Last Morning in Duncan

I head home today at 3pm from Victoria. I'm watching the Victoria Airport Authority website closely. By my count, 4 of every 5 flights from Victoria to Vancouver yesterday were cancelled. No reason stated of course. I know they are trying to get flights over there but why cancel them? Unless there's just no room on the runways right now? This morning, 1 in 3 departures for Air Canada have gone to Vancouver so I'm hopeful I'll get out. I wouldn't mind staying an extra couple of days but I just don't want to be stuck in the airport for any longer than I have to if my flight(s) are delayed or canceled. I'd rather know before I'm dropped off. But as Dad says, wish in one hand, piss in the other and see which one fills up first.

I'm optimistic despite all that though. Hopefully the Vancouver airport backlog will be cleared soon for all those people who have been waiting to fly out, and it'll be smooth sailing for my trip back to Ottawa. I don't work until Monday and am looking forward to the one day buffer I have before returning and starting back to work. It turns out that I was screened into a position at a higher level than mine and the written interview exam is on January 8. Wish me luck! I don't want the position but since I had the right qualifications it seemed a good idea to apply just in case, you never know.

Christmas Is Here

Merry Xmas everyone! It's just after midnight on Xmas eve. Dad, Mom, Anna, James and I went to Aunt Sonja's for the evening. We braved the bad weather reports and had a great time. It was snowing terribly on the way back but Dad did a great job and got us all home safely.

Happy Holidays, stay warm, and hug your family :)

Ottawa is Messed

It's almost mid-December and we've had steady snow and cold temperatures for the last while. Not just snow, but lots and lots of it. Add to that, one of the bridges between Ottawa and Gatineau was closed for a week which meant that downtown was gridlocked. So, gridlocked and bad weather conditions right? And then the Ottawa buses went on strike. So now, it's gridlocked, bad weather, and no public transportation. What's gridlocked gridlock? Is there even a term for traffic that is worse than gridlocked? Ottawa's a little bummed out right now. And with the recession, people were already worried about losing their jobs. And I'm incredibly fortunate to be one of those people with great job security. But people who already worried they'd lose their jobs, now they worry they'll lose them because they can't show up to work.

So I've been very thankful this week that I live close to where I work, that I have job security, that I am doing well financially for the first time in my life, and that I have a roof over my head in this cold weather.

Don't Watch the Zohan

Last night Ken and I rented Don't Mess With the Zohan, starring Adam Sandler. The ads I saw before it came to the big screen were actually pretty funny, and Adam Sandler usually makes me laugh. I only got a couple giggles out of this movie though, because it was horrible. The corniest, weirdest movie ever. It reminded me of those Naked Gun movies with Leslie Nielsen. BUT. Ken was giggling himself silly, laughing so hard, that it was worth every minute of it. What a cutie Ken is.

stopsnowingstopsnowingstopsnowing

Seriously, I'm already done with the snow. I've been fine all these years but if days 1 and 2 of snow have pushed me over the edge already, it doesn't bode well for the next 5 months of hard winter.

But the good news is I survived my first swim sprints. Kind of. Hopefully I won't almost die next time. I'm thinking gatorade instead of water will help me recover enough so everyone isn't asking me if I'm okay. Har.

Can't Keep Away

I just can't stop watching the crappiest movies. I used to love the dramatic, artsy movies but now all I want is a good J-Lo movie, preferably one I've already seen. Or an Arnold movie. That'll do too.

They Call Me Phelps

Back in January of this year, I learned how to swim. I had taken a couple lessons as a kid but really didn't know what I was doing. I didn't like it either. But I got it in my head that I wanted to do a triathlon myself so I joined a Learn to Swim Class - 101.

101 went really well, 201 was even better. A friend and I took the classes together and then graduated to 301. We took two 301s back to back, we didn't feel like we were ready for the step after that. There was still a lot of technique to work on, plus endurance building, so we started yet another 301 class. It's our third one and it overlapped with the end of our 2nd one. But I am so happy because we graduated. The report cards we got from our first 301 class indicated what we passed, what we failed, and the recommended 'next step.' Both of our report cards indicated our next step from 301 was.... 301. Yowza! So the 2nd class just finished and we got our report cards. Next recommended step? Powerswim!! Oh yeah! It's like a masters class. It's an hour long intensive class that varies every night, sometime more drill focused, sometime more focused on overall length and switching up strokes. We will be finishing our current 301 class of course but it looks like we're finally ready to progress. It feels so great.... my breaststroke was holding me back but my whipkick has come a long way. January will be the start of an aqua fitness class but we'll do lanes once a week on Tuesdays to keep ourselves swim-fit until Powerswim starts in February.

