I just got back from the course after watching the 1000m semifinals. There were a few disappointments for Canada but we finished off strong with an amazing performance in the men’s K4. Congrats to Brady Reardon, Angus Mortimer, Chris Pellini and Rhys Hill. Way to go guys, that was a truly inspiring performance. I think a lot of people were counting these guys out, but they really stepped it up when it mattered. What impressed me most was not just that they made it to the final, but how close they were to the winner. I think they could be a dark horse in the final in an outside lane with nothing to lose.

As for my race yesterday, I can say that it was a good one, but not great. The Belarusian took off like a rocket, and while I knew I didn’t want to kill myself trying to keep up, I should have been closer off the start. My first few strokes were a bit off which is something I’ll work on for tomorrow. After the start I got into a good relaxed pace and was surprised to be in second with doing so little work. It just goes to show that if you are paddling well and really moving the boat, going fast can almost feel easy. Of course around half way it stopped feeling easy, and that’s when I decided I could make a run for 1st. With 200 left I upped the stroke rate and started to move well, catching right up to the leader, and as I’ve been told many times now, and seen on the video, I could have passed him if I’d taken one more stroke. It was a bit of a rookie mistake, but I’m not too upset about it, just a little frustrated. I’m actually not upset at all that I have to go to the semis, as having to take that many days off may have been a bad thing. I think because I was coming from behind I thought I had to shoot early to beat him, but I should have gone right through the line and I won’t make that mistake tomorrow. My race tomorrow is going to be a tough one, with 4 strong favourites in the race and only 3 moving on to the final. I’m confident right now that with a good race I’ll advance, but I’ll have to be ready to rock.

Alright, time to get a good night’s sleep while you’re all having a nice summer day. Thanks to everyone who has sent me emails and messages, I’ll try to respond to them individually but if I don’t, I hope everyone knows that I really appreciate them all, they really mean a lot to all of us here. Thanks for reading and keep your paddle in the water.

Good morning to everyone back home!

I just got back from the course after the first day of races of the Olympic Regatta. I don’t race until tomorrow, but I had a practice during the day and then stuck around to cheer on my teammates in their heats. There was such a buzz of excitement in the air it was awesome, not only from our team but from everyone. It’s seems that everyone is as excited to race as we are and it is a great atmosphere to be in. The course looks amazing, and our new set up in the racing boat house is really nice. There were some great performances today by a lot of people, including some wicked results by Canada. I’m not allowed to report the results, but of course you all probably got up early this morning to check them, so it would just be repetitive anyway. Congrats to all the Canadians that raced today, you guys were awesome and really got me pumped up to race tomorrow.

Today was also the first time I got to see my mom since she arrived last Friday. I found her in the stands and it was really nice to see her and watch races together. I didn’t get to see her on the weekend but it seems they kept busy and got to go and see the great wall and other sites. There was a huge contingent of Canadian fans with big flags and making lots of noise which was great to see. I’m looking forward to hearing them tomorrow during the race. Of course my mom’s whistle will ring out loud and clear above it all and be extra motivational during the race. Adam said he could hear it really well and was planning with my mom when during the race it would be most beneficial for him to hear it.

Yesterday I also went to the course to watch races, but this time everyone was going backwards in their boats. It was really awesome to watch the Canadian rowers really step it up with three medals, culminating in that amazing win by the men’s eight. It was a really exciting afternoon and I’m glad I got to see it live. Another thing that was really cool to see was when Tracy Cameron of the women’s double sculls came into the crowd after getting her medal. She was SO happy and so excited and emotional, it was awesome to see.

We also got a chance to see a volley ball game between Russia and Brazil the other day, which was really fun. It was a bit hectic getting around in the city though, because we missed the bus to the venue and had to find a cab in the rain. We also only had 4 tickets for 5 of us, but I managed to kind of sneak in by flashing my accreditation at them quickly and walking by. It was a great game, they jump so high and hit the ball so hard it’s crazy. The only bad part was that we were sitting behind an old Chinese couple that apparently don’t know what bathing is. I don’t want to be mean, but it actually smelled like a garbage dump, and we ended up having to move because we couldn’t even enjoy the game otherwise. After that we had another crazy cab adventure where it took me and Em almost an hour to go about 2 km. We had a nice dinner at the Canadian Olympic House though and made it home at a decent hour.

This weekend I had some time off to rest and relax before this week’s races. I tried to stay loose by playing some ping pong with fellow C4Cers Gab and Aruss, as well as our legendary massage therapist Bernie. There was some great round robin singles play, where I held my own with a winning record, even taking down Gab who has been know to beat people using a 2x4 in the revelstoke basement. We finished it up with some great doubles matches, where Gab and I teamed up to take on a fierce team from NS. It was a great showdown, with team NS taking the series 3-2.

