After faithfully checking the NSXC website all summer for news and reports and being disappointed by the paucity of new information (or the idleness, shall we say, of the administrator of this site.. you know who you are), I have decided to add my two cents, hoping to get the ball rolling for ski season. So here’s a small report on my summer:

This summer, I began my latest career: triathloning!! After much consultation with some members of the Wild Wednesday crew (ie. Erin Fettes, who assured me it would be fun), I signed up for a beginner’s course on triathlons. While most of the course’s information was for people who have never done anything athletic let alone enter a race, I did gain much from the experience, especially in the open water swim portion of the course. There I learned to hold my own and not be worried about punches in the face while swimming…. A very important skill set for triathlons let me tell you! Actually, I really think I spent more time punching people in the face than receiving blows. All those years of getting spiked, tripped, and pushed (ok, I don’t really remember much pushing) in cross country running and track and all my experience in the aggressive world of women’s soccer really helped.

The course culminated with a triathlon on Labour Day weekend in Ottawa. The swim portion (650 m) took place in Mooney’s Bay (note: If you have a choice, never ever swim at that beach unless you like having algae and weeds for breakfast) while the bike and run (30 and 4.7 km respectively) ambled over some fairly flat terrain. Despite having to wake up at 4:45 on a pretty crisp morning, I looked forward to the experience. The swim was satisfactory, but not stellar because I had felt faster in practice. The bike was definitely my weakest link, mostly due to my meager cycling training this summer. On the other hand, I was very, very happy with my run. Triathletes, in my very limited experience (and you can correct me if I’m wrong), tend not to be the strongest runners, or at least not where I was in the pack. I was able to pass several people and have the 4^th fastest run time for women (and 41^st overall). I was also able to pass several people in the transition areas by being a faster runner. Or maybe that’s just due to my slower swim and bike times.

Overall, though, good times were had by all (well, me at least) and I’ll definitely be tri-ing (get it?) some more next year. But…. I’ll definitely be working on my cycling for next year. It gets embarrassing when people pass you on mountain bikes or when you can’t keep up with people who are out for a Sunday ride on the course (although in my defense, it was one mountain bike and those Sunday tourists looked really fast!).

Next up: My first marathon!!! This article is starting to take on the tone of “my first tooth!”, “my first day at school!”, etc. or maybe a mid-life crisis (already?). I’m not sure why all these firsts are happening this year, but I don’t think it’s related to two other firsts: the big 3-0 and applying for my first real-I’m-there-until-retirement job; but who knows?