Twitter took me away

Got hooked on twitter recently and have been finding it easier to cram my thoughts into 140 characters lately, feel like it prevents me from writing long winded and drawn out rants about everyday life. That and I have been really at a loss with writing lately. My last essay entitled "thank god for Eric" was thrown together at the last minute, literally. I wrote four essays for my creative writing class and felt that none of them were good enough to submit so I just picked one at random. I really need to get my shit together. Part of it is that I feel as though I have a major block between what I want to say and what actually comes out, and part of it is that I really have not been satisfied with any piece of writing I have done for a very long time. I'll keep working on it.

On the other side training is going well except for a persistent ankle/Achilles problem that is cutting into my run mileage. Definitely still feeling the effects of my broken ankle over one year ago... But I will keep on it and it will continue to get better. Mind state is solid, I have good people around me and everything is going as best it could.

Cheers

Kris

Best Run Ever

Last night i was fortunate enough to enjoy the greatest run of my life. I did not set any personal best times, or cover an unbelievable amount of distance. It simply felt amazing. I returned on New Years day from Red Deer late, not setting off for my run until 7:30 pm. The air was crisp as I left the shelter of my front door and ventured onto our street, then turned right to reach my usual route towards Foote Field via 72nd ave. It was dark, the trails illuminated by the street lights, and that was enough to navigate my way into the trails near snow valley. My ipod touch was plugged into my head and the sounds of Caleb Followills eerie vocals penetrated my mind, dazing me slightly. I entered into the tree covered trails, illuminated only by a half moon through a cloudless sky. The snow underneath me was heavily packed but not icy. Indeed every foot step struck ground deliberately and did not hesitate in propelling me forward without a slip. My feet began to tingle and slowly lose their awkward thumping feeling. Soon my legs followed suit and i felt as though i was floating. This is a sensation i have not felt in over a year and dare i say a sensation that after my ankle injury i thought i may never again. My mind was sharp and focused on the task despite being wooed by the music in my head. My thoughts turned from dark and dramatic to nostalgic, thinking of times with Aimee, times with my brother and time spent alone. Every song had a different meaning and each song that played seemed to have been chosen for a reason. What started as a run to run away from the demons in my head, the ones i fight with so often, turned into a run down of the last year of my life. From darkness to light, from fear to hope, i left the past behind as i exited the trails near Hawrelak Park and turned onto the Groat Road bridge.

As I ran across the river i felt at peace, this city is a home to me a place i love and cherish and at times it has been my best friend and my worst enemy. Tonight it was my friend, offering it's snowy trails and frigid bridges up to me to strike with my legs, and it's air to cut with the exhales of my breath. It's lights were on full display as i ran through the legislature and felt a hint of regret at things that i had not done when i had the chance. This is where i saw another soul for the first time in over ninety minutes. I was beginning to think that i had fallen into some sort of dream state, and that description would not be far off. To say that i was transcending myself and my body would not be enough, i was certainly transcending the menial task of which i had partaken. But that is what i love about sport, in a simple act we can transcend the very activity that allows us to enter into a new state of being. I wonder how many people actually get to feel like this. My thought is not very many. I turned again onto the high level bridge, taking in the view of the university, of the Kinsmen Sports Centre i had to smile. As i ran down 109 street i actually felt so good that i realized i was running close to 3:00 per km pace and let myself slow down. It had felt so natural, and i hadn't realized how much faster i had started running, or had i been running this way most of the night?

When i finally reached my house one hour and fifty minutes after departing, i stood outside for a moment and said my thanks to whatever is out there for allowing me the chance to experience this moment. And after looking a tad crazy for pointing to the sky, i entered the relative safety of home again.

Love,

Shack

Winter training rig

Life and times of the Loshack

Update time

I have been very busy with school and training over the past few months and have had little time to write for pleasure, thus the lack of blog updates. Everything has been good over the past few weeks and i feel that i am now on an upward curve in life and training after the dip i had in November.

