Crashes

Western Canada Summer Games was not all that awesome....the games itself were fun, but my races just didn't work out.

The buses that took us to venue for our races left far too early for a bike race. To be honest, you don't need to be at a Time Trial 3 hours before your start time! Anyway, seeing as we got there sooooo early, I had my bike "unofficially" checked by one of the commissaires. The seat position and aero bar length were all to UCI regulation, and my bike rolled out in 7.25m. All good, right? So I set about getting my race gear all ready, and my skin suit on. Went out to do a 20min warm up, get all comfy in the aero position and made it back 10 min before my start. Plenty of time! Now my bike needed to be"officially" checked, and after it was checked it couldn't leave the coral until I was on the course. Okay, so, bike length, seat all that jazz measure out...same as it did 2 hours before. I go to roll out my bike and its over, I do it again, still over, and again, still over. Now the panic ensues, our team mechanic tries to block off one more gear, and can't do it. We rush my bike and me out of the coral to our team tent and try and find a wheel that has junior gearing. We grab a wheel, (it was either ours or Manitoba's), throw it on my bike, tune the gears and then run (literally) back to the coral. Everything is rechecked, and I had 37seconds to get to line. I was panicked, stressed and upset. My coach told me to take deep breaths and to get myself back into the zone. I tried, I really tried. I didn't have a good race, I just couldn't get my head in the right place. But our women's team got a gold and a bronze in the TT, and we got a bronze in the men's TT. So at least it went well for some of my team!

Okay, so on to the road race. I had a lot of time to make because of my bad TT, and a lot to prove. The rolling start was good, the first "short" lap went well, the second lap was going well and then we hit the MASSIVE climb. It was big, really big, and everybody knew it would explode the field, and it did. I happened to be a part of the explosion, but I was holding my own. Not too far behind, and keeping it stead with two other Team AB team-mates. The turn around was at the top of the hill, so I turn around, and I am on the wheel of on of my team-mates with another trailing about 20ft behind me. I shift into my big chain ring, start going through the gears on the back, max out, and then clunk....Chain drop. Do know how hard it is to go from 70km/hr to 0km/hr and then get above 70 again to catch your team? It impossible if you weigh 100lbs!!! So, I spent the next 2.5 laps trying to catch up. Yup, that was fun....but we got a third and second on the women's podium for Team AB!

The next day was a "training" day. We went up to the bike park, the venue for the MTB XC race. I'm not a good mountain biker, lets just be honest here. At about 2/3 of the way through the course there was a steep downhill with a 90 degree right turn at the bottom. I was the last one for my team to go down it. I started to head down, scared out of my mind, when I see one of my team-mates KG sitting on the apex of the corner all dusty with her bike on the ground. So I braked, in an effort to cut the corner high and not crash into her. I didn't crash into her, but I did crash pretty hard into the desert. I was winded, got a bit of "desert" rash on my right arm, but other than that, I was okay. KG on the other hand wasn't so fortunate and it looked like a shoulder injury. I got up, dusted myself off, and climbed the cliff like ridge to the top so I could ride the corner like I would in the race. I made the corner, and continued on down the course while KG had to walk out. The farther I went, the harder it became to focus on the trail, and I was feeling a bit nauseous and dizzy. I had to walk this one downhill section because I could not focus enough to go down it safely.

KG and I shared the ambulance back to Poly Clinic. KG fractured her collarbone and I landed my self with a pretty bad concussion and six hours of monitoring in the Poly Clinic. The Chief de Mission Medical (the person who makes all the big medical calls) removed me from the games because of the severity of my concussion and my previous "concussion history."

I didn't get to race the mtb race, but I cheered! Team AB got a second place finish on the women's podium and a first and third on the men's podium. It was an overall pretty successful games for Team AB Cycling. CB and FW of Team Alberta took Gold overall in the General Classification, which was a pretty big win!

I was unable to attend the Future Champion's Camp in Penticton because of the concussion deal. I ended up fracturing my temporal bone (I don't even know where that is) and it as super tiny bone that has something to do with middle ear. It will be all healed in a few weeks!

