Good Evening

The Above Poster is an annual event coming up in Sidney. It is amazing the amount of garbage we find along our island's shores. Not only is it a nice day at the beach but a good opportunity to volunteer in the community. If you need more info feel free to leave a comment.


"The living ocean contains 97% of Earth's water, provides home for 97% of Earth's life, shapes climate and weather, governs temperature, and planetary chemistry, generates oxygen, absorbs carbon dioxide and otherwise makes this planet a hospitable place for mankind. We should explore and take care of the ocean as if our very lives depended on it. Because they do." 
~Dr. Sylvia A. Earle, Oceanographer

As for Triathlon:


“Doubts demand from us a real skillfulness in dealing with them, and I notice how few people have any idea how to pursue doubts or to use them. It seems ironic that in a civilization that so worships the power of deflation and doubt, hardly anyone has the courage to deflate the claims of doubt itself—to do as one Hindu master said: turn the dogs of doubt on doubt itself, to unmask cynicism, and to uncover what fear, despair, hopelessness, and tired conditioning it springs from. Then doubt would no longer be an obstacle, but a door to realization, and whenever doubt appeared in the mind, a seeker would welcome it as a means of going deeper into the truth.”  - Rigpa Glimpse of The Day. Feb 9, 2011


I really like this quote. Especially coming off of a season like last year. It would be easy to let doubt slip into my mind. With my first race being Monterrey and my poor performance there last year, I do intend to reverse the connotation that goes with the course. I know that bad luck can only explain a few aspects of last years race. In the big picture though, I was simply not fit. 


This is why I am excited about the progressions I am making so far this year. For the first time in a long time I have had a full 'Base' season un-interupted by injury or sickness. In-spite of mainly Zone 2 running my improvements are noticeable. 


An article by Chris McCormack (cant seem to find it...sorry) mentioned that one of his mistakes was forgetting about his strength. For me, it is my swim. For a bit I saw it as a distraction from my weaknesses. This was a mistake. For 2011, I have returned to it with the plan to make swimming a part of my arsenal come race day; Hopefully a card I can play to take control of 1/3 of the race and feel relatively fresh upon its conclusion. So with some big differences from last years technique and applying some strength to it. I am now swimming stronger than I have ever been and am race ready. Plus the fitness I gain from swimming does translate well to the other two.

Six weeks out from the Monterrey World Cup I have had to achieve certain standards for swimming and running. So, this past saturday I made the trip out to my Birth-city Vancouver the day after my birthday for the Dave Reed 5km. The course was a bit more difficult than I had originally believed. Not so much because of hills and that but technical and well populated. The race took place in Vancouver's beautiful Stanley park. It included a rather undulating first half with a chicane and two 180 turns. The rest of the course was quite flat but populated by the saturday morning walkers/runners along the sea wall. I sat pretty comfortable for the first 3km keeping an eye on the pace. I began to make a move with 2km to go. A group of 4 of us were mixing well as we swapped positions within the 4th km. A glance at my watch with a km to the finish I realized I was off pace and opened it up. Our group got split up and turned into a drag race between David Palermo and myself for second place. My final time would be 15.38.  Results can be found HERE. Not a personal best but well on my way considering little speed work. Though I really only lived in Vancouver for the first 2 years of my life I still feel at home in Vancouver. Crossing over the Granville St. bridge the song, 'Trooper - The Boys are back in town' ALWAYS comes to mind. 

Today, no more than 3 days later I was notified that I had to make the swim standard. For 800m long course or short course the standard is 9.36. The pool was set up long course. So after a quick warm up I got to it. My splits were as follows:


Splits by 100
1:04.9
1:08.8
1:08.2
1:07.6 (400 split= 4:29)
1:08.7
1:08.0
1:07.8
1:04.9
With a total time of: 8:59.56


Now having these times I am free to not only compete in the World Cup/ World Championship Series events but I am also free to focus on the work ahead instead of chasing after standards.


Well Tomorrow is another day and new challenges so I must be off. Race season is just around the corner....


Goodnight, n'Ciao for now,
Andrew McCartney


Music:


What an awesome song; Mother Mother - The Stand. A unique sound and something you get stuck in your head for hours. ...I don't mind. Enjoy.




Now for something a little different. Another song that I never get sick of. 'The Avett Brothers - I and Love and You' Such an amazing song. Enjoy.