On November 11th I raced the CIS national cross country championships in Quebec City with the University of Alberta Golden Bears. The race was abysmal, I was sick for the week leading up to it and was in survival mode. School was busy and i was trying to maintain my swim fitness, while my ankle was giving me serious problems on the running front. I had one of the worst races of my life but i really didn't care. I raced cross country for the first time in three years and did not enjoy it at all. I love cross country and love the guys i ran with, but the idea of a school team and all the school spirit is not my style. I also prefer to work with Kevin, and i can tell you honestly that i will not run cross country for the bears in my last year of school unless i am allowed to train with Kevin instead. In the end my body broke down, i had to take two weeks completely off and my ankle was in shambles and this was not worth the scholarship money i received.

Kevin is my coach, he is fully qualified to take me where i want to go and i refuse to work with anyone else for any reason unless he is the one to bring that person in.

So after this time off i have had to make up a lot of ground in the pool, but i can honestly say that it is finally coming along. My run is going amazing, which goes to show that with Kevin i can run over 70km per week and feel great and healthy and with anyone else 20km per week causes injuries. The right training for the right body type is important, and he knows i cannot handle too much speed work or high intensity running.

In the pool i am slowly starting to find some form, nothing magical, nothing great, but it is getting to a point where i feel comfortable in the water again. I am closing the gap between the faster guys in my group and am hoping to still rip off a best time in the 400m and 1500m by the time the season starts.

The weather has been beautiful in Edmonton and i have taken advantage to ride outside as much as i can. I have been riding a chromoly hybrid mountain bike with 29er wheels and 2.4 inch tires for my long rides. It is a single speed, so i mostly just grind it out at 80rpm for 2-3 hours at a time, but at this time of year that is the perfect training for me. I can definitely gain a lot of strength and have managed to stay upright so far (knock on wood). I will be sure to post a few pics of the rig soon to give you an idea of what it is like to train in the Great White North.

As far as writing goes i have been enjoying my non-fiction writing class and have lined up some more writing classes for next year as well. I am learning the tools and techniques which is important to developing my skills. I have to remember that it is a process, i used to think people just wrote a book in one shot, now i understand it takes years to develop the ideas needed for a novel or even a short story. The problem i have is that i know most of what i write is autobiographical and in that sense it is hard for me to apply perspective to my life experiences as many of them are still fresh. There is a lot of material swirling in my mind and at some point i hope to find a way to filter that into something cohesive and entertaining. I relate the process to my triathlon training. You can't win a gold medal in one day nor can you write a novel in a day. It takes a whole career of training and practice to reach that pinnacle and it is ridiculous to focus only on that pinnacle for your whole career. First you must learn the skills involved which is where i am at right now with writing. Then you must use them in smaller, less important areas such as publishing small stories or non-fiction pieces, or do smaller races to practice. It is only then that you can begin to leave your mark on more polished pieces that carry more weight and significance, or likewise begin to race more national level races and be in the race, which is what i hope to do this season in triathlon. There is a lot more to come after that, but it seems pointless to think about it now.

Everyday is a process, every workout and every word spurs me on to another level in that process. There is no ceiling, no predetermined end and there are no guarantees. Nothing is ever fair or right and it is impossible to plan for every road bump. The only thing i can do is to write one word at a time, run one step at a time, swim one stroke at a time. Those words turn into stories, those steps and strokes turn into workouts, and those stories and workouts come to define not only your career but also who you are as a person.

One word at a time, One step at a time, One stroke at a time

Love,

Shack

First Essay from Intro to Non-Fiction Writing Class

Alright, so here is my first essay from my class in it's entirety. It was meant to be a descriptive essay on a place that means something to you, for me I chose Waskesiu Saskatchewan, where i first learned about triathlon. I definitely think it could use a bit more work in polishing it, so lets call this a draft, even though it is the draft that I submitted for my class as a final product.

https://docs.google.com/viewer?a=v&pid=explorer&chrome=true&srcid=0B7X--_7-0CkTMjJmZDhlNWItMDdmNy00NGEzLTg5ZTMtMTlmODg3MzhjNmU4&hl=en_GB

Forgetting how to turn it on

Stolen photo... Copyright Jordan Bryden

I figured that over the last few weeks i have forgotten how to race. I forgot how to turn it on and just open up on a race course.