Halloween Costume

So Ken really likes scary Halloween costumes. I'm not into the zombies and the vampires and stuff but I do love Ken so I wanted to go scary for him. So I chose this. Looks good, eh?

Low

It's a funny week. Two opposite things, nothing to do with each other. I'm happy about Obama accomplishing something I worried wouldn't happen in my lifetime. Or at least any time soon. But am feeling pretty down about a girl I know who delivered her twins at about 6 months, and one of the poor babies passed away after a few days. I have no idea how she is dealing with this, how do you deal with this?

To the Lady in the Produce Section

Dear Lady in the Produce Section,

Today you were rummaging through those little bags of carrots stacked next to the bags of spinach on the top shelf. As I grabbed a celery on the lower shelf, nowhere near that shelf you were decimating above, two bags of spinach bounced down onto my celery and then onto the floor. I said "whoops" and without giving it a second thought, bent down to pick up the first bag of spinach. As you saw me doing this, you looked at the second bag of spinach that fell between us, looked at me, and then turned your cart around and left for the bread aisle. Without picking up the spinach you knocked over. Lady, I am writing you this note because next time if you don't pick up that bag of spinach, my hand may instead reach over to smack you instead of picking up your dropped produce. Except unlike you, I was raised properly, and instead I will probably just mumble something under my breath at you and then pick up the spinach anyway.

Clara

Zoom Zoom Zoom

Another successful ziplining experience. On Saturday we all managed to shake off the night before (halloween) and get ourselves out to Gatineau Park to go ziplining. Second year in a row, we really like going. But because it's fun with a group of people, it means organizing many people. Which means working around all our schedules. Which means summer is almost impossible.

This year it ended up being Ken and I, plus his friend Sam, my friend Claire O'Donnell who is from Duncan but living here during her co-op with Environment Canada, and my friend Nadia who takes swim lessons with me. So here we were again, dressed warmly to spend 3 hours in the woods. As you can see from the photos above, it was lots and lots of obstacle course, and some ziplines. If you ever have a chance to do this, I totally recommend it. Every part of it. I prefer LaFleche Aerial Park to the one we did this year at Camp Fortune but they're pretty similar. Tons of bridges and obstacles you have to get yourself across, plus zipping through the trees as quickly as you want. And at the end of one of them, we got to do something we hadn't tried before! We jumped off a two-story high platform on a tarzan swing and swung 15 feet down into a huge net. FUN! Exhausting but fun. The underarm bruises were totally worth it.

And I'm so happy this year that I was able to do the whole thing without much struggle. The swimming for the last year has definitely made my arms stronger, I felt way more capable this year, and far more self confident than last time. Truthfully, I got stuck up on one of the obstacles last time. It was a really tough one that required tons of upper body strength that I did not have.

But that's behind me, yay! Go ziplining, you won't regret it. Oh but it's not for people with height issues haha. Really really not.

Relief

Today was a good day. My full tank of gas cost me $40.

So Much For a "Few Days"

I was supposed to post something over a week ago about the trip to L.A. I think I have been avoiding it. Yes, I've been busy, but I guess I don't want to think about the trip too much. It was up and down. The first several days until the funeral were hard, we were all kind of out of it. The day after the funeral, Saturday, we spent together as a family though, and had a wonderful time. Still, I miss Grandma a lot and have been thinking about her every day. I haven't had the chance to see Judy yet but I know that when I see her next, the two of us will cry. I'll be bringing her a copy of the eulogy and am hoping she won't want to read it while I'm there. But back to the Saturday in L.A. We were all there together so we celebrated Anna's 22nd birthday as a family, at Universal Studios.

Work was different this week. I taught a two-day course. I have never taught anything before. It's really out of my comfort zone. I don't understand how anyone would love doing this? I do think they're heroes though. I was as prepared as possible and did a fine job but I was still reading word for word off of speaking points. How BORING! The poor people taking the class. There were 19 of them! I'm glad it's over. It's going to look great on my resume though!

