These last few days of rain have really given me the opportunity to reminisce about summer. I think we can all agree that the last few months have seemed to fly by. Looking at my photo collection convinces me that I have much to catch you all up on.
July consisted mostly of team activities with a girl’s camp for a week on the Blackcomb glacier and then a dryland camp with the entire team for another week. Skiing was fantastic and it felt good going back to the basics to really get a feel for the snow again. The whether held up great and we couldn’t ask for much more. During the dryland camp we spent a lot of time in the gym lifting weights and on the cross-country mountain bike trails around Whistler. Every day started out with an hour and a half gymnastics class to help with spatial awareness, not to mention have a totally fun time.
I survived the camp just in time to survive the festivities associated with Crankworx. The fun and friendly folks of Telus invited me out once again and we had a roaring good time downhill biking in the mud, which was relived over dinner and drinks at Blacks. I also decided to be a spectator at this years Cheese rolling festival…unfortunately that didn’t go as well as I was hoping. The sun was shining and the athletes were eager to charge down a steep hill after a rolling chunk of cheese. So what could have gone wrong? http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wz_AVsKzxI8
We headed south for Chile in early August. I was excited to try out my new Stöckli skis and get back on the snow. We arrived and immediately got trapped in a snowstorm that was then followed by a rainstorm. In a nutshell, we spent more time enjoying the natural hot springs than we did training on the mountain. That was the first time I came away from a camp feeling more relaxed and refreshed than when I arrived. We pulled out of the camp earlier than expected and flew home. I arrived in Kelowna greeted by my mom and the Okanagan sunshine. The next couple of days were spent picking fresh fruit grown in our family orchard before returning to Whistler for more fitness training. To make up for the lost time spent in Chile, we headed down to Mt Hood, Oregon early in September.
Stan and I drove my little Honda Fit the 8 hours south until we reached Government Camp: the small town of ski shops and restaurants situated at the base of Mt. Hood. Every day was spectacular. We would ski in the mornings and mountain bike in the afternoons. I love my new Stöckli skis!! The snow conditions were tough but the training was beneficial. We would start out with 8-10 runs in a GS course and finish the day on the hill pulling starts. Lunch would come soon after followed by a mid day nap on a deck blanketed in sunshine. We never needed to look too far for bike trails in the area and if we got hungry along the way, there were plenty of huckleberries to pick straight off the bushes.
Since we were already in Oregon we decided to stay a few extra days and head to the coast to surf. Tristan, Stan and I all drove to Cannon Beach where we met up with a few friends. Four days ripped by, all filled with blue skies five-foot swells.
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I dropped the boys off in Whistler and drove down to Blaine, WA the next day to go boating with my parents for the weekend. I hopped aboard the Compass Rose with Captain Brad, co-pilot Benny, and first mate Terri. We headed west to explore the San Juan Islands; making stops at Friday Harbor and Roche Harbor. Even though we are amateurs, Dad and I managed to catch a handful of crab. YUM!!
Now that I’m back in Whistler, it’s back to the gym and back to training. Here are some shots from this Wednesday’s interval training at the pump track. Enjoy and have fun!
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