Andrew Russell

National Team Surprise Addition

2010-03-03T21:35:00.004-05:00

Greetings all,

We are halfway through our third hard week here in Florida, and the workouts on the horizon are definitely going to be a challenge. The next two days we are doing a fair bit of testing to evaluate the team's overall fitness so far, and that means some very challenging workouts. Up to now I have been feeling very solid on and off the water, and I really think that this is the fittest I have entered camp.

This morning before our training session we were greeted by some good news for the canoe team. Pierre-Luc Laliberte has been a guy that has been on the bubble of making the national team for a few seasons in a row, and now he will be a late addition to the 2009/10 national team. The retirement of Genevieve Beauchesne-Sevigny, sister of Gab, opened up another spot and the team was fortunate enough to be able to allot it to Pierre. So again many congratulations to the canoe team's newest member.

This afternoon we had the afternoon off training, and I made some homemade lasagna and we took up a little boxing outside. Here's a quick video of Bernard Irvin (the one and only) rocking the gloves, the Baron, Gab and Camille, and a shot of a good sized pizza.

All for now, keep it real,

Andrew

Week 2 coming to a close

2010-02-26T14:36:00.002-05:00

Greetings all,

We are coming to the end of our second week now, and I have been feeling really positive about how our national team camp has been going thus far. This week we built on a lot of the ideas from the last, slowly generating a bit more speed, and ramping up the kilometers a bit. This week the goal was around 120 km, though I do think we will be over that quota. The efforts on the water are challenging the aerobic system primarily, and have kept us on the water for between an hour twenty and two hours.

I have really noticed that my motions feel as though they have cleaned up a fair bit, and I think that working on the stroke with the pulley systems in the gym was a big factor. That said it is still very early on in the camp, but usually these are the weeks I find myself struggling to stay in the game in years past.

Off the water we are still running very hard, this week a beach run and bridge hills were hard on the lungs. Big ups to Dustin Shaw who is showing some great focus, and has been really solid in his efforts in training, showing great improvements from last year (last year far behind in most running workouts, Dustin was the 2nd fastest guy on the hills this week). In the weight room endurance weights have made an appearance, making some of the training days feel pretty long, but they are the types of workouts you feel great once you are finished.

While training has been consuming most of my time and energy in Florida so far, I have managed to continue working in my role with the RBC Olympians program, in particular working with an upcoming event I am very excited about. Teamed up with the ACNS (Aids Coalition for Nova Scotia), we are working on a big adventure race style event called the "RBC Amazing Challenge for Aids" that should prove to be a great time. To have a look at our sneak peak: http://www.chesterco.ca/blog/blog.php, or for more info check out

http://live.haligonia.ca/halifax-ns/events/details/1316-rbc-amazing-challenge-for-aids.html

That's about it for now, all the best for now, and keep it real,

Andrew

1 week down...

2010-02-21T17:46:00.002-05:00

Hello and greetings all,

The first week of Florida training camp is now behind us. It was a fairly challenging first week, with on water practices designed to re-associate the paddling muscles with the motion of the strokes. I felt very good through the week, and feel as though my work through the winter had me much more ready to work right away in camp. I had one of my best longer workouts in quite some time on Saturday morning when we did three times 20 minutes on the water. It is such a satisfying feeling finishing that type of workout.

While the intensity on the water may not yet be full out, off the water there has been some very high intensity running. This week it looks to be more of the same, with the bridge causeway quickly becoming a challenging staple on the program.

Canada USA tonight, you can be the Pines will likely be loud for every Canadian goal; Bingo night just ran into some competition for rowdiest crowd.

All the best, and keep it very real,

Andrew

Training Camp Starts

2010-02-15T18:21:00.005-05:00

Greetings all,

Another Florida training camp has begun in mild Indian Harbor Beach, Florida. For those familiar with the Pines Resort (the location the Canadian team has been migrating to for camps for many years) not a lot has changed. A majority of national team athletes are here now, and I had two good paddles and a session at Flex Fitness gym to start things off. For those interested in television, Flex is owned by former American Gladiator "Rage". Anyhoo, I am rooming with fellow canoers Paul Bryant and Cory Rublee right now, just awaiting the arrival of Gabriel.

