December Was A Busy Month!

Maple Leafsmas! Picked up this badboy at the Raptors game in the souvenir shop. Only $10 to boot - bargoon!

Yep. I have big dreams. 2017 was a bit of a write off in many ways but 2018 holds potential to be much better. 2018 will hopefully mark my 34th year in a row of doing at least one triathlon. I've got Tremblant 70.3 in June but I need to populate the rest of my season so I'm looking forward to that.

Look who's frolicking in the ocean?! It's none other than "Frequent Flyer Sara". Actually she's getting some hydrotherapy in for good reason....

Sara fulfilled a dream to do a marathon in her country of birth, Belize. If you did not know, Sara was born in Blue Creek, Belize. Blue Creek is next to Mexico in the upper NW corner of Belize. She came to Canada when she was 10. The marathon was the End of the World Marathon, named after the Mayan calendar from 2012 that was supposed to mark the end of the world. It didn't but the locals in Placencia decided to host a half/marathon to remember it by. Since I changed companies I was unable to go so my Mom tagged along for the adventure.

The marathon course was winding and flat. It basically follows a long sandbar - it starts near the end of the sandbar and travels to where the sandbar meets the mainland which happens around the 21.1k mark. You turn around and head back to the finish. The race started at 5:30am to beat the heat and the ladies had a huge turnout of 11! Sara's goal was to get under 4 hours. Given the epic travel to get there - flying 4.5 hours to Belize City then another 3.5 hour car ride, Sara was tired but excited. One thing Sara is excellent at is pacing. For this race she paced it perfectly and finished in 3:59, good for 3rd female overall. Sweet! In addition, she (unbeknownst to her) won $400 Belizean which is about $250 Canadian - Booyah!

Sara and my Mom didn't have a ton of time to lay on the beach as they were traveling 5.5 hours by car to visit her sister Annie who still lives in Blue Creek.

Here's my Mom, aka Gran, trying some fresh coconut water. The trip was good for her. Since my Dad's passing she's been keeping busy and these little adventures are something she should do more of moving forward. Gonna get you to the Rockies Gran!

Once in Blue Creek you have to experience a "border crossing". Customs consists of a mobile home, the crossing into Mexico is 0.50 and you cross in an oversized canoe about 50 metres. On the other side is a small Mexican village with a couple of small grocery stores. The stores have all you really need. Blue Creek only has about 500 people but it's beautiful there.

Of course there was beer available, especially Gran's favourite Corona. I definitely have the "love of beer" gene from both my parents. Sara and Gran definitely enjoyed themselves. Not so much when I picked them up and they got to see the snowstorm they landed in. Travel is surreal - go from tropics to snow in 4.5 hours.

We also did our pre-Christmas party. Here's Julia and Sheila doing what they do best - frontloading a few margaritas and martinis and gettin' silly. Love the consistency ladies!

Of course no party would be complete without a little duckface action. 

Coreen and Tara.

Shawna is always comical. Not sure who's about to grab your head though.

A fine looking group. I've said it before and I'll say it again - we are truly blessed to have such great friends. Sara and I know that our backs are always covered with this group. We would always return the favour as well - y'all rock!!

My daughter Emily with her prized shirt. She loves her car and she had a big sticker on the back window with the word SAVAGE on it. Of course we have to bug her about it so whenever my friends see her they yell out "SAVAGE". Sara found this shirt and it seemed fitting - she loved it.

Gran, Em and Logan. Logan is getting so tall. He turned 14 at the end of October and I'm a hobbit next to him now. He enjoyed the company.

Logan and his big sister - haha.

The bike studio, aka the Lavender Room, is coming along. I still have some pictures and plaques to put up but it's a nice space to train in. I do wish it was a little bigger to have the treadmill in as well but that's ok. We love just heading to the basement and getting it done. Picked up the Nordictrack Rower a few weeks ago - Logan likes rowing and it's a nice substitute for swimming I find.

My motto for 2018. Hope 2018 is good to you and yours. 

Cheers