Happy (Last) Friday!

Woah is it Wednesday already?
Better late than never, here are some pics from my ride with Pascale and Boomer Jerrit last Friday...

Boomer is a fantastic local recreation photographer who's work you have probably seen featured in a host of Canadian and international recreation publications adn who also creates all of the photos for local magazine InFocus.

Next month, I will be featured in an article in InFocus, written by our very own professional writer and ELM instructor, Arran Kerrigan.

Boomer hooked up with Pascale and I for our usual Friday ride up Tomato Creek to capture some photos of us playing in the woods. Boomer is a rock star- not only does he take wonderful outdoor photo's but he also kicked our butts on the climb and the descent while packing close to 50 pounds of gear!

You will have to wait until the article comes out next month to see Bommers photos...but you can look at mine for now!

Here he is in action...


On top of Tomato...

Posing for the shoot:)

Thanks for a great ride Boomer!!

Yeti picks coming up next!

Have a wonderful week!

Sarah.

And you thought you could skip...

I know I have posted this before...but seriously! You think YOU can skip?
Check this out...



double dutch - Championnat international
Uploaded by federation_double_dutch.

Sunday- final (phew) weekly post

I am bored of myself at this point in my little day by day blogging experiment. So I can only imagine how thrilling this must be for you...don't worry it is almost over!

I went to upload my photos today and got the error message: over quota! No more photos for me! I deleted a few and made some room for these pics of my Sunday. Not sure what I will do in the future...will have to go through and start deleting all my old blogposts I suppose...OR -gasp- pay to get more space!

Sunday:) Who doesn't love a Sunday? What is NOT to love about Sundays? My mission is always to keep Monday OUT of my mind and live purely in the Sunday moment...

7:00am up and at em...yes this is my natural get up and go time. Putter...read...news...coffee...breaky...pack for biking...

9:30-12:30 I started riding a half an hour earlier today so I could get a few more minutes of Z1 bike training in before hooking up my with Rat buddies. I rode around the Tomato creek lower trails and the Bears Bait trails for 30 minutes before joining the group at 10am at the Dam. Up we went. I can't tell you how HARD it is to stick with my Zone 1 Bike training plans on a group ride:) I love that the Rats always ride UP then down...but it is killer trying to keep my heart rate down on those climbs!

Up B21...Down 2 Sheiks...Cable Hill...Cliffe Ave...Rocky Road...Johns Trails...and back...
3hours for me was all I needed and the rains started coming down right when we got back to the cars.

It wasn't my best ride, that is for sure. I mean some days you got it and some days...well this was one of those days I suppose. My body felt great- no fatigue at all. But my brain was foggy and it didn't feel like all the cylinders were firing...no spark...no zip...absolutely no mojo.

It was slippery and slimey and we were on open rock for much of the downhill. That is what got me...I didn't trust anything. The one word that kept creeping into my head was 'regression'. Not very helpful so of course I would punch it out and replace it with 'progression'. But I was only lieing to myself based on my performance!

At one point one of the guys in the group who I don't know all that well looked at me and said:
"You aren't riding with your usual...enthusiasm". It was written all over my face!

In the end I was just happy to make it back to my car without any scrapes or wounds:)

The best part of the ride were the people today. That is for sure. Great people. Great conversation. Great smiles:)

And Terry brought Turtles chocolates for after the ride. Actually, THAT was the best part of Sundays ride:)


Up through the lovely slash of B21...Bryan Tasaka have you seen the carnage?? Luckily for you there are a gazillion new trails out this way!



Time to put on the jacket and pads...and munch on a Sarahbar...



Bushwhacking with your downhill bike for nearly a km...not sure about that one...

The 'tank' safely tucked into my silver bullet and home bound just as the sky opened up with rain!

After the ride I spent some time doing chores at home and I finally got the SCORE video to work (so you can go there now and buy your own copy anytime...) then I got supper going before heading out to the sauna with Brad.

I tried another new ReBar recipe and was yet again a happy customer. I am actually doing a bit of a ReBar challenge right now- working my way through my favorite cookbook of all time. Tonight was split pea and lentil soup (full of yummy indian flavors) with Focaccia...YUM.

Sauna for ever...good long stretch...

Dinner

Read, relax...bed...

Are you still reading? I am SOOOO Bored of my life! It has been a gas peeps but I am happy to say I will never torture you with the day by day again. Better to go live your own life than to have to endure the play by play of mine. Oh but I forgot to tell you what I do in the shower and in what order! Maybe...

