Greetings and salutations,

Well this week has been a good week for training here in Ottawa, despite less than ideal weather. A warm spell with some rain was followed by some of the coldest temperatures of the year, meaning that skiing was either too wet or too cold for me. That meant more time in the pool, including a swim test on Tuesday. Our National Team Coach Tamas Buday came up for a few days and helped us with our time controls. They went fairly well, and although I didn't throw down a personal best, I was happy with the effort. We are also on a new weights cycle, which means lots of sore muscles from some new, very challenging weights. I've also been playing some hockey, inspired by my trip to Edmonton, and by the upcoming Paddlers vs. Physiotherapists Annual Showdown. We lost with one second left in overtime last year, and I don't intend to let it happen again.

Other than that, I've been busy with school, and have been enjoying the winter season. While I obviously enjoy the summer, when I can paddle and race and don't look so sickly, I have been enjoying winter more and more over the last few years. Many of my team mates are counting the days down until Florida Spring Training, but for me, it's all about enjoying where you are, and that's what I'm doing. I'm in no rush to get to Florida, and know how valuable off season training can be.

We've also been working with our webmaster Geoff Clarke, and I'm not going to give anything away, but a new and improved canoe4canada.com will be introduced sometime soon, with lots of cool new stuff, so check back regularly! Also, our schedule is updated so you can see what we'll be up to this year, along with a cool picture from the World Championships. That's all for now, thanks for reading and keep your paddle in the water!