Racing and Final Exams

Well, Tour de Bowness was last weekend....yup, didn't go so awesome for me...But it did go well for two of my team-mates who managed to snag first and third in the GC! I got a flat in the road race, just did plain bad in the hill climb, and then got held up behind a crash in the first 100m of the crit.

Right now I am studying for my POLS 2300 exam that is tomorrow morning...well, actually, I guess I'm blogging right now....To rephrase that, I'm supposed to be studying for my exam tomorrow, but instead I am blogging.

On Tuesday I am headed to Kamloops! I'm pretty excited to be racing in an event this large and with some of the best cyclist in Canada. I am fearing the heat a little bit, it was 40 degrees yesterday in Kamloops! My goals for the games is not to win necessarily (obviously I am going to try) but I just want to be a presence in the race and help out my team-mates. Its not always about winning, or the amount of medals you have, but its about racing, competing and showing off your province's colours.

After Kamloops, I am off to Penticton for the Future Champions Development Camp for 5 days. Lots of riding ahead!

Okay...now I am going to study!

Lots of Updates

Sorry about the blog neglect in the past month and a half. Lots has happened actually.

The Great Northern Stage Race in the beginning of June did not going in my favour. I flatted in the crit (leaky valve, rode the whole race not knowing I was loosing pressure) which meant that I couldn't propel my bike like I should have been able to. In the 8 km hill climb/TT the spring plate in my speed play cleats somehow shifted and I couldn't engage my left pedal. I rode the whole thing with one leg...came 4th, but still, not the result I was looking for. In the road race I managed to break off from the main pack and stay away for 4 laps...until my chain broke with 4 km to go. I didn't finish....not a good weekend.

At the end of June I found out that I did actually qualify for Western Canada Summer Games for Team Alberta despite my poor showing at the Velocity Stage Race in May. Which was pretty exciting! Team Alberta gives you a lot of "walk out clothing" as in hat, shorts, capres, tank top, t-shirt, sweater and jacket that are all part of the Columbia Technical series. Pretty high quality stuff for a bunch of athletes!

One July 1st, I raced the Canada Day crit in Edmonton. It was a pretty cool race because it was around the Alberta Legislature and there were lots of people out to cheer us on, it was much more fun to race with a crowd. I unfortunately only managed to pull off a 4th place finish again.

Next weekend (August Long weekend) I will be racing Tour de Bowness with Team Alberta. Its our only chance before Western Canada Games to race as a team. (The best part is that I don't have to pay race fees!)

Sorry for the long over due post and the really boring nature of this post...its not my fault I'm so boring, I have a summer job that makes mowing lawns for a living look exciting.

BooYa!

Totally got Coal Miner Days off! My 'boss' is wicked, and I said I would give her some of my prize money if I win!

Great Northern Stage Race here I come!!

Snow

Sometimes I wonder what it would have been like to grow up an live in a tropical country. Its may 26th, and it is snowing. Not just wet, mucky spring snow, but sticky, wet snow snow. I was planning on getting my winter tires taken off next week, but now I'm not so sure that it is a wise decision.

On another note, I really want to go to the Great Northern Stage Race on June 12...but it is Coal Miner Days in my town and I have to work. It would be amazing to be able to go to this race because it is Whitefish, Montana and is only 2 hours away. I am also Cat 2 now, and would be racing with the pros. Opportunity is knocking, but I can't seem to reach the key to open the door. 

Upgrade?

I raced in the Velocity Stage Race in Edmonton on May 14/15. I didn't quite get the results I was hoping for because I crashed in the last stage which was the road race. 90km/hr+ winds picked me up out of the breakaway group and threw me into the ditch. I dislocated my left shoulder and partially dislocated my left hip. Painful, yes, but I rode 12 more km like that so I could finish the lap. I couldn't un-clip because of my hip and I fell on the commissiare.

But the good news is that I just realized my UCI license says I'm Cat. 2 for road!! Whoo, hoo!

job!