Back from L.A.

It was a bittersweet trip. I'm jetlagged, fighting a cold, and swamped with work so I'll post something in a few days. For now, I'll say the funeral went well, I was so glad I could attend.

Fall Colours

Today is a bittersweet day. Grandma passed away last night. Dad and Mom will be flying to California on Thursday from Europe. Anna and I will also fly down on Thursday. We'll be there for the weekend. This has been tough, with everyone spread over such a huge area and so many time zones. I needed some distraction so I happily accepted an invite from Maggie this morning, to go for a little hike with her and her new puppy in Gatineau Park. The fall colours there right now are stunning. My camera hardly captured the colours at all.

Top Ten

Top Ten Reasons I Can't Wait For My Own House:

1. Storage space, where I can actually group like items together, such as craft items, instead of just fitting things anywhere there happens to be space.
2. Kitchen space, oooooooh the counter space I could have! I cook so much, I just can't wait. And imagine, two people in my kitchen at once!
3. Parties, I could have parties. I could look forward to having 10 or 15 people over, or a nice dinner party, with enough seats for everyone. No more in-laws eating burgers off their laps in my living room.
4. Multiple bedrooms, where I don't sleep on the couch if I have visitors in town.
5. Multiple bathrooms. Self-explanatory.
6. Cat hair, spread around a much larger area, wouldn't accumulate as quickly. Right? Umm, right?
7. Cat litter, no longer greeting every guest at the door with a "hello! hello! right down here, look at me!"
8. Getting on with things. It's not that I don't have a great life in this apartment, I love my apartment and I have made it my own. But it has always felt temporary, and I can't do anything substantial to make it my own. I'll be able to get on with my life with a place I buy.
9. Having control over the little things, like if I don't like the baseboards, I can just change the baseboards. And it'll be an investment, not money down the drain. No longer worrying about keeping a 'neutral' colour on the walls.
10. A WASHER. AND A DRYER.
    

Last Chance

Swear to god. The brand new rolls of toilet paper, the cheap kind? If I have to scratch and claw at one more roll of cheap toilet paper to get it started, I'm going to lose it! Why do they glue the whole thing shut? Aaaaaaargh.

Traditions

Canada doesn't really have one identity, so it's hard to say what traditions we have as Canadians, apart from our more typical stat holidays. My family has some traditions that I love though, and I've started some of my own in the 12 years since I left home. Here are some of my favourite family traditions:

• Xmas Eve at Aunt Sonja's. I remember every single one of them, it's a tradition that happens every year without fail and I am strangely proud that I have been around for all of them too.
• White Spot. The ultimate Bruheim breakfast tradition. It's still one of the things I look forward to the most when I come home, going to the White Spot with Mom & Dad. It reminds me of stories of Grandpa, and the big family breakfasts at the restaurant. Especially the one where, when trying to conceive a baby, they ordered their eggs fertilized. I'm not sure what the waitress thought of that.
• Family birthdays. Some of my favourite days, doesn't have to be my birthday, but it's always a wonderful time together.
• Airort pick-ups. My family has always said goodbye to me at the airport and been there when I come home. I try to do the same for my friends and family here. I love coming home to someone at the airport.

Mom's Red Pepper Jelly

So I will soon be attempting canning for the first time. Canning jelly. This will make me a real woman now, right? When I think of canning, I think of movies where it's always someone's grandma wearing a stained apron in a wood shack in the early 1900s. I'm ready. Ready to live in a wood shack and can me some preserves.

Things That Changed When I Turned 30

One day, a year and a half ago, I woke up and I was 3o. I didn't mind being 30. I kind of looked forward to it. That feeling when I was a kid, that I had no power and couldn't make decisions for myself, it suddenly disappeared. All of a sudden I was definitely an adult, not like in my 20s when I was still fighting for independence, proving myself. But here I am, in my 30s, and I woke up and things are different. In a great way. Here are the things that changed when I turned 30:

• Procrastination drives me crazy. Sure I still procrastinate on stuff, I put errands off a little longer than I should, I still shun exercise when I'm not in the mood. But I have a hard time procrastinating keeping the place clean now. It may not be a perfect home but I never let my dishes pile up like I used to; I don't [always] let the number of underwear I own equal the number of days between doing laundry; my place is always fairly clean when people come over. Yes you might be thinking 'oh god, why wasn't she doing that sooner?' But hey, I wasn't. You all know it and I'm admitting it here.