Here is something a little more interesting to sign off with.



And speaking of some days you got it...

Pascale and I came across this young guy on Tomato Creek last Friday...
After watching him fly down the trail I have been filled with visions of myself doing the same. Funny how that didn't quite happen on Sundays ride...
Check it out...

He's got it.

Adios.

SCORE Session 1 Available Online Now!

SCORE Session 1 Video Download is available now!
Check out this preview and then go to the ELM website to download the full video!

It only took me 5 days but I got it worked out and now you can enjoy SCORE from the comfort of your own home!

S-A-T-U-R-D-A-Y!

This is getting to be like work...my little project is taking up a bit of time...but only 2 more days to blog...

SATURDAY!
7:00am up and at em! On the computer registering TEAM ELM in the YETI snowshoe race for next weekend and Snow 2 Surf for April... doing laundry...getting my running gear ready...still trying to sort out setting up SCORE as a video download available for purchase on the site...breakfast and coffee...reading a bit...relaxing...all in my housecoat!

9:30 meet with for our usual but kicking Saturday morning mountain run...

10-12...MOUNTAIN RUN! Check out my last blogpost for a cool gps map of our route...here are the photos...some of my favorites:)

What river is this??? Looks like something out of National Geographic if you ask me!


Liz clearing the Comox Lake Main of boulders for the loggers! Look at that heavenly sunshine! It was foggy in town but as soon as we started climbing we were above the clouds and into sweet sunshine!


My view going uphill behind Liz...if I could only keep up with her that long!

UP she goes...1000 feet in 10 minutes...

Under the jumps on Red Rotor...

At the top of Red Rotor where it meets Boston Ridge Trail ...by the log jam...we found a little piece of heaven...

Down we goooooo! Geckos everywhere on the Gecko trail! That trail builder Claud? was out and about digging and chopping and cutting...he is a wonderful man for making all these fantastic trails for us...we would be running on the -gasp- road! if it weren't for people like him and his black dog...

Peckerhead trail...one of the most elaborate trail signs I have ever seen out there...

A new name for a recently built trail... looks like he decided to call it Catnip...we were hoping for Foghorn Leghorn...long story...

A perfect spot for a rest...someone is really at home out here and even built their own bench...

At the finish line our hot drinks and home baked goodies awaited us! A PERFECT day and a perfect run...thanks Liz!

Home....light the fire in the sauna...then putter about while it heats up...

Mixed up a batch of my 'sarabars' Caribbean Chews today... available in the NRG cookbook...

2:00-4:00...Work on some stuff in the office...

4:30-5:30pm Then it is sauna time...
I spent over an hour in the sauna today...stretching and reading Macleans mag...it is the only magazine we can take in there because it is held together by staples and not glue...

Look at Brads amazing handywork...stainglass gives us a nice bit of lighting in there...

Stove is a blazing and it is hot hot hot!

Time to come inside and try out a new ReBar recipe...Focaccia...I turned half of it into homebaked pizza... OMG I can't even tell you how good that was...you will just have to try it for yourself!

Hockey...relaxing...reading...life is too good to me...


SS

How cool is this?

Liz kicked my arse all the way up Red Rotor today...complete Saturday post with pics to come! But I just had to share this with you...

She has a new Garmin 405 toy and has been tracking our ever step on our mountain runs...here is the latest data that she sent me...I might just have to get one of these yet...

Click Here to see: Todays Run

SS

Happy Friday!

Hellooooo Friday!

5:00am...rise and shine!

Another note on my front door...from some cool site that karen mckinnon got me onto a couple of years ago...I should look that up and post it...stay tuned...

6:00-11:30am STRAIGHT...COMPUTER TIME. MASS creation and list ticking going on today! Fridays I don't see clients or teach classes so that I can work work work on my list list list. Today I put together and edited some inspiring client stories for my upcoming book...can't wait to share them with you! Then I completed some fitness assessment and body composition results for clients...then created some new training programs for new clients...then...I swear there was more...

11:30...walk the dog and get some fresh air with Brad and Yuki!

The ducks were looking for handouts at the back 40 pond...

12:00 have lunch and pack up my car for my afternoon...of groceries, optomotrist and biking!