So I do fortunately have a summer job now (thank goodness) working at our local Visitors Information Centre. I am the senior student, so I'm like part bossman and I have influence over the schedule and I get more hours. It will likely be rather boring, but hey, it will pay the rent!

Stolen Quote

"I mourn the loss of thousands of precious lives, but I will not rejoice in the death of one, not even an enemy. Returning hate for hate multiplies hate, adding deeper darkness to a night already devoid of stars. Darkness cannot drive out darkness: only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate: only love can do that." - Martin Luther King Jr.

I have to admit, I jacked this quote from another blogger, a fellow RSD fighter. It is a good quote and sums up how I feel about the death of Osoma Bin Laden. Am I glad that he is dead? No, I don't think I am. I am glad that he can no longer harm another, but I don't know if death was best way to achieve that. This just might be the beginning of the darkness. So I challenge all of you stand up, and be a light that will shine through that darkness. I will try to be the light, I will always try to be the light, but the only way to fight the darkness is for everybody to let their light shine through.

Darkness is not the answer to darkness, but Love is the answer.

"This little light of mine, I'm going to let it shine, let it shine."

Side note: Interesting how Bin Laden died on May 1st, and Hilter died on May 1st....strange isn't it?

Social Media Ready

Facebook inspired this post.

For those of you who have taken a break from facebook, blogger, twitter and other computer based aerobic exercises, this video is for you. Especially KRT, (you know who you are).

My recomendation is to do 15 finger push-ups daily, and do this 3 times throughout the day in order to have a slim, social media ready index finger by summer.

Too high?

Okay, if you are thinking about the title and assuming I am implying that I got a little 'too high' last night, stop thinking that, and never think that about me again. (Should I be offended that you just thought of that? I might be.)

My average heart rate on today's ride was 173, with my max being 188. Is that too high? Its not like I was out of breath, I was totally conversational and feeling great. But shouldn't my heart rate be about 150-160 for an easy ride? According to my polar I burned 1113 calories in 1 hour and 40 minutes. I guess that's what happens when your average heart rate is 173.

Its Official

Yesterday I was discriminated against in an interview because of my dad. Its not like he is a bad, or evil lawyer, he is one of the few just and honorable ones. Which I suppose might be the problem, he is just too darn good at his job.

I got woken up by a phone call yesterday at about 10 am (yeah, I know, I just finished a year of university, you can't expect me to get up at 6 am for no reason),  to come for an interview at 1:00 for the Water Smart Ambassador job. So I got all professionally dressed up, even put on some make up for a change, and when downtown for the interview. It was going fabulous, then about halfway through (I'm pretty sure it was about halfway through, but it could have just been a really short interview) she asked me, "Oh, are you (insert name)'s daughter?"

What am I supposed to do? Lie, say no, make up a story of how my family died in a tragic accident? I said yes. Interview over, just like that, just because of my name. I might as well be a black Muslim, stripper, terrorist and I probably would have had a better chance at the job.

I found out later that night from my dad that he was on the other side of some union negotiations with the municipality (him being on the municipality side), the women who interviewed me was a union rep involved with said negotiations. The union didn't get what they wanted because me dad is just too darn good at doing his job, so I didn't get what I wanted, a job. I know its not fair, but I guess I eventually need to know what it feels like to be the one who is discriminated against because of who I am.

My dad is pretty 'tight' with the district, (I find it somewhat unnerving to refer to somebody who wears a suit everyday with being 'tight' with anyone, but I couldn't think of a better word), and I know that he called the administrator today. However, I made it clear that I did not what the person who did this to me to suffer any consequences. I'm going to be the bigger person. "An eye for an eye makes the whole world blind."

Summa Time!

So I made it through first year! Yup, that's right, I'm a second year now! I could be considered to be all wise and stuff now, but really I will just be slightly less of a newb on campus.

Its awesome that school is over, no more exams, no more stress, but I still don't have a job!! It is kinda stressing me out, and its kinda my dads fault in an indirect strange kind of way. You see, most people's parents work for the mine or in a mine related field, and its not like they don't make really good money, but they should make less than a lawyer right? Because my dad is lawyer, I shouldn't need a job right?

Well, my dad is the type of lawyer who won't charge those who can't pay, who volunteers his time at a woman's shelter, works to keep youth out of the court system, volunteers his time in community matters and runs political forums. He is one of the top lawyers in BC, and he chose to work in a small town instead of a city where he would make 3x as much.

I don't need a job to pay for university right? I was privileged the day I was born, right? I went to boarding school, so clearly my parents can afford university, right? Oh, but did I forget to mention that I worked my ass off to get a scholarship that paid for my tuition at boarding school, and then worked harder to get scholarships for university. But I shouldn't need a job, right?

I hate my town sometimes...a lot.

Settlers of Catan

Have you ever played the board game Settlers of Catan? Well its something that I have discovered since coming to Guelph...even though we have it at home! I kinda can't wait to play it at home now...I'm sort of addicted. Anyway, I went over to a friends house last night to play a game, and I almost won! You need 10 points to win, and I had 9. That was the closets I have ever been to winning, even though all probabilities were against me. You wouldn't believe how many times a 3 was rolled...it was rolled a lot more than the God's of Probability dictated.


This game is rather addicting, and it actually takes quite a bit of negotiating and strategy skills. I do recommend you give it a try if you already haven't.

Its way more fun that studying anyway!

Things you learn in school....

I'm not much of a physics person...okay, that's a bit of an understatement. I really, really don't like physics. Albert Einstein once said "Too much physics isn't good for you" and I completely agree! Although, I am able to calculate if King Kong was real, would his body be able to support his weight? The answer is of course no. Which brings me to question if anybody in Hollywood ever passed first year physics. I don't really see the usefulness of calculating the momentum of a rod spinning, but I guess knowing the tension in an artery could be useful, or the volume of blood pumped in one heartbeat. So as I study in gloom and fear for my 8:30 physics final tomorrow, I can't help but admit that what I am learning may actually be useful, and that if I don't get into med school, I could always go into Hollywood and do a better job then the people who made King Kong (1 and 2).

On a really happy note, by about 11 am tomorrow, I will never have to pick up a physics text book or get another physics headache again!!! Whooohooo!

So today's post is a tribute to physics, even if I hate it, it still deserves at least one day of love every 100 years.

Exams, bikes, and Toronto.

On Saturday I went to Toronto with a very good friend to go to a bike shop. He hooked me up with the same team that sponsors him this year, which is pretty wicked. Cycle Solutions is a pretty awesome bike shop with super friendly staff, and I am lucky to have them as sponsors. I also can't wait to race!!

Toronto is a massive city and I rode a street car for the first time, they are kinda cool, but it also kinda sucks when you miss your stop!! We went pretty much all over the city on Saturday, we started in some random old part of town after we got a ride in from a friend in Guelph who works at MEC in Toronto, and ended up in the "Beaches." The Beaches is the rich area of Toronto, with cool little stores and water front views of Lake Ontario. We did a lot of walking...and because we are both not city kids, we definitely took the longest routes possible!

At Cycle Solutions I got some new tires, a water bottle, some toe covers and ordered some new Speed Play Zero pedals. I am already to race! (Well...after I get a kit that is...)

We did kind of run into a crisis though. We missed the 5:30 bus back to Guelph, they wouldn't let my friend put his bike frame on the bus, and the next bus wasn't until 8:00. I sort of started to freak out because I have six exams over the next two weeks, and I really needed to study physics and chemistry, not mention my biology finals is today at 6! My friend's wonderful aunt saved the day, and offered to drive us back to Guelph. I owe her a lot! And I am very great full for what she did.

So yeah, I had a fun time in Toronto, exploring the city by street car, bus and by foot. It was a good day, and it was super sunny for once!

Time to get back to the books...

So close I can almost taste it

Whooo!

First year is so close to being done I can hardly handle it! Its actually ridiculous to think that I have almost finished a year of university. I can still remember, way back when I was just starting high school, that university seemed like centuries away. Well...now grade 8 seems like centuries away, but I guess that is really what growing up is all about. Its also weird to think that people younger than me, might view me as grown up...I still feel like I'm about 13!

