April 24, 2009

Fun Weekend Plans

(Stanley Park and The Seawall preceding Vancouver's skyline backdrop, from Lion's Gate Bridge)

I'm trying to squeeze in as much as I can over the next few days. I just got back on my feet post Diez on Thurs, having done a few shorter road rides earlier in the week, and I knocked down a pretty solid double run, pre and post work today. I'm off to bed here soon, once my laundry is done, and then up early to ride 100km to Vancouver Island's Port Alberni.

I have some amazing extended family on the island, consisting of first cousins, aunts, and uncles. I mentioned last August that I went over that way for a wedding and at the time I had not seen most of them in over a decade!! It was one of the absolute highlights of 2008 and this will be my first time catching up with them again since. One of my cousins just graduated U.Vic and is off to teach in Nepal for the summer, so his Mother has organized a surprise party for him...should be a blast!! Yes, this weekend will once again involve a hangover of some sort, and I can't believe that will now make four weekends in a row for me. This is by no means typical of my training regime, but hey, if it ain't broke...

There were many outstanding memories while I attended that wedding last August, but by far the best was when my Cousin Randy (who is off to Nepal), and I, were up dancing and singing with my Grand Mother to the song 'I Kissed A Girl'. (as a side not it was certainly not ten years since I had seen my Nanny:)

On Sunday I will retrace my ride back into North Van. First thing Monday morning 'City T.V.' will be doing a feature on 'The Big Chop' paddle racing series at Jericho Beach in Vancouver. This series is organized by MOMAR Owner/R.D. Bryan Tasaka and he has recruited me to be one of his 'next top models'. I'll then be meeting up with a few Montrail teammates and heading out for a long run along Vancouver's best beaches...all in all, I rarely get three days off in a row, and I am going to attempt to make the absolute most of these three...hopefully my legs will hold up!
(Mt. Baker from Lion's Gate Bridge)

Side note #2, my blog has most certainly been lacking a bit on the picture front in the last month, and the reason is that my camera went for a trampoline type bounce while I was in Germany...without the trampoline of course. It hasn't been the same since and most pics now have a slight blur to them. I have not made room in my budget to get a newbie just yet...gotta get on that! I did haul it out a few days ago and it still takes pics, so I've just gotta suck it up and start packing it along again!

GR

4 comments:

Nicola Gildersleeve said...

Sounds like a fun weekend. I came across your comment on caitlin's blog.I sort of kind of already commited to belgium...in which case...there will be no western for me this year. So I am just going to enjoy the day at Miwok and try and kick as much ass as I can!

wcaitlin said...

Hey Gary. Thanks for checking out my blog. My brother lives in Squamish. I'll have to get up there at some point soon and maybe I could run w/ you and Nicola. Anyhow no plans for WS this year.

Leslie said...

Go Granny-Nanny, GO!

Gary Robbins said...

-Gilder, you're going to have an awesome race, I can feel it!
-Caitlin, that's crazy that you have a brother just up the road in Squamish! I lived there for three years! I'd love to tour you around our local trails and you have a couch to crash on in North Van if you need it. Hope you make it up this way sometime...in the meantime, good luck at Miwok this weekend:)
-Yup, I gots a pretty cool Grandma for sure...and she NEVER forgets a date. She had seventeen kids, umpteen grandkids, and trumpteen great grandkids...never missed a birthday for any of us!!!

GR