Edmonton Pre-race

Well the last time I was here in Edmonton it had a blanket of snow on it and it was bloody cold. But now it is a comfortable 23 degrees. Off the plane we rented a car and rolled on over to the University of Alberta to see if we could check in early. Sadly at the Dorms the earliest we could check in would be 4pm. So we walked over to the pool for a dip. I felt kind of Lethargic to begin but certainly got into it. Main set was 6x50 build 1-3. Times for the hard were 25.3 and 25.4. We did a 100m TT near the end and I did a personal best of 50.4 from a push start. Only thing is the pool was in yards. Too bad…would have been nice to say my PB is 50.4 for 100 "meters". But it is PB for 100Yards. Lunch at the “Hub” and back to the Residence. The room was still not ready so Scotty, Andrew R. and I sat in the Lounge and eventually fell a sleep on three comfy couches.
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Off to the pre-race meeting and the nerves are picking up again. It isn’t as bad as it has been but that is probably because I just found out that I was racing literally two days ago. I had been waiting to see my name on the start list for the world cup and I was thrilled to see it Wed morning. Got the ticket and began working very hard on Recovery. Due to the heavy training that I have had over the past week I am icing in the ocean, chugging back the whey protein and eating a lot of dates! Yes I said Dates. Yum. Lovely dinner with all the athletes and back to the dorms we drove. Scotty and I ran through campus with our shirts off due to the heat of course… a few drills and strides later and we were back in the dorms. Also...very random, we were driving and we saw Rob Fougere aka "Raj Fougere" It was good to see him. Rob is basically who I got my fashion sense from, probably one of the coolest guys.

In the Lobby ready to run with Scotty.

So, as for the race. I have always loved this swim course. I have been waiting for a two lap swim for so long! The Bike is 6 loops with one steep hill, sort of like the Thurlow Hill in Vancouver. It is a bloody fast course. The run is flat and scenic. It should be a fun race. It is the kind of course that suits my racing style.

Well I am off to bed,
Ciao for now,
Andrew

Todays Top 5

Top 5 objectives for Sundays Race: (Plus some good tunes that may or may not relate)

1. HAVE FUN! (Why else would I be here!) (Trooper - "Here for a good time")
2. Fast out of the water and first few km's on the bike (May take an extra effort and be mentally tough) (Fort Minor - "Remember the Name")
3. Stay tough and focused on the Run! ( I know I have it in me.) (Eminem - "Loose Yourself")
4. Ride Smart, corner well and work the hills! (Like Vancouver, this is a crutial part of the race) (Led Zeppelin - "In the Evening")
5. E-Load (Have a nutrition plan!) (U2 - "Pride (in the name of love)")