Vacay: Beaches and Volcanoes

I'm on vacation.  I'm sitting on a big balcony/patio thing, I'm covered in sand, I have a proper tan for the first time in years and I'm a maybe a little bit sunburned but I'm feeling really good.  It's important to note that I have never been on a proper holiday.  I have a cottage, we once drove to a resort for my grandparent's 50th anniversary but I have never flown somewhere for the sole purpose of having a vacation.  I know that I mention this always and it's getting old but this season was hard, it was hard to deal with on a few levels and when we recently started training again I felt like I really wasn't ready to think about training again.  So I'm on vacation.

the view from the balcony

I'm spending a lot of time on the beach which is great but because I'm also one of those super annoying active people I'm doing things like hiking a volcano.  We had to drive up crazy switchbacks up to almost 10,000 feet where we then hiked down and then back up.  There were incredible views and the the coolest thing was that because of the volcanic rock etc. very little (including plant life) could live up there so it was almost eerily quiet.

volcano view

I'm not doing nothing training-wise while I'm away, I'm doing what I can but at this point I don't feel too bad about what I'm missing.  After thinking about skating all day every day for an entire season I don't feel like 2 weeks was enough time off for me to get myself in the right headspace to go back to organized, group training full time.  I'm hoping that this way I can get myself into a place where I can be positive about training instead of dragging myself and my bad attitude to the oval every day.

sunset at the beach

not the most flattering picture but figured there should be at least one with my face in it

Mini Update and Work Stress

Oh hey there, it's been a while.  If I'm being completely honest I've been finding this whole working and training very overwhelming lately so any time I've had at home (and it's been very limited) I have spent sleeping or sprawled out on the couch getting caught up on the many TV shows I watch.

Since I last blogged I've been to Salt Lake City where I raced the first competition of the season (just for fun it didn't count for anything) and then I came back to Calgary and worked 6 evenings straight.  So for 6 days I trained all day and then worked until 10pm and on the 7th day I left for Ottawa for a visit to see friends, family, and to spend some time at my cottage.  The visit was short and sweet but a much needed break from my day to day routine and of course it was nice to see family and friends that I hadn't seen in a very long time.

Then after my nice trip home I came back and worked 4 evenings straight, great.  Adding school into the mix life became very stressful.  As of right now I'm a little stressed out and sick (because apparently I'm always sick) but I'm managing to balance it all (just barely) I'm just hoping that if something goes south it's anything but skating.

A Taste of Summer

I went to visit my parents in the Vancouver area for just over a week or my home away from home away from home?  I've got too many homes to count now.  While I was there I was lucky enough to experience some really nice weather, summer weather in fact.  I went for a little walk with my mom and my sister and took some pictures that I've spent the day reminiscing over since it snowed in Calgary yesterday ... seriously snow in May, what's up with that?

Being in BC was such a gorgeous change because everything was green and flowers were in bloom and most importantly it was warm, sunny, and there was no snow.

Duckies!

Always love getting my camera out and taking pictures, being creative, if I could I think I'd like to just walk around and take pictures of anything and everything and maybe do a bit of writing in between and nothing else.  Unfortunately I don't get to do that and I've got to start my new part time job tomorrow, wish me luck!

Home for the Holidays

Training has been going a bit better lately but since we were reaching the end of another four week build I was looking forward to getting a bit of a break and seeing my parents for more than a few days at a time.  This year is the first Christmas that we're spending at our Parents' new house which is a little different but also meant that we only had about a one hour flight from Calgary to Vancouver instead of the five hour flight to Ottawa.

Thinking that this would be an easy trip we got to the airport early only to find out that our flight had been cancelled for no reason, none that they told us anyways, and so we had to cab all the way back home and then try to travel again the next day (luckily being the emotional wreck that I am I cried so they gave us vouchers for free cab rides).  The next day after being put on standby and delayed we finally got on a plane and made it to the Vancouver airport.

I was expecting rain and warm (compared to Calgary) weather but it actually snowed after we arrived! Although it's mostly gone now since it rained today.

