mytrilife

So busy, so busy

It's been a hectic return to North America.

First, I spent 6 days in Newport Beach (100km south of L.A.) with my friend John. Soaked up some California sun... although after Australia it seemed a bit weak! Did a bit of shopping... California must have the cheapest, best shopping on the planet. I found a deal on my new bike seat and pair of running shoes for Heather. Barely trained, as I was jet-lagged, and just not all that motivated.

Flew back to Calgary on Saturday the 28th. Just for fun, I grabbed a last minute spot for the Police 1/2 marathon. I has a million excuses not to do well, but I managed to go 1:22:43 for 12th place overall. Being a bit de-tuned and lacking the run volume, the race smoked me a bit. My legs were pretty shattered.

I spent the rest of that week running around Calgary trying to get a list of things sorted. My friend Joel's roommate was out of town, so he was able to offer me a room to stay for the week. Thanks Joel! On Friday, I picked up my new car.. a 2004 Toyota Matrix. Sporty looking, great gas mileage, and a brilliant hatch perfect for bikes and gear.

Saturday the 5th was the Banff-Calgary relay. With a few substitutions, our team this year was very strong. The top three teams battled all day within 5-6 minutes of each other, and our final runner secured our win with the fastest time on the last leg. Our overall time was one of the fastest in many years. My leg went well, despite my legs still feeling the effects of the 1/2 marathon 6 days earlier. I finally managed to break 1 hour for 16.1km, which was what I was hoping for.

After the awards party, I jumped in my car and drove straight to Edmonton, which is where I am writing this now. Heather and I are staying at her mom's place while she applies for jobs. We're in Edmonton until next Thursday, and then we're off to the Okanagan for a week or so.. depending on any interviews that might come up.

On top of all this... my workload has been the highest in a long, long time... so I'm feeling a bit stressed and tired. I promise to try and get some more Aussie photos up soon when I find the time.

posted by Greg @ 5/09/2007