Beach biceps anyone?

I got to thinking whilst reading a sport biography of a journalist, Bill McKibben, who decided to take a year off life and train like an elite cross-country skier. He wasn't a talented athlete but he put in the miles and actually did some pretty decent races by the end of the year. McKibben mentions at numerous spots in the book, Long Distance, about getting up and eating his 'oatmeal' (aka porridge) to get ready to train/race/face the day. I also eat porridge every morning, as I'm sure many other winter athletes do - it seems to fill the stomach just perfectly. So my thought was how would the Winter Olympics fare if there were no porridge? Would there be a mass strike? Would the athletes fall half-way through their races? I'm not sure, but I am sure that I wouldn't have been able to train nearly as hard this winter without my hearty bowl of porridge every morning.

We work out at the Bill Warren Training centre, home of elite nordic skiing athletes, ageing masters, groups of enthusiastic young up and coming cross country skiers and the occasional dung bell lover.  This week a new rather scrawny but very serious guy has started attending the gym. He wears all black, all the time and has a wonderful collection of dog tags. I'm not sure that I have seen him do anything except arm work and sit-ups. This makes all the athletes doing actually functional work-outs giggle, but I feel like it is a good warm up for getting back into the Melbourne University Gym - home to a large collection of 'roid-addicts and men seeking those perfect pectorals.

Here are some photos from the gym:

Deciding how much pain to go through. Adam was advocating for more rather than less. I was not so sure.

Dead lifts

Lat Pull Downs with a view!

I'm not sure if I'm laughing or screaming at this point.

Nate - Happy it is time to stretch and the work-out is all over!

Another cross-country training group - I'm not sure if they actually go to school???? No wonder Canada excels at winter sports

That is where I hang out a fair bit. It is a great gym, usually very quiet and with every activity to test agility and balance that you can imagine!

Oh and here are some shots from the walk home...

The Canmore Nordic Centre

The blue sign points to our dirt road & the Grassi Lakes Recreational Area

'The Spray' aka our home in the woods. Note the Christmas lights, very festive really!

So this is my last post from Canmore. This Thursday I am off to my 10th resort for the winter, Red Mountain, BC for two provincial races. It should be fun to get some really good racing in at a lower level of competition. Then Monday I'm starting a rather protracted journey home via the US again.

Sending smiles for the last time from Canmore, tomorrow is looking like an epic powder day so it is a very big grin really.