Monique Sullivan

I am inspired by athletes. The woman rider I was referring to in my last blog is Monique Sullivan. I was lucky to be invited to watch her do a time trial at the Velodrome in California.
As a reminder, this was my first time stepping inside this type of arena. She is the reason for my palms to sweat and drive fast on the freeway. Of course there is no way I could be responsible for that so I am blaming her.

Before I met Monique, I read about her adventures on her blog. I would encourage you to do the same.

A little bit about Monique. She is a Canadian Track cyclist currently training full time in Los Angeles, California. In January, she put her engineering degree on hold at the University of Calgary to devote herself full time to her training. In 2005, at 16 yrs old, she had the fastest 500m time trial for both the Junior and Senior women at the National Championships. She has not been beat by a Canadian woman in any sprint event since. This is her 2nd year as an Elite rider and her first opportunity to compete on the World Cup circuit. In October, at her second ever World Cup, she placed 6th in the keirin competition and 11th in the Match Sprints. In January at another World Cup, she placed 9th in the Match Sprints and 12th in the keirin. At only 20, I see even more great things in store for her.




As you will read in her blog, she loves doing many different things from crafts to baking to reading and blogging, creating and sharing and taking on new challenges.

I know first hand that she makes a killer basmati rice pudding...with basil no less!
I might need the recipe for that Monique! On second thought, just let me know when you make it again. :)

The Velodrome Track

The only time I have seen racing on the Velodrome is watching it on TV during the Olympics. A few days ago, I went to see a race in person at one of two (the other in Boulder) indoor Velodrome tracks in North America.

What a rush.

Seems easy enough...but the first time I watched a racer (more on her later) go around on the track for a time trial, my hands started to sweat. When I drove home, I found myself weaving and driving fast on the freeway.

I wanna play! However, the person in charge of the track (see the woman in the blue on the track?) doesn't think I can make the corners. Humph! I'll show you! (Shaking Fist) :)

In case you wanted to know more:
Velodrome racing has been called “NASCAR on Two Wheels”. Track bikes have one gear and no brakes – the epitome of simplicity – that combined with the blazing speed, gravity-defying turns and spectacular crashes makes Velodrome racing one of the most awe-inspiring spectator sports around.

Velodromes are steeply-banked oval cycling arenas. The prefix “velo” is short for the French word “velocipede”, the bicycle’s original name. The purpose of the track’s design is to provide racers a smooth predictable surface on which to maintain the highest speed possible.

All velodromes have lines painted on the track’s surface:
The “cote d’azur” or band of blue, marks the tracks inside boundary. Racers may not ride on or below this wide band, except for emergencies or during the slow tactical maneuvering during match sprint competition.
The black “measurement line”, as the name implies, is used to measure the distance around the track.
The thin red line around the track is the “sprinters line” and it defines the sprint lane between the red line and the blue band. A leading rider in this lane is said to “own the lane” and may only be passed by a rider going over on the right.
The uppermost thin blue line is the “stayer’s line” or relief line. It marks the boundary between faster and slower traffic, with the faster riders below the line while the slower “relief” riders are above this line during Madison races.

Got it? Easy enough, right? More to come...

Campfire

I love campfires.
I grew up camping with my family. Every summer, we would meet the same two families and camp for a week together. I have some fond memories of those days. Like waiting for people to come out of the shower only to throw sand on them and yell "Merry Christmas!" (in the middle of the summer) on a dare. Awwww, so mean I know. Horrible. Well, I think it's funny. However, that's never happened to me on my travels. Maybe it will happen now that I put it out there. Anyway...I love to sit and stare at the fire. I am a self appointed "fire poker." On my trip, some of my favorite moments were sitting and watching a fire. It's always been good therapy for me. When I felt stressed, I would grab my dog and head for the hills to camp. Maybe it's about being in nature. It's the best. So, when I bought my house...one of the selling points was having a fire pit. Now I can enjoy a fire with my friends without planning a camping trip.




In Estes Park enjoying the fire.

Here I am with my fire poke stick.

Us being silly by the fire

With Dan in Cannon Beach

With Jo, Dan and Stu

Stacy and Dave

Mom and Allan at the Grand Canyon

I can stare for hours

Trying to chop up a palate for wood

With Heather and Karen at Doheny Beach

With Jen in Estes Park

Get outside. Go Camping. Stare at a fire...it does wonders.