There are quite a few international athletes here already, a strong contingent of talented German canoers, and the formidable Anders Gustavsson of Sweden just to name a few. All the disciplines (men's canoe, men's kayak, and women's kayak) met this afternoon prior practice to discuss the upcoming season and the vision for the 2012 Olympics. Speaking of the Olympics, some inspiring stuff is taking place in Vancouver, and the first gold medal by Bilodeau in the moguls is amazing.

It is always a fun time at the beginning of the February training camp because the first few days you have a chance to catch up with lots of teammates you may not have seen for a while, as well as start the on water paddling for a new year. Here are a few shots from the Canadian canoe and kayak campus at the Pines Resort...

Tom Hall and Women's Kayak.

Scrizz and company.

The soulful Bernard upon arrival.

C4C member Morty with Angus and Rich.

Roommates Paul and Cory.

After a few quick photos around the Pines, I promised I would pass on a few words by the one

and only Ryan "Scrizz" Cochrane. Last year he paddled 100 km in one day along with fellow

national team member Steve Jorens. However, Adam van Koeverden exclaimed prior that if

he were to accomplish the impressive feat, that he would, and I quote, "eat his shoe". I must

point out that a year has passed and no leather has been consumed. Thus, Scrizz is working on a double or

nothing proposition that I will keep the readers up to steam on.

Other than the friendly challenge, the atmosphere here at the Pines is a very positive one, with

the Canadian athletes looking fit and looking forward to a great camp, myself included.

All for now.

Cheers and keep it real,

Andrew

6 more weeks!

2010-02-04T09:08:00.002-05:00

Greetings all,

Well word has come that 6 more weeks of winter is hitting NS, and in tune with that it has been cold all week. Hill sprints have been toned down outside because of the temperatures, but things are heating up in the weight room.

This morning we did a 6 km "warm-up" run before settling in to the centre for some muscle endurance work in back to back bench press and pull. For those unfamiliar with these type of weights, you work with a partner, and you do a set, and then pass the weight to your partner who is waiting on a adjoining bench. It is a challenging workout, especially at ten times 30 reps, and two sets of each.

I am heading down to training camp a week from Sunday now, and in light of the weather am looking forward to a change of scenery. It'll be nice to get back on the water, and get back to business. I've been trying some new things this year, and am excited to see how they impact the training on the water.

On a more serious note, it was nice to see teammate Corey Hamilton set up a team initiative for canoe kayak Canada to try and raise some much needed funds for Haiti. I donated for a third time with this pool, and if you haven't yet made a donation I'd encourage you to do so. Sometimes we all lose sight of just how good things are, and events like this should serve as a reminder how truly fortunate we are.

For those in the paddling community or people who are just interested in getting involved, here is our donation challenge site coordinates:

Go to msf.ca

Click on 'Donate' in the left hand column.
Click on 'Fundraise for MSF', again in the left hand column
Click on 'click here' in the second paragraph in the centre.
Click on 'Search for an event' under 'Supporters' at the bottom left.
Finally, search for "Canadian Canoers and Kayakers.
Then follow the steps.

All the very best, and keep it real always,

Andrew

Dream Jobs and Florida on the horizon

2010-01-31T10:19:00.003-05:00

Hey and greetings all,

Had the pleasure of listening to the great Dr. Frank founder of the special Olympics speak this past Wednesday evening, and was really inspired by his message. The baron van Koeverden was also in attendance, and spoke very well, big ups.

Training has been going quite well here in balmy Dartmouth. We have really begun to pump in the weights circuits, and are gearing up for a very hard week before some needed recovery and then Florida on the 14th. The overall atmosphere of th

e training group has been very positive, and I think we are all seeing some positive improvements. I'm looking forward now to getting back on the water though. Gabriel and I spoke at length recently about this past season, and I think we will enter this season with a fair bit more determination to improve, and I think that will really help us to make strides forward.

In other news, the golden Greek himself Al Hal son of the legendary Costas the voice of CBC is a finalist for the Axe summer dream job position. I would encourage all to help Al by voting each day. I have attached the links below so you can get caught up with Al's quest for gainful employment, and I hope he is able to eventual

ly fill this hysterical posting.

This is Al aka "the Golden Greek"

Here are the sites:

www.axesummergig.com

www.youtube.com/bigalhal

As per usual, keep it very real, and all the best.

