Cath’s new make-up

So yesterday, I decided to get the mountain bike out (we have an old one given to use by a friend a couple of years ago!) – anyhow, our back dirt road (the road to and past the dump for anyone that’s visited) is good enough to take the mountain bike down at the mo for a few miles before it’s snow rather than ice (the bike tyres still grip pretty well on the ice).  Well, as this is my first ride outside since October-ish, you can see I was pretty happy to get some fresh air against my face as I biked – that was one bike ride of pure fun!  After getting home, Jase and I then ran for an hour – the weather was gorgeous, the mountains looked fantastic – what more could a gal ask for!

Extreme Sheep

One of the great bonuses about running a B&B is meeting people who can tell you about new rubbish that we can show you!

Allergies, hospitals and things like that…

A little update from me.  So, first off, I’m fine and no-one’s to worry!  The steroids are doing their job, the forehead has lost its clingon look and the eyes are looking pretty much like normal (lost their puffed up, black eye effect).  We have a REALLY good doctor here, which I’m very grateful for   As a lot of you know will know I’ve had pretty bad hayfever for years, which comes complete with wheezing and stuff all the time.  I also react pretty badly to mozzie bites (and we have lots here in Fernie) – if anyone’s seen the hideous swollen after effects they know what I mean (it’s a Dixon sister thing, hey, Lesley!) – I’m also allergic to spider bites of a particular spider that lives here in Fernie and with each bite it gets worse.  So, I guess I’ve known for a while that it’d be handy to get this sorted and understood – but I’ve never had the time or to be honest the enthusiasm from a doctor to get it sorted too.  So, along comes our doc here who wants to get it all done – yay!  Sooo….I’m getting checked in to a top notch allergy specialist in Calgary (3 hrs from us) who can then tell us what I’m allergic to and to what extent.  It normally takes months to get in, but hopefully I’ll be in in 3 or 4 weeks – good eh!  Until then I have my epi pen – so should I have a severe attack this will reverse it and I’ll be just fine.  I may need to keep it after the results, or I may be able to deal with it differently – but it’ll give us the information we need.

Next……so, my doc also thinks I have asthma.  Wouldn’t surprise me – again, comes back to the point of not having the time to sort before.  So, I’m off to Cranbrook (1 hr from us) for a full test there too – to see if there is asthma there, and if so, is it all the time or is it exercise induced (not to worry anyone if it’s the latter, it’s quite common and easy to deal with – and actually the current Olympic triathlon champion also has it, so hey I’d be in good company!)

So….together with my CT back scan a week tomorrow, I’ll have 3 hospital visits – kind of feels a bit crazy, but it also feels VERY good to be dealing with the things that I’ve known for years haven’t been quite right – and to have such a supportive doctor is fantastic – I really can’t complain.  Until we get the results, I’m ok to keep training, but I just need to bring the intensity back a bit, to make sure I don’t bring on any kind of an attack.  My coach, Michelle, is completely supportive and behind me as ever, the absolute priority No 1 always being my health – can’t say that about all coaches – that’s why she was recently voted Coach of the Year across GB – not bad eh!

So, I’m very happy with everything, it’ll all get sorted and I’ll come back stronger than ever – so no-one’s to worry a jot

xx

The dangers of Piriton!

So, last might I had an allergy attack in the middle of the night, not sure what caused it, but had the usual effect of tightening my chest to a wheez, itchy throat like you wouldn’t believe, eyes gunged up (lovely!) etc etc etc.  So I got up about 2am for an anti-histamine.  The problem was we didn’t have the ones that I normally take and only had Piriton.  In my “middle of the night slumber” I totally forgot that although they’re supposed to be non-drowsy, it’s not like that in my world – and not only did I take one but due to the bad allergy attack thought I’d take 2, just to make sure!!

The result? – I woke out of bed at 11.30am – yes, nearly lunch time – can’t remember the last time I did that – got up, had breakfast, then as I still looked awful Jase told me to lie on the sofa – I woke from that at 5pm!  I’d been awake for about 15 minutes!   For me, Piriton is V dangerous and wipes me out like you wouldn’t believe – very bizarre for 2 small tablets!!

