I was thumbing through some crappy magazine in the checkout line at the grocery store the other night and read one of those “What’s in your bag” articles (and I use the term “article” very, very lightly here).
I scoffed at how totally ridiculous this list was because, mainly, it was way too perfect. I challenge anyone to upend a bag they use consistently and not find an old balled up kleenex, a wrapper of something or a pen that doesn’t work. These perfectly styled layouts? Not my reality.
Let’s start with the fact that the bag I carry most often is a GIGANTIC backpack that doubles as carryall, locker room, computer bag and mobile snack station.
While it’s big enough to carry pretty much everything I own, I know that I look like a kindergardener trundling along on her first day of school when I wear it. I also realize that should I fall over backwards while wearing it when it’s fully full, it might be Game Over.
Since I am currently training for Ironman (and stuff) and spending a few days a week out of the house away from a home base, I tend to rely on this bag more frequently than usual. So I thought I’d play the game with myself.
“Christine, what’s in your bag?”
Well, let’s see, shall we? (Dumps bag on kitchen floor).
Damp bathing suit + towel;
Swim bag with all manner of swim toys;
Anja’s swim goggles (huh);
2 pairs of running shoes;
Trucker hat, running toque, favourite Planks toque;
Running shorts (forgotten in there from Friday’s workout. Gross.)
5 socks;
3 pairs of underwear: 2 of mine, 1 of Anja’s (useful!);
iPod. Battery dead. Typical.
2 pairs of earbuds;
2 shirts;
1 pair of tights;
Sunglasses (it’s been raining for daaaaaaays);
Running jacket;
$2.85 in change;
A bag of training food;
Water bottle;
A ziploc bag with 2 dates;
Toothbrush;
3 gym pass cards (so THAT’S where they were!)
Travel toiletry kit;
2 sports bras;
Laptop;
Nok anti-chafe cream;
Dry shampoo;
Day planner + pen;
Watch;
2 headbands, countless bobby pins and 7 elastics (and I don’t really tie my hair up).
3 lip balms;
Lots of bits of gravel.
My stylist quit moments after this dumping occurred.
I guess I’ll never get a page in Fashion magazine. But I bet you’re all dying to know what I’d answer to the paparazzi yelling: “Christine, Christine! Who are you wearing?!”
This is a copycat game of sorts. I was inspired by Erin and a few other people I follow in the social media universe. The premise is simple: share 100 things about yourself. It’s kinda narcissistic, but then again, so is having a blog about my life. Good luck making it through the list.
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1. My middle name is Erica, after my mother.
2. I will never be eligible for a Nexxus card. It’s a good story.
3. I have 3 nicknames: SMO, Cogs and Marty.
4. I’ve always been short yet am always surprised by just how short I am.
5. I can remember exactly where I was when I thought of what I wanted to name Will.
6. No such luck for Rory and Anja.
7. I studied Political Science in University and thought I’d always work in politics.
8. The first event I ever produced was a concert at university headlines by the Violent Femmes. I was 18 and clueless.
9. I sold a horse to buy my first “real” mountain bike.
10. I used to hate climbs on my bike. They’d bring me to tears.
11. Now I love them.
12. Rory would have been named that whether he was a boy or a girl.
13. I went to a catholic all-girls boarding school for high school. We nicknamed it the nunnery.
14. I did not go on to become a nun.
15. I finished 4th in my first ever mountain bike race. I was terrified.
16. I’d have been Christopher had I been a boy.
17. I have no interest in water sports. Swimming is the only exception.
18. I was diagnosed with depression 3 years ago and while it’s not stellar, I’m not ashamed of it.
19. I ran the New York Marathon when I was 4 months pregnant with Anja.
20. My first triathlon was Ironman Canada in 2004.
21. I was scared of my best friend for the first 6 months that I knew her. On paper, we should not be friends: we could not be more different.
22. My office at my first “real” job was across from the men’s room. You learn a lot about men’s habits that way.
23. I hated wedding dress shopping.
24. Tomatoes make me gag. So do artichokes.
25. I’ve had a police officer point a machine gun at me at a traffic light in Doha.
26. I was in a car accident with my boyfriend during the 1998 ice storm in Quebec. We were driven home by the Army.
27. I thought we’d flipped the car into a river. I don’t think I’ve ever moved so quickly. We were merely in a field. The river was on the other side of the road.
28. I take pictures almost every day.
For example: today’s photo featured an unidentified substance melted to my paddle.