• Work became a profession. I have always done very well at work, excelled even. And I have always been diplomatic and professional at work. But all of a sudden it became easier and I can see the big picture when I decide to hold my tongue. I'm just a better person at work now. Well I still want to tear people's heads for humming that same tune for 8.5 hours every day, but at least I no longer find a way to tell them about it. And I haven't thrown my colleagues nailclippers in the trash. THAT IS GROWTH, people.
  

• Stopped taking crap. I stopped being friends with people who should not be my friends. I finally decided they were not worth it and stopped taking their calls, which weren't worth more than "I'm bored, do something with me because I tell you to" anyway.

• Nesting. What is with the nesting?! Am I the only one this is happening to? That it has happened to? That is admitting it? Nest nest nest. I keep thinking of ways to improve my home, I want to organize, store, label, clean! This is so hard on a 31 year old woman with nothing but two cats and a one bedroom apartment. Pretty soon I'll be vacuuming and labeling Romeo and Junior.
  

Shock & Awe

This admission by Clay Aiken that he is gay is kind of like our friends who got a house and had a baby, and then a year later announced their engagement: not exactly a surprise.

He looks more like Ellen every time I see him.

End of Summer Wedding

Ken's best friend got married this weekend. They had a beautiful backyard wedding and then a reception at a nearby, old-school Italian restaurant. The backyard ceremony was beautiful.


A couple of dozen guests, a native ceremony, and a gorgeous cake made by the bride. How great is this? I didn't know what to expect from a native ceremony but it was beautiful and I see why they chose it.


Strongheart Turtle officiated, starting the ceremony by stating "his G.S.T. name." I guffawed under my breath, that was so funny. Unfortunately the rest of the guests didn't get it or didn't think it was appropriate to laugh so I had to suppress it.


I was only misty-eyed for the first 10 seconds, when I saw Maya coming up to the back door of the house. But then I turned around and saw Erik when he saw Maya coming into the backyard, led by her father. Erik was completely overcome and started crying as soon as he saw Maya. I still get teary when I think of it.


Ken was the best man and did a great job. He and Mark, the other best man, also gave a nice joint speech at the restaurant. Here they're doing their fun photo poses. All in all, a beautiful day, especially since the sun was shining all day, unexpectedly!

Jon & Kate Plus 8

Whenever I mention the television show Jon & Kate Plus 8, someone inevitably replies "I know!" and their eyes pop out of their head. It's mostly women who do this, who reply like that, but I think a guy would to, if I found one who watches it as well.

If you haven't seen this show, you should check it out. It's on TLC and you can probably find clips on youtube as well. It's simply amazing to watch 2 young parents handle a set of twins and a younger set of sextuplets.


The mom is crazy organized and regimented and the dad is more laid back. The combination obviously works and I imagine it's the only way the mom can get things done. The children all seem well-adjusted and intelligent and unique. But that's not why I watch it. No matter how well organized you are, if you have 8 little kids, it's just a train wreck. And that's what it is, I can't NOT watch this show. Unlike a lot of shows, you get to see the worst in them as well, so it's just so real. It's crazy!

Season of Poopiness

Uck, well it must truly be fall because I have a nasty cold. Hopefully none of you are afflicted, and that you're enjoying the start to the fall season. I plan on going to Gatineau Park this weekend, hopefully the rain won't put much of a damper on it (pun intended), and the start of the fall colours will either be brilliant, or the sun will burst through and decide summer isn't over yet.

Fall Already?

The weather has turned cold, everyone wore pants while walking to work today. I didn't see any dresses, I had the only skirt. And it's apparently because I can't absorb the weather channel telling me it's going to pour buckets today. Why do I bother turning on the channel if I don't listen? I didn't even bring an umbrella.

Anyway, fall does have its perks. Gatineau Park is amazing with all the colours, that'll happen soon enough. Fall also means the start of indoor volleyball season, owl banding season, and ziplining season. Yahoo!

Oh and let's not forget my secret favourite part of fall: the start of the new t.v. fall season. Bring it on.

