Passion

Why I love sport and the spirit of competition.
This clip basically says it all.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sahSEi7diAc&eurl=http%3A%2F%2Fwww%2Eckct%2Eblogspot%2Ecom%2F&feature=player_embedded

Gives me chills.

Living Strong

"They call it a comeback!" - LL Cool J.

So, when I heard that 7-time Tour de France winner Lance Armstrong was coming out of retirement to ride the Tour again this year, I was like, "Aw, come on! Why?!?" This is ridiculous. He has nothing to prove and he's just a glory hog that is bored. He should try a real sport like triathlon to prove his 1-balled manhood by racing Ironman and winning in Kona. (Which by the way, I think he could actually do.)

BUT, then I found out by reading an interview that it's actually not all about him this time. He is the founder and chairman of the Lance Armstrong Foundation that works towards raising funds for cancer research and to help others with cancer. Since its' creation years ago, Lance has been tirelessly working towards his cause (when he's not training 6 hours a day). He figures that his charity foundation will receive much more awareness if he is more vocal on the international front and that riding the Tour will only help its exposure and support.

Currently, Lance is riding some other tours in the preparation for the grueling summer. He broke his collarbone which required surgery and he's not doing anything spectacular at the moment. Who knows, he might not win the Tour for a record 8th time, but chances are, he will. His team is stacked, by the way, and those of you who understand the Tour, it's all about a team effort.

In any case, I've always been a fan of Lance. I've read both his books, "It's Not About the Bike" and "Every Second Counts" and I honestly think he's 'clean'.

Here's an old clip of Lance that shows what he does best, hammer those hills. It pumps me up:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GHJErrp4eOw

Get on the Train.

Hooray!  My body can sufficiently handle 5 hours of sleep and the Niblet is actually sleeping better these days so I can actually get some decent training in.  I  know this sounds a bit obsessive, but I LOVE training.  I look forward to sweating my brains out in the company of others.  The feeling of sore muscles gives me a sense of satisfaction in knowing that my body is repairing itself to get stronger.  I love pushing myself physically and mentally.  The training is always in preparation for some kind of race, but to honest, I don't love racing.  In fact, I don't even know if I 'like' racing.  With every upcoming race, I get nervous.  On race day, I get quiet and internalize all my thoughts.  I overanalyze and expect too much.  I can even become bitchy and distant as I go into race-mode.  BUT if I didn't sign up for races, then my training would have no end goal.  It would have no structure and basically flop.  So, I RACE.  I know most people train to race, but I think I race to train.  Does that make sense?

In any case, Boston is in 4 weeks.. and I'm actually looking forward to it.  Let me rephrase.. I'm looking forward to the city, the expo, the energy, the amazing people, but NOT the actual running part.  Oh well.  I'll survive.  My 2 favourite people are accompanying me on my journey so how can I not have a good time?

Imagine the Potential

Here's a Superbowl ad that NBC decided NOT to air.  

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V2CaBR3z85c

I know it's for a pro-life campaign but I guess it was too racy for national television.. sheesh!

My Valentine

They say that the way to a man's heart is through his stomach..  Well, I wouldn't know about that (since I'm not a man), but I can definitely say that's one way to mine.  Let me explain.

Simply put, I have the best husband in the whole world.  Every Sunday, after a long workout, he'll cook me up the best recovery meal.  Here's what he cooked this morning: a tex-mex omelette, brown beans, and rye toast.  YUM!!

My sweet man will also take extra baby shifts whenever I'm feeling exhausted, he'll give me leg massages upon demand, he cooks and cleans, and did I mention that he currently brings home all the bacon since I get a measly EI cheque every 2nd week.  Cha-ching!  

Anyway, this post is dedicated to my valentine.  I didn't want this to turn all mush and I know this is pretty cliche, but I honestly fall in love with him more now that I see him as a father.  

Recovery

That's the main thing that I truly didn't realize the importance of when I embarked upon this IM journey.  Working out is ALL about recovery.  You stress the body, it needs to recover.  Well, gone are the days when I can simply come home from my long run and take a 2 hour power nap.  My last post, I wrote that I was too tired to train.  Yup, that pretty much sums up my life right about now.  I am tired about 90% of the time.  I am lucky if I get 6 hours of sleep a night.  Although, my body is slowly starting to get used to 6 hours (instead of 8+) as the norm.  

Becoming a mom is the most difficult thing I've ever done in my life.  It is also the most rewarding - and you can witness it if you visit my Niblet blog.  Yet to be a happy mom, I need to exercise.  I guess you can call it my vice.  So, I exercise, time permitting.  I just wish I had more time to recover..  Sigh..      

Too

Tired.

To.

Train.