29. I am almost always sick to my stomach after a hard race.
30. I love eating and I think about food A LOT.
31. I’ve been on the cover of a major metropolitan newspaper.
32. Spiders and cockroaches gross me out.
33. I was with my mother when she drew her last breath. I am thankful for that.
34. I don’t like wearing black.
35. I decided to teach myself to like red wine at the Seattle Marathon in 2004. It worked.
26. I’ve had 4 surgeries, all on the right side of my body.
27. I have 3 screws in my body.
28. I tried to learn to surf on the North Shore of Oahu.
29. I ended up in hospital with 21 stitches in my face.
30. I once broke both arms in the same summer (one right after the other). Worst summer ever.
31. I think I have an addictive personality.
32. My favourite movie is the Sound of Music.
33. I like going to bed early.
34. I’ve been known to make exceptions for a good party or a wedding.
35. I hate getting into an unmade bed.
36. I’m half-Dutch.
37. I love a good kitchen dance party.
38. I did not particularly enjoy being pregnant. Any of the 3 times. I definitely wasn’t that glowy pregnant lady.
39. If I could get a free ride back to university, I’d study international relations and religion.
40. When I decide I want a haircut, I want it done right. freaking. now.
41. I have to read every night in order to fall asleep.
42. My first half marathon was in Victoria in 2001. I still have the cotton shirt.
43. My favourite piece of jewellery is a little gold helicopter my dad gave my mum.
44. I think helicopters are the coolest thing ever.
45. I love Hawaii.
46. I want to live in Europe and visit Africa.
47. I harbour the exact same loathing for sunburns and hangovers: both self-inflicted and preventable.
48. I’ve lived in the mountains for 15 years. Bears still scare me.
49. I’m indifferent to hiking and camping.
50. I like flying if I’m by myself.
51. I stood next to Chris Noth in a Starbucks in Maui. I didn’t recognize him, Jay had to point him out.
52. Early morning is my favourite part of the day.
53. I get annoyed by dumb grammar errors and I make them more often than I should.
54. I swear in front of my kids. Often.
55. I have no plans to bungee jump or sky dive. EVER.
56. I lived on a farm until I was 18 years old.
57. I consider myself an introverted extrovert (or extroverted introvert).
58. There is no better feeling than laughing so hard you’re crying, and your kind of hurts when you’re done.
59. If you’ve made it this far, there’s a skill testing question at the end.
60. When I have bouts of insomnia, I try to fall back asleep by mentally renovating my house from top to bottom. When it works, I don’t make it past the front hallway.
61. I once delivered a foal by myself as the vet was delayed.
62. I was born and raised in Quebec but have never bought a poutine.
63. I’ve never had breakfast in bed.
64. I love getting lost in a good book.
65. At one time or another, I have coached tennis, sailing, skiing, mountain biking, riding and triathlon.
66. I’m glad I live in a small town but I love to spend time in the city.
67. I worry every single day that I am screwing up my kids.
68. I’ve ridden a camel.
69. Jelly Beans – the generic kind – are my favourite candy.
70. If it weren’t for my kids, Halloween and Christmas would be regular days for me.
71. I don’t have anything against plastic surgery (in moderation). Do what you gotta do.
72. My first job was in a comic book store. I was frequently bored to tears.
73. I love reading magazines.
74. I was born on a Friday the 13th.
75. I thought of most of these things while out on a run, then promptly forgot many of them when I walked through my front door.
76. I cannot play a single musical instrument.
77. Fingernails scratching along the underside of the hull of a boat is the worst sound in the universe.
78. I drive too fast and always have.
79. I have never tried snowboarding and have no interest in changing that.
80. I’m bilingual and often think in French.
81. On the rare occasion that I buy a lottery ticket, I genuinely believe I am going to win and am shocked when I don’t.
82. Fresh flowers in my house make me happy.
83. I regret not going to University out-of-province.
84. Anja is named for Anja Paerson and it’s a nod to my European heritage. (She got up from that crash and crushed her next race).
85. I’ve owned (and worn!) a pair of green corduroy overalls.
86. I want to retire to a tiny house, preferably somewhere warm.
87. The first band I ever saw in concert was The Police.
88. I was once dive-bombed by an owl. I screamed very, very loudly.
89. I took a journalism class taught by a writer who had written pretty harsh things about my family. I sat in the front row and spent the semester staring him down and making him squirm. It was fun. I passed the class with flying colours.
90. I rode up Alpe D’Huez on an ill-fitting bike, having had 3 hours of sleep and a can of coke. I loved it anyway.
91. I jumped off the 10 metre platform and it was so scary that I couldn’t breathe. I didn’t like being that close to the ceiling.