I had two weeks off after nationals which was super chill and i am still stuck in that relaxing/have a good time/chill mode. With so many events looming over the next couple weeks and some serious goals for next summer its time to step it up and get my shit together again. I need to get back into serious training/racing mode and get back to doing what i do best, crushing workouts and putting the hurt on other people.

So tomorrow I am racing my first ever cyclo-cross race here in edmonton at the velodrome. To get back into the serious mindset i had to make a bit of a change. Off went the leg hair and back came the beard.

Then i have a couple big cross country races before the end of that season, but realistically we are going full bore again in training so i have to keep on it until i get to race for real next summer.

I'm back on it again, not a moment too soon

I want that feeling that Crowie has in the photo

Shack

Race report of Kelowna Nationals and a status update

The Tri season has come and gone, and mine ended on a bummer of race, i don't want to bore you with the details of my unfortunate day, but here are some facts to put it into perspective.

1) I was feeling in good shape going in, probably the best i ever have
2) I thought i had some serious nerves before the race, which turned out to be a stomach bug
3) I was ranked second last, but still lined up in the 34th position out of 50 guys somehow
4) I made the main pack in the swim (best swim ever)
5) I got fed on the bike and run
6) I still finished the race even though it was slightly embarrassing

So at nationals, aside from the swim being a great improvement, i just didn't have it on the day. Whether i was sick, or it was nerves, or just me working myself up too much, i just had no power on the bike and cramped horribly on the run.

It was an off day, and although it was a big race i am really not worried about it, its been two weeks since then and i can put it into perspective and see that some days you have it and some days you don't and the ultimate goal is to have it more often than not.

Coach was awesome all weekend, lending me much of his time to go over race stuff etc and supporting me even on a tough day, i know it was just as tough to him to watch me suck as it was for me to actually suck.

Parents were rad, thanks for taking me out there and cheering me on, and convincing me to keep going after i was going to drop out on lap one of the run. I think it was the concern in my mothers voice that forced me to keep going when she said "no kris, keep going."

But they were great and helped me shrug off a tough day, next time we take a trip together i promise to bring home the bacon for you!

Jason Jama, chill as always and although he can't sit still it was awesome to be able to have my main training bud out there to do sessions with, i feel bad that i couldn't see his race, but i know that next year i will only have to look to my left on the start line to see him.

Guri for giving me time off work and as usual for being a sounding board for me for everything, and for the loan of a sick set of wheels. Love ya man

All the ETA kids were killer, great races and efforts for everyone, things only go up from here and so far things are going awesome. I love training with you guys and you inspire me every session.

So life is good, now i move forward and get ready for running cross country again for the first time in a few years, it will be exciting for race for the green and gold of the U of A again and to get back into the swing of school. I'll still be working 3 days a week at PRW and taking a full course load along with training so it should be a busy year. I'll also try my hand at a few cyclo-cross races this fall and do some of the tuesday night races here in edmonton.

Blog updates will continue, although if you only tune in for race reports you may be surprised to see more actual literary offerings showing up in the coming months... I am in a few writing classes all year to finish my concentration courses in my degree so hopefully i will be able to kill two birds with one stone and write pieces that will apply to the blog as well.

Whoever said I couldn't be efficient?

I was thinking today that the only way i could be happier with things at this point is if i had a motorcycle to rip around on, and a beachy surfer girlfriend to tell me how awesome i am and blow sunshine up my arse (not sure if that is code or not, maybe both?)

You can make bets on which will come first

Love,

Shack

Photo's are from Frank Dunn Toyota Triathlon on August 7th, Courtesy of Michael Loshack