Northampton

Northampton MA, is a special place "were the coffee is strong and so are the women". I'm not sure who I am supposed to attribute that quote to but they are certainly right. I love coming back to town and seeing the eclectic and cool mix of people wondering the streets and frequenting the Haymarket, especially all my friends that come back to town around the holidays.
While alot of my time back is spent trying to see friends and family the rest is taken up trying to coordinate my workouts with everything, or rather everything around my workouts! It can get messy getting each work out in, so far I have managed in some odd fashion or another. Making sure friends, family, food, dental appointments, optometrists, and work outs get into my day makes it all feel less like vacation and more like I will need a vacation when I get back to OKC!
I have been able to go skiing a few times over in Grafton Ponds, VT, since there is no snow anywhere else. They have a 1km man made loop which is in great shape in terms of the snow conditions. Spending time on the snow is wonderful, I didnt even miss a beat when I went skiing for the first time, it felt like I had never been off the snow. I actually think I am a faster skier now then I was before! Unfortunately my back still does not want to let me ski for long periods of time which is demoralizing, but it does make me appreciate kayaking all the more and helps me feel that I made the right choice in switching even though I love being on the snow.

Think Snow

The NORTH EAST better get ready because here I come! For the past week my skiing brain has emerged again and I have been incessantly checking the snow reports 6 ways til Sunday and nothing has emerged! We must get snow !!!!!!

Oklahoma City University Athletics - Join OCU's Champions Club in 2011-12

Oklahoma City University Athletics - Join OCU's Champions Club in 2011-12

KOKH FOX 25 :: Morning News - Kayak Training with the Pros

The other morning Maggie Hogan and myself showed a local reporter a little of our morning training. I also got a new question from a reporter. "So what are the Olympics?" yep folks I was really asked that!
KOKH FOX 25 :: Morning News - Kayak Training with the Pros

Putnam City Cancer Classic

The OCU kayak team raced the Putnam City Cancer classic 5km today. The race raised money for OMRF and cancer research.
The run took place on a day which reminded me of the kids movie Winnie the Pooh and a blustery day! The wind was seriously gusting to the point where you thought you may get blown away....or at least not be able to move forward.
It was fun to be in a road race again I think it has been almost 5yrs since the last one I ran, I planned on pacing this one really well but the boys decided to take off like bats out of hell and ruined my plan.....I tried to keep up thinking that I was just having trouble getting moving....nope they broke from their normal pace and tried to kill each other which mostly just killed me...ooops.
Overall it was a great event which raised money for a good cause.

Getting the base back

        Due to the fact our season went so long this year I feel as if I have missed a lot of prime base training time, this may be an illusion but mentally its very real! As a result  I decided to start base training immediately after Pan American games.  Currently my body is stuck, yes literally, the amount of weights and higher paddling volume have caused creaky joint syndrome which is generally co-morbid  with sorer then (please place appropriate adjective here).... However this is exactly what I wanted I think... I definitely feel that I am getting stronger and will be in good shape as a result....if I can move.

Pan American Games in one word.... Awesome....