Returning to my Roots

It has been a year of change. Lots of change. Not all of it good, but necessary. Cumulatively, it has taken its toll. I am ready for a new year. A fresh start. I decided that I was ready for a change in my look, to go along with the new year. This hair makes me feel tougher, more rebellious somehow. I can use the added moxie.
This month Skyloft celebrates its 1 year anniversary. As I enter the 2nd year of business I have a completely different mindset than last year at this time. I have one less partner, a bigger debt load (thanks to buying out a bunk partner), and a bucket full of lessons learned. I would be lying if I said my confidence was at an all time high, but I am used to being challenged. I am gearing up to go another round, this time a bit jaded perhaps, but a lot wiser and thicker skinned.
This blog is being resigned, and I have launched a new one. http://amberdawnhunterblog.blogspot.com/
If anyone wants to be included on the reader list, post a comment.
Onwards and upwards....

For my Poppa

I visited my gram and poppa at Easter. It was family tradition to travel to see them every Easter as a kid. Just like every year of my life growing up, my gram had home made cookies in the cookie jar, and I slept in "Ambie's room" with the doey eyed mexican kids painted on the wall. But this year some things were different. This year my poppa is no longer at home. And this year he didn't know who I was.
Aging happens. But it hurt my heart to see him looking so old and frail in the hospital bed. To hear him ask to go home and know he will never see home again. To see the strain it has caused on my gram's health. The sparkle I did see in his eye came after I referred to him as "stinky" and myself as "ugly" the names we have called each other for as long as I can remember. When I left I knew it would be the last time I hugged him.
While I was there I went for a run. As I was coming down my gram and poppa's street this song came on my ipod. I thought of my poppa. And the thought crossed my mind that one day this would no longer be my gram and poppa's street. One day there will be no one there to visit at Easter. Tears streamed down my face as I ran towards the house and I was painfully aware of how short life is, how fleeting our youth, and our health can be. That one day we will all be old and on our final stretch of life. It made me realize I want a big basket full of memories. I want to die with a body that is well used and a mind that has stretched every day.
Good bye Poppa. Here's hoping they have Lucky Lager in heaven.


Dan Mangan "Basket" (live) from Tyler Stalman on Vimeo.

We are young
We have years ahead maybe
We might fall in love
Fall apart
Fall apart
Before it ends
Well we should try to start

So I'll go but I'm telling you I don't wanna go
Could be stuck here and happy

So there's a puzzle I work on endlessly
And I've got the sides and all the corners
But there's a space
Yeah there's a space
Lost some pieces I can't replace

So I'll be but I'm telling you I don't wanna be
Just a wasted puzzle piece

We are old
And our son took the dog away
And fair enough, guess we're tired all the time
All the time
And you know dogs they need ample time outside

So I'll stay but I'm telling you I don't, I don't wanna stay
So I'll brace myself against the wall and hope to God that I don't fall
My bones are worn, my hip won't hold
I used to be so young, how did I get so old?
Won't you take my cane and hold my hand
You're holding onto all I have
Just a basket full of memories
And I am losing more each day it seems
But if I can make it to the street
I'll steal a car or a bike whatever there is to steal
And it might get cold I just don't care
I'm going 'til I'm getting there
I'll ride my steed all through this town
'Til I have looked and I have found
Your peaceful memory
Won't you return to me?
Won't you return to me?

Are You Ready?

I keep getting asked this question. And my answer is.... I don't know! I am as ready as I can be, but I have to admit, I am entering into a whole bunch of unknowns!
- Racing a half in March
- Riding a new bike
- Doing 100% of the training indoors
- Racing on a tropical island
- First triathlon after a year + off...

But there are also some things that I do know
- I've done the training
- I've done everything I can to prepare for the heat
- I have never been this fit in March
- I am feeling better in the pool than I have...pretty much ever
- I love my new bike and I can't wait to see how fast I can ride it!
- I am excited to get out of winter
- I am soooo looking forward to a holiday with my love! We both need it. 

I tried to order the gold bikini, Keith, but they were back ordered until April. Who know it was such a popular choice? I did get a couple of new bikinis at Ernie's and am looking forward to rocking those ones. Thanks to all the indoor training and sweating (and giving up wine!) my abs have returned from hibernation! :)

Sweat

There has been a lot of sweat around the Hunter house lately. Training for a race in a place where the temperature is 26-27 degrees everyday with 85% humidity making it feel like 35-36 degrees when you live in a place where it is -30 means you get creative.
We train with extra clothes, no fan and the heat cranked. We sweat like fools and drink as much as we can. Last Sunday I went through 6 bottles and only peed once. We sit in the sauna after our swims and today we discussed doing bootcamp exercises in there.
I fully expect to get slaughtered by the heat. My plan is to survive the swim (no wetsuits allowed) ride as hard as I can, and then survive the run. I really don't care, it is an excuse for a holiday and I am fully looking forward to every bit of it! I have another goal...to rock this bikini...

Training is going surprisingly well. I am surprised because I had an entire year off tri training and I expected it to take longer to feel like I've got my groove back. I finally hit 3k on my swim today, that has been the toughest discipline to get back. I feel amazing on the bike and running is coming. I was able to sneak in 24hrs in Jasper last week when D traveled there for work and Hdog and I enjoyed a 2 hr run in the trails. I have been doing all my running on the treadmill and the deep, narrow and uneven trails were a real workout! I was feeling it for a couple of days. But I loved every second.

I am more excited about triathlon than I have been in years. Maybe since my first one. I have this entirely new motivation and a goal that is pushing me to take it to another level. I know it is early in the season though, and I just hope this lasts. :)

Some shots from our 3 hr ride last Sunday...It was a true sufferfest. I rode hard for the entire 3 hrs and by the end I could barely make it up the stairs. I love it.

I'm Back Bitches!

Sorry, I'm not calling any of you bitches, but it just felt like the right title for a blog that comes after 4 months of dead air!
So YES! I am back! Thanks to husband extraordinaire for never, ever letting me forget I had a blog gathering dust. I wanted to blog but life changes have been abound and in the moments when I thought of blogging, I didn't know where to start! So much is new!

So rather than trying to update to much, I will start from where I am. Working in my dream business at Skyloft Integrated Wellness Studio, training for a year of triathlons starting with Ironman 70.3 San Juan in March, and loving riding my new Project One Trek Speed Concept! (I designed it online and they built it just for me!!!)
Getting back into swimbikerun has been a challenge. After the Death Race I went right into training a group for the Victoria Half and my body paid the price. I have been dealing with injury/issues ever since and only in the last 3 weeks I have started to run again. It has been a slow building process and I am doing my best to be smart and listen to my body as not to re aggrevate the issues. So far so good.
Swimming has been a real kick in the ass since I took an entire year off of pool time! I am still working on building some endurance in the pool and it isn't pretty. Every week gets a little better though and I did a timed 500 yesterday that had me actually feeling like there is hope that I will regain some swim fitness.
Biking is an entirely different story. I could bike all day every day. Teaching spin classes combined with the motivation my new bike provides ( I WILL NOT look like an ass on that bike) has me feeling like a rock star on the bike. Up to about 90 mins :) But I have been pushing and doing 2hr plus rides and slowly but surely I am getting stronger. I wore skinny jeans today and they were tight in the quads. Which is annoying, but positive feedback :)

So now that my blogging cherry has been re-popped I'll do my best to write with some regularity. And maybe along the way catch things up a bit. Thanks to those of you who kept me on your blog roll!

Oh and PS. It snowed. A LOT.