Had a chance to speak to the Kamloops Rotary club and Kamloops Tri club yesterday.  It was a great day and I was given the most hospitable Kamloops welcome.

Stayed with an old friend and her family….Yvonne (Y-vonne) Timewell, husband Greg and 6 year old son Alex.  Drank my fair share of Bailey’s spiked Latte’s and went for a wicked mountain bike on some great trails up on the hills surrounding Kamloops.

Kamloops is really sporting some sweet new athletic facilities.  In fact their new sports center puts just about every other sports facility I’ve seen to shame.  The national throws center is based out of there and there are quite a few prominent athletes like Mountain Biker Catherine Pendral who call Kamloops home.

It’s a short drive from Sun Peaks home of uber legend Nancy Green so skiing in all forms is at the doorstep.  There is also another cross country only area even closer.

I talked to the Rotary club in the morning, then hair appointment with Anna who rocks at cutting hair, then midday TV program to promote Race4MS then mountain bike ride, then Tri Club banquet…..super fun day, whacked by the end but the good kind where you want to drink more bailey’s.

Tri Club dinner held a silent auction for Race4MS…..$2,000 raised which is incredible.  Thanks to Dan for arranging it all.  Maybe one day i’ll move to Kamloops and set up a business or something.  Or better yet, start training there in the summers.

I dig it when you copy a file on the computer and it gives you that little icon of papers being moved into a file folder- it’s so organized and clean

One of our cats pees on everything

I like how easy it is to use wordpress and pretend I know what I’m doing with websites

I’m not really a huge fan of the general look of gmail but I like the usability.  One thing that’s a pain in the butt is that “reply all” requires a small drop down menu which is really stupid.

I like Beatles rock band because i know most of the words….or at least I thought i did until last night and realized that i sing alot of incorrect versions of those songs.

I did Bikhram Yoga last night and it was hot.  The first 20 minutes were really hot.  It was stinky and you drip with sweat.  I will likely go back occassionaly….what else is there to do?…watch TV?

Don’t ever buy GE cordless phones, the ring tones are loud, annoying and unsoothing

I ordered an S.A.D light yesterday.  It cost me $255.  They are not cheap those things but if it keeps me out of the nuthouse this winter it will be worth it.  It’s supposed to improve your general state of being during the winter.  It would be a good joke if they were just normal lights that didn’t do anything different than the lightbulb you can buy at the store.  I bet in a few years we will find this out and I will realize that “the joke was on me”.  I hate the lighting industry because of this.

Books I currently have on my office desk:

• Lore of Running- which looks way to thick and intimidating to read
• Periodization Training for sports by Tudor Obampa
• New Earth- Eckhart Tolle
• Status Anxiety- Alain de botton
• Primal Blueprint- Mark Sisson
• Stillness Speaks- Eckhart Tolle
• 4 hour work week

Yesterday I swam, mountain biked with tony, went to the HPR beer mile, did bikhram hot yoga, went to a party and got partially hypnotized I think, rocked out to beatles rock band until 1am, woke up with this morning at 5am and have been givener all day…..i think a crash is immenent.

This blog post is likely the thing that preceeds the big crash.  I feel very sleepy at the moment.  I have to go to a fundraising party at the trek store tonight and it starts at 7pm.  I’m not sure i’m going to make it until then.  Although history would indicate that i get a second wind around 8:30pm and yet a third wind around 11pm.

I”m now officially a member of the Chamber of Commerce…..framed certificate and everything.  I get to go to mixers.

Finn got his helicopter back today with thanks to Pippa.  “Actar” is all he’s been saying for the last two days.  He was very excited to get his Actar back.  When do kids start finding comfort in the attachment to things.  Would they do this if they didn’t see adults doing it?  Sorry to get all philosophical about a kids toy but I think there are many problems that become rooted in the idea that we own or need things.  This was his first real attachment to something.

Time for a shower- I=Stinky

I’ve never been to one.  Haven’t been to many farms in my life in general.  An Ostrich farm would be interesting though.  Ostrich meat is very good for you.  It’s pricey but it’s good meat.  Emu oil is also a good oil.

