A Channel Interview Online

Happy Friday!

I finally got my hands on a digital copy of my A-Channel interview from the start of the year. Check it out! Thank you once again to those who voted for me as the Top Personal Trainer with Get out There Magazines 2009 competition!

Cheers,

Sarah.

More bloggin to come...

SS

SOLO SOHIGH

What a wonderful week of sunshine and dirt!!

Last Sunday I began a recovery week in my own training and so I chose to do most of my riding and running on my own - to check my speed and avoid tempation:)

It also happened to be the most amazing sunshiney and warm February week I can remember. It has been like spring out there and I can't get enough:) I have been on a sunshine HIGH all week!

Warm sunshine meant I could peel back the thermal layers and shed my gloves and toque for a week. Although I am not going to be fooled by mother nature, the spring temps have been a wonderful reminder of what is yet to come in the next few months...


SOLO walks with my sweet brown dog Yuki...

SOHIGH : spoiled ourselves with an evening at the Kingfisher spa last Friday...I got the extra large spa robe and slippers some how...

SOLO Last Sunday I did a short 90minute XC on my own in the afternoon sunshine in place of my rat ride.

SOLO Weds night I had to say goodbye to the indoor trainer and ride my bike in the trails of Cumberland. NO WAY could I pass up a ride in the sunshine afterwork...in February! The days are finally long enough for me to get an after work ride in if I can sneak away early...

Look at this amazing sunset view of the Valley, the Straight, and the Coastal range...2010 festivities in the distance...

SOHIGH I had the special treat of riding with one of the Valleys cutest downhillers on Friday afternoon...Kelly Rollof! Those who know Kelly know that she can RIP it up faster than most of the guys-even 7 weeks after having her second child. She is an ex downhill racer and I was lucky enough to get some coaching from this dirtygirl:) Thank you Kelly for changing my reality on the steeps! You made my day, my week and my year so far- in just one ride!

SOHIGH Our newest ELM Membership Sponsor is a 'perfect fit'. Lotuswear has arrived in the Valley and their gear is beautiful yet perfectly functional for us westcoasters.

Lee, owner of the new Lotuswear store on Fitzgerald (by Greenwood pies) asked me to try out some of her clothes and I gratefully accepted the challenge today!

By Saturday I had zero clean running tights left in my drawer. And although it was nearly 10 degrees today I wasn't quite brave enough to put on the shorts.

So, I figured what a great time to try out my new Lotuswear crops! Although they are not designed for running (relaxed fit, loose pockets, flared legs) I have worn my Lulus as a last resort in the past so I decided to do a comparison run.

They were awesome! The fabric is so soft, and the wide flat waist/hip band kept them up the entire time...even though they don't have a drawstring. So...10/10 these are my new favorite relaxin and chillin out pants for sure. They are perfect for Yoga, stretching and core as I found out during my last SCORE class as well.

I was so excited about my new pants that I dove from the sky...

Pascale & Jack- thank you for a wonderful run in the sunshine today!!

Tomorrow it is back to the training plan and time to push to the next level. Can't wait!

Cheers and have a wonderful sunshiney weekend.

GO CANADA GO!

SS

I Feel It All

I Feel It All

A light run in my back 40.
Spring springing up all green and pretty along the trail.
Iron & Wine and Feist in my earbuds.
Seriously. How can you go wrong?

Go take a listen...crank it up and see if you can resist a little toe tapping...
I Feel It All by Feist on YouTube


Yesterday was the start of my 'recovery' week and I am ready for it. Heavy legs are not happy legs. Sleepy eyes are not mine. Time to regenerate. Time to find myself hiding under this little wee blanket of fog. Come out come out wherever you are...

Yesterday was Alex's day. I have never been so proud. Go CANADA go.

Excuse me... I must go back for another dose of CTV...need my Olympic fix.
SS

ELM Womens 10K Clinic Starts Thursday!

TODAY is the last day to pre-register for the 2010 ELM Women 10K Clinic that begins this Thursday!

Over 20 women have already signed up and this years clinic promises to be another FUN, INSPIRING and CHALLENGING program that will get our ladies ready for the Victoria Times Colonist 10K race on April 25th.

The energy and power of this group is sure to inspire you to reach a new level with your running fitness! Not to mention the motivation that a girls weekend to Victoria (and shopping) can bring to your game:) Space is still available so why not come on out and join us? You will emerge from this clinic faster, stronger and greeted by the warm sunshiney days of spring...

Go to the ELM website for complete details on what, when, where...and you already know why!

Happy Trails,
Sarah.

Thoughts of spring

OK this is totally off topic...

But I just downloaded Picasa to my PC and it has some crazy cool features that I am playing with! With the click of a mouse I made this collage of some of my flower pics...just trying to figure out the programs and voila! Within like 15 seconds I had this lovely taste of spring!















Not only does it have some fun photo features...but it is a super cool photo viewing platform. Download it and check it out ... there are so many ways to view your pics that it can get crazy. But this seems to be the best so far...

Happy snapping,
SS

More of Boomers Pics

We had a great day riding and running with Boomer a couple of weeks ago. Now that the InFocus article is out I can show you some of his pics from the day.