Cheers,

Andrew

Great video

2010-01-11T14:32:00.003-05:00

Hey and greetings all,

Just a quick few words before practice, Olympic lifting is on the schedule, so it's time to get in form. I am aiming to do the exercises somewhat resembling a Buday. That way I'll know I am getting there. Easier said than done.

Thought you guys might enjoy this video, while I disagree with the result being possible, it is a pretty cool video nonetheless. Good work Liam.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X06tjbxLCV0

Keep it real,

Andrew

2010 Paddling Rumour Central

2010-01-07T18:09:00.002-05:00

Hey and greetings all,

First of all let me wish you a happy 2010, I hope everyone rang in the new year in fine fashion. I know that I enjoyed myself at the annual Banook New Year's Eve party where some 200 participated in the countdown.

It's been a while since my last post, and it's time to get back into the groove. As those who know me well, they can attest that I am a big sports fan. I've enjoyed watching the Raptors surge to .500, while my beloved San Diego Chargers look very dangerous for this year's NFL playoffs. You see I'm one of those that say stuff like "we've" got to prepare ourselves for this big game, as if by some increased intensity in fandom I have some sort of influence on the outcome. Ah well, I'm still a hopeless addict, keeping up on all the sports rumours and staying in tune with what's going on, which leads me to some very big news.

Remember you heard it here first! This just in, the one and only Connor Taras is a freshly minted member of the Banook Canoe Club, I received the surprising and exciting news while finishing a training session at the new annex training centre behind the judge's tower on Lake Banook. Warm wishes to Connor, affectionately known as "Connor Bomb".

Training is now in full force again and I am looking forward to making some positive changes in 2010. It's a new season, and with it come new challenges and exciting races. While Gab and I had some great results in 2009, I think we both feel it is time to try and make another big step forward. After all, in a sport that has infinite possibilities for speed, you always need to be pushing your limits as somewhere someone else is. That comes to you via a basketball t-shirt I owned and wore proudly during St. Mary's University basketball camps, back when I thought I was going to the NBA and would have a full head of hair till death. Oh the times change!

Anyway, after an "easier" week getting back into things, it looks like 4 hard weeks of training here in Nova Scotia, and then on the Florida. I am scheduled to get into the Pines on the 14th of February, for my romantic re-encounter with Indian Harbour Beach. It seems this season there is a strong resolve amongst my teammates on the canoe team to get better, and I think it's going to be a very exciting season for Canada.

All the best, and keep it real!

Andrew

p.s. Go Bolts! A week from Sunday I will be glued to the screen.

Goodbye Jacksoul

2009-11-26T13:45:00.004-05:00

Hey Greetings all,

Sad news to report. One of my favourite musicians, the great Jacksoul, Haydain Neale lost his battle with cancer. He was a juno award winner and had a great voice and an awesome amount of soul.

In tribute I have posted a couple of his songs I particularly liked, songs that were good for a lift:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4-G9eZVP8IY

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0HIfQIXPZ2w&feature=related

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8GtLrT4lSn4

Keep it real,

Andrew

Yeah Buddy!

2009-11-17T17:18:00.003-05:00

Greetings all,

Tomorrow is the big day. Gabriel is flying in tonight, and we are doing a little paddling with the Olympic Torch Wednesday morning... it's going to be an amazing time. The province of Nova Scotia continues to deliver an amazing fall, and I fully expect to go out for a warm-up C-2 practice in the nippy morning with Gab.

Much respect to my friends in Ottawa who have posted what certainly looks like some serious training. Great work, there is no substitute for flat out running... that's for sure. Well speaking of flat out running, what a terrible segway... ugh, anyway things are busy here for me, pictures of tomorrow to come shortly afterwards...

All the best, and of course keep it very real...

Andrew

End of Recovery Week

2009-11-08T09:28:00.002-05:00

Greetings all,

It is a grey Sunday in Dartmouth, a rarity I am not too familiar with. Training has been really been going quite well to date, and I really feeling as though I am beginning to make some inroads on some of my personal goals.

One of the biggest things I have set out to accomplish this year is to make some key technical changes to my stroke in order to lengthen the power at the front of the stroke, and improve the consistency of the exit. For those interested in the technical side of canoeing, the remedy I am attempting is to move my front foot out 5 to 6 inches and keep my top hand from lowering too much at the end of the stroke.

