Elements of Erin 337

2009 was my year.  It was all about the big show, Ironman and the training that went along with it.  2010 is not my year.  2010 is The Year of Tim.  After running the Rock N Roll Las Vegas Marathon in December 2009 he was hooked on the events and signed up for 6 Rock N Roll events in 2010.  Now that he has committed to the races and the dates, I was able to finalize my races for 2010.  With starting a new job, I am not 100% sure that these will all be possible but here is the plan: January 17, 2010 - Rock N Roll Phoenix 1/2 Marathon March 13, 2010 - St. Patrick's 5km April 24, 2010 - Delta Sprint Triathlon May 2, 2010 - BMO Vancouver Marathon May 24, 2010 - North Shore Sprint Triathlon July 11, 2010 - Squamish Olympic Triathlon August 15, 2010 - Lake Stevens 70.3 September 6, 2010 - Vancouver Sprint Triathlon Looks like I will have my plate full! Happy training.

Disney World Christmas 2009 222 Originally uploaded by erinlesleylee I uploaded my Florida Marathon photos and videos today. Yes it was windy and cold but the sun was out in full force. Check out the set of photos. Click HERE .

Well, it is January 6th and I am just getting around to doing a 'Year in Review' post.  Don't worry, it won't be long and drawn out.  Short and sweet. 2009 for me was an amazing year of athletic accomplishments.  I had a PR in virtually every race I participated in or placed in my age group and confidently completed my first Ironman at Ironman Canada.  What you may not know is that in October I was laid off.  I only had a hint about a week before that it might happen and it did.  It was a shock and was a pretty low point for me.  In the 16 years I have been working this is my first experience being laid off.  I was bitter about how the whole thing was handled and somewhat depressed about the situation.  It was 8 weeks before Christmas and I already had a trip to Orlando for Christmas booked a year in advance.  Basically, that gave me 4 weeks to look for and secure a new job before the new year. I am happy to say that I was successf...

The next time someone tells you that Florida is flat and warm, make sure you clarify which area of Florida they are referring to.  Let me tell you, Clermont Florida is NOT FLAT and was NOT WARM today for the Florida Marathon.  Clermont is not just a hilly area of Florida, it is hilly compared to most places.  Click HERE to see the route and elevation map of the course.  The Marathon course was a double loop of the Half Marathon course.  Last night, Tim and Jamieson went to the opening night of the movie Avatar, leaving me to rest and get to bed early.  I slept really well and woke up at 5:30am when my alarm went off with no problem.  Because Florida is supposed to be warmer than Vancouver (which it is) I packed my Sugoi Brand Champion tri top, running shorts and hot pink Newton Racers for my race.  This morning the temperature was around 12C with high winds.  We actually had the heat on in the car (something we have never ...

Bowen Island 2009 037 Originally uploaded by erinlesleylee With Tim away in Las Vegas running the Rock and Roll Las Vegas Marathon, Jamieson and I decided to have a get away of our own. We booked a 'cabin' on Bowen Island, rented 5 movies, loaded up our iPods, picked up books at the library, bought microwave popcorn and headed to our island retreat. We stayed at the Bowen Island Waterfront Cottage . I highly recommend it. Full kichen, fireplace, amazing shower (no bath), flat screen TV with cable, DVD player and iPod stero link. This year has been a busy one for all of us so the opportunity to just do nothing was very well received. Click HERE to check out our photos. Bowen Island is a 15 minute ferry ride from West Vancouver but it really feels like a true get away. We were there for two nights and I didn't run at all when we were there. The rest must have done me good because I had a great run on Monday when we returned home. Happy Training!

Ready to Run Originally uploaded by erinlesleylee Today was a beautiful day in Steveston BC. The temperature was -1C clear and sunny. Nice change from the dreadful rain we have had for the past 2 months. So I put on my capri tights, short sleeve base layer shirt with a heavier long sleeve over top, my hot pink Newtons and my great new touque from Sugoi and headed out for a nice 6km run. If you click the photo of me, you will see the great stuff that I get to see when I run in my neighbourhood.  Or click HERE for the photo set. Great place to live and run. Happy training!

Here are my 3rd pair of Newton Neutral Trainers.  Prior to this pair, I had the first generation Yellow Neutral Trainers.  I also have a hot pink pair of Neutral Racers which I reserve only for 'racing'.  Now, the past few weeks, my feet, shin and calves have really started to ache.  Ok, well not just ache but hurt.  Mostly after a run but also in the morning when I take my first steps. I usually replace my shoes every 6 months and I only got this pair in July so I figured I couldn't need a new pair already. I love my Newtons but I was starting to think, maybe they aren't the shoe for me.  Why am I getting all this pain in my lower legs?  Why are my feet so tired all the time? I even went so far as to try on a few other brands of running shoes when we were shopping for new shoes for my son.  Boy, regular running shoes sure feel weird after wearing Newtons for over a year.  Could it be the shoes?  Maybe I should try the new Sir...