Optomotrist appt...this is only the second time in my life that I have been to see an eye doctor. I don't wear glasses nor do I need them at this point. In fact I was told today that I have BETTER than 20/20 vision! HA! Passed my tests with flying colours:)

I wasn't there to check my vision, however. I was there to check in on a little issue that I have on my right eye...it is called a Pterygium (spell?) and sounds like terigium. It is a (kind gross) growth on the surface of my eye that is like a scar built up. Back in 2003 I suffered the old 'stick in the eye' while running down an avalanche chute while using an emergency escape route on a fire near Princeton. Long story short blog! That eye poke ended up damaging my eye and they think that combined with overdoses of sunlight cause this little critter to pop up the following year.

It doesn't effect my vision but they are watching it to make sure that it doesn't grow and spread and mess with my sight. So far so good!

The doc took some super close up photos of my eye today and you can see the actual vascularization of this thing...it has it's own blood supply! That is it on the left of the photo...see all the red lines creeping into the edge of my iris? It's alive!

Time to get some new polarized shades to protect my photo sensitive eyes. What do you think? Are they me?

3:00pm-5:00pm Friday afternoon date with Pascale and our dirty little bikes...on our favorite XC route...along the Puntledge River...up Tomato Creek and all the way back:)

Bluebird sky day...unbelievable...January? Really?

I have to stop taking these self portraits...my head is always way bigger than anyone elses...

Woah Nelly! Ran into some trusty steeds on the trail...man could they giddyup...

Done the ride...post ride snack...drink...gab...then off to rehydrate...

HA! Decisions decisions...

6:00pm I am on a mission with Brad...we are driving on some back road in Merville...searching for the famous 'perogie lady' ...

Luck was on our side and we feasted on home made perogies tonight!

7:00-8:00pm Canada for Haiti...I was moved to pick up the phone and donate what I could tonight. I have had it in the back of my head to look into donating all week and this show came on at just the right time. Go there ... be great ... be Canadian:)

8:00...Half full? Most definitely:)

Have a wonderful weekend!

SS

Canada For Haiti

Canada for Haiti...
On Canadian TV right now...go there and call in your donation...or go HERE and donate online... every $20 adds up...all great things are accomplished by a series of small steps...

Be great...be Canadian...take 5 minutes and do what you can.

With Love,
Sarah.

Thursday

Here we go again!




5:00am...you get the routine!

Although I do wake up to the sounds of the coffee pot, I must admit I am only a wannabe coffee drinker. I am actually a tea person but I got into the habit of adding a little coffee to my baileys this winter and now it just seems easier to drink Brads left over coffee in the wee morning hours than to make a pot of tea only to run out the door with it still full.

There is no way I can drink coffee straight up. Yick. And I would be like a spinning top after 1 full cup- all shaky and sweaty and freaky. Now if you are a coffee drinker/lover than please don't read this next line because it will appall you. I put 1/4 cup of Brads strong organic brew in my mug and then fill the rest with boiling water, then finish it up with a bit of whole organic milk
for colour. Barely coffee and just perfect at 5am!










I actually have been misleading you in another way also, when I say I have coffee first thing. There is a bit of a ritual that happens ... as we all tend to have in the wee hours to make sure that everything gets done before all cylinders are firing...



Feed the cat...TESU (japanese for 'trouble') she is jumping on my head by 5am and screaming at me by the time I get to the kitchen so she is impossible to forget...





The FIRST thing to hit my stomach every morning is a BIG glass of filtered water. mmmmm.



The SECOND thing to hit my stomach every morning is a heaping teaspoon of chlorella mixed with a 1/3 cup of pure grape juice. I accidentally picked up the powdered version of my usual capsules last time I was at Edible Island grocery...and man oh man was it hard to get down at first...until I figured out that grape juice eliminates the raw seaweed on the beach after a storm odour. I don't promote or sell any nutritional products but my personal experience is this with chlorella: I haven't been sick once since I started taking chlorella last March...and my nails and hair grow at an alarming rate...twilight zone...chlorophyll...or?



Doesn't THAT look appetizing?





The third thing to hit my stomach is that watered down brew of coffee and hot water...



The final thing is a bit of breaky to get me through teaching my morning class - today it was a banana dipped in natural peanut butter.



5:55-7:20 Sunrise Bootcamp in Courtenay- we had one of our 'urban assault' workouts where we took off downtown to make the most of the Filberg staircases and the Sid Williams Courtyard...



Cathy Rowing....



The crew pushing through their circuit... JUMP DIP STEP PULL PUSH!!







HOLD ON to that table top...





7:30-8:45- Home for breakfast - Bobs Red Mill and blueberries! Get organized for my day: client program prep, put out any email fires, plan my tasks for the day...



9:00-11:30 - Personal Training clients....



In the Gym...and In Home...













