Volunteers don't get paid, not because they're worthless, but because they're priceless - Sherry Anderson

SATURDAY

I spent the better part of today (Saturday) at the Westin with a friend of my, Kathy, volunteering (package pickup) for the 73.3 1/2 Ironman which takes place tomorrow starting from Ghost Lake. It was great to meet all the men and women who were taking part in this race.

One lady I talked to was doing this race for the first time, over the last two years she had lost 300 pounds and is doing this race as her celebration race (she has only done two sprint tri's in the last two years). I meet a women who came in from New Mexico to do this race and several people from the NWT, a lovely lady from the states (forgot where) who grew up in Calgary and was back to do this race for the first time..her family, old high school teachers and high school friends are going to meet her at the finish line to cheer her in as she crosses that finish line.

SUNDAY - RACE DAY

This morning I woke at 2:45 a.m. to make my way to the Westin to volunteer for the body marking OF the athletes taking part in the 73.3 Ironman. If I was tired I can't imagine how the athletes felt having to get up so early in order to catch a 4:00, 4:15, 4:30, 4:45 or 5 a.m. bus to drive 45 minutes to Ghost Lake and wait their turn to do their swim.

It was a great morning, the athletes were very appreciative and I really did not mind getting up so early so early. My job was the volunteer in charge of the volunteers - ensuring that they understood what they needed to do (how to body mark, where etc..) and I needed to make sure that the athletes got on their correct bus and no one was left behind.

As the athletes got on the bus I asked "do you have your chip, do you have your helmet, do you have your wet suit, have you been marked" and it is a good thing these questions were asked as some did forget one of two of these items.

By 5:10 a.m. all buses were gone and I was on my way back home to go to bed, but many other volunteers were headed off to volunteer more of their time/rest of their day elsewhere in the race..and for that I am grateful. You see next year this is my goal race and I can only hope that the same fantastic volunteers who helped out with this event are there next year to help again.

Maria's First Gran Fondo

So,you ask, what does Gran Fondo mean? Gran Fondo means long distance or great endurance.

Yesterday I participated in my Gran Fondo first bike race, the distanced varied 170K, 140K, 100K and 60K and because it was my first Fondo I choose the 60K (which as it turned out was 67K).

START - Nanton just west of the intersection of Highway 2 and 18th Street, on 18th Street.
WEST- 26th Ave to highway 533. Head right on 533 and head west to 22.
SOUTH- 22 to the Maycroft turn off.
RETURN - the same route the same way.

I cannot say anything bad about this race:
- Jersey's are bright and I will take pride in wearing it.
- Lots of parking.
- Great, friendly competitors.
- Race route was hilly and hard (a true Gran Fondo).
- Lots of door prizes were given out.
- Only 400 participants.
- Food afterwards was brilliant.

They do say that any bike is permitted, trust me you need a road bike.

I hope to do many of these races in the future and would higly recommend them.

Huge Butt?

I finally realized just how huge my butt was getting (I won't bore you with the details of how I came to this conclusion) but decided I had been sitting around procrastinating long enough. So today I am back in the "training" saddle.

I have one year till I do my first 1/2 ironman so figured I had to get my head, heart and body back in shape!

Watch this space for futher weekly updates.