Brett Favre

7-1

This video is courtesy of Scott Curry- thanks Scot- somebody has to manage the beach!

We had the pro meeting yesterday which was one of the most bizarre pro meetings i’ve ever experienced but it was in typical Xterra style, very chill, laid back and easy going.  I didn’t realize the history of this event went back so far.  They hang banners of all previous winners and the list is really cool.  Mike Pigg, Richitello, Andrew Nobel heck even Michellie Jones won this thing back in 1996.  When I was just getting into the sport back in 1994/95 these were the dudes i would read about in magazines.  Mike Pigg was the ultimate work horse, Michellie won everything on the planet but I never knew they did Xterra……kind of cool.

Kelly Guest took me on a small section of the run course yesterday, up and down, rocky, sandy stuff but good.  We also ran on the most technical part of the course on the beach and through the spooky forest.  It was exactly what I hoped it would be….fun, challenging and a bit nutty.  Transition and the finish are at the Maui Prince hotel which is called something else now but I prefer it’s maiden name.

We had dinner on the beach the other night and watched the sun set it was really great.  Took some beauty photos of the Finnster

As for the hidden message competition. Congratulations to Jaakko Hiekkaranta who answered first “Brett Favre”. I have a sneaking suspicion that you live somewhere in Europe unless you get up really early in the morning like in the 1′s or 2′s. This of course puts you at a distinct advantage, partly because of the time change and partly because of how cool Europe is in general. You have won a date with my wife but I have not told her this yet so don’t mention it if you see her. If you don’t live in Europe I apologize. I will think of a prize suitable for such an accomplishment.

Brett Favre

6-0

(Barely)

This is a cool product!

www.youbars.com

This is Mark Jensen, founder of Gleukos sports drink, finishing Vineman Ironman.  He carried those Gleukos drinks from start to finish!  High Five Mark! Check out Gleukos at: http://www.gleukos.com/

Well, not exactly the result I was looking for but you take the good with the not so good.  After a doozie drive from Port Angeles on Wednesday we raced the Xterra Mid-West Cup just north of Coeur D’Alene, ID on Saturday.  The course was great, lots of fast single track which I really love and one of the most beautiful run courses I’ve ever been on.

My form wasn’t exactly awesome unfortunately.  Unfortunately a bit flat on the day but still managed to pull out a top 10 finishing in 8th.  The race for 5-8 was reasonably tight while the top 3 were in a different race altogether.  The swim was very rough, windy, choppy conditions in one of the USA’s deepest lakes- 2000ft in some spots, aparently a Submarine Testing ground for the US navy.  I came out 30 seconds down, a bit disapointing but still in range.  The bike was slightly demoralizing, i felt like i was riding in quick sand for most of it and the run had some hit and miss moments.  I think i’ve lost a bit of power from crash and resulting back injury and of course needed a wake up call to regain some race fitness.  The most important thing is that nothing compares to the workout you get in a race.  2.5 hours of threshold effort is hard to do on your own so I will take that and put it in the bank sans a pay cheque which only went 7 deep:(  A big shout out to Mel and Ross for keeping me in check and say what you want about Mel’s looks she is a dam tough cookie….gutted it out on a rough day to win her 4th in a row, I’m just happy I beat her:)

And so onward.  A weekend off then back into the half ironman scene with the second in the West Coast Subaru series here in Victoria.  I’m excited to get on my TT bike and get cracking.

For a full story here on the race this weekend you can check out:  http://www.xterraplanet.com/news/press_article.cfm?id=2447

Here’s how the top 10 panned out:

TOP PRO MEN

Pl  Name  Age  Hometown  Time  Pts  Purse
1  Dan Hugo  23  Stellenbosch, South Africa  2:25:32  100  $1,800
2  Nico Lebrun  35  Digne, France  2:29:38  90  $1,250
3  Seth Wealing  30  Boulder, Colorado  2:31:20  82  $800
4  Branden Rakita  28  Manitou Springs, Colorado  2:33:19  75  $500
5  Conrad Stoltz  35  Stellenbosch, South Africa  2:34:03  69  $400
6  Craig Evans  31  Spring Hill, Tennessee  2:36:13  63  $300
7  Ryan Ignatz  30  Boulder, Colorado  2:36:20  58  $200
8  Jasper Blake  35  Victoria, B.C., Canada  2:37:42  53
9  Cody Waite  30  Lakewood, Colorado  2:38:16  49
10  Brendan Halpin  25  Missoula, Montana  2:40:29  45
Also: Will Kelsay (41), Adam Jensen (37), Matt Boobar (34), Jeff Smith (31)

