Chennai, India and met up with the two Canadian ships that were leaving the Persian Gulf for home and then visited the Indian Eastern Fleet in Vishakapatnam. From there she flew to Phuket, Thailand for a few days and then on to Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

Before Amber had even returned home, Matt went to Penticton, BC for the Mountain Flying Course. November is finally here and looks like we might actually be in the same city for a few months - which is a lifetime in military terms! We have tonnes of great pictures from our adventures described above and promise to post them soon.

It's A New Day by will i am

2008-11-09T16:31:00.000-08:00

Yes indeed it is .... isn't it great!?!

Christian the Lion

2008-11-09T16:29:00.000-08:00

For all those animal lovers who know that their pet loves them!

Yes We Can by will i am

2008-11-09T16:27:00.000-08:00