92. There are 2 words in the English language that make me cringe so hard I won’t even type them.
93. I love having cereal for dinner.
94. The only team sport I’ve ever played was Ultimate Frisbee. My career was short.
95. I hate seeing myself on video or hearing the sound of my own voice.
96. I love hot tubs.
97. Math makes my head hurt.
98. Every 2 years, I redevelop an unhealthy obsession with the Olympics.
99. I swam alongside some dolphins once. I thought they were sharks and almost fainted in the water.
100. I’m surprised that I was able to come up with 100 things this quickly. I’m unsure what this says about me.
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Here’s your skill testing question: how many screws are in my body (and no, this should not be interpreted as “how many screws do I have loose”?)
Of late, I seem to have the attention span of a fruit fly. I’m easily occupied, and equally easily distracted. A thought pops into my head, I follow it for a while and *poof* … gone. I come up with what I am certain are going to be great topics for a blog post and again… *poof*… idea gone.
I’ve got lots of ideas swirling today, none of which are worthy of a full post. But surely I can come up with something worthy of a few lines.
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WTF winter? Where art thou? I’m done with this crappy snow and the grey days. As far as I’m concerned it may as well all melt so that I can go play on the trails. We can get a do-over in 2016.
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It’s no secret that I enjoy social media. It’s allowed me to connect with people, learn about new stuff, fill time in waiting rooms, etc. However, my feeds have been filling up lately with this Girl Power trend that is making my eyes roll deep into the back of my skull.
#sweatpink… #XXlikeagirl #fitfluential, etc, etc.
Yawn.
Listen, I’m all for gender equality and encouraging women to participate in sport. In fact, I do whatever I can to talk girlfriends into trying new things, encouraging to get out there and so on. But I can’t stand that all things “girl power/athletic achievement” have to be labelled as something special, just because they were accomplished by a woman.
You don’t see men posting “#sweatblue”, do you? Cue the “can’t we all just get along” argument.
When I grew up, I got along and connected way better with boys than I did with girls and always felt more comfortable around guys. Maybe that’s why all these virtual groups feel so cliquy and exclusionary to me; essentially the opposite of what they are purporting to achieve.
I don’t want my daughter growing to think that in order to kick ass it has to be labelled as something special just because she’s a girl. Perhaps this makes me a bad feminist but it drives me bonkers.
Personally, I don’t get inspired by your pretty Instagram montage showing me that you ran 4.3 miles in pink lipstick with your bestie. I’d rather see a shot of someone – woman or man – busting their ass and pushing themselves to achieve great goals.
A picture of your pretty sunset is nice, too.
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Someone please explain the attraction of strapping a GoPro to your head/chest/end of a stick. In some cases, I totally get it: you’re at the top of the half pipe in the X-Games or you’re Sunny Garcia and you smash your face on your board. That’s hard core and I can absolutely see how people would want to somehow share in this experience.
But if you’re Joe Public and you’re filming yourself skidding down some cruiser run or riding along some bike path for ages, you’ve lost me. Do you go home re-watch what you’ve just finished doing? Do you sit your family down and subject them to your point of view over cocktails?
Seriously. Enlighten me.
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Toques and jeans in the gym.
Guy, aren’t you hot?? Isn’t your head supremely sweaty and itchy? I know I run hot and given the choice would prefer to train in as few pieces of clothing as is respectable but just watching you gives me hives.
Sidebar: do not Google “guys + jeans + gym”. I can’t unsee what I saw.
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The upside of training clicking right along is that it is making me positively itchy to get out and race. I don’t even care what kind of race. I’m planning things I won’t even get to, but that’s half the fun, isn’t it?
We need another matchy-matchy race.What Saturday night looks like around here. Riveting stuff.
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Back in November, a few days (weeks?) past Hallowe’en, I was eating the kids candy like it was my job. I have a serious sweet tooth and it was getting slightly out of hand. Liz was feeling the same way – taunted by the candy bar at her office on a daily basis. A quick text debate led to our next challenge: give up sugar for 1 month. It was a spur of the moment decision and what do you know, it’s been the challenge we’ve done that has had the biggest effect (well, the #FP one was pretty good, too.)
That’s the trouble with being friends with me. I’ll always try to talk you into doing stupid things with me. At least this one wasn’t that stupid.
