A bit of everything.... and the little white dress.

So apparently blogging has not been my strong suit this fall... It's funny because a lot has been going on, and I have composed many blogs in my mind, but they never seem to have made it through my fingers to the keyboard.

Nevertheless, here's the quick and dirty wrap-up of the last month:

-The move: It was a relatively smooth process but anytime you move all of your possessions on one day, it is tiring and chaotic. But, our new condo has more than enough storage space so every belonging has found a happy home. Yes, the clutter-free life has begun, but we are only in month one of our permanent home so we will see how long this lasts. We are LOVING this place. Honestly, I wake up most mornings, look around and say to Adam, "I can't believe this is our home!" I love to watch the rowers cruise down the Gorge, stroll down the street to the most delicious bakery coffee shop, and just enjoy hanging out in our home! (yes, I am still bursting with excitement!).

-Training: I hit a rough patch earlier this month with a nasty cold (or flu?) that lingered for far too long. I wasn't overly surprised I got sick as life was busy before and after the move. I ended up taking a good 7-day break. The need for this rest was sparked by a combination of the sickness and some mental exhaustion I felt I never kicked after World's in September. So, Phil and I decided taking this rest was the smart call and never once during that week did I regret our decision. I know that when I have no guilt, regret or urge to train I really needed the rest. By the end of the week, I was feeling lazy, sluggish and desperately craving some activity. So, that was a very good sign and I did a 2km swim before heading off to Portland with the training group (Simon, Kyle, Andrew, and coaches Phil and Paulo) for a training camp at the Nike campus. I am on a slightly different focus than the guys, simply getting back to training, continuing with our strength program, and enjoying the change of environment. Portland is a VERY cool city. I could live here no problem, and I promise I did not base this decision around the surprisingly high number of standard poodles prancing around...

The Little White Dress: Adam and I were chatting last week about this Christmas and jokingly said, "why don't we get married this winter?" "Why don't we?" After a series of calls to families and friends, we realized this actually is a great time for a wedding as our families will already be on the west coast and most friends are in town. So, once the ball starting rolling, it picked up speed quickly and before we knew it we had set a date (December 28) and secured two incredible venues. And, to make this occasion seem even more real, I picked a wedding dress (with the help of future-mother-in-law Wendy, and bridesmaid, Tiffany). Wow.... it is really happening!

For now here are a few pics from Portland thus far. Now that I have written a monster blog, this should be the start of consistent blogging.

A gallery in the Pearl District displaying the winners of Portland's best bike commuters.

This bike scared me. The horns were intimidating and the fur felt like it came from a poodle. That is not cool.

No surprise this was one of Adam's favourites...

Untraditional Training

Anybody heard of Aksel Lund Svindal? He's Norwegian and one of the best skiiers in the world. Here he is in action at a recent training camp, on an "unnamed" peak in Chile.

Coach Phil, can we please include more dance videos shoots into our training camps?

I can't wait for Maui!

Homeowners

Ok, that was an exciting night! It seems like we have been waiting an eternity for October 15th, the closing of our condo. We got the call late this afternoon that the sale had closed and our keys were ready for pick-up. Without one second hesitation, Adam and I were in the car. What a feeling it was to walk into the place for the first time. We felt just like kids on Christmas morning, except for the fact that we knew exactly what the prezzie was. I still can't believe this day is finally here!

Sadly, we aren't staying there tonight as by the time we picked up the Uhaul, loaded up our boxes (we are NOT traveling light this trip!), and cleaned the condo, it was dark and we were both exhausted. Tomorrow will be a big day, but I can't wait. Woot-woot!!

Brilliant

Now here's an instrument I could actually play!

Rainbow Lake

I know, I know..... I am really overdue for a blog...

I had planned to do a write-up of our hike this weekend in Whistler but Adam beat me to it and as is always the case with his reports, it is entertaining, well-written, and reasonably accurate. So, please check out the story of our hike here.

I do have to point out though that his very brief description of our bear-encounter was not entirely honest. Without being too dramatic (if possible), it was scary. We rounded a bend in the trail and the bear was right in front of us, no more than a few meters away. Adam was leading so he got an especially good look of this guy's teeth, claws, and overall massive stature. Thankfully, Adam's twiggy legs weren't an appetizing snack and the bear bolted into the bushes. Meanwhile, the two of us RAN away from him. Yes, this is what you are NOT supposed to do when you encounter a bear, but it was our immediate reaction. Again, this bear was BIG and he snarled at us (not quite a "guffaw" as Adam so calmly described). The bear disappeared far into the bush so we were able to continue our run, but were sure to sing and speak loudly for the rest of the time.

7systems @ Frontrunners

Stop by Frontrunners tomorrow between 10am and 5pm to check out the 7systems booth. Kyle Jones and Jen Maclean will be there to hand out free samples.

It's definitely worth a try. I have been using it for almost two years and have noticed significant improvements in energy levels and recovery, as well as a stronger immune system.

Please check out 7systems for all the info... or stop by the booth!

Sunset

Long overdue blog to follow...