The Olympics are coming...

Literally...coming soon and coming to Canada! I am so excited about the Olympics coming to Canada. We all get to be a part of it. How much fun is that!
This website http://whatareyoumadeof.hbc.com/ has a video of me on it and you too can make a video and win a trip to the games. Holy Moly, that would be amazing! I am on this video because HBC (Hudson's Bay Company) is a sponsor of mine for the 2009 calendar year. That will change again next year, but it was great to have their support for the past 2 years. What a big help they are to 200 athletes across the country each and every year. Awesome!

I am so excited about the new HBC winter Olympics gear, so excited to follow the torch relay and totally excited for the games to begin. I know that all the winter athletes are working their tails of as last cuts for teams are approaching. Some people will achieve their dream and make an Olympic team and get to compete at home. Wow! Wow! What fun! Good Luck!! Keep up the great work!!! You make us proud!

Rolfing

I had been hearing about this massage technique called "Rolfing" from one of my teammates and she was saying how helpful she found it. After a few minor problems that I have noticed in my body and its unbalance, I decided to give it a try.

I went to see Lisa McCrae and she has been amazing. My first session (of ten) she noticed (as I had suspected) that my right hip was VERY tight and shifted slightly. She also noticed that my right shoulder is ridiculously tight. She asked if I even got coached on that shoulder or if I had ever noticed problems with it. I, of course, had no problems (or so I thought, until I went to row after). Now that I am aware of the tightness, I have noticed how it affects my rowing and my ergging.

During session number two, she told me that I had hurt my ankle when I was younger. I was shocked. It's true, I jumped off the play structure when I was seven years old and had problems with it for many years after. I used to wear extra heal pads in my soccer cleats. The scar tissue has build up and has locked my ankle crooked. That might be the reason that my right hip is off and why I can't keep my right knee straight when lifting weights. I don't even stand straight. Another breakthrough.

I am sure there will be more excitement in the discovery of Janine's body! More on this after next session!!!

Topics to come...

I always come up with so many ideas of what to write about and when I sit down to write an entry, I can never come up with which one I want to write about. I will make a list here so that next time I can choose whichever one I want at that point and I won't forget...
- journaling
- We were made for this
- Rolfing
- racing
- bowing
- sponsorship
these are all things that I think people would be interested in hearing about, but I just need to write them!

Today I am off to a massage, so I will be back later to write on one of these topics. Maybe I will be inspired about which to write about!

- Enjoy the afternoon.

the fall is coming to a close...

Well, Boston didn't exactly turn out as planned. I personally didn't have a great race, and we didn't do as well as we would have liked. It was pouring rain that turned into snow minutes before we went on the water. It was AWFUL! I was in 4 layers (including a jacket) and had 2 pairs of mitts on. I also raced in a neckwarmer. As soon as you got sweaty, it got even colder.
That being said, as soon as I came off the water, I ran for my extra change of clothes...it was gone! I had my whole bag taken (wallet, phone, ipod... and most importantly dry clothes). After a few hours of stressing over that and finally getting out of my wet clothes, I got a phone call that someone had accidentally taken the wrong bag. Phew!

I am now focused on training for the National Rowing Championships (NRC's) which are one week from Tuesday. It's is Nov. 3 and 4th here in London. I am hoping that the weather co-operates with us until after that race, then it can get as cold as it wants! I will be racing in the single(1x) and am hoping that things go well. I have been working lots on my weakest points and have continued to work on my strengths. I am looking forward to just lining up and racing. I think that it will be a very tough race this year, but am hoping for my best (whatever that may be on the day).

As for today, I am deep into the school work and paper writing. Back to it!!!

Boston

We are in Boston this weekend to race in the Champ Eight(8+) event today at 4:35. We are racing against 2 Michigan boats, a US boat, and a composite 8+ made up of girls from 5 different countries. I am looking forward to the race! However, we woke up this morning to get ready and opened the blinds to pouring rain and cold!!! Yikes!
Yesterday was a chilly, but sunny day of visiting with old friends, meeting new friends, and watching races. It was nice to run into old rowers that I see only once a year and have a chance for a visit.
We are off to the course to try and stay warm, because we will not be staying dry!!
Wish us luck!

Overtired-ness

It's a real thing!! It hits me every-so-often when I need a break from the fast pace of life and training. One full day of rest and a few more days of reminding myself that I need to take the time to sit and relax and then it passes. It tends to re-visit again in a month. Often close to or just after exams, rowing races, and during holidays. I have none of those things this week, but I have been doing ALL the things that I love and not taking enough time to sleep...which clearly I don't have time for while I am doing all the things that I love to do.
Today I am resting and learning to listen to my body. It's a life long lesson.

One a great note:
APPLE CINNAMON CHEERIOS with me on the box HAS ARRIVED IN LONDON...so I went and bought 7 boxes :) So exciting!!!

"Would you like a National Post for a small donation"...

Yesterday, I was helping to support Literacy Programs for families. It was a neat experience standing on the street corner of Young and Front in Toronto stopping whoever I could to get a donation for literacy programs. We saw lots of people either on the phone, with their i-pods on, or who would cut the corner once they saw people asking for money. I can't really blame them. I too, at times, walk past people doing this. It's not the most comfortable feeling, but thankfully, I had 2 other great people with me at my corner. We were team 5 and I think we did a pretty good job! What a great experience and I felt good doing it in support of Literacy programs! Canwest Raise-a-reader day...job well done!!!

It started with a day at karate...

In the summer of 2000, at seventeen, I decided to take a karate class. My first day there, a parent of another kid in the class asked what sports I did and had I ever considered rowing. I got the phone number of the Winnipeg Rowing Club and called right away.

I went down to the club for my first practice on July 18th, 2000. I found out that I knew my coach and some of my high school friends were also there. The new kids all went in an 8+ (Eight with Coxswain, sweep rowing) and what a mess that was. I was awful!!! I kept missing the water, and continued to have the blade handle of the guy behind me in the back, knocking the wind out of me. I was wondering what people kept coming back to such a painful sport for!

Day 2, I did some dock side rowing with another girl in the double (2x, sculling, two blades each). When we took enough strokes in a stable environment, we were ready to push off the dock. Sculling was much more of a natural movement for me. This was something that I could handle. I was becoming a fan. My coach said it looked good for such a new person to the sport.

Day 3, my new partner was missing and I was sent out in a single. I had no idea that the boat was so small!!! I was doing ok for the first 700m until my coach left to check on the other rowers. I turned around to see where the river turned and FLIPPED!!! I did NOT want to ever fall into the Red River. I was shocked and scared to put my feet down. I was leaning on the boat and had my feet up behind me and waited until my coach returned to get me out!

For some reason, even though I flipped, I wanted to come back the next day and do it again. Maybe I could make it to the turn next time. I wasn't in a single again, but I did make it to the corner and beyond.

Here we go...

I have been asked many times if I have a blog for fans to follow about my journey to the 2012 Olympics. I have answered the question now...here is my blog!! I will use this to keep you posted on the latest in training, racing, life, and experiences. It will be a way for people to see into the life of a Canadian rower.
I'll have to figure out things along the way...but it's started and that's all I have time for tonight.

Time to sleep :)