It has taken me a couple of days to recover from Sunday’s exuberant activities, and for this I am thankful. On Sunday I participated in the Natural Fitness Lab Winter Challenge – this was a morning of skate skiing, classic skiing and snowshoe running, organized by Dave and Lise. When I first saw this event posted on Facebook, I was wary – very wary.

It sounded like a day for the super skiers and snowshoe runners. Surely not a day for the-always-offsetting skiers and kind-of-walking-not-really-running snowshoers… Boy, was I wrong. On Dave and Lise’s urging and convincing that the event was all about participation and bringing people together, I signed up (but not without recruiting a few friends as well).

What a a fun morning. I got to ski in a location I’d never skied at before. Yes, Lac Philippe is worth the drive (even from Barrhaven). And even better, I got to ski with my good friend and I got to hang out with the super fast folks for a bit as well. The trail was excellent and I am now committed to returning so I can make it all the way to Lusk Cabin. In between the skate skiing and snowshoe running, the gang went out for a classic ski, but since I only have skate skis, I was lucky to hang out with another good pal. We chatted up a storm and got ourselves ready for an hour of snowshoe running. This final leg was quite excellent – a great trail (#73) with some crazy ups and super fun downs – a great hour of running/walking/shuffling/smiling.

At the end of it all, my legs were trashed, my lungs were burning, and I was smiling. There are a few stand-outs from the morning: great people, excellent location, and good weather – but most of all what stood-out was the reality that no one cared if you were fast, slow or in-between – what mattered was that you were out doing it.

This is just the spirit and vibe that I’ll be carrying with me into the New Year. Thanks Dave and Lise for getting a great gang of folks together for a fun morning of fresh air and smiling.

So that pity party thing – just wanted to let you know – it is over and done with.  I realized (thanks in no small part to you) that I have no reason to feel defeated and sorry for myself. In fact, I’ve got it pretty darn good. The new medicine (Remicade) is working (knock on wood). In fact I’m a “normal” person these days – I can eat pretty much whatever I want, I can go out without stressing over bathroom access, and I generally feel darn good.

These past few weeks have been really good. I’ve been getting in a lot of time on my snowshoes and have started to get the groove with the ski lessons. I haven’t been skiing as much as I would like but there is lots of time to get out on the skis. The Monday night ski lessons are going well – I even went out last week in the crazy cold… (Though I’ll never go out in that kind of cold again….) I find that getting out for one hour walks/hikes on the snowshoes in the deep snow is a darn good work-out – breaking trail and walking through deep snow is a good way to get in a good work-out without feeling super exhausted. I did try running in the knee deep snow… can’t do this yet (makes me super impressed with the guys who are running at the front of the snowshoe group on Wednesday nights…).

As you can tell, I’m a big fan of snowshoes. I even signed up for the next three Mad Trapper Snowshoe Races. Now don’t worry – I’m not going to get all stressed out and crazy brain before these. These are really just participation events for me – the fast runners take off and then it is like a Wednesday night snowshoe. So if you’re thinking of signing up and coming out to the Mad Trapper races but are feeling nervous – don’t be. (Besides I’ll be there so you can always run slowly with me!)

That’s really the news from here. Just plugging along and I’ve finally got my head on straight. Maybe it’s the time of the year but I’ve finally realized that I need to be thankful for how I am feeling right now and not fret over how I used to feel when out running or skiing (because honestly even then I always wanted to be faster…).

I hope you’re ready for the holidays and are going to spend it with your loved ones. I’ll be hanging out with my family – my favourite guy won’t be there (he’s in Belgium racing his cyclo-cross bike). Wherever you are and whatever you’re doing over the holidays, be sure to take a moment to sit down and take a deep breath and enjoy all that you have. Merry Christmas and if we don’t chat before the New Year – Happy New Year!

It has been a very long time since I’ve felt like this… Physically unfit. As an athlete, I’ve gotten used to (perhaps taken for granted) that I could expect my body to respond to the demands I place on it. It used to be that when I wanted to ride my bike hard, I could do it. It used to be that when I wanted to go snowshoe running with the Wednesday night gang, I could do it – I’d be at the back but not off the back walking. It used to be that I could skate ski for three hours with friends and not feel completely destroyed afterwards – now I’m lucky to manage a very slow 90 minutes.

This is hard. Really hard. The feeling that I won’t ever return to the fitness I had is overwhelming. At times these feelings make me want to get out and do more and more. Then at other times, I just want to give in – to sleep in and skip my morning bike ride and TRX work-out, to stay home and read books instead of going snowshoe running, to ignore my skis and forget about the 51 km Gatineau Ski Loppet that I’ve already registered for.

This is new for me. I’ve been through a lot over the years dealing with being sick, recovering and then getting sick again. But never before have I been wiped out like this before. I have a new appreciation for what my body can and cannot do. The big problem is that I really don’t want to believe that I’m really coming off-the-couch with zero fitness – that I have to start from a place I can’t really remember ever being at.

I need to slow down. To ride at a lower wattage. To walk the big hills and let the others go when my breathing has become wheezing and my head is screaming. To not go for long skis three days in a row (like I planned to do on Friday, Saturday and Sunday).

