Tuesday, April 09, 2002

The volunteer list for the Juventus team has been posted. It looks like I'm going to be helping out with the design of the team website, and also in charge of team clothing for the Calgary contingent. Sounds interesting!

Speaking of the rest of the workout clothing, I'm hoping to buy some more M.Stevens dance stuff. The Milliskin material is SO superior to anything else I've ever worn. The dance tights fit like a glove and feel like you almost have nothing on. I'm intending on buying a black unitard, a white SS leotard, and a nude color dancebelt, all in Milliskin from Get to the Pointe dancewear online. I probably won't do this until mid-summer, when some more of my bills are out of the way/under control.

I'm really looking forward to trying new things this fall. So many options - I'm seriously considering taking a few dance classes (for sure Introductory Ballet, and possibly a jazz or modern class), but also possibly getting back into speed skating again. Why not? It's a good overall sport for muscle conditioning, and I already have all of the equipment! On top of that, I'm also wanting to get back swimming with UCTC in September. We'll see what happens.
Get a bonus copy of "Fever" with the "CGYOOMH" CD. I'm going to give it to Oliver Obermeyer, in appreciation for burning me all of those CDs. It will be great if I get it before the weekend.
Received Kylie Minogue "In Your Eyes" remix CD-R from Rob Rumble in Lincolnshire through eBay auction at the end of February, the week before Malina's 25th birthday party.

Received Kylie Minogue, "Butterfly" limited edition remix CD from BluePlate Records in Chicago (Mark Picchiati's label) on April 4, 2002. Expecting "Can't Get You Out of My Head" club promo CD from Praphan (Kevin) Kongthanasunthorn in Bangkok this week.

Another letter to Fraser Valentine in Ottawa:

Hey Fraser,

I'm just heading out of the office for another week....just thought I'd drop you a quick "hi" and see how things are going.

Not too much new here. The weather is still sucking shit - really putting a damper on getting some miles on the bike before competition season. The first race of the season is on the 20th...only two weeks away. I doubt the snow will all be gone by then, but hopefully the route will be clear enough.

I've been in physiotherapy for my knees for the past month. Nothing too major, apparently muscle imbalance in my legs from concentrating on too few sports has tightened up my IT band and weakened my gluteus medius muscles enough to pull my knees off center when I run, causing some nagging pain. The massage and acupuncture therapy has been doing a lot of good, and I've been doing a lot of Pilates, yoga and stretching along with muscle training in an attempt to swing things around. I went for a test run on Tuesday night - 16km, everything seems to be working okay, which is a good thing, since I'm running two half marathons back-to-back on April 28 and May 4.

The rest of the summer is full of competitions, either triathlons or road/track races almost every weekend. I am still taking the August long weekend to come to Montreal for Pride. I would really like to take a few days to check out what Ottawa has to offer too, still no definite plans. You and Matthew should come to Montreal for the Pride weekend. Should be a lot of fun!!!

Sept. Labor day long weekend is the Vancouver International Triathlon taking place in Stanley Park. I'm definitely considering that one as well. I'm planning on taking the week off after that to do some riding on the Pacific side of Vancouver Island and some scuba diving off of Nanaimo, Victoria and the Lower Mainland coast.

Some friends are also considering heading to Toronto for Pride in June as well. One of our good friends is moving there this weekend, and so we'll have a place to stay. So many plans, so few confirmations......

I guess I'm considering so many trips because I have a pile of Aeroplan miles and Airmiles I can use up for some free trips, and instead of putting myself further in debt this year, I've thought it would be a good idea to use them up to still complete the trips I've intended on doing, while still keeping my spending under control. It all sounds good in theory, at least.

Most of my spare time right now is spent in the gym or in the pool. I've had one cold after another this season, which has really been dogging things as well.

I haven't bought any new gear lately either. I think I told Matthew that I won an auction on Ebay a few months ago for a longsleeve 2000 season Mercury-Viatel skinsuit. It's a beautiful piece, I've been wearing it on the windtrainer, but I'm anxious to test it out on a few time trials this season.

Other than that, not too much is new. Work is going better after the budget fiasco that occurred here at the beginning of the year. I got picked up by another project team at the beginning of February, and things have been pretty hectic since then - just the way l like it! Joe (the bf) has 24 days until his last exam is over, and then he's officially an alumni, barring any technicalities like failing a course. He's so excited to be done (he's been in school seven years sans break as well) - so am I - maybe we can start building a normal life together with normal hours. Who knows? Maybe spending more time together is exactly what we need. Maybe it's not. I guess we'll have to wait and find out. I'm still having issues with commitment specifically because of this vagueness in our lives right now - time will tell whether the fog clears somewhat.