Weeeee are the Chaaaaaampions

YES! Our beach volleyball team came in 1st at the end of the league season, and then we won our semi-final game and our finals. We beat lots of other teams throughout the season and fought hard for it. Not bad considering last year. But this year, first. WOOHOO!!

The same team members, plus another couple people, will be playing indoor winter league. It'll be nice to have a team who has been playing together cohesively already. Instead of a team who has to get used to each other, that is.

Movie Star for the Day

Alison and I were going to a wedding shower together this afternoon. It's the shower of a wonderful woman, Ken's best friend's soon to be wife. Alison swung by my house to get me and she called on the way, saying "I hope you used your hair spray today"... because look what she picked me up in. I think I had the biggest grin possible, plastered on my face for the entire shower and at every car we passed there and back. I think people knew it wasn't ours, that it was Alison's mom, because I was taking pictures of the two of us in it the whole way. Someone needs to teach me to be cool.

Stupidest Thing I Heard Today

As the man in the checkout line in front of me bought 4 re-usable nylon grocery bags, the cashier asked him in all seriousness, "would you like those in a [plastic] bag?" To be clear, that wasn't the Stupidest Thing I Heard Today. It was actually the 5 full seconds of silence while he thought about it, before answering no. To which my mouth accidentally let out my inside thoughts: "I should hope not."

Okay I know it's weird to be craving this, but all of a sudden I can't wait to ski this winter. It's crazy because a) I don't really ski, b) I haven't been on skis since I moved here, and c) it's mid-August and I don't want the warm weather to go away. Honest.

It's just that all of a sudden I was looking at the big picture in Ottawa. We were in Cape Cod last week and I was thinking about the things on my List of Things to Do While Living Out East, and what had been accomplished. I have only knocked a few things off my list so far but they're good ones. I feel happy about them. I've now been to New England. I doubled my salary a few years after moving here. I found a career I can really call a career. I found Ken (well I didn't know his name yet, but I was hoping to find someone just like him and boy did I luck out).

But skiing, I have to start skiing. I don't need to be good, but I should be skiing a few times each winter. Seems silly not to. I want to try both downhill again, and try x-country skiing for the first time. I got to go snowshoeing for the first time this winter and that was so fun. I need to add some winter sports. I am very active in winter but they're all indoor sports now that I don't run anymore.

So there you go. This winter, I ski.

Okay we're off to the Cape! YaHOOOOOO! It'll be very different this year. Instead of a dozen people it'll just be Ken and I, plus one friend of his from Toronto. A couple people we know will be down there at the same time and we'll see them a bit too. We're camping this year, 5 whole nights of camping in a 31 year old body.

I hope we get the same amazing weather as last year. I hope to do the Cape Cod Rail Trail (bike trail running the length of the Cape) and the Audubon Wilderness Conversation Area. I'll post pics when we come back.

Beijing Bound

Okay we are back from Pembroke and recovered. It's a nice little town right on the river. Not as small as I thought it would be though. We camped in Sarah's mom's backyard and it was my first time sleeping outside where I didn't even need a sleeping bag really. Crazy! Anyway, Ken, Alison, Maggie and I drove up to Pembroke and headed over to Sarah's fundraiser/goodbye party. We had a blast, there was lots of money raised and lots of beer to be had.



Ken and I bid on the Owl Rafting whitewater day trip and won. Yahoo! Can't wait to try rafting, it's supposed to be really fun. In fact I think it's even the same trip that my parents took while they were out here for the electrical conference last summer.



As you can see my hairdresser once again decided to chop all my hair off. So I darkened it to distract myself from the cut.



Sarah's mom had an awesome breakfast waiting for us the next morning and then we had a happy ride back home Sunday morning. A great trip, I felt very fortunate to be included :)

Sarah's race is on August 13 and is the kayak slalom event if anyone wants to catch it.

Busy Summer

What a crazy summer so far, I've hardly had time to post anything. Not that anything super special has happened, but we've been extra busy. Ken has football and then hockey at least once a week, plus all the workouts he does. I have swimming lessons still, plus my women's touch football team. Ken and I also play beach volleyball every week. I try to swim an extra two times a week still, apart from lessons. Plus our usual social schedule... lots going on.

