First bike sponsor!

With the help of friend Allison who works with the company, I received my first bike sponsor this week!

Banff Caribou Properties owns 8 hotels and 5 restaurants in Banff, along with 4 tenant and commercial properties. The 100% locally owned company is by Wim Pauw who moved to Banff penniless in the seventies, the rest is history.

B.C.P provides extensive sponsorship and donations throughout Banff. Several years running, they have purchased every elementary and high school student a full ski pass at Mt. Norquay - $120,000! Quite a feat especially during these "economic" times.

B.C.P primarily sponsors National and Olympic Biathlon and Cross Country Athletes. Leighton Poidevin was their first "summer" athlete with biking, myself their second now.

They truly believe in promoting healthy, active living in Banff while improving their quality of life.

I would be proud to display their logos and stickers where ever possible as I believe strongly in their values, community giving and support.

Thank you very much Banff Caribou Properties.

Seth's 1st Birthday!!

WOW, where did that year go?

Turned into quite the gathering of 35 friends and family at our house.

Mom and dad came in from Fairmont, with Marn's dad flying in from Burlington.

3 new borns as well; 3, 4 and a 5 week old. Great to see Jen & Tyler with little Jolene.

Mom cooked up yummy conch fritters and a killer conch salad- hit of the party.

Seth enjoyed his first taste of sugar, a choc zuchini cake shaped like a bear from Marn and Christie. Though it was to the dislike of Marn seeing Seth eating sugar for first time.

Great to see everyone, Seth definitely has a tonne more toys now.

He is taking a fair number of steps now, and saying his name - hilarious!!

He loves his tobogan now soooo much, giggles for minutes on end running around the park across the street. I let him fly down little hills on his own - smiles of course but to dislike of worrying mother.

Overall he is just way too cute, what an amazing year!

Vegas / Lake Havasu, AZ

First week of November, I was asked / told to take my vacation asap. Scrambling on Internet where is warm with a pool or ocean.

With flights, accomodation and all we picked 3 nights in Vegas then 2.5 hr drive south to Lake Havasu, AZ for 6 nights.

I was in Lake Havasu 7 yrs ago in a Duathlon with my parents, beauty dessert town with a mountainous backdrop.

Seth was sure overwhelmed with the lights and sounds of Vegas. It had been 7 yrs since the last visit, much has changed. City Centre is mind blowing!

Nice to relax in Havasu after Vegas. Had a time share with full kitchenette and 3 pools. 25 degrees made for a late summer for us. Days spent with hours of casual strolls along the water and pool time.

Snuck in a round of golf - course with palm trees and cactus lining the fairways. 4th round of year, played with fun guys from Oregon..shot 74 :)

The states are depressingly cheap. $15.99 for a 60 lber of rum at Safeway!

Great times overall, nice to get away in November as such an in between time of year.

Seth's 1st Halloween

Seth's first Halloween

He was too much in the chicken outfit!!!

Seth had fun with buddies Laken and Charles trick or treating, although mommy would not let him eat all the candy.

Tour Duh Canmore - hilarious

Keith and Liz had talked about a stationary bike race at the Drake in Canmore, decided that afternoon to hit it up that night...sure why not.

No idea what to expect, 3 of us headed to Canmore dressed up in costumes as they had prizes for best costumes and Halloween after all.

Ended up being a fundraiser for the local Rocky Mountain Racers - National X Country and Biathlon teams.

4 bikes hooked up to a computer portrayed onto a large screen for all to see.

15 odd sec all out - fastest time and speed

Terrible first heat realizing after how much I suck in front of these national athletes.

After a few Pilsners my times became faster and ended up in finals....and ended up winning :)

Overall one of the funniest nights in a long time, similar to last years Indoor Cross Race in the barn....booze and bikes.

Keith took top costume prize
http://www.canmoreleader.com/ArticleDisplay.aspx?e=2161406

Browse www.rmracers.ca for a breakdown of event and $$ pics

After putting on 15 lbs since Bow 80, I am ready to roll again after this night.

Bow 80

This year's Bow 80 - what to say.

Blue skies and 20 odd degrees on all days before and after race.

Day of race -
pouring rain at 6:30 am
drizzle at start
turned into snow / sleet up jumpingpound
hairy / cold decent down j-pound in pow
slug up cox while laughing with Darren pushing bikes to summit in white out blowing snow.
contiplated life at cox, Darren saying just get me down safely while shaking drastically.
2,000 foot decent in pow was so sketchy
get to check point, they mention 2 hrs to finish with the last pull out there. Darren and other pulled while I thought what to do. I have never been so cold with my hands unable to change gears barelyfeeling the brakes. Still snowing so pulled as well.
My first DNF, tough to do but was a safety issue.
Hard to swallow as worked so hard all summer and final race ends like that.

The organizers pulled all racers after us for safety issues / cold / snow. Seriously suprised to not hear of issues in the news from people up on the mtns.

suggest www.bow80.com for a perfect review of race

unfortunately no pics

With no cross bike, my season is over. Been quite lazy last few weeks, put on 7 lbs since race :)

Fall Seth pics

Seth turning 10 months old - where does the time go?

He is cuter and cuter every week. Not too mention how nuts he is now, getting into everything. Crawling up stairs no problems, standing on his own for up to 1 mins..won't be long for walking.

The joy I receive returning home from work and seeing his smile - too much. Marn says he hears the garage door open and starts looking for me - can't believe associates the door sound with daddy coming home :)

Revelsoke Hill Climb

Revi Hill Climb Sept 13 27 km road with 1,600 m in elevation

Marnie and I suffered in this race 4 years ago. They decided to add 3 kms, 2 at the start and a painful final km hitting 10 degrees.

Caravan of Banffites - joe bop,jess,keith,annette,liz,robbie,marnie and myself. Marnie fell end of July and hurt her knee. She went on the bike a few days prior to Revi, first time since the crash, but knee still hurt. Morning of the race she spun around but knee hurt too much and did not start - too bad as she would have killed it.

Stayed at Lisa's B&B - Cheeky Beaver, nice to have a home to crash,cook up a feast and sip some local Mt. Begbie beer and vino.

Race went well, tough to pace for 1.25 hrs uphill. Started too quick but slowed down into a comfortable rythym. Keith started 30 secs in front on me so I was trying to keep him in sights on the long switchback straightaways. He pulled away the last quarter and ended 1.75 mins ahead of me. Good for 11th, Keith 8th, beat Robbie by 3 secs.

Overall happy, being that I have had very limited riding time since August- 2hrs / week tops.

Sufferfest at it's finest. Great to see all types of humans out there, the 70 yr old man that started first and finished over 3 hrs made my day..inspiring.

Beautiful blue bird drive through Rogers Pass - pointing ski lines out to Marn around Asulkan Hut

See you next year

Fairmont

End of August headed to Fairmont to see mom and dad.

Have not seen much of them all year really. Dad cooked up the usual delicious food buffet, mom could not get enough of Seth.

She watched him for a few hours to enable Marn and I to play 9 holes at Creekside Par 3.

Seth was all giggles in their little pool.

No more 9 year old Cannondale

End of July, my friend Colin hooked me up with a Time VSX bike used a whopping 4 times for a price faaaar less than the $7,500 the guy paid for it...cannot explain but not stolen. Just bought off a guy with way too much money who need nexts years bike now.

Anyways I am still pinching myself that I am riding a $7,500 bike now....compared to my 9 year old Cannondale I have been on last few years.

I was literally giggling the entire first ride, the snap is unreal!!

The other day - Aug 23rd - was my first time trying it in a race.

Speed Theory Memorial held on the newly paved, but closed to public still. Great job ST in hosting this weekend...most food at any race...mmm Tims coffee.

This was my first crack at Cat 3 after being upgraded after Banff races.

Darren was at start line so had a fellow RMCC rider to have fun with.

Played smart entire race, positioned perfectly in cross winds, head winds etc...with share of pulls up front.

Love how the bike responded to any surge put buy someone.

So was sitting perfect in 4th about to start the mass sprint finish. Just about to go around Top Gear dude...he blows up that second!! Slam on my brakes to avoid him and swerve right as the entire pack is blowing by.

I cannot explain my frustration, what are the odds that I was sitting behind the one guy that blows up?

Being on a very limited race schedule this summer, this was my time. All my patience and lessons learnt from previous races was about to pay off.

I am taking the positive out of this, raced well, positioned well and knowing had the legs for the sprint. Just reaaaaaly shitty luck about this misfortune. Can't do anything about it.

Darren sprinted well to 3rd place, good job!

Revelstoke Hill Climb Sept 13th next suffer.

Bow 80 Sept 20th for the ultimate suffer fest :)

Cascade Ponds

Being only a 15 minute bike towing Seth along, we have relaxed at Cascade Ponds a fair amount lately.

How can one beat this backdrop so close to our home?

Hiking

With the 1 month Paternity and everything going on, managed to squeeze in a couple hikes.'

Stanley Glacier has to be the best value out there. 30 odd minutes through open burnt forest brings you to an epic backdrop on sheer faces and glaciers.

From Lake Louise, hiked up to Lake Agnes Tea House, up to Big Beehive and around to Plain of 6 Glaciers Tea House. 5 hrs car to car with 16 km's distance. What a beauty day!!

Marnie loves the workout with Seth in the backpack, 20 odd lbs.

Cottage Country Ontario

A few days after Little Bow, we flew to Toronto to visit Marnie's dad and family. 1.5 hrs drive from the Airport and having a beer at their cottages on the lake. :)

I see why all the Ontario tranplants here in Banff talk about lake life in Muskokas.

We spent 6 nights up there, introducing Seth to all of that side of the family. Snuck in a round of golf as well, only second one of season.

Drove to Gravenhurst to visit Banff friends Jen and Tyler at their B&B they purchased last year, beautiful 5 bedroom brick building www.innonbay.com

Visited my Omama in Toronto on the way back to Burlington. Special times with Seth meeting his great grandma for the first time.

Great to get away and relax on the lake for a week.

Chillin at Little Bow

The day after the 24 hrs, we drove to Marn's mom's house at Little Bow for a little r&r for a few nights. Blue skies, good food and just the 3 of us, perfect.

24 hrs of Adrenalin

I started my 1 month Paternity July 17th, off to the Nordic Center to ride for the week ahead.
Blue sky days for 2 weeks straight almost.

The 24 hrs was a blast as usual. Team consisted of Marnie, Steve Soldan, Stocks and Colin Croston.

I got suckered again to start first lap La Mans start. Quite happy with my lap, 5th out of 240 odd humans.

The course this year was a riot, so much more technical riding than last years fire road boredom.

Marnie did awesome out there, especially as she has only been on the bike 6 odd times this summer...faster than Stocks - sorry Stocks.

Over all great times!! 6 laps with 1:04 being the slowest at night