Sidebar: I was in the pool with a friend and our kids – lots of loud splashing going on around us – and I said “Liz and I are giving up candy for a month.” She heard “Liz and I are giving up panties for a month”. Needless to say, that elicited quite the funny look.
Now accepting suggestions for the next challenge. Participants welcome.
In my humble opinion, there is nothing redeeming about the month of November.
Case in point:
The days get shorter and it feels like it gets dark right after lunch thanks to Daylight Savings;
I live on the West Coast – which kind of means it rains almost every day;
Men grow moustaches;
I seem to complain a lot.
Anyway, November is over and I have no updates of any significance to post. Kids are being kids, no more rodents have been found in strollers, my dog is still nuts and training starts “for real life” today.
I’ll sum up the month in pictures. Enjoy.
That first snowman of the year. 80% twigs + leaves, 20% snow.
Mandatory mid-ride warm up treat. And check Twitter.
Post-run/Pre-ride frozen face selfie.
Car/locker room/T2.
Ok, so maybe it is a little cold in the house in the mornings.
Before.
After. He swallowed it along with his popcorn at the movies.
Date night in the big city.
Race face! He was so excited for his first “real” 5K.
Sprinting to the line.
What riding looks like in the backyard these days.
I love crossing my own finish lines, but I get a HUGE kick out of seeing friends and training partners cross theirs. I was a hugely annoying person at the finish line of IMC; as we sat trying to enjoy a drink, every time someone I knew would cross the line, I’d spring up – shrieking – and then sprint down the chute to go give that person a big sweaty hug.
I should note that there is no better hug than a sweaty, finish line hug. Hands down.
Anyway. I had the privilege of watching Gary, Danny and Nancy all cross the line this year, and since they shared their prep stories with me before, I thought it would be fun to check in with them post race and see how they are faring. Since Danny seems to be frolicking in Mexico with his family and not using his beach time to answer my questions, let’s start with a catch-up with Gary and Nancy.
Since we last talked, how did the final build and taper into IMC go for you?
Gary
Gary Martin: Training had been going really well throughout the year and I’d managed to stay injury free, that was until July 1st when on a fun Canada Day run in the village I had to pull up 6km into the 8km course with a seriously painful achilles. This unfortunately put an end to my running training until race day and certainly messed with my mind. Thankfully I could still bike and swim without aggravating it so continued to persevere and get as ready as best I could for the big day.
Nancy
Nancy Johnston: Final build and taper went well. strictly adhered to my program, ( I trust my coach completely) and added a few sessions of physio, massage and of course more floating (good for the body, great for the mind)
Would you have changed anything about your prep?
GM: Given the unexpected injury and the way my support team of physio, chiro and massage therapist all rallied to try and fix me then no, there’s nothing I would have changed but I would have obviously preferred a smoother less stressful, injury-free prep.
NJ: More early season riding, preferably Maui. I missed having that longer distance base from when the weather is nice enough to get outside here.
How does having IMC in your “hometown” feel for you when it rolls in?
GM: It felt fantastic and I was so proud to see so many people out here training and to race with hundreds of other dedicated athletes in my own back yard. I remember on race day riding back from Pemby and being able to describe every corner, straight, climb and descent to someone from out of town. I know this course and love this course so well and can’t wait to see another batch of crazy people attempt to conquer it again next year.
NJ: IMC in Whistler feels great. For sure I get nervous as it gets closer but when I see the first few trucks with M-dot logo roll into town and I’m excited.
I absolutely check out the expo, talk to folks, see what’s new and attend the pre race meeting (great to have multiple times to choose from this year).
Did you get nervous seeing all the athletes?
GM: No, seeing all the other athletes just got me excited. Having competed in three other triathlons this year I felt pretty well prepared for race day although this was certainly a lot bigger than any of the previous events.
Did you cruise the Expo and take in all the extra activities or did you hunker down and rest and avoid all the hoopla?
GM: I tried not to get too distracted by the Expo although I’d be lying if I said I didn’t take a quick peek at all the awesome goodies on display. I was fortunate enough to be able to take a couple of days off work to try and unwind before hand which really helped and getting to enjoy the opening ceremony was great. Seeing all the other athletes and hearing some of the stories how people have had to overcome large adversities was really inspiring and motivating.
Is there a particular moment in the lead up to race day that really sticks with you?
GM: If racing wasn’t enough, myself and three friends along with our wives decided to use this opportunity to raise some money for a very worthwhile charity, Canuck Place Children’s Hospice. Pan Pacific Whistler connects us all via either profession or marriage so we became the Pan Pacific Whistler Ironmen and set ourselves a lofty target of $10,000. With just a week to go until race day we reached our target finishing with a total of $10,600, a huge moment that definitely sticks with me.
