Might have to do longer distance tri again one day just to knock this race off the bucket list...and hope that the water isn't crazy freezing that year!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s3cr5lgXRn8
Monday, November 1, 2010
Thursday, March 4, 2010
Heather's Rollin' Along...
I can die happy...I finally learned to ride the rollers :) Andrew is thrilled that I'm now giggling and not crying...
Lucy is thrilled that Andrew arrived home today, only to be sad when I take off to Florida tomorrow for my next doggie rehab training...
Lucy is thrilled that Andrew arrived home today, only to be sad when I take off to Florida tomorrow for my next doggie rehab training...
Sunday, February 28, 2010
Olympic Reflections
I think that I always feel blessed to be a Canadian...we live in a country of plenty, opportunity, and freedom. But I'm not sure that I feel PROUD to be a Canadian as often as I should! There was plenty of that emotion going through me over the past 2 weeks of Olympic watching (don't think I've watched that much coverage since 1994!) Proud because of so many incredible performances by Canadian athletes; proud because of the reception and support given to all of the athletes by the crowds in Vancouver, and proud because we got to host the world.
At times it feels like the negative among us get the most press. Those complaining about us hosting the Olympics; those complaining about the Olympic movement in general; those complaining about our medal standings and the Own the Podium program prior to the medal haul of this past week. It feels like those voices have been silenced, at least temporarily, by the giant celebration of the past few days across the entire country; by the joy and unity of athletes and fans from all over the world; and by the passion for excellence and determination of the athletes themselves as they strove to do their best.
I've always loved watching the Olympics...the ideals that drive these athletes day in and day out, through hours of tough training, fatigue, racing around the world often apart from their loved ones, inspire me. To be given a gift, be it in athletics or other areas, is an amazing thing....especially amazing is to watch what happens when that gift is sculpted into something great. That we would all use our gifts :)
So many moments over the past 2 weeks left me a bit choked up...okay, more than a bit :) A Slovenian x-country skier winning bronze after breaking 4 ribs and puncturing a lung in a training crash (and being carried away after finishing); an alpine skier from Ghana striving not just to participate but to be as competitive as possible and inspire a nation; the Canadian men's x-country team with a string of phenomenal finishes which wouldn't have been dreamed of even 8 years ago; Virtue and Moir making history in an unforgettable free dance; the Canadian hockey men carrying the weight of a country on their shoulders and doing it when it counted (anyone who says the NHLers shouldn't be allowed to play or that they don't care about the Olys should just watch the faces of the ecstatic Canadian and devastated American players post-game...). Clara Hughes...phenomenal sportswoman in her swansong. And of course the courage of Joannie Rochette...not just a bit choked up but more like sobbing while watching her short program. To those who have inspired the world and given their best with all eyes upon them...thank you for the ride!
They're showing the crowds on Yonge Street post-hockey game right now...incredible!
May the joy, emotion, excellence, unity, and excitement that our country has experienced in the past two weeks not just be a passing thing, but inspire us in the years to come :) And may we remember always that the world is a small place, that we are all neighbors, and that we can all inspire each other in so many ways.
At times it feels like the negative among us get the most press. Those complaining about us hosting the Olympics; those complaining about the Olympic movement in general; those complaining about our medal standings and the Own the Podium program prior to the medal haul of this past week. It feels like those voices have been silenced, at least temporarily, by the giant celebration of the past few days across the entire country; by the joy and unity of athletes and fans from all over the world; and by the passion for excellence and determination of the athletes themselves as they strove to do their best.
I've always loved watching the Olympics...the ideals that drive these athletes day in and day out, through hours of tough training, fatigue, racing around the world often apart from their loved ones, inspire me. To be given a gift, be it in athletics or other areas, is an amazing thing....especially amazing is to watch what happens when that gift is sculpted into something great. That we would all use our gifts :)
So many moments over the past 2 weeks left me a bit choked up...okay, more than a bit :) A Slovenian x-country skier winning bronze after breaking 4 ribs and puncturing a lung in a training crash (and being carried away after finishing); an alpine skier from Ghana striving not just to participate but to be as competitive as possible and inspire a nation; the Canadian men's x-country team with a string of phenomenal finishes which wouldn't have been dreamed of even 8 years ago; Virtue and Moir making history in an unforgettable free dance; the Canadian hockey men carrying the weight of a country on their shoulders and doing it when it counted (anyone who says the NHLers shouldn't be allowed to play or that they don't care about the Olys should just watch the faces of the ecstatic Canadian and devastated American players post-game...). Clara Hughes...phenomenal sportswoman in her swansong. And of course the courage of Joannie Rochette...not just a bit choked up but more like sobbing while watching her short program. To those who have inspired the world and given their best with all eyes upon them...thank you for the ride!