Speaking of school, isn't your dissertation due at the end of this term too, or maybe it was at the end of the fall session??? I can't remember anymore (something tells me I'm three months behind things). At any rate, you're close to being done too, thank god. It's so nice not having all of that studying to do on top of everything else, like classes, jobs, working out, maintaining your health and diet, and boyfriends for starters.

Well, I've been at this desk enough hours today. I'll drop another line soon. We should be firming up our Montreal dates within the next month or so. I think the plan is to leave Calgary on the evening of July 28th (after the big triathlon of the season - Elbow Springs- on the morning of the 28th) or the morning of the 29th. We are planning the return flight from Montreal on August 5th, but I am still thinking of using a few more AV days to get to Ottawa after the 5th. Maybe I should fly into Montreal, and return from Ottawa. That will sort of depend on what Westjet is planning for its flight expansions this year.

Enough about details! I hope everything is well at your end. Drop me a line or two to prove you're still alive.

Talk soon,
Reid
Another letter - "The State of Training" address to Reid Cummings:

Hey RJC,

I think everything is going really good. I was at six pills a day last week with no adverse effects - I was even sleeping good. I started 8 a day yesterday, and everything is still fine. I guess I will stay here until either I reach my target weight or the pills run out. I'm sitting under 180 (178 to be exact on an empty stomach at lunch hour today), a loss of 6 or 7 pounds already. I think I'm setting 165 as my absolute low limit for now. I haven't weighed that little since early high school, I think. I reached 167 at one point last summer, and I know that once the weather warms up, I will have no problem maintaining that. The rate things are going, I should only have to take one dose of this stuff (240 pills) and save the other batch for next spring. That would be a good idea considering I am starting to balk at the cost of all these supplements.

BTW, I paid $72 for a pail of Endurox at Samson's last Tuesday on their 20% off day. Another friend has told me their products are overpriced. Would you check out the regular price of Endurox (and Hydro-Lean) at Gator's the next time you're there? I'm curious to find out how overpriced they are...I don't really think they are, if you buy on the SuperTuesdays.

I took a dose of Endurox on Saturday. I ran 21km in the morning, did Pilates at the gym and then an upper body workout. I drank a glass of Endurox afterwards, and I did feel pretty good an hour or so later, as I continued to stretch out awhile longer.

I had hoped to ride yesterday, but you know what the conditions were like. I ended up going to Swan's in Inglewood on Sat. night to meet up with Joe (that's where he works), and we ended up staying until 1am playing darts and drinking beer with a bunch of people. The snow started falling around 9pm, so I knew I wouldn't be going out for a ride anyways. It was nice to have a full day off at any rate.

Once cycling starts, this is going to be the schedule I will be trying to maintain:

Monday am - gym workout
Monday noon - stretch/abs
Monday pm - cycle - speedwork
(THIS WILL BECOME MY OFF DAY ON COMPETITION WEEKS)

Tuesday am - swim
Tuesday noon - stretch/abs
Tuesday pm - Crits at UofC Research Park

Wednesday am - gym workout
Wednesday noon - Pilates
Wednesday pm - run

Thursday am - swim
Thursday noon - stretch/abs
Thursday pm - cycle - hillwork

Friday am - gym workout
Friday noon - Yoga
Friday pm - OFF

Saturday am - run/Pilates
Saturday pm - OFF/distance cycle?

Sunday am - distance cycle/OFF?
Sunday pm - swim/OFF
(THIS WILL BE MY DAY OFF ON NON-COMPETITION WEEKS)

The weekends will change according to when everyone else wants to ride, and when the competitions are. Most people want to go out for their distance rides on Saturday morning. I'd much rather go out on Sundays, but since most weekends are being taken up by competitions anyway, it won't matter much. I'm going to have to find a full OFF day during the week in that case.

Anyways, gotta go,
R.

Monday, April 08, 2002

I've had five (?) physiotherapy sessions. I like Mina, she's very good, but the receptionists at that Lindsay Park physiotherapy center are pretty inept. Acupuncture and electric therapy are pretty weird, but they seem to be working. Man, could Mina ever massage the crap out of my IT band. I came out of their with bruised more than once.
I went for a 16km run last Tuesday and a 21km run on Saturday morning with Wayne Guest. My knees didn't hurt at all! I was so relieved and this fact has alleviated a lot of training stress for me. I was so worried I wouldn't have anything for the Policeman's half marathon, and it would take me a good chunk of Spring training to get back in shape.

I've been taking Hydro-Lean for two weeks now. I've already lost 6 lbs., down to 179. I was quite amazed. If it stays at this rate, I'll be down to my target weight in 1 to 1.5 months. Then I'll be a lean cycling and running machine! It will definitely be an advantage for me in the early races this season.