NJ: I was freaking out because I was getting sick – thanks to Kim at Nesters for loading me up with all the immune boosting and cold fighting tips. And then I was very relieved to have two of my sisters fly in and help too.
Tell me about your race day in terms of swim/bike/run. If you can, break down your race.
GM: Swim: The first word that comes to mind when describing this is ugly! Having completed many triathlons in the past I thought I was prepared for what I was going to face, races with a few hundred athletes doesn’t even come close to splashing around with nearly 2,000. Within the first few hundred metres I was kicked in the nuts, punched in the head and kicked in the face, not ideal for sure. Because of this I really struggled to find my rhythm and the pace I had hoped for, as a result I came out of the water just over 5 minutes slower than I had hoped.
Nancy’s cheer squad
Bike: From day one after signing up this was the leg I’d been most looking forward to and for the first few hours I was loving it. After the swim however I really struggled to get any food down so by the time I hit the Meadows I also hit a brick wall. After some test races earlier in the year that I’d faced some challenges in, and which I did not deal with very well, this time was different. I learnt from my previous mistakes, stayed calm, sat up, took it easy and started pouring shakes, Powerade and gels down my neck. Thankfully by the time I got back to Pemberton and started the long ride back to Whistler my energy levels had been restored so by T2 I’d made up all the time I’d lost during the swim. I was aiming for 6 hours so was stoked to do a 5:42 and get my run started pretty much exactly at 2pm.
Run: I’d expected the run to be hard but hard doesn’t even come close to describing it, in fact I think the first word I used to describe it to my wife after finishing was disgusting. As soon as I came out of transition I knew my estimated time of 4 hours was not going to happen and this was confirmed when I hit my first hill and my run quickly changed to a walk. Forget physical fitness, this marathon had suddenly turned into the biggest mental challenge of my life and the best way for me to deal with it was 2km at a time as I made my way from one aid station to the next. I was so grateful to my awesome colleagues and amazing wife who had all got up at silly o’clock to cheer me on at the start and follow me all day long, seeing their faces and hearing their encouragement as well as all the support from the hoards of fantastic spectators really helped me keep my legs moving. I spent pretty much all of the run recalculating and estimating my finishing time as I’d set a goal of 11 hours for a happy day and 12 hours as a redo. Thankfully I’d managed to save a little for the last 5km and got close enough to my target with a time of 11:18:56 that I was well and truly satisfied and immediately said to my wife after finishing that I would never do another full Ironman ever again!
Don’t get my wrong, the sense of accomplishment is truly fantastic and the number of people who have said to me that I’ve inspired them is amazing but this doesn’t change the fact that this race was at times very unpleasant and really not very enjoyable. I love triathlons and will continue to race in the future but the distance on this course is something that will be a challenge to many athletes in the future but never again to me.
Editor’s note: The number of times Gary says “never again” makes me think the athlete doth protest too much.
NJ: Race day I think I was much calmer than last year. I knew what I was in for and had accepted it was going to be longer. I wasn’t going to beat my time and I was okay with that.
Had a good swim, despite having to move around quite a bit to find some open water and get out of the washing machine of arms, legs and rough water.
Bike is such a lovely course, I was looking forward to a nice ride and it was such a great temperature to start with. Right off the bat my tummy wasn’t happy (too much lake water sloshing about) and quickly had to switch to nutrition plan b (nothing solid). It went fairly well till I couldn’t tolerate gel anymore. So much fun riding into Whistler and Pemberton and having friends cheer, hand me my stuff in special needs, drinks at the aid stations. What great community support for this event. Kept smiling the whole ride.
By the time I started the run I was pretty light headed and nauseous. Kept making myself drink water and electrolytes but then would have to walk a few minutes so I wouldn’t throw it right back up. I am going to have to find those non drowsy gravol cause we both know I can’t handle the full strength kind. Did meet a few lovely folks on the run so nice to be able to chat after the solo efforts in the swim and bike.
Ok, so every non-local was talking about the BEARS-OH-MY-GOD-THE-BEARS. So, did you see any on race day?
GM: I saw the back end of one is it disappeared off into the bushes.
NJ: I did not see any bears….on race day.
Besides the obvious – the hills – what words of wisdom would you share with someone who is thinking of coming to race IMC?
GM: Expect anything up here as the weather can change in an instant in the mountains. Heat, wind, rain, even snow as we had a fresh dusting on the mountain tops just a week before race day.