A few nights ago I had one of the most unforgetable experiences of my life.  I was invited by my host, Loay Nazer, to the downtown center of Jeddah to observe the daily “call to prayer”.  The call to prayer happens numerous times throughout the day and is broadcast over loud speakers from all the Mosque’s.

The downtown center of Jeddah contains a great deal of history including the house of the first King of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.  Prior to 1932 Saudi was not a united country but a group of tribes.  It went kind of like this (courtesy of Wikipedia so no I am not that smart)

The Third Saudi state was founded by the late King Ibn Saud of Saudi Arabia. In 1902 Ibn Saud captured Riyadh, the Al-Saud dynasty’s ancestral capital, from the rival Al-Rashid family. Continuing his conquests, Abdul Aziz subdued Al-Hasa, the rest of Nejd, and the Hejaz between 1913 and 1926.

Boundaries with Jordan, Iraq, and Kuwait were established by a series of treaties negotiated in the 1920s, with two “neutral zones” created, one with Iraq and the other with Kuwait. On January 8, 1926 Abdul Aziz Ibn Saud became the King of Hejaz. On January 29, 1927 he took the title King of Nejd (his previous Nejdi title was Sultan). By the Treaty of Jeddah, signed on May 20, 1927, the United Kingdom recognized the independence of Abdul Aziz’s realm (then known as the Kingdom of Hejaz and Nejd). In 1932, these regions were unified as the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. The discovery of oil on March 3, 1938 transformed the country. The country’s southern boundary with Yemen was partially defined by the 1934 Treaty of Taif, which ended a brief border war between the two states.

So anyway, we went to the house of the first official King of the Kingdom.  It’s a large 5 story dwelling smack in the middle of modern Jeddah.  It is made largely of coral which I found interesting.  The coolest part were the hallways and heights of the ceilings.  The hallways and stairwells are very wide and very high and were built to allow camels to carry water and supplies up to the top levels.

At the very top level is an open air prayer room that looks over Jeddah and is surrounded by 36 Mosque’s….all within one kilometer of each other.  We were joined by the Vice Chancellor of UCLA and two of his colleagues who were visiting Universities in Saudi Arabia.  Life is hilarious sometimes.

As the sun sets the call to prayer starts and it was without question one of the most surreal,haunting, moving experiences of my life.  Partly because of the surroundings, partly because of the company but mostly because of the incredible simultaneous broadcast over loudspeakers from 36 Mosque’s as the sun sets.

Following the call to prayer we had tea and traditional bread with honey.  It was so cool I went down to the beach the following night to listen to the call to prayer again while the sun was setting.

The video is footage of where we were and interview with a British Journalist that does it more justice.  This same guy was our guide.  He is a Civil Engineer educated at University in California who is now a tour guide and historian.

I think this is a really positive step by the WTC.  It legitamizes the pro field a little more and is likely in line with most professional sports.

Ironman Pro Membership Program

World Triathlon Corporation Announces Professional Athlete Program

To complement its recent anti-doping initiative announcement, World Triathlon Corporation (WTC) has created the Ironman Pro Membership Program. The new program will standardize and enhance WTC’s events worldwide. Acceptance into the program will be mandatory for all professional athletes competing in future Ironman and 70.3 Events. The program will officially begin on February 1, 2010. WTC will collaborate with national triathlon federations to build upon this new program.

You will all be happy to know that Starbucks is the same over here.  I think I can even purchase the exact same scone which is kind of creepy if you ask me.

We swam this morning at one of the compound pools.  Went right back to the basics…..floating, balance, sculling, catch, kicking and how to engage the core and connect the lower body.  Lots of work to accomplish in the swimming department.

Did a fun circuit training workout with Loay.  I think he will be sore tomorrow.

I’ve discovered the TV series called “Weeds”.  I’m starting with season 3 but downloading season 1 as we speak.  I watched alot of episodes today.  Back to my room for some yoga.

Thanks to Kamel I was informed that Guy Fawks day isn’t the Halloween of England but rather a memorium to Guy Fawks….a guy who tried to blow up parliment somewhere.  Now they light a big bonfire and burn scarecrow things of him…..thanks Kamel.