I’m looking forward to tomorrow when it’s my turn to get out there and race, it should be awesome. I feel good on the water and have lots of energy, especially after seeing today’s races. Time for dinner now, I’ll let everyone know how tomorrow goes. Of course I know you’ll all be waking up to watch it live… Thanks for reading, keep your paddle in the water.

Hello world,

Things over here are going great. I’m feeling good on the water and enjoying myself as much as possible everyday. Today was the best I’ve felt on the water since arriving, and I had two really good sessions. This morning Gab, Aruss and I did some solid 5 minute pieces, pushing a good hard pace and feeling good technically at the same time. This is a lot longer than my race, but it is a great way to feel connected and keep my body in good physical shape for racing. It was a nice morning and even though there were lots of people at the course (as more and more countries come everyday), the three of us had the practice course almost entirely to ourselves. Thanks to all the other paddlers for squeezing into the two lanes we have on the real course and leaving us with a wash-free workout. They must all be big fans of C4C.

This afternoon was also a good workout, although when it came to the amount of wash, it was the opposite of the morning. Since the rowers were racing, all the paddlers were on the practice course, and it got a little crowded. Mel and I were able to find some alright water for most of our pieces, and although she was getting dragged down by some weed monsters most of the way, I was able to escape them and have a good practice. We did some broken up 500m work, and I think the mornings workout really helped me feel connected in the afternoon. I felt like I could find my race pace pretty easily, and was paddling the way I want to in the race. With some extra energy gained by peaking and the adrenaline running through my body before a race, I’ll be able to keep that pace up the whole way. Today made me even more excited to race, not only because I felt good, but also because the rowers were racing, and we could hear the crowd going nuts. It really pumped me up imagining that they were cheering for me.

Also, after the workout, we went and checked out the slalom races where Sarah Boudens, a good friend of C4C, was taking on the world in women’s K1. We watched as she ripped up the course and let that water know who’s boss. If it weren’t for one little missed gate in the first run, she’d be rockin’ the semis tomorrow. Congratulations to her for representing Canada well, it was fun to watch. It was my first time seeing a slalom race and I was really impressed. The course is surrounded by a huge grandstand full of fans, and because we are also canoe/kayak athletes, we’re able to go right in and sit beside the course. We could literally reach out and touch them at times if we wanted to. I was also really impressed with the skill they showed. I shouldn’t be surprised, as it is the Olympics and these are the best of the best, but I was still really blown away with how they controlled their boats in such turbulent water.

Yesterday, as Gab and Aruss mentioned, we hit the famous Silk Market. I had been looking forward to going back since I first went in 2006, and it didn’t disappoint. The thrill of bargaining, even if it was for cheap knock-offs, was great. I got some pretty good deals I think, although I’m sure the shop keepers were thinking the same thing. I am particularly happy that I got a sweet winter coat. Adam got one two years ago and it is the warmest thing in the universe, so I should be able to keep the heating bill low this winter. I also got a bunch of ties for the two tailored suits I ordered a few days ago. The tailor came to our hotel and almost everybody lined up to get measured and order suits. This team will be coming home in style this year, that’s for sure.

Alright, it’s about my bedtime, so I’ll cut this off now. Thanks again to everyone sending me good luck messages, every time I get one it’s a great boost. Tomorrow we’re hoping to go see a volley ball game between Brazil and Russia, so that should be really sweet, and we have a Team Canada dinner at the Canadian Olympic House tomorrow night. So it should be a fun day.

Thanks for reading, until next time, keep your paddle in the water.

Greetings from China!

And so it begins! Last night we marched in the Opening Ceremonies and witnessed the official opening of the games, and what an opening it was. While it did take quite a long time to line everybody up and herd them into the stadium, sweating like it was nobody’s business, it was well worth the wait. You could feel the excitement of the whole team as we moved closer and closer to the stadium, ten steps at a time. Just before entering the stadium, the whole team started singing the national anthem, which made me pretty proud to be Canadian. Walking into the stadium was absolutely incredible. It’s hard to put it into words really, it was a totally surreal experience. The crowd was so massive it was almost hard to believe. We got to do a full lap of the stadium, so there was lots of time to soak it all in, and I was really pumped to see so many Canadian flags in the crowd. I heard someone say we got one of the best receptions of all the countries marching, other than China of course. It’s pretty cool to know we are that well liked over here, and that so many people have come from home to cheer us on. Once we were in the stadium, we got to see the Olympic Flag raised and the Olympic Torch being lit. I think everybody was impressed with how well that dude ran around the top of the stadium, pretty impressive. The fireworks were pretty out of control too, definitely the best I’ve ever seen. From what I hear the rest of the ceremony was pretty wicked too. It was also cool to see that so many paddlers were carrying the flag for their country. Great work by Adam too, he made us all proud. We ended up getting home really late, but I definitely think it was worth it. It’s something I will never forget and will inspire me for the next two weeks while I’m here, and for the rest of my life.