Making this change on the water means work off as well. I am working at improving my flexibility through the lower back and hips, as well as legs and hamstrings, places I have been notoriously too tight and stiff. It is definitely a work in progress, but I am noticing some improvements already. On the water I am beginning to feel more comfortable in the wider stance, and also feel the rhythm is coming more naturally.

I did a few sprinting pieces for fun to see what the transition to higher speeds would be like, and I felt very solid in the boat. Basically it is easy to put your head down and try and force the boat to go fast, but you have to remember how technical a sport sprint canoe/kayak is.

I think that in order to get to the next level in the C-2 with Gabriel, these are definitely some of the key changes that will help us on our way. The other thing is to maintain a high level of intensity and effort to improve conditioning both on and off the water.

One of the people that has really impressed me over the last few years in that respect is Genny Orton. She has been a consistent 'worker' and it definitely has shown in her results, earning the stroke spot in the ladies K-4 at worlds, as well becoming a world championship medalist!

You've heard it before, there is simply no substitute for hard work. That said, you also have to enjoy yourself while you're doing it. Here is a photo from the Halloween Saturday practice. I paddled in the jersey and foam helmet for the three 30 minute pieces.

Apologies that we've been slow on the "ask us anything questions', answers to come soon!

All the best, and always keep it real! Oh and Chargers to make it four straight losses for a troubled Giants squad.

Cheers,

Andrew

Happy Halloween Everyone!

2009-10-31T18:17:00.003-04:00

Greetings all,

About to head out after three hard weeks on the water. Today we polished things off in costume, with a practice of 3 times 30 minutes. I have been feeling a lot better lately on the water, and am starting to feel the rhythm coming on. I have also once again stretched my front leg out another 5 inches or so, so that seems to be lengthening my stroke, but leaving me rather sore afterwards... but I think it'll pay off in the long run.

Anyway just a quick post from balmy Dartmouth. Remember... "quit having boring tuna, quit having a boring life!", "you're gonna love my nuts!", and always keep it real.

Cheers,

Andrew

Getting Cooler on the Water...

2009-10-26T19:42:00.002-04:00

Greetings all,

First things first, my girlfriend informed me I am making blog duplicates... what can you do, the wedding was that awesome.

Today marked the first day trying out a new paddle. Today's workouts included a 12 km steady Monday morning, followed by a tougher afternoon session of 3 times 3 times 5 minutes. Each 5 minute piece of the set was at a different percentage, with the last piece of each set at 90%. It was a challenging workout, and it was good to raise the stroke rate and heart rate. I liked the feel of the new blade, though it will take a little getting used to.

The Chargers roll in KC, and life is good.

Just a short one tonight, cheers, and of course keep it real.

Andrew

p.s. are you ready for some football!?

2009-10-25T12:34:00.002-04:00

Lazy Sundays

2009-10-25T11:47:00.004-04:00

Greetings all,

A lot has transpired since my last update, and I apologize for my lengthy absence from the world of blogging. Things are great in beautiful Dartmouth, and there are a lot of exciting things to write about.

The first thing to let you in on, was the wonderful wedding of Tamas Buday Jr. and Stephanie Bettez. It was a blast and I was so happy to have been invited and enjoy the event. Here are a few shots from the wedding.

Needless to say the wedding was a great time, and easily in the top ten nights I can recount... for sure!

Next came a wonderful outing to Hawaii. Where teamed with my fellow NT members, and the one and only Aaron Napoleon, and coach Derek Scrotter... we challenged the 72 km crossing from the island of Molokai to Waikiki. It was a challenging crossing, and we tipped a few time

s, but for the second year in a row, I wasn't shark bait. I was one of the seasick victims however.

Here are a few picks from the week in paradise.

We are now back on the water here on Lake Banook, with a great training group, and I am excited to put in some hard work. This fall I'll be looking forward to putting in some solid kilometres, and in lieu of the likely changes to the schedule for sprint canoeing, really concentrating on maintaining connection over longer periods of time. Let's call it technical endurance. I think that is likely a one of my weakest links in performance, and I am hoping to make some gains there.

Okay, without any further adieu, here is the tops of 2009 once more...

Top Performances:

1) Ladies Kayak K-4 performances at the world cups and the 4 by 200m relay team at the worlds

2) Resurgence of Dober and Willows in K-2 200m at the worlds

3) The baron Adam van Koeverden steps it up despite injury, and manages the triple crown for the first time!

4) Mark Oldershaw displays incredible depth as a threat in all distances in C-1.

