Hawaii!

After a long season of racing I needed a break so I convinced my parents to go on a family vacation. My brother was able to get away and my parents got the time off work so we planned a trip to the Big Island. Here are some pictures from our first week!

My house in Salmon Arm on Monday, Apr.18: 9 inches of fresh snow!

First morning in Hawaii

Pools in the rainforest

Exploring lava tubes

Hula dancers preparing for the Merrie Momarch festival in Hilo

Sunbathing sea turtles

Tide pools with amazing snorkeling! This is where I got my first sunburn :(

Perfect spot for a picnic

So much fresh fruit everywhere!

Climbing a banyan tree

Halama'uma'u crater steaming inside Kilauea Caldera. Kilauea is one of the most active volcanoes in the world. Unfortunately it decided to take a holiday so we didn't get to see any fresh lava. 

Loving the ocean!

We still have 5 days left in paradise before heading back to the real life. This makes me incredibly happy to be where I am!

Season summary

I hope everyone is enjoying spring! Here is my season summary that I wrote for my sponsors:

Early season NorAm races:

The highlight of the early season was a bronze medal (top U23) in the sprint in Thunder Bay: this qualified me for the Estonia World U23 Championship trip.  

World Cup – Otepaa Estonia:

A World Cup event was held in Otepaa the week before the World U23 Championships and I was selected to race in the classic sprint. This was my first World Cup in Europe and my fifth World Cup start. I felt really strong and surprised myself by qualifying in 33^rd spot, just 0.57seconds away from 30^th and qualifying for the heats. It was motivating to be so close to the top-30 in a strong World Cup field!

World U23 Championships - Otepaa Estonia:

My best result was in the classic sprint. I qualified in 14^th position and finished 2^nd in my quarter final, moving on to the semis. I made a tactical error in my heat and ended up in a slower track going in the finishing stretch, and did not move into the final. I ended the day in 12^th position. I also placed 19^th in the 15km pursuit race and 25^th in the 10km skate event. It was a great experience and I was happy to come home with a top-12 finish.

Tucking in the skate race. Photo: Eric Bailey

Celebrating after the last race

 Eastern Canadian Championships/NorAms – Ottawa:

I was feeling fatigued for this three day mini-tour event but I still finished 3^rd overall, 2^nd U23. This was my first time in Ottawa and I had a great time exploring the city and skating on the Rideau Canal.

An evening run to the Parliament Buildings

Canada Winter Games - Halifax

These were my third and final Canada Games and they made me realize how far I have come since my national debut at age 14 at the 2003 Canada Games. I felt great the whole week and finished with three gold medals in the skate sprint, 10km classic and relay, and a silver medal in the 7.5km skate race. I was honoured to be chosen as the flag bearer for BC and had a great time waving the flag at the Closing Ceremonies!

Sprint podium. photo:canadagames2011.ca

Photo: canadagames2011.ca

National Championships – Canmore:

My best race was the 10km classic individual start. I felt great and finished in 3^rd place, with a silver medal for Canadian women. I also raced to a bronze medal (5^th overall) and a 5^th place in the classic sprint (4^th Canadian). I ended the week with a 3^rd place aggregate award in senior women and a 2^nd place U23 aggregate award.

Climbing "the wall" in the skate race. Photo: Bill Thompson

The season is officially a wrap! April will be a mix of work and play as I am working full-time for the first two weeks then going on a vacation with my family. Official training starts again at the beginning of May.

A huge thank you to my sponsors, coaches, team and family for your continued support. I couldn’t do it without you!

Alysson