They're showing the crowds on Yonge Street post-hockey game right now...incredible!
May the joy, emotion, excellence, unity, and excitement that our country has experienced in the past two weeks not just be a passing thing, but inspire us in the years to come :) And may we remember always that the world is a small place, that we are all neighbors, and that we can all inspire each other in so many ways.
Thursday, February 11, 2010
Life is Greyt!
As I write, Pumpkin is curled up in my lap and Goosey is sawing some logs upstairs :) I spent last week learning the basics of my new "trade" at the Canine Rehabilitation Institute in Florida. The course was awesome...it was amazing to meet other people who have similar thoughts on and approaches to treating sore/stiff/injured/neurologic dogs than the traditional "rest and medication" theory. One of the girls who has a greyhound was sporting a "Life is Greyt" T-shirt with a greyhound asking for belly rubs...definitely made me smile :)
Life is rolling along well for both of us. We're out running a lot more these days, which Lucy is appreciative of! Lots of "squintervals" on the Wednesday morning run this week. This weekend is "biking boot camp" as we're aiming to do the 260 km long citizen's race at the Tour of Flanders on April 3rd (my b-day! It'll be epic...especially if the weather in Belgium lives up to its reputation in early April!) How better to spend Valentines...on a trainer with the love of your life, watching the Oly's with the lure of a nice glass of wine at the end (great recovery drink, I know!)
So many blessings to be thankful for....awesome critters, friends, and family in our lives (in no particular order!), being able to run/bike/swim and love it, and for me, some Florida sunshine in the middle of winter! Whee! No plans to become snowbirds, though...unless snowbirds start to head to Spain :)
Life is rolling along well for both of us. We're out running a lot more these days, which Lucy is appreciative of! Lots of "squintervals" on the Wednesday morning run this week. This weekend is "biking boot camp" as we're aiming to do the 260 km long citizen's race at the Tour of Flanders on April 3rd (my b-day! It'll be epic...especially if the weather in Belgium lives up to its reputation in early April!) How better to spend Valentines...on a trainer with the love of your life, watching the Oly's with the lure of a nice glass of wine at the end (great recovery drink, I know!)
So many blessings to be thankful for....awesome critters, friends, and family in our lives (in no particular order!), being able to run/bike/swim and love it, and for me, some Florida sunshine in the middle of winter! Whee! No plans to become snowbirds, though...unless snowbirds start to head to Spain :)
Thursday, January 21, 2010
Change is in the Air
Hello to anyone still reading out there :) Sorry for the radio silence lately...I'm working on updating the blog more frequently :)
A new year brings change, or something like that! One thing that we can be certain of is that things will change throughout the course of our lives. In my little corner of the universe, some changes have been wonderful and easy (meet Lucy, take Lucy home; meet Andrew, marry Andrew!) Others have been a little less clear-cut and a little more scary. Like the decision to quit my job....countdown begins...26 more days of work....whee!!!
When I started working as a starry-eyed new vet grad four years ago, I was lucky to find a fantastic boss to work for and even luckier that he has become a good friend. Long hours weren't great but I could deal with them, and emergencies were "cool," even though they often meant 1 am arrivals at Friday night travel destinations rather than the expected 9 pm. But over time things change. Emergencies aren't cool anymore. The cat who has been vomiting for 5 days and looks like death that comes in at 6:15 pm because the owner finally decides it should perhaps, maybe, finally be seen is just plain frustrating. And vaccine appointments, even with 9 adorable golden retriever puppies, become really annoying when everyone you'd hoped to meet for a bike ride left while you're still in the exam room. And helping clients you care about say goodbye to their beloved pets is something you're glad you can help with, but the emotional toll becomes hard to deal with.
So, time for a change! Of course no job is "perfect"....well, maybe living on an island in Australia and promoting tourism would be pretty close...but it's time to find something to do that is a bit less all-consuming for me. I miss triathlon! I miss bike rides with friends! I miss having as much energy as I'd like for my family!
