This, That and The Other Thing

(Brace yourself – this promises to be a jumble bag of a post…)

This

Well, we’re back from Winnipeg and finally unpacked. The laundry is still lingering but that’s what tomorrow is for… All in all, an excellent time was had in Winnipeg. Marc had some bad luck in the race on Saturday – he was in the perfect spot and ended up crashing – so it wasn’t the result he was looking for. But, I do know that he loved the race course. I got to see a lot of the course and I was super impressed. I spent most of the weekend wishing I had a bike with me.

Between hanging out at the races, cheering on Marc and lots of other folks, and drinking tea – I got in some excellent runs. I’ve learned now that Winnipeg has some awesome urban trails that are perfect for running, cyclocross riding and mountain biking. If you find yourself in Winnipeg, definitely look up Whittier Park and the paths along the river. Good flat, twisty, smooth trails.

This weekend we’re off again. This time to the Cycle-Smart International Cyclo-Cross races in Northampton, MA. We’ve been going to these races since 2007. A very well-run and organized weekend that features some of the best courses that I’ve ever raced on in North America. I won’t be racing but I’ll have my trail shoes, thanks to Twitter I’ve learned about Earls Trails so I plan to get out for some solid trail runs in between cheering at the races.

Hmm, what else? Well, my weekly cyclo-cross clinics are over for the season. I’m sad that these are over since I really enjoy the weekly practice session with the great group of women that come out. I find it’s challenging to figure out how to best pass on the skills/tips/tricks/techniques that I’ve learned over the years. I also get tremendous satisfaction out of helping women learn skills that they really didn’t think they could do. There is nothing better than seeing someone be able to take a barrier at full speed or manage sharp downhill corners.

That

In non bike riding news, I’m reading an excellent book. I’m a few chapters into Boundless by Kathleen Winter. If you were following along with my Canada Reads Top 40 blog, you might remember that Winter wrote one of my favourite books on the list: Annabel. If you’re looking for a book that interweaves adventure, aspiration, and humanity – then Boundless is for you.

And now that my favourite show is over for the year (Great British Bake Off)… don’t knock it until you’ve watched it. I’ve been sucked back into the Homeland vortex. I was going to skip this season since I felt last season was really not very good, but I’m in and hooked again. It is so hard to say no to Mandy Patinkin. What I do need are some recommendations for television shows that good to watch on the trainer. Yes, the trainer. I plan to ride the trainer three times a week this winter – I want to find my pedaling legs again and the trainer is a great place to start. So if you have some Netflix faves or other shows that will help me pass the time, let me know (no television channels here – not even the basic channels).

If you have any interest in business continuity/disaster recovery, then you’ve likely heard of Disaster Recovery Journal (DRJ). I’ve been working for DRJ for a while now, writing a range of content including blogs, newsletters, email content, website content, etc. Well, now I’m also writing a weekly column that looks at the media reaction to recent disasters, threats, natural disasters, etc. If you want to read this column, here are some links:

The Other Thing

In honour of National Cat Day: