Ahoy mates!

Our lifesport crew launched the first of a series of marine attacks yesterday. Here is the story of a battle to remember.

Lightly dressed, we approached the Hawaiian waters in the blowing wind. Batten down the hatches! We would be individually launched into the ocean and would have to fight the waves and figure out a way to catch up with each other and try to get drafts. A simple plan: to the pink buoy, to the white buoy...bring’er back home from there! Repeat it 4 times.

While shivering along the beach, I give one last solitary look to Linsey, standing beside me....'oh', she states, 'I hear we should not go around the boat, there have been reports of shark bites over there'...hmmm, what is going through my mind at this point? JAWS!!!!!!...o.k, I need to stop this, be strong and elaborate a new, positive thought: 'But what is a sea adventure without a bit of risk!' What am I thinking!!...'Well, if the others go....I just can’t be last in the pack! sharks attack the weakest, hey! Maybe this will be a fast interval!!GOOD!'

Capt’n lance let us stay away from shark trouble...PHEW! we won’t be heroes today...

This was going to be a four loop mission (4 times an 8 minute loop around those buoys). The ocean and the winds put us to the test...at this point, I didn’t even care if I was cold. The first lap was cruising, I was able to put in a solid effort and had an easy orientation with 6’5’’ sea creature Justin swimming with his long arms in the horizon....technique was staying o.k...feeling good!

Lap 2, somewhere along that swim, I realize that sea creature Justin has a huge draft....any closer and I was just hanging on to his feet to get to the beach.(o.k, here I’m making it sound like I swim at his speed, I had a big head start and didn’t hang on to his feet until the end!) The wind is picking up, it better give us a chance down for the third loop, it’s getting hard to see the white buoy, it’s like I’m just swimming away to the middle of the ocean in a storm, kind of cool.

Third loop, THE PRE -EPIC LOOP....Now the wind wants us down! Near the white Buoy, I look around because I no longer know where I am, I see my mates, all in their own battle, spread out and I keep on fighting the waves...not too easy to get a view of the other sea creatures, I feel all alone...wow, what’s that!? A sea turtle!Just glad it’s not a shark, keep on pushing forward...oh, there’s a part of the buoy...ugh...sea water in my lungs...I convince myself that it doesn’t taste so bad...ugh again.. But the funny thing is that THIS WAS THE FUN PART!! I was in a combat with those waves, it was AWESOME...and I did end up making it to the buoy! Coming back was even more fun...like body surfing all the way back! Just had to make sure I chose the right black posts on the beach (Lance and Marc)..or I might end up getting out of the water and choking in front of a stranger AND have to do a run interval back. LAP 3 . Just EPIC. No comment. Phew! We are done, high five, good training today, nothing can get to us now!

First days in a triathlete's paradise

Maui is a training paradise!

I’m really enjoying living by the little surfer town of Pai’ia. It's a town that makes me smile. A tiny town! I hit a 2 minute split crossing the village on an easy run, and it’s not because I was over pace!

It’s just such a comfortable place to be for training: There’s a perfect little morning coffee shop, fun boutiques, a few festive restaurants and...natural entertainment!..YES... there are funny surfer dudes of all shapes and sizes wondering around town, looking really...relaxed.

Yesterday, I had one of the nicest runs! I went solo to discover a road with rolling hills that went along the ocean. (The reason I went solo, is that I refused Justin’s offer to accompany him for part of his run, he was going to go easy....at 3:40 per K pace....hummm...maybe in a couple of months Justin??!). It was perfect: the sun was setting and I could feel the salty sea breeze and see the extent of the coast line. On top of that, my legs were just turning effortlessly yesterday. Running like this, with no worries, just contemplating and enjoying the ‘now’ is a true blessing. I hope to have a few other runs like this one while I’m here.

Today was the group bike ride. Brent, Linsey , Justin and I went for a 3h hilly aerobic training. I have to say...it went on the upper edge of my aerobic zone this time. (Just a bit....!). Linsey and I were not going to let the guys leave us behind. And so we pushed up those hills...just enough. I ended up using some of Linsey’s draft at the end of that ride. We were zooming down the windy hills so fast the cars just stayed behind! That’s the kind of biking I live for. It’s ADRENALINE RIDING (with a view!!!). I'm sure there is plenty more of that to come.

Cheers!

Welcome to Mag's blog!

Aloha from the beautiful Island of Maui!

I guess I should explain how I got here, in case you are wondering why I’m not running in the usual Montreal snow banks this morning...!

Recently, I came across an opportunity I had waited for a long time. In the past years, and since I first started triathlon, I had always had an idea in the back of my mind. An Idea that would drive me every day when I got up to train or to go to school. That was to get things organized to start a professional career in triathlon and, one day, reach my potential at Ironman distance racing. Before Christmas this year, there were many changes in my life and I particularly needed a new coach, I needed to do things right. I had met coaches Dan and Bruce in Boise and remembered how I admired their drive and philosophy. That’s why I contacted Lifesport and, shortly after , was on my way to Victoria on the first day of the year, to join an amazing group of people for a major boot camp. What a way to start the year! In that first training camp with Lifesport, I worked like I never had before, and learned so many things in just ten days! I also realized how great it was to train with strong athletes and experienced coaches. Passion is contagious, and passion, is what I want to live by. Those days of training gave me an idea of what it would be like to train full time in an optimal environment....and that was definitely the only thing I was going to go for.

My coach is now Lance Watson and training has been going better than ever (harder too...). This one will be my monster camp: 6 Weeks in Hawaii!!!! The first four weeks will be in Maui where Lance is coordinating the camp. After that, I’ll be heading out to Kona where coach Paul Regensburg will take over the pro boot camp as well as the Lava camp! And since I probably will be thirsty for more after that, I will be heading to New Orleans to race the 70.3.

So here I am, this morning, in Maui, waking up to realize that I don't even need an alarm clock... there are some Hawaiian roosters that want me out of bed by 6 a.m.

I had a smooth trip yesterday and received a warm welcome from the few that are already here: Linsey (Corbin), Brent (McMahon) and Aaron (he’s Linsey’s local friend that is renting us the townhouses and getting us all set up).

Now I’m all set and ready to go! An easy bike and run are on the schedule for today, this should be fun! Let’s get the show on the road!