I am a huge proponent of time away from specific training and /or just changing up the scenery completely.  Maybe its my own head that needs it or life getting busier or probably both but my last break from any regular focused training was ~10 months. Upon returning from NYC Marathon and amidst a busy kids hockey schedule I actually began a hockey type training program, my head was in the game and i needed a change up anyway. So i spent the winter and spring training with heavy weeights and doing x-fits. I know this inconsistency in my specific running may not drop me down to a 2:35 from a 2:43 marathon time, or maybe it can and that's what i plan to find out. I am a big believer in athleticism, a word i read again  in Jay Johnsons article. To much of one thing leads to injuries, running is so 1 dimensional yet it is this 1 dimensional development that leads to body breakdown and injuries. It was a slow start at the beginning of September, with  10 km time 2 minutes slower then last fall. I was instantly filled with a lot of doubt, have i gone to far this time?But over the weeks now, while still not setting any speed records my body feels extremely good and strong quickly finding 15 mile long runs very comfortable. While I am back at running now I will continue to incorporate 1 to 2 run specific strength training sessions per week with my 3 to 4 runs and am confident this will be the recipe for strong , consistent training through the spring, my sub 2:40 at 40 yrs old and success in the Trans Rockies Run Race in August. I hope to find the time to keep this better updated with how this routine is going.

Kate and I just returned home following a teriffic holiday to Tanzania, Africa and the climbing of Mount Kilimanjaro. It was a trip of a lifetime and offered so much more then a big mountain. I more or less knew what we were getting in terms of the mountain ascent, but the climbing expidition crew and our travelling companions were the unknowns. But in the end it was those two unknowns that made our trip everything it was. This group of 35 climbers included 35 amazing individuals whose 22 to 69 years of living made for such incredible experiences and stories. I was glued to every conversation that I was fortunte enough to be a part of. The other unknown, but less so then the group was our team of leaders. Ben Webster was a conductor or a perfectly in psync team of guides and porters, I felt like I was watching a best seller on leadership and group management. Ben also brought in two additional experts to assist, Ben and Hector, both were leaders on their own, running their own outfits back in their repsective homelands. Super individuals who had great stories for any other endorphine junky and who worked perfectly along side Ben Webster in the successful expidition brining 28 of 35 climbers to the very peak.

Check out seom cool pics and video.

Camp ended as they all do, with some testing and lots of scrimmage time. It was great to see the players in live game action. The wrap up was fun. Parents were very interested in talking about their kid’s futures and the kids were excited to get pictures with coaches and say very sincere thank yous and good byes.

The trip turned into an even better experience for Kyle and I then I could have imagined. We saw so much of China, and always with guides and translators so each outing we got as much out of it as possible. We were looked after very well in beautiful accommodations, had good meals and organized transportation enabling us to focus on doing good work on the ice, day and night.

Next year there are already 2 camps and an international tournament set up, so we look forward to another super experience with Chinese hockey.

Thank you to Longmou, Fung Fe, Noreen and the China Million Sport Management Organization.

I am afraid our work schedule in week 2 wont provide a many highlight reel reviews. We hop in the cab at 8 and get dropped off after our day at about 10 pm. I gues one thing i should do is thank our kids. One of the greatest things about this trip is tht we were able to bring one of our sons/daughters with us to help on the ice and dryland sessions. There was Noelle, 8 yrs old, Easton, 9yrs old and my son kyle, 8 yrs old. These 3 kids are up passed their bed time by about 2 hours every night, eating strange food, and on the ice more hours perday 4.5 to 6 hrs, then they are in a typical week of Novice winter hockey. Yet their biggest complaint is that of spicey food as we try to encourage eating to ensure they get enough energy in through the day. Ours is their literally rotten hockey equipment that has not actually dried out since we arrived almost 2 weeks ago.

Monday was the final day of camp one, that was the little guys and the old guys, this means 6 and 7 year olds and 12 to 14 year olds. Its also the last day of easy street, 8 til 2:30 and then great sight seeing. Now its 9 to 9. Zero complaints though as during week one our hosts got us to every key highlight mentioned on page one of any Chinese tourist book. I mention page one because there really is so much to see and do here with so much incredible history. So on Monday we were taken to the Great Wall of China, and wow, was that a spectacle. I did not know a ton about it except it was a big wall, it was difficult to climb and it covered many miles. Well that certainly did not do it justice. It stretched as far as the eye could see in every direction, and many parts of it were so steep I would not be able to run 100meters of it even if I was racing. When you think about how long ago it was built and then see how big it is, and how many bricks, big bricks were carried up to build it, at a time when there was not any machinery to drop it off, i was truly in awe of one of the true wonders of the world. Following our incredible history lesson we were taken back to our hosts place for a bar b que. Well his place was another wonder of the world. He is a famous chinese tv and movie maker so he does have a few dollars to use up. His place was imbedded in a mountain and covered by trees, almost camoflaged. Inside his place had a stream with fish around the perimter of the main room. On one side of his upstairs you could cross to the other side via a roped bridge. Inside trees and branches are beautifully placed essentailly making it like a tree house but in a very classy way. Following a terrific dinner he put on a fire work show that would put any Canadian July 1st show to shame. On the way to his house we did have to go through a "true" chinese village and that was interesting. It was like maybe going back 50 to 100 years. I would not be surprised if none of the village people even left the village and mixed with big city life. It was very interesting to experience such a contrast in time span of about 30 minutes.