The hash run here is a weekly thing that usually sees 50-100 people but on special occassions like the other night there was somewhere between 300-400 people.  It was quite a site.  They drive out to the middle of nowhere and go for a wicked hike/run into the moon landscape that is Saudi.  It’s mostly ex-pats who are here on work but there is also a small local population that joins in.  We missed the bonfire and fireworks on account of getting back home to watch a movie with Dina and Loay.

Yesterday we did the bi-weekly running race- quite a site- middle of construction type area about 50 odd people show up and run around a 4km loop.  Dina did amazingly well….ran a best time of 35:52.  At the 500m mark I was a bit concerned that she had gone out way too hard but she hung in there.  I think she was excited to go under 36 minutes.

We also went for a decent mountain bike ride into the moon landscape yesterday.  It’s a bizarre mix of folks but bizarre in a good way.  The terrain is a mix of loose rock and sand.  We ended up coming back along the road to stink lake where the sewage trucks take the sewage.  It was a pretty nasty stretch of road with an endless stream of trucks coming to empty their cargo.  You definitely get some funny looks when you are out on your bike…..especially out at stink lake.

The long trip to Saudi

Vic-Van—30 minutes

Van—2 hours

Van-Frankfurt—10 hours

Frankfurt—2 hours

Frankfurt-Jeddah—6 hours

Arrived at 9pm and into the sack.  Up at 5am an out into the middle of nowhere for mountain bike ride.  Bizarre riding here, like being on the moon.  Oil trucks go in one direction, sewage trucks taking sewage to stink lake go in the other direction.  I enjoy being here though.  It’s so different and interesting.  I’m in a fog this morning……10 hours ahead and it’s 11am.  Tonight we go for long run out in the middle of nowhere and have fireworks with all the ex-pats for Guy Fawks day (I think the British version of Halloween)  I’m going to dress up like a Canadian.

The Guelph Team won OUA’s again this year.  Year after year DST keeps producing, it’s fun to watch.  Check out this photo montage, kind of a cool way to show some great shots….simple but cool.

http://news.guelphmercury.com/videogallery/556188

We flew to Maui yesterday already a week after Ironman.  Time flies when you are living.  Finn got a kick out of the plane.  I don’t think he can quite believe he’s in a plane, they are a regular sighting for him day to day.

Traveling with the little man is exhausting.  The flight was only 30 minutes but Jude and I were both wiped by the time we got here.  I think the packing up, loading the car, dropping off the rental, getting on the plane, security, getting bags, getting new rental, checking in etc……with a wee man who wants to wiggle and worm and run away makes it really challenging.  But guess what I’m not the first person to ever have a kid and we only have one so I’m not that talented.

We crashed out last night then today I went for a sweet mountain bike on the roads of maui.  I felt so rad and bad ass.  I found some tiny trails off the road and was in a “if it’s anything but pavement i’m going to tear it up” mood.  To be honest i really didn’t find any real trails except this one that was about 100m long and I nearly crashed.  When i got home I discovered that my special trail was actually a cacti war zone.  Jude and i spent 2 straight hours picking out thorns from my tires and not even the stans is sealing most of the holes.  It was ridiculous.  We pulled out somewhere in the neighborhood of 200 thorns.  I’ve kept them all and will have an official tally by tomorrow.  So that brings me to another rant about tires.  If I have to buy two more tires this trip i’m going to throw a tantrum.  I think the ones I’m riding cost me $100 each or something and the Larsen TT’s i need to race on are at least that.  please sponsor me tire company so I don’t have to remortgage my house and kick finn and jude out on the street.  I did some harder sets on the bike today and a harder run set off the bike.  I feel pretty good actually, thanks for asking.

Finn has discovered make believe cooking.  He emptied all the pots and pans out of the cupboard today and spent about an hour cooking meals for jude and I. Most of what he cooked was crap…..either too well done or undercooked.  I told him I was not impressed and to not quit his day job.  The truth hurts sometimes little boy.  He desperately misses his new friends Elizabeth and Clarke.  He keeps asking for them in sign language.  Why is everything a little kid does so cute and adorable?

We went to the Maui Aquarium today and had a blast, so many cool fish and so many reminders of what can eat you in the ocean.  I felt more calm about the ocean this time around.  As Mike says, if the sharks want to eat you they will……which is sort of comforting I think considering nobody ever really seems to get eaten.

Until next time, keep fit and have fun.