Challenge By Choice Coaching

Happy Holidays

2009-12-24T10:27:00.000-08:00

Days and weeks seem to be flying by faster than ever. I’m not sure where the time continues to go (it really is true that life speeds up the older we get) so as usual, I have been jam packing as much as possible into my days. However, it’s a different kind of busy and crazy now than it used to be. Life seems to be much more manageable. I have been working hard to limit

Costa Rica Race - don't miss out!

2009-12-05T16:06:00.000-08:00

There is already a group of Canadians headed down to the race in Costa Rica in January. If you are fit and ready, YOU MUST consider it! Check out the following information just released from The Coastal Challenge. Let me know if you are interested in heading down south for some warm running & the experience of a lifetime.Oh, and if you can't make it to Costa Rica this year, there will be more

Winter SUP Adventures

2009-12-04T18:00:00.000-08:00

I am not entirely sure where the last 3 weeks have gone. Living up north in the remote community of Hartley Bay has been a great new experience. What a different place the wild west coast of BC is in the winter months. My workouts have consisted of power walks and self directed crossfit sessions while I try to heal my achilles. Playing on the SUP boards at all hours of the day has been

Swim Camp

2009-12-03T10:55:00.001-08:00

Highly recommend this, 2 of the best coaches out there. I think this is well worth the trip down to New Mexico to learn. I hope to make it down that way later in 2010 myself.

This says "home" to me

2009-11-17T18:01:00.000-08:00

David McColm is an amazing photographer living in Whistler with whom I've had the pleasure of working with recently. He sent me this photo of the Sea to Sky drive and all I could think of was "home", we live in paradise. This says "there is an adventure waiting to be had just up ahead."Visit www.davidmccolm.com and check out his awesome work!

Chasing the Runners High

2009-11-17T16:58:00.001-08:00

Interesting article published by writer Jacqueline Windh in the Tyee recently. Jacqui has gotten to know me quite well over the past few years and in this interview she had me face a few questions that I had never really considered before. The Tyee - Chasing a Runner's HighI think lots of us out there can relate to the feelings we get from running and/or competing. Is it really an addiction

Learning to Fail...again

2009-11-16T08:06:00.000-08:00

Well, this bog post wraps up the 2009 race season. I’ve just returned from 2 tiring weeks in Portugal racing at the adventure racing world championships. My apologies to start; I know the race website was a complete disaster to follow. Feel comfort though in knowing that the race was a completely chaotic experience for everyone and we spent 7 days on the race course not

Machine on the move

2009-11-12T21:38:00.000-08:00

It has been a very frustrating experience trying to track Jen and the Machine. They seem to finally have the tracking system working, but because of the bonus check point options, it's really hard to know who is winning. This race is totally a game of strategy because if the teams try to get all of the bonus check points, they won't be able to make the cut-off times for the various stages.

Tracking trouble....

2009-11-09T20:58:00.000-08:00

Not much to report just yet, as there seems to be a bit of a problem with the tracking system. As soon as I find out anything (I sure hope I don't have to call the Race Director AGAIN!!!- Jen will Kill me!) I will pass it on. In the meantime, I found a picture of nuun-Feed The Machine on the move!!

Pulling it all together

2009-11-07T11:43:00.001-08:00

I have had two emails from Jen since she arrived in Portugal. The first one said that the race requires a support crew and her team, nuun-Feed The Machine (#18)did not have a support crew, which was very concerning. Jen is racing in the 2009 Adventure Race World Championships with the formidables - Cyril Jay-Rayon, Aaron Rinn and Aaron Matzke.A follow-up email yesterday said that one of the

World Championships - Portugal

2009-11-02T17:47:00.000-08:00

Last race of 2009 and I am stoked. We are off to Portugal, the location of this years world adventure racing championships. Here are the details so that you can follow along. I will blog & post as much as possible leading up to and prior. Race Website: www.arwc2009.com/en/Sleepmonsters coverage: www.sleepmonsters.com TEAM: nuun FeedtheMachine (#18)We can assume that once the race gets

Blender Power

2009-10-31T17:10:00.000-07:00

And just what is in that you ask??? This is my everyday post workout drink. Throw everything in, blend & drink. Cheers to good health.1 banana1 cup blueberries1 handful spinach1 cup rice/soy or regular milk1 scoop protein powder1 scoop Perfect Food (greens)3 dashes of cinnamonFill the rest up with cold water1 tbsp Udo's Oil (for the good, 3, 6, 9 fats)and voila!!! A rehydrating, recovering and

Rocky Mountain Running BOOK

2009-10-29T14:35:00.000-07:00

Check out this new book out called "Mountain Running in the Canadian Rockies" by Bob Walker. It just arrived to my house and I must say I am stoked for summer 2010 already! All the great running routes are described with maps in an easy to follow format. The pictures are stunning! I did a weekend getaway to Banff, AB last year and it kicked ass! Support Bob & the book by ordering at