5) Ladies in Canoe do amazing things at the world championships, sweeping the gold medals!

6) Young Nova Scotians make their debuts on the national team; Jason McCoombs, Adam Tenwolde, Michelle Russell and Alexa Irvin impress this season.

7) Richard Dalton continues a dominant streak in men's C-1 200m distance.

8) Bernard Irvin is brilliant in an incredible 8 thousand metre race card in Sherbrooke.

9) C4C coxes Oldershaw and Mortimer do incredible jobs in the backs of their respective war canoes.

10) Baby brother and the Prince Aaron Rublee make their debuts in Dartmouth.

Best Racing Spots in 2009:

1) Racing at home in Dartmouth

2) Molokai Hoe 2009 (team Red Snapper)

3) Sherbrooke... great venue, and fun racing

Best Meals:

1) The Connie Lee specials... need I say more, life was great at the Pines this year.

2) The Baron boosts his "eHarmony profile" compatibility with amazing meals in Hawaii... the man is phenom in the kitchen.

3) Can never get tired of a Doner Kebab in Europe...

More lists to come with a little more thought. Thanks for reading, hope all is well in your neck of the woods, and as always keep it real.

Cheers,

Andrew

ps. the Chargers will rebound, In River I Trust!

Wedding Bells!

2009-09-28T09:51:00.004-04:00

Greetings all,

Been a while since my last post, and to answer a recent "ask us anything" question, I've been keeping busy and enjoying myself in the down time we have before training picks back up. This past weekend I had the privilege of attending the wedding of Tamas Buday Jr. and Stephanie Bettez. It was an absolutely incredible experience. To steal a Trois Rivieres tag line, "it was TRes formidable". The ceremony was beautiful, and the music was moving. There was a mix of vocals, violin and trumpet that all perfectly fit. However, the reception stands out as one of the most fun nights I can remember. The theme of the night was that all of the tables had to get involved performing various skits, songs etc. to make the new bride and groom kiss. The performances were all good in their own right, though there were definitely a few that stood out. Things were kicked off by a parody of Ian and Gab (while not crooning doubled as the MC's) portraying the new bride and groom, with Gab squeaking out some finely tuned high notes a la Stephanie. Here are several shots taken at the wonderful event.

The next couple to tie the knot.
One of the top MC's with yours truly.

The biggest party animals in the room.

The newlyweds leaving the church.

The night carried on with some fabulous performances by various family members of the musically inclined Bettez side, a Hungarian tune with Frank and co., a magnificent slideshow and video by Daddy-o, and a little rump shaking by brother Benny and myself.

With sincerity I couldn't be happier for the Tamas and Steph. They looked incredibly happy, and my thanks to them for including me in their big day. Here are a few more pictures from the evening and the ceremony!

Cheers, and as always, keep it real.

Andrew

Nationals comes to a close....

2009-09-05T19:29:00.002-04:00

Hello and a quick greetings to all,

Before the evening's festivities begin I wanted to just send a few words into the blogosphere. Nationals as an incredible experience for me, and I enjoyed the week a great deal, Sherbrooke had a fabulous course, and a beautiful setting for the 2009 champs. As a Banooker most of my highlights will be biased, but I would like to send my congrats out to my fellow C4C members, Morty with his great coxing, Mark with his impressive C-1s, and Gab with some incredible crewboats teaming up with the greats of TR like Tamas Jr., Frosty and a former C-2 partner of mine Pierre-Phillipe.

I will carry some special memories from this regatta, and loved racing C-2 same side Ivan with my bro Benny, and pushing the pace a little. There were so many great Banook performances, and I was happy to see Jason McCoombs join the national team as the fourth Banooker on board.

On a more sentimental note, this was also a challenging nationals for many of us Banook paddlers as we competed in our first set of championships since the passing of our dear friend Michael Schaus. There were many times this week that I thought of Michael, and I was brought to tears when fellow clubmate Adam Tenwolde (Michael's protege) was victorious in the first year his incredible K-1 200 trophy was awarded... a truly special moment for all of us.

Once again a fabulous nationals, and a great end to the season... thanks to all the volunteers and officials for capping off another season of sprint canoe/kayak in fine fashion. Finally, big time congrats to Burloak for winning the overall burgee... a huge honour.

Cheers, and as always keep it real.

Andrew

A Little Down Time...