It is interesting to see how perspectives change as we grow up, as we grow into the world. Today was the last team session of the Altitude Health Care Mentoring program, and I don't know if I have changed throughout this past year, I don't feel like I have at all. I am sure that I have in some ways, but you never really do feel like you are growing up, until you think back to when you weren't so 'grown up.' I have learned a lot this year, a lot about life, about learning how to deal with life and about who I can become.

I have faced a few challenges this year, like almost losing my right foot, a few disappointments in school, but most importantly I have learned that you can always rely on friends to get you through the dark times. There is always light at then end of the tunnel, and that darkness must come before the dawn. I don't know when the dawn in terms of pain will finally break through the night, but I do that it will, it has to.

So here is to a my first year. The first year that I realized there is more to life than just school, or friends, its about the experiences you chose to have and the ones you don't that make your life what it is and what it can be. 

Georgia on my mind

For the past 5 days I have been riding up and down the Appalachian mountains of Georgia with a couple of cool guys from the U of G Cycling team. Its has been awesome, and really tough at some points.

The 16 hour car ride down here also had some interesting moments, but hey, what can you expect when driving through Kentucky? We had to stop a Waffle House because we saw a sign every 2 minutes, I just sucked it up and and ate a gluten filled pecan and chocolate chip waffle for $3.75. We also could not resist stopping at an outlet mall...why is everything so cheap in  America? We also saw caught up to an other car filled with Ontario university students, and of course we exchanged phone numbers through car windows while having a duel between which car could pull the best window stunt. They won...and there was some bare bottoms involved.

The hostel we are staying at is too nice to be called a hostel. It is honestly better than almost any hotel, and probably better than my dorm room. They also feed you the best breakfast on earth. Its awesome, and all for $17 a night!!

On top of Brasstown Bald, the highest point in Georgia. 

I have also come to the conclusion of why so many people in America are overweight....chocolate bars are 50 cents, and junk food is so cheep that it makes perfect, logical sense to buy it. We can't resist buying chocolate bars every time to we go to Walmart...which is every day.

flex it.

I can almost flex my right foot at much as my left foot now! Who would of thought physio could actually help! Small victories are worth every cent of effort that you put into it.

The Obvious

Why are some professors so horribly mean? Honestly, I don't understand. Sorry that I can't make my medical condition go away, sorry I can't control when my appointments and tests are. I thought people would be more fair in university, that they would take into account people's situations. Is getting electrocuted for an hour not reasons for "compassionate grounds?" If you have never been sick, then I can see why you wouldn't get it, but losing 5% of my mark because I physically can't be in two places at once just doesn't make sense. Trust me, I would much rather sit through the horribly ridiculous 1070 seminars than have needles stuck in my muscle with electric current flowing through them. Isn't that obvious?

 

RSD and School

I know life isn't fair, I know nobody's life is 'fair.' Everybody has their challenges, mine just happens to be pain. For the past four years my life has been centered around doctor's appointments, physio appointments and waiting in the emergency rooms of hospitals. It sucks. But based on the "Pain Centered Life" charts, I don't fit into it because my grades have never dropped, I still bike, I ski, I kayak, I do everything I did before, but not quite as well. Nobody else seems to be able to tell my life has changed by talking to me, or looking at me, but it has. I used to do thing because I enjoyed them, now I do them as a distraction.

Who goes to university for a distraction? Who takes six courses to distract themselves from pain? Who races bikes as distraction? I do. I don't know what else to do. My pain isn't even near manageable, it just seems like it is because I can do some many things. Lately my pain has been getting worse, lately I have been exercising twice as hard.

I am the only student on campus with this condition, the only one. I know this because if there was another one, they would be registered with the CSD, and the people at the CSD said this is the first time they have heard of this condition. That also sucks. My friends understand what I have, but they don't understand what it is like. Its hard to be a 'normal' university student when nothing is normal about you.

Just walking down Pain St.