They’re now in the bin to be on the safe side…..

The calm before the storm!

So, we had a pretty busy weekend this weekend – quite literally a house full.  They were one big party and great fun – their the kind of customers we like!

We now have a few days off B&B’ing (gives us a chance to catch up on other stuff) before our friend Colin arrives on Saturday.  Colin and Jase worked together in Leeds, and he will actually be landing permanently here in Canada – he’s joining the emigration brigade, and will be staying with us for 10 days or so before heading out for work.  Jase and I agreed yesterday that we’d keep the weekend clear (we have stuff to do in Calgary which would be handy to do before Colin lands) but also, WAIT FOR IT, with the exception of 2 mornings, we have at least 1 room booked for the rest of February, 3 weeks solid – blimey!  Not bad for a couple of first yearers (that’s a new word I just made up!)

So, there you go, a week of calm before a full on period – as my coach, Michelle, would say – bring it on…….hahahahaha!

Same situation, two different perspectives….

So, I was at the pool last night (that’s the swimming pool, not Liverpool – haha!)  Anyhow, back to the story!  After my warm up I had 24 x 100m (4 lengths) to do HARD and I had to time myself.  For this, it’s best if the lane is relatively free so I don’t get in people’s way and annoy them intensely!  Anyhow, at the start it was great, there were 2 of us, so we had one side of the lane each.  After 10, the bikini team got in.  Now I have nothing against people wearing bikinis, but it’s just that it’s a pretty good indication of how fast (or not) people will swim.  The rest of the pool was taken up with the Masters and the normal (read youngsters!) swimming club, so there was nowhere else to go!  Bum, set cut short with 8 of us in the lane!  So I decided to get out – as I’m walking down the poolside, I spoke at the same time as the lifeguard – he said “Good job!” (for the swimming I’d already done) I said “I’m giving it up as a bad job” – funny, same situation, 2 different perspectives!

How the story ends – well, the bikini team got out, I had the lane back and finished my set bang on target times throughout-  6500m in total, very happy but VERY tired as well.   Julie, do you remember the time when we both swam in the pool here and I couldn’t put my top on as my arms were sooooo heavy – just the same as that – hahahaha!

Back at the pool this morning, the arms felt it a little (!) – BUT, I did have the lane to myself – the joys of living in a small town

Running later and the back’s on the mend – yehaaaaaa!

Hardcore

You know when you are hardcore when you are put into a “body cast” after crashing into a tree on a black run, and then, then, having to have a second one fitted with a girder for strength after breaking the first one water skiing!

True story, no names

Famous Lincolnshire

Well what can I say, I’ve educated some people over the last couple of weeks about the benefits of a good sausage! Now then, I wasn’t keen on the bacon here, but, you know, it’s ok if you get some with some meat on it. My problem was with the sausages you get here. They were either 50% fat and full of salt and garlic, or they were stuffed with maple syrup. Either which way, not great for breakfasts. So I got my dad to grab a recipe for authentic Lincolnshire sausages from his landlady back in famous Lincolnshire. Backcountry Meats in town made up a batch, and they were fantastic! We had a taste test bangers and mash this evening and they went down a storm, so back to back country meats tomorrow to buy another two dozen – yaay!

Annie and Tony

Thinking of our friends Annie and Tony this evening as we sit down to watch the FIS Super G downhill skiing in Cortina, Italy. They are to watching skiing as Simon and Hilary are to watching F1.

Newton are sponsoring me!

Yikes a daisy – how exciting is this?!  I wear Newton running shoes, and have been for over a year – they work a treat for me, and I haven’t been injured once since wearing them.  Anyhow, they’ve just offered me a spot on their Pro Discount Programme which basically means I get up to 6 pairs of trainers this year at half price – so put it another way 3 free when I buy 3 (buy one get one free!)  For me this is a big deal – first off, cos someone who doesn’t know me believes in me enough to support and sponsor me (and they’re a really good company too) and secondly, when we’re watching our pennies as we are setting up the B&B, it’s a big deal – will save me nigh on $600CDn (about £400) over the year.

Now that’s exciting