NJ: Come train here, knowing what is around the corner is such a huge bonus whether its a hill, valley, aid station or just shade.
Highlight of the day?
GM: Finishing! Okay so maybe not just finishing but finishing in a time that means I will never have to do another Ironman.
NJ: Having family and friends supporting and encouraging along the way.
Lowlight of the day?
GM: Every step of the marathon, just brutal.
NJ: Wanting to quit on the first lap of the run I was so unhappy.
Did you achieve your goals and what you’d set out to do?
GM: Yes, thankfully.
Gary’s awesome colleagues at Origin Design
NJ: I hadn’t committed to a race time but wanted to enjoy my day. And while I did have a few low moments I did enjoy parts of my day, met some wonderful people, took all the high 5s, hugs and encouragement and thanked volunteers.
What was the best part about crossing that finish line?
GM: As stated a couple of times before the fact I will never, ever, have to do another one!
NJ: Actually finishing and it was still light. Having someone with more sense than me to know I needed to go to the medical tent. Thanks for that and for keeping my family posted on my status. ZZZ.
Editor’s note: I was that “someone”. Nancy crossed and said she was feeling nauseous. I said “Go to Medical”. She responded something like “No, no. They must be busy, I’m not that bad”. Which basically made me force her to go. Went I went back to check on her a little later, she looked so cute napping with her feet up on a box of water under her space blanket.
What’s next for you?
GM: A week after the race I was back in training as I have a marathon on September 6th. Really looking forward to this one with the knowledge that I don’t have to swim 4km and bike 180km before I start. This’ll be my last race of the year as its time to wrap things up and focus on the snow which fingers crossed, will soon be with us. I will most certainly continue to race triathlons in the future but my focus will now move from the longer endurance races to the shorter sprint and Olympic distances.
NJ: Up next was Challenge Penticton half. Another lovely day, fun event with good friends.
Editor’s Note: Which she did in a very respectable time of 6:28
Now it’s recovery time. I have committed to not signing up for anything for 2 months which sounds easier that it is cause there is this tri in Bend, OR I’m keen to check out and then the Vancouver Rock n Roll half. For now I will ride and run for fun.(swimming is always fun)
Thanks to Nancy and Gary for taking the time to answer my pesky questions. Stay tuned for Danny’s update (when he can tear himself away from the fruity drinks).
I’ll be the first to get annoyed when people humble-brag about how busy they are, but holy moly… Has anyone seen July? I blinked and it’s done! Hot summer days, kids all over the place and 4 events back-to-back makes me just want to sit down now.
August is going to be – hopefully – all about playing! And planning silly adventures and challenges of course.
Speaking of challenges. Have you heard? #FP! It’s a thing. Flash Plank. Do it. Convince you friends to do it. You know you want to.
#FP with Coach Lovato!
Pembi Fest #FP
Post-ride FP
Do it anywhere #FP
Even babies #FP
Big Al #FP
Optical illusion #FP
Ucluelet #FP
Parking lot #FP
Even the kids #FP
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Summer has been pretty spectacular here and the kids are both fried/having a blast. That’s what summer should be, in my opinion. A steady stream of hot days, sunscreen, and popsicles.
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I wrapped July by working my favourite event: Ironman Canada. Once again, it was a great experience for me, one filled with long days and great people. At an event of this size, it’s always the little moments that make it awesome for me.
Being on the paddle boards at the swim start. I have a WHOLE new appreciation for swim course directors.
Almost getting trampled by 450 kids at the kids fun run.
Sneaking away for an hour to cheer for runners as they ran through the woods.
Being able to help an athlete by lending her my bike when hers broke. My bike did Ironman!
Walking an athlete back to her hotel post-race, holding her hand, listening to her experience and hearing how proud she was of herself.
Dancing at the finish line at midnight.
Seeing my friends cross the finish line and feeling so proud of them.
I would sign up for next year if I didn’t like working this event so much.
Just a few days before the race
He’s so annoyed with me.
Simon calling out the Canadians
Kids Fun Run
The best part of our day
What the end of a 21h day looks like
Finish line at midnight
IMC run course #FP!
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And finally, FINALLY… I am running again. Hurray! Life is back to being complete. Next up, the Squamish 23k trail run which *GASP*… I have to do alone. I can’t remember the last time I did a race alone. Anja overheard me complaining about this yesterday and never even batted an eye. “Just call Lizzie, Mama. She’ll do it with you.”
The SMO's stories 