I slept in this morning because we got home so late, and just did one paddle this afternoon. It’s important that I stay rested and healthy so that I can perform my best. All of the hard work has been done, it’s time now to maintain our fitness while fine tuning our speed work. The course is really nice and our boats are all here with our names on the side, all polished up by the always helpful team at Nelo. I’ve been feeling pretty good on the water, still tired from traveling but it should come back soon with proper rest. The weather is not exactly what we are used to. It’s not the pollution that is the problem like everyone at home thought it would be, it’s just the heat and the humidity that can be tough. It really feels like a sauna when we’re out paddling, and I have been pouring bottles of water over my head to try to stay cool. I don’t think it is something that will bother me racing at all, we’ll just have to be careful staying hydrated and not staying too long on the water at one time, which is something we do before racing anyway.

The hotel we are at is really nice, and very close to the course. We have a nice lounge set up with lots of drinks and snacks, plus a projector for movies and a live internet feed of CBC. There are tons of channels on Chinese TV showing all the sports too which is great. Our beds are a little hard but I don’t mind it, plus I have a room to myself so I can have my stuff sprawled out over the entire room.

Alright, that’s all for now, I’ll try to update as often as I can so you know what is going on, and when I’m old and senile I’ll be able to look back and remember what I did in the summer of 2008. Thanks to everyone that has been sending my good luck and well wishes, it is really appreciated! Until next time, keep your paddle in the water.



The Mens Canoe Team in their painting, I mean parade uniforms.

What should I take to the Olympics?
I know, I'm leaving tomorrow, this should all be taken care of already. I have thought about it, I even have a list, but what would any trip be without staying up late the night before packing? (and writing about it on your website...) The truth is that it is impossible to sleep anyway. It's like Christmas when you're 10 years old, you know that the faster you get to sleep, the sooner the presents will come, but try as you might, you are too excited to will yourself to sleep. Plus, it's the middle of the day in Beijing right? I'm just getting used to China time. I need to pack pretty light because we are going to get a full bag of clothing when we arrive, but they don't give us training clothes and I have lots of those. The question really is what am I forgetting? Probably nothing, I've gone on dozens of these trips, I don't need anything different than usual. But still, this is the big show, I've been preparing for this for a long time, every other time I've packed my bags has been in preparation for this moment right now. It's time to step up to the plate, I've put in the training, I've thought about this a million times, I can do this.

Ok, I just did it. Bang, done. I think it went pretty well. I got off to a good start, organizing all my clothes in baskets before putting them in the bag. It's a new bag we got from out team, with some weird compartments and zippers, so that threw me off for a bit, but I think I handled it pretty well. I've used a lot of different bags over the years so I was ready for it. You have to be adaptable to every situation, it's a very important part of packing. After putting in the largest items, I then used my smaller garments to fill in any holes or cracks that were left between them. It's a technique I've used for years and it's served me well, as wasting space with empty air can kill you when you're trying to get that zipper closed on the finish. I did manage to pack fairly light, so the zipper wasn't a problem, plus I had to leave room at the top for my block, which I still have to use in the morning.

I still have two practices tomorrow, plus two send off parties. The first one will be at my Canoe Club during the day, and should be a lot of fun. It looks like there will be a lot of people attending so it will be great to catch up with some old friends and paddlers. Tomorrow night Canoe/Kayak Canada and Mazda are taking us out to dinner, plus providing us with some surprise entertainment. There has been a lot of speculation as to what it will be. Could it be a band? (team mate Tom Hall's brother is Sam Roberts bassist...) Or possibly some stand up comedy, that would be interesting. Of course we are staying at the hotel airport tomorrow night, and there are some gentlemen's clubs in the area... That would be wrong and completely inappropriate, and I guess it isn't Cuthbert who is organizing the party. Anyway, it should be a fun and busy day. We'll all be staying in Toronto tomorrow night, and then we leave Tuesday morning from Toronto, and go right to Beijing to train until the competition.

The last week at home as gone well. Training has been hard, and since it is our last hard week before the Olympics, I had to really make sure to push myself. It was hard at times because to be honest I've been getting pretty antsy to go. It seems like people have been wishing me luck for such a long time, which is great and really gives me a boost, but now I just want to get over there. I'm excited to be there and excited to race, and excited that it's all finally happening. I guess that's why I can't fall asleep.

Alright, until next time, thanks for reading and keep your paddle in the water.