TOP 10 PRO WOMEN

Pl  Name  Age  Hometown  Time  Pts  Purse
1  Melanie McQuaid  35  Victoria, B.C., Canada  2:51:10  100  $1,800
2  Danelle Kabush  34  Canmore, Alberta, Canada  2:52:50  90  $1,250
3  Christine Jeffrey  36  Guelph, Ontario, Canada  2:55:46  82  $800
4  Jenny Tobin  39  Boise, Idaho  2:57:53  75  $500
5  Emma Garrard  27  Truckee, California  2:59:05  69  $400
6  Rebecca Dussault  28  Crested Butte, Colorado  3:05:22  63  $300
7  Tracy Thelen  29  Colorado Springs, Colorado  3:07:21  58  $200
8  Erin Kummer  24  Boulder, Colorado  3:11:27  53
9  Alexendra Borrelly  33  Digne, France  3:13:27  49
10  Jennifer Luebke  23  Missoula, Montana  3:14:54  45
Also: Jari Kirkland (41)

One of my old buddies from University of Guelph is part of a charity that raises money to send kids to summer camp.  It’s a great initiative, anyone interested in helping out, check it out!

CANOE HEAD FOR KIDS 2009:

40km Paddle and Portage to Share the Gift of Summer Camp!

Greetings,

On Saturday June 20, 2009, a group of 24 brave souls and former summer camp pals will strap canoes to their backs and paddle and portage 40km along Toronto’s waterfront.

We are doing this to raise money for Amici Camping Charity, a charitable organization that sends underprivileged kids to over 25 different summer camps (see list below).

This one-day canoe trip is inspired by our beliefs and experiences in the positive impact of summer camp. We were fortunate to be provided the opportunity to share childhood and young adulthood summer experiences at camp. It was a safe place to get into trouble, and to play outdoors. Furthermore, camp provided us with a natural and supportive environment where we learned the importance of co-operation, teamwork, responsibility, leadership and hard work. No doubt we will rely heavily on these camp values as we feel the weight of the canoes at kilometre nineteen.

We are asking for your support to help us reach our goal of raising $10,000. This will provide 10 children the opportunity to enjoy an unforgettable experience at summer camp this year. 



You can donate on-line by clicking on the “Canoe Head Crossing” symbol on the Amici website, www.amicicharity.org, by calling Amici at: 416-588-8026, or by sending a cheque to the address above. A tax receipt will be provided for all gifts over $20.

The portage route and schedule will be posted on the Amici site very soon, so stay tuned! We would definitely welcome your encouragement and support along the way!



Yours truly,
Stuart Snyder Willie Macrae John Dempster Steve Reble
Will Amos Hugh Rowenleg Scott Hicks Matt Chamberlain

2009 Amici Partner Camps:
Camp Arrowhead, Camp Awakening, Camp Bellaleo, Camp Can Aqua, Cedar Ridge Camp, Camp Couchiching, Frontier Trails Camp, Glen Bernard Camp, Camp Kandalore, Camp Kawartha, Camp Kennebec, Kilcoo Camp, YMCA Camp Kitchikewana, Camp Kirk, Camp Mi-A-Kon-Da, Camp Medeba, Camp Oconto, Onondaga Camp, Camp Otterdale, YMCA Camp Pine Crest, YMCA Camp Queen Elizabeth, Camp Tanamakoon, Camp Tawingo, Camp Wabikon, YMCA Camp Wanakita, Camp Winston.

Check out this guy!  Incredible story.

http://davidsjourneytoironman.blogspot.com/2009/04/7systems-endurance-sport-supplement.html