2009-08-27T13:47:00.003-04:00

Hello and greetings all,

It's been a nice little while to unwind and relax a bit after the world championships here in Dartmouth. I have been enjoying a little lower key lifestyle, with a little golf, time with friends, and crew boats and war canoe at Banook. The weather in Dartmouth has remained beautiful for the past weeks, and it is really a fantastic time of year here.

The world championships were a great experience for me, and I came away from the event with 4th, 6th, 7th and 8th place finishes, advancing to all of my finals. I was very pleased to get into both of the C-2 finals especially, but left the event yearning for slightly better results. That said, obviously I was very happy with how we did. The C-4 200m was a great race, and I was really excited about how close we were to the podium in the end. It is a race I am sure I'll be taking part again in the future, if I get my way that is. Seriously respect sent out to our Canadian medal winners, who delighted the home crowd. I have spoken to many people now post-worlds, and it seems there is a consensus that the 200m relays were a huge fan favourite.

Since the worlds came to a close, I enjoyed a Modest Mouse concert, a few games of golf, hung out with the family, visited Tatamagouche, Saint John and Fort Augustus, and am now getting prepped for nationals in Sherbrooke, Quebec... what a summer!

Cheers, and of course, keep it real!

Andrew

Two Finals!

2009-08-14T18:54:00.002-04:00

Hey and greetings all,

Just a few quick notes before some shoulder treatment. Can't say enough about how great the crowds have been at Lake Banook. This is such a thrill racing there! I had an absolutely great day of racing, Gab and I had a very smooth 1000m semi, and a tough fight that we came up on the right side of a shoot in the 500. Men's canoe comes through and advances in all semis so far... great work boys. Especially pumped to see my not so little brother Benny on his way to his first big worlds final. Can't wait to see what the crowds will be like tomorrow at Banook. Come out and feel free to cheer.

Keep it real,

Andrew

Energy is high!

2009-08-10T12:55:00.003-04:00

It's time to channel a little energy, getting very excited for the races. Thought I would include a few shots, some very inspirational dudes!

For fun the guy that tells us about the "time and place..." and the great Richard Dalton, Karen Furneaux, Mike Scarola and of course Ratch!

The Beautiful Coastline Beckons...

2009-08-06T14:06:00.002-04:00

Hey and Greeting to everyone.

I am writing you from downtown Montreal, where we've been training for the past week. Things are progressing nicely, and despite a few aches I am feeling pretty good about our direction, and they way we've been moving the boat lately. It is a week before the beginning of worlds, and everything becomes a bit more mental now... that is if you let it.

I find it so important to stay relaxed and keep on enjoying the experience. I've caught myself a few times this week needing to remind myself of that, but altogether it's going well. As a long time Dartmouthian... and proud of it, I am extremely excited about the crowds expected for this year's world championships. It is a rare gift to be able to host an event of this calibre, let alone two (senior worlds were also held in 1997 in Dartmouth). It is also a great gift to the paddling community and the development of the sport in Nova Scotia and Canada as a whole. It is also pretty cool to know that the Russell family will be well represented in the races, crowd, and in the volunteer section as well. This opportunity is nothing short of a gift.

All for now, keep it real,

Andrew

Never thought I'd be on a bus!

2009-07-22T10:21:00.003-04:00

Hello and greetings to all,

This past weekend I took part in the third and final national team trials which were held on the Olympic Basin in Montreal. It was an exciting w

eekend, because the scenario was so that basica

lly "win and you're in" for all of the non-Olympic events at the world championships.

Gab and I arrived from Ottawa by car on Saturday afternoon in time for the 500 finals, and a night's sleep before we got ready to compete in the 200m sprint on Sunday.

There was a lot of excitement going into the event, and I was especially excited and hoping/anticipating my younger brother Ben's nomination to his first senior world championships in the C-4 1000m event. His crew along with Tom Hall, Ian Mortimer and Richard Dalton certainly did not disappoint, and the showed a great deal of pace that will hopefully translate into a great performanc

e at the worlds. There were so many other noteworthy performances and exciting races during the Sunday as well.

Here are some of the notables:

1) An incredible performance by my clubmate J

enna Marks in the ladies canoe events who will now be represented Canada at the worlds in 3 of the 4 events.

