I love to train.  Am truly addicted.  Then again, I love Nutella, Mint Chocolate Chip Ice Cream and Macaroni and Cheese Pizza!  So, having said that, yes, I love to train because it lets me indulge in all those delectable edibles!  Yummmm.  I think the hungriest I have ever been was in the Sahara race.  That memory has never left me and I hope to never be that hungry again, especially in the midst of a race.  My next big race is a weekend of dragon boat racing in Montreal in July.  It’s a fabulous venue and the Canadians offer up quite the competition.

The Mt. Tubkal Trail Race in Morocco in October is my next ultra.  120 km non-stop.  It is considered the world’s hardest trail run starting at an elevation of about 7,000 feet and climbing to the top of Mt. Tubkal 13,500 ft, the highest mountain in Northern Africa…oxygen not included! 

There is no way for me to train at altitude.  Here at sea level, the best I can do is hills.  Lots of them.  When I train indoors for diversity, I am on the elliptical for about 90 minutes with the setting set at 20 which is the steepest and the resistance at 9.  I read when I’m on the machine, so you will be the proud recipients of my book recommendations.

So, I have a paddling race this weekend, which is a major holiday in America, meaning we have off next Monday!  YIPPEE!!

My days are as follows: Get up, paddle at 5:45 for 75 minutes, work till 5 pm or whenever, and afterwards, run, train, lift whatever.

My new best friends are the road, trails and water.  They never chastise me for not visiting, but always welcome the soles of my feet or the pull of my paddle.  In my mind, I have a to-do-list of events that I want to experience.  I embrace each day and am truly grateful for this body which sees me edge one step closer to each of these dreams.

Have a fabulous day. 

Cheers, Jacqueline

Energy food for the week:  Pancake sandwiches with peanut butter and jelly – Great carbo load!

Book of the week:  Skeletons of Zahara (A true story) by Dean King

Song of the week:  Sandstorm by  Darude

Hello sports fans,

For those of you living on one of those "other" continents, I will enlighten you as to this past weekend in the .  Labor Day Weekend means several things to us here, but only a few really matter i.e. (i) it's a three day weekend (ii) it officially signifies the end of summer  (iii) usually for most, it will be a non-stop eating/drinking fest from which many will need to take an additional day off just to fast so that they can squeeze back into their work clothes which really did fit just a mere four days ago.

For me, this weekend meant, getting up at 2:30 am Saturday morning to drive 2 1/2 hours with my friends to Kent Island, Maryland were we were participating in a 35 mile OC-6 outrigger race.  This is a yearly event and really loads of fun.  The difference for me this year was, that I was not going to be in the change-out, rather, I would be the one paddler who stayed in the boat for the entire race.  To help you understand, this is how it works.  Six people start out and paddle the first 8-10 miles to the change-out where your team mates are waiting in the water.  My five team mates would jump out, and the next five would jump in and paddle the next leg of the race to the next changeout.  When I finished this race, I was so thrilled!  This was the furthest distance I had ever raced non-stop in a boat.  6 hours and 1 minute for 35 miles.  My training had paid off!    Yes, the next day, it was hard to even butter my bread let alone pick up my coffee cup.  That's when I applied the Tiger Balm.  Highly recommend this to anyone who hasn't tried it.  Almost instant results that will make you smile! 

Along with my running, I have been doing hours of paddling on the water.  It's such a great cross training sport and gives my legs a rest.  On Saturdays and Sundays I paddle for 3 1/1 hours in the morning, run in the early afternoon and then paddle for 2 hours in the late afternoon.  During the week, I paddle for 2 hours after work on whatever days I can and run at least three times during the week.

It's September, which means, sweets ie anything yummy, gooey, sugary and not available when Cro Magnum man was wandering the earth, is limited to two days only for the entire month.   Cutting back on sugar is so hard for me, but I always feel the positive benefits of doing so.  It's part of meing being disciplined and staying the course.  Oh, and those two  days when I do eat something sinfully decadent, are such great days especially when all your friends are around to see you with fudge, whipped cream and ice cream dripping from your chin.

Today is the first day of school for most school children here.  I love my drive to work each day especially the first part which takes me past a primary school which lies at the bottom of a steep hill.  It's quite entertaining to see those kids charge up the hill with huge back packs flopping on their backs.  I see those children when I race and when I'm feeling whiney and sulky about a dune or hill I have to climb up for the umpteenth time.  I wonder, at what age did we stop running everywhere almost effortlessly?  That usually get me to quicken the pace and attack the mamouth mound of dirt and rocks with new energy.    Okay, some gummi bears usually help as well. 

So, when you have a moment do the following:

Read:  "Surviving the Toughest Race on Earth" by Martin Dugard

Listen to:  "Danger Zone" by Kenny Loggins

Have a positively lovely day and chat with you soon!

Cheers, Jacqueline

Hello sports fans,

   So, here I am, three weeks back from racing through 500 plus miles of Montana, also known in the United States as "God's Country," with only four toe nails left on my still tingling toes, the scabs shriveling up on my knees and elbows and still not quite back to sleeping through the night.  I am still constantly hungry which is awful as I have to muster up the will power not to eat every half hour otherwise I will be waddling across the ice like Manny the Wooly Mammoth in the movie "Ice Age."

   I must say, that I am glad that I chose to run in the Sahara, Gobi and Atacama as the differences and difficulties can be more fully appreciated.  Without hesitation, for me, Atacama was the hardest due to the terrain.  The hours of walking on a surface that was akin to a coral reef, not only pulverized my feet, but tested my resolve to continue on, hour after grim hour.  However, I knew when I finished the stage for that day, the company of fellow racers, a hot meal and sleep were the reward.  That commaraderie is part of the reason I am so excited about Antarctica as well as seeing my desert friends once again. 

   Must say however, with it being 90 plus degrees, the humidity soaring over 85% these past few weeks, and no relief in sight, it is hard to envision running in sub-zero weather surrounded by ice flows, snow, blinding whiteness and perhaps if lucky...penguins.

    For now I am training six days a week.  There is no set plan, just take each day as it comes.  Given the weather and what work-out I just did, I will either go on a road/trail run, do some long and steady hill climbs and/or paddle row and lift.  Sweets are an indulgence allowed only once a week, push-ups and sit-ups have become as routine as brushing my teeth.  Pink lemonade is my favorite refreshing drink chilled with regular lemonade ice cubes. Yummm!

   Welcome to my world! 

   Enjoy your week and thanks for reading.

Cheers, Jacqueline

Song of the week:  "Sandstorm" by Darude

Book of the month:  "World without End" by Ken Follett