I've been feeling pretty good lately. I feel spring is right around the corner, and with that comes freedom, the warmth of the sun, and MOBILITY! I will be able to spin all over the city again on my bike. I really enjoy that.

Here's a letter written to Jerome a few minutes ago:

Hey Jer,

How are things? Spring MIGHT be finally showing its very late sorry-ass face around here soon. It snowed again on Sunday, and I don't trust it enough to say that it might not do it again. I've been dying to get my bike out on the road. I have a race on April 20th, only two weeks away! Talk about an abrupt start to the season, eh?

Ahh, now that the obligatory Canadian conversation about the weather is over, how have you been? I imagine you are feverishly painting once again. That next show with Tom and Marie-Josee is coming up in a few months, isn't it? You were so successful at your last show that you are probably having to do a few more paintings than you had originally thought before the first show. Oh well, sucks to be talented...LOL

I was thinking earlier today that it has almost been a year since I was in Montreal, and I am SO wanting to come back and visit. You live in a fucking cool city, man...I want to experience more of it. It's so much fun having a cool friend there to hang around with too! Diverscite is going to be so much fun. Joe has managed to book days off then, so we're heading your way for sure! Be scared, be very scared!

I think the tentative dates of arrival and departure are July 29th to August 5th....at least that's when Joe goes back. I wouldn't mind taking a few days after Pride to check out Ottawa, but my AV days are pretty precious (aka scarce)...I'll have to see what else is going on. I'm considering a few more short trips this year.

The Vancouver International Triathlon is on the Labour Day long weekend, and I'm thinking of going to it, and then taking the week after that to cruise around Vancouver Island on my bike and do some scuba diving. It would be fun to have someone to go with, but I may go by myself anyways.

Also my friend Natasha, who was integral spoke to a fun set of friends, moved to Toronto last weekend. A few of us are thinking of going out there for Pride in June.

I have two free flights in North America that I can use, so I am thinking of using one to come to Montreal. Joe and I will split the cost of the other one and then I'll have one left to play with.

I was considering using it to go to Vancouver, and then I thought, "Why waste it on a trip that's cheap?" So now, I'm thinking maybe San Francisco for a getaway in November or something like that, OR coming back to Montreal for Black & Blue? Hmmm....what kind of crazy thought is that???

Nevertheless, Diverscite will definitely be a blast. I am so looking forward to partying with you again. Tom and Wendy will nicely add to the mix, and JOE WILL BE THERE! Wow! The mystery boyfriend....

Anyways, I've got lots of bike racing and triathlon crap to do before that. We were even originally thinking of coming to Eastern Canada on about July 27th , but my main triathlon of the season is that weekend! Joe ended up having to work that weekend anyways, but you get the idea. I pretty much only have maybe a half dozen completely free weekends this summer. It's all very good. I've been working out pretty hard this winter getting ready, so I hope that all the hard work is going to pay off.

How's Tom? I guess he'll be in Taxation hell for at least another month. Maybe you'll get to see him sometime in May. You'll have to tell him that I'm deeply in love with Kylie Minogue (again - I'm such an 80's hag), and that the DVD "Live in Sydney" of the last show of her "On A Night Like This" tour last year comes HIGHLY RECOMMENDED. She is such a sweet, appreciative woman - and a great ass too! I've been getting a lot of her rare remixes imported lately; winning eBay auctions, etc.. She's such a diva.

I've still been in touch with Rejean Livernois. He was living with Louise from the Aids charity dinner we went to last spring because he ended up not moving to California as he was supposed to last year. We've been playing answering machine tag over the past six months. He's living with a guy named Robert now. It will be fun to see him when we are there too.

Sean and Nancy's housewarming is this weekend. I called Susan Armstrong tonight to see if she had any gift ideas, but we're both stumped for the time being. I've had the advantage of already being to the condo since the naked repainting job they did, so I know the color schemes, etc. I was trying to think of something for their bathroom, but I'm at a loss for ideas. I regret not thinking earlier of getting them that painting you did of them. I could've had everyone chip in some money and could have easily covered most of the cost. Anyways, too late now. Do you have any good gift ideas? I need something original yet functional.

I'm starting to run out of things to talk about. I would have called you tonight, but I didn't get home from the gym until almost 8pm. Email is a great thing, isn't it? It's just crappy when you have a lot to say and type like a drunk monkey. It takes so much longer!

Anyways, I gonna take off. I hope everything is going well in your end of the world, and I'll talk to you soon.

Hugs,
Reid

Just thought it would be a good way to update the blogger too.