Another work week done, and I am now on my weekday weekend. Yesterday I made it to the big 20. I am now no longer a young teenager. The parents got me Vespress, stoked to be able to make some even better coffee at home now, and it will be better when on the road.

Got out for a nice little snowshoe today, high of -6 meant too cold for a bicycle train day.

Snow is deep, this is at 2,000 ft. Should of seen it at 4,000 ft.

Gotta love having this right in your backyard.

So I was just walking along this slope, minding my own business. And BAM I hit a patch of ice, landed on my ass and slid down a hill, luckily stopping before the clif. Last time I slid down a hill on my ass I was greeted by a sharp rock on my right cheek, there was blood, there was pain and there was laughing from the others.

After I slipped, slid down the hill and almost went off a cliff, I figured why not try and do a snowshoe slide? Of course where a cliff wasn't present.

Snowshoe Race on CHBC

http://www.chbcnews.ca/video/index.html?releasePID=5Y5gr6c8NOc0Si6loREcB5boTh_BSKEE

Snowshoe what?

So that past week I've been tired, sick, and sleeply. So I've bought myself a bunch of my new favourite beer:
I felt good drinking it and training last week, and it helped me rest up this week I guess. That was the quickest and least sick sickness I've had.

So this led me to definitely racing the annual 5 km Crystal Mtn White Rabbit Snowshoe race , AKA Snowshoe World Championship of the Universe. For years I have raced it, and always finished 2nd and 3rd, so it was nice to finally get the W. So this year is the first time I have not trained for it, actually I can't say that. Lastnight at the gym I did a 15 min run on the treadmill. Which was tiring. This body I have built is not accustomed to running. Which I felt today, my right ass cheek went numb very quickly and my left quad felt like I had an extra 45 lbs plate dangling off. Anyway to sum up:

-15 min of training
-4.45 min of warm up
-BIG non-racing snowshoes
-Idioticly fast start
-192 AV HR
-Almost collapsing
-Cookies
-Long hottub and beer.

Whats up Cadel

Hilarious.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cmu1CZEN6Yk

Had a little rim explosion on the last day of the camp. It was a little comical.



And this is what my passenger seat looked like on my ferry ride. Little belgian treats, some granola and a flick.

Western National Team Camp a la Victoria

Well there is way to much to talk about. So here's some quickness:

-Lots of miles with the westerners
-2 days in the pissing rain, the mtb day was the best ride I've had in months though.
-Legs are tired
-Found my new favourite beer: Granville Island Lions Winter Ale
-Special sessions with Geoff Pendral and Drew Mackenzie(yes the single world champion Drew)
-Lots of sleep
-BBQ's everynight at The Max Plaxtons(who is graciously housing Kris Sneddon and I)
-So all in all a good week, and definitely a boys week at Plaxtons.

This is HILARIOUS!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cmu1CZEN6Yk

Cross Country Snowboarding!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4w7sVSMbjyM

Santa Wish Comes True!

Well on Christmas Eve I made 1 wish and that was for a HUGE dump of snow. And last night we unexpectedly got that. It was over 30 cm by this afternoon. Luckily today was my 100% day off work and training. But that turned into over 3.5 hrs of shoveling and de-stucking cars. Haven'y had my heart racing that hard in weeks. But it was a good day of high intensity interval shoveling that's for sure.

Got in another nice little snowshoe right behind my house today. I love living in what most people call "the boonies". Lots of snow up there today, thinking around 3 ft. Luckily I had some of my moms chocolate chip muesli cookies to hold me over.

Sometime when I'm snowshoeing by myself I need to do something exciting, and this rock face made for the perfect excitement.

Don't you just love those days off when you have nothing on the schedule and you can drink that second cup of coffee, bake some granola, cook some pancakes and sit on the couch and watch Gossip Girl?

Solid New Years Day

After a reasonably New Years eve it was time for some business today. Got out with my #1 training guy Owen Harrison. We finally did a snowshoe in a spot I have been talking about going to for years. And it lived up to the expectations. Other than us freezing by the end, it was a successful day!