2) Amazingly close finishes in double events; Kyle "King Karl" Jeffery and Aaron "Prince Aaron" Rublee nip the C-2 200m away from Chris Edwards and Dana Morgach, and the surging tandem of Dober and Willows narrowly beat out Etienne Morneau and Hugues Fournel.

3) Mark DeJonge puts on a show with his sprint prowess earning his spot on the worlds team.

4) Kia Byers scorches the ladies K-1 200m even

5) The ever talented Tamas Buday Jr. jumps in a couple C-4s and shows off his incredible skill set.

6) The double Mortimer win (rewinding to Saturday) in the C-1 and K-1 500m events.

7) Richard Dalton's incredible speed in the C-1 200m winning by over half a second and looking awfully good doing it. He will be a major medal th

reat in this event at the world championships.

8) Nicole Haywood's toughness through the finish of the ladies C-1 500m event.

9) Another person who had a big weekend was Pierre-Luc LaLiberte, who shined in the C-1 1000m on Friday, advanced to the final in the C-1 200m, and had a productive overall weekend, and of course Jamie Andison who convincingly won the 1000m C-1 and narrowly lost the C-1 500m.

A recent facebook photo tag.

Anyway, I could keep reporting for days on the excitement and great performances of the worlds, but the outcome remains the same, Canada will be fielding an extremely strong team for this year's world championships, led by veterans like Karen Furneaux, Richard Dalton, and Adam van Koeverden, and the team will be poised to race well in each and every event.

I will be heading back to our nation's capital to train and prepare before the worlds, but have enjoyed my time here in Dartmouth, and am getting excited about the worlds as I continue to see Lake Banook and its surroundings transform for the event.

The first to pop the big question...

2009-07-14T12:50:00.003-04:00

Greetings all,

So it has finally happened. The first friend of mine in the group I grew up with has popped the big question. A big congratulations to the great Matthew "Mongo" Peters for first making the plunge, and secondly receiving a "yes".

In paddling news, things have been going great in Ottawa. The training has been very solid and I feel as though Gabriel are making some strides in the right direction. I have been concentrating a great deal on making some technical adjustments, and trying to move the boat a bit more efficiently. This often boils down to setting a rhythm that is consistent and easy to follow, allowing Gab to best "connect" with the pace. Last week I began to concentrate on the idea of really trying to accelerate through the end of the stroke and take more time through the air, and I seem to have been able to find a more manageable rhythm as a result... so major bonus.

What else, I am still a serious movie/ television buff and have much to report about on this front. This past week had many happenings. The first "Bruno" is a bit too x rated for this forum... "I love you Beth Cooper" was a let down and besides a few chuckles really fell far from the book's level of humour. I also give two big thumbs up to the latest installment of Entourage, as they look to be setting up a lot of exciting plots for the season.

Anyway, that's all for now, keep it real.

Cheers,

Andrew

Nation's Capital & The Torch Relay

2009-07-03T13:59:00.002-04:00

Hello and Greetings all,

Excitement in the nation's capital is brimming for yours truly. Today I received word that I was selected to carry the torch in the a Halifax leg of the Vancouver Olympic Torch Relay in November. I am extremely excited about the opportunity.

This week has been a little bit easier of a week with recovery as Gab and I gear up to prepare for hard weeks of training leading up to the world championships. We will be training for the next couple of weeks in Ottawa. The set of trials in Dartmouth was a great test mentally, and now it's time to make same adjustments physically and technically.

More to come soon.

Cheers and keep it real,

Andrew

A Tight One...

2009-06-28T07:15:00.003-04:00

Hello and greetings all,

Well it's been a while since my last blog, and as time flies... national team trials #2 are now upon us. Yesterday was the 1000m day and Gab and myself squeaked out a win in the C-2 over my brother Ben and Rich who raced a great race. It was a dogfight from start to finish and neither crew ever broke the other. These type of races are really exciting to be a part of, and they are also extremely tough. It felt good to overcome that type of challenge, and I really have to salute the performance of Ben and Rich. Fellow C4C member Mark was able to win another tough C-1 race.

I am looking forward to putting together a really solid effort in the C-2 500 again today, and am definitely preparing for another battle. I should mention that these set of trials are serving as the selection for the Junior World Championship team. I have to give a shout out to my clubmates Adam Tenwolde, Jason McCoombs and Patty Vaughan who all had stellar performances in day one.

Good luck to everyone on day 2.

Cheers and keep it real,

Andrew