The Cool Down - hmmmmmm

2009-10-21T15:16:00.000-07:00

Just came across this article recently published in the New York Times talking about the "why" factor of the cool-down. Interesting. Sometimes I think we tend to just go with what people say without ever really questioning if it makes sense or not. I'm not too sure what to think about the cool-down just yet but it will be interesting to see what research gets done on it in the near future. As a

The Achilles

2009-10-21T13:19:00.000-07:00

I have come to respect the largest tendon in the human body over the past few months. Since my training and racing at the Rock & Ice back in March, my running season has been one big mess. While I have pushed through, relying heavily on my pain box, it was time to finally face the reality of having full blown chronic Achilles Tendonitis. NOT FUN!!!! I had not run since the Vancouver Island

Training for Worlds

2009-10-15T18:47:00.000-07:00

Just over 2 weeks to go until we ( Team nuun-Feed-the-Machine) head to Portugal for the World Adventure Racing Championships.I am working hard these days, geeking out on the roller blades, putting the hours in on the bike and time on the water. Sept & Oct have been great for outside play but the last week has been a serious "just dig deep and get on with it" drive.

i2P Baffin Island

2009-10-04T21:27:00.001-07:00

Sorry for the delay in getting these pictures up on the website. Baffin Island was the experience of a lifetime with our 5 youth ambassadors who were fantastic and a great team of inspiring leaders. I am honored to have been apart of this trip, to explore Canada's Arctic and to be involved with everything that i2P stands for. I hope everyone enjoyed following, learning and interacting live as the

Chilcotins Birthday Weekend

2009-09-28T21:29:00.000-07:00

Unable to make it over to race the MOMAR Cumberland as I always do on my Birthday, Norm and I headed to the Chilcotins (north of Pemberton, up and over the Hurley) for some riding and new terrain exploration. We go 2 sweet days in - lots of climbing and fun descents. Awesome way to spend the weekend. I finally got the chance to try out my new Squirt Lube on my bike. Brandyn (my Intermontane

Pictures from Great Bear Rainforest

2009-09-26T16:27:00.000-07:00

Enjoy some pics of where I just spent the last. I was up at King Pacific Lodge (Princess Royal Island) and it was a week of guiding, learning and being in awe at our stunning coastline and the wildlife that get to call it home. Humpback whales in the bay all day, every day. 3 Spirit Bears and 3 black bears, a mommy wolf and her 3 pups and vibrant and alive Pink Salmon streams spawning. I caught

The Perfect Combo

2009-09-14T19:17:00.000-07:00

Success!!! For those of you who have followed me over the years and listened and questioned me on my epic "feet stories" and "no toe-nail, blistered feet" issues, I am sorry to disappoint!!!! As I have now wrapped up the Vancouver Island Quest, I thought a FOOT update was in order.Proudly, I completed the 750km non-stop 4 day journey BLISTER FREE. Using the XT Wings (my most favorite Salomon

Canada's Arctic & 5 Amazing Youth

2009-09-13T12:42:00.000-07:00

(i2P youth ambassadors standing at the Arctic Circle)We have returned safely to Ottawa after 10 incredible days crossing the Akshayuk Pass in Baffin Island. Five youth from across North America were selected to join the i2P adventure and connect with school groups from around Canada and the USA as we went. All in all, our group was 14 people total and we had the experience of a lifetime in the

Baffin Island & The Akshayuk Pass

2009-08-31T18:24:00.000-07:00

Crazyness is the name of my world these days. With only 2 days separating 1 adventure from the next, I am now in Ottawa awaiting our flight out to Baffin Island tomorrow morning.We wrapped up the Vancouver Island Quest on Friday morning - what an amazing experience but I have still not had time to process it and the incredible journey. The amount of support that was given to me continues to

Challenge By Choice is an understatement!

2009-08-29T12:25:00.000-07:00

Sorry to be so long between postings, but our "remote" locations made access to the Internet impossible. And, when we returned, Jen couldn't get on the Internet because there was too much traffic to her site.Just a quick recap of what happened in Pt. Renfrew. We (consisting of Eric and Stan from 1iOpen Productions out of Seattle (http://1iopenproductions.com), Tori Peterson who is the 14 year

Hanging out in Pt. Renfrew

2009-08-27T16:24:00.000-07:00

An update on the progress of Jen and the Vancouver Island Quest. We left Jen, Norm, Don and Jacquie yesterday in Bamfield at 2:50 pm. Their eta at the end of the West Coast Trail in Port Renfrew was some time after 8:00 am this morning. It is now 4:30 pm and they still haven't arrived. I just talked to Butch, who is the fellow who runs the Ferry Crossing across the San Juan River. He was so

West Coast Trail is next on the list

2009-08-26T18:17:00.000-07:00

So much is happening in such a short time! The trekkers made it out of Strathcona Park last night, very cold and tired. It had been an incredibly difficult hike in the thick fog and pounding rain. Some warm food and about an hour of sleep, then Jen and Norm took off on their bikes, using the CoLake Main Logging Road to end up in Port Alberni. Jen wanted to push through to the Bamfield and the