No Fooling Me

I have officially lived in my new home for the past week.  The move went pretty well although there certainly was some last minute drama however I will spare you the domestic details.

So here is picture of the city of Penticton that I took while riding out on the KVR Trail this evening.  As you can see, it truly is a city between lakes (and mountains).

And here is photo taken on the KVR trail, one of my fave new places to run and also ride my CX bike.  You can just ride this sucker for pretty much as long as you want (and your supplies hold out).

This is some dumb assed red necked peckerwood who is just plain happy to be out riding on a sunny evening.

The weather here is of course very different from what I am used to.  Despite all the locals complaining that it has been a very wet and cool spring, the area is known for it’s warm temperatures and arid landscape.  There is no ocean here to moderate the temperatures which means that spring brings warm days and very cool nights.  Just the way I like it!

As you can see from this sign, it is not just the flora that is different in this part of the country.  There all kinds of new critters to get used to having around.

It certainly is not nirvana.  However I can say that the first week feels pretty good and the people of Penticton have certainly made me feel welcome.  I am looking forward to cycling with some buds from Vancouver on Saturday and then running a 10 mile trail race with my gal pal Christy who now lives about an hour from here.

Some of the things that I already have discovered:

• I can swim on my lunch break and have an entire lane at the pool to myself
• Naramata Nut Brown Ale is my newest beverage of choice
• Border Vines wine by Moon Cursor is da bomb
• Mornings go better with Wakeup Bomb organic espresso made by Backyard Beans in nearby Summerland
• It is so quiet here at night that I can sleep with my window open (for the first time in 25 years)
• Technology makes living in rural Canada so much easier.  IPTV + high speed Internet + 4G mobile service

You know, this just might work out ok.

Today I went out for my last long run before I begin my taper training period for the Boston Marathon. That in itself is really not that significant. The most important aspect of the todays run for me was that it gave me an opportunity to say goodbye to one of my favourite trail run routes. It is the contrast in scenery that I enjoy the most. I start in the urban Vancouver by running 3 km along the Pacific shore to Stanley Park. Once in the park, I transition to the wilderness trail system and begin the climb up to Prospect Point. Leaving the park, I then cross the Lions Gate Bridge which offers sweeping vistas to both the east and west. I then leave the noisy traffic laden bridge and am immediately plunged into the silence of the Capilano River trail system. Which as you can tell from these photos, is simply spectacular.

;

After the run it was time to get the gang together and complete another goodbye.  My dog Fritz had died almost 4 years ago however his ashes sat in an urn in my living room until today.  So I got Fritz’s other care takers together today and we finally held a little ceremony to lay his ashes to rest.  We selected a small green area in Yaletown where Fritz loved to play and lie around in the sun.  It is also the same place where we had earlier spread the ashes of our other dog Jacquie who had been Fritz’s long time companion.

The gang as we said goodbye to Fritz.

Adios amigo!

Part of the process of beginning a new phase of life in Penticton is saying goodbye to my current life.  I don’t perceive this process to be a sad thing but rather a necessary step in my evolution as a person.  So goodbye to my fave trail running route.  Goodbye to my ex and his new partner.  And lastly, a final goodbye to my dog Fritz who taught me many lessons about loyalty and companionship.

Vancouver Frontrunners 1984
(I am in back row center)

I moved to the city of Vancouver when I was just 19 years old. I first lived with my grandparents in the suburb of White Rock however I knew that neither living in the suburbs nor with my grandparents was the right situation for me.  My instincts told me that if I had to put up the hassle of living in an urban environment then I should live downtown where the city had the most benefits to offer.  So I got an apartment in the West End neighbourhood which had easy access to Stanley Park, the seawall and all the bars that a teenager could hope for.   It was a perfect setting for self-discovery, personal growth and FUN!

I somehow found the gay mens sports groups (this was pre-Internet after all) like the Vancouver Frontrunners and English Bay Swim Club.  Both of these clubs  provided me with a good mix of athletic and social activities that I very much needed as a newcomer to the city.  My relationships with these groups has evolved over time.  The swim club was always very anti-triathlon and that animosity spawned The Radical Splinter Group which evolved into a triathlon club that I was a Director of for many years. I left the swim club a few years ago when I became very frustrated by their politics, in particular their refusal to embrace other aspects of competitive swimming outside of  Masters swim meets.  As for Frontrunners, it was always primarily a social running group and my running goals required a little more structure/discipline than they could offer.  All of which is to say that I value the rich history that these clubs have provided me with while I lived in the city of Vancouver however it’s time for me to move on.

So I am leaving behind :

• the temperate climate
• beautiful coastal mountain range
• sunsets over the Pacific Ocean
• great sports organizations (yes, including you PSTC)
• some of the best restaurants in the world
• one of the most bike friendly cities ever
• an office full of amazingly creative and supportive people

I am giving this all up and moving at the end of this month to Penticton where I plan to start the next phase of my life.  A place that has the promise of new experiences and adventures but hopefully enables me to keep the things that are of most value to me, like:

• close friends and family
• strong ties to triathlon and fitness
• easy access to nature
• personal healthcare
• the ability to eat locally grown organic food

So check out this tourism video for Penticton while I head out for a last long run up Capilano Canyon before I begin my taper for the Boston Marathon.