ˈsīk(ə)l/ CYCLE : September 2014

WHERE TO BEGIN?

Holy moly, to try and sum up what The Cycling House (TCH) did for me this year is near impossible.

The Cycling House is ten years old and they've provided hundreds of cyclists and triathletes a home away from home in which to train (and travel) during the winter months. They've expanded their trip destinations in the U.S. to include: Montana, California, Colorado, Arizona and North Carolina. In Europe they offer trips in Mallorca, Tuscany, Provence, the Alps and the Dolomites.

I don't think I'll ever be able to express my gratitude towards TCH for the opportunity they granted me with their scholarship - to attend their training camp in warm, sunny Arizona! The experience that I had was unforgettable and has undoubtedly changed and inspired me to work diligently towards my passion. I am counting my lucky stars that I landed at TCH ~ ALL of the coaches are truly devoted to the sport of cycling and are incredible role models and mentors. The encouragement each coach provided to the campers was genuine which made for a positive environment and helped everyone to discover new limits.

In terms of the camp logistics, every detail was considered; that helped keep the focus on the training. From the arrivals and departures to the room allocations, morning stretch, pre-ride prep and transport, it was seamless. The food...OH MY GOODNESS, the food was incredible, everything was delicious and nutritious and looked and tasted 5-star!!

Despite not knowing many of the other campers/ cyclists before the camp, Shaun and TCH team did a wicked job at pairing campers for the week that had similar goals, fitness and personality! We had some great laughs together and created some amazing memories I'll never forget (yes Mark, I still have your fur jock strap you gifted me!).

I vowed to seize this opportunity and not let it go to waste - I wanted to have a kick-ass season of racing triathlons and some road races in preparation for the Triathlon Worlds in Edmonton...MISSION ACCOMPLISHED. I had a blast and I owe much of that success to the Team at TCH for kick-starting my season and inspiring me to stay focused and fierce!

Here is the video I put together to summarize the week: Training Camp Re-Cap VIDEO

TOP of Mt. Lemmon: 2,791m
Ascent from 3000 ft. of elevation to 9100 ft over 27 miles (avg. 5% grade)!

Mt. Lemmon looking down

TCH Team: from Alaska to Connecticut to Canada!

Some lifelong friends right there!

Oh yes, Mark's raccoon tail!!

I successfully ESCAPED from Alcatraz!

A giant THANK YOU goes out to everyone who supported and encouraged me to prepare, to raise money and to get to and Escape from Alcatraz with Team LiveSTRONG…the race was incredible and our team raised over $65000.00!

This race is known as a "bucket list race" in the world of Triathlons and it's a hot commodity as there's an annual lottery to even compete. I was granted a charity spot with LiveSTRONG on the condition that I raise the target amount for the Foundation.

To say that I had a blast is an understatement, race day could not have been more perfect and I managed to survive the shark-infested cold water (55 degrees) and managed to change out the flat tire I got on the bike course and get on with the race. I placed 4th in my Age Group and represented both Canada and LiveSTRONG!

I put together a video to capture the race - it's approx. 8 mins and captures the essence of the pre-race prep and the race itself: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NGsxMXB4RqY

The summary of the race is as follows:

The SWIM: was a blur…chilly and choppy but incredible to be swimming across the San Fran bay like a convict with a glimpse of the Golden Gate bridge in the distance. We were trailing the pros (who had a boat to follow); I found some feet to draft off of and hung on! This morning I was swimming in Oakville with the L.O.S.T (Lake Ontario Swim Team) and the water was actually colder than San Fran; I think San Fran toughened me up!

Watch out for the Sharks and Sea Lions while you're

Escaping from the infamous Alcatraz island jail!

The BIKE: I came out of transition on my bike and heard a stone or something shoot out from my rear wheel. Didn’t think much of it until I got to the top of the first hill and realized my rear wheel was flat. I opted for clinchers vs. tubular tires for the race so I was able to pop off my wheel and do a quick change. I felt pretty confident about the tire change and the other athletes were so helpful, one guy even jumped off to help me with my air cartridge to get me back on my saddle faster! I felt a bit like Chrissy Wellington (Ironman Pro) after that trying to play catch up on the bike to get my position back.

HILLY! No triathlon bikes around here -
road bikes recommended for these San Fran hills.

The RUN: whoooowie – uphill most of the way with a 400-step sand staircase that forced you to walk. UNREAL views of the city and a short jaunt along the beach...luckily the last 4 kms was downhill and flat to the finish!

Pacing up the 400 steps!

Does this gal look unhappy? Nope!!

Best Day EVER!

Overall – great day! Weather was divine and the crowd was incredible (not to mention my awesome friends Kathleen McDonald who made the trip from Toronto to watch, the spectactular Bo Meng and Mr. & Mrs. McIsaac from Toronto). Team LiveSTRONG was amazing...I couldn't have done it without the help of my friends, family and colleagues! Thank you sincerely for your love, support and encouragement!

Until the next race...