Our eastern townships trip a couple weekends ago is already a distant memory. Tomorrow night though, we're heading to Pembroke, a couple hours to the west of here. It's a going away/fundraiser for Alison's friend Sarah who made the Slalom Kayak team going to Beijing. We're camping out in Sarah's mom's backyard and coming back Sunday. Should be a fun time.

Next trip after that is a road trip to Cape Cod. It looks like it's only Ken and I going this year, no one seems to be available to come with us. We both really want to go again this year though. Maybe we'll bike a good stretch of the Rail Trail that was converted as a path running the length of the Cape. That and eat a few lobster every day.

**********

Solveig sent the link for Renee's wedding photos out today. I am so glad I got to see more photos. It really makes me homesick to miss the huge family events. I have so many great memories of them.

Okay off to make dinner and relax tonight, really relax. I have gotten a LOT of exercise 10 of the last 11 days. That's more than my body can take haha. Last night alone was 3 hours of intense football drills at practice. So relax and soaking up my air conditioned air... lovely....
Solveig sent

Eastern Townships 2008

Ken and I headed to the Eastern Townships this weekend for the 2nd year in a row. It's the area of tiny towns dotted around Sherbrooke Quebec, a good 6 hr drive from Ottawa because of Montreal traffic. Ken's father grew up there and while they don't have family there anymore, they do have plenty of family friends, plus good memories from when Ken was growing up and would visit there.


We stayed at the Manse again which was great, and got in late Friday night. We spent Saturday driving through Maine. I highly recommend Maine. BEAUTIFUL! Even more trees and lakes than BC! So pretty, I can't wait to go back. There were hardly any towns, it seemed, compared to our drive through Northern Vermont and New Hampshire. We had dinner in New Hampshire before heading back up to Scotstown. Sunday we saw some family friends and then headed to Sherbrooke for lunch and a long ride back to Ottawa. Here are a few photos but for more trip photos, go to the external link for my facebook album.

Even the Animals go to Timmy's in Ontario

From the Paper....

A deer busted a window and ran through a Tim Hortons in Hawkesbury last week.

Police said they were stopped by several bystanders last Wednesday and learned a deer had just ran through the window of the coffee shop before leaving the same way.

The deer then stepped on the hood of a parked car, scratching the hood and roof and damaging a side mirror before taking off through a yard on William St. The animal knocked down a fence, which fell on a vehicle but caused no damage.

The animal was last seen in the parking lot of Giant Tiger, but hasn't been spotted since.

Thanks for the Great Trip, Mom & Dad!

Boldt Castle in the US Thousand Island. A beautiful day trip.

We spent a day at Le Nordik scandinavian spa. Here's a photo I snuck of one of the pool areas.

Plus Two

Last several weeks have been crazy. Ken has returned from his trip to Asia, sports are in full swing and so is summer. My parents arrived late Wednesday night. Can't believe they've only been here 24 hours, it feels like we've packed so much in already. Will post photos soon from some of our adventures.

No Fly Zone

Newspaper Article: Man Sues Water Company for $340K Because of a Fly in His Water

Maybe I see this too simply. Maybe a guy could go crazy from a fly in his water. But somehow, I just have no sympathy. This guy claims that the water company delivered water to his house and he found a fly and a half in his drinking water. Keep in mind he never even drank that water. But he became obsessed and suffered mental and physical hardship and couldn't work anymore either. Seriously? So this guy has never been camping then, obviously. And obviously doesn't live on Planet Earth where there are bugs and things everywhere. I say, get over it. I'm glad to see the judge didn't agree the water company was at fault. To me it feels like a similar thing to that lady in the States who put the coffee in her LAP while driving. And then it spilled. And she sued. But that crazy lady won. But again, come on, common sense, take some responsibility. Sounds to me like this guy with the fly phobia would have been triggered by something eventually and the fly just got there first!

My First Triathlon

I guess it doesn't matter what I'm packing for or what's on the bed ready to bring with. It's something worth lying on. I pulled everything out the night before my triathlon and left the room for just a few minutes. I came back to the cats making themselves quite comfortable on my BLACK RACE CLOTHING. Their version of wishing me good luck I guess.