I noticed the bulbs are sending up shoots! Maybe it IS really March and not January! It sure feels like it!







12-12:30 LUNCH Squash soup and tuna wraps:)



12:30-2:15pm...Computer Projects: Still working to get the SCORE video ready for download...there are a few steps: upload, edit, update and upload to online store, update ELM store with info, buttons, preview clips...



Go to the ELM homepage for a sneak preview of our first video session! We have a few kinks to work out in the shot angle for next week - but this will give you a taste of our SCORE workout! Check the site links Friday and you can download your own SCORE video right onto your computer and get started on your home Core and Stretch program!



2:30-5:00pm Personal Training Clients....Driving my little silver bullet all around town...listening to Fiest, Iron & Wine and the Great Lake Swimmers...love it...



5:00- Home for a quick change into my running gear then off to the Comox Marina Park for tonight's Need for Speed class!



My eyes were trying to close around this time...I pack alot into my days and go looooong on Thursdays. My Thursday night N4S group keeps me motivated and my energy revvs right back up once I meet up with them!



5:30-7:00pm Need for Speed! Tonight we did a different workout for the group...we combined a typical track VO2Max interval session with a mini strength circuit and threw it out into the real world onto a 1 block loop that included a short climb and fast descent.



The goals: Turn over your legs and feet as fast as possible. All out leg speed....just like a hotrod! Run for 2 minutes all out. Mark your spot. Recover for 4 minutes BUT complete your exercise sets during this time (EVIL) : start with 5 reps then each lap add 5 reps until you have completed 4 or 5 sets. Aim to meet your original distance during every speed interval...



JUMP SQUATS!



POST Run Smiles! We did a nice cooldown and long stretch out on the Marina boardwalk, above the ocean, surrounded by views of the coastline and all those twinkling lights...





The end of a great workout...







7:30- Home for Dinner! My 13plus hour day has come to a close...time to RELAX. I am pretty much completely on E by this time each week. I choose to teach/work 10-13 hour days M-TH so that I can have Friday to run my business - no classes, no clients, just everything else that a business owner does...



9:00- Time to hit the sack with my book and giant mug of peppermint tea...



I am reading the Celestine Prophecy again...read it many moons ago but it found its way back to me and so, I am finishing up the last chapter tonight...not sure if I can keep my eyes open long enough tonight to make it happen...




Seeya Friday!

SS

Wednesday

Another great day...but too much inside time! My day was spent 1/3 in the car 1/3 with clients and 1/3 on the computer working on projects today...

1:00-3:00am lying in bed awake. For no apparent reason. Just watching my life fly before my eyes as my mind won't shut up for 2 hours...last I see is the 3 on the clock...

A reminder of one of my mantras on my office door...

5:00am rise and shine sunshine! Coffee, Apple Pie 'Sarah Bar' from my NRG cookbook then off to the computer for some serious project time. On Wednesday mornings I try not to check email or messages and just hit my writing and other fun projects hard.

Brainstorming and kicking off the cover design for my upcoming book...I LOVE the look of Colin and Julie Angus' books...bright, inspiring photos and bold colours...these books are my inspiration for my own book cover:)


Projects for this morning:
Peru 2010 Womens Fitness Adventure article - finished up the article, added some testimonials from my participants and sent it off to 25 plus publications in BC and Canada...stay tuned!!

NRG Cookbook- packing up and shipping out more cookbooks...

Videos- Downloading first session of SCORE videos and editing file...it will be available for download and previewing on Thursday!!



9:00-11:20am
Hi Ho Hi Ho it's off to the gym I go for Personal Training Clients...

11:30-12:30 Home for lunch! Program prep...emails...phone messages...and finally I manage to take my full 30 minute time with Brad for lunch this week:)

The view from my office...my backyard:)

1:00-3:40 Off to Comox for my afternoon Personal Training Clients In Home. Both with fantastic views of the water:) Today, it is my clients who inspire ME!

4:00- Put Squash in the oven to roast...

4:30-5:30 Bike Trainer Workout in my rec room...while watching the cooking channel...well during my warm up I could focus on the TV...but after that it was all blurry and mad sweating...

5:30-6:00pm Home Gym Training with my TRX and pull up bar...

6:00pm Supper!

6:30 Shower and back onto the computer with a big mug of peppermint tea...

Trying to get this video of SCORE to download...

Prepping for Thursday morning Sunrise Bootcamp...

8:00pm...still on the computer...must shut er down!

Gnight!

Almost forgot to feed the cat!

Cheers,

SS