I want to take you higher

I’ve been here in Flagstaff now jsut over one week and things are rolling along pretty well (although the foot is still sore from time to time).  I had my first workout on Friday and it went, so-so.  It was the same workout, of mile and two mile repeats in Buffalo Park, that I did one year ago but, it didn’t go quite as well due to an uncomfortable stomach.  I wasn’t able to relax and I didn’t want to force things too much.  While the times weren’t quite as fast I also wasn’t able to get after it as much.  It definitely sucks not running as fast as I previously did but, I know I’m in better shape than last year and there was a perfectly good reason for the slower times.  Also, it’s just one workout and the rest of my workouts this year have been fine.  Nothing to worry about.

On Saturday Eric Gillis, Eric Kiauka, Steve Osaduik, Fasil Bizuneh and myself met up with the Canadian Triathletes at Pay N Take .  The tri guys had been here for a few weeks and were leaving the next day so it was good to catch up before they left. 

The next day we all did a long run on A-1 Mountain road with the Indiana guys and a bunch of locals, including fellow Canadian Rob Krar.  Later in the day we were invited to Alicia Shay’s house for an Easter brunch and egg hunt.  The food was great and plentiful (thanks Alicia) and the egg hunt was good fun (great job Mike).  I wasn’t ready for the intensity of the hunt and I was left in the dust off the line and only got 2 out of 200 eggs between 60 people.  I did however get one of 31 ‘special’ eggs and got a gift certificate to a coffee shop, which I went to Monday after my massage in town.  As I was collecting the eggs Jack Daniels was beside me and I heard “good, three eggs, that’s the average!”  and thought, ‘yes, this is a numbers guy’.

Here is Mike Smith giving the rules for the hunt (photo courtesy of Scott Overall)

 Today Gillis, Osaduik and I did a 45 minute tempo on some dirt roads with some decent hills.  The workout went well and I almost got through the whole thing without stomach issues.  It’s pretty common I guess up here that the altitude will effect your digestion in the first week or so (to put it simply, more gas).  I was lucky last year that it didn’t effect me too much.

 I was given 20 questions for Simon Whitfield and myself.  We had no clue what the questions were going to be beforehand. Here is the video split into three parts (my internet connection I get from neighbours here isn’t strong enough to upload it all at once). So here is Simon Whitfield, 2000 Olympic Gold Medallist and Reid Coolsaet, 2000 OUA XC silver medallist!

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