Ken's in Asia still so I was on my own for race day. I didn't have any trouble though, my racing bike is lightweight and the front wheel comes off easily to go into the car. The picture below is the transition zone, which is where you switch for each part of the triathlon. We swam and then ran over to this transition zone, and have to pull your run clothes on quickly and grab your bike. You bike your distance along the canal and then come back to the transition zone again and put your bike back, grab your hat & mp3 player (or whatever you need for your run). This is only one part of the transition zone. There were 6 or 7 huge long racks of bikes and you had to remember where your bike was. It's easier than it sounds. Hundreds and hundreds of bikes. Then the challenge of getting your bike and your gear without knocking down the whole row of bikes. I saw two get knocked down in the row in front of me.

I don't have a [good] picture of the swim or bike portion but here's a photo from the 2k run, the final portion of the race.

This is Nadia and I after the race. Nadia and I met in our Learn to Swim class and are now on level 2 of learn to swim. Nadia is a seasoned duathlete (run-bike-run) but wants to try a triathlon this summer. I joined swimming for the same reason, but for this try-a-tri (100m swim-11.4km bike-2km run). We both had great races. I had tons of energy afterwards and felt really great about it. My swim and run were very slow but they felt so good that I didn't care. I have an incredible racing bike and it helped me make up a little time. Today though, I'm super sore, can hardly walk but I feel great and really proud of myself. It was a huge accomplishment that I learned how to swim and that I had a race goal. I LOVED doing a triathlon, way more than any of the road races I have run. The triathlon just felt more fun for some reason. Just as hard physically, but it was neat to switch up between swimming, biking and running because it kept me feeling fresh and keeping me from getting bored. I'm glad there are these 'achievable' distances at these events, so that someone like me can get a taste of what it's like. I ended up coming in at 56:13 (including the 500m run from the swim to the transition zone!). There were 137 first timers doing this try-a-tri. I came in 51st out of 137. I don't know but that seems pretty good to me, the top half. And not only that but I was happy and smiling and felt great after too. That seems like a pretty good bonus. To see my stats from the race click here. Remember that those times include transition so while it says 4 minutes for my swim, that is my swim plus the time it took to run to get my bike.

The hardest part of a triathlon for me is running because my knees and my arches have such a hard time. Somersault not only puts on these triathlons and duathlons, they also offer something called a SwimCycle. It's only Swim-Bike, they eliminate the run part. It's for people who don't like running or whose knees can't tolerate it anymore. I think that it will be a 500m swim and a 25km bike. I'm really thinking about aiming for this event later in the summer when I've gotten better at swimming.

And tomorrow? Tomorrow my friend and I are going to Le Nordik, a beautiful scandinavian baths spa in Gatineau. My muscles could use a good soak!

Race Weekend

It's definitely race season in Ottawa. The triathlon & duathlon series has started already, with mine coming up on Saturday. The weekend after that is National Capital Race weekend. It's a huge event in Ottawa. A lot of downtown is closed off and runners from all over the world come for the events. Everything from half and full marathons, to 5k and 10k, and 2k family walks. They also have in-line skate events, and walking for the marathon and half marathon distances if you can believe it. Like I said, huge events taking place over the weekend.

Two years ago now, mom and dad were here for race weekend. We had such a wonderful time. Dad and I did the ran the 5k race and then me, mom and Dad did the 2k family event together. Such a great time. I'm not running the event this year but I have many friends who are doing the 10k, 1/2 marathon and full marathon. I live right off the canal and will be walking over with my coffee to see my friends run out and I'll be there again to cheer them on their way back to the finish line. I love seeing the variety of people who run in this event. People you'd never think were runners are completing 21 and 42 kilometre distances. Can you imagine? It's inspiring and the Bruheim in me gets awfully emotional!

Here's a clip from the Sports Stats website where any race you run in Ottawa is timed by this one company. You can punch your name in and see your entire history of times.

Another great day outside

This has been one of the most beautiful weekends in Ottawa yet. The perfect time between winter and summer. Not too hot, not too cold. A nice breeze, lots of blossoms and tulips. I walked down to the Ottawa Farmers' Market and bought some beautiful local produce and then later started getting my balcony ready for the summer. A few flowers and some spearmint.

Spring in the Capital

Took a walk along the canal before sunset tonight.

Ottawa sure is beautiful, especially during the Tulip Festival. The canal is lined with beautiful flower beds.