Almost looks like Calgary (although significantly warmer)

We went to the Vancouver Symphony's Christmas concert which was good and also served to remind me that I wasted my musical talent by not doing anything musical since high school.

Sneaky crooked, blurry picture from the balcony

Selfie because I got to try out my new Revlon lip balm stain (in Crush)
(Don't get to wear makeup much when you train six times a week so I had to document the moment)

Even though I'm technically on holiday I still have training to do so of course I had to travel to the Richmond Olympic Oval to get some weights done.  I feel like I'm just travelling from one Olympic Oval to another.

Don't actually get to skate but kind of cool seeing all the banners from the last Olympics when the next ones are just around the corner

Stay tuned for more Christmas-y posts or about how I manage training away from the training centre (because I still don't know how that's going to go) or maybe something completely different, anything could happen.

Traveling and Training Essentials

I recently left Calgary to travel to Montreal for 10 days for the Canadian Open competition.  I travel a lot so I thought I would share with you some of my traveling essentials.  Keep in mind that I'm traveling for a speed skating competition so the things that I packed will be different than what I would take with me if I was just going on vacation.

I like to start off packing for any trip by doing all the laundry I've been putting off for a week all in one day and then sorting it all on my bed so that I have to either pack it or put it away before I can go to sleep.

I hated myself for doing this but then I actually packed so I guess that was good

The first things into my bag were my training essentials, everything I need for training and warming up off the ice.

Oooh so much spandex

First up, tights! I love tights. You can work out in them and don't have to worry about people seeing things they shouldn't and they're oh so comfy. Also you know sometimes rinks and arenas are cold and tights keep the muscles warmer.

From left to right: tights - lululemon, crops - lululemon, tights - lululemon, compression pants - under armour

Next up shirts.  This new long sleeve from lululemon is one of my best purchases in a long time.  It's nice and thick so it keeps you warm and then it has mesh down the back and under the arms so you don't overheat and the mesh looks kind of lacy so that's fancy.  Also pictured is my favourite lululemon sports bra (seriously I want 12) and tank.

Sports bra, tank and long sleeve all lululemon

And finally if I'm not wearing tights or if we're doing weights where it's warmer I am all about the spandex shorts.  I swear I didn't mean for this to be a lululemon ad but they just make such good quality clothing and it lasts forever, I have a pair of lulu yoga pants that I've owned for more than 5 years that I'm still wearing.

shorts: both lululemon

Next traveling essential is my travel humidifier.  Hotel rooms can get really dry so I set this up with a bottle of water and then hope it helps keep me from getting sick.

This one is Bell+Howell and you just have to put a water bottle in the top

Some other random essentials are St Ives Mineral Therapy hand cream (I have the big body lotion pump and it is incredible, best lotion I've ever used), deodorant (duh and this one smells good), shampoo and conditioner in little travel bottles so that my bag doesn't way too much (I got these ones at the drugstore for around two dollars), and Neutrogena Oil-Free face cream (this is very light and not greasy so I feel like I can use it every day and work out and my skin won't explode).

The next step in my packing process is to throw the rest of my clothes and skating stuff into the bag, cry when it's overweight because all the skate sharpening things weighs too much, take clothes out and then try to fit as many things as I can in my carry-on.

Carry on: sweater that wouldn't fit in the suitcase, running shoes, skates (because those are allowed on Canadian flights), helmet, water bottle, supplements (e-load, ultragen and whey protein), school books, personal book, and notebook.  (And, of course, my laptop.)

Always pick a comfy plane outfit, no one cares what you look like. Honestly. Always go for comfort not style. This is also a great way to bring another outfit you wanted that maybe you couldn't justify bringing or couldn't fit in the bag.

Tights: ivivva, sweater: H&M, scarf H&M

And that's everything because then I got overwhelmed by packing last minute and stopped taking pictures.  If you like posts like this let me know and maybe I can do a travel makeup essentials or supplements, or clothes, or what to do on a plane or something like that!

All my travel things by the door ready to go.