I need to take a deep breath and remember.

Remember that only a few weeks ago, I would have given anything to just be outside with my friends – regardless of how slow and out-of-shape I felt. I need to remember that a few weeks ago, I couldn’t get through the day without a nap and that just walking around the block was a big deal. Perspective – it does a person a lot of good.

The good news is that I can only get better. The trick being to not push it too hard too soon. A good friend said to me last night “you need to take it slowly. You don’t want to get sick again.” This hit home really hard. She’s right. I do need to take it slowly – I’d rather be moving slowly than not moving at all.

We have something very special here in Ottawa – it is the Eastern Ontario Cyclo-Cross Series. This cyclo-cross series has been running for over 20 years and is operated on a pure volunteer basis. Thanks to some very dedicated volunteers (Bob, Cheryl, Ian, and Rosemary) this cyclo-cross series has grown to have some of the largest fields in the country.

I remember way back in 1994 there were maybe five women out racing (on a good day) – this year we had 87 women racing. Yes, 87 women – how awesome is that. We had little girls racing in the under 11 category and even had someone racing in the 60 plus category. So very impressive. This year there were 291 people who registered for the 10 race series. The categories range from Under 11 to the 70 plus category.

This season racers traveled to Almonte, Renfrew, North Gower, Perth, Cobden, Kingston, Calabogie Peaks, and Cornwall. The diversity of courses and venues ensures that the series remains interesting and it gives different racers a chance to shine depending on the course and the conditions. This year, the organizers and racers were lucky to avoid racing in the snow – though there was some slippery mud in Almonte.

The Eastern Ontario Cyclo-Cross Series is unique in that it brings together cyclists from a range of backgrounds and abilities. What this does is fosters a tight community of racers and supporters. It was rare to have a race this year that did not have a large group of fans out watching – yes the racers stick around to watch the later races or come early to watch the races beforehand.

This year I was purely a spectator and fan – at first it was hard to stand out there watching my friends race. But I benefited tremendously by seeing the racing from the other side of the tape – this allowed me to meet so many different people and through the few cyclo-cross clinics I held, I was able to meet people I would have otherwise never have met. I’m looking forward to being out there racing next season – there is just something special about the Eastern Ontario Cyclo-Cross Series, that once you try it, you want more of it. 

(If you live in or around Ottawa and are curious about cyclo-cross, I highly recommend you come on out and race. New people come out every year and you don’t have to be a serious “racer” to race – this is all about participation and having some fun.)

A huge thank-you to Bob, Cheryl, Ian and Rosemary – without you we wouldn’t have something to do on Sunday mornings! As well, a big thanks to The Cyclery and Euro-Sports for supporting the series. 

During my racing years, I was very fortunate to be supported by some very impressive companies and people. This support made it possible for me to chase my cyclo-cross racing dreams without having to worry about essentials like bikes, wheels, pedals, food, clothing, transportation and living costs – basically everything I needed. Yes, I was very lucky to have this support.

In the last couple of years, I haven’t been racing but some of these companies have continued to provide me with products and gear. This has been a real treat – I’ve been able to test out the latest nutrition offerings from Clif Bar, wear some very snazzy casual clothing thanks to Lolë, get comfortable on a mountain bike again thanks to Opus and OGC, and always have what I need to keep me riding and skiing thanks to The Cyclery.

So, in thinking ahead to the holidays, how about visiting some of these fine companies to do your holiday shopping? And to make things easier for you – I’ve put together a little holiday gift guide for you:

For the foodie in your life (and the very hungry cyclist) – check out my fave Clif Bar products:

• Dark Chocolate Almond Coconut Clif Mojo Bar (yes as good as it sounds)
• Peanut Butter Kit’s Organic Fruit and Nut Bar (dates, peanuts, almonds and sea salt – that’s it!)
• Chocolate Peppermint Stick Luna Bar (oh so good and perfect for this time of the year)

For the fashionista on your list (or maybe for yourself) – you don’t want to miss these must-haves from Lolë:

• Lily Tote Bag (I have this bag in red – it is fantastic)
• Ponder 2 Top (100% merino wool top that does double-duty as a base layer or fashion forward layering piece)
• Refresh Pants (I have two pairs of these – perfect for yoga, relaxing at the coffee shop and pulling on after a good ride or ski)

For the cyclist in your life, check out these new Opus bikes for 2014:

• Fhast 1.0 29er (I have the 2013 version of this bike – it has rekindled my love of trails and big rocks!)
• Dash 12″ (how awesome is this little bike for your little cyclist)
• Ivanna Women (this is the city bike that works wherever you need to go)

For the skier and winter cycling fanatic, The Cyclery has your gift-giving needs covered:

• Madshus skis (I have Madshus skis and I have to say that these skis are fast and durable)
• Stages Power Meter (you will be number one if you choose this power meter for your favourite cyclist)
• Giro gear (Giro is my number one choice when it comes to helmets and gloves)

A big thank you for all the support I’ve received over the years. I’m honoured to have such fine companies providing me with access to their latest and greatest products.