Pascale was my 'model' and endured the photo shoot with Boomer and I - what a good sport wearing her ELM colours and playing along!

The river trail...classic.

One of these shots might just make the cover of my new book: Fit & Free. I am in the final stages of production- cover design, editing and formating the inside. There sure has been a tonne to learn about this whole book writing thing! I should write a book on writing a book...

It is all good and has been a wonderful learning experience. Stay tuned for the official release date!

Today is one of the wettest days of the year (by my unofficial look out the window). It is absolutely pouring down pissed off cats and dogs out there.

Thursday was a wash out at Need for Speed- as everyone stayed inside in leu of leaning into the wind and rain for 1.5hours of speedwork and I opted to do my intervals on the indoor trainer...

Friday my riding buddy had to cancel so I opted for the bike trainer...

Saturday...we slogged it out in the wind and rain above the dam but enjoyed a mixed route of ups and downs, rivers and big puddles. Tried to keep our feet wet...stupid humans...they always get wet in the end:)

Rain rain rain...

I see double digits in the forecast for next week...come on baby...

Splish splash...it feels great to run through puddles!

SS

In Focus Magazine Article

Have you checked out the latest issue of In Focus Magazine? Grab your copy or view it online and check out the article on ELM written by our very own Arran Kerrigan, ELM Learn to Run Clinic instructor!!

Already into our 9th year at ELM...that's just crazy...in a very good way:)

Happy Trails,

Sarah.

Another week in paradise...

How sweet it is to be living in the Comox Valley...


Sunrise on Comox Lake last Sunday...went for a short rip on my own before my Rat friends arrived at the Comox Lake Dam...



Top of Branch 21...first time we have ridden up there in February...normally we have to wait until the snow melts in April!



Rat Riders...a motley crew...

Friday riding Twisted Sister with Pascale...2hours and plenty of fun later...we arrived at our cars completely covered head to toe in mud:)

Faithful companion...Jaque...the french lab...

And...for something completely different...

Me, walking a pair of fiesty Alpacas on Forbidden Plateau Road!

I was driving home from teaching a local group of kids: The Young Naturalists, an orienteering workshop at Nymph Falls Park when I spotted these cute kritters on the side of the road.

Their owner, John, was taking them for a walk and offered to let me walk them. He told me they could out run a bear. And his last words were, if they try to bolt just pull real hard on the ropes...

Stopped by Extreme Runners after walking my Alpacas...to pick up our latest clinic gear order and say HI to the gang!

Home for a snack and a sauna...

CHOCOLATE RECOVERY PUDDING from the NRG cookbook. I got this recipe from Brendan Braziers first book...all vegan, raw recipes.

Have you tried this one yet?? Pear, banana, tofu, cocoa...SO yummy and such a great way to refuel after a hard workout!

That's it that's all! Time to do some research for my trip to South America this fall!

Have a great Sunday!

Sarah.

Another Great Saturday Run...

Last weekend, while pushing through snow and burning quads at the YETI snowshoe race, I was thanking Liz for dragging me up Red Rotor and other fab mountain routes over the past couple of months...

Yesterday I was cursing her every step of the way.

JUST KIDDING!

You know I love this stuff:) But my legs were tired from a good hard week of 'playing', Z3 intervals and back to back solid training days. And so, our run was not about PRing to the top...instead it was about working on mental strength, mantra's, form, and external focus/distraction techniques. Eventually....after around 1.5hours...we made it to the top...3900 feet. And when I finally got there...Liz was doing push ups and had been waiting for me for 5 minutes. Cow. I mean- Mountain Goat.

The beauty of mountain running is all summits mean that you have to come back down and that is where my need for speed is quenched and my legs get to unleash their true potential. LOVE the downhill...and fair is fair I get to make Liz work on the way back down.

There is always time for photos on any mountain run and this Saturday was no different...enjoy!

Our route c/o Liz's Garmin...cool angle!


The top of Red Rotor at the log jam...



The view from 2 Sheiks...

The old Cabin where Cabin Fever meets up with XC...

Queen of the castle!

She drives a car to match her hill climbing speed...

More pics to come...

YETI snowshoe race and the rest...

YEAH TEAM ELM!

The first race of 2010 had my sucking wind and crying to the skies above ... as the YETI always seems to do! Good times, good quad burn and great bruises were had at this years Yeti snowshoe race up at Mt. Washington. Snowshoe running is awkward and difficult at the best of times, doing it for 10K is well, just like that but longer.

Although there was no seperate category for women only teams...we were the first women only team across the line so we are all winners in our mind!

Audrey grabbed 1st place in her category and Gail snagged 3rd in hers meaning they each took home a YETI brewski...but I have so saty that all of us were in need of a beer by the end!

For complete results go to the YETI site...




Moments before the 10k grueler began Audrey and I are all smiles...




LOOK! The Chinese Biathlon Team!!


Audrey bringing it on home...

YETI Atlas running shoes...

What happens to some heels when you run in these little torture traps...poor Lo!

Post Race Smiles...Lo is hiding the pain well...

Audrey and her 1st place beer!

Yeah!

Cheers to next (gasp) year...