Enter "doggie physio." My new dream in the work aspect of life is to open a rehab (can't call it "physio" in the animal world) and fitness center for dogs in London. Lots of work, yes, but being able to set the schedule and work closer to home would be amazing. Other mini-dreams could be realized along with it...becoming a 1 car family (which means extra savings and garage space for a chest freezer in which to store all of our own hand-picked and then frozen strawberries, blueberries, and other stuffs); a bit more mental energy for this swim-bike-run thing that Andrew and I love but haven't had much gas to do lately; and applying natural health care and exercise to help doggies out there!
Change is afoot...we'll keep you posted :)
A new year brings change, or something like that! One thing that we can be certain of is that things will change throughout the course of our lives. In my little corner of the universe, some changes have been wonderful and easy (meet Lucy, take Lucy home; meet Andrew, marry Andrew!) Others have been a little less clear-cut and a little more scary. Like the decision to quit my job....countdown begins...26 more days of work....whee!!!
When I started working as a starry-eyed new vet grad four years ago, I was lucky to find a fantastic boss to work for and even luckier that he has become a good friend. Long hours weren't great but I could deal with them, and emergencies were "cool," even though they often meant 1 am arrivals at Friday night travel destinations rather than the expected 9 pm. But over time things change. Emergencies aren't cool anymore. The cat who has been vomiting for 5 days and looks like death that comes in at 6:15 pm because the owner finally decides it should perhaps, maybe, finally be seen is just plain frustrating. And vaccine appointments, even with 9 adorable golden retriever puppies, become really annoying when everyone you'd hoped to meet for a bike ride left while you're still in the exam room. And helping clients you care about say goodbye to their beloved pets is something you're glad you can help with, but the emotional toll becomes hard to deal with.
So, time for a change! Of course no job is "perfect"....well, maybe living on an island in Australia and promoting tourism would be pretty close...but it's time to find something to do that is a bit less all-consuming for me. I miss triathlon! I miss bike rides with friends! I miss having as much energy as I'd like for my family!
Enter "doggie physio." My new dream in the work aspect of life is to open a rehab (can't call it "physio" in the animal world) and fitness center for dogs in London. Lots of work, yes, but being able to set the schedule and work closer to home would be amazing. Other mini-dreams could be realized along with it...becoming a 1 car family (which means extra savings and garage space for a chest freezer in which to store all of our own hand-picked and then frozen strawberries, blueberries, and other stuffs); a bit more mental energy for this swim-bike-run thing that Andrew and I love but haven't had much gas to do lately; and applying natural health care and exercise to help doggies out there!
Change is afoot...we'll keep you posted :)
Sunday, January 10, 2010
A New Year's Winter Wonderland!
An old post that was stuck in draft... I figure I'll post it right now...
Happy winter and new year to everyone! We hope that 2010 is off to a great start for everyone :)
This year will defintely be an interesting one in the Kennedy house...Heather is making some job changes which are exciting, but a bit scary too as change always is! No huge details yet, but it involves leaving her current clinic and opening a rehab/wellness center for dogs (and the occasional "special" kitty). If it is meant to be, it will be....if not, we'll see what happens! A bit of much-needed perspective for both of us lately has been to realize the place of work in our lives....we always have said that we work to live, not the other way around, but have been struggling a bit with that concept on and off. Our jobs are important, sure, but don't define us :) We're pretty excited to put a bit more focus onto other things including friends, family, and more training and racing than we've done in the past couple years...woo hoo!
Our holiday was a good one, full of lots of fun adventures and visits with good friends....the photos will tell the story!
Happy winter and new year to everyone! We hope that 2010 is off to a great start for everyone :)
This year will defintely be an interesting one in the Kennedy house...Heather is making some job changes which are exciting, but a bit scary too as change always is! No huge details yet, but it involves leaving her current clinic and opening a rehab/wellness center for dogs (and the occasional "special" kitty). If it is meant to be, it will be....if not, we'll see what happens! A bit of much-needed perspective for both of us lately has been to realize the place of work in our lives....we always have said that we work to live, not the other way around, but have been struggling a bit with that concept on and off. Our jobs are important, sure, but don't define us :) We're pretty excited to put a bit more focus onto other things including friends, family, and more training and racing than we've done in the past couple years...woo hoo!
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