My Daily Happy Pill

As much as we talk about balance in our lives, it's hard to achieve it and be consistent with it. I know that it's easy to shift your focus on your job, kids, or loved ones and forget about what your needs are. I've done it and I am sure you have too. The most important thing in your life is you. You deserve time for yourself.

Make the time.

For me, my daily happy pill is the hour I spend each day in bootcamp. Caroline always puts a smile on my face so it's easy to enjoy the hour long pain to the body..I mean enjoyable fun!

Even in the middle of a workout, she always takes the time to talk with each individual to see how they are doing.

I am inspired by her. You can view her profile on American Life Today HERE.




What do you do for yourself each day?

Here are some pictures from my workout. It's different each day and usually I don't have a camera so this is all you get. Of course the last one is of my tomato red face I usually get once I am finished. But, it's a great state to be in. Thank you coach Caroline!!!

Exhausted...in a good way.

New Homeowners

My friends Dian and Erin made the leap to purchase a house together. Congratulations to them! I went to visit them on the first day they received their keys. So exciting to look at an empty house and dream about what you are going to put in it, what fun you will have and all of the memories that will be shared.
When I bought my first home (the first and only), I was so nervous about the entire "process" of it. In fact, my hair fell out in clumps during the housewarming party as I put my fingers through my hair. Really attractive. I suppose it was all about the uncertainties such as buying a house a tad bit over my budget, signing all of the papers, getting the right loan, the timing of closing, etc. I have lived here for 6 years now and I don't regret a thing. Well, perhaps the choice of my realtor. So, congratulations my friends. I look forward to spending some good times in the near future at your house. :)

Dog Beach Day

Ah, the life of a dog. You can't help but smile when you go to dog beach. All the dogs are happy running around and playing. The good ones, that is. Poor Maggs had to stay home because she doesn't play nice at the beach. Also, she chases shadow's of the seagulls until she is running in the parking lot and the street. So, I didn't take her. However, Shellies dog Roonie is a sweetheart. We stood around watching her play with the other well behaved dogs. Here are some photos of the day:

A Night Out With Trailie!

It's been a while since Trailie has taken a spin around. The other day I decided it was time to scoop up maggs and take trailie for a night on the beach. We had a blast! The weather was a little cloudy but we didn't mind. I miss it! I miss being on the open road and being in nature. I was excited that my friend Julie came to ride on the beach during the day and Tanya came in the morning for a walk. Julie is going to ride in Moab in a few weeks to honor her friend Katy that died of ovarian cancer at the age of 42. She started a blog that honors her memory and raises awareness on ovarian cancer. Please visit her site at http://www.friendsagainstcancer.com/

Here are some pictures from my stay.

Julie and I riding bikes

Bunch of birds

Riding and taking pictures

Maggie on the beach

Our day camp

Taco Man!

Parties just aren't the same without Taco Man! I was lucky to have a visit from Dave and Stacy while Cat was here. So, that deserved a celebration! Instead of recaping the night in words, here are some photos to enjoy.

Shawdee, TACO MAN (Isreal) and Caroline

Dave on his throne


Threse and Shellie

With Stu

Andrea, Porsche, Julie, Me and Cat

With Tanya

Dave, Stacy, Tanya, Me, Dani, Julie

With Val and Julie

With Shin Lu and Shannon

With Carrie, Teri and Kari

Finishing the night with Dani, Andrea and Cat

Cat Comes To Town

It's been a while since I have blogged. The past week I had a visitor from Spokane, Washington. Here's a brief history on how I met Cat. A year ago, I was recovering from surgery and spending way too much time thinking about what's next. A bit like what I am doing today. Needless to say, I met Cat online. We chatted about life and about simple everyday subjects. When you instant message, you don't get the tone or visual but perhaps it's more of the core of a person you get when only typed words are exchanged. Well, she was/is funny, personable, smart...so, I decided to meet her face to face. We chatted on the computer every now and then, with the occasional text in between. When I met her at her house in Spokane last September, we haven't even spoken on the phone! Today, I consider her one of my closest friends. We spent six days laughing, wine tasting, eating great meals, laughing, visiting friends, meeting new friends, dancing, laughing, shopping(gasp!), walking on the beach, and almost getting kicked out of a nightclub for taking pictures. I am so glad that she stepped out of her comfort zone to do a last minute trip to see me. Thanks Cat! See you soon. :)
Cat likes the beach
Cat likes the vines
Our drive to wine country
Eating out
Tasting local
